‘Teachers play vital role in character building of students’

QUETTA: The role of teachers is most important in character building of students for achieving lasting peace, tranquility, promotion of human rights and resolution of religious, political conflicts.

Addressing a training workshop titled “Insaniyt, Ikhliaqiyat and Shariyyat in Pakistan,” representatives of civil society, educationalists and scholars said the role of teachers and students was most important in promoting love, fraternity and resolving disputes in the society. The training session was organized by the University of Balochistan in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission. The speakers included Director Legislation, Parliament House Dr Kashmir, Director Higher Education Commission Balochistan, Habibullah Nasir, Dean Social Sciences Department, Balochistan University Professor Dr Abdul Ali Achakzai, Professor Muhammad Hanif Barozai, Arbab Tahir, Advocate, Munir Hussein Khattak, Farkhanda Aslam, Professor Saadat Baloch and others. The training session was attended by a large number of teachers, students and members of civil society representatives.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Kashif said character building of students could also ensure significant change in the society. He said another training session for country’s vice chancellors would be organized in Islamabad on November 20 after the conclusion of this two-day training session of students of Balochistan University and Sardar Bahadur Khan Women University.

Highlighting the importance of training sessions, the speakers stressed such sessions were need of the hour. They advocated the importance of cementing relations among government, state and educational institutes adding that protection of human life is most important. They suggested including human rights topics in curriculum.  They said conflicts among students could only be resolved by judicious approach. Society could be changed by understanding the basic role of the womenfolk. The change could be started from own home, family and institutions.

‘Teachers play vital role in character building of students’

QUETTA: The role of teachers is most important in character building of students for achieving lasting peace, tranquility, promotion of human rights and resolution of religious, political conflicts.

Addressing a training workshop titled “Insaniyt, Ikhliaqiyat and Shariyyat in Pakistan,” representatives of civil society, educationalists and scholars said the role of teachers and students was most important in promoting love, fraternity and resolving disputes in the society. The training session was organized by the University of Balochistan in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission. The speakers included Director Legislation, Parliament House Dr Kashmir, Director Higher Education Commission Balochistan, Habibullah Nasir, Dean Social Sciences Department, Balochistan University Professor Dr Abdul Ali Achakzai, Professor Muhammad Hanif Barozai, Arbab Tahir, Advocate, Munir Hussein Khattak, Farkhanda Aslam, Professor Saadat Baloch and others. The training session was attended by a large number of teachers, students and members of civil society representatives.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Kashif said character building of students could also ensure significant change in the society. He said another training session for country’s vice chancellors would be organized in Islamabad on November 20 after the conclusion of this two-day training session of students of Balochistan University and Sardar Bahadur Khan Women University.

Highlighting the importance of training sessions, the speakers stressed such sessions were need of the hour. They advocated the importance of cementing relations among government, state and educational institutes adding that protection of human life is most important. They suggested including human rights topics in curriculum.  They said conflicts among students could only be resolved by judicious approach. Society could be changed by understanding the basic role of the womenfolk. The change could be started from own home, family and institutions.

Diversity and Peace: Challenges to Social Discourse

By Dr. Nancy Fahim

KARACHI: “A large part of the community is suffering from mutual hatred, ethnocentric mindset, intolerance, extremism and terrorism. Creating and promoting diversity is a noble cause under such circumstances,” said Dr Hasan Askari Rizvi, professor emeritus, Punjab University, in his keynote address at the inauguration of an international conference titled ‘Diversity and peace: challenges to social discourse’ organised by the faculty of social sciences, University of Karachi, on Tuesday.

“The need of the hour is to promote political accommodation of diversity and a culture of tolerance and harmony through a dialogue across all kinds of divides that we encounter today. We need to build bridges of cooperation, positive interaction, dialogue and mutual sharing rather than barriers and walls that divide us and cause mutual distrust and conflict,” he said.

“Religious and cultural extremism and terrorism dating back to the 1980s involved domestic and global factors and adversely affected Pakistani society and Pakistan lost the societal feature of cultural and religious tolerance and political accommodation. Academicians and intellectuals have a leading role in encouraging dialogue among different sections of society. Dialogue among people of different lands and their governments is essential to accommodate diversity and emphasise pluralism,” he added.

“Currently, there is a realisation of what has gone wrong with Pakistan, the efforts of the state and society to counter violent and terrorist activities in the country and also intolerance. The state is also making serious efforts for the promotion of dialogue and accommodation, which is indeed commendable,” said Dr Askari.

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Earlier, KU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Mohammad Ajmal Khan welcomed all the scholars, including visiting scholars from abroad. He said social sciences was no longer an isolated field. Rather it had gained significant importance in the backdrop of the political, social and economic events taking place in the world. “These changes are no longer limited by political, physical and natural boundaries; the need for the intellectual community to conduct critical debate on theories and practices of conflict resolution, inter-cultural harmony, peace and development has increased manifold,” he said.

“This conference will not only strengthen the ideology of Pakistan but also unleash the process of meaningful academic discourse which can positively transform the mindset of our people and bring a qualitative change in our society through meaningful research in the field of social sciences,” said Dr Ajmal Khan.

Dr Ghulam Raza Bhatti, member (operations and planning), HEC, said that man was a scavenger, who ate everything he saw Dean of the faculty of social sciences Prof Dr Mohammad Ahmed Qadri said Pakistan is a land of peace which respected all cultures and ideologies.

While presenting his paper Prof Dr Qadri with Dr Xiaoqing Xie from the China University of Geosciences said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and One Belt One Road projects were closely linked.

Dr Olena Bordilovska of Kyiv Taras Shevchenko National University, Ukraine, while presenting her research paper said that Ukraine, as one of the so-called New Independent States, was a bright example of both peace proclamations and security challenges.

Paulina Fecht from the University of Heidelberg, Germany, while presenting her research paper said the post-Second World War era was a revolution in itself due to the emerging trend of reconciliation among the European states, which was unprecedented in the past due to power politics.

Dr Yahya Yesilyurt from Kastamonu University, Turkey, said that due to Turkey’s geographical position, it would have the role of a coordinator, which would provide power to the region, and it would also be able to generate promising policies on a global scale. For this reason, the developing countries such as Pakistan, Azerbaijan and Indonesia had a share in the regional developments and contribution to world peace.

Scholars from China, Turkey and Ukraine called for signing memorandums of understanding with the University of Karachi on behalf of their national universities for a student/faculty exchange programme.

War crimes behind pictures

The long pending dispute of Jammu and Kashmir continues to take human lives every year, endlessly. In the year of 2016, the oppressed and suppressed people of Occupied Jammu and Kashmir have once again witnessed the worst kind of human rights violations by the hands of Indian forces. Kashmiri civilians have seen curfews, killings, torture, injuries, attacks on medical ambulances, assault on doctors & paramedical workers and crackdown on voluntary aid workers by various so called security agencies, raids, illegal detentions, disappearances, molestation, arson, Vandalizations of properties, restrictions on political, social and congregational religious activities, communication and Internet services ban and media gags throughout the year. However the year will always be remembered as “The year of Pellet Gun”.

The uninterrupted use of this horrific gun by the unbridled Indian forces has killed, blinded and maimed a huge number of Kashmiri civilians. The Security Forces, it is now widely accepted, have made and are making disproportionate and excessive use of pellet guns to deal with peaceful protests. “The Hindu”, a daily English newspaper published in India, has on August 19, 2016 reported that the Central Reserve Police Force(CRPF) told the Jammu and Kashmir High Court that it used 1.3 million pellets in just 32 days on Kashmiri civilians to control street protests.

Kashmiris in general believe that there was a conscious decision to fire the pellets into the eyes of civilians to punish them for demanding the right of self-determination. The Forces are meant to follow Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) which calls for targeting legs in extreme volatile conditions. However more than 90% of those injured have received injuries above the waist. “Government forces are deliberately aiming at chests and heads,” one of the doctors treating pellet victims in Srinagar hospital told the BBC on condition of anonymity. “They seem to be aiming to kill.” With the number of eye injuries Kashmiri citizens are facing, it is hard to believe that any attempt was made to fire below the waist. Pellet gun killings and blinding have been reported since 2010. However, this time pellet gun killings, and blinding have assumed monstrous proportions and far exceeded the number of such cases, reported earlier.

Pellet gun is usually considered as a non-lethal weapon but, in occupied Kashmir, it has been converted into a lethal weapon by using some special and deadly cartridges. The doctors, who attended on pellet victims, support the observation. Indian Express of 16 July, 2016 quotes doctors at SMHS as saying that the pellets now used are “sharp edged and irregular”.

A senior Ophthalmologist at the Hospital said that “foreign bodies (pellets) of new kind … For the first time the foreign bodies are more irregular and sharp edged, which causes more damage once it strikes the eye … “earlier we used to receive pellets which were round and homogeneous”. Another Ophthalmologist says, “These new pellets are more dangerous since these pellets have sharp edges, it is much dangerous, to what we used to see earlier”.

Dr. Natrajan, who operated upon those with pellet injuries, commenting upon the situation, states “this kind of situation is very rare. It is a disaster like situation and I am seeing such a situation for the first time”. He explains that a sharp edged pellet unlike a round pellet, pierces the eye ball and goes deep into the eye, resulting in a deeper injury, with least chance of restoration of eye sight.

Dr. Mahesh Shanmugam, who also conducted retinal surgeries at SMHS Srinagar, shocked by the situation says “this is not any ordinary situation. It is a race against time – this is war like situation as the number of this magnitude is unique”. He adds that most of the patients will need multiple surgeries.

Dr. Sudarshan K Kumar, who led the team of doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), a leading Delhi hospital, has said that the nature of the injuries was so severe that it was almost as if Kashmiri doctors were dealing with a “war-like situation”. (Courtesy: Hassan Banna Ms. Attiya Asim)

Lethal use of Pellet guns in Kashmir

Indian attitude of manipulating the fact by projecting Kashmiri lady picture injured by pellet guns shown in United Nation by Pakistan's representative Maleeha Lodhi as Palestinian lady injured in Gaza. How many facts india will manipulate. There are almost 964 pellet gun victims having miserable pictures and videos. The guardian has termed blinding of Kashmiris by pellet guns in Indian occupied Kashmir as one of the biggest blinding activity of human history. 

Few more evidences of Indian inhuman behaviour and blatant human right violations in Kashmir.

'گائے کی موت پر ہنگامہ اور دلت کی موت پر خاموشی'

انڈیا کے دارالحکومت دہلی کے ہرن کیدانا علاقے میں بہنے والے نالے میں آس پاس کے مکانات اور کمپنیوں کا انسانی فضلہ اور فیکٹریوں کا کیمیکل جمع ہوتا ہے۔

قریبی سڑک کی خالی جگہ پر نالے سے کئی روز قبل نکالا گيا گندہ کچرا اب سخت ہوگيا ہے۔ اس سے نکلنے والی تعفن اتنا شدید ہے کہ سانس لینا مشکل ہے۔

اسی نالے کو صاف کرنے کے لیے نیتو اور اجیت اس کے اندر گردن تک ڈوبے ہوئے تھے۔ کئی بار اس کا پانی ان کی ناک تک چلا جاتا، دونوں نے اپنا منہ زور سے بند کر رکھا تھا۔

ایک کے ہاتھوں میں بانس کی لمبی چھڑی تھی تو دوسرے کے ہاتھوں میں لوہے کا کانٹا جس سے وہ نالے کی تہہ میں پھنسے ہوئے کوڑے کچرے کو ہلانے کی کوشش کر رہے تھے تاکہ وہاں سے پانی کے نکلنے کی جگہ بنے۔

Image captionنیتو اور اجیت

نیتو نے اشارہ کیا: 'کالا پانی گیس کا پانی ہوتا ہے، وہی گیس جو لوگوں کی جان لے لیتی ہے۔'

'ہم بانس مار کر دیکھ لیتے ہیں کہ وہاں کوئی گیس موجود ہے کہ نہیں، اور پھر ہم اس میں داخل ہوتے ہیں۔ بندے اس لیے مر جاتے ہیں کیونکہ وہ بغیر اسے دیکھے ہی اس میں کود پڑتے ہیں۔'

ایک دن میں 300 روپے کمانے کے لیے وہ نالے میں پائے جانے والے سانپوں اور مینڈک جیسے جانوروں کی بھی پرواہ نہیں کرتے ہیں۔

دبلے پتلے جانگیا پہنے ہوئے نیتو نالے سے نکل کر دھوپ میں کھڑے ہوئے تو ان کے بدن سے بہنے والا پسینہ اور جسم پر لگا گندہ کیچڑ ایک عجیب سی بو پیدا کر رہا تھا۔

سیور میں پائے جانے والے کانچ، کنکریٹ یا زنگ آلود لوہے سے نیتو کے پاؤں کئی بار زخمی ہوچکے ہیں۔ ان کے پیروں میں ایسے کچھ زخم ابھی بھی تازہ تھے کیونکہ ان کو بھرنے کا موقع نہیں مل پایا۔

تصویر کے کاپی رائٹSUDHAKAR OLWAY

ایک غیر سرکاری ادارے 'پریکسس' نے اپنی ایک رپورٹ میں کہا ہے کہ دہلی میں سیور صاف کرنے والے تقریبا 100 خاکروب ہر برس ہلاک ہو جاتے ہیں۔

رواں برس جولائی اور اگست کے محض 35 دنوں میں 10 خاکروب ہلاک ہوئے۔

ایک تنظیم 'صفائی ملازمین اندولن' کے مطابق سنہ 1993 سے انڈيا میں تقریبا 1500 خاکروب ہلاک ہوئے ہیں۔ ادارے نے اس کے دستاویزی ثبوت جمع کیے ہیں اور اس کا کہنا ہے کہ اصل تعداد اس سے کہیں زیادہ ہے۔

لاکھوں لوگ اب بھی یہ کام کرنے پر مجبور ہیں۔ اس کام سے وابستہ بیشتر افراد کا تعلق دلت سماج سے ہے۔ سیور میں زیادہ تر اموات ہائیڈروجن سیلفائید کی وجہ سے ہوتی ہیں۔

وہ لوگ جو سیور میں کام کرتے ہیں انھیں دمہ، جلد اور پیٹ کی طرح طرح کی بیماریوں کا بھی سامنا کرنا پڑتا ہے۔ نیتو نے یہ کام 16 برس کی عمر سے شروع کیا تھا۔

دہلی میں وہ اپنے بہنوئی درشن سنگھ کی ایک فاسٹ فوڈ کی دکان میں رہتے ہیں۔ انھیں جُھگیوں میں بہت سارے خاکروب ملازمین رہتے ہیں۔

اس کے آس پاس آبادی اتنی زیادہ ہے کہ یہاں سانس لینے کے لیے بہت زور لگانا پڑتا تھا۔ دروازے پر کوڑے کے ڈھیر کو پار کر کے ہم درشن سنگھ کے ڈھابے پر پہنچے۔

درشن سنگھ نے 12 برس تک صفائی کا کام کیا لیکن پاس کی ایک عمارت میں اسی کام کے دوران ان کے دو ساتھیوں کی موت ہوگئی جس کے بعد انھوں نے یہ کام چھوڑ دیا۔

تصویر کے کاپی رائٹGETTY IMAGES

انھوں نے بتایا:'ایک اپارٹمنٹ میں ایک پرانا گٹر طویل عرصے سے بند پڑا تھا۔ اس میں بہت گیس تھی۔ ہماری جھگیوں میں رہنے والے دو افراد نے 2000 روپے میں اسے صاف کرنے کا ٹھیکہ لیا تھا۔ پہلے جو بندہ گھسا وہ وہیں رہ گیا کیونکہ گیس بہت بھیانک تھی۔ اس کے بیٹے نے پاپا پاپا کی آواز لگائی۔ پاپا کی تلاش میں وہ بھی اندر گھسا لیکن واپس نہیں آیا۔ دونوں اندر ہی ختم ہو گئے۔ مشکل سے انھیں نکالا گیا۔ تبھی سے ہم نے یہ کام بند کر دیا۔'

قانون کے مطابق ہاتھ سے سیور صاف کرنے کا کام صرف ایمرجنسی کی صورت میں ہی کرنا ہوتا ہے اور اس کے لیے خاکروب ملازمین کی حفاظت کے کئی طرح کا ساز و سامان دینا ہوتا ہے۔ لیکن حقیقت میں بیشتر ایسے ملازمین ننگے بدن کی حالت میں سیور میں کام کرتے ہیں۔

اس طرح کے کام کے دوران ہلاک ہونے کی صورت میں حکومت کی طرف سے متاثرہ خاندان کو 10 لاکھ روپے تک کا معاوضہ دینے کی بھی تجویز ہے۔ لیکن 'آل انڈیا دلت مہاپنچایت' کے مور سنگھ کا کہنا ہے کہ اس کے لیے بہت جد و جہد کرنی پڑتی ہے اور ہر شخص کو ایسی مدد نہیں مل پاتی ہے۔

حال ہی میں ایسے ہی ایک واقعے میں دہلی کے لوک جن نائیک ہسپتال کا گٹر صاف کرنے کے دوران 45 سالہ رشی پال کی بھی موت ہو گئی تھی۔

'صفائی ملازمین اندولن' کے بیزواڑا ولسن کہتے ہیں: 'اگر ایک مہینے میں دہلی میں 10 گائیں مر جائیں تو ہنگامہ مچ جائے گا اور لوگ سڑکوں پر نکل آئيں گے۔ اسی شہر میں ایک ماہ میں 10 خاکروب ہلاک ہوئے لیکن ایک آواز نہیں اٹھی۔ ایسی خاموشی روحانی ایذا کا سبب ہے۔'

وہ کہتے ہیں: 'کوئی بھی شخص دوسرے کا پاخانہ پیشاب صاف نہیں کرنا چاہتا لیکن سماجی ڈھانچے کی وجہ سے دلت یہ کام کرنے پر مجبور ہیں۔ جب ہم مریخ پر جانے کے بارے میں سوچ سکتے ہیں تو پھر اس مسئلے سے کیوں نہیں نمٹ پا رہے ہیں۔'

ولسن کے مطابق حکومت لاکھوں نئے بیت الخلا بنانے کی بات تو کرتی ہے لیکن ان کے لیے بنائے جا رہے پٹس یا گڑھوں کو صاف کرنے کے بارے میں کوئی نہیں سوچتا ہے۔

تصویر کے کاپی رائٹSUDHAKAR OLWAY

نیتو کے بہنوئی درشن سنگھ کہتے ہیں: 'ہم ان پڑھ ہیں۔ ہمارے پاس کوئی کام نہیں ہے۔ خاندان کو پالنے کے لیے ہمیں یہ کام کرنا پڑتا ہے۔ اگر ہم کسی بند گٹر کے بارے میں سوال کرتے ہیں تو افسر کہتے ہیں، آپ اس میں گھسیں اور ہمیں اپنا پیٹ پالنے کے لیے مجبوراً یہ کام کرنا پڑتا ہے۔'

'کئی بار ہم اپنے بچوں کو نہیں بتاتے کیونکہ یہ گندا کام ہوتا ہے۔ ہم ان سے کہہ دیتے ہیں کہ ہم مزدوری کرتے ہیں۔ ہم سوچتے ہیں کہ اگر ہم نے انھیں سچ بتا دیا تو وہ ہم سے نفرت کرنے لگیں گے۔ کچھ لوگ شراب پیتے ہیں۔ مجبوری میں آنکھ بند کرکے کام کرتے ہیں۔'

'لوگ ہمیں دور سے پانی دیتے ہیں۔ کہتے ہیں، وہاں رکھا ہے، لے لو۔ نفرت بھی کرتے ہیں۔ بہت سے لوگ ہم سے نفرت کرتے ہیں کیونکہ یہ گندا کام ہے۔ ہم اگر نفرت کریں گے تو ہمارا خاندان کیسے چلے گا۔'

 

Trump’s Warning To Islamabad Has Formalised The China-Pakistan-Russia Axis

        

By Kunwar Khuldune Shahid

In calling out the "safe havens for terrorists in Pakistan" as part of his Afghanistan policy, US President Donald Trump has given formal shape to a reality that has been brewing in South Asia since Washington fell out with Islamabad post the Osama bin Laden raid.

With both Beijing and Moscow coming out in Islamabad's defence almost immediately, the China-Russia-Pakistan axis has been formally inaugurated, with the US and India allying in Afghanistan—as epitomised by Trump's call for New Delhi to help out Washington in the region.

Washington and New Delhi have been conspicuously toward drawn each other since the 2008 nuclear deal, a similar version of which Islamabad has been demanding as well. However, initial US policy had been to ensure that proximity with India doesn't alienate its traditional ally Pakistan, which heretofore had a pivotal role for Washington in Afghanistan.

What the Trump regime has done to chastise Islamabad over Afghanistan echoes the Indian stance in the region, specifically targeting Pakistan's "jugular vein": Kashmir.

Following the bin Laden raid, the relations between the US and Pakistan became increasingly acrimonious under the Obama regime. Under the Trump presidency, the Republicans in the Congress that had already been clamouring to revisit aid to Pakistan—asking Islamabad to pay for its F-16s last year, for instance—now have a formal outlet to vent their frustration.

What the Trump regime has done to chastise Islamabad over Afghanistan echoes the Indian stance in the region, specifically targeting Pakistan's "jugular vein": Kashmir.

In little over three months, Trump implicitly equated Kashmir's freedom fight with terrorism at an Islamic summit in Riyadh, sanctioned the Kashmir-bound Hizbul Mujahideen and its commander Syed Salahuddin as terrorists, and now officially underscored the problem of Pakistan "harbouring terrorists" while seeking the solution from India.

Meanwhile, China has continued to forestall New Delhi's move to blacklist Kashmir-bound jihadists at the UN, as it continues work on the $62 billion corridor with Pakistan, while further reigniting its own border dispute with India in Doklam.

Moscow drawing closer to Islamabad, at least militarily, naturally overlapped with US angst vis-à-vis Pakistan. It started with Russia lifting its self-imposed arms embargo on Pakistan in November 2014, following by a landmark "military cooperation" agreementthat culminated in the first ever joint military drill between the two countries last year.

In the meantime, Pakistan will be importing Mi-35 combat helicopters in addition to the Russian Klimov RD-93 engines for its JF-17 multi-role fighters. Moscow and Islamabad have also signed a deal for the construction of the North-South gas pipeline from Karachi to Lahore, to cater to the ever growing energy needs in Pakistan's most populous province.

The shaping of these axes in South Asia has been further facilitated by Indo-Pak ties reaching their nadir amidst increasing volatility in Kashmir.

This formation of hard alliances is a return to 20th century diplomacy and the rigid rulebook that defined bilateral relations, and which caused wars of all kinds.

With the US involved in direct confrontation in Ukraine and the South China Sea, as on-ground samples of its longstanding rivalries with Russia and China, the formalisation of coalitions means the respective alliances could henceforth be backing territorial disputes and regional crises as single units, drawn against one another and overlapping with the security and economic cooperation between the groups.

Even so, Russia cannot overlook the economic power that India is growing into. It is especially unlikely that Moscow would stop its military exports to New Delhi, despite its two-pronged security antagonism with Islamabad and Beijing.

Another promising ally for the China-Russia-Pakistan axis would've been Iran, considering Tehran's proximity to Moscow and bitterness vis-à-vis the US, which has seen it join Beijing and Moscow in condemning Trump's accusations against Islamabad. But Pakistan's own ties with Iran have deteriorated in recent times, with Tehran echoing the US India in accusing Islamabad of providing safe havens to terror groups, and even threatening military invasion inside Pakistani territory.

Furthermore, Pakistan's unflinching obligations to Saudi Arabia, which is the foundation of its differences with Iran, coupled with New Delhi and Tehran's growing economic cooperation along with Kabul—as exemplified by the Chabahar Port—mean that Iran isn't a natural fit for either of the two groups, especially since Washington is unlikely to diplomatically ease things for Tehran under Trump, who has signed a "$110 billion" arms deal with Saudi Arabia.

This formation of hard alliances is a return to 20^th century diplomacy and the rigid rulebook that defined bilateral relations, and which caused wars of all kinds. But there still might be a chance that the China-Pakistan-Russia axis might end up being shaped by the common interests that define it, rather than the ramifications for the states that it alienates.

Even so, with stridently antagonistic voices and policymaking now at the helm in Washington and New Delhi, coupled with Islamabad's rigidly masochistic shielding of jihadist groups, it is likely that confrontation rather than cooperation will remain the order of the day in South Asia—at least in the near future.

Trump’s new Afghanistan policy has Pakistan angry and alarmed

By Pamela Constable

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A wave of anti-American anger has swept Pakistan this past week, triggered both by President Trump’s threat to punish the country for harboring insurgents and by his invitation to India, Pakistan’s longtime rival, to become more involved in Afghanistan’s future.

Tribal and religious leaders have held protests at border crossings, and banners urging “Say no to America!” have appeared across the capital. Officials have canceled trips to Washington and asked a State Department official to postpone her planned visit here this week. Across the country’s fractious political spectrum, leaders have raised a collective fist at Trump.

In a stern speech Aug. 21, the U.S. president laid out a new militarized policy for the region, saying he would send more American troops to Afghanistan and insisting that Pakistan must “do more” to rein in Islamist militants or face possible sanctions, such as cutting aid or revoking its status as a major non-NATO ally. 

Afghan officials welcomed Trump’s message, but Pakistanis accused him of “bullying” their country despite its history of cooperating with the United States in foreign conflicts. They said he had betrayed them by reaching out to India, which Pakistan views as a persistent threat to its existence. 

“President Trump wants to portray us as a villain despite the huge losses­ we have suffered in the so-called anti-terrorism war,” said Hafiz Hamdullah, a conservative Muslim cleric and legislator. “Both India and the U.S. want to use Afghanistan against us. These charges of terrorist hideouts are just to destabilize Pakistan.”

Mian Raza Rabbani, the left-leaning chairman of Pakistan’s Senate, denounced Trump in similar terms. “No country in the world has done more than Pakistan to counter the menace of terrorism,” he declared. Invoking the “legacy of Vietnam,” he said that if Trump “wants Pakistan to become a graveyard for U.S. troops, let him do so.”

In tribal regions along the border, where U.S. drone strikes have killed hundreds of suspected militants and civilians, one crowd of tribesmen chanted, “Long live Pakistan.” In another spot, religious activists held up placards saying, “India, America and Afghanistan are conspiring against Pakistan.”

Pakistan’s National Security Committee, which comprises top military and civilian officials, sharply rejected Trump’s charges of sheltering insurgents and demanded that the U.S. military “eliminate sanctuaries for terrorists” on the Afghan side. “The Afghan war cannot be fought in Pakistan,” the group declared.

Pakistani officials took other steps to show their unhappiness. They requested that a planned visit by Alice Wells, the senior State Department official dealing with the region, be indefinitely postponed. Pakistan’s foreign minister, who had been planning a trip to Washington, instead announced that he would travel to China, Russia and Turkey. 

Despite the hostile rhetoric, there were signs that U.S.-Pakistan relations are far from collapsing. Over the past few weeks, several low-profile meetings were held between current and former officials from both governments to discuss how to keep relations on an even keel.

Pakistani newspapers ran headlines that blasted Trump as a hectoring bully but also published nuanced commentaries calling for pragmatism and patience. The editors of Dawn, the country’s most influential daily paper, counseled that “there is still space and time for constructive dialog. A strategic rupture is in neither the U.S. nor Pakistan’s interest.”

For Pakistan, the issue of militant sanctuaries is a familiar one; both of Trump’s immediate predecessors pressed Pakistan to crack down on them but did not take harsh measures, especially because Pakistan was cooperating in the broader anti-terrorism war. This time, though, Pakistani officials are said to be far more worried that Trump, an unpredictable leader, may follow through.

“Trump’s threats are real. . . . Madness on our doorstep has already arrived,” commentator Syed Talat Hussain wrote in the News International on Monday. He suggested that if Trump, “an ignoramus addicted to creating sensation,” ordered a drone strike in Pakistani territory — as opposed to the border tribal areas — it could “get us embroiled in a war with the U.S. This is deadly serious business.”

Pakistanis have been even more deeply rattled by Trump’s warm embrace of India, where the current prime minister is an ardent Hindu nationalist and Indian army troops have been waging an aggressive, months-long campaign against Muslim protesters in the disputed Kashmir region.

Pakistan has long pursued influence in Afghanistan largely as a foil to India, a larger and more powerful rival, only to see New Delhi become a major benefactor of the U.S.-backed government in Kabul. 

“Trump’s comments about India were more unsettling for Pakistanis than his threats to Pakistan,” said Michael Kugelman, a Pakistan expert at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington. “The U.S. calling for a deeper Indian footprint in Afghanistan sets off alarm bells across Pakistan. It will cause very real fear.”

A few Pakistani voices here have called for a rethinking of Pakistan’s efforts to influence Afghanistan, noting this has created a burden on its resources and a spillover of Islamist radicalization. But virtually no one questions the notion that India, the world’s largest democracy, is their mortal enemy — a premise that has long kept Pakistan’s army in a position of extraordinary power but has left the country increasingly isolated. 

“We have sacrificed for so many years to help the United States, and this Afghan war has destroyed us,” said Rehman Malik, a Pakistani senator and former interior minister. “We don’t want anything but their respect. We are a victim of terrorism, not a cause of it. We want peace in Afghanistan, not war. Now America is befriending India at the expense of Pakistan. And that really hurts.”

Trump is grossly misled on Pakistan, here it is how?

By Atta Rasool Malik

On 21 August 2017, U.S. President Donald Trump spelled out his long awaited ‘Afghan Policy’ while addressing American officers and soldiers at historic U.S military base, Fort Myer, Virginia. His speech was televised nationwide during prime-time in the United States.  Millions of others around the globe also listened to American President live on TVs and YouTube. Here in Pakistan, he was followed with a lot of interest and keenness because people of Pakistan are greatly affected by the war in their neighborhood.

American President was praising his men for their great sacrifices but deep down in his heart, he knew his men were not winning in Afghanistan. Therefore, he was unable to give the timeframe for likely completion of the task in Afghanistan or conditions under which to define success or failure. As regards Pakistan, he looked more like Indian PM Mr. Narendra Moodi.

Trump could identify only one reason for not winning in Afghanistan; it was Pakistan. To him, terrorists were enjoying safe haven in Pakistan. However, he did not explain why Pakistan wanted to fail America in Afghanistan?

Trump took very long to issue policy guidelines to Americans troops engaged in war in Afghanistan. Probably, he was too occupied and busy on the domestic front. Whether it was fear of impeachment and inquiries or he was being influenced by ‘interest groups’ to continue fighting in Afghanistan; a policy which he had described it as “disastrous” during his election campaign. Trump was now ‘educated’ that American presence in Afghanistan is essential to safeguard the US might against emerging and resurging powers. CEO’s of influential Multi-National Companies benefiting from the war in Afghanistan might have also assured support for entrapped and worried Trump. Therefore, finally, Trump has announced the continuation of Afghan war with renewed vigor.

Trump repudiated his early stance and declared without any shyness that the United States of America is there in Afghanistan ‘not to rebuild Afghanistan or construct democracies in far away lands’. They were there to kill terrorists; read Afghan Taliban. For the first time, American President says he does not stand for values which the Americans have lecturing us all along for many years; human rights, women empowerment, and democracy.

Americans Troops identify the only section of Taliban; Afghan Taliban as terrorists. These are the people who resist American presence in Afghanistan.  Americans have no problem with another half of Taliban; Pakistani Taliban who are fighting the state of Pakistan. These anti-Pakistan Taliban are rather facilitated by Afghan’s NDS and India’s intelligence agency RAW in Afghanistan. Pakistani Taliban, actually; a proxy of India, are killing innocent children and women in markets, schools, churches and mosques of Pakistan. Resultantly Pakistan has lost over 60,000 people and approximately $100 billion of the worth of material losses in this war on Terror.

In Europe and America there are lobbying firms and surprisingly these are legal. These firms are ready to further the cause of any country, group, and mafia for money. They mislead academia and influence state officials for money. They don’t have the moral integrity to stand for truth. They are clearly tasked to tarnish the image of Pakistan. Indian lobbies are particularly very effective in Washington. They twist the data, misinform and deceive the decision and opinion makers of USA. Trump administration has been misled to believe that the only cause of failing in Afghanistan is Pakistan. Americans have failed to appreciate the actual causes of resurgent Taliban. People in Afghanistan view the absence of justice and rampant corruption in government offices deadlier than Taliban.  

Propagandists and lobbies have changed the image of an infamous killer and butcher, current PM of India, Mr. Narendra Modi as peace loving leader of India. Americans officials have forgotten that Mr. Narendra Moodi was barred from visiting EU and USA for a decade for gross human right violations. India is a caste ridden racist country where lives of minorities are like hell. School going Kashmiri girls and boys are insulted and blinded with pellets guns on a daily basis. Yet Trump looked upon India as a peaceful nation and inspiring democracy.

Americans have decided to empower India in Afghanistan forgetting that Indians are not neighbors of Afghanistan. They are only there in Afghanistan to bribe and instigate Afghan officials against Pakistan and create instability in Pakistan. This miracle is due to lobbying firms, MNC’s appetite for Indian Market and availability of Indians cash for import of weapons. The situation is shameful for humanity. Even the top World leaders cannot call spade a spade for petty interests. This is clear moral bankruptcy. It is ‘unprincipled realism of Trump’.

Americans are known for their poor understanding of the region. Their differentiation of friend and foe is faulty. American prefers fluency in English over populace support, honesty, and competence for high posts in the Afghan government. Consequently today American troops enjoy very little public support in Afghanistan. They are perceived as occupiers, rather than facilitators of peace and development.

Afghan Taliban don’t need shelters and safe haven of Pakistan. They control large areas [over 45%] in Afghanistan and roam freely. On the contrary, due to courage and sacrifices of Pakistan armed forces, Pakistan has re-established the writ of the state over entire tribal areas, FATA. American President has all the satellites at his disposal. He should indicate where are the safe heavens.

Pakistan is fighting the terrorists with utmost power. Pakistan has lost many senior military officers including general officers and their children in this fight. This is a sufficient proof of our sincerity. Pakistan has since long abandoned the idea of militias, though the USA is still relying on proxies and contractors. Pakistan has fully disciplined and well integrated armed forces. It has long range missiles and sufficient credible nuclear deterrence with a political will and national consensus to use all weapons in case of a real threat.

American President should not sermon people of Pakistan to commit to civilization, order, and peace. People of Pakistan are not savages. They are already committed to faith, peace, and order and proud of their civilization.

Academia/ intelligentsia of Pakistan does not view America as a hostile country. The USA helped Pakistan build nuclear weapons by turning blind eye to development of our nuclear weapons. Pakistan also acknowledges and appreciates USA help at many difficult occasions. Pakistan is annoyed but a not enemy of United States. Americans despite their dominant position in world politics and vast influence, did not help resolve Kashmir and water issues with India.  Rivalry with India has ruined Pakistan’s economy and it continues to fund proxies and terrorism in Karachi and Baluchistan.

It is also baseless Indian propaganda that Pakistan is allowing Chinese or Russian naval bases at Gawader. CPEC has been over sensitized by Indians. It is a purely an economic project. Pakistan only desires to uplift its infrastructure and overcome energy crisis.

Pakistan has no problem with Americans new found love with India. Every country has a right to pursue its national interests.  Americans think that India is their strategic partner and it would stand against China or Russia, it is absolutely fine with us. Americans would know the Indians more clearly very soon.

Trump has reminded India making billions of dollars from the United States from trade and on other pretexts to contribute more in Afghanistan.

 Looking forward to seeing Indians and Americans troops ‘killing terrorists’ together in Afghanistan.

  Author hails from semi tribal areas of Pakistan. Holds M Phil Degree in International Relations from National Defense University Islamabad. He can be reached at attarasul@hotmail.com. Twitter: @malikattarasul

US Stuck In the Graveyard of Empires

By Ishaal Zehra

Media reports claim that the American President, Donald Trump, has let loose to his advisers who were tasked to craft the new US strategy in Afghanistan, blasting them strikingly for their startling failures in America’s longest war in Afghanistan. According to some senior officials, he even suggested firing the war's top military commander Gen. John Nicholson during a tense meeting at the White House on the pretext of “not winning the war”. Officials said Trump pointed to maps showing the Taliban gaining ground, and that Defense Secretary Mattis responded to the president by saying the US is losing because it doesn't have the strategy it needs.

Trump is the third US president dealing with the Afghan war. Former presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush went through multiple strategies over the course of their presidencies to try to stabilize Afghanistan. What set Trump apart in the July meeting was his open questioning of the quality of the advice he was receiving. Trump's national security team has been trying for months to come up with a new strategy he can approve, but all in vein.

Though the president is surely not a pro when it comes to keeping personal comments and feelings out of politics. And he surely is lousy while speaking in public. But he was absolutely right to snub the military brass for daring to ask for a very large troop and budget increase for the stalemated Afghan War that has commanded a price of $1 trillion to date.

Of course, the unfortunate generals are not really to blame. They have been forced by the last three presidents to fight, as Eric Margolis defines in his recent article, a pointless war at the top of the world that lacks any strategy, reason or purpose – and with limited forces. Where they are not even allowed to admit defeat by lightly-armed Muslim tribesmen. The truth is that America was blundered into the Afghan War under President George W. Bush who needed a target for revenge after the humiliating 9/11 attacks.

Gen. Nicholson, during a testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee in February, has called the war a "stalemate" and said he needs a "few thousand" additional troops. Heading into its 16th year, the war in Afghanistan is the longest war in the US history.

Retired Adm. James Stavridis, a former head of NATO and an NBC News analyst, suggested the delay in finalizing a strategy has hurt US efforts in the war.

"The situation in Afghanistan is not improving, but I think it's hardly irretrievable at this point, and what the president needs to be doing is deciding on the strategy," Admiral Stavridis said.

"What is hurting the process at the moment is this back and forth about do we stay or do we go, how many troops," he added. "Any commander is going to be incredibly handicapped in an environment like that. So I think the fundamental problem here is lack of decisiveness in Washington, specifically in the White House."

Though, officials say the president's team has coalesced around a workable Afghan strategy, where it had presented him with other options as well such as complete withdrawal. Trump, however, appeared to have been significantly influenced by a meeting he recently had with a group of veterans of the Afghanistan war, and he was unhappy with the options presented to him.

Lindsey Graham, member of the Senate Armed Services Committee reiterates that, "If the president doesn't listen to the generals, like Gen. Nicholson and he goes down the road that President Obama went, Afghanistan is going to collapse". "Here's my advice to the president — listen to people like Gen. Nicholson and McMaster and others who have been in the fight."

Trump had better come up with a better idea. Eric Margolis suggests the absolute solution to end the 17-year war in his recent article which I endorse is to emulate the example of the courageous Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev. He pronounced his Afghan War unwinnable, told his angry generals to shut up, and ordered the Red Army out of the war in Afghanistan.