KP extends health emergency for 3 months

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government extended health emergency for three months in view of Coronavirus Disease 2019 outbreak after confirmation of five cases in the country and circulation of virus in the neighbouring China, Iran and Afghanistan.

The public health committee formed by the government to spearhead the preparedness work for prevention of COVID-19, invoked Public Health (Surveillance and Response) Act, 2017 on February 3 to be able to acquire medical supplies and other resources in speedy manner and put brakes on possible transmission of the virus, which hit the neighbouring China.

A notification, issued here on Thursday, said that emergency was extended till June 1. Officials said whenever emergency was declared by state, it relaxed the normal procedures of procurement and resource availability to help the relevantauthorities to take quick measures as opposed to normal procedure that took longer to procure medicines, etc.

Source: Dawn

Aurat March 2020

عورت مارچ اظہاررائے اور منفی رویے

مشاہدے میں آیا ہے کہ پاکستان میں بعض حلقے اظہار رائے کا نہ صرف یکطرفہ اور غلط استعمال کرتے آرہے ہیں بلکہ بعض اوقات یہ رویہ معاشرہ کی تقسیم اور اختلافات کا سبب بھی بنتا ہے ہر سال مختلف طبقے عالمی اور قومی سطح پر بعض دن خصوصی طور پر مناتے ہیں۔ ان دنوں میں عالمی یوم خواتین بھی شامل ہے جس کے دوران خواتین کے حقوق مسائل اور کردار پر بحث کی جاتی ہے۔ مکالمہ کا اہتمام کیا جاتا ہے اور خواتین کے ساتھ اظہار یکجہتی کی جاتی ہے تاہم اب کے بار 8 مارچ کے یوم خواتین سے کئی روز بلکہ کئی ہفتے قبل انسانی حقوق اور خواتین حقوق کے بعض علمبرداروں نے غیر ضروری طور پر “میرا جسم میری مرضی ”اور اس نوعیت کے دیگر نعرے لگا کر جہاں وومن کاز کو نقصان پہنچایا اور اس دن کو متنازعہ بنایا وہاں ایک ایسی لاحاصل بحث کا راستہ بھی ہموار کیا جس نے معاشرے کو دو واضح حصوں میں تقسیم کر کے رکھ دیاہے۔ اگرچہ پاکستان میں بعض دیگر حلقوں کی طرح انسانی حقوق اور لبرلزم کے علمبرداروں کا ٹریک ریکارڈ بھی کچھ اچھا نہیں رہا ہے اور ان کی تعداد عملاً نہ ہونے کے برابر ہے تاہم سوشل میڈیا پر یہ لوگ بعض ایشوز کو بنیاد بنا کر منافرت پھیلانے کا سبب بنتے ہیں اور اسی کا نتیجہ ہے کہ حالیہ بحث نے ان مہذب اور اعتدال پسند لوگوں کو کافی مایوس کر دیا جن کا حقیقی خیال یہ ہے کہ پاکستان کے مسائل کچھ اور یا بالکل مختلف ہے حقیقت یہ ہیں کہ یہ عام لوگوں کے ایشوزہے ہی نہیں۔

تاثر دیا جا رہا ہے جیسے پاکستان میں انسانی حقوق کی مجموعی صورت حال بہت ابتر ہے اور خواتین کے حقوق کو آئینی یا سماجی تحفظ حاصل نہیں ہے حالانکہ زمینی حقائق اس تصور کے برعکس ہیں اور ہماری خواتین مردوں کے شانہ بشانہ اپنا فعال کردار ادا کرتی آ رہی ہیں اور ان کے حقوق کو درکار آئینی اور قانونی تحفظ بھی حاصل ہے۔ امریکہ جیسے ملک میں اب تک کوئی خاتون سربراہِ مملکت نہیں بنی تاہم پاکستان کے عوام نے 1988میں بےنظیر بھٹو کو ملک کا وزیراعظم بنایا اور وہ دو بار اس اہم عہدے پر فائز رہی۔ بیگم نسیم ولی خان نے 70 کی دہائی میں قومی اتحاد کی اُس تحریک کو لیڈ کیا جس میں اپنے عَہد کے بڑے بڑے علماء اور سیاسی قائدین بھی شامل تھے اور نسیم بی بی اپنے حلقے سے جنرل سیٹ پر الیکشن لڑ کر ایم پی اے بھی بنتی رہی۔ حالانکہ عام تاثر یہ ہے کہ خیبر پختونخوا میں خواتین کو پابندیوں کا سامنا ہے “میرا جسم میری مرضی” کا نعرہ لگانے والے مخصوص افراد کو عام لوگ موم بتی مافیا کے نام سے یاد کرتے ہیں اور معاشرے میں ان کو کبھی عوامی مقبولیت حاصل نہیں رہی۔ اکثریت اِن کی اُن عناصر پر مشتمل ہے جو کہ بعض غیرملکی اداروں کے ساتھ کام کرتی ہے اور ان کا ہر دور میں ایک مخصوص ایجنڈا رہا ہے۔ یہی وجہ ہے کہ یہ اس کے باوجود مغرب سے متاثر ہیں کہ مغرب میں فیملی سسٹم و اقدار اور روایات کی بحالی پر نہ صرف اربوں ڈالر خرچ کیے جا رہے ہیں بلکہ نام نہاد حقوق اور آزادی کے باوجود ترقی یافتہ ممالک میں خواتین اور بچوں پر جنسی تشدد کے واقعات میں کمی کے بجائے ہر برس اضافہ ہو رہا ہے۔ سال 2018 کی اقوام متحدہ کی ایک رپورٹ کے مطابق امریکہ میں جنسی حملوں میں یا جرائم کے واقعات کی تعداد 1,151 1,0 رہی، 2017 کے دوران برطانیہ میں یہ تعداد ,27910 چین میں ,71233 بھارت میں 2,80203 جبکہ پاکستان میں یہ تعداد 1975 رہی۔ یہ اعدادوشمار ترقی یافتہ ممالک کے بارے میں موجود یکطرفہ تاثر کی نفی کر رہے ہیں۔

ایک نارویجن تحقیقی ادارے نے سال 2016 کے دوران عالمی سطح پر خواتین اور بچوں پر جنسی تشدد کے اسباب کی جو سٹڈی جاری کی اس میں مذاہب سے دوری، نظام تعلیم اور نظام قانون میں موجود کمزوریاں، والدین کے اختلافات اور عدم توجہی، انٹرنیٹ کے غیر ذمہ دارانہ استعمال، جوائنٹ فیملی سسٹم کے زوال اور لامحدود آزادی جیسے عوامل کو جنسی تشدد کی وجوہات قراردیا ہے۔ اس کا مطلب یہ ہے کہ اگر لامحدود آزادی اس مسئلہ کے حل میں مدد دے رہی ہوتی تو امریکہ میں ان جرا ئم اور دیگر مسائل کا وجود ہی نہ ہوتا یا جرائم کی تعداد کم ہوتی۔ پاکستان کا معاشرتی یا سماجی ڈھانچہ بنیادی طور پر تین ستونوں یعنی مذہب، آئین اور روایات یا اقتدار پر کھڑا رہا ہے کیونکہ ان تین عوامل سے باہر ہمارا معاشرہ بے چینی کا شکار ہوجاتا ہے۔ تاہم مخصوص ذہنیت کے بعض لوگ ان تینوں حقیقی عوامل سے نہ صرف خود کو مبر سمجھتے ہیں بلکہ وہ عوام کی اکثریت کی وابستگی اور بیانیے کے برعکس دوسروں کو بھی ان عوامل سے متنفر کرنے کی کوشش کرتے آرہے ہیں۔ حالانکہ سماجیات کو جدید علوم میں پوری دنیا کے اندر بنیادی اہمیت حاصل ہے اور جدید ریاستوں میں بھی روایات، نظریات اور اقدار کا خیال رکھا جاتا ہے۔ حالت تو یہ ہے کہ بعض لوگ مغرب کی اندھی تقلید میں مذہب اور صدیوں کی روایات اور ثقافت کا مذاق اڑانے سے بھی گریز نہیں کرتے اور نئی نسل کو حقوق کے نام پر گمراہ کرنے کی کوشش میں لگے ہوئے ہیں۔ جس قسم کے نعرے سنے گئے یا سنائے گئے وہ نہ صرف ہماری معاشرتی اقدار سے میل نہیں کھاتے بلکہ ایسے نعروں نے اظہار رائے کی آزادی یا حقوق سے متعلق مثبت بحث کو بھی متنازعہ بنا دیا ہے۔ خدانخواستہ اگر اس اقلیتی ٹولے کے خلاف اکثریتی حلقوں کے بعض لوگ مزاحمت پر اتر آئے تو اس سے کشیدگی اور تصادم کا یقینی راستہ ہموار ہو گا اور مثبت مقاصد کی حصول تو دور کی بات بعض لوگوں کو چھپنے کی جگہ بھی نہیں ملے گی۔

TTP’s survival in Afghanistan!

With historic US-Taliban peace agreement, inked on February 29 in Qatar, banned Tehreek e Taliban (TTP) seems worried about its safety and survival in Afghanistan.

Sources in Pakistani Taliban said that TTP’s leadership has shown concerns over the recent developments in Doha, and they are uncertain about their future in Afghanistan.

Pakistani Taliban lost several of their key leaders in Afghanistan but there was no threat to their existence. US drone strikes killed TTP Chief Mullah Fazlullah, Jamaat ul Ahrar (JuA) Chief Omar Khalid Khorasani in Kunar province; Sheharyar Mehsud who headed his own Taliban faction was killed in IED explosion and commander Khalid Haqqani became prey to target killing in Afghanistan. However, Afghan security forces never took any action against Pakistani Taliban in their country.

Pakistan has played pivotal role in the US-Taliban peace agreement well to the acknowledgement of Washington and the rest of world powers. Now the US and it’s partners must build pressure on Kabul to take action against TTP and other Pakistani militants hiding in Afghanistan not to use its soil against Pakistan.

TTP leadership is fully aware of development and instead of indulging in anti-Pakistan activities at the moment they are making plans for their survival. That’s the reason TTP hasn’t issued any statement regarding Doha agreement between US and Taliban, rather going underground and waiting for the situation to unfold in near future.

Baitullah Mehsud (killed in August 2009 in US drone strike) laid the foundation of TTP in December 2007 by merging several small Pakistani militant outfits. TTP was formed mainly reacting to Pakistan military operations against Al-Qaeda in erstwhile FATA. TTP was financially supported by the affluent Al-Qaeda leadership rather using it as a proxy in first two or three years of its inception.

In August 2008, Pakistan government banned the TTP, frozed its bank accounts and assets. It was the time when TTP was carrying out bomb blasts in public places and were attacking Pakistani security forces on daily basis; the intensity and devastation of these terrorist attacks were so huge that in December 2008, the then Ameer and founder of Afghan Taliban, Mullah Omar had to intervene by sending a message to TTP leadership to stop attacks inside Pakistan and to join hands with his fighters to combat US-led NATO forces in Afghanistan. Baitullah Mehsud had sworn allegiance to Mullah Omar and his men were following his path. TTP and Haqqani network also enjoyed good relations and both were living in peaceful coexistence in Waziristan, but after Pakistan’s military operations in tribal areas the gulf between TTP and Afghan Taliban (Haqqanis) increased because the objectives of both factions were pole apart, TTP in a vengeance declared war against Pakistani state. The operation Zarb Azab (launched in June 2014) forced TTP leadership to shift from Pakistani tribal areas to across the border in Afghanistan.

In January 2015, Daesh announced Afghanistan-Pakistan and nearby regions as its Khorasan province. During this time a section of TTP leadership and foot soldiers joined it, the move strengthened ISIS and it extended its control to other provinces now. Hafiz Saeed Khan, a former TTP commander was announced as its head and Abdul Rauf as his deputy. Both swore an oath of allegiance to the ISIS.
Due to the cruelty and inhumane behavior of ISIS, which publicly beheaded and bombed tribal elders besides several local Taliban commanders for non compliance of their orders, Afghan Taliban came to the help of local population resulting in deadly fighting, initially inflicting heavy losses to Afghan Taliban but later after the killing of Hafiz Saeed Khan in a US drone strike, Taliban succeeded in pushing ISIS militants to few districts along Pakistani border. During these fighting TTP sided with ISIS (Daesh) and with the defeat of ISIS, the TTP militants also had to shift to the areas of ISIS stronghold.

It is reported that Afghan security forces and intelligence agencies have been protecting TTP members and moving them in official vehicles, but the surge in ambushes and US drone strikes particularly the incident of Khalid Haqqani killing near Kabul Intercontinental Hotel has forced the handlers to shift TTP operatives to safer places in capital, but these are temporary arrangements and because on one hand Kabul wants to use TTP as bargaining commodity with Pakistan either for violence or in exchange of cooperation regarding Afghan Taliban, but on other hand it has to keep an eye on international community reaction as well, the pressure of which is rising especially after Doha agreement and US withdrawal plans.

TTP future in Afghanistan would depend on the future of Taliban and Kabul government relations, if it goes well resulting in a peaceful political solution and power sharing agreement, TTP wouldn’t find ground and forced to go to the fold of Daesh and to fight for its survival or have to laydown weapon but if talks between Kabul government and Taliban fails resulting in another war, TTP militants could be of use for Kabul, but there are also reports that Afghan Taliban are trying to negotiate this issue peacefully.

Inauguration of Islamabad Blue Area Mission

As part of the reforms led by the PTI Government, PM Khan lays the foundation of an important project in Islamabad that has the potential to be one of the biggest commercial hubs in Pakistan.
Prime Minister Imran Khan on sunday launched the Islamabad Blue Area mission, saying that the federal government will launch mega projects for Lahore and Karachi quickly. Taking to Twitter, the prime minister said that the mission will offer jobs and attract funding from overseas Pakistanis. “Launching the Islamabad Blue Area multi-billion rupees commercial project today. This will not only provide jobs but will also attract investment from overseas Pakistanis. One mega project to be launched in Lahore and one in Karachi soon,” he tweeted.
This new initiative to establish a trade zone in the capital will definitely help economy in many ways and will benefit the community. The blue area is likely to become a hub of international trade and business and will create job opportunities for the locals. It’ll also lead to increase in Foreign Direct Investments from overseas Pakistanis and is likely to attract local and foreign tourists to the city itself.
Islamabad being the capital of the country will enjoy a host of activities that will help creating commercial, cultural, and trade actvities. Pakistan needs to learn from the free trade zones that are setup in various developed countries specifically in the Gulf. These free trade zones allow the investors to make investments with ease and liberalized policies with less government interference.
The overall outlook of this project looks promising. However, no matter how promising this project is, implementation of reforms and progressive policies is a pre-requisite to make such projects a success. A multibillion rupee Blue Area commercial project will only be successful if right policies with a right team are put in place.
Pakistan is in desperate need of such commercial projects in today’s tough economic times and completion of such projects will definitely help economy.

Is Manzoor’s PTM the second Altaf’s MQM of Pakistan?

A mohajir college boy named Altaf Hussein started a movement called mohajir Qoumi movement later changing it to Motaheda Qoumi movement (MQM). Before becoming part of the Sindh Assembly through votes in 1988, riots broke out in karachi in 1985 after a mohajir girl going to college was run over by a bus being driven by a Pashtun. The MQM manipulated and capitalized on the mohajirs extreme frustration to promote their ethno-militant agenda. However, whenever they were challenged by Law enforcement agencies they demanded a separate province for mohajirs and adopted a pro-india and anti-partition narrative. Subsequently, they held hostage Karachi for more than three decades, turning it into an MQM empire. Brutal tactics and killings were employed to silence opposition and remove any resistance. A startling revelation came into front during Sind Rangers’ operation regarding MQM militant wing and India role in supporting violence in Karachi. The Altaf’s MQM era is finally over and Karachi has again become a city of lights, however, the memory will haunt us for a long time.
Let us now analyse the journey of another group known as Pashtun Tahafuz Movement
It initially emerged as Mahsud Tahafuz Movement (MTM) changing its name to Pashtun Tahafuz movement (PTM) lead by Manzoor pashteen. It started off as the movement for the rights of the people of the war-torn area of South Waziristan. PTM attracted large crowds in their early days by highlighting genuine issues of the worn torn tribal districts. However, soon the movement was hijacked by hard core nationalists and Pro Afghan lobbies pushing the mainstream tribal population away. Their narrative became increasingly anti-state and anti-establishment. The movement thrives on slogans such as “Ye Jo dehshath Gardi Hy Es k Pechy Wardi Hy” and “Lar O Bar, Yo Afghan”. PTM just like MQM has become a proxy, in PTM case, it is propagating the narrative of Afghanistan. Sounds similar, right?
Let’s now see some of the other similarities between Altaf’s MQM and PTM. As for MQM, its leader Tariq Mir has confessed to the London metropolitan police about its party’s links with the Indian spy agency RAW. According to a press conference released by the ex-DG ISPR, PTM collected funds from NDS on 31st march 2019 for the funeral ceremony of Arman Looni preceded by fundings from RAW. Afghan president Ashraf Ghani on his twitter recently urged the Pakistani authorities to release Manzoor Pashteen who was briefly arrested, further strengthening the doubts that the movement might be taking funds from NDS. Its frightening, right?
Now, the most important question is that will PTM become violent as MQM ultimately was. There are scattered voices among PTM, calling for such methods, threatening state publicly. Will it turn violent is a million-dollar question? PTM leadership should learn from the past and tread carefully, they have already lost the popular support. They will entirely finish, if they do not adopt. PTM leadership needs to condemn Afghan support terming it intrusion in Pakistan’s’ internal matter to shelve the image of NDS and RAW proxy.