FATA: Reforms and Modalities
(Jointly organized by SDPI and ActionAid Pakistan)
15 July 2008
The diverse gathering of tribal elders, members of peace committees in FATA, university professors, religious scholars, representatives of political parties such as PKMAP and ANP, civil society representatives, and members of grand tribal alliance strongly demanded the federal government to announce its policy on FATA. They urged the formation of a participatory, independent and an elected FATA Council to restore long-lasting peace and to find sustainable solutions to the worsening conflict in the tribal agencies bordering Afghanistan.
Federal Minister for Environment, Mr. Hamidullah Jan Afridi, in his presidential remarks maintained that a policy of permanent engagement to mainstream FATA was required. Lamenting over the previous policies of the governments based on expediency followed by neglect, and returning to expediency again when circumstances demanded, he said that FATA must come out of its isolation.
He recommended legal reforms proceeded by massive investment in socio-economic initiatives and sustained efforts at human development focusing on uninterrupted education, creation of opportunities for gainful employment, and building of an infrastructure.
The participants urged a number of short and long-term measures for the development and mainstreaming of FATA. They demanded that FCR should be repealed, and FATA secretariat should be abolished. The existing system should be replaced with the old system of home department, extension of political parties act to FATA, extension of local government system, curtailing the powers of political agent/administration, extension of high court and supreme court to FATA, and transfer of powers under article 247 of the constitution from president of Pakistan to parliament and land reforms and settlement. Citing the deprivation, victimization and exclusion of tribal women, they underscored the need for considering of women’s’ concerns to ensure their empowerment and meaningful contribution to national development.
Earlier, Dr. Ijaz Khan of Peshawar University made a presentation on ‘FATA Reforms: Basis, Direction and Strategy’, Mr. Asad Afridi on modalities of peace in FATA, and Ms Samina Afridi of Peshawar University highlighted the gender perspective.
Launch of Research and Policy Findings on Women’s Land Rights
24 July 2008
The experts said that the state policies towards women should address their broader social-economic aspects in larger context. A briefing of parliamentary committee involving concerned government departments should also be held so that government policies could take into account women’s concerns in the development agenda of the country. Special advisor to the Prime Minister on social sectors, Ms Shahnaz Wazir Ali observed this while giving presidential address at the launch of policy and research findings of a recently conducted research study on “Women’s Land Rights” by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute.
Ms Shahnaz Wazir Ali lamented that government policies in the past had been very weak in terms of addressing women’s structural concerns. She added that the focus of all policies had been on financial approaches alone while ignoring the broader social aspects. She appreciated the SDPI study and termed some of its findings regarding male’s perception about women pardah and fragmented distribution of land as “myth breaking”. She also recommended land record keeping/documentation system, formation of land courts, national identity cards for women and land redistribution.
Chairperson, SDPI board of governors, Mr. H.U. Beg, while giving his opening remarks pointed out a need for a fair system of land distribution and ownership where women of Pakistan can get their due share of land and enjoy an unhindered right of control and management of their land. Secretary, Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan, Dr. Faqir Hussain, laid stress on enforcement of inheritance law adding that such an improved mechanism can be useful for the full and effective enforcement of female right to inheritance. Ms Aqsa Khan of ActionAid Pakistan and Executive Director of ASR, Dr. Nighat Said Khan also spoke on the occasion.
Earlier, SDPI’s visiting research fellow, Dr. Saba Gul Khattak, gave a brief presentation on the key findings and recommendations of the SDPI study. She emphasized that there are windows of opportunity, gaps and spaces that can be utilized effectively by the state, the parliament, the judiciary, and development practitioners to push for women’s rights to land.
The study recommended land reforms and land redistribution with the intervention of government, as there is a need to review the re-distributive laws and policies that are gender sensitive and target poor population. Women must be recognized as constituting a separate group and must be accorded their rights, she stated.
Regarding land to the landless, the research recommended a joint titling system to give land to landless women, which would enhance women’s status and a position in their families and society. It would be a significant step towards acceding land rights to women. With respect to women who own land, the study emphasized that the government should provide training/awareness opportunities and infrastructure support to facilitate them so they can control and manage land. Though in small number, women do hold titles to land, however, generally they do not exercise control over it.
While looking at agricultural services as farmers, the study recommended that women should be provided extension services such as loans, credits, fertilizers, seeds, etc.
The research study was jointly funded by ActionAid-Pakistan, International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The study was conducted and presented by Dr. Saba Gul Khattak, Ms Nazish Brohi, Mr. Ahmad Salim and Ms Wajiha Anwar.
Trade Policy 2008-09
28 July 2008
The experts gave a mixed reaction over trade policy but stressed the need for a strong implementation and evaluation mechanism to transform those policy decisions into concrete actions. The speakers lamented over implementation ratio on previous years’ trade policy where more than 70% major decisions remained unimplemented. Most of the speakers favored trade liberalization with India.
Mr. Mubarak Zeb termed the policy unique in many ways as it was the first policy under a coalition democratic set-up led by two major political parties of the country but unfortunately it failed to give any qualitative and substantive roadmap for the trade. He lamented that the analysis of last six to seven years’ trade policies shows that 60-70% major policy decisions remained unimplemented because of limited timeframe, inefficiency, lack of skills and resources.
While appreciating some of the other features of policy, Mr. Zubair Ahmed Malik advocated liberalization of trade with India adding that we have huge informal trade with India and now it is in the interest of both countries to formalize this trade. He lamented that political differences of India and Pakistan have made hostage all the South Asian countries. Mr. Malik also urged an early textile policy for the country, as the textile sector has been totally ignored in the trade policy while there may be good policy decisions about energy but industry would not be able to deliver unless an interrupted supply of energy was not ensured to country’s industrial sector.
Dr. Abid Suleri, Executive Director, SDPI, reiterated his concerns on strong domestic mechanism, which helps to reasonably address the import, export and domestic commerce. He urged that the policy formulation should have a clear roadmap based on the ground realities and should address the conditions in which the policy would be implemented. He sought more subsidies for the textile sector in the area of research and development, and a synergy in the forthcoming policies of the government such as agricultural trade policy and monetary policy by the State Bank of Pakistan, which would be crucial for the prospects of trade policy. He welcomed the decision of trade liberalization with India, he added that theoretically it might be a unilateral decision but it is good for the demand-supply gap and also in the best spirit of SAFTA.
Dr. Sohail highlighted the significance of different initiatives announced in the trade policy to boost the exports in traditional sectors such as rice, leather, pharmaceuticals and non-traditional items such as seafood, halaal food, gems and jewelry, minerals, furniture, horticulture, herbal medicines, handicrafts and auto sector. He underscored the fact that the effectiveness of trade policy eventually depends on an effective implementation and monitoring mechanism and an active participation by other ministries and business support institutions.
While defending the annuality of Trade Policy presentation, Dr. Sohail maintained that the trade policy is finalized after extensive consultations with the industry, government departments and stakeholders.
Balochistan Crisis: Issues and Solutions
(Jointly organized by SDPI and ActionAid Pakistan)
4 August 2008
While highlighting the complexities and critical nature of the Baloch crisis the speakers demanded a new social contract, respecting the genuine aspirations and demands of Baloch people and ensuring their control over the natural resources in their respective province. The speakers strongly demanded immediate end to the military operation, releasing all the political prisoners.
Journalist Malik Siraj Akbar, said that since the partition, they were given seldom any rights rights and whenever democracy tries to survive, the intelligence agencies strive to detract it. Agencies are playing the main role in deteriorating the whole situation of the Balochistan.
Mr. Abdul Khaliq Hazara pointed out that the policy makers were mainly responsible for keeping the people of Balochistan underdeveloped, uneducated and deprived. Due to their wrong policies Balochies are experiencing heroin and Klashnikov culture and Talibanization, he lamented.
Malik Abdul Wali Kakar said that their decision to join Pakistan at the time of partition was the main mistake. “Resistance is there because we have no rights and we only demand for roti, kapra aur makan (bread, clothing and shelter),” he further, added that “Despite rich in natural resources, we are being deprived of our basic necessities.”
Mr. Wahid Rahim Baloch suggested that the colonial syllabus of Balochistan should be upgraded and that it should be taught in the mother tongue of Balochies.
Mr. Habib Jalib said that democratic government has played its role as spectacle and seems helpless before President Musharraf, establishment and in front of secret agencies. He was condemning the on-going military operation and the bombardment by gunship helicopters, target killing and disappearing of the innocent people. Mr. Jalib urged the whole peace loving international community to take effective measures for resolving the Balochistan issue in a peaceful manner.
Information and Communication Technologies for Women’s Empowerment
11 August 2008
Speakers at the seminar underscored the need for focusing on women, especially rural women, through access to information and communication technologies (ICTs), which is a tool that empowers individuals and society especially the marginalized at large by providing liberty and choices. They urged gender specific policies, socio-cultural awareness and local content development, use of innovative tools, liberty of control, realistic understanding of ground realties, capacity building of communities and replication of successful international experiences in Pakistan with respect to empowerment of women through technology.
SDPI Consultant, Mr. Imran Sikandar Baloch, urged that every intervention should focus on marginalized and vulnerable sections of society, especially rural women. He said that due to several myths and stereotypes in the society, women are denied access and control of several useful information and communication technologies (ICTs) of today, which critically affects their economic, socio-cultural, familial, legal, political and psychological development. He recommended for a women empowerment framework consisting of welfare, access, awareness raising, mobilization and control as central guidelines for any policy or initiative. He suggested that the that private sector, government, international organizations and civil society should join hands and create synergies in their inventions and specifically focus women.
In her comments, on the case studies presented, Dr. Najma Sadik, Director, Green Economics Initiative at Shirkat Gah, Karachi, agreed that ICTs have a lot of potential for supporting women’s empowerment. Ms. Sadik cautioned that development issues, such as basic literacy, deserve attention on a priority basis before ICT and computer technology development are addressed. “Technology is a double-edged sword,” she concluded, “Depending in whose hands it is, it can prove very beneficial for human development – or it can further aggravate existing social marginalization.
Syed Hasnat Masood provided his views on “ICTs for women’s empowerment from a corporate perspective”. In his view, innovative ICT products cannot be designed at any company headquarter; they need to be developed at the local level, with local entrepreneurs and community-based organizations, taking ground level realities into account.
Promoting Aid Effectiveness: Enabling Participatory Democracy
(Jointly organized by SDPI and ActionAid Pakistan)
18 August 2008
The experts demanded that the government should conduct an independent and comprehensive public review of all past aids and loans before taking any new loan for development and non-development purposes. They urged the aid-borrowing process and conditionalities by the donors; and, aid-utilization must be made democratic, accountable, transparent and subject to parliamentary debates.
Mr. Muhammad Ali Shah clarified that the aid is usually misperceived as grant. However, the fact is that all types of financial aids are basically loan, which involves heavy interests. He suggested resistance to exploitative culture of such foreign aids and demanded democratization of all aid coming for the development process in the country.
Mr. Aasim Sajjad Akhtar said that IFIs have been extremely effective in strengthening military dictatorship in Pakistan and accelerating the processes of financial liberalization and rollback of the state that are the hallmarks of neo-liberalism worldwide.
Dr. Aly Ercelan stressed upon the need for democratization of state structures, which would have to embrace a range of initiatives in law, policy, and public action. He said that the Accra High Level Forum in September is a challenge to political parties and government with claims to democratic roots. He urged that Pakistan should reject all additional aid until a comprehensive public accounting is done for all the past aid. An honest review will call for debt cancellation, and adequate compensation for massive human displacement and ecological destruction, he noted.
Presidential Elections and Stability in Pakistan
1 September 2008
Highlighting the internal and external challenges Pakistan faces today, the speakers stressed upon the need for strengthening of institutions not individuals. Concentration of powers in individuals was not a recipe for ensuring the sustainability and stability of the political system rather it increases the vulnerability of the system, they pointed out. The speakers also emphasized upon giving a sense of ownership and due share of resources to the people of Balochistan.
Dr. Abid Q. Suleri, Executive Director, SDPI, presiding over the proceedings, maintained that the country was at the crossroads today as the challenges of fuel, fiscal, financial and frontier province were demanding serious attention of the ruling coalition while fate of the national finance commission (NFC) and local governments was yet to be seen. Citing the situation in FATA and Balochistan, he cautioned that if tug of war for power begins in Punjab among Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League-N, then the country could face a massive political instability, which would seriously weaken the democratic process.
Lt-Gen (retd.) Talat Masood underscored the dire need for a system of justice and meritocracy, and strengthening of institutions instead of individuals for sustainable and stable democracy. Referring to the controversial status and their thrust for concentration of powers by all previous presidents of Pakistan, he observed that Pakistan was again going to have a president with over-centralization of power and strong influence on Prime Minister’s office as well as his political party. He said that Mr. Zardari, being a Sindhi as well as Baloch, was in a unique position to solve the Balochistan crisis.
Mr. Masood identified war on terror as the greatest challenge to the ruling coalition. He warned that if the confrontation between two major political parties takes place then the country would land into serious trouble.
Mr. Ahmed Bilal Mehboob termed the ongoing presidential elections process as normal political activity according to the law, democratic traditions and in line with the constitution of Pakistan adding that whosoever has the majority has the right to hold this position. He, however, emphasized upon strengthening of institutions not individuals to ensure the sustainable prospects for democracy and stability in the country. He said that being the head of PPP and loyal to the Bhutto family, Mr. Zardari would be a powerful president and all the institutions including judiciary, parliament and Prime Minister’s office would be under the same source of influence. He said that Mr. Zardari should avoid campaigning for his political party after becoming president. Otherwise he will be seen like the former president Gen. (retd.) Musharraf who used to campaign for his political party--PML-Q.
Siachen Glacier and Global Climate Change: The Role of South Asia
15 September 2008
Referring to the unprecedented melting rate of Siachen Glacier and highlighting the military, environmental, climatic, health and socio-economic costs of militarization and conflict over Siachen between India and Pakistan, the experts demanded immediate withdrawal of both militaries from Siachen, dismantling of all developed infrastructure and declare it a “peace park”. They attributed the alarming glacier melting rate to human activities not by global warming and underlined the need to address this issue at the earliest to avoid future natural calamities and threats to natural resources and human existence.
Prof. Dr. Khalid Rashid stressed upon the need for making ethical choices at the highest political and economic level by both India and Pakistan to leave behind harmful effects of human activity, be it war or over consumption of resources, under which future generations will suffer. He presented a detailed analysis of mass balance of glacier, temperature variation between 1850-2000 and human impact on the process of glacier melting or growing. He lamented that due to military exercises and battles at Siachen, toxic wastes are buried in ice, which will find way into the, lifeline of Pakistan through the Indus waters in future.
Dr. Abid Suleri, talking of socio-economic costs of Siachen conflict between India and Pakistan and the associated cost of militarization, lamented that deployment of troops on Siachen was a huge burden on the economies of both the countries and the result of 24-year long war was nothing except increasing poverty. He urged early resolution of this conflict by declaring it a ‘Peace Park’ and initiation of a debate in the parliaments of both the countries. Citing Gosh report of 1986, he said a single ‘Chapati’ a soldier ate at Siachen, cost $ 34 and $16 per day to India and Pakistan respectively while the expenditures to maintain troops by India alone were calculated to be rupees 2 crores per day in 1986. Dr. Abid emphasized on the need for resolving this conflict, to deal with worsening poverty and depletion of environmental resources, food and health crisis and to meet the minimum of the millennium development goals which are already hard to meet.
Mr. Arshad H. Abbasi lamented over the results of Siachen conflict as the glacier was retreating at the rate of 110 meter per year and the extraordinary melting of Siachen and other major tributary glaciers was caused by human activity not due to natural changes which has not only led to formations of glacial lakes and snow holes, but was responsible for destructive snow avalanches on both sides of Saltoro ridge. Highlighting the worse effects of Siachen conflict over the years in the shape of natural calamities and the potential of future natural and humanitarian miseries, he demanded immediate demilitarization from Siachen. He insisted that all Himalayan glaciers should be declared as protected areas i.e. “No Human Interference” for the next 60-100 years and regaining lost ice mass by using growing glaciers techniques.
Mr.Khalid Mustafa demanded that militaries of both countries should immediately be withdrawn including dismantling of all infrastructures laid down and at the pre-conflict position of 1978/1984, civil societies of both countries must be involved to save this prestigious source of water, involvemnt of international agencies like UNEP and IPCC to preserve all Himalayan glaciers, ban on mountain trekking and other human activities and a case against Indian Army must be register in international forum for killing of thousands of innocent dwellers killed due the calamities like avalanches.
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