PTI condemns US Threat

PTI Sindh president Zubair Khan has warned USA of consequences if US Army or NATO forces launch attack on Pakistani soil under the pretext of search for the Taliban leaders. Pakistan is not a small fry. It has disciplined Army equipped with traditional and nuclear warheads. Any mistake will be priced high, as Pakistan will prove second Vietnam in case of any blind attack. We shall keep our freedom and every inch of our motherland will be safeguarded at any cost.

It may be General Musharraf or any other that could act according to US ambitions but the rest of Pakistan Army and the entire nation will rebound unanimously with full patriotism to protect our soil. We are not American colony nor We shall ever be forced to be one, he said.

New Human Rights Watch report drubs Pakistan

WASHINGTON: Human Rights Watch (HRW) says in its annual report issued this week that President Pervez Musharraf’s government did little in 2006 to address a rapidly deteriorating human rights situation.

The report’s “ongoing concerns” include arbitrary detention, lack of due process, and the mistreatment, torture, and “disappearance” of terrorism suspects and political opponents; harassment and intimidation of the media; and legal discrimination against and mistreatment of women and religious minorities. However, the human rights watchdog group calls the passage of the Women’s Protection Bill a significant development, besides the North Waziristan peace deal with “Taliban supporters” and reconstruction efforts in Azad Kashmir after the earthquake, though the later were marred by allegations of corruption.

Pak politician voice sadness over Saddam’s execution

Fair trial was denied to Saddam Hussein throughout from his arrest to the execution: Imran Khan

LAHORE: Various politicians voiced Saturday sorrow over the execution of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein as well as expressed dissatisfaction over the trial procedure.

Talking to media, Federal Railway Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that he is sorry for the sad demise of Saddam Hussein.

MMA Chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed said Saddam Hussein has been victimized in retaliation for challenging Bush’s authority and arrogance, adding that Muslim nation needs to foil the US attempt to fan the religious sectarian strife in Iraq.

MMA leader Liaquat Baloch said that across the world, this decision by US would not be admitted; as, it was Iraqi people’s internal affair to bring Saddam Hussein to book.

JUP Chief Anas Noorani said that Saddam Hussein refused to surrender to vice.

Source: The News

Human Rights Watch on Saddam’s trial

Unfair elections to harm ties: EU

LAHORE, Dec 21: The visiting European Union (EU) delegation has made it clear to the Pakistan government that if the forthcoming general elections are not held in a fair and transparent manner, the country stands a chance of impairing its relations with the EU.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, the seven-member delegation of the European Parliament, led by British Parliament member Ms Nina Gill, said the general elections 2007 should be held in a transparent manner, with complete schedule being announced well in advance of six months, enabling the EU monitoring team to survey the pre-election and post-election procedures carefully.

She said that at a meeting with the chief election commissioner, the delegates had stressed on the approval of all the conditions and recommendations applied during the previous elections.

In reply to a question, the leader of the delegation said President General Pervez Musharraf had assured them of ‘keeping his promises’. No delegation member replied when asked why the EU had so far supported a president in uniform.

Continue reading on: Dawn

Pakistan in no danger post-Musharraf

* US journal says Musharraf at his weakest, but if he leaves, VCOAS would step up
* US must change policy of supporting ‘strongman’

By Khalid Hasan

WASHINGTON: Contrary to some doomsday scenarios, even if President Pervez Musharraf were to leave the scene, Pakistan is not likely to descend into anarchy, nor will its nuclear weapons fall into terrorist hands, or its government come under the control of mullahs and militants, according to a detailed analysis printed here.

Sydney J Freedberg Jr, writing in the current issue of National Journal, states that the alternatives to the Pakistani military leader do exist, but they “may require consideration sooner rather than later”.

According to Alexis Debat, a former French counter-terrorism official, “Musharraf has never been weaker. His core constituency is the military, and there are indications that he has started to lose that as well.” He quotes Stephen Cohen of Brookings who says that “there’s a lot of anxiety about Musharraf’s reckless behaviour,” adding, “Musharraf has one good friend in the world: Bush.”

Freedberg calls Musharraf “a consummate institution man, the product of a lifetime in the Pakistani army.” He also quotes South Asia expert Marvin Weinbaum who says that were Gen Musharraf “to be taken out tomorrow, there would be strong continuity” because the vice chief of the army would step up.

According to Freeberg, “If the United States wants a different future for Pakistan, the experts say that Washington is going to have to adopt a different policy. Americans need to break themselves of the habit of relying on one personable strongman and reach out to people they may dislike. Real change comes slowly, by persuading one person at a time. It does not come from counting on one person at the top.”

Freedberg argues that military discipline also means that real democracy is a lot further away than next year’s promised elections. Intimidation of candidates, suppression of turnout, bribery of voters, and blatant gerrymandering are common in Pakistan. He quotes Pakistan’s ambassador to the US Mahmud Ali Durrani as acknowledging that the military is growing weary of ruling. “Every time a military ruler has come in, the people have welcomed him with open arms. But with the passage of time, that shine seems to go away, because it’s a difficult country to govern. And for every military leader, believe it or not, one of his major agenda points was to bring back democracy.”

Freedberg writes, “Musharraf is not a lonely hero holding his country together. He is just the latest leader to stand precariously atop Pakistan’s three ever-shifting tectonic plates – the generals, the politicians, and the mullahs. Sooner, not later, he will lose his footing. To understand what might happen next, it’s important to understand the three major power centres at work in Pakistan.” These he identifies as the army officer corps, which remains loyal to the institution of the army, the civilian secular politicians and the religious elements.

Source: Daily Times

Unesco says 6.5 million children out of school: Illiteracy on rise in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Nov 30: Experiencing a rise in its illiterate population, Pakistan ranks second among the countries of the world with highest number of out-of-school children.

These shocking revelations about Pakistan, which spends a little over 2 per cent of its GDP on education, were made in Unesco’s Education For All Global Monitoring Report 2007 launched here on Thursday.

However, Minister of State for Education Anisa Zeb Tahirkhaili, who was the chief guest at the launch ceremony, said she was hopeful about the situation despite Unesco’s scepticism.

Continue reading on: Dawn

Pakistan: Reforming the Education Sector

Asia Report N°84
7 October 2004

Pakistan’s deteriorating education system has radicalised many young people while failing to equip them with the skills necessary for a modern economy. The public, government-run schools, which educate the vast majority of children poorly rather than the madrasas (religious seminaries) or the elite private schools are where significant reforms and an increase in resources are most needed to reverse the influence of jihadi groups, reduce risks of internal conflict and diminish the widening fissures in Pakistani society. Both the government and donors urgently need to need give this greater priority.

Recent attempts at reform have made little headway, and spending as a share of national output has fallen in the past five years. Pakistan is now one of just twelve countries that spend less than 2 per cent of GDP on education. Moreover, an inflexible curriculum and political interference have created schools that have barely lifted very low literacy rates.

In January 2002, President Pervez Musharraf’s government presented its Education Sector Reform (ESR) plan, aimed at modernising the education system. A major objective was to develop a more secular system in order to offset mounting international scrutiny and pressure to curb religious extremism in the wake of the 11 September 2001 attacks. But Pakistani governments, particularly those controlled by the military, have a long history of failing to follow through on announced reforms.

Executive Summary & Recoomendations: www.crisisgroup.org

Full Report

 

Forecast from The Economist

General Pervez Musharraf, the president and chief of army staff, will continue to dominate the political scene in the forecast period, although his position is becoming more insecure. General Musharraf, who came to office in a military coup in 1999, retains the power to dismiss parliament and the prime minister (and thereby impose full military rule) in his capacity as chairman of the National Security Council. His firm control over the army remains his ultimate guarantor of power. The opposition is severely critical of his rule, and has been aggressively campaigning for a return to full democracy. Despite being weak, the opposition is gaining popularity. The government’s support for the US-led “war on terror” has raised political tensions within Pakistan, and militant groups in Waziristan and Baluchistan will continue to try to undermine federal rule. Real GDP will slow from 6.6% in fiscal year 2006/07 (July-June) to 6.1%, in 2007/08, largely owing to a slowdown in the manufacturing sector. High international oil prices, inflation and a widening current-account deficit remain the biggest threats to the economy.

Key changes from last update

Political outlook
An attack in late October by the Pakistani army on a Madrassa (Muslim religious school) in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) led to the deaths of over 80 religious students whom the Pakistani government alleges were terrorists. The move has angered the local population and is likely to lead to increased violence in the province.

Economic policy outlook
The Oil and Gas Development Company, Pakistan’s largest state-owned energy exploration company, is planning to double its budget and begin a series of overseas ventures for the first time. Strong real GDP growth will continue to force planners to seek new energy supplies.

Economic forecast
The Economist Intelligence Unit has revised up its forecast for real GDP growth in 2006/07 from 6.4% to 6.6%. The revision reflects our improved expectations for the monsoon; the agricultural sector will benefit from favourable weather conditions.

Source: The Economist