Friday, August 16, 2013

Democracy in Egypt Can Wait

By CHARLES A. KUPCHAN
THE Egyptian military’s bloody crackdown on supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood is yet another sign of the dark side of the Arab awakening. Across the Middle East, glimmerings of democracy are being snuffed out by political turmoil and violence. That reality requires a sobering course correction in American policy. Rather than viewing the end of autocracy’s monopoly as a ripe moment to spread democracy in the region, Washington should downsize its ambition and work with transitional governments to establish the foundations of responsible, even if not democratic, rule. Ever since the Egyptian military seized power last month, the United States government, backed by much of the country’s foreign policy elite, has demanded the restoration of democratic rule. President Obama instructed Egypt’s generals “to move quickly and responsibly to return full authority back to a democratically elected civilian government.” The Republican senators John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina visited Cairo to press the new government to restore democratic rule and have called for cutting off aid if it doesn’t. But while Washington must unequivocally condemn the violence unleashed by the Egyptian military, clamoring for a rapid return to democracy is misguided. To be sure, the American creed favors the promotion of democracy, and democracies do have a track record of better behavior than autocracies. But the penchant for rushing transitional states to the ballot box often does more harm than good, producing dysfunctional and illiberal regimes. Egypt’s recently deposed president, Mohamed Morsi, may have been fairly elected, but he presided over the near collapse of the Egyptian state and ran roughshod over his political opponents. Rather than cajoling Cairo to hold elections and threatening to suspend aid if it does not, Washington should press the current leadership to adhere to clear standards of responsible governance, including ending the violence and political repression, restoring the basic functions of the state, facilitating economic recovery, countering militant extremists and keeping the peace with Israel. At this fragile moment in Egypt’s political awakening, the performance of its government will be a more important determinant of its legitimacy and durability than whether it won an election. More generally, Washington should back off from its zealous promotion of democracy in Egypt and the broader Middle East for three main reasons. For starters, even if liberal democracies do tend to provide good governance at home and abroad, rapid transitions to democracy historically have had the opposite effect: disorder at home and instability beyond the countries’ borders. In nations that lack experience with constitutional constraints and democratic accountability, electoral victors usually embrace winner-take-all strategies; they shut out the opposition, govern as they see fit and unsettle their neighbors. In one case after another — Bosnia, Russia, Ukraine, Iraq, Egypt — newly democratic governments have demonized opponents and ruled with an iron fist. Incremental change produces more durable results; liberal democracies must be constructed from the ground up. Constitutional constraints, judicial reform, political parties, economic privatization — these building blocks of democratic societies need time to take root. The West’s own experience provides ample evidence. England became a constitutional monarchy after the Glorious Revolution in 1688, but did not mature into a liberal democracy until the 20th century. Moreover, transitions to democracy in the Middle East will be more perilous than those elsewhere because of factors unique to the region: the power of political Islam and the entrenched nature of sectarian and tribal loyalties. Islam and democracy are by no means incompatible. However, religion and politics are intimately interwoven throughout the Middle East. Islamic tradition makes no distinction between mosque and state, helping Islamists win elections throughout the region. One result is a debilitating struggle between empowered Islamists and fractured secularists that is playing out in Egypt, Turkey, Tunisia and just about everywhere else. Absent the Western tradition of separating the sacred from the secular — which came about only after the bloody wars of the Protestant Reformation — pitched battles over the role of Islam in politics will bedevil aspiring Middle East democracies for generations to come. So, too, will sectarian and tribal politics make successful democratic transitions in the Middle East especially elusive. A sense of national belonging is the twin sister of democracy; nationalism is the social glue that makes consensual politics work. Egypt, like Turkey and Iran, is fortunate to have a strong national identity dating back centuries. But Egypt is nonetheless stumbling as it tries to put down robust democratic roots. Social cohesion will be even harder to come by in many of the region’s other states — like Iraq, Syria and Lebanon — which are contrived nations cobbled together by departing colonial powers. They risk being split asunder by sectarian, ethnic and tribal cleavages. Finally, Washington’s determined promotion of democracy compromises its credibility because doing so is often at odds with its own policies. Its closest allies in the Arab world, the Persian Gulf sheikdoms, are the region’s least democratic states. When Hamas won the Palestinian elections in 2006, America promptly sought to undermine the new government. These departures from democratic principles are, as they should be, guided by concrete national interests. But as the Arab awakening unfolds, Washington’s leverage will further diminish unless its rhetoric catches up with its actions. The United States should do what it can to shepherd the arrival of liberal democracy in Egypt and other parts of the Middle East. But the best way to do that is to go slow and help the region’s states build functioning and responsible governments. Democracy can wait.
Charles A. Kupchan is a professor of international affairs at Georgetown University, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and the author of “No One’s World: The West, the Rising Rest, and the Coming Global Turn.”

Poverty in the Kingdom Saudi Arabia

By: Ahmad Dohman
It is not easy for Saudi Arabia to acknowledge that poverty exists in its society. The third richest country in the world — known for its wealth of oil and natural resources, which fills its coffers with money — is not expected to accept its growing poverty crisis. The stereotypical image of Saudis places them nowhere near poverty. It portrays them as rich individuals that squander their money to fulfill their desire to consume unnecessary goods and wants. One cannot imagine a poor Saudi citizen living in a modest home and spending three-quarters of his salary to secure basic needs of food and water. Saudi Arabia is a financially stable country that grants a lot of donations and aid to surrounding countries. It also supports global development funds and has its doors open to millions of workers. That said, how could this country leave its own people destitute at home?Acknowledging the presence of poor citizens It took the kingdom quite a long time to concede to the presence of poor people. Perhaps the openness of Saudis to the virtual world and social networking sites pushed this reality to the forefront of the minds of officials and people. Many short films, videos and pictures exposed cases of poverty and introduced it to the government and citizens. These films discussed the suffering of families living under the poverty line, and showed men discussing the details of their miserable lives characterized by their low-incomes, which sometimes does not exceed $50 per month. One Saudi discussed how he is supporting his family, which is made up of eight married and unemployed men, while another spoke about how he was arbitrarily fired and posted his appeal to the king on YouTube.
What went wrong and how did the situation in the kingdom deteriorate to that extent?
The absence of accurate figures and official statistics for a long time made the issue of poverty in Saudi Arabia highly debatable. Everyone had a say on this issue, yet no one was able to propose a solution to uproot it. So far, no one has acknowledged the fact that the crisis is snowballing and that poverty is affecting the healthy environment that the kingdom wants to secure for its citizens. According to this year’s statistics, the government announced that the social security services have benefited around 800,000 cases. A case is a unit indicating one Saudi family, with the average family size in Saudi Arabia being between six to eight people. The Ministry of Social Affairs announced later on that its services would include families of up to 15 persons. Hence, according to calculations based on the aforementioned data, the number of poor people in Saudi Arabia exceeds 6 million out of 20 million, which is the estimated population of Saudi Arabia. The increase in the number of beneficiaries from social security services indicates a decrease in the size of the middle class, thus turning the latter into lower class.
Link to the US Federal Reserve
The Saudi economy suffers from being associated with the policies of the US Federal Reserve, which has suffered from a number of disadvantages in the past ten years. This link made the Saudi economy prone to massive inflation and led to a decline in the purchasing power of the Saudi riyal. This is despite the support provided by the government for basic goods and materials. The rapid increase in commodity prices did not go hand-in-hand with an increase in salaries, which led many families to suffer from the high cost of living. The society attempted to deal with this situation by pressuring the owners of companies and wealthy men to stop the increase in food costs, by boycotting them. The recent campaign was to boycott the purchase of chicken after the price doubled.
High cost of living and housing crisis
In addition to the high cost of basic needs, the recent period witnessed a housing crisis and an increase in the cost of rents. Statistics have shown that 80% of Saudis live in rented houses, and owning a house has become a dream for Saudis due to the rise in land prices and construction costs, which have reached unimaginable rates. This rise further pressured citizens earning minimum wage (which does not exceed $600 a month), who are paying for food, water and housing for families that are made up of at least six members. Unemployment, which has spread throughout Saudi society and plagued a large segment of its citizens due to the presence of a foreign workforce, has led to further worsening the issue of poverty. The concept of family in Saudi Arabia falls within the scope of the extended family, in other words the children after marriage continue to live with their families.
What is the strategy?
The kingdom attempted to set a strategy to fight poverty. According to the minister of social affairs, the present plan is intended to treat corruption and its four main causes:
1. Finding a solution to unemployment that led Saudi Arabia rank second after Iraq with the highest unemployment rate in the Middle East and the Arab world. 2. Finding a solution to the housing crisis and the rising cost of rents. 3. Finding a solution to the issue of minimum wages and the rising cost of living. 4. Accelerating the implementation of development projects and balanced development projects between different areas.
Pumping money into the economy is not a radical solution to the issue of poverty; it is rather a temporary numbing of the situation that will make individuals further depend on aid. It would have been better to treat the roots of the crisis, instead of focusing on treating the surface of the crisis by distributing food supplies and depending on charity aid. The government could have provided the needy with food stamps, which would allow them to buy food at reasonable prices in shopping centers. Jazan is the poorest city in Saudi Arabia. It is situated in the south of the country and the number of families suffering from extreme poverty amounts to 19,700. Al-Qasim is the least poor area in Saudi Arabia. According to the anti-poverty national strategy “the percentage of families living under poverty line in Jazan is 34%.” Najranin in southern Saudi Arabia is the second poorest area with 24.53% of its families living under poverty line, followed by al-Madinah, situated in the west, with 24.07%, and the area situated at the northern border with 23%.
Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/culture/2012/10/poverty-rising-issue-in-saudi-society.html#ixzz2cC3KtJma

Journalists in Bahrain jailed in attempt to keep protests quiet

The country’s renowned wealth overshadows those living in poverty.
It is not easy for Saudi Arabia to acknowledge that poverty exists in its society. The third richest country in the world — known for its wealth of oil and natural resources, which fills its coffers with money — is not expected to accept its growing poverty crisis. The stereotypical image of Saudis places them nowhere near poverty. It portrays them as rich individuals that squander their money to fulfill their desire to consume unnecessary goods and wants. One cannot imagine a poor Saudi citizen living in a modest home and spending three-quarters of his salary to secure basic needs of food and water. Saudi Arabia is a financially stable country that grants a lot of donations and aid to surrounding countries. It also supports global development funds and has its doors open to millions of workers. That said, how could this country leave its own people destitute at home?Acknowledging the presence of poor citizens It took the kingdom quite a long time to concede to the presence of poor people. Perhaps the openness of Saudis to the virtual world and social networking sites pushed this reality to the forefront of the minds of officials and people. Many short films, videos and pictures exposed cases of poverty and introduced it to the government and citizens. These films discussed the suffering of families living under the poverty line, and showed men discussing the details of their miserable lives characterized by their low-incomes, which sometimes does not exceed $50 per month. One Saudi discussed how he is supporting his family, which is made up of eight married and unemployed men, while another spoke about how he was arbitrarily fired and posted his appeal to the king on YouTube. What went wrong and how did the situation in the kingdom deteriorate to that extent? The absence of accurate figures and official statistics for a long time made the issue of poverty in Saudi Arabia highly debatable. Everyone had a say on this issue, yet no one was able to propose a solution to uproot it. So far, no one has acknowledged the fact that the crisis is snowballing and that poverty is affecting the healthy environment that the kingdom wants to secure for its citizens. According to this year’s statistics, the government announced that the social security services have benefited around 800,000 cases. A case is a unit indicating one Saudi family, with the average family size in Saudi Arabia being between six to eight people. The Ministry of Social Affairs announced later on that its services would include families of up to 15 persons. Hence, according to calculations based on the aforementioned data, the number of poor people in Saudi Arabia exceeds 6 million out of 20 million, which is the estimated population of Saudi Arabia. The increase in the number of beneficiaries from social security services indicates a decrease in the size of the middle class, thus turning the latter into lower class. Link to the US Federal Reserve The Saudi economy suffers from being associated with the policies of the US Federal Reserve, which has suffered from a number of disadvantages in the past ten years. This link made the Saudi economy prone to massive inflation and led to a decline in the purchasing power of the Saudi riyal. This is despite the support provided by the government for basic goods and materials. The rapid increase in commodity prices did not go hand-in-hand with an increase in salaries, which led many families to suffer from the high cost of living. The society attempted to deal with this situation by pressuring the owners of companies and wealthy men to stop the increase in food costs, by boycotting them. The recent campaign was to boycott the purchase of chicken after the price doubled. High cost of living and housing crisis In addition to the high cost of basic needs, the recent period witnessed a housing crisis and an increase in the cost of rents. Statistics have shown that 80% of Saudis live in rented houses, and owning a house has become a dream for Saudis due to the rise in land prices and construction costs, which have reached unimaginable rates. This rise further pressured citizens earning minimum wage (which does not exceed $600 a month), who are paying for food, water and housing for families that are made up of at least six members. Unemployment, which has spread throughout Saudi society and plagued a large segment of its citizens due to the presence of a foreign workforce, has led to further worsening the issue of poverty. The concept of family in Saudi Arabia falls within the scope of the extended family, in other words the children after marriage continue to live with their families. What is the strategy? The kingdom attempted to set a strategy to fight poverty. According to the minister of social affairs, the present plan is intended to treat corruption and its four main causes: 1. Finding a solution to unemployment that led Saudi Arabia rank second after Iraq with the highest unemployment rate in the Middle East and the Arab world. 2. Finding a solution to the housing crisis and the rising cost of rents. 3. Finding a solution to the issue of minimum wages and the rising cost of living. 4. Accelerating the implementation of development projects and balanced development projects between different areas. Pumping money into the economy is not a radical solution to the issue of poverty; it is rather a temporary numbing of the situation that will make individuals further depend on aid. It would have been better to treat the roots of the crisis, instead of focusing on treating the surface of the crisis by distributing food supplies and depending on charity aid. The government could have provided the needy with food stamps, which would allow them to buy food at reasonable prices in shopping centers. Jazan is the poorest city in Saudi Arabia. It is situated in the south of the country and the number of families suffering from extreme poverty amounts to 19,700. Al-Qasim is the least poor area in Saudi Arabia. According to the anti-poverty national strategy “the percentage of families living under poverty line in Jazan is 34%.” Najranin in southern Saudi Arabia is the second poorest area with 24.53% of its families living under poverty line, followed by al-Madinah, situated in the west, with 24.07%, and the area situated at the northern border with 23%.

Bahrain police, Shiite protesters clash in villages

Protesters calling for the overthrow of Bahrain's ruling Sunni monarchy clashed with police across several Shiite villages overnight, witnesses said Friday without reporting casualties.
"Down with Hamad," hundreds chanted of King Hamad whose family has ruled the tiny Gulf kingdom for decades. The protesters hurled stones and petrol bombs at policemen who responded by firing buckshot, tear gas, and sound grenades, the sources said. The protests were held in response to a call issued by the opposition February 14 Coalition youth group. "Security forces countered a terrorist group in (the Shiite village of) Bani Jamra and several members were arrested," the interior ministry on its Twitter account late Thursday. Authorities usually use the term "terrorists" to refer to demonstrators. Another "terrorist group had placed a homemade bomb in Bilad Qadim (another Shiite town) which exploded as they were attempting to plant it," said the ministry.
Long-simmering tensions in Shiite-majority Bahrain increased after opposition activists called for protests last Wednesday near the US embassy in Manama in defiance of a ban. However, a massive deployment of troops has prevented the rally from going ahead, while witnesses have reported smaller protests in Shiite villages, where demonstrations are a regular occurrence. At least 80 people have been killed since Arab Spring-inspired protests erupted in Bahrain in early 2011, according to the International Federation for Human Rights. Hamad issued an amendment this month to the country's law on public gatherings, banning protests in the capital. He also decreed stiffer penalties for "terror acts." Strategically located across the Gulf from Shiite Iran, Bahrain is home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet and is an offshore financial and services centre for its oil-rich Arab neighbours in the Gulf. Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/08/16/bahrain-police-shiite-protesters-clash-in-villages/#ixzz2cBzbZhq6

Bahrain detention center riot leaves 40 hurt

At least 40 Bahraini prisoners were hurt on Friday when security forces used batons, tear gas, pepper spray and stun grenades against inmates protesting over their conditions, an activist said. The Interior Ministry said security forces had restored order after a number of detainees rioted. "They tried to break the doors, the police interfered and restored order," a tweet by the ministry said. Sayed al Muhafada of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights said he had received a call from inside the prison telling him that around 100 prisoners, most held for terrorism offences, were protesting over being deprived of family visits and other grievances. The small Gulf Arab state and Western ally, which hosts the U.S. Fifth Fleet, has been buffeted by bouts of unrest since February 2011 when an uprising led by members of the Shi'ite majority demanded the Sunni al-Khalifa dynasty give up power. The authorities crushed the revolt but protests and clashes have persisted despite continuing talks between government and opposition, leaving Bahrain on the front line of a tussle for regional influence between Shi'ite Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia.

ANP leader Najma Hanif gunned down in Peshawar

Unknown miscreants gunned down Awami National Party (ANP) leader Najma Hanif after breaking into her house in Peshawar late on Friday night. She was gunned down at her residence in phase one of the upscale Hyatabad neighbourhood of Peshawar. Police sources told Dawn.com that unknown gunmen opened fire at Najma Hanif after breaking into her home just before midnight on Friday. The attackers managed to escape the site unhurt and unidentified, they added. In-charge of police unit at Hyatabad Medical Complex, Ismail khan has confirmed that Najma Hanif was hit in the head and face and was received dead at the hospital. It is pertinent to mention that her husband Hanif Jadoon, who also was an ANP leader, was killed along with his son and guard in a suicide bomb attack in July 2011. The ANP leader was a candidate for a provincial assembly seat reserved for women in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Her body has been sent to her native town in Swabi district. ANP chief Asfandyar Wali has condemned the brutal killing saying sacrifices of Najma’s family will always be remembered.

President Zardari lauds Zamurd for his courage

http://mediacellppp.wordpress.com/
President Asif Ali Zardari has lauded the courage of PPP leader Zamurd Khan who, risking his own life, helped law enforcing agencies get hold of the armed man in Islamabad. The President also appreciated the role of security agencies who handled the situation in a discreet manner and averted any mishap.

Full Video: ZAMURAD KHAN,Great Effort.

Protest camp for Baloch missing persons set ablaze

http://balochwarna.com/
The hunger strike camp set up outside Quetta Press Club by Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) for recovery of missing persons was set on fire by unidentified people on night between Wednesday and Thursday. VBMP, a local organisation formed by relatives of missing persons, is striving hard for the recovery of their beloved ones for over last three years in Quetta, Karachi and Islamabad. Unidentified people set the camp on fire and soon it was reduced to ashes. When Vice Chairman of VBMP Mama Abdul Qadir was contacted, he regretted that the right of peaceful protest from relatives of missing persons was also being snatched. “I don’t know who have actually burnt the camp but we have been constantly receiving threats and warnings from government functionaries to dismantle the camp or face consequences,” he added. It may be mentioned here that a son of Mama Abdul Qadir Baloch named Jalil Reki, who was leader of Baloch Republican Party, was abducted in 2009 allegedly by government functionaries from his Sariab Road residence and later his tortured and bullet-riddled body was found in Kech district in 2011. “I and my fellow protesters have received death threats but we will never end our peaceful protest for the recovery of our beloved ones who are being assaulted in torture cells,” Qadir Baloch said, adding that chief justice of Supreme Court who is hearing a case in Quetta had taken notice of burning of strike camp. “We have hopes that CJ would do something for recovery of missing persons but so far his efforts are not yielding results,” he said He appealed chief Justice and other humanitarian organisations to take notice of brutalities allegedly committed by government functionaries against innocent Balochs in the province.

Poland to cut number of troops in Afghanistan in October

Poland will reduce the number of its soldiers stationed in Afghanistan in October to 1,000 from 1,600 as it moves to wind down its presence there before the NATO combat mission ends next year, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Friday. The country had previously announced that its 14th troop rotation in Afghanistan starting in October would be its last. "We are reducing the number of Polish soldiers in Afghanistan because we are preparing to end the withdrawal, as we announced in 2014," Tusk said at an airbase in Nowy Glinnik, central Poland. "The few who will remain will be there for training and advising purposes," he said. The U.S.-dominated, NATO-led force in Afghanistan currently numbers about 87,000 troops and is due to be disbanded next year. Most foreign combat troops will leave, handing over responsibilities for fighting Taliban insurgents to Afghan security forces. After 2014, NATO plans to keep a slimmed-down training and advisory mission in Afghanistan. Poland, which joined the mission in Afghanistan in 2002, has indicated it would be far more reluctant to take part in such foreign deployments in the future as it concentrates on modernizing its defenses at home. On Thursday, President Bronislaw Komorowski called for an end to the "policy based on sending soldiers to far-away lands" because of high costs.

India's unfair obsession with lighter skin

Monisha Rajesh
The Dark is Beautiful campaign hopes to halt India's huge appetite for skin whitening products, and has a new champion in film star Nandita Das
"You look green!" said a friend. "Are you ill?" asked another. Last year, a respected Indian newspaper published a photograph of me online which had been lightened so drastically by the art director's magic wand that I called the editor to complain and he apologised and replaced it with the original. The art director had thought he was doing me a favour by whitening my skin. India's obsession with fair skin is well documented: in 1978, Unilever launched Fair & Lovely cream, which has subsequently spawned numerous whitening face cleansers, shower gels and even vaginal washes that claim to lighten the surrounding skin. In 2010, India's whitening-cream market was worth $432m, according to a report by market researchers ACNielsen, and was growing at 18% per year. Last year, Indians reportedly consumed 233 tonnes of skin-whitening products, spending more money on them than on Coca-Cola. Cricket players and Bollywood stars regularly endorse these products. But now the film star Nandita Das has taken a stance against the craze and given her support to the Dark is Beautiful campaign which challenges the belief that success and beauty are determined by skin colour. "I want people to be comfortable in their own skin and realise that there is more to life than skin colour," she says, adding that an Indian paper had written "about my support for the campaign and then lightened the photo of me that went alongside it". While she agrees that there is a long history behind the obsession with skin colour, owing to caste and culture, she thinks the current causes should be targeted first. "Indians are very racist. It's deeply ingrained. But there is so much pressure by peer groups, magazines, billboards and TV adverts that perpetuate this idea that fair is the ideal," she says. Das has often faced directors and makeup artists trying to lighten her when she plays the role of an educated, upper-class woman. "They always say to me: 'Don't worry, we will lighten you, we're really good at it,' as a reassurance. It's perpetuating a stereotype that only fair-skinned women can be educated and successful." In 2005, the cosmetics company Emami launched Fair & Handsome for men, with an ad featuring the Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan tossing a tube of whitening cream to a hopeful young fan, which the Dark is Beautiful campaign is seeking to have withdrawn. "Shah Rukh Khan is saying that to be successful you have to be fair," says Das. "Don't these people have any kind of conscience? You can't be naive; you know what kind of impact you have and yet you send out the message that says: 'Forget about working hard, it's about skin colour.'"

Pakistan: Challenging the state's identity

66 years since the independence of Pakistan, many of the country's young secular people are questioning the religious foundation of the state. There are many in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan who don't think there's much to celebrate about the "independence" of a country whose economy is so heavily dependent on the World Bank and the IMF. Inflation and unemployment in Pakistan are currently higher than ever, and a lot of young Pakistanis are desperate to leave the country in search of jobs. At the same time, there are others who maintain that Pakistan has not entirely failed. They point to its vibrant civil society, to its functioning - albeit corrupt - legislative body, and its somewhat independent - albeit incompetent - judiciary. Critics of Pakistan's ubiquitous army blame the military generals for not allowing democracy to flourish in the country, and for supporting religious extremism to serve their own ends.Many political commentators believe that Pakistan currently faces its worst existential crisis, in the form of the Taliban insurgency in the north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and in the separatist movement in the western Baluchistan region. The world - especially the US and other Western countries - is keeping a close eye on the instability of nuclear-armed Pakistan. If the state were to disintegrate, it could result in a regional catastrophe beyond anyone's control. Against this backdrop, Pakistani youth are more frustrated than ever. Young people are now even questioning the ideological framework of the partition of India in 1947.
Partition a mistake?
Mavra Bari, an Islamabad-based journalist, thinks that any country founded on the basis of religion is bound to have problems. "I am a Pakistani, but it does not necessarily mean that I am a Muslim. Similarly, just because someone is Muslim does not mean they are more patriotic than non-Muslim Pakistanis," Bari told DW. "The religious ideology has adversely affected Pakistani citizens, particularly the minority communities," she added. She said that the premise of the partition was faulty.Karachi-based classical dancer and theater actor Suhaee Abro told DW that "it would have been better for the people of the Indian sub-continent had they lived together." Islamabad-based filmmaker and social activist Wajahat Malik went to the extent of calling the partition "one of the biggest blunders of the 20th century." "What benefits have the Muslims of the Indian sub-continent reaped from the partition of India except that they are now scattered in three different countries [India, Pakistan and Bangladesh], and are subjected to sectarian and communal violence?" said Malik in an interview with DW. In his view it is ironic that "religious bigotry, extremism, sectarianism and tribalism are shaking the foundations of a country which was carved out in the name of religion." But not all Pakistan youngsters think this way. Sarwar Ali, who is based in the United Arab Emirates, believes the partition of India was an inevitable consequence of the Second World War. He does, however, feel that Pakistan needs to improve its governance issues. Omar Quraishi, a Pakistani entrepreneur, told DW that the concept of an Islamic state was not such a bad idea because it was beneficial for the growth of the individual. He commented that Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, was unable to impart his political wisdom and vision to his successors.
Peace with India
Young, liberal Pakistanis tend to say it's important to focus on the present rather than dwell on the past. They believe that Pakistan needs to start anew, get rid of its religious identity and improve ties with India and other countries in the region. They don't believe Pakistan can prosper if it is not at peace with its neighbours.Malik believes that the best way for India and Pakistan to develop a closer relationship is through more interaction between their peoples. "People-to-people contact, trade and tourism are the way forward for the two countries. When people come together, the states will follow suit," he says. Khizar Sharif, who works for an internet company in Karachi, told DW he didn't believe a solution would be found until both India and Pakistan reduce their defense budgets and spend more on social development and people's welfare. But the dancer Suhaee Abro is more optimistic. "We need more support from the people of both Pakistan and India. It is a long road and we need to be patient. I am sure there will be a change," she says.

Pakistan: Attack on Jaffar Express near Machh

At least four people were killed and over 10 wounded during an attack on the Rawalpindi-bound Jaffar Express on Friday, unconfirmed reports said. The train, which began its journey from Quetta, was attacked with rockets near Machh Town in Balochistan’s Bolan district. Following the rocket attack, the assailants began shooting at the train. Security forces retaliated and were engaged in an exchange of fire with the attackers which was still ongoing. Additional contingents of the Frontier Corps (FC) and Levies had reached the area and were assisting security forces in retaliating the attack. Friday’s attack comes just over a week after gunmen disguised as security personnel killed 11 civilians and two security men after kidnapping them from Punjab-bound passenger coaches also near Machh Town. The coaches were coming from Quetta and the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) had claimed responsibility for the killings. Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by area, is plagued by extremist militancy and sectarian violence, as well as a regional insurgency waged by separatist militants.

PTI, PPP lash out at govt over Islamabad imbroglio

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) came down hard on the government for its failure to appropriately act amid Thursday's incident when a gunman challenged its writ. Speaking outside the National Assembly, PTI senior leader Shah Mehmmod Qureshi and PPP leader Syed Naveed Qamar severally criticized the government. Qureshi said that it seemed on Thursday a leaderless government was operating in the country. He said the assembly session was adjourned on the pretext of Friday prayer so that the opposition parties could not speak on yesterday’s episode. He added tha on the one hand the government said it would take the opposition on board while chalking out national security policy while on the other it was not even ready to listen to the opposition. Speaking on the occasion, PPP leader Naveed Qamar criticized Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan for his absence from the house. He said that an armed man paralyzed the government and its failure prompted PPP leader Zamurud Khan to intervene. To a question, the opposition leaders said that they were united on the matters related to national interest. The standoff began in Islamabad began around 5:30 pm on Thursday when police flagged down the car for a traffic violation in the central Jinnah Avenue neighbourhood -- less than a kilometre from the presidency and parliament buildings. The armed man later identified as Sikandar then started firing into the air, forcing markets and shops in the area to close. Crowds of onlookers gathered at a distance, as TV anchors broadcasting the incident live on air queried how police checkpoints had failed to stop an armed man from driving into the sensitive area. The standoff ended at 11:00 pm after Zamurud Khan, a leader of the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party who was acting as a negotiator, jumped on the gunman and tried to disarm him. Sikandar broke free and fired at Khan, who was not injured. Police and paramilitary commandos then shot the gunman as he tried to flee, hauling him away as blood poured from his wounds. The children were unharmed.

Zamurad Khan’s heroics save the day

The mysterious gunman who held Islamabad police captivated for over five hours on Thursday was finally taken in custody by security personnel, but only after some valorous heroics from Pakistan People’s Party leader Zamurrad Khan. Sikander, the gunman demanding implementation of an Islamic system in Pakistan,
something he believed was possible by morning, was nabbed after he stumbled trying to escape a brazen attempt by the PPP leader to overpower him and take away the gunman’s weapons. Sikander is now in police custody. Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had given orders for him to be taken alive. Just before evening, the armed man opened fire at police in the heavily-manned heart of Islamabad after slipping past the capital's many checkpoints. The gunman, onboard the vehicle with his wife and two kids, drove his vehicle into the centre of Islamabad, stopping only a stone's throw away from the president's official residence and fired several rounds in the air. Sikander had two assault rifles in his possession that he openly wielded in the capital’s Red Zone with impunity for hours. “I am against vulgarity and immorality. My associates have taken up positions in the whole of Pakistan,” he told a local TV channel. “I have visited all parts of Pakistan and have been saddened by the state of the people.” Hundreds of onlookers gathered at the central Jinnah Avenue as night fell and periodic gunshots rang out in the air. He seemed confused in his demands, and it was unclear how he managed to paralyse the city centre and cause a standoff with police, including anti-terrorist units. Security has been tight in Islamabad after police received an alert about possible attacks by militants operating from the Tribal Areas. Many senior police officials, including SSP Dr Rizwan were present at the scene to control the situation and persuade the man to surrender peacefully. Dr Rizwan made several attempts to talk Sikander out of his antics, but to no avail. The gunman sat comfortably in his car parked in the centre of the main road, often resorting to smoking, while his two children played in and around the car and his wife acted as the messenger between Sikander and the police. Police and Rangers cordoned off the area, while four snipers were also deployed to take action when needed. The gunman made some ambiguous demands during negotiations with SSP Dr Rizwan. He demanded end of the current governance system and its replacement with an Islamic system. He also demanded a safe exit and protection for his family. He demanded the presence of at least five senior police officials for further talks, besides claiming that he was doing all for Islam. One of his demands also included the release of his son from prison in Dubai. Sikandar is a resident of Mohala Qazipura in Hafizabad district of Punjab. His wife’s name is Kanwal and her children’s names are Abdullah and Farwa. People in Sikandar’s neighbourhood in Hafizabad said he was a drug addict and had another wife, Hania, in Dubai. The neighbours said Sikandar was a man of strange conduct and did not carry a good reputation in the locality. - See more at: http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2013/08/16/news/national/zamurad-khans-heroics-save-the-day/#sthash.Qa5gP6wz.dpuf