Refocus on Pur Aman Balochistan

CPEC makes necessary Baluchistan be peaceful do not want. groups confirmed Pakistan’s dossier, and drew attention to the increasing cross-border terrorist threat to Pakistan. notably, India was openly opposing the CPEC and China’s OBOR or BRI; and the USA has also joined new Delhi.

The ink on Pak-China agreements related to the CPEC was barely dry when especially the USA’s CIA, Indian secret agency RAW and Israel’s Mossad had accelerated playing up the Baloch insurgency. Malicious propaganda against the CPEC coincided with the terror attacks in various regions of Pakistan, particularly in Balochistan.

However, Pakistan’s armed forces and primary intelligence agency ISI have successfully broken the backbone of the foreign-backed terrorists. Peace has been restored in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, and in Karachi as well as in other vulnerable regions.

Regarding various terror assaults, the then Foreign Minister Qureshi had remarked that if the international community had taken timely notice of Islamabad’s concerns over new Delhi’s involvement in terrorist activities across Pakistan, Lahore’s Johar Town blast and several terrorist incidents in Balochistan would not have taken place.

Under Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa’s command the fencing along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, which also entails Pak-Afghan border of Balochistan started in June 2017 by the Army to improve the security situation and the near-completion of the project in 2021, is praiseworthy.

The focus should be on looking beyond engineered flood defences, and considering innovative, nature-based solutions that support local biodiversity. The involvement of experts in power systems and smart grids who can tackle Pakistan’s energy challenges by enabling collaborative research, strategic partnerships, policy outreach, entrepreneurship, and education is necessary. Pakistan needs fundamental shift in its development path and policies, requiring substantial investments in people-centric climate adaptation and resilience that will require international support. If we want to tackle climate change, we need to prioritise investing in adaptation to help prepare Pakistan for future climate-related calamities, which are growing in frequency and intensity.

Only climate experts, both local and global, can help us understand the climate risk and then respond to the critical challenge of enabling Pakistan to adapt and thrive in a changing world. This is where our climate resilience journey begins with the aid of techno-logy, big data analysis, and domain expertise. The first step is understanding, quantifying and explaining the climate risk. Then, regardless of the task, like preventing flooding and erosion, protecting assets and infrastructure, and creating new policies and systems, we can plan and implement resilient solutions, and monitor their respective impacts to stay climate-resilient.

WHEn during Pervez Musharraf’s regime in March 2002, Pakistan initiated the construction of Gwadar deep-seaport in Balochistan province with Chinese assistance, sirens went off in the capitals of some European countries, as well as those of the USA, India and Israel, which took it as a threat to their global and regional plans.

Afterwards, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which is part of China’s One Belt, One Road (OBOR) or China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), has been rapidly developing. CPEC will prove to be a gateway to prosperity for both countries as well as the region. Under the project, China is investing as much as $62 billion in various sectors in Pakistan in a phased manner.

The Executive Committee of the national Economic Council (ECnEC) on August 5, 2020 approved the project for the upgradation of he 1872 km of the existing railway Mainline-1 (ML-1) from Peshawar to Karachi.

Besides energy projects, CPEC will open new doors of development relating to various fields, as the national economy of the country will grow fast, leading to creation of new job opportunities, poverty reduction, and development of the transportation sector, as well as boost agricultural and industrial growth, including exports.

In May, 2020, the outgoing US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Alice Wells, who tried to spoil China-Pakistan relations, had once again criticized BRI and CPEC by saying that the USA was concerned about CPEC projects due to the unfair rates of profits which are guaranteed to Chinese firms. The Chinese Embassy called her statement totally baseless by stating: “We take Pakistan as an equal partner and never asked Pakistan to do more.”

Taking cognizance of foreign entities’ hostile propaganda, Islamabad and Beijing have, repeatedly, dismissed the criticism as Western propaganda and the latter also insisted that the CPEC will equally benefit Pakistan.

In fact, the Gwadar seaport project, which is the backbone of the CPEC, will uplift the impoverished people of Balochistan, including developments in other backward areas by redressing their grievances, which the hostile elements, supported by the USA, India and Israel

But, in the recent past, terrorist attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and particularly Balochistan which is a central point of the CPEC, show that the CIA-led RAW and Mossad are destabilizing Pakistan and want to damage the CPEC project which is part of China’s OBOR or BRI. RAW is also using some terrorist outfits such as ISIS and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA)-linked Majeed Brigade which claimed responsibility for a number of terrorist assaults on workers and labourers, working on the CPEC projects in Balochistan. These terror entities also abducted and killed many Chinese nationals. RAW as well as some foreign secret agencies have been arranging the subversive activities in Balochistan, promoting acrimonious sense of dissent, sectarian violence and arousing sentiments of separatism.

The Pakistan Army also contributed a lot to the socio-economic development of Balochistan besides giving military training to the youth, while protecting mega-projects and the CPEC staff.

It is notable that presiding over an apex committee meeting in Quetta, the then Prime Minister nawaz Sharif had approved the plan Pur Aman (Peaceful) Balochistan on 6 August 2015—for the return of the angry Baloch to the national mainstream.

PM Nawaz Sharif had stated that Balochistan would be a major beneficiary of CPEC and the project would open new avenues of development and prosperity for Pakistan. He elaborated “Gwadar’s deep-sea port would link the landlocked Central Asian states with the rest of the world— and will attract massive amounts of local and foreign investment.”

It is mentionable that the Taliban fighters on 15 August 2021 entered the Afghan capital Kabul and seized power, taking control of Afghanistan. The Taliban-led government clarified that Afghan soil would not be used for any terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda, ISIS and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for terror attacks against neighbouring countries, including Pakistan. But, regarding some recent terror attacks which also include Balochistan, sources suggested that some militants of the TTP, which is based in Afghanistan, have entered Pakistan from Afghanistan. Hence, the military leadership has warned Kabul to check this infiltration.

It is noteworthy that in november, 2020 at a joint press conference, DG ISPR Maj Gen (now |Lt Gen) Babar Iftikhar and then Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi unveiled a dossier containing “irrefutable evidence” of India’s sponsorship of terrorism in Pakistan, also targeting the CPEC.

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the Un Munir Akram had handed over the dossier to the Un Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

In its 27th report, dated 3 February 2021 and 28th report, recently published, the Un Security Council’s monitoring team for tracking terrorist

In this respect, the apex committee meeting reviewed the overall security situation in the insurgency-hit province and progress on the national Action Plan.The then Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif, Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry nisar Ali Khan, Lt Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch Minister for States, Governor Balochistan

Muhammad Khan Achakzai and BalochistanChief MinisterDr Abdul Malik Baloch were among those attending the meeting.

Earlier that day, Prime Minister Sharif also performed the ground-breaking of three important development projects, namely Mangi Dam, Balochistan Agriculture University and Flyover on Samungli Road, Quetta. The PM also inaugurated Sariab Road Flyover in Quetta, which has been completed at a cost of Rs 1581 million.

PM nawaz Sharif had stated that Balochistan would be a major beneficiary of CPEC and the project would open new avenues of development and prosperity for Pakistan. He elaborated “Gwadar’s deep-sea port would link the landlocked Central Asian states with the rest of the world— and will attract massive amounts of local and foreign investment.”

The PM further stated: “We will provide fool proof security to CPEC projects and we will ensure that maximum benefits reach the common people.”

Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations and can be reached at: sajjad_logic@yahoo.com

The combined risks of extreme climate-related events, environmental degradation and air pollution are projected to reduce Pakistan’s gross domestic product (GDP) by at least 18-20 per cent by 2050. Pakistan is currently ranked among the countries most vulnerable to the widespread and cross-sectoral impacts of climate change. Six priority sectors have been identified namely agriculture and food security, forest and biodiversity, disaster risk reduction, water sanitation and hygiene, integrated coastal management, and energy and transport. We need to develop local expertise in collaboration with global experts and organisations to drive this urgent change. Even if Pakistan’s carbon emissions are near 0.5 today, the climate will continue to change for at least a century.

FAISAL HABIB KARACHI

A tale of proven land-grabbing

BACK in 2009, with all my hard-earned savings and a heavy loan, I purchased a residential plot of land in the Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) Multipurpose Cooperative Housing Society in Scheme 33 area of Karachi. It is hard to describe how intensely I regret the day I had done that. Being a residential society established in the early 1980s by the federal government for providing low-cost housing to the governmentowned PIDC employees, the genuineness of the legal status of the said society was and remains beyond doubt. All the original allottees, or subsequent buyers, have already paid all purchase and entitlement charges, and do possess legal and lease documents. In fact, many had also started getting formal approvals for floor plans and construction by 2009. However, for reasons known only to the authorities, the Sindh government in 2011 abolished society’s representative association, and appointed an administrator while putting a freeze on the society’s bank accounts. Later, the appointed administrator was also granted the authority to operate the said accounts. Besides, on the directives of the Singh government, a Rangers contingent seized all property and legal records from the office of the society. Finding all these actions illegal, PIDC Society representatives initiated litigation. The matter remained in Sindh High Court (SHC) for years and then moved to the Supreme Court. It also attracted the attention of the national Accountability Bureau (nAB). While the battle was being fought in the courts, property records of the society were tampered with, scores of illegal plots of land were carved out by illegally altering the approved site plan, and millions of rupees were withdrawn from the bank accounts. All these activities were taken note of by the relevant authorities, leading to arrest and conviction of the administrator.

All this while, the original allottees paid legal expenses through personal contributions with great difficulties. However, despite successive court rulings in favour of the society, the actual administration and lawful landowners are still unable to even enter the premises due to the presence of land mafia agents at the entry gate of the walled society. Despite court orders, police personnel have been unable to remove the encroachers and secure the society’s possession for its real owners. A huge number of landowners are elderly, retired PIDC employees. As PIDC was a federal government organisation, the owners are spread across the country, and cannot visit Karachi every now and then to follow the proceedings in the matter. There is a complete standstill as there is no official setup in place, and the society’s elections and members’ general meetings are impossible.

The society’s president is an octogenarian with no succession plan. In short, all things are in favour of the land-grabbers who can afford to wait patiently for all landowners to pass away, leaving no challenge for them to ultimately occupy the land completely. On their part, thousands of victims are losing hope of ever owning a home of their own. All landowners, like myself, are directionless and confused what to do and how to go about either selling our plots of land or to get permission to build our houses. Despite the involvement of the courts and nAB, there is complete hopelessness. The darkness is utter and absolute.

ASLAM QURESHI KARACHI

ArAb News

FAISAL J. ABBAS

In July 2006, a very distressing story in Arabic was being shared across what was then known as the Electronic Muntadayat (Arabic for “web forums,” the ancestor of modern social media). The story went as follows: Someone is deliberately mocking Islam by building another Kaaba in new York, only the cube-shaped building will not be for God-fearing worshippers, but a 24/7 nightclub which — according to the poorly translated stories — would be “Makkah” for new York visitors.

Of course, it was down to me as a young reporter at Asharq Al-Awsat, our sister publication, to get to the bottom of this story. It soon became clear that the building was neither a nightclub nor a replica of the Kaaba. It was, however, the iconic cube-shaped flagship Apple store on new York’s 5th Avenue.

The shop’s entrance, as it later became clear, is made of glass. But because earlier images showed the glass sides of the cube-shaped shop covered with a protective black layer had resulted in the absolutely false story spreading like wildfire, due to the color resemblance to the actual Kaaba.

needless to say, at that time — only a few years after 9/11 — emotions ran high and religious extremists issued horrendous fatwas against the West every