VIEW: Post-Osama Pakistan —Nizamuddin Nizamani

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011%5C05%5C11%5Cstory_11-5-2011_pg3_6

The crisis stands as being pathetically mishandled. The ruling elite in Pakistan seems to be busy in the blame game and shifting of responsibility. The civilian government is giving the pretext of being in power for only three years and is blaming the Musharraf regime and its predecessors.
A prolonged global, religio-political and strategically mind-boggling suspense drama reached its natural climax a week back but has left a mixed impression in the East and West. People in the US celebrated and took a sigh of relief, while in the Muslim world a mixed reaction was seen. The people of Pakistan seemed shocked at the very presence of Osama bin Laden on their soil on the one hand and the surprisingly sophisticated operation to kill him on the other. Although some people take this as the end of a violent era, the modus operandi of the American operation and either the unwillingness or the incapability of the Pakistani forces inside the heart of the military garrison town, have caused some level of demoralisation, sense of insecurity and disillusionment about the defence of the country. Pakistanis as a whole were very proud of the defence forces for the perpetual claims and heroic stories narrated regarding the three wars with India, credit for the dismemberment of the Soviet Union and the acquiring of the much celebrated Hatf, Ghauri and Shaheen missiles with the epitome of their success being the development of nuclear weapons.

Although the drone attacks were initially criticised in the media, in the end the public was successfully convinced to be silent as they were projected as strategic cooperation with the US. The complacent patriotic public was literally shocked by what happened on May 1, 2011. Some still wishfully take it as a farce based on the lack of evidence, live videos and dead body, and consider it as one face saving strategy by the US to pull out of Afghanistan. But those knowing the gravity of the situation, after the Osama debacle, are not worried about the Abbottabad operation but its aftershocks, resulting in many revelations that have been exposed due to the commando operation.

Mindful people in Pakistan are worried about what is in store for this country and how it is going to affect their lives. They know it does not augur well.

The crisis stands as being pathetically mishandled. The ruling elite in Pakistan seems to be busy in the blame game and shifting of responsibility. The civilian government is giving the pretext of being in power for only three years and is blaming the Musharraf regime and its predecessors. Hussain Haqqani, Pakistan’s ambassador to the US, has not defended Pakistan. Opportunistic anchors and media channels, that supported jihad and praised Osama bin Laden in his heyday, disowned him after his death and instead presented derogatory remarks to exonerate themselves.

There is no denying the fact that bin Laden could not have taken refuge without the tacit approval of individuals within powerful echelons for either money or spiritual loyalty to Osama’s philosophy. Now the one million dollar question is: what should our future strategy be to compensate for the trust deficit created with the international community?

Primarily, religious education must be transformed. Religion taught civilisation but, unfortunately, religious beliefs ended up as being the single factor of rift and division among mankind. Its misinterpretation has created fanaticism and intolerance, lethal for coexistence. The Muslim youth has been brainwashed to do away with the present life, treat it as worthless and instead prepare for life in the hereafter. The easy shortcut to paradise is jihad and becoming a martyr with a guaranteed passport to heaven. This kind of indoctrination should be banned and the state should ensure modern education to such groups.

Secondly, there seems to be a dire need for ijtihad (religious discourse and debate), on many Quranic ayaat (verses) and ahadith (sayings of the Prophet (PBUH)) prone to misinterpretation. The clergy has been selective while interpreting a few ayaat and ahadith in the background of time and space but ignoring the parameters of others. They allow Muslim males to marry Christian or Jewish females as being ahl-e-kitab (followers of the divine books). Simultaneously, they emphasise that yahood-o-nasara (Jews and Christians) are the archenemies of Islam. They do not consider the time and space of such sayings. They do not press the Prophet’s (PBUH) teachings such as “Lakum deenukum waliya deen” (unto you is your religion and unto me is my religion). A political will can reverse this process, as whenever the state planned and took the clergy onboard, they came out with the required ayaat and ahadith to serve the collective purpose — population and drug controls are good examples.

Third, the electronic media must be regulated to filter out hate speech and indoctrination through provocation. The Hamid Gul brand of think tanks should be advised to retire for good. They should go for perpetual prayers to prepare for the life hereafter. Fourth, the defence forces should be purged of alleged disgruntled individuals, and they should be respectfully retired to civilian life, away from sensitive strategic decision-making. Fifth, those who believe in peace and coexistence should not be blamed as being enemy agents and, instead, should be taken onboard in decision-making. Sixth, the perpetual fallacy that Pakistan is in danger from external enemies must be shunned. We need to repair our home. Dangers lie within, not outside. Prolonged issues and conflicts with religious and ethnic minorities must be addressed with a mindful strategy. Lastly, we need to unlearn our sense of superiority and learn to live and let live in peace with all countries including Afghanistan, Iran, the US, India and even Israel. Otherwise, we are bound to be either isolated and in trouble from vengeful forces or land in the morass of self-pity for good.

The writer holds a master’s degree in social sciences and is a professional trainer, researcher and peace activist. He may be reached at nizambaloch@gmail.com

VIEW: Democracy and addressing public issues —Nizamuddin Nizamani

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011%5C04%5C01%5Cstory_1-4-2011_pg3_3

VIEW: Democracy and addressing public issues —Nizamuddin Nizamani

Inflation, price hike, electricity load shedding and the extreme energy crisis all seem to be worsening day by day but, unfortunately, the media is too busy with cricket and a debate over the legitimacy of the release of Raymond Davis, utterly ignoring issues faced by the poor masses

As part of the volatile political scenario in Pakistan of late, we have witnessed a growing number of protests by the masses, especially by specific organisations, demanding the implementation of different promises and pledges committed by the coalition government in Islamabad in general and Sindh in particular.

The protesters have been demanding an increase in minimum wages, as announced by the federal government, e.g. for the lady health workers (LHV), implementation of agreed negotiations for the Sindh Professors and Lecturers’ Association (SPLA) and an increase in wages for the lower staff of the education department. These protests have, unfortunately, been responded to with violence, baton charging, tear gas and mass arrests. The provincial governments in Sindh and Punjab are crushing every agitation and registering cases against the peaceful protesters under the Terrorism Act. They might be afraid of the revolutions being led by the people in the Arab world. Hunger strikes in front of the press clubs in big cities are the order of the day. Bankers associations and the families of missing persons dominate the screen. However, all that hue and cry seems to be falling on deaf ears.

The SPLA demands a time scale at par with other provinces as negotiated and agreed to by the Chief Secretary of Sindh, Mr Ghulam Ali Pasha, and Ms Sharmila Farooqi, who was then the advisor to the chief minister of Sindh, on November 11, 2010. However, the government reportedly backed out. The SPLA was compelled to press for the demand peacefully but the government crushed their protests with water guns, injured senior male and female professors, arrested 36 professors and vengefully transferred 412 professors to far-flung areas. The lower staff in the education department met with a similar fate. The teaching community blames the minister for education who they cite as being stubborn and involved in malpractices. The teachers’ demands seem to be parked at the Secretariat due to the wrangling between the secretary and minister for education.

Lady health workers demanding minimum wages were brutally treated and baton charged, and 180 of them were arrested. Surprisingly, one coach full of lady health workers and their innocent children was hijacked by police on March 25 and directly taken to Sukkur Central Jail instead of some women’s police station.

On the other hand, the law and order situation has become abysmal in the interior as well as urban centres. The writ of the state seems to be nowhere. Only during March, 190 people fell victim to the latest wave of target killings in Karachi. In Balochistan, target-killing victims are common people, the central command of Baloch nationalist parties and young students, specifically from the Balochistan National Party, which is the Mengal group. The people’s government has shocked people by adopting the violent and oppressive tactics they themselves suffered during dictatorial regimes.

Inflation, price hike, electricity load shedding and the extreme energy crisis all seem to be worsening day by day but, unfortunately, the media is too busy with cricket and a debate over the legitimacy of the release of Raymond Davis, utterly ignoring issues faced by the poor masses. Despite having a few major and macro political achievements like the NFC Award, end of the 17th Amendment and introduction of the 18th Amendment, the people’s government seems to have failed in delivering on micro-economic issues.

The PPP leadership used to complain that, in the past, they were not given enough time to deliver on their promises and were ousted after the completion of just two years. In the beginning of their current tenure, they kept imploring the people to wait and allow some time to the government for sustainable development. What should the public expect after the completion of three years of their current tenure?

Dr Marvin Weinbaum, Scholar-in-Residence at the Middle East Institute, a think-tank based in Washington, and an expert on Pakistan, opines that the coalition government in Pakistan is not addressing public issues. This supports the arguments of the pro-military school of thought, which says that democracy in Pakistan cannot deliver and that the naïve politicians waste time and resources either by internecine conflicts or fall prey to the artful bureaucracy. He does not believe in the negotiations made among coalition partners to continue with the process until and unless they address the overriding issues, as without this the whole process seems worthless. He bemoans that, apart from Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, there has been no collectively acceptable leadership in Pakistan. For a brief period, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto appeared as a leader but, after him, our leaders have a limited pocket following; as a whole, the Pakistani public seems leaderless. He argues that the people reaching the power corridors in Pakistan, from Ayub Khan to Yahya, Zulfikar Bhutto to Generals Zia and Musharraf, all start believing that they are indispensable. He warns of grim consequences in case democracy fails to deliver. He does not support any rapid change being invoked by some sectors, impressed by the political upheavals in the Middle East. He says that because of different circumstances, the situation can very easily be hijacked by illiberal elements in Pakistan. He recommends choosing competent people who enjoy the support of the masses, and that they be made accountable to the same public.

Three years are enough proof and the public craves the fulfilment of the thousands of promises and rosy pictures that were presented to them during the election process.

We need to support the democratic process, we need to make it accountable and address the macro and micro issues of public relevance for the literal survival of the citizenry. A namesake democracy breeds only new generations of dictators who might already be waiting in the wings.

The writer holds a master’s degree in social sciences and is a professional trainer, researcher and peace activist. He may be contacted at nizambaloch@gmail.com

SOCIAL IMPACT OF THE SECURITY CRISIS: RESEARCH REPORT BY SPDC

Social Policy Development Center, Karachi launched its Social Development in Pakistan Annual Review 2009-10 on March 5, 2011 at Hotel Avari Towers in Karachi.

The report was launched in a simple but decent gathering of diplomats, academics, scholars, researchers, representatives from Nonprofit organizations, intelligentsia  and concerned citizens including  electronic and print media.

Mr. Javed Jabar Member Board of Directors presided the session and Dr Khalida Ghous, Managing Director presented the gist on the findings of the report.

The report is based on post 9/11 situation in Pakistan and how the people of Pakistan have been paying  the cost of interfering in Afghanistan. The report comprehensively touches the contextualizing the security situation of Pakistan, relevant theories, the making of the problem, system failures etc. Chapter on Impact of the war on terror on the economy,  meticulously touches governance indicators, state of the economy and economic cost of war on terror. The findings are mind boggling.

 Fiscal impacts of the security crisis incorporate appalling security related expenditures and downsizing of public expenditures and pro poor spending.

Social development during security crisis shows how people in conflict ridden areas have been deprived of basic education, food, drinking water and health facilities.

The report has particularly pinpointed situation in Khaiber Pukhtoonn Kuwah province as prime target of terrorism. Impact of conflict on household and response of civil society  states  peoples’ response to situation.

The audience highly appreciated the publication of research report but some also pinpointed the missing factors that must have been incorporated.

The report is loaded with valuable statistics and data and reveals alarming situation. The report seems highly valuable single document available on the situation and is a worth refereeing document by all the stakeholders in Pakistan as well as by those people in other parts of the worlds who are interested in Pakistan.

Regarding Social Policy and Development Centre (SPDC) provides decision makers in the government, private sector and civil society organizations with a multi-disciplinary approach towards issues of development and growth. A non-profit, policy research center established in April 1995 as a limited company based in Karachi, SPDC has made significant intellectual contribution in placing issues of pro-poor growth and social development on Pakistan's policy-making agenda.

Being an independent and non-partisan research organization, SPDC collaborates and cooperates with organizations working on issues relevant to its mandate both at home and abroad. It determines its own agenda and has successfully maintained its independence and a balance between responsive and proactive social sector research. The main areas identified for research by SPDC are: poverty, inequality, governance, provincial finances, social sector policies, gender issues and macroeconomic policy issues. Having established its credibility, SPDC is considered as one of the outstanding research policy institutions of Pakistan focusing on public policy analyses and social sector development. Ref:http://www.spdc.org.pk

VIEW: Religious intolerance: Pakistan vs the US —Nizamuddin Nizamani

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\03\08\story_8-3-2011_pg3_6

By: Nizamuddin Nizamani

There is a popular understanding in Pakistan that Muslims are victimised in the US. However, many Muslims in the US would appreciate the moral and other support from individuals with Jewish and Christian backgrounds

The brutal killing of Mr Shahbaz Bhatti, federal minister for minorities, on March 2, 2011, in Islamabad in a terror attack reminds us of a similar incident that took the life of late Salmaan Taseer, the vocal and bold governor of Punjab, both preaching tolerance and coexistence among the followers of different faiths in Pakistan. This incident illustrates the level of intolerance prevailing in the frustrated but lethally equipped extremist groups in our unfortunate country.
Pakistan’s constitution includes Islam as state religion and also provides for anti-blasphemy laws, prone to misinterpretation and misuse by the misguided elements that legitimise their heinous and violent activities, mostly aimed at settling their personal scores, in the name of sanctity of the faith. 
Interestingly therefore, most of the victims blamed for blasphemy have been Muslims, among them young women, accused by their revengeful opponents. In addition, the religious parties and groups combine the notion of guarding the sanctity of shariah with anti-western, mainly anti-American, rhetoric. We regularly hear the anti-American and anti-Jewish speeches on the streets.
In fact, the American constitution provides religion as individual choice and a private affair and de-linked from the state. European states and countries, after bitter experience of centuries, did away with theocracy. The Europeans suffered a lot at the hands of extremists controlling the church from 13th-15th century.
Rigid Muslim elements in Pakistan today are following the footprints of their Christian counterparts from the Middle Ages. However, during those days, enlightened Muslim mystics and Sufi saints preached and disseminated Islam through the message of love, peace, tolerance and coexistence. In the west, during the Middle Ages, innocent people, particularly women, were accused of being witches who worked for the devil. They were punished by being burnt alive. Protestants were also victimised and persecuted through such provisions. Heinrich Krammer and James Sprenger were empowered by Pope Innocent VIII in 1484 to prosecute witches throughout northern Germany. They wrote a book as witch-hunter’s manual titled Malleus Maleficarum (the Witches’ Hammer). It was written at the height of the witch-hunt mania during the Middle Ages and Renaissance. It contained complete instructions on the prosecution of witches. Based on the proposed diagnostic symptoms in that manual, thousands of innocent people were burnt and killed in the name of upholding the sanctity of the religion.
Today Europe is different and so is the US, but we are still living in the Middle Ages. It is not that the west was always tolerant, but they learnt in the process that the narrow-mindedness and persecution was disastrous not only for their religion but also for mankind.
Muslim religious groups apparently play defensive and they think that the west, particularly the US, is bent upon destroying Islam and the Muslim world. They cite examples of military operations against many Muslim countries. There is no doubt that extremist and anti-Muslim elements still exist in the west and some Christian groups dominated by xenophobic whites would continue their hatred campaigns but their size and influence is limited. They are not mainstream and do not have much support from within their own communities. Vestiges of the Ku Klux Klan and its splinter groups are generally white racists and dislike everyone who is not white; they are not particularly anti-Muslim
A new maligning trend of presenting converts from Islam may be an artful attempt to poison the people against Islam and Muslims. Such activities are, however, exceptions, not the rule. Generally, people in the US are highly tolerant of each other and would not poke their nose in others’ affairs, come what may. Officially, the US constitution provides for the right to congregate and preservation of the religio-cultural practices to all the groups, provided those are not harmful or threatening to any other groups.
There is a popular understanding in Pakistan that Muslims are victimised in the US. However, many Muslims in the US would appreciate the moral and other support from individuals with Jewish and Christian backgrounds. In addition, many Jewish people would not support Israeli state policies.
Ironically, in our social fabric we have witnessed the breeding of fanaticism and extremism due to integration of religious conventions with backward tribal values that would otherwise be unacceptable in Islam. In ordinary seminaries, it is reported that in addition to religious, anti-Christian, anti-Jewish and anti-Hindu teachings are imparted through oral syllabi. In addition, indoctrination against different sects within Islam has brought us to this sorry state of affairs.
Islam is the second largest religion in the US and reports show that through sheer merit and struggle, a large number of Muslims of Pakistani, Indian, Arab and African origin have reached higher places in education, health, science and technology. Therefore, as a result of tolerance, coexistence and acceptability, all the American nationals, regardless of their ethnic or religious background, are loyal to the US. On the contrary, most Pakistanis would be loyal to their ethnic and sectarian origins but not to the state.
Many think-tanks in the US have a considerable presence of experts with Muslim backgrounds. Although some of the Muslims question the aims and implications of controversial missionary campaigns like the Joshua Project aimed at converting Muslim ethnic minorities to Christianity, as a whole Muslim families, particularly Pakistanis, in the US feel more secure than any neighbourhood towns or cities in Pakistan.
We need to learn coexistence, respect and tolerance for the others’ opinion, norms and beliefs. This way we can make this country worth living. Otherwise, the prevailing circumstances would lead to unprecedented exodus and can result in a catastrophe impossible to manage.

The writer holds a master’s degree in social sciences and is a professional trainer, researcher and peace activist. He may be contacted at nizambaloch@gmail.com  

Human Dignity in US

You feel very different once you are on board United Airlines. One starts noticing something very different after the first interaction of American life..You need to press your mind about the exceptional difference.. Yes you will realize that traditional parameters of hospitality and customer services are very differently practiced in the US carriers. Recruitment parameters of beauty, young age, attraction for Air hostess and Steward normally adopted by most of the airlines, seems discrimination with those who do not qualify those standards.
 In the beginning it may be surprising but US Airlines hospitality is handled by senior female and male members, with motherly care. Same are the information counters on the airports. Managed by senior, experienced and graceful men and women, the care and service rendered by them is simply amazing. It seems to be very impressive policy of the State that they give every one the opportunity to serve without any discrimination, which is important aspect for human dignity    

Why don’t black Americans swim? — Mir Mohammad Ali Talpur

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\01\02\story_2-1-2011_pg3_5

ANALYSIS: Why don’t black Americans swim? — Mir Mohammad Ali Talpur

Remarkably, as there are few black swimmers in the US today, here until 1971, there was no Bengali player in the cricket team. Today, they have a team that comprehensively defeated New Zealand recently


Last year in August, six teens drowned in Red River, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA. First, while wading, 15-year-old DeKendrix Warner accidentally stepped into deeper water and panicked. Then six teenagers, one only 13, rushed to help him and each other. All six drowned because none of them could swim. The parents watched helplessly as they too could not swim; a passer-by rescued DeKendrix. An afternoon of fun ended in tragedy.

This incident prompted soul-searching about why so many young black Americans could not swim. A US Swimming/University of Memphis study revealed very disturbing figures. It found that 68.9 percent of African-American, 57.9 percent of Hispanic and 41.8 percent of white children had no or low ability to swim. Almost 3,500 drowning deaths occur in the US annually and is the second greatest cause of accidental death in children under 14; African-American children aged 5 to 14 were 3.1 times more likely to drown.

These perturbing figures agitated minds and Jeff Wiltse’s book Contested Waters: A Social History of Swimming Pools in America exposed the real reasons. He says that, “The history of discrimination...has contributed to the drowning and swimming rates.” Racial discrimination and strictly enforced segregation kept the blacks away from the swimming pools and lent to their overall inability to swim, which persists to date. Jeff Wiltse writes that some 2,000 new municipal pools were constructed across the US in the 1920s and 1930s but the “black Americans were largely and systematically denied access to those pools”. After the race riots of the 1960s, many cities built pools in predominantly black areas but these were small — often only 20 by 40ft (six by 12m) and 3.5ft (1m) deep. The blacks remained systematically disadvantaged.

It also mentions how the whites physically prevented the blacks from swimming. Swimming has always been a social and not a solitary exercise. This historical handicap of the blacks is apparent from the fact that there is only one black Olympic gold medallist, Cullen Jones.

The readers will wonder what has the swimming non-ability of Afro-Americans to do with us. I am presently coming to it. The vice chairman of the Sindh Bar Council (SBC), Ali Mohammad Dahiri, while addressing lawyers at the High Court Bar in Hyderabad last month criticised deferment and non-confirmation of two judges, Justice Bhajandas Tejwani and Justice Ahmed Ali Sheikh respectively, of the Sindh High Court (SHC) by the Judicial Commission (JC) because they are Sindhis. He sarcastically termed it as a reward for Sindh lawyers’ sacrifices in the movement for the restoration of deposed judges in 2007.

He warned that if in the next phase of elevation, lawyers from interior Sindh are not inducted in the high court then lawyers would launch a movement. He lamented that panels contesting elections for the Pakistan Bar Council also discriminated against candidates from the interior and termed it an open bias against them; however, in spite of the odds, Mr Salahuddin Panhwar of Mirpurkhas won a seat.

The JC’s action is all the more unpalatable to Sindhi lawyers because only five out of 24 SHC judges are of Sindhi origin. Sindhi lawyers contend that the ratio of Sindhi judges is not being maintained. They demand equal ratio of judges in the SHC and a just ratio between the interior and Karachi. They say no fresh appointments should be made from Karachi, as 19 out of Sindh’s 22 districts are completely ignored, which is a violation of the fundamental and social rights of the people of Sindh. They say they will not accept the decision of the JC if lawyers from interior Sindh are not elevated.

This sorry state of affairs increases the already acute sense of deprivation and injustice that Sindhis feel and becomes all the more poignant because the ‘self-appointed’ upholders of ‘Sindhi rights’ have been in power for nearly three years now.

The usual plea for not appointing Sindhi lawyers as judges and especially from the interior is that they are not as competent as the urban area lawyers. This is because they have been kept in a systematically disadvantageous position in matters of schooling, higher education and other facilities from day one. Jeff Wiltse says that if other means of discouraging the blacks from using pools were ineffective, then charging money for their use was sure to deter them. The preposterous amounts charged at elite schools leaves the poor and rural people at an eternal disadvantage and this has worsened over time and is a factor that will keep the Sindhi people in an increasingly disadvantageous position interminably.

As in the US blacks’ case, typically those children who could not swim also had parents who could not swim. It is unusual for children of uneducated parents to make a mark in education or careers, though certainly there are exceptions. Unless the state gives up discrimination, those at a disadvantage will continue to remain at a disadvantage forever. People systematically denied opportunities cannot break the vicious circle of disadvantages.

Remarkably, as there are a few black swimmers in the US today, here until 1971, there was no Bengali player in the cricket team. Today, they have a team that comprehensively defeated New Zealand recently. Until opportunities and facilities are provided, there can be no development of talents and capabilities. In spite of positive discrimination towards blacks since the end of apartheid in South Africa, still the majority of cricket players are white; disadvantages built up over long periods are not easily dismantled.

Putting disadvantaged people in a more disadvantageous position acts as an albatross around their neck, which keeps weighing them down perpetually. This is exactly the position that the Sindhis, especially rural, and the Baloch are in and as long as the apathy of judicial commissions and others continue, the situation will not change. Blaming waderas and sardars alone for their backwardness does not hold water because they have systematically been put at a disadvantage and recent decisions and repression prove that this policy of systematic denial of opportunities has been reinforced.

Urban-rural divides do exist in developing countries, but here in Sindh these have been engineered for the sake of favouring some to the disadvantage of others. The hardships created for some with the excuse of being even-handed are in fact intentional injustices committed against the disadvantaged. States that practise systematic discrimination and denial of opportunities for some and positively discriminate in favour of others provide the very ingredients that help undo them, though they in their folly believe that this method strengthens them.

The writer has an association with the Baloch rights movement going back to the early 1970s. He can be contacted at mmatalpur@gmail.com

Awareness Workshop on Peace and Regional Cooperation

Awareness Workshop on Peace and Regional Cooperation

An awareness workshop for the youth “The role of youth in promoting regional peace and cooperation” was organised at PILER Centre on 28/12/2010.

Youngsters, 20 males and 20 females, teachers of temporary schools for flood affected at labour complex and Northern Bypass flood relief camps participated in the workshop. In addition, Muqatda Mansoor,B.M Kutty, Nizamuddin Nizamani, Mr. Shujauddin Qureshi, Shahab Khattak, Zulfiqar Shah and Mr. Kamal Jamro were the resource persons (speakers) in the workshop.

Mr. Muqtada Mansoor faculty member at Biztech University revolved his discussion around understanding of conflict and peace while involving the participants. He discussed different dimensions of conflicts ranging from domestic to local and regional as well as international and the initiatives to resolve those conflicts. Participants of the workshop actively contributed during the discussion.

Mr. B.M Kutty of PILER told about initiatives taken by the Pakistan Peace Coalition for maintaining peace and reduction of the conflict like situation in the region particularly between the two arch rivals India and Pakistan.

Zulfiqar Shah, Joint Director of PILER gave a presentation about globalization with special reference to political and economic globalization which is being witnessed in the form of IMF, WB, WTO and Multi-National Corporations (MNCs). Moreover, he apprised them of the regionalism including regional arrangements for cooperation such as SAARC, ASEAN, European Union, African Union etc. He informed them that youth should acquaint itself of the wider spectrum of society whereby they could play much broader and significant role.

Nizamuddin Nizamani, a trainer and columnist gave a presentation on conflict and peace which was followed by Q&A session from the participants.

Shahab Khattak of Amn Tahrik, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa province gave an overview of the law and order situation in his province and Taliban’s atrocities against citizens. He pointed out that it was due to wrong policies of military regimes regarding Afghanistan in the past and because of those polices people are suffering.

At the end Mr. Sharafat Ali gave a vote of thanks and the participants were given certificates of participation.