PAKPAC Press Releases

PAKPAC condemns NY attempted bomb plot

Washington DC: May 4th, 2010: The Pakistani American Public Affairs Committee (PAKPAC) condemns the Times Square attempted attempted bomb plot over the weekend. We appreciate the efforts of the New York Police Department as well as the FBI and vigilant NY residents in responding to this incident and saving hundreds of lives. PAKPAC is shocked and saddened to learn that the prime suspect is of Pakistani heritage. Though details of the case are still being uncovered and investigations are on going, we denounce this attempted attack on our soil and seek that this individual or any accomplice, to be tried and punished under American Judicial system. Whether this is an act of a lone individual or a group, it harms everyone and benefits no one. As a community, we should have zero tolerance for such acts as they damage and disrupt the way of life of Americans.  

PAKPAC agrees with President Obama's call for all citizens to be vigilant, it maybe be recalled that it was reporting by a vigilant NY resident that stopped this tragic incident from happening. PAKPAC and Pakistani Americans are committed to protect and defend the United States of America. We ask the Pakistani Americans and American Muslims to demonstrate an iron resolve against terrorism and to remain vigilant and continue to report anything that is illegal or suspicious to law enforcement agencies. 

Janet Napolitano, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, stated on the "Today" show that it was premature to label any person or group as suspect. "Right now, every lead has to be pursued," she said. "I caution against premature decisions one way or the other."  PAKPAC requests  that the U.S. law enforcement agencies and American community to safeguard the civil rights of the thousands of law abiding Pakistani Americans and ensure that there is no backlash against the community, locally in Connecticut or across the nation. Pakistani American community seeks to work together with the Obama Administration and law enforcement  agencies, and to provide them with resources to protect the safety of our nation and its citizens.

The US ambassador to Islamabad Anne Patterson held talks with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on this issue. Mr. Qureshi assured Pakistan's full cooperation to US in this regard. The nation of Pakistan along with its armed forces has given unprecedented sacrifices in US-led war on terrorism. It is estimated that over five thousand Pakistani military and civilians have lost their lives, while Pakistan economy has suffered a loss of $35 billion since September 11 attack. PAKPAC welcomes the full cooperation offered by Pakistan Government.

PAKPAC is monitoring this developing situation and will keep you updated periodically.

Archived Press Releases

News

Seven fold increase in Pakpac website hits after NY bombing attempt

PAKPAC website experienced a seven fold increase in website hits after the attempted NY Times square attempt allegedly by Faisal Shehzad.  Almost all Pakistani American Organizations condemned this incident. While we firmly believe that Pakistani American Community needs to work with US Administration and Law enforcement agencies in curbing and identifying any such incidents in future, we are concerned that current environment could lead to loss of civil rights of hundreds of thousands peaceful and loyal Pakistani Americans. PAKPAC has started work with US legislators and Administration Staff in identifying and stopping systematic backlash against  Pakistani Americans which may take many forms such as secondary checks at airports, citizenship rights, travel difficulties; visa delays, restrictions on commerce amongst Pakistani origin individuals etc.

We are pleased with US Administration view that fullest cooperation is needed between US and Pakistan Governments to curb terrorism.  Attorney General Eric Holder said the Obama administration was satisfied for now with the level of cooperation it was getting from Pakistani authorities in the investigation of the attempted bombing. He added that there was nothing to suggest the Pakistani government was aware of the plot "We've now developed evidence that show the Pakistani Taliban was behind the attack," he said in an interview on ABC television's "This Week." AG Holder said that 200,000 people per year go back and forth between the United States and Pakistan, and we're doing a, a fair amount of monitoring with regard to, to that number. Holder commented, I don't think that profiling is good law enforcement. What you want to do is to see people who are going back and forth, what, in fact, are they doing?  Are they bringing substantial amounts of cash back and forth?  What are they doing when they're over in Pakistan, when they're in Yemen?  What are they doing here in the United States?  Is there a predicate, is there a basis for us to believe that we ought to focus our law enforcement attention on them?  Not based on the basis of the color of their skin or the kind of name that they have, but on the basis of what it is that they do?

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Pakistan has recently stepped up efforts to root out extremist militants. "The Pakistanis have been doing so much more than 18 months or two years ago any of us would have expected," Gates told reporters at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., this week.

US tones down tirade against Pakistan

Three key pillars of the US administration — the White House, the Pentagon and the State Department — joined hands on Thursday in an effort to tone down anti-Pakistan tirade stirred by the arrest of a Pakistani-American in the Times Square bombing attempt earlier this week. The most forceful attempt to deflect anti-Pakistan rhetoric came from the State Department, where Assistant Secretary of State Philip Crowley said he would not allow the department’s platform to be used to suggest that all terrorist activities in the world originated in that country.

“I’m not going to entertain a question that implicates one country, and to suggest that all terrorism in the world is the responsibility of one country. That’s not true,” said Mr Crowley.

The White House also said that it was not supporting a move in the US Congress to strip the citizenship of a terror suspect because it believed this was not an effective way of dealing with this problem.

The Pentagon recalled that the Pakistanis too had “lost thousands and thousands of their military men and women as well as their civilians due to terrorist attacks”. Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell told a briefing in Washington that the incident in Times Square “clearly points to the need for us all to continue our aggressive operations in going after terrorists wherever they reside”. Read More

White House Consults Muslim Advocates on Supreme Court Nominees

Muslim Advocates was invited to attend an exclusive, off-the-record meeting where we shared our views with the President's senior staff on potential nominees to the highest and most powerful court in the U.S., the Supreme Court.  We believe that it was the first time an American Muslim organization has been consulted by a President on Supreme Court vacancies. Given the marked tilt of the Supreme Court under the last administration toward expansive views of presidential authority during wartime and more limited conceptions of our rights as Americans, the retirement of Justice John Paul Stevens brings about a critical choice for the nation, and for American Muslims, especially.  The new justice will have an enormous role in shaping laws affecting our community. Read More

60th Anniversary of the Fulbright Program in Pakistan

U.S. Ambassador Anne W. Patterson inaugurated the 7^th Annual Conference of Fulbright and Humphrey Alumni at Quaid-e-Azam University in Islamabad today. The Ambassador congratulated the alumni on the 60^th anniversary of the Fulbright Program in Pakistan, which is the largest in the world The Fulbright Program is the U.S. Government’s flagship academic exchange program. It is administered by the bi-national U.S. Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP). Prominent alumni of the Fulbright Program include nine current Vice Chancellors of Pakistani universities. As part of the growing U.S.-Pakistan relationship, the United States has dramatically increased core exchange programs with Pakistan and has created several new programs. For example, this fall 94 Pakistani students will be beginning Masters degree programs and 60 will be beginning Ph.D. programs in the United States. Other new exchange programs will send one hundred Pakistani students to U.S. colleges and universities and 60 Pakistani students to U.S. community colleges for advanced skills training in the next academic year.

U.S. Inaugurated $25 Million Peshawar Ring Road

U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Anne Patterson inaugurated a project to reconstruct 25 kilometers of the Peshawar Southern Ring Road at a ceremony in Peshawar, Pakistan. The project, overseen by the State Department’s Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) in close cooperation with the Government of Pakistan, will provide $25 million in upgrades to the important provincial thoroughfare for the purpose of strengthening security and bolstering economic development. The inauguration of the Peshawar Ring Road project follows the signature of a Letter of Intent between Deputy Secretary of State Jacob J. Lew and Pakistan’s Finance Secretary Salman Siddique on March 25, as part of the U.S.-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue. This project is a tangible outcome of the Strategic Dialogue and underscores the shared interests and long-term partnership between the U.S. Government and the Government of Pakistan. The Ring Road will be widened and improved from two lanes to three lanes, including construction of service roads, green belts, center medians, and drainage on both sides. The refurbished road will also include a bypass of the Hayatabad residential area and a transit link to the Matani bypass road, the construction of which the United States is currently supporting. The Ring Road upgrade is part of a broader effort to construct and rehabilitate roads across KPk and the FATA. Over the past twenty years, the U.S. has spent approximately $60 million to construct nearly 1,000 kilometers of road in KPk and FATA. Read More

Community Action

Census 2010 moves to next step – Census workers to visit homes

From May 1^st Census takers have started to visit homes from where forms have not received by Census Bureau.  72 % of households have mailed back Census forms so far. The census taker's primary responsibility is to collect census information from residences. Most of these residences have not sent back their 2010 Census form.

·                                 The Census Bureau provides the census taker with a binder containing all of the addresses that didn't send back a filled out census form.

·                                 The census taker then visits all of those addresses and records the answers to the questions on the form.

·                                 If no one answers at a particular residence, a census taker will visit a home up to three times and attempt to reach the household by phone three times. The census worker will leave a double-sided (English and Spanish) NOTICE of VISIT in the doorway that includes a phone number for the resident to schedule an appointment.

The census taker will ONLY ask the questions that appear on the census form.

Do I have to talk to the census taker? Yes. Your participation in the 2010 Census is vital and required by law, (Section 221, of Title 13 of the U.S. Code). However, rather than rely on criminal charges, the Census Bureau is very successful in getting participation by explaining the importance of the questions we ask and how the information benefits our communities.

Your privacy and confidentiality is our priority: The census taker who collects your information is sworn for life to protect your data under Federal Law Title 13. Those who violate the oath face criminal penalties: Under federal law, the penalty for unlawful disclosure is a fine of up to $250,000 or imprisonment for up to 5 years, or both.

Announcement

USAID Job opening

Position Title:   Senior Program Advisor [multiple positions]Solicitation Number:   M-OAA-l O-SPECOPS-OOO1 

Final Closing Date:   August 31,2010 

USAID is seeking applications from qualified U.S. citizens to provide personal services under a   Personal Services Contract (PSC).  Submission by email is preferred. Incomplete. Consideration and selection will be based on a panel evaluation of the applications in accordance with the solicitation's Evaluation Criteria (see Section VII. Evaluation Criteria).. Read more information

Department of Justice Job Openings

The Civil Rights Division (Division) of Department of Justice  has the following job announcements  The chart below includes the Civil Rights Division job opportunities currently available. Individuals interested in applying for these positions should comply with the applications procedures and closing dates in the vacancy announcement.

State Department Job Openings

State Department is accepting applications for the following positions.  Please click on a link below to view the vacancy, learn more about qualifications and requirements, and to start the application process.  Applicants must be U.S. citizens between the ages of 21 and 59 and able to qualify for a top secret security clearance

·                     Health Practitioner  Deadline 7/30/10

·                     Regional Medical Officer Deadline 7/30/10

·                     Regional Medical Officer/Psychiatrist Deadline 7/30/10

·                     Senior Legal Consultant to the Ministry of Justice (Iraq) Deadline: 5/5/2010

·                     PRT Sr. Governance Specialist (Iraq) Deadline: 5/6/2010

·                     PRT Governance Specialist (Iraq) Deadline: 5/6/2010

·                     PRT Sr. Urban Transportation Planner (Iraq) Deadline: 5/12/2010

·                     PRT Urban Transportation Planner (Iraq) Deadline: 5/12/2010

·                     PRT Business Development Specialist (Iraq) Deadline: 5/12/2010

·                     PRT Sr. Business Development Specialist (Iraq) Deadline: 5/12/2010

·                     Provincial Reconstruction, Transition and Stabilization Advisor (DC) Deadline: 5/13/2010

·                     OPA Strategic Planner (Iraq) Deadline: 5/13/2010

·                     QRF Program Officer (Iraq) Deadline: 5/13/2010

SAJA Internship

South Asian Journalists (SAJA) will offer stipends again to help students bridge the financial gap when they accept unpaid or partially paid internships this summer. The SAJA Internship Assistance Fund will offer stipends of various amounts to cover  airfares or other expenses. This is a need-based grant. Also, payment of second installment would be dependent on the student having come up with a plan to contribute/give back to SAJA by volunteering at its events, or helping the organization in other ways. These awards are intended to recognize the reporting abilities and commitment of emerging journalists. Students from across the United States, Canada and South Asia can apply for the awards.

ELIGIBILITY:Applicants must be:

1. Of South Asian descent (includes Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka; Indo-Caribbeans are also eligible)

2. Current students who are juniors, or graduating seniors in an accredited college or university (two-year or four-year) in North America; or a student enrolled or about to enter a graduate-level program in North America.

3. Must have an internship offer from a recognized media organization. Note: College or graduate students graduating in May/June 2010 are eligible. Immediate relatives of SAJA Board members and judges are INELIGIBLE to apply.

DEADLINE: Applications must be submitted using the online form below by 11:59 p.m. (Pacific time), Monday May 31, 2010. Applicants may be interviewed by phone or in person by a member of the awards committee. Winners will be notified in early June.

HOW TO APPLY: Please fill out the online application form at http://www.formsite.com/columbiaspj/form102056646/index.html

Funding Opportunity Announcement for NGO programs benefiting Afghan refugees in Pakistan

Funding Opportunity Number: PRM-ECA-10-CA-SA-05042010-AFGHAN

Proposal submission deadline: Wednesday, June 2, 2010 at 12:00 p.m. (noon) EST. Proposals submitted after this deadline will not be considered.

Current Funding Priorities for Afghan Refugees in Pakistan: PRM will prioritize currently available funding for proposed non-governmental organization (NGO) activities that best meet the Bureau’s priorities for Afghan refugees in Pakistan as identified below.

(a) Proposed activities should primarily equip Afghan refugees with the skills to earn livelihoods in Afghanistan and secondarily address the long-term needs of Afghan refugees and their host communities in Pakistan if return is not yet possible.

(b) Although over five million Afghan refugees have returned to Afghanistan since 2002, approximately 1.7 million remain in host communities and refugee villages in Pakistan. PRM is seeking proposals that will provide essential services to Afghan refugees in the following sectors: livelihoods, protection (in particular, prevention of and response to gender-based violence or GBV), health (including comprehensive reproductive health, with a focus on maternal/child healthcare preferred), and primary education. These programs should address needs not covered by UNHCR, other international organizations (IOs), or the Government of Pakistan.

(c) PRM will accept proposals from any NGO working in the above mentioned sectors, although, given budgetary constraints, priority will be given to proposals from organizations that can demonstrate: For more information

Upcoming Seminars at Think Tanks

To get information about future seminars and events relating to US-Pakistan relations, please visit the following websites

Atlantic Council

Brookings Institution

Heritage Foundation

Middle East Institute

SAIS

Events & Activities

PAKPAC Celebrates Asian Pacific Month in Atlanta

PAKPAC along with Pakistani Americans and Asian Pacific Americans (APA) in Atlanta GA celebrated the Asian Pacific Month hosted by National Archives of Atlanta. PAKPAC lead by Farooq Soomro, sponsored APA celebration and participated in its activities. Congressman Honda (D 15^th District CA) and Congressman Joseph Cao (R 15^th District LA) kicked off the event on behalf of the Congressional Asian Caucus. Both Congressmen highlighted the need of Asian Pacific Americans to get more involved in the civic and political life in America. Event was attended by 150 guests who heard wonderful reflections by Congressmen Honda and Cao about their experiences growing up as Asian Pacific Americans, their road to public service, and the hopes & aspirations for future generations of Asian Pacific. Farooq discussed the issues faced by Pakistani Americans and delivered the following messages to both members of the house.

At a time when Pakistan has the most focus of US Foreign Policy, the Pakistani American Community feels that they are not equitably represented within the US administration, US Congress, and US Commerce. Leaving aside senior positions, regrettably not a single Pakistani American holds a middle management position in Obama Administration. We strongly feel this lack of opportunity for Pakistani Americans under serves both the US and Pakistani American interests. We request you to kindly look into means to increase the hiring of Pakistani Americans in White House and Congressional staff.

Last year US Congress approved the Kerry Lugar-Berman Bill for economic assistance to Pakistan.  We Pakistani Americans as US taxpayers want to make sure that this money is well spent and results in improved relations between the people of USA and Pakistan. We request you that as member of House Appropriations Committee, this economic assistance must be fully appropriated, and a portion of it is earmarked for mega signature infrastructure projects like Power Plants, Shipping ports, Highways, etc. We also request the allocation of a small portion of this economic assistance towards Pakistani American NGO’s as they already have a foot print in Pakistan and can immediately put the assistance to work.

Pakistani American Community seeks increased Pakistan’s participation in Commerce with US.  We request you for increased opening of US markets for Pakistani goods, through elevating Pakistan to a favorable trading partner.

PAKPAC Board Member Saud Anwar meets with Law Enforcement Agencies

April, 29^th, Hartford; Dr. Saud Anwar, the immediate past president of Pakistani-American Public Affairs Committee was a key speaker at the meeting of the FBI National Academy Police Chief meeting of the Connecticut Chapter. Amongst the audience of over one hundred and fifty Police officers included Police Department’s leadership of all the towns of Connecticut. Dr. Anwar talked about Islam as a faith, about the importance and the facts behind the teachings of Quran, and discussed about how some groups in the media in the US have maligned the faith. He spoke about how some of the extremists some extremists have manipulated and wrongfully used out of context parts of Quran for their personal and political agendas.  Discussion was held about policy areas, which have led to anti-American sentiments in other parts of the world and the negative role the media at times plays both in the US and beyond in disconnecting the communities and people.

Discussion was held about Muslim sensitivity and Dr. Anwar encouraged all police chiefs to initiate processes and mechanisms to outreach the Pakistani-American and American Muslim community in their respective towns to develop a better understanding with them. Various members of the Federal Bureau of Investigations including the Special Agent in Charge of Connecticut Kimberly Mertz also was present at the meeting.  Dr. Anwar has hoped that the Pakistani-American community across United States will increase their outreach efforts to the law enforcement agencies and to better educate law enforcement agencies about Pakistan, Pakistani-Americans, and Islam and also develop partnerships with the police to protect America from terrorist as well as the potential perpetrators of hate crimes.

Obama builds new partnerships with Muslim world with Entrepreneurship summit

President Barack Obama launched a new effort to build business and social ties to the Muslim world With the  hosting of a two-day Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship that brought together about 250 successful entrepreneurs from more than 50 countries, most with large Muslim populations, fulfilling a pledge he made in his Cairo speech to the Islamic world last June. The aim was to bring together successful entrepreneurs from different countries, venture capitalists, development bankers and other business experts to discuss ideas and share experiences with a view toward creating support networks that would help promote development in the region. Six entrepreneurs from Pakistan attended the event including Mian Mansha Chairman of Muslim Commercial Bank.

Commerce Secretary Gary Locke opened the gathering by challenging the entrepreneurs to take "the tremendous success that all of you have had individually and expand it throughout the Islamic world." In addition to Locke, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Rashad Hussain Ambassador to OIC, and other senior U.S. officials were participating in sessions alongside private sector experts like Yahoo! co-founder Jerry Yang, Grameen Bank founder Muhammad Yunus and Arif Naqvi, head of Abraaj Capital, the largest private equity firm in the Middle East. Congressman Keith Ellison and Congressman Andre Carson represented US legislators.

In his speech to the delegates President Obama said “We’ve come together today because of what we share -- a belief that we are all bound together by certain common aspirations.  To live with dignity.  To get an education.  To live healthy lives.  Maybe to start a business, without having to pay a bribe to anybody.  To speak freely and have a say in how we are governed.  To live in peace and security and to give our children a better future”. Recognizing the work of Pakistani Entrepreneur Zafar in the area of micro financing President Obama said “When Muhammad Younis shared his idea with a woman from Pakistan, who has since lifted hundreds of thousands of families and children out of poverty through a foundation whose name literally means “miracle.”  That’s the example of Roshaneh Zafar”. President Obama announced that Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan has agreed to host the next Entrepreneurship Summit next year in Turkey. Rajiv Shah, the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, announced 13 partnerships aimed at supporting entrepreneurs in the Muslim world with education and programs to encourage market opportunities and financing. In Pakistan, USAID is working through local organizations to assist 120,000 of the country’s micro and small entrepreneurs, with a focus on rural and female producers, as well as communities affected by conflict.

Viewpoint

North Waziristan: Terrorism's new hub? By Ahmed Rashid

Information is still emerging about suspected Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad, a Pakistani-born U.S. citizen who apparently spent time here from July until February. Court documents indicate that Shahzad received bomb-making training in Waziristan, the known haven of numerous groups and extremists.

Over the past 18 months, Pakistan's army has conducted major offensives in six of the seven tribal agencies that border Afghanistan. But the seventh agency -- North Waziristan -- has been left alone. In part, that is because it is home to the Afghan Taliban networks of Jalaluddin Haqqani and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who have close relations with the military and the Inter-Services Intelligence directorate (ISI). It has also been left alone for good tactical, if poor strategic, reasons -- the army has struck deals with the Pakistani Taliban in North Waziristan not to attack Pakistani forces. Until recently, these deals have held.  But Pakistan's counterterrorism strategy, which has been extensively praised by American generals, is now coming apart at the seams -- all because of North Waziristan.  A sense of despair and helplessness has come to grip the Pakistani public, which faces more suicide bomb attacks each day than even the Afghans next door. Major cities like Peshawar, where more than 100 police officers have been killed this year, are under siege by the Pakistani Taliban. Now it seems Pakistani militants are also involved in global jihad.  North Waziristan is the hub of so many terrorist groups and so much terrorist plotting and planning that neither the CIA nor the ISI seems to have much clue about what is going on there. A year ago, the Pakistan Taliban under Baitullah Mehsud ran a semi-disciplined terrorist movement from the tribal areas that bombed and killed Pakistanis with dastardly methodicalness. Mehsud was killed last year in a U.S. drone strike. What is left is anarchy, as groups and splinter groups and splinters of splinters operate from North Waziristan with no overall control by anyone, not even Jalaluddin Haqqani. Read More

Faisal Shahzad’s anti-Americanism by Pervez Hoodbhoy

The man who tried to set off a car bomb in Times Square was a Pakistani. Why is this unsurprising? Because when you hold a burning match to a gasoline tank, the laws of chemistry demand combustion. As anti-US lava spews from the fiery volcanoes of Pakistan’s private television channels and newspapers, a collective psychosis grips the country’s youth. Murderous intent follows with the conviction that the US is responsible for all ills, both in Pakistan and the world of Islam.

Faisal Shahzad, with designer sunglasses and an MBA degree from the University of Bridgeport, acquired that murderous intent. Living his formative years in Pakistan, he typifies the young Pakistani who grew up in the shadow of Ziaul Haq’s hate-based education curriculum. The son of a retired air vice-marshal, life was easy as was getting US citizenship subsequently. But at some point the toxic schooling and media tutoring must have kicked in.

There was guilt as he saw pictures of Gaza’s dead children and related them to US support for Israel. Internet browsing or, perhaps, the local mosque steered him towards the idea of an Islamic caliphate. This solution to the world’s problems would require, of course, the US to be destroyed. Hence Shahzad’s self-confessed trip to Waziristan.

Ideas considered extreme a decade ago are now mainstream. A private survey carried out by a European embassy based in Islamabad found that only four per cent of Pakistanis polled speak well of America; 96 per cent against.  Although Pakistan and the US are formal allies, in the public perception the US has ousted India as Pakistan’s number one enemy. Remarkably, anti-US sentiment rises in proportion to aid received. Say a good word about the US, and you are labelled as its agent. From what TV anchors had to say about it, Kerry-Lugar’s $7.5bn may well have been money that the US wants to steal from Pakistan rather than give to it. Read More

The infrastructure of jihad By Cyril Almeida

From the moment the world saw footage of the SUV belching smoke in Times Square, you just knew that it was going to be a Pakistani. And Faisal Shahzad didn’t disappoint. Never mind that the plot seems to be have been ridiculously amateurish, that the ‘bomb’ seems to have been assembled by a third-grade chemistry student, that Shahzad was more bungling idiot than mass murderer.

But now the world has yet more proof. Pakistan. Muslim. Terrorist.  Conspiracy theorists here, though, are hard at work spinning the facts in the opposite direction. The 9/11-was-an-inside-job brigade has gone into overdrive. Isn’t it odd that Hakeemullah rose from the dead only a few days ago, they ask? How convenient that Shahzad names Waziristan, the place the Americans are fixated with, they thunder. And on it will go. Over in America, Fox News and the like will trot out headlines like ‘The Pakistan connection’ and add redundant question marks in statements such as ‘Hub of terror?’ and ‘Global menace?’

And here in Pakistan you’ll have news reports about the ‘anti-Pakistan’ Indian-born prosecutor handling the Shahzad case, with not-so-veiled references to Preet Bharara’s ‘Jewish relatives’. (I wish I was making this up; a local TV channel, best left unnamed, carried a breathless report on Bharara’s alleged biases and ancestry earlier this week.)

But away from the cacophony and largely outside the media, hard, and meaningful, questions are already being asked. That Shahzad is apparently an idiot proved to be a stroke of good luck. He could easily have been smarter, something you don’t want your wannabe mass murderers to be. But he epitomises a vulnerability, one that the militants have figured out and appear to be working feverishly to exploit and which the West still seems at a loss to understand.

What exactly is driving people like Shahzad to embrace this madness? Here’s a seemingly normal 30-year-old Pakistani man who has made it good, entering the West through the front door in search of educational and employment opportunities. He’s got two kids, a pretty, happy wife and has a vain streak (if his Orkut pictures are anything to go by). What set him off on the path of madness?  Read More

Paths of terrorism lead but to Pakistan - Ardeshir Cowasjee

The adoption of terrorism tactics can no longer be merely attributed to ignorance, poverty, deprivation or hardship. Many of our neo-terrorists are schooled and brainwashed beings, with a grudge, or several grudges, imbued with bravado, intent on disrupting what is left of civilized life, with nary a care as to how many complete strangers they either blow to smithereens or maim, or how much they destroy.  Pakistan of course has its daily dose of terrorism, in one form or another. Schools are blown up with regularity in the newly-named K-P province, bodies of men executed by the local Taliban are found, men have their hands chopped off, women are ‘dishonored’ and our main cities are under siege, bunkered and concreted, awaiting the suicide bomber from up north or from down south in Punjab where they are said to be heavily congregated (for one, Ajmal Kasab).  Unless one of those strange and much despised creatures known as VIPs or often VVIPs are targeted, suicide and other bombings no longer earn headlines in the media. They are now taken as a matter of course.

But apart from terrorism connections within Pakistan, we have those outside Pakistan, the paths of which lead straight into our heartland. The latest New York Times Square failed car bomber is but one of a string of notable Pakistanis who have garnered academic degrees and are not materially down and out in any way. What is it about Pakistan that it manages to produce so many young men who are violence prone, caring neither for their own or other people’s lives? We seriously need to ask ourselves this question. Read More

Community Alert

Pakistan Jewelers delegation visiting USA

SABIT (Special American Business Internship Training) Program at the U.S. Department of Commerce will be hosting a delegation of 15 Pakistani business leaders in the gems and jewelry industry for short-term technical assistance from May 22 – June 12. For more information. The delegates are executives and managers of Pakistani companies that specialize in gems and jewelry.  The majority of the representatives’ companies are involved in the retail/wholesale of gems and jewelry in Pakistan as well as in exporting gems (precious and semi-precious) but also jewelry abroad.  During their time in the U.S., the group will meet with a wide variety of organizations such as U.S. industry associations, governmental organizations, retailers, wholesalers, educational institutions, JCK Las Vegas trade show, etc.  The participants will gain a better understanding of gems and jewelry industry trends and innovations in the U.S., and they will learn about diverse topics such as marketing techniques, U.S. consumer preferences, design, quality assurance, and new technologies just to name a few.  The program also will also provide a unique setting for American and Pakistani companies to begin to explore potential commercial opportunities and partnerships.

As far as the kind of relationships the delegates would be interested in making in the U.S., basically they would like to meet with people who are open to cooperating with companies from this part of the world in the gem and/or jewelry sector.  More specifically:

-          Many of the delegates would like to sell more precious and semi-precious gems (rough and cut) to the U.S., so it would be great for the group to meet with a gem importer/buyer. 

-          Also, some of the delegates are currently exporting rather traditional Pakistani jewelry (mostly high karat gold with colored gemstones) to the U.S. in relatively small amounts, and they would like to increase their sales by tapping more into the mainstream U.S. market for jewelry. 

-          In addition, if there are some retail stores that are currently selling Pakistani  jewelry especially if the jewelry has been adapted to the U.S. market so that it can be sold at stores that are targeted to the mainstream American jewelry consumer.

If you have an interest in meeting with the delegates then pleas email ed@pakpac.net

Elections 2010

2010 Primaries in focus

Many states are holding primaries to determine the leading candidates for 2010 elections. The latest being Ohio, Indiana, North Carolina, and Hawaii, no surprises surfaced from these primaries.  2010 Election will determine much of President Obama’s policies in the second half of his Presidency.  With 36 Senate seats up for elections it appears Democrats are not taking any chances and plan to introduce many bills before the summer recess in August. Learning from last year experience of un finished Health reform bill Senator Harry Reid has already indicated that the summer recess may get shortened if critical bills are still pending. Most pundits project that the makeup of Senate after 2010 elections would be Democrats 50(loss of 7), Republicans 48, and Independent 2. Such a result may still keep the Democrats being the majority party, as the two independents in the past have caucused with Democrats, however it results in a shift of some Blue states to Red and vice versa. In the House of Representatives  the final shape may be Democrats 233 and Republicans 202 a switch of 24 seats from Democrats to Republicans. Read latest polls on 2010 elections. Republican party is targeting three three powerful House Committee chairmen — Budget Chairman John Spratt (S.C.), Appropriations Chairman David Obey (Wis.) and Armed Services Chairman Ike Skelton (Mo.) — face tough races as a surging GOP looks to use the lawmakers’ power against them and turn them into electoral trophies. Succumbing to drop in popularity  Rep. David Obey's of Wisconsin decided not to run  after being in office for 40 years. . List of seats in transition In the Governor’s races, 20 States may have Democrat Governors (currently 26), with 29 Republicans Governing 29 Sates, and One Independent Governor in Rhode Island. Check the 2010 election  shapeup of your state.

Future Activities

Conference on Pakistan  - May 10^th 9 AM SAIS Washington DC

South Asia Studies Program at the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies, it is my pleasure to invite you to attend a day-long conference on “Competing Religious Narratives in Pakistan: Can Islam be an Agency for Peace?”. The conference shall take place in the Kenney Auditorium, located at 1740 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington D.C., 20036.  RSVP’s are required Please direct all RSVPs to southasia@jhu.edu.  More info