Announcement

PAKPAC wishes its readers Eid ul Azha Mubarik

Eid ul Azha Mubarik. May ALLAH accept your prayers, sacrifice , and supplications. At the festive and joyous time of Eid ul Azha be thankful for what you have and do remember millions of Pakistanis’ who have lost everything to flooding. Even after four months of floods, millions are still without shelter and are in dire need to food and health facilities.  According to EU experts its may take another six months for stagnant flood waters to completely disappear. Please donate generously to help them get back on their feet. Help for flood victims from International Community has diminished and no new assistance is in works, whereas their misery has increased. The UN's $2b appeal for Pakistan is less than 40% funded. With a single helicopter the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) could only bring in 250-300 rations. But three or four times that number had joined the queue, children and weak are dying of hunger. With winter months approaching need for blankets and warm clothing is badly needed.

News

Pakistan Leads in Ease of Doing Business

In a World Bank/International Finance Corporation Report Pakistan scores the highest among South Asian nations in terms of doing business. In terms of business reforms, Pakistan made registering property more expensive by doubling the capital value tax to 4 per cent.  It has reduced the time to export by improving electronic communication between the Karachi Port authorities and the private terminals.  Starting a business was simplified by introducing a system that allows online registration for sales tax and removing the requirement to make a declaration of compliance on a stamped paper. It is ranked at 85th in terms of doing business, 38th in protecting investors and 67th in closing a business.  The country lags behind in registering property, paying taxes and enforcing contracts. It takes 21 days to start a business in Pakistan.

When it comes to ease of doing business, India ranks way down at 134th position among 183 countries. the cost to start a business at 56.5 % of the income per capita and minimum capital required to start a business at 188.8 % of income per capita is the highest among South Asian. India also ranks 29th in the time required to start business on a global scale while being fifth in this category among eight South Asian countries to start business.

For the fifth year running, Singapore leads in the ease of doing business, followed by Hong Kong SAR China, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Among the top 25 economies, 18 made things even easier over the past year.  Read More

SC issues notices in sale of Reko Diq copper project

The Supreme Court issued notices  to the federal and Balochistan governments for Nov 24 on a petition which has accused them of selling the Reko Diq copper development project to a foreign company at a throwaway price. The petitioner requested the court to stop the government from selling, in an arbitrary manner, copper and gold reserves worth over $260 billion to Tethyan Copper Company (TCC), a Chilean mineral exploration firm. The international copper mining company, whose agreement with the Balochistan government for Reko Diq project has been at the centre of controversy, has offered to open the deal to a third-party or court scrutiny to allay concerns of detractors. The government of Balochistan was seeking to tear up the agreement, the company CEO said that a deal is sealed with the government in accordance with the law, Had there been any reservations, they must have been addressed beforehand. Read More

Remittances surge in July-Sept, says WB

Pakistani migrants abroad responded positively to the calls for help from their families and friends back home as flow of remittances recorded a surge following devastating monsoon floods, according to World Bank`s latest “Migration and Remittances Factbook 2011.” This surge during the first three months (July-September) of the current fiscal year was a contrast against the steadily falling remittances for India and Bangladesh, says the report. New figures published by the State Bank of Pakistan confirmed that remittances during July-September witnessed a surge. In July, remittances were recorded at $791 million; in August $933 million and in September $922 million. Read More

Pakistan Index - Brookings Report

Salient features of Brookings monthly report on Paksiatn

·         Over 90 drone attacks have taken place this year, twice as many as in 2009, with the sharpest incarse in the past two months

·         Terrorist attacks are on increase since May 2010, reaching about 200 attacks per month

·         For the first time in more than a year more there were more Civilians than Militants  fatalities

·         Foreign Direct Investment took a sharp drop in from a high of $5.6 billion in 2007 to $2.4 billion in 2009. Read Complete Report

U.S. – India Trade Transactions

As part of the National Export Initiative, President Obama noted that India—with its tremendous economic growth and its large and growing middle class —is a key market for U.S. exports.  Those exports are generating jobs in every corner of the United States and across every major sector.  These involve some of our country’s largest companies, but also an increasing number of small and medium-sized enterprises. 

On the margins of the President’s trip, trade transactions were announced or showcased, exceeding $14.9 billion in total value with $9.5 billion in U.S. export content, supporting an estimated 53,670 U.S. jobs.  These cross-border collaborations, both public and private, underpin the expanding U.S.-India strategic partnership, contributing to economic growth and development in both countries.  Read More

Wilson Center Awards Pakistan Scholarship

The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, in collaboration with the Fellowship Fund for Pakistan (FFFP), a charitable trust based in Karachi, today announced the appointment of Huma Yusuf as the Wilson Center's new Pakistan Scholar. Yusuf will spend nine months in residence at the Wilson Center beginning in September 2010, carrying out research and writing a book on the intersection of media, public policy, and democracy in today’s Pakistan. Yusuf has been a staff writer and editor with the Pakistani daily Dawn and its monthly news analysis magazine Herald since 2003. In recent years, she has also contributed articles to other newspapers, including the Christian Science Monitor, The News, and Indian Express, on topics related to human rights, terrorism, energy, and U.S.-Pakistan relations. Her work has garnered the All Pakistan Newspapers Society award for Best Column (2008) and the European Commission's Prix Lorenzo Natali for Human Rights Journalism (2006).  Read More

Viewpoint

How to Win Back Pakistan- Micahel O’Hanlon

As recent intelligence findings reported by the Washington Post in late October confirm, Pakistan remains at the heart of the U.S.-led coalition's problems in Afghanistan -- where the war is hardly lost, yet hardly headed for clear victory either. Indeed, Pakistan arguably remains the most complex ally the United States has ever had in wartime, making President Franklin D. Roosevelt's challenges in dealing with Stalin (a far worse leader, but at least one who knew the outcome he wanted) seem simple by comparison. Nine years into the campaign, we still can't clearly answer the question of whether Pakistan is with us or against us. America needs bold new policy measures to help Islamabad -- in all its many dimensions and factions -- make up its mind. Read More

U.S. Strategy for Pakistan and Afghanistan – Council of Foreign Relations

Ahead of President Obama’s December review of the U.S. war effort in Afghanistan, a new Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)-sponsored Independent Task Force report on U.S. Strategy for Pakistan and Afghanistan finds that the current approach to the region is at a critical point. “We are mindful of the real threat we face. But we are also aware of the costs of the present strategy. We cannot accept these costs unless the strategy begins to show signs of progress,” says the Task Force.

While the Task Force offers a qualified endorsement of the current U.S. effort in Afghanistan, including plans to begin a conditions-based military drawdown in July 2011, the Obama administration’s upcoming December 2010 review should be “a clear-eyed assessment of whether there is sufficient overall progress to conclude that the strategy is working.” If not, the report argues that “a more significant drawdown to a narrower military mission would be warranted.”

The report’s recommendations include:

·          “To further enhance Pakistan’s stability, the United States should maintain current levels of economic and technical assistance to help military and civilian leaders reconstruct and establish control over areas hard-hit by the flood, including those contested by militant forces.” The Task Force recommends “continued and expanded training, equipment, and facilities for police, paramilitaries, and the army.”

·         “To reinforce U.S.-Pakistan ties and contribute to Pakistan’s economic stability in the aftermath of an overwhelming natural disaster, the Obama administration should prioritize—and the Congress should enact—an agreement that would grant preferential market access to Pakistani textiles.”

·         “As it cultivates a closer partnership with Islamabad…the United States still needs to seek a shift in Pakistani strategic calculations about the use of militancy as a foreign policy tool. Washington should continue to make clear to Islamabad that at a basic level, U.S. partnership and assistance depend upon action against LeT [Lashkar-e-Taiba], the Afghan Taliban, especially the Haqqani network, and related international terror groups.” Read More

A Girl, a School and Hope - Nicholas Kristof

One reason Pakistan is sometimes called the most dangerous country in the world is this: a kindergarten child in this country has only a 1 percent chance of reaching the 12th grade, according to the Pakistan Education Task Force, an official panel. The average Pakistani child is significantly less likely to be schooled than the average child in sub-Saharan Africa. Read More

Events & Activities

Women in Armed Services instrumental in Iraq/Afghanistan War - Mullen

Celebrating the ten year anniversary of, the United Nations Security Council passed landmark Resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security, which linked women’s experiences of conflict to the international peace and security agenda, acknowledging their peacemaking roles as well as the disproportionate impact of violent conflict on women, United States Institute of Peace held a three day conference on Women and War. Delivering the keynote address at the conference,

Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recounted the role and contributions of Women in Armed Services, in particular he recounted the role played by Women in uniform in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, where due to cultural differences, many times women in uniform were able to better convince and understand tribal women, especially convincing them to stop sending their youth to war. Women in uniform at times were more effective in dealing with tribal men then compared to their male counterparts. Well over 200,000 women have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, demonstrating tremendous resilience, adaptability and capacity for innovation. Indeed, they have given us a competitive advantage.

Five years ago in Iraq, when the enemy was using Iraqi women to subvert our security checkpoints, female Marines began the Lioness program to counter this threat and then conduct broader outreach to the women of Iraq. In Afghanistan, female Marines are providing hope and promise through female engagement teams in the Taliban strongholds in that country.

This will be the first generation of veterans where large segments of women returning will have been exposed to some form of combat. And I know what the law says and I know what it requires. But I’d be hard pressed to say that any woman who serves in Afghanistan today or who’s served in Iraq over the last few years did so without facing the same risks of their male counterparts.

PAKPAC Directors Irfan Malik and Rafat Mahmood attended this event. Read More

Fatwa on suicide bombing by Dr. Tahir-ul-Qadri

Post 9/11 many Islamic Scholars have given fatwa against suicide bombing or using the religion of Islam to spread terrorism. However, none of such fatwas have had much widespread discussion than the one offered by Sheikh Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, one of Pakistan’s most prominent religious authorities with a global following issued a comprehensive 600-page 'Fatwa' on March 2^nd 2010, condemning the perpetrators which is regarded as one of the most comprehensive condemnations of terrorism to date by any leading Islamic authority. This Fatwa is a direct refutation of the ideology of Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. It is one of the most extensive rulings, an 'absolute' condemnation of terrorism without 'any excuses or pretexts' which goes further than ever and declares terrorism as kufr (disbelief) under Islamic law. This ruling aims to help guide those who have been misled to the path of terrorism and clarify key concepts. Its implications are critical for the Muslim world and the West alike. It eliminates the confusion about key concepts of jihad and the Islamic legal stance on suicide bombings and terrorism. Dr, Qadri presented the salient facts about his fatwa at a seminar organized by Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, at Georgetown University, Washington DC.  

Dr. Tahir-ul-Qadri’s talk highlighted fatwa’s applicability, clarify key concepts of jihad, suicide bombings, dar al-harb (Abode of War) and dar al-Islam (Abode of Peace) and why terrorism is in fact a continuality of the Kharijites (Khawarij) or rebels.More information on the Fatwa can be found at www.fatwaonterrorism.com or www.minhaj.org.

Immigration

Naturalization Through Military Service

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced that in fiscal year 2010 it granted citizenship to 11,146 members of the U.S. armed forces at ceremonies in the United States and 22 countries abroad. This figure represents the highest number of service members naturalized in any year since 1955. This number is a 6 percent increase from the 10,505 naturalizations in fiscal year 2009 and a significant increase from the 7,865 naturalizations in fiscal year 2008. Since September 2001, USCIS has naturalized nearly 65,000 service men and women, including those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Special provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) authorize USCIS to expedite the application and naturalization process for current members of the U.S. armed forces and recently discharged members. In addition, spouses of members of the U.S. armed forces who are or will be deployed may be eligible for expedited naturalization. Other provisions of the law also allow certain spouses to complete the naturalization process abroad. Read More

Citizenship welcome Packet

USCIS announced that new citizens will receive a standard U.S. Citizenship Welcome Packet during the naturalization oath ceremony. The packet provides useful information to help new citizens prepare to fully exercise the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship. Along with practical information on applying for a U.S. passport, updating Social Security records, getting involved in the local community, and petitioning for family members, the packet includes the following items:

In fiscal year 2009, USCIS welcomed more than 740,000 new citizens. To support those on the path to citizenship, USCIS recently launched the Citizenship Resource Center—a web-based portal that centralizes citizenship resources for immigrants, educators and organizations.

Elections 2010

Implications for Pakistan of US mid term elections

On the surface the change of faces in the US Congress and Senate may not affect Pakistan as Islamabad enjoys bipartisan support thanks to its status as a key US ally in the Afghan war, but dig a little deeper and a complex picture appears. In a nutshell, the US mid-term poll results that have led to a Republican majority in the House and major gains in the Senate can lead to a delayed endgame in Afghanistan, a continued hostile and volatile neighborhood or region, increased difficulty in aid money coming through, and more pressure ‘to do more’.

This is because though United States’ foreign policy will be directed from the White House, a hostile Congress can shape it to an extent. The Kerry-Lugar-Berman Act may be a done deal. But the pledge for $7.5 billion in non-military aid over five years for Pakistan will have to be approved by the Congress’ Appropriation Committees every year, which has the power to decide how much will be given. Kay Granger, who is likely to head the House Appropriations Subcommittee controlling foreign aid, is not very supportive of foreign aid programs either.

For instance, the Reconstruction Opportunity Zones may see some progress as Congressman Dave Camp – who might be taking over the Ways and Means committee, which looks after international trade policy – is a supporter of free trade unlike his protectionist predecessor.

The change of leadership of the House Foreign Affairs Committee brings less good news. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, tipped to be the next chair of the committee, is a member of the India Caucus, which influences opinion in the House in favor of India. She had voted against KLB.

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

Council on Foreign Relations

Heritage Foundation

Middle East Institute

SAIS

Woodrow Wilson Center