By New Age Islam Edit
Bureau
2 October
2020
• Rape, Harassment and Culture of
Victim-Blaming
By Sheema Mehkar
• Rape Survivors: A Different Approach
By Khawaja Khalid Farooq
• North Waziristan: Hub of Peace
By Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani
• Digitalization of Zakat In Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa; An Era Of Procedural Transparency
By Shagufta Gul
• Geopolitics and Pakistan
By Aneela Shahzad
-----
Rape, Harassment and Culture of Victim-Blaming
By Sheema Mehkar
October 2,
2020
The tragedy
of this nation is that no tragedy ever seems enough to sensitize it to reflect
on its problematic behaviours and mind-sets that are a root cause of many
tragedies that occur here as a matter of routine. Nothing ever appears to
suffice to compel the denizens of this country to look inwardly, shed the
blinders and see the devil that resides in them.
One would
believe that a woman, a mother, being raped in front of her children would be
the worst thing that could happen, but you are proven wrong when you realize
that the reality is opposite. The worst follows afterwards. Every time a woman
is wronged in this country, everyone gangs up against her, proving her to be at
fault for what she has endured and a coherent victim-blaming engulfs her from
all sides, but mostly from men representing every platform and position of
authority.
The latest
demonstration of it was witnessed by all in the recent horrific motorway
gang-rape incident. Just when everyone was grief-stricken and feeling tormented
by the incident, Lahore’s Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Umar Sheikh rubbed
salt on our bleeding wounds by passing contemptible remarks directly
insinuating the woman to be responsible for the atrocity. While it might have
sent shock-waves for few, but for women, it was just another painful episode of
the daily treatment meted out to them by the State and society at large.
One such
incident and from eminent religious figures to highest public office holders,
they all come together in blaming the victim by either declaring the immodesty
and waywardness of women or women’s lack of circumspection in protecting
themselves from sexual assault as a cause for the cruelty. One such incident
and the whole country suddenly runs out of the spine and honour to condemn the
rapists, because they belong to the gender that enjoys overwhelming
dominanceover everything from roads to courts. So, it is always a woman’s
fault. Every single time.
Rape can be
expediently attributed to obscenity or coeducation or other countless factors, but
the undeniable fact remains that the fundamental evil is the mindset that
justifies and perpetuates rape
Half of the
country already blames women for their sufferings. Men would conveniently bring
up the reasons to justify their wrong conduct by passing the blame on the
women; on their clothing, them being out at late hours, their refusal to give
consent, their retaliation and so on. In fact, this ugliness is so deeply
embedded that if a girl shares her story of harassment, a gang of men will dig
up her pictures and start giving the verdict if she does or does not meet a
certain beauty standard to qualify for harassment. While women have to fight
this mindset every minute of their lives, such sermons preaching that even in
the worst possible scenarios, it is still women’s fault further narrows the
space around them.
What we
tend to forget while discoursing about rape is that it is just not a form of
physical abuse. It’s a manifestation of power by men. It is the means by which
men assert themselves as superior, powerful and untouchable. It’s men’s way to
express that they have absolute power on women’s bodies and have a right to
treat them as they please with impunity. There could be many other factors that
foster or stimulate rape, but it is fundamentally premised on a mindset that
looks women as inferior and subservient individuals who are supposed to live,
act, dress and move around in accordance with the rules and desires of men – if
not, they ought to face the consequences. All this can be verified in a single
chat session regarding rape or harassment with men in our close circles and
they will enthusiastically enlighten us how it is always a woman’s fault; they
will question her dressing, declare her a liar and even cast doubts on her
character.
CCPO Umar
Sheikh symbolizes this very mindset that is rife in our society, a mind-set
that tragically goes unchallenged. He is a true personification of this scourge
that ails our society and makes it a dreadful place for women to exist.
The problem
is when people in authority and especially religious authority imply that
somehow women are responsible for whatever cruelty is done to them; it
emboldens harassers, rapists, potential rapists and rape apologists and
jeopardizes the safety of women. It validates the belief system of rape
apologists and harassers. It legitimizes rape and harassment.
By no
means, this catastrophe could be reckoned as a blessing in disguise but
regrettably, it turned out to be one. It unclothed the true face of our police
force and ‘thana culture’ for those who were either ignorant or delusional. It
bared this justice system naked for everyone to see and understand why women
don’t approach police and courts for registration of their grievances and to
seek justice.
The real
tragedy is not that a public office holder in uniform who is responsible for
the protection and safety of the citizens has brazenly and incessantly blamed a
mother of three for the rape, but that the State doesn’t find it bothersome and
immoral. The fleeting outrage over highly condemnable remarks of the police
officer and the subsequent demand of his removal was not only rebuffed by the
State as unworthy of eliciting any action against him, it also enjoyed the
covert and overt approval of a considerable segment of the society.
The problem
with CCPO is that he is the problem. If he stays, it means countless other
women will face similar victim-blaming. He is the status-quo and no reform can
transpire unless such people and mindset aren’t scrapped. Because his remarks
weren’t impulsive, they came from a place of conviction and systems can’t
progress with such regressive mindsets at the helm.
There might
be no law for victim-blaming, for rape apologists. But the removal of CCPO will
mean so much more than just symbolism. It is about shutting down any voice that
blames a woman for the wrong done to her. It is about sending a message that no
one in the position of power dares to do it again and that the State has no
tolerance for rape apologists. His removal will not eliminate rape, but it will
be a tiny step towards eliminating the mindset that aids rape. His removal is
beyond symbolic. It is the cure, it is the redress.
Rape can be
expediently attributed to obscenity or coeducation or other countless factors,
but the undeniable fact remains that the fundamental evil is the mind-set that
justifies and perpetuates rape. It’s futile to ban obscenity from visual
platforms and let the mind-set that abets rape to nurture and flourish. Unless
the mind-set that is a primary source of violence against women is not
eradicated and publicly denounced e.g. removal of CCPO, unless the voices that
cheer on rape aren’t proscribed, unless those who use rape threats with sheer
sense of impunity aren’t apprehended, unless cyber laws aren’t enforced, unless
police reforms aren’t implemented, no measures otherwise will have any effect
in remedying this disease.
So, to make
this society even slightly safer for women, ban this evil mindset, ban these
vile voices, ban the culture of victim-blaming.
----
Sheema Mehkaris a freelance writer based in
Islamabad.
https://dailytimes.com.pk/673139/rape-harassment-and-culture-of-victim-blaming/
-----
Rape Survivors: A Different Approach
By Khawaja Khalid
Farooq
October 2,
2020
Few issues
in policing have received more attention in 2020 years than the recent
Gujjarpura gang-rape case. This attention is long overdue, because issues were
neglected for decades in the way sexual assault crimes have evolved in
Pakistan.
In fact, a
key problem is that most sexual assaults never even come to the attention of
police. There are many reasons for this. Rape victims/survivors suffer physical
as well as emotional harms that can be devastating. As victims try to cope with
the trauma of the crime itself, they often suffer additional harm when they are
subtly, or not so subtly, blamed for being victimized, in ways that victims of
robbery or theft or any other crime are never blamed.
Finally,
sexual assault victims who summon the courage to report the crime to the police
are often subjected to a criminal justice system that seems insensitive,
uncaring, or even hostile to victims. Policing in Pakistan is still very far
from a ‘victim-centered’ approach in all interactions with crime victims,
particularly victims of sexual assault.
A victim-centered
approach involves a focus on the needs of the victim, to ensure that services
are delivered to the victim in a compassionate and nonjudgmental manner. A
victim-centered approach can help prevent re-traumatization of the victim, and
can empower the victim to actively participate in the criminal justice process.
Even though there was an outpouring of empathy for this particular incident,
can we truly say that there exists any institutional support for all such
victims for such offences in Pakistan?
Another key
concept that law-enforcement agencies do not consider is incorporating
‘trauma-informed’ practices into their response to sexual assault. This
involves recognizing the symptoms of trauma and its prevalence, and
understanding how those symptoms can affect an individual who has experienced
trauma.
The trauma
of sexual assault can affect a victim’s memory and behaviour in unique ways,
both during and after the crime occurs. Police officers must understand these
dynamics in order to respond appropriately to sexual assault victims. Sexual
assault is one of the worst types of crimes, so it requires the best efforts of
law-enforcement agencies to investigate it thoroughly, prevent new crimes, and
treat victims with respect and compassion.
The Gujjarpura
event has brought attention to the importance of the role of law enforcement in
the response to sexual assault, the need for high-quality sexual assault
investigations, and the impact that the police can have on sexual assault
victims’ experience with the criminal justice system.
Victims of
sexual assault must cope with the physical, mental and emotional aftermath of
an intimate crime, and often are faced with the additional challenge of
combating rape myths and gender bias that perpetuate victim-blaming.
Additionally, not in this case but often in Pakistan, the justice system itself
can deter victims from reporting.
Improper or
inadequate police practices and procedures such as exhibiting disbelief,
improperly dismissing a victim’s report as ‘unfounded’, incorrectly
categorizing the nature of the crime reported, incompletely or inadequately
investigating the crime, the anticipation of a long and difficult trial, and
the uncertainty of the final outcome, can influence a victim’s decision to even
report sexual assault to police.
Also, we
should bear in mind that it was not robust police investigation that brought
the crime to light. Not in the conventional sense, anyway. It was a hit on the
DNA database at the Punjab Forensics Science Agency that initiated the cascade
of events leading to identification of the accused.
While it is
true that DNA evidence has changed how crimes are investigated and how
assailants are brought to justice, this database at the PFSA is not something
which is robustly used by our police in all sexual offences. While it is an
extremely important initiative, this is something which should be accessible
and much more widely used in all serious offences.
This raises
issues regarding storage, access and disposal of DNA as evidence, all of which
need to be covered by legislation in Pakistan. It is not very far away in the
past that even our courts ruled DNA as being inadmissible as sole evidence.
However, it has helped in cases such as the Zainab case which was actually a
spate of serial murders of innocent young children, and many more, Gujjarpura
being just one of the latest. However, talk to any police investigator about
how much s/he uses this evidence, and one will discover that the incidence will
be zero for most, almost all, police investigators in the Punjab Police.
The absence
of a robustly structured and maintained DNA database at the PFSA exacerbates
this problem; this is at best ad-hoc and not regulated properly. There are many
issues around DNA on which there is growing global consensus on the need for
legislative provisions for the destruction of biological samples and deletion
of innocent people’s DNA profiles. There are also emerging best practice on
scientific standards and standards for the use of DNA in court which are
necessary to prevent miscarriages of justice.
Crucially,
there is ongoing debate regarding the appropriate safeguards for DNA collection
from suspects, restrictions on access, use and data sharing across borders, and
data protection standards. Currently in Pakistan, we have none of the above.
Sexual
assault cases should be investigated in an unbiased manner, free of assumptions
and stereotypes about victims. For example, the police should not base
judgments about victim credibility on assumptions about the ‘types’ of people
who can be victims of sexual assault or how victims ‘should’ respond or conduct
themselves before or after an assault.
It is
important that the police department in Pakistan adopts a victim-centered
approach in all interactions with crime victims, particularly victims of sexual
assault. A victim-centered approach involves a focus on the needs and concerns
of the victim, to ensure that investigations are not compromised by judgments
an investigator makes about a victim, and that victims are treated in a manner
that accounts for the unique traumatic effects of sexual assault.
This will
convey to victims that the police take their case seriously and that the
department will conduct a thorough, fair and human-rights compliant
investigation.
----
Khawaja Khalid Farooq is a retired inspector
general of police and ex head of Nacta.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/723156-a-different-approach
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North Waziristan: Hub Of Peace
By Dr Ramesh Kumar
Vankwani
October 2,
2020
Recently,
via the platform of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Defence, I had
availed the opportunity to visit North Waziristan, adjacent to the Afghan
border.
This
mountainous region, with five rivers, is one of the most beautiful regions of
Pakistan. In the past, it also made news headlines in national and
international media as the world’s most dangerous region. Geographically, it is
located between the Kurram River (Tochi River) to the north and the Gomal River
to the south.
British
rulers, in order to maintain dominance over the Wazir tribe, had deprived the
locals of their civic and human rights. Political agents were appointed in
various tribal agencies and they were given unlimited powers. Despite all of
this, the people of Waziristan have a glorious history of tireless struggle
against British imperialism.
After
independence, Quaid-e-Azam visited Waziristan as the first governor general of
Pakistan. In his address to the tribal leaders, he declared the patriotic
people of Fata as the frontline force for national defence. However, it is
quite unfortunate that Waziristan was never given due priority by any
government during the 70-year history of our country.
Due to this
ignorance by our governments and conspiracies of enemies, this beautiful area
of Pakistan was considered as a no-go area. After the 9/11 attacks, this region
was most affected by terrorism. To achieve their heinous goals, terrorists
tried to exploit the sentiments of innocent civilians. The Taliban also
dominated the erstwhile Fata from 2001 to 2007. Most of the suicide attacks and
terrorist activities across the country were linked directly and indirectly
with these areas.
In order to
liberate this area from the control of terrorists, our armed forces carried out
around 14 major military operations including Operation Zarb-e-Azb and
Operation Raddul-Fasaad, resulting in clearing of around 47,000km area; the
writ of the state was also established. More than four thousand lives were
sacrificed for achieving this noble goal. Two years ago on May 31, 2018 this
area was merged with the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Today,
tremendous development can be seen in Waziristan. We can see good roads and
construction work there. Around Rs24 billion in budget had been allocated for
the developmental projects in that area, 66 percent of which has been used to
improve infrastructure.
However,
there is a need to focus on strengthening other public sectors, including
judiciary, law and order, health, and education, etc. With the facilitation of
GOC Shakir, I had the opportunity to exchange views with Deputy Commissioner
Shahid Ali Khan and DPO Shafiullah Gandapur. I also met two honorable Maliks
from the local jirga – Malik Khan Marjan Wazir and Malik Jan Faraz.
I am very
pleased to know that the local people there and the government are on the same
page on the issue of the Fata merger. To keep an eye on movement oon the Afghan
border, a Border Management System has also been introduced. As per my
knowledge, 171km out of 231km long Afghan border with North Waziristan has been
covered with fences whereas speedy work is going on in the remaining part.
After the
merger of (former) Fata, we need to introduce business incentives in order to
attract the attention of the business community. In this regard, I suggest that
the business community should be given a ten-year exemption to transfer
businesses to North Waziristan. It will also create numerous job opportunities
for the locals. The legitimate grievances of the people must also be listened
to on a priority basis.
Our brave
forces have brought peace to the region after countless sacrifices over the
years. Now, it is the responsibility of the political leadership to bring
former Fata into the national mainstream. A solid strategic work plan must also
be devised to uplift the socio-economic conditions of the people and transform
this beautiful region into a hub of peace and tourism.
----
Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani is a member of the
National Assembly and patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/723155-hub-of-peace
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Digitalization Of Zakat In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa;
An Era Of Procedural Transparency
By Shagufta Gul
October2,
2020
The concept
of charity to society is found in almost all divine religions as well as
man-made religions. Christianity has a concept of charity but mostly Church is
considered its beneficiary. Judaism talks of charity and calls it Tzedakah and
which means more than giving money to the poor but having empathy as well.In
Sikhism “One who performs selfless service without thought of reward shall
attain his Lord and Master”,(Guru Granth Sahib page 286) Sikhism teaches that
everyone is equal and that people living in poverty and suffering malnutrition should
be helped. The way of charity to society is unique in Islam where amount, as
well as the recipients, are well defines The literal meaning word of Zakat in
Arabic is “that which purifies”. It is the religiously mandated charity and the
fifth pillar of the faith and the simplest definition refers o the obligation
that an individual has to donate a certain proportion of wealth each year to
charitable causes. Zakat plays critical role as socio economic activity leading
to the formation of a welfare state.
Since the
inception of Pakistan a confusion did prevail as far as the system of
Government was concerned as the different regimes kept trying to amalgamating
the modern democracy into the concept of the Islamic model of state, however it
was under the military regime of General Zia ul Haq that various steps were
introduced as a process to Islamize Pakistan a trueThe Zakat and Ushr Ordinance
was issued on June 24, 1979 for the establishment of Zakat institutions at national
provincial, district and sub-district levels.S ubsequently the Zakat and Ushr
Ordinance was promulgated on June 20,1989 with immediate effect, Ushr was made
operative on March 15th 1983.At Federal level, the Ordinance is administered by
Zakat and Ushr Division and ministry of finance. In the wake of 18th
constitutional amendment, Zakat System was devolved to the Provinces. Zakat
& Ushr control being dealt with the Ministry of Religious Affairs have been
transferred to respective Provinces. Zakat & Ushr matters are dealt by
Zakat & Ushr Department in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Zakat
& Ushr Act, 2011 was promulgated keeping in view the requirements/needs of
the Mustahiqeen-e-Zakat. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Zakat & Ushr Council, as per
approved act, is the Apex Body to control/supervise all the matters relating to
Zakat & Ushr Funds. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Zakat Council (KPZC)
exists as an advisory body under the act, The Provincial Zakat Council acts as
a supervisory body along with policy development for collection disbursement
and utility of the Zakat funds and monitoring purpose.
At
Provincial level, the Zakat and Ushr Department functions under the Social
Welfare department. Looking at the disbursement mechanism of Zakat the local Zakat
Committees form the backbone of the disbursement system. Currently, KP is
having 32 District Zakat Committees and 4396 Local Zakat Committees (LZCs)
across the Province. Each LZC identify the Mustahiqeen (deserving) and after
lengthy procedures of verification the Mustahiq receives a stipend under the
predefined categories like Guzara Allowance, Marriage Assistance Grant,
Educational Stipend (Academic & Professional), Health Care grant, Deeni
Madaris student allowance and Special Health Care grants under the KP Zakat and
Ushr Act 2011.
The most
crucial and critical concern have been the disbursement of Zakat manually
turning this religious obligation into a lengthy and blur procedure and with
issues of transparency and impediments making it almost impossible for the real
deserving to access the category he/she wants to. The disbursement of Zakat is
a step requiring great care and intricacy. Data collection and its accuracy
from a mass of population, objective orientation, and rehabilitation of the
Mustahiqeen are the trademark priorities in the process. For the process to be
smooth, it should be simplified and well organized with rehabilitation programs
(short and long term) blueprinted. Looking at the impediments. On May 21, 2003,
the City District Council Peshawar adopted a unanimous resolution condemning
and negating the political interference in the formation of the district-level
Zakat committees in the province and urged the KP government to stop
interfering in the distribution of Zakat funds. It was alleged that the ruling
party used the Zakat and Ushr fund as “a political bribe,” funds on political
grounds.
It seems to
be a very a positive initiative as a public office associated with the
marginalized segments of society has opted for technology that will ultimately
benefit not only the smooth flow of assistance but also ensure transparency and
accountability
Keeping in
view the aforementioned challenges the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Zakat and Ushr
Department took the lead amongst all the Provinces by digitalizing the system
and procedures of this religious obligation and devised a comprehensive
Management Information System(MIS) as a solution, it makes Zakat handout and
distribution organized and transparent. For a welfare process to produce the
most fruitful results, it is a prerequisite for it to be conducted on a
platform which ensures transparency and efficiency. The KP Zakat and Ushr
Department aiming for digital KP has come up with a platform with
digitalization of the Zakat and Ushr collection, management and distribution
via applications of web and Android versions.
The
in-house accomplished plans launched by the department are the Zakat Management
Information System (ZMIS) and Zakat Hospital Management Information System
(ZHMIS),a web and android base applications for the determination of
Mustahiqeen through different scoring parameters and filtration. The ZMIS is
meant for transparency, efficiency, i.e. to bring ease in the provision of
services and to speed up the government business routine, this system
encompasses data collection of more than 35,000 orphans throughout the
province, a complete category wise database of poor orphans, disabled
population, widows and homeless persons, a record of unmarried adult girls that
are eligible for Jahez Fund, guardian details in case parents are deceased,
complete profiles of Mustahiqeen residing in newly merged districts (NMDs), the
unemployment ratio of each district throughout the province, the negation of
human intervention in the process and to find out accurately the financial
condition of an applicant/Mustahiq through different parameters. Similarly, the
Zakat Hospital Management Information System (ZHMIS)is in a form of
comprehensive software which will allocate record compilations of Zakat fund
utilization and treatment records of the Mustahiq-e-Zakat patients that are
underprivileged at various hospitals, just a click away. The system comprises
of various features as quick service delivery, transparent activities
monitoring system, Hospital fund Utilization Management, Disbursement Access,
Patient Tracking Facilities, Maintenance of electronic health records, Outdoor
and Indoor Gender-wise Patient Management, different Statistical Analysis etc. As
a way forward an informative, geo-mapping android application for public
awareness named as “MUSTAHIQ” along with an Android application for the
determination of most vulnerable orphans through scoring parameters (ZOMIS)and
Geographical Information System (GIS) mapping for all District Offices, lands
and their registered institutes are to be launched soon.
The
aforementioned project plan will minimize the human interference and
influence.It seems to be a very a positive initiative as a public office
associated with the marginalized segments of society has opted for technology
that will ultimately benefit not only the smooth flow of assistance but also
ensure transparency and accountability. However, for the effective
implementation, the department needs to devise a communication and awareness
campaign on print, electronic and social media for maximum outreach the masses.
For NMDs,radio is the major source of information and a media strategy can be
initiated in this regard, so that the deserving segment of our society is aware
of the digital initiative and its utility.It is also suggested thatthe success
of the project demands collaboration and collective effort of all the
departmentsinvolved. The capacity of the existing human resource is built under
a rigorous training program by the Zakat and Usher Department however the
addition of well-trained human resource at all levels will definitely support
the newly introduced system to meet the long term goals, paving the way for a
transparent socio economic activity with transparency.
----
Shagufta Gul has experience in the field of
education and is currently working as a resource person in the development
sector
https://dailytimes.com.pk/673141/digitalization-of-zakat-in-khyber-pakhtunkhwa-an-era-of-procedural-transparency/
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Geopolitics and Pakistan
By Aneela Shahzad
October 01,
2020
Every
country has a unique geography and geopolitical positioning, but it is not
always possible for all states to harness their geopolitical positioning,
either because they lack the political will to do so, or because the overall
regional or global geopolitics suppresses such a will. Nevertheless,
understanding one’s geopolitical/strategic positioning is the first step in
strengthening one’s standing in bilateral, regional and global relations.
Pakistan’s
unique longitudinal geography allows it to wash its shores with the Arabian Sea
at its south, and to shake hands with Central Asia at its north. Pakistan’s
historical and geographical contingency with Afghanistan has allowed it to
support the brotherly country in its fight for freedom from Russian and
American occupations; our neighbouring with Iran in a unique way that is
different from its Arab neighbours to its west, allows us to have a relatively
unbiased and even normative relation with it.
At the
northeastern and eastern proximities, Pakistan touches two giant states: China
and India — two states with the world’s biggest populations and both harbouring
regional ambitions. China being Pakistan’s all-weather friend since the
independence of the two states and India being an opponent to both of us.
Because of
Pakistan’s geography, India feels severed from larger Asia, especially from
Iran and Russia, whom it considered allies till recently. India’s foreign
policy parted from Russia when it withdrew from Afghanistan and the weak
alliance between India and Iran cracked when India decided to end oil trade
with Iran under US-sanctions. After the Russo-Afghan War, India hooked up with
the US in order to gain influence in Afghanistan that could serve it as a
jumping board into Central Asia.
Central
Asian states gained their independence from Russia in 1990, when the Soviet
Union’s defeat in Afghanistan led to its dismantling. Because of the fact that
Central Asia consists of all Sunni Muslim states, they have a natural
ideological bonding with Pakistan and Afghanistan as compared to Iran or the
Arab states that are further away. Vast hydrocarbon reserves were identified in
the landlocked states of Central Asia in the 1990s. Being deep inside Asia,
they need a route to the sea to export their oil and gas, and the route via
Afghanistan and Pakistan becomes the shortest, best choice.
The 20
years of US occupation of Afghanistan has delayed the possibility of such
ventures, as the US and its defence partner India have endeavoured to lay siege
to Afghanistan, not only to get control on Afghan mineral resources but also to
become the sole trading partners with the Central Asian states, an ambition the
US and India have failed to accomplish because of Pakistan’s backing of freedom
fighters in Afghanistan. The Central Asian states are also Russia’s near abroad
and for this reason Russia too does not want the US or India to dominate
Afghanistan. But more than anyone else, Pakistan feels strangled by India from
three sides if it succeeds to entrench itself in Afghanistan, and considers
India’s presence in Afghanistan an existential threat that has to be leveled at
any cost.
Pakistan’s
geography has also brought it ever closer to China, as it offers China the
shortest route to the warm waters of the Arabian Sea. Because wars in the
Middle East impede other Belt and Road routes to the Arabian Sea, China has
proclaimed CPEC as the flagship project of its Belt and Road Initiative. But
that is not all, for China Pakistan’s friendship is a dear one also because
this geographically contingent bulwark alliance is proving to be a partnership
that can subdue India’s ambitions to become a regional player. So, China and
Pakistan complement each other in demanding territories that India has falsely
occupied; and in the same vein while India sits on top of Pakistan’s waters
coming from Occupied Kashmir, China sits on top of India’s waters originating
from Tibet.
So, as
China shows high prospects for being the regional hegemon of the coming
decades, Pakistan has chosen wisely to ally with it. As China grew
economically, it also garnered another vital ally, Russia, who has opened its
arms to several BRI projects on and through its soil. The two, complement each
other’s foreign policies and repel a common adversary, the US. Russia’s
coupling up with Iran and Turkey to take control of Syria makes for an overall
alliance framework that Pakistan would comfortably fit into.
On the
other hand, Turkey’s opposite in the Islamic World, Saudi Arabia, is also a
long-cherished all-weather ally of Pakistan. The recent rift between the two
states over support for the Kashmir Issue has raised some eyebrows, but that
does not undermine the long-standing strategic alliance that Pakistan enjoys
with Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states, wherein Pakistani forces have trained
their armies and navies. For instance, the first three chiefs of the UAE air
force were all officers of the Pakistani air force.
The
41-state, Saudi-led Islamic military alliance created in 2015 is also headed by
Pakistan’s former chief of army staff General Raheel Sharif. Though still at an
infancy stage, the alliance which is larger than NATO (30 members), can be a
potential global force for protecting the interests of Muslim states.
Pakistan’s leadership of the Muslim Ummah is well-precedented, as our forces
have remained actively present in war-fronts from Bosnia to Sri Lanka and from
Afghanistan to Somalia, wherever we found the chance to come to the aid of our
brethren.
Pakistan’s
refusal to partake in the Saudi-Yemen war may have estranged its relations with
the Saudis, but this also makes Pakistan a normative between the Shia and Sunni
powers that have been forced to fight the proxy war in the Middle East. This
means that Pakistan’s foreign policy has been based on advocacy of peace and
safeguard of friends and not on oppression and aggression. That Pakistan’s foundations
are ideological, is at least shown in our foreign policy, which has been
outward and far-reaching from the beginning, and that its active posture has
accrued for it a global role that awaits its ‘will’ and ‘realisation’.
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2266547/geopolitics-and-pakistan
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