Dare to Question?

By Bader Al Hussain

Since the independence, Pakistan has been shrouded in conundrums of mystified bomb blasts, plane crashes, assassinations of major influential political figures and military dictators plus the befalling of disconsolate events like disintegration of Pakistan. After every incident or juncture, it had been customary in Pakistan that a committee was formed by the government to investigate that particular advent but unfortunately, never in the history of Pakistan, the findings of the committee came out. As far as public is concerned, there is inveterate initial outbursts and then everything goes buttoned up.

It is pertinent to mention the past instances which still contribute to the confusion and travails in understanding them wholesomely to the Pakistani nation. Abstaining from going into past, let’s start from the Kargil issue; it is a contention which has never been addressed contemplatively by the government, even today it still is the flash point between Nawaz Sharaif and Musharraf’s rivalry. One claims complete obliviousness to the issue while the latter one declares Pakistan’s victory.

Moreover, the most important and foremost issue that has caused great affliction and depredation to Pakistan is so called United State’s “War of Terror”. As a result of this war, Pakistan has lost 35000 precious civilian lives and 5000 men in uniform. The country’s economy has borne the toll of more than 68 billion dollars according to economic survey of Pakistan. In addition, Pakistan army has also endured numerous attacks on its vital installations including General Head Quarters (GHQ) located in Rawalpindi.

After the ouster of Pervaz Musharraf, U.S. wanted his (Pervaz Musharraf) polices to be continued as her (U.S.) interests were well-protected under his regime. Therefore US along with other elements of establishment formulated NRO and engineered 2008 elections in which PPP won the majority and formed government in which nearly every party in the parliament was entailed in power.

United States’ and its coalition partners’ war in Afghanistan , in any expert’s view, is a complicated and convoluted war in which myriad of regional and non-regional players have drawn themselves into it, in order to pursue their covert agenda and ulterior strategies but overtly they all are on one page; to bring stabilization and peace in this region. Pakistan has unfortunately being enmeshed and entangled in this war and henceforth, suffered the maximum.

Pakistani public has never been able to ask the question from their incumbent governments since 9/11, what is our policy in “War on terror”. In fact our policy was driven on the basis of fear plus carrot and stick policy adopted by US as far as Pakistan is concerned. Our leaders in arrant fear, cowardice ad for the sake of dollars dragged someone else’s war initially into Pakistani tribal areas and eventually inside the rest of the country.

 Blatant and incessant drone’s attacks by Americans with the tacit agreement and understanding of their counterparts in Pakistan has proved to be counter-productive and hence, fuelled anti- Americanism, insurgency and bomb blasts inside the Islamic republic.

The youth of Pakistan ought to realize the dynamics and veracity of the problem we are in, as they are future leaders of this country which has abundance of potential to rise and become one of the power centers of the world. Pakistan is in this mess because of the inability of the masses to question their leaders’ doings and activities since its inception.

We have never asked, what Raymond Devis was doing in Pakistan and more important his network that is still operating inside Pakistan. He was released, exonerated of all charges, keeping into account his covert activities. Only two political parties (i.e. Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI)) have protested against his release while rest of the nation was in utter apathy. We should question the authorities about the level of involvement of external factor which directly and actively contribute to the ever deteriorating law and order situation of Pakistan. Recent arrest of Pakistani Hindu singer, Asma Lata, by secret agencies on account of spying for Indian in terror ripped KP; raise eye brows and signifies the extent of Indian role in whatever is happening inside the geographical boundaries of Pakistan.
  

Moreover, committee reports of incidents such as Abbotabad operation and Mehran base attack got to be made public as the whole nation has confronted the catastrophe. Additionally, an effort has to be made to make all institutions accountable for every deed and action they take and punitive action with stern hand should be taken against defrauders and swindlers.

The writer is currently a student at NBS

Why south asians are sensitive about western borders ?

By Bader Al Hussain

South Asian which mainly includes Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, has its own unique security and military doctrine and threat perception. The threat discernment has not always been defined by the capability of the adversary but by the direction from which it is emanating. Even today, the precedent continues after taking into consideration, the ground realities and also due to prevailing security conditions. In order to understand this unique peculiarity, we need to analyze it in retrospect.  

Starting from classical period, the Delhi Sultanate conquered India from the west, initiating from the northern areas and ruled India from 1206 A.D. to 1527 A.D. They were successful in quelling attacks of Mongols from central Asia, which is in north-west of India, but were also weakened by it. Subsequently, Zahir ud-din Muhammad Babur, who was then ruler of Kabul invaded Delhi in a Battle of Panipat, due to his superior generalship, vast experience in warfare, effective strategy and appropriate use of artillery, in which Ibrahim Lodi was killed on the battlefield.

Other empires included, Vijayanagara Empire which rose into prominence as a culmination of endeavors against Islamic invasion from north-east by the end of thirteenth century. It lasted till 1646 after facing major setbacks militarily by Deccan sultanates. Moreover, Deccan Sultanates were also conquered by Mughals till 1686.

Mughals ruled the subcontinent for about 300 years, eventually they embarked to enfeeble in eighteenth century after the death of Aurangzeb. One of the contributing factors of abatement was incessant invasion attempt of Nadir Shah of Persia and Ahmed Shah Abdali of Afghanistan from the west.

After the partition of Indian in 1947, India regarded Pakistan as its arch-enemy. Even though, at that time, Indian was ten to seven times copious militarily and economically than its rival but had never renounce it as an enemy.  Even after 1971 war, when East and West Pakistan was disintegrated into two different countries i.e. Bangladesh and Pakistan, the obsession of India’s towards Pakistan continues. Pakistan rightfully considers India as an existential threat since its inception because of activities of Indian armed forces along Indo-Pak border. Pakistan excogitates India on the basis of capability not otherwise.

 Historically, whenever attack or offensive is launched on sub-continent it came through western or north-western front through the lands of Iran or Afghanistan with an exception of Britons; therefore, whether it is Pakistan or any other country it views its western borders very sensitively. In case of Pakistan, the theory of strategic depth and strategic defiance was envisaged by Pakistan armed forces to protect its interests on western fronts.

 Today excessive force is deployed by Pakistan to stabilize its western region, even though, terrorist threat from that are is not as grave where artillery, fighter jets and tanks has to be deployed. According to some scholars, during Afghan Jihad in 1980s, if Pakistan would not have thwarted the communist through its Islamic Ideology, then even India could not stopped it. And the whole sub-continent might have come under soviet influence.

It is understandable why India is exercising its dominion in Afghanistan, through which it is destabilizing Pakistan, weakening its defense deterrence in order to encroach upon its hegemony in the region as it sees herself as a rising Superpower in the global arena of multi-polar world.  Ironically, India enunciated China as its future rival both militarily and economically but has maintained eighty percent of its troop’s deployment against western border i.e. Pakistan. All its fighter squadrons and forward air bases are aimed towards Pakistan.

After the nuclearization of South Asia, its stability depends upon the resolution of Kashmir dispute which is only possible through dialogue with the consent and aspirations of Kashmiris on both sides.   

The writer is currently a student at NBS

Why youth ?

Pakistan is going through turbulent and tremulous times with external and internal factors adding to its precariousness. General population especially the youth of Pakistan is in vexation over the future of Pakistan’s   on-going situation.

Nevertheless, Pakistan has immense geo-strategic importance because of which it is said to be a playing ground for numerous secret agencies of the world’s powerful nations in order to pursue their interests. The game is being played in our fields, we as a future of Pakistan should know who these players are and what the score is.

According to prominent American security analyst, who is the author of “Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Power”   in 2010 which is about the Indian Ocean region and the future of energy supplies and national security in the 21st century. He said, “If the Mediterranean was the focal point of Global politics in twentieth century, we might think of the Indian ocean as a focal point of Global politics in twenty first century”. 

Don't be in despair

By Bader Al Hussain
Pakistan is blessed with fertile land, dynamic manpower and diversified landscape which ranges from world’s highest mountains in the north to the plains of Punjab, from sandy topography of Sindh and Baluchistan to the coastal areas. One also wonders an equal assortment in weather conditions which extends from negative 50 in the north to the positive 50 in the south.

As far as Pakistan’s natural resources are concerned, northern parts of Pakistan are shrouded by numerous varieties of minerals which includes peridot, aquamarine, topaz (various colours: violet and pink, golden and champagne), ruby, emerald, rare-earth minerals bastnaesite and xenotime, sphene, tourmaline, and many varieties and types of quartz.

Moreover, copper-gold reserves in Baluchistan which are initially estimated to be 250 billion dollars are also discovered. Baluchistan is rich in other minerals such as marble, coal, oil and gas etc. But the problem remains the prevailing law and order situation which could be made better by giving legitimate rights to the deprived and impoverished people of this largest province of Pakistan.

In addition to that, unearthing of coal from Thar is another prodigious breakthrough. According to Dr. Samar Mubarakmand, a distinguished nuclear scientist of Pakistan said at an occasion that besides producing cheaper electricity, 100 million barrel diesel and gas could be produced through Thar-coal which would be sufficient for 30 years. According to some sources, we can generate about 100,000 MW of electricity for 300 years.

Thar coal reserves have 175 billion tonnes of coal, which is equivalent to 618 billion barrels of crude oil recently informed by VC of The University of the Punjab. Following is the list of top 5 oil reserve countries of the world:
Country            Reserves (bbl)        Production/day (mbl)      Reserve life (yr)
Saudi Arabia          260                            8.8                                81
Canada                  179                            2.7                              182
Iran                      136                            3.9                                96
Iraq                      115                            3.7                                85
Kuwait                  99                                2.5                              108
175 billion tons of Thar according to Professor Dr Mujahid Kamran equal 618 billion barrels of crude oil.
This is more than twice if we compare it with oil reserves of KSA and equal to total oil reserves of top 4 countries.
If like KSA, we utilize about 10 million of it per day, it would suffice for more than 200 years. Not to forget other resources that Pakistan have when compared with KSA. For example, we have largest gold/copper ore deposits at Saindak (Baluchistan) dying to be exploited.
Under the barren mountains of Baluchistan and hot sands of Sindh, there is unlimited amount of oil and gas reserves not touched yet. And still further, we have furtile lands of Punjab, ready to feed a population twice as big as we are now, the best irrigation system (waiting for more water reservoirs to enrich it), and the best quality cotton and rice.

In Pakistan, about 63% of the population is under 25 years of age. In other words, Pakistan has energetic, indefatigable and young population. This segment has to shape the future of Pakistan. No doubt, Pakistan is going through tiring times but, on the bright side, the juvenescence of this country is getting ready and resilient to confront boldly the future challenges of the world which would be faster, complicated, informative and dynamic than today.

In a novel “Moths Smoke”, written by Mohsin Hamid, Phoenix is mentioned; Phoenix is a mythical bird having life cycle of 500 to 1000 years and at one point of time it burns and reborn. But in Moth’s Smoke Prof. Julius Superb writes in an article that after phoenix is re-created by the fire its funeral pyre, it could either emerge as a stronger creature in a young new body or transform into soulless shadow of its former being. Today, as in Pakistan the transition would be taking place from old lethargic and inept leaders to a new dynamic, energetic and more patriotic juvenile community, it is up to this very wedge of the population to make up this state which is failing in its duties, tasks and governance or to maintain the status quo.

 It is appropriately said by Imran Khan that Pakistan has touched its rock bottom and it is a time to rise and show to the world, what truly a great nation we are. Just as Ali Moeen Nawazish has made a world record it by scoring 21 As out of 23 subjects that he had opted in A’ levels and by following the suit Ibrahim Shahid also made world record by attaining 23 As in 24 subjects in the Cambridge examination. Moreover, there are many more examples could be quoted, followed and inspired from.

Hence, it is rightly said Pakistan is not a poor country but it is a poorly managed country.

The writer is currently a student at NBS (Nust Business School)