UNIVERSITY OF THE PUNJAB
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Balochistan, Baloch and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
No full textOver the years, Balochistan has swayed between obscurity and prominence but its geo-strategic significance has never slackened. Pakistan‟s largest province in terms of landmass it enjoys an important geostrategic position because of its proximity with the Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia and the Indian Ocean. With the recent developments ahead in sight of the CPEC the major world powers are shifting their focus to Gwadar, which is the central piece of the whole CPEC and is located close to the Strait of Hormuz through which 20% of total global oil production passes through. The likely CPEC network of roads and rails will provide China with an easy and much shorter trade route to the markets of Europe, Gulf and Africa. Given the significance of Gwadar and Balochistan province several analysts and researchers have questioned about the welfare of the locals residing in the region. The basic aim of this paper is to look at how the CPEC and its projects are going to impact the lives of the local population, particularly the Baloch. In order to lead CPEC projects to their successful completion, it is imperative to take in account the needs and grievances of the local people; who unless have their objections addressed can cause trouble. The basic thing is to adopt the policy of inclusivity by taking the local stakeholders (the politicians, the fishermen, the nationalists and the young unemployed youth) on board and by making the local people skillfully capable through vocational trainings thus opening the array of opportunities that CPEC shall bring to the region. The paper is qualitative in nature and has employed primary and secondary sources of data collection using literature review, semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions as tools for data analysis
India’s Role in Afghan Peace Process
No full textThe disastrous event of 9/11 changed the Political and Security dynamics of the world. The event of 9/11 provided a chance for India to enter into Afghanistan. Afghanistan attracts the world powers due to its strategic importance. Afghanistan is a gateway to the energy rich Central Asian Republics. India’s involvement in Afghanistan is quite realistic. India had never established cordialrelations with the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. The event of 9/11 gave India a chance to establish cordial relations with the Afghan political government. India participated in the Bonn Conference and announced its support for the people of Afghanistan in the reconstruction of the country. India enjoyed its best relations with the governments of Hamid Karzai and Ashraf Ghani in Kabul. India enhanced its ties with Iran to secure its interest in Afghanistan and to counter Pakistan. India and Iran have some common interests in Afghanistan. New Delhi has invested a big amount in various sectors in Afghanistan to enhance its influence in Afghan society. India has worked hard to facilitate Afghan Nationals to boost its soft power. India now influences the internal politics of Afghanistan. The world considers India a major market in South Asia. India’s presence inAfghanistan has always been a source of worry for Pakistan. Pakistan considers India’s presence in Afghanistan a threat to its National Security. Pakistan thinks India should work for the betterment of Afghan people but she should avoid using Afghan soil against Pakistan. Pakistan has already suffered a lot due to the disturbance in Afghanistan. Peaceful Afghanistan is in the favor of South Asia and for the Global Powers. This paper focuses on the Indian presence in Afghanistan and India’s role to bring peace in Afghanistan
The Proximity of US-Indian Interest in Afghanistan and Its Implication on Pakistan
No full textAfghanistan has been a stage of great power politics for centuries. The US aims in Afghanistan since 2001 has been to counter terrorism, a strategy that has seen several highs and lows, with each President having followed somewhat the same approach with a new title. This protracted conflict has become a burden on the USA economy as she played a major role in the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan along with the constant military presence in Afghanistan. Recently, USA’s President Trump, with his new Afghan Policy has welcomed the Indian involvement in Afghanistan for state building, reconstruction and development, acknowledging that India and USA should work together. At the same time President Trump has denied Pakistan the credit she deserves for facing the brunt of the Afghan conflict that has been raging on to 17 years. Pakistan has been involved in ―doing more‖ in the case of Afghanistanhowever the acknowledgement for that has been far and few. The relations of US and Pakistan have suffered as a result of this. Now as the Indian strategic and economic interests are aligned with those of USA, the Indian involvement is favored. The proximity of US – Indian interests has several implications on Pakistan that are both strategic and economic in nature. The threat of Indian influence in Afghanistan is not imaginary for Pakistan, this enmity is deep rooted and guided by suspicion. It is therefore becoming a major challenge for Pakistan to pursue her own interests in Afghanistan and the region. Pakistan requires Afghanistan to be a friendly neighbor so that the changing economic regional dynamics and the ensuing economic prosperity as a result of CPEC, can be enjoyed equally by all regional states. However, given the Indian role in Afghanistan and the US policy towards Pakistan, cooperation seems farfetched
Hydro-politics in South Asia: A Conflict in the Making
No full textThe importance of Indus System of Rivers for Pakistan and India and impact of the Partition on irrigation system existing on these Rivers before 1947 has to be kept in view, in order to appreciate the looming specter of water war in South Asia. Though Bangladesh also shares international rivers with India but there appears to be no conflict in the making between the two countries at the present, in this context. Discontinuing of supply of water in the canals flowing from India to Pakistan on 1st April 1948, in fact, precipitated one of the gravest international water disputes in the world. David E. Lilienthal suggested that the World Bank might use its good offices to bring the Parties to an agreement and help in arranging finances for an Indus Development Programme. Nearly a decade of negotiations resulted in the Indus Waters Treaty. For the first three years or so efforts were focused on finding a solution for joint development of the system of rivers for mutual benefit. Ultimately the Bank realized that in view of relations between the two countries that was not possible. The Bank, therefore, proposed allocation of three Eastern Rivers to India and the three Western Rivers to Pakistan, except for very limited rights of the other partyon the Rivers thus allocated. The Treaty concluded in 1960 has been very successful and hassu rvived three wars between the Parties. Growth of population and resulting scarcity of water, deterioration of relations between the two countries and geopolitical developments in the region have brought the Treaty under stress. India’s policy of nibbling away the rights of Pakistan and obligations of India under the Treaty is, therefore, pushing things towards a conflict
Civic Governance: Neglected Dimension of Framework of Good Governance and Democratization in Pakistan
No full textCivic governance is related to exercise of authoritarian activities to address issues related to society. The crucial factor which includes in implementing effective measures of civic governance is the use of authority and how institutional members are going to establish a stable society based on rules and regulations. Good governance mainly related to civic society in any country is related to ensure security of the citizens and a promise to provide a conducive environment to lead the country towards progress. Unfortunately, since independence, in 71 years, Pakistan could not able to attain good governance framework due to unsustainable government regimes and constant corruption which led the country towards enormous debt crisis along with social, political and economic issues. This paper focuses mainly on the factors which are causing hindrance in achieving good governance at societal level in Pakistan. It has become important to address the issues in society of Pakistan because a good civic society lays the foundation for the strong economic prosperity of anycountry. One of the most detrimental factor has been never ending corruption, absence of accountability in institutions, nepotism. All these main horrors related to the bad governance has led to the incessant issues in the society of Pakistan like illiteracy, unemployment, environmental issues, injustice, derailed structure of educational and health institutions which have resulted into societies deprived of basic facilities of schools, hospitals, clean water to drink etc. This paper will try to address the solution how government of Pakistan can determine the sustainable and flourishing lifestyle for the civil society as this very society works as a bridge for political and social interaction. This paper will follow a qualitative methodology in which in-depth comparative analysis will be made between good and bad governance in Pakistan. Moreover it will also enable solutions for how such menaces can be removed from the country in an effective and concrete manner
The Socialist Sufi of Sindh: Social Justice and Radical Democracy in 17th Century Sindh
No full textSufi Shah Inayat Shaheed (1655-1718) and his movement symbolized social justice, civil liberties and radical democracy at a crucial time in the Indian subcontinent, when the Mughal Empire was crumbling and such values were non-existent, in that the majority of the Sufis of Sindh had abandoned the preaching and practice of social justice and had become pure worldly landlords. However Shah Inayat was neither one of the traditional Sufis who rather than changing the conditions preach patience and contentment; nor was he amongst those religious scholars according to whom the equal distribution of wealth was the foundation of „Muhammadan equality‟. His slogan was „Jeko Khere So Khaye‟ (He Who Tills has the Right to Eat) i.e. his firm belief was that the fundamental demand of „Muhammadan equality‟ is that farming should be done on collective principles, everyone should participate equally in the productive process and distribute the product amongst each other according to their need. Thus a full 100 years before the birth of Karl Marx; 150 years before the adventof the Paris Commune; 200 years before the advent of the Sindh Hari Tehreek; and 250 years before the advent of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Shah Inayat and his movement symbolized the principles of radical democracy and social justice in practice which became a threat to the ruling Kalhora rulers in Sindh when it successfully set up an agricultural commune in Jhok, and began to spread among many districts of Lower Sindh. Despite the fact that Shah Inayat had tried to make collective farming i.e. socialist method of production and distribution a custom in the era of feudalism, which was far ahead of its time, the experiment ended in defeat. Based on original research and original translations of Persian accounts of the period, the paper explores the singular achievements of Shah Inayat and his movement in fostering a successful example of social justice and radical democracy and evaluates the causes of itssuccess and failure and lessons for the rise and fall of democracy in south Asia, in the past, present and the future in the 21st century. Given that 2018 marks the 300th anniversary of the martyrdom of Shah Inayat and that our history textbooks usually talk ad nauseam about the invasions of Muhammad ibn Qasim, Mahmud Ghaznavi and Ahmad Shah Abdali, this is a timely endeavor to resuscitate and re-emphasize the legacy of Shah Inayat, a son of the soil, with regards to social justice and radical democracy for our new generation in the 21st century
The International Human Right to Health: What does it mean for Municipal Law in Ghana and Pakistan
No full textHealth has universally been recognised as an important dimension of human flourishing. This has been recognised at the global and regional level by protection of the right to health/ health care in international human rights instruments. The content of this right has been explored and explicated within the context of the major international human rights instrument enshrining the right to health. Apart from international human rights instruments, municipal legal systems also recognise the right to health explicitly or tacitly. Ghana and Pakistan have been selected to explore the extent to which the international right to health has been domesticated in both countries. The article also attempts to understand how right-based approach is better than the policy based approach towards healthcare and how positively/effectively it can influence health reforms in the national legal system
President Vs Congress in US Foreign Policy: Cooperation or Confrontation
No full textThe powers to formulate foreign policy had been divided between the president and the Congress with an object to achieve continuity, coherence, and consistency in foreign policy. Both have opportunity to change features of foreign policy, to approach complete process and to execute and implementation of foreign policy. The formation of US foreign policy is more difficult and complex, and the support of these two branches is required for the making of strong and effective foreign policy. Check and balance is the key feature of relations between the President and Congress. This is the most important feature of theUS political system in order to prevent the one organ of Government to become so powerful to impose its hegemony and the domination over the other. The dispersal of power over foreign policy puts a heavy premium on consultation,coordination, and cooperation by these two important organs of US Government
Changing Perspectives of Nigeria Political Development: From militarism to incumbency and godfatherism
No full textNigeria is one of the neo colonial and developing nations of the third world. The military ruled Nigeria between 1966 to 1979; 1984 to 1999. Military dominance in Nigeria politics has in no small measure impacted negatively on the politicaldevelopment of Nigeria. Therefore political development of Nigeria has been going at a snail speed not only due to frequent military incursion in government but also due to many other impediments which include ethnicity, incumbency politics, tenure elongation, godfatherism and poor political orientation The paper which is theoretical and persuasive examined all these factors critically and recommended among other things that National Assembly should pass a law to make elective office a single tenure. The economy of Nigeria should be organized to make it more productive and also to devise a vision of society within which each person can reasonably perceive that equity and social justice are firmly on the national agenda. To eradicate ethnic politics in Nigeria efforts should be made towards equitable distribution of social, political and economic gains of the polity. Finally efforts should be made to enforce the section of the constitution that dwelt on the formation of political parties that are devoid of ethnicity
Religio-Political Movements in the Pashtun Belt-The Roshnites
No full textThe Pashtun belt, encompassing chiefly Eastern Afghanistan and North Western Pakistan, has been, and continues to be, the center of religio-political activity. This article aims at examining these activities in its historical perspectives and has focused on one of the earliest known Movements that sprouted in the region. The first known indigenous religio-political movement of high magnitude started in the area was the Roshnite struggle against 16th century Mughal India. The Movement originated in Mehsud Waziristan (forming part of contemporary tribal areas of Pakistan) and spread into the whole Pashtun regions. Initially aimed at doctrinal reformation, the Movement finally assumed a political character. The leader proclaimed his followers as rightly guided and the nonconformist as outcasts. This resulted in a controversy of high order. The Pashtun society was rent apart and daggers drawn. Hostile Pashtun factions first engaged in acrimony and polemics and eventually began killing in battle-fields. The story of the feuds of this period spreads over more or less a century. The leader of the movement, a religious and mystical practitioner, had a great charm to attract and transform people, but the movement at present times has little tracing. Besides the leader, the chief proponents of the movement were menendowed with literary and intellectual acumen. The combined efforts of the leader and his followers and also the forceful counter-reactionary movement, have enriched Pashtun language and lore. The literature produced during this period presents an interesting reading of the Pashtun history of this time