How data can help protect workers’ health and lives

How data can help protect workers’ health and lives

Dr. Francisco Santos-O'Connor

This year’s World Day for Safety and Health at Work focuses on the critical need for countries to improve their capacity to collect and utilize reliable occupational safety and health data. Dr. Francisco Santos-O'Connor (ILO Senior Specialist in Occupational Safety and Health – OSH for Asia) explains the importance of optimizing the collection and use of these data.

According to the latest ILO estimates, 1.4 million work-related deaths occur annually in Asia and the Pacific out of the 2.3 million worldwide. This means the region accounted for 70 percent of the global fatal occupational accidents and 60 percent of the work-related fatal diseases. Most work-related deaths and non-fatal accidents occur in low- and middle-income countries of the region.

However, in reality, the situation in Asia-Pacific could be even worse as the problem can only be estimated due to the lack of data.

Challenges in collecting OSH data that is accurate, comparable and timely hinder the analysis of scope, nature, causes and impact of occupational accidents and disease.

Official reporting requirements are based on multiple criteria which change over time and do not cover all categories of workers (such as self-employed and informal workers).

In fact, no country reports all work-related diseases. Even countries with well-established reporting practices often do not report all cases, particularly non-fatal injuries or occupational diseases. Therefore, official figures provide only a partial assessment of the situation which to date can be only estimated.

Yet, such information and analysis are pivotal for devising effective and evidence-based policies and preventive measures both at country and enterprise levels. 

Improved OSH data can help secure working environments for all workers. It draws attention on high-risk activities and most vulnerable categories of workers. It enables labor inspectorates to carry out their preventive mandate by It gives countries the means to monitor and assess the needs for and the impact of their OSH policies.

Over the past century, measures have been developed to improve OSH reporting and new technologies can facilitate access to timely sources of information on occupational safety and health data.

The ILO and its member States started to work on improving OSH data comparability in 1923 when industrial accident statistics were placed on the agenda of the First International Conference of Labour Statisticians. Moreover, ILO-OSH Conventions require ratifying member States to establish mechanisms to collect reliable OSH data and the ILO has also developed tools to support this work. 

Contributing to the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 8

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development calls on countries to collect, utilize and report OSH data as a means to measure progress in protecting labor rights and promoting safe and secure working environments for all workers. 

Countries have the primary responsibility for follow-up and review of the progress made in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will require quality and accessible data collection. Regional follow-up and review will be based on national-level analyses and contribute to follow-up and review at the global level.  

The ILO works to promote a culture of prevention on OSH to protect all workers’ health and lives. It can be achieved with the joint commitment of governments, workers, and employers, and with accurate, comparable and timely data.

The writer is the ILO’s Senior Specialist in Occupational Safety and Health – OSH for Asia

Pakistani-American Expert Supports Pakistan’s Knowledge Economy and Intellectual Property Rights

Pakistani-American Expert Supports Pakistan’s Knowledge Economy and Intellectual Property Rights on Embassy Sponsored Tour of Pakistan

Al-Bab Report

Islamabad, April 28, 2017 – Emphasizing the link between protecting intellectual property and economic growth, Pakistani-American attorney, and patent expert Haris Bajwa met this week with students and entrepreneurs in Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi.  Bajwa’s visit, which is part of the U.S. Embassy’s 2017 Entrepreneurship Speaker Series, coincided with World Intellectual Property Day, April 26.

Bajwa, who has spent more than a decade developing and defending patents for companies such as Google and Samsung, advised early stage Pakistani entrepreneurs, small business owners, and engineering students on protecting their innovations from theft by competitors, and building market value through the development of new products and industrial processes.    He also participated in panel discussions that highlighted the important role of intellectual property rights to the innovation process, highlighting the success of export-oriented firms in Sialkot.

“Pakistan has highly talented engineers and entrepreneurs, who need strong intellectual property rights to build the knowledge economy of the future,”   Bajwa opined.  “It’s exciting to learn about the tremendous potential of Pakistan’s tech sector, which will grow rapidly as the government adopts policies that support an effective intellectual property regime.”   

During his visit, Bajwa spoke to audiences at venues including the National Incubation Center, the National University of Sciences and Technology, The Nest in Karachi, and the University of Engineering and Technology in Lahore. 

In the coming months, the U.S. Embassy Entrepreneurship Speaker Series will sponsor additional programs to support Pakistani entrepreneurs focused on topics such as marketing and curriculum development.

Various U.S. Embassy programs assist Pakistani entrepreneurs by increasing their access to financial resources, supporting opportunities for entrepreneurship education, and nurturing an entrepreneurial culture, including the United States Agency for International Development’s Pakistan Private Investment Initiative, which will make over $100 million in equity capital available to Pakistan’s dynamic and fast-growing small and medium-sized businesses.

Balochistan Basic Education Programme Launched

Al-Bab Report

Quetta: Balochistan Basic Education Programme (BBEP) was launched in a ceremony held at a local hotel of Quetta, on Wednesday.

Governor Balochistan, Muhammad Khan Achakzai, was the Chief Guest of the ceremony. EU Ambassador to Pakistan Jean-Francois CAUTAIN and Provincial Minister Education Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal were amongst the guest of honors.

Speaking at the occasion, EU Ambassador to Pakistan said that EU puts great emphasis on equitable and quality learning opportunities. In Pakistan, Education is one of the key priorities of EU and 32% of the Multi-Annual Indicative Programme 2014-20 is earmarked for Education Sector.

Mr. Jean-Francois CAUTAIN further added that key focus of EU in Balochistan education sector is on Balochistan Examination and Assessment Commission (BEAC), Teachers Performance, Education Management Information System (EMIS) and Education planning and management at district level.

“We are looking forward to continuing our support to Government of Balochistan in improving education access and quality,” concluded Mr. CAUTAIN.

Balochistan Basic Education Programme

This program is funded by EU and will be implemented by UNICEF in collaboration with Government of Balochistan. Under this program EMIS cells will be established in 100 clusters and Continuous Professional Development (CPD) training will be provided to 3,000 teachers across the province.

The new website of EMIS is also launched under this program which will be used to allow the public to hold education department and donor agencies accountable for the education system in Balochistan.

US Embassy Donates Bomb Protection Suits

US Embassy Donates Bomb Protection Suits, Medical Equipment to Pakistani Law Enforcement Agencies

Al-Bab Report

Islamabad, April 27, 2017 –High ranking Pakistani police and emergency response officials received state of the art bomb protection suits, bomb disposal kits, and emergency medical supplies in an event at Islamabad Police lines HQ today.  The donations were provided by the U.S. Department of State’s Anti-Terrorism Assistance (ATA) program, which provides training and equipment to law enforcement personnel throughout the world.  The ATA has partnered with Pakistani law enforcement agencies at the provincial and federal level since 2003 to strengthen Pakistan’s counter-terrorism capabilities and donated approximately $3.3 million USD in equipment to Pakistan since the inception of the program. 

The event was presided over by IG Islamabad Police Khaled Khattak, with the US Embassy represented by Regional Security Officer Steve Jones.  During the ceremony, Jones remarked, “The United States stands with the people of Pakistan in their fight against terrorism.  This equipment will protect the courageous Pakistani bomb disposal police that is on the front lines in protecting Pakistan from militant attacks.” 

The equipment handed over at the ceremony includes three bomb protection suits and bomb disposal kits, which will be used by the provincial police forces of Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and Punjab.  Since 2003, ATA has donated more than 40 bomb protection suits to Pakistan.  In addition, Rescue 1122 received medical equipment, including “jaws of life” and first responders' medical kits for use in response to natural disasters and other emergencies. 

A strategic shift in Afghanistan

A strategic shift in Afghanistan

Dr. Jassim Taqui

It is all happening in Afghanistan following the US escalation of the military operations there.

First, the Trump administration refused to attend the Moscow moot on 14 April 2017 that was held to find a negotiated settlement to the Afghan civil war. It was a clear indication that the Pentagon was favoring a military option to defeat Taliban. The CIA revived the drone war. In addition, the US forces in Afghanistan used the Mother of All Bombs to give a clear indication that the new strategy is now in action. The strategy clearly relies on using destructive weapons, drones and a new military technology. Furthermore, the Trump administration asked the Congress for approval of sending 5000 additional US troops to defeat Taliban.

The result is alarming. Taliban fighters hit where it hurts. They conducted one of the largest attacks on a military base in Mazar Sharif, killing at last 140 soldiers and wounding 160 others. Significantly, the targeted base is responsible for the security in nine of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces.

It was Taliban’s answer to the use of the Mother of All Bombs and challenging the military professionalism and effectiveness of the entire force. It was The Mother of All Attacks, signaling a strategy of confronting the US and NATO superior military force by suicide bombers and “ inside support” deep inside the military bases in Afghanistan.

The new strategy is aimed at demoralizing the Afghan National Army and Police, creating power erosion and extending control on more Afghan provinces. Already, the group controls more than half of the country.

In recent years, Taliban carried out multiple of attacks on government buildings, including the parliament, sending a clear message to government and its international backers that there is no place in Afghanistan that lies outside Taliban’s reach. 

Kashmir and self-determination

Kashmir and self-determination

Dr. Jassim Taqui

In a brilliant Oxbridge lecture titled” Kashmir,” Mrs. Mushaal Hussein Mullick the spouse of Yasin Malik a freedom fighter and Leader of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front ( JKLF) narrated her own soul touching story of the persecution by the Indian troops in occupied Kashmir.            

Mushaal Hussein Mullick is the Chairperson of Peace and Culture Organization that works for Global Peace and Harmony. She is a freedom fighter, a painter, and poetess.

She started her lecture by quoting poems of Gulzar describing Kashmir as a land of love, destiny, soul, faith, and freedom.

She read in Urdu another poem of Ghalib describing the Valley of Kashmir as a dreamland, serenity, and the story of the future.

Mullick presented a detailed picture of the atrocities of the Indian troops against women, children and freedom fighters who only demand the implementation of the UN resolutions on the right of the people of Kashmir to self-determination.

She described the revolution of the people of Kashmir as a legitimate revolt that is based on UN resolutions. She appealed to the peace and freedom loving nations to intervene to stop the ethnic cleansing of the Muslims of Kashmir and the systematic killing of a large number of Kashmiris in a bid to change the demography of Kashmir and ultimately to convert it into a Hindu state.

Mullick narrated the horrific stories of molesting and raping little Kashmiri girls stating that BJP was literally butchering the Kashmiris.

In a questions-answers session, the audience expressed full sympathy and solidarity with her noble cause and called for international protection of women and children in conflict regions. In the process, Mullick also highlighted her sympathy with the Palestinian people in occupied Palestine.

In his words of thanks, the Secretary General of Oxbridge Dr. Irshad Ullah- Khan described the lecture as brilliant. He asked the Western nations to intervene since the escalation of tension in Kashmir could lead to the eruption of a nuclear war between Pakistan and India. He warned that if India and Pakistan used about 500 nuclear bombs in their arsenal, the world would end.

Khan stated that Oxbridge would send a video of the lecture to all embassies accredited to Pakistan so that they could understand the gravity of the situation in occupied Kashmir.

Justice can wait

Justice can wait

Dr. Jassim Taqui

The people could not believe the judgment of the Supreme Court, which almost acquitted the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of massive corruption and money laundering. The three judges could not see the elephant in the room, which was spotted by the two authors of the minority judgment.

And in their infinite wisdom, the judges allowed Nawaz Sharif to continue as prime minister and to also constitute the JIT. Thus he has become a Supremo and the sole authority to further investigate the money transaction from Qatar and London. Hence, Nawaz Sharif is acting both as an accused and prosecutor.

The greatest surprise is that the Supreme Court ignored the written confession of the Finance Minister Ishaq Dar that he himself was responsible for laundering the dirty money of Sharif brothers. The confession was produced with the handwriting of Dar who volunteered to give also the secret account and fake account holders of the laundered money. Nobody could have forced him to disclose all these facts.

Nawaz Sharif is known by his method of winning the judges. When the former Chief Justice of Pakistan Sayed Sajjad Ali Shah summoned him in November 1997 to explain his position on corruption charges, he simply refused. And when the Chief Justice served him with the contempt of court notice, Nawaz Sharif ordered his party and the Punjab police to storm the Supreme Court of Pakistan on 21^st November 1997. The BBC showed live the PML(N) mob, which was led by Mushahid Hussain Sayed storming the Supreme Court.

Nawaz Sharif went further when he assigned his brother Shahbaz Sharif the mission of buying the judges to unjustly and arrogantly dismiss the Chief Justice of Pakistan in December 1997.

In 1997, the Sharif brothers humiliated the entire people of Pakistan by disgracing the Supreme Court.  In 2017, they combine to kill justice and to legalize corruption and money laundering. And their notion is that justice can wait. 

ILO and improving core Labor in Pakistan

Tripartite consultation workshop on improving compliance with and reporting of Core Labour Standards

Al-Bab Report

Lahore, 20 April 2017: - The International Labour Organization (ILO) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development MoOPHRD) organized a tripartite consultation workshop to contribute to greater understanding of the core international labor standards (ILS). The workshop was organized within the framework of projects on Labour Standards financed by the European Union. The Standards discussed at the workshop, which was held in Lahore 17-19 April, concerned Child Labour, Forced Labour, Freedom of Association/Collective Bargaining & Non-Discrimination and Equality in Employment and Occupation.

The workshop aimed at creating awareness about ILO’s Labour Standard setting processes and supervisory systems and helped the Provincial Tripartite Consultative Committee (PTCC) members from Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and representatives from Gilgit-Baltistan and the Islamabad Capital Territory to continue discussing the legal, institutional and administrative reforms required for strengthening the labour market governance in the country. The workshop was attended by more than 30 participants. It was the third of its kind, following an earlier Consultation in Islamabad on 17-18 January 2017 in which the Provinces presented their progress and flagged the issues relevant to labor legislation and the corresponding enforcement of labor laws and a workshop in Karachi 8-10 February, wherein the PTCCs from Sindh and Baluchistan participated.

Mr. Suhail Aamir, Federal Secretary, Ministry of OPHRD, while speaking at the inaugural session of the workshop welcomed the ILO’s support, saying that “these workshops are providing opportunity to federal and provincial governments to analyse labour market governance and plan improvements with reference to the core ILO Conventions and related labour laws regime in Pakistan. This is important for the country, particularly in terms of sustaining the increased economic gains from the Generalised System of Preferences Plus (GSP+) which allows increased access to several eligible categories of Pakistani products through incentives of duty-free exports to EU markets from 1st January 2014 for ten years term. The scheme is conditional upon Pakistan to ensure compliance with 27 International Treaties on human and labor rights, governance, and environment; including the eight Core Labour Standards.

Mr. Majyd Aziz, President, Employers Federation of Pakistan emphasised the need for bettering the compliance and reporting of Core Labour Standards as a matter of priority, besides the fiscal and energy reforms that are required for Pakistan’s potential increase of export and especially continuity of GSP+, which hinges on the effective compliance of the core labour standards.

Mr. Zahoor Awan, General Secretary, Pakistan Workers Federation, while speaking at the occasion, called on the provincial and national governments to urgently bring labor legislation in conformity with ILS. Moreover, the governments have to adopt necessary measures to strengthen institutional mechanisms to effectively address the violation of workers’ rights and implement labor laws to arrest widening gaps in establishing decent work.

ILO’s Country Director, Ms. Ingrid Christensen, welcomed the participants and re-affirmed that ILO would keep supporting the federal and provincial governments and social partners in their journey towards fostering decent work and as part of this, bettering the labor market governance. She also hinted that the outcome of these provincial workshops would be presented at a roundtable conference in Islamabad and from there it would feed into a national Labour Protection Framework that MOPHRD is taking the lead on with technical support from ILO. 

UN Habitat and Pak urbanization

Provincial governments express support to get accurate knowledge of urbanization”

Al-Bab Report

Islamabad – April 20, 2017: Following on from the highly attended press event held last year, a validation meeting of experts working on the national State of Pakistani Cities report was held by UN-Habitat in Islamabad today to mark the culmination of provincial consultative meetings held throughout the country. Data for the State of Pakistan’s Cities Report has been compiled with full support from all the provinces of the country and they have expressed their intention to produce the State of Provincial Cities Reports as well. In addition, the consultations have reaffirmed the support of all Provinces for increased public participation and for their plans to take greater account of environmental concerns and be more inclusive particularly in addressing the needs of women, youth and the disabled. Spearheaded by the Ministry of Climate Change (MoCC) with technical assistance of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and funded by the Government of Australia, the report will support planners, administrators, and decision makers by provision of information to help them design effective urban solutions without leaving out vital segments of urban society.

Mr. Syed Abu Akif, Secretary for Ministry of Climate Change in his keynote message highlighted that “Urbanization is one of the key challenges faced by Pakistan today, but it also offers greater opportunities which can be tapped through calculated measures. However, insufficient knowledge of the urban dynamics is resulting in lack of timely service delivery, resource allocation, and urban solutions by cities’ authorities. To tackle this issue, the Government of Pakistan is spearheading the development of the State of Pakistan Cities’ Report, with support from all the provinces, to present a well-informed analysis of the state of urbanization across Pakistan comprising of economic alongside social, demographic, political and cultural aspects. This data will be vital for planners, policy makers and legislators in responding to the urbanization challenge.”

The validation meeting brought forward interesting findings presented in the provincial meetings. It highlighted that with the exception of Quetta where joint and extended families still prevail, the average household size has decreased in all the other cities, suggesting a trend towards smaller families. Another trend that emerged was that women’s participation rate in the labour force in all ten cities has increased.  Moreover, those unable to find jobs in rural areas and those looking for better opportunities continue to be accommodated in the cities in increasing numbers.  It is not only the existing cities that are growing but more settlements are becoming urbanised, particularly along the transport routes emanating from the cities. It was hence validated that for cities to be able to perform as engines of growth, more emphasis will have to be put on enabling strategies that provide better housing, infrastructure, and access to finance.

The State of Pakistan Cities Report will provide urban information and updated data on first level major cities of Pakistan, establish appropriate key urban indicators and baselines, analyse development trends and challenges and present potentials for investment and growth. It will build the capacity of relevant stakeholders for evidence-based decision making and monitoring in urban sector. The report will have an extensive policy impact created at city, provincial, and national levels particularly in relation to urban service delivery, land and housing, role of cities in economic development, including their potential growth capacities and challenges, and will support the implementation of the 2030 Development Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 11 on sustainable cities and communities, as well as the New Urban Agenda.

WFP and disaster management

Community-based Disaster Risk Management and School Safety Programmes launched in Balochistan

QUETTA - The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) - Balochistan in collaboration with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and Focus Humanitarian Assistance (FOCUS) Pakistan launched two new programmes aimed at reducing the risks posed by natural disasters in Balochistan – Community Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) and School Safety programmes. 

The Royal Norwegian Embassy (RNE) has provided the financial support for the implementation of these projects in two hazard-prone districts Nasirabad and Jaffarabad of Balochistan. WFP’s CBDRM and school safety programs will benefit as many as 6,546 people including school children, teachers, school safety committees, local community members, trainers, local and district government officials from 40 schools in 14 villages in two selected districts. The program initiatives will also benefit more than 3,000 community members by increasing their knowledge on minimizing loss of lives and properties during disasters or emergencies.

In addition, WFP will provide school safety kits; search and rescue kits; first aid kits; and information, education and communication material, including a students’ learning booklet, a teachers’ guidebook and flip charts of major hazards, to all selected schools and local communities to create awareness on disaster preparedness and response.

The launch ceremony was attended by the Minister Education - Mr. Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal, the Minister Planning and Development- Dr. Hamid Khan Achakzai, the Minister for Home & Tribal Affairs, Prison and PDMA, the Director General (DG) PDMA- Balochistan - Muhammad Tariq, WFP Pakistan Head of Policy and Programme - Mr. William Affif and WFP Provincial Head-Quetta Office- Ms. Ilaria Martinatto, the FOCUS Pakistan - Nawab Ali Khan, representative from disaster risk management authorities, education department, INGOs and media.

The chief guest at the occasion, the honorable Minister Education Mr. Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal said that the “Government of Balochistan is working to improve the lives of the people through providing basic necessities of life including food, education, shelter etc. The Government is also working to raise awareness among the communities to prevent them from natural disasters, with its partners including UN agencies, INGOs/NGOs, and research institutions. The Government welcomes the launching of the United Nations World Food Programme’s CDBRM and school safety programs in Balochistan”.

Speaking on the occasion, the Director General PDMA - Muhammad Tariq said that “the Government of Balochistan is working together with its partners to minimize risks to human lives during disasters. There is a dire need to spread the CBDRM and School Safety programs across the province”.

WFP Pakistan Head of Policy and Programme Mr. William Affif said that “Pakistan has suffered from consecutive natural disasters and emergencies in the recent past including devastating earthquakes and flooding, causing the unfortunate loss of human as well as to the animal lives. These losses can be minimized by educating the people on disaster risk management and disaster response strategies”. He also said that “WFP Pakistan is working together with the Government of Pakistan and other partners to extend its support to implement specially designed CBDRM and School Safety programs for the local communities in Balochistan”.

Nawab Ali Khan, Chief Executive Officer, FOCUS highlighted the importance of these initiatives in Pakistan as the communities living in hazard-prone areas are suffering from natural disasters like earthquake, floods and land sliding etc. for the last couple of years. He further added that “disaster risk management is a shared responsibility and this partnership in between agencies is a source to play our roles in creating a safer habitat in hazard-prone areas to ensure safer generations”.

The Norwegian Embassy in Islamabad is pleased to have contributed to the School Safety Program in Balochistan. “We congratulate the NDMA, PDMA Balochistan, WFP and FOCUS on the launch. As a long term development partner of Pakistan, it is important for the government and people of Norway to help Pakistan prepare for and cope with a variety of natural disasters. We believe that a smart and efficient way of doing this is to teach children and local communities how to reduce risks, act in emergency situations and respond when disaster hits. We hope that this CBDRM project will help the targeted communities reducing their vulnerability to natural disasters”.

The CBDRM and School Safety programs are part of the joint 2017-18 Annual Work Plan Agreements of WFP, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and PDMA and also of the Framework of Cooperation signed between WFP and NDMA for 2016-18. These two programs have already been launched in districts Tharparkar and Sanghar of Sindh as well as in districts Shangla and Chitral in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

General H. R. McMaster Traveled to Pakistan

U.S. National Security Advisor Lieutenant General H. R. McMaster

Traveled to Pakistan

Al-Bab Report

Islamabad, April 17, 2017 – U.S. National Security Advisor (NSA) Lieutenant General H. R. McMaster departed Pakistan today after productive meetings with his excellency Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi and National Security Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd.) Nasser Khan Janjua.

General McMaster expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s democratic and economic development and stressed the need to confront terrorism in all its forms.  The two sides discussed a range of bilateral and regional issues.  This was General McMaster’s first visit to Pakistan in his role as National Security Advisor.  The visit was a part of regional consultations that included a stop in Kabul.

UNICEF on child killings in Syria

Statement by Anthony Lake, UNICEF Executive Director, on reported child killings in Syria

Al-Bab Report

NEW YORK/DAMASCUS/AMMAN, 16 April 2017 – “After six years of war and human carnage in Syria ... six years of heartbreak for so many Syrian families... there comes a new horror that must break the heart of anyone who has one. More than 60 children reportedly killed in an attack on a bus convoy yesterday outside Aleppo. A convoy of families who for so long had already known so much suffering. Now the survivors must bear such a new and terrible loss.

“We must draw from this not only anger, but renewed determination to reach all the innocent children throughout Syria with help and comfort. And draw from it also the hope that all those with the heart and the power to end this war will do so.”

South Asian nuclear doctrine and the secret plan

South Asian nuclear doctrine and the secret plan

Dr. Jassim Taqui

Celebrating the 4^th anniversary of the establishment of the Strategic Vision Institute (SVI), two brilliant strategic specialists: Dr. Zafar Iqbal Cheema and Ross Masood Hussain combined to produce a bi-monthly seminar on South Asian Nuclear Doctrines: Deterrence, Equilibrium, and Strategic Stability. A galaxy of specialists took part in the seminar including Dr. Zafar Iqbal Cheema, Gen. Sayed Mohammad Owais, Dr. Zafar Nawaz Jaspal, and Dr. Rizwana Abbassi spoke in details about the subject.

It strikes me that Dr. Cheema summarized the outcome of the seminar by stating that an Indian preemptive nuclear strike to cripple Pakistan was rationally impossible due to the capability of Pakistan to launch the second nuclear strike.

Having heard all speeches, opinions and questions-answers session for over three hours, I thought that there was something missing. Suddenly an idea flashed in my mind. I recalled the disintegration of the Soviet Union with over 3000 nuclear bombs like a house of cards in 1991. Hence, I started formulating the CIA model of disintegrating the mighty Soviet Union and the possible Indo-US secret plan to disintegrate Pakistan in the same pattern.

The United State could never have won the Cold War through a preemptive strike or the Nuclear First Use (NFU). Hence, the CIA penetrated the top Soviet leadership and the decision-makers. It cultivated the trio Mikhail Gorbachev, Boris Yeltsin and Edward Shevardnadze who combined to do the job.

Gorbachev was the main culprit through his glasnost (openness) and Perestroika (reconstruction). As the names suggest, the plan was to bring down the Soviet Union and rebuild a new state on the pretext of reviving an “ailing economy,” though Bogachev presented a vague economic reform plan and allowed the drunken Yeltsin to disintegrate the Soviet Union in 1991.

Gorbachev could not explain as for why he replaced the brilliant Andrei Gromyko with Eduard Shevardnadze as Minister of Foreign Affairs even as the former served 28 years in the post. Neither he could justify dumping senior Soviet leaders and replace them with mediocre that culminated to banning the Russian Communist Party.

I remember in 1989, two years before the disintegration of the Soviet Union, I wrote in The Muslim predicting the disintegration. Initially, I was following Shevardnadze’s visit to Israel that created doubt in my mind when he agreed to “unlimited” immigration of the Soviet Jews to Israel in contrast to Helsinki Agreement between Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan. Through conducting research on the idiosyncratic of the trio Gorbachev, Yeltsin, and Shevardnadze, I found some hint of the bigger conspiracy.

I followed also Indo-US secret talks and the anti-Pakistan agreement called “The Vision” during Bill Clinton era. Soon, the secret plan was changed into a public “strategic partnership” and subsequently to the transfer of the US nuclear technology to India.

The Pentagon went wild when it published in its official magazine a map of the disintegration of Pakistan. The Pentagon went to the extent of leaking to the media a plan of seizing the nuclear assets of Pakistan.

Washington brought India to Afghanistan, creating a second anti-Pakistan front.

In more than one occasion, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi proclaimed that he intended to dismember Pakistan as a punishment for alleged Pak support of the Kashmiri people who struggle to exercise their rights to self-determination.

All these facts fit well with the US-Indo secret plan of using the Soviet Model to disintegrate Pakistan as a mean to seize its nuclear assets. 

UN statement on Mardan heinous lynching

UN statement on Mardan heinous lynching

The United Nations family in Pakistan shares the shock of Pakistani’s at the heinous lynching yesterday of a student of Abdul Wali Khan University in Mardan. We are especially saddened this happened in place of education done by young people who were his fellow students.   The brutality of their actions is a discredit to the millions of students in Pakistan working for a better future in the principles of tolerance and social justice central to Pakistan’s constitution and the United Nations.

“Our thoughts today remain with the student victims and their families. We urge the authorities to take firm action and bring the perpetrators to speedy justice. Pakistan has strong legal institutions and it is unacceptable for anyone to take the law into their own hands,” said Neil Buhne, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Pakistan.

UN priority to Migrants and refugees with disabilities

Migrants and refugees with disabilities must be priority in new Global Compact on Migration – UN experts 

Al-Bab Report

      

GENEVA (12 April 2017) – Dedicated human and financial resources must be made available for persons with disabilities in the new global framework on refugees and migrants, UN experts have urged, as an intergovernmental consultation is being launched.

The framework, which is called Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and is due to be adopted in 2018, will set out a range of principles and commitments among governments to enhance coordination on international migration.

“We need to be sure that, when world leaders commit to saving the lives of refugees and migrants, to protecting their rights and to sharing responsibility on a global scale, they don’t forget about persons with disabilities,” said Jose Brillantes, the Chair of the UN Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and members of Their Families.

“We are deeply concerned about the precarious situation of persons with disabilities in the current migration crisis. Many countries lack formal procedures to identify migrants and refugees with disabilities and, consequently, fail to provide them with protection and essential services, such as shelter and medical care that are accessible and responsive to their needs,” said Catalina Devandas Aguilar, the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
 
Currently, the absence of clearly defined disability-inclusive guidelines supported by sufficient funding further contributes to the exclusion of persons with disabilities and their extreme suffering.

“The new Global Compact is a unique opportunity to address the shortcomings of a migration and refugee system built on policies that lack consideration for persons with disabilities. We call on States to ensure the new framework includes dedicated human and financial resources to identify persons with disabilities in reception and detention centres and to provide adequate standards of living and healthcare, including psycho-social support. In addition, special efforts must be made to develop programmes targeting victims of torture and sexually based violence,” said Theresia Degener, the Chair of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

“The development and negotiations of the Global Compact for Migration will dominate the migration and refugee policy agenda for the next two years. Persons with disability and their organizations must be included in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the new framework. This would be truly standing up for the rights of persons with disabilities,” said Mr. Brillantes, Chair of the UN Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and members of Their Families.