Friends,
I plan to share factual information and perspectives on Conflict, Security and Peacebuilding on Afghanistan and Pakistan regularly. I hope to bring firsthand information by identifying, analyzing and evaluating the root causes of conflict and
its multiple impacts.
AfPak
Most people living there today do not know, what is like to live in peace. They have suffered directly from the multiple impacts of wars, and many more have suffered indirectly in form of bomb blasts, drones attacks,, displacement, disruption of communities.
Unfortunately, peace is not yet attained in Afghanistan though some of the indicators of peace and development such as: boys and girls education, elected Parliament and the Afghan the security sector [National Army and Afghan National Police ] are signs of improvement. The 2014 will be a litmus test for both the Afghans and the US lead NATO how to keep their power via-a-vis Taliban.
Pakistan, the world's second-most-populous multiethnic, Muslim-majority, fragile country, with over 184 million inhabitants continues to struggle against a high poverty rate, violence, terror and insecurity. Pakistan's problems are exacerbated both by military and civilian governments alike. The security and civilian establishment has systemically converted Pakistan into a national security state vis-a-vis its founders' vision of a social welfare Islamic state. Pakistan's security establishment with an army of one million men consists of an army of 600,000 men, armed with nearly one hundred nuclear weapons, consumes 30 percent of the total budget of Rs. 2,960 billion [30.1 US$ approximately]. (Rashid, 2012, p. 24-25). The army is obsessed with India-centric enmity and has made Pakistan an "abnormal state that uses jihadi groups and non-state actors in addition to diplomacy to pursue its defence and foreign policies (Rashid, 2012, p. 27)".
I hope to closely monitor how the new parliament dominated by the center-right Pakistan Muslim League led by Nawaz Sharif and the Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf (Justice party) led by cricketer turned politician Imran Khan deal with the fragile peace, security and shabby economy of Pakistan (both parties came into power as a result of 11 May 2013 elections).
Most people living there today do not know, what is like to live in peace. They have suffered directly from the multiple impacts of wars, and many more have suffered indirectly in form of bomb blasts, drones attacks,, displacement, disruption of communities.
Unfortunately, peace is not yet attained in Afghanistan though some of the indicators of peace and development such as: boys and girls education, elected Parliament and the Afghan the security sector [National Army and Afghan National Police ] are signs of improvement. The 2014 will be a litmus test for both the Afghans and the US lead NATO how to keep their power via-a-vis Taliban.
Pakistan, the world's second-most-populous multiethnic, Muslim-majority, fragile country, with over 184 million inhabitants continues to struggle against a high poverty rate, violence, terror and insecurity. Pakistan's problems are exacerbated both by military and civilian governments alike. The security and civilian establishment has systemically converted Pakistan into a national security state vis-a-vis its founders' vision of a social welfare Islamic state. Pakistan's security establishment with an army of one million men consists of an army of 600,000 men, armed with nearly one hundred nuclear weapons, consumes 30 percent of the total budget of Rs. 2,960 billion [30.1 US$ approximately]. (Rashid, 2012, p. 24-25). The army is obsessed with India-centric enmity and has made Pakistan an "abnormal state that uses jihadi groups and non-state actors in addition to diplomacy to pursue its defence and foreign policies (Rashid, 2012, p. 27)".
I hope to closely monitor how the new parliament dominated by the center-right Pakistan Muslim League led by Nawaz Sharif and the Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf (Justice party) led by cricketer turned politician Imran Khan deal with the fragile peace, security and shabby economy of Pakistan (both parties came into power as a result of 11 May 2013 elections).
Afghanistan
Pakistan
New Government in Pakistan
Your inputs and suggestions are highly welcomed. It will enable me
to improve my work and provide you the information the way you want to be presented.
Together, we build trusted relationship for building peace
in our global community.
Peace,
Jahan Zeb
Candidate for the Master of Peace & Conflict Studies
(2013)
University of Waterloo’s Conrad Grebel University College
Twitter: @jahanzebca
jahanzebca@gmail.com
