Election 2013 – A history in the Making
The May 2013 election surfaced as a key milestone on the map of the political history of Pakistan that prompted the transfer of power from one elected civilian government to another, respecting the will of the people of Pakistan. Unlike the two preceding elections in 2002 and 2008 which were characterised by low voter turnout, May 2013 election witnessed an unprecedented voter turnout especially among urban middle class youth and women who for the first time came out of their homes to exercise their right to vote. Other important features of Election 2013 included the proactive role of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), an improved legal framework; a higher level of confidence in the ECP at the national level; a significantly improved voter registration process and Election Day procedures which were observed with some degree of fairness in the urban centres however they were less effectively managed in the rural settings.
SPO Election Cell
Two-Day Consultation on National Human Rights Policy Framework and National Human Rights Defenders’ Mechanism in Pakistan
SPO in collaboration with Ministry of Human Rights (MoHR) and with the financial support of CARE International organized a two day consultation on Human Rights Policy Framework and Human Rights Defenders Mechanism.
ECP urged to shun ‘dictatorial-era’ tactics – April, 5, 2013
KARACHI: Members of the public, civil society, professional bodies and trade unions have expressed their strong disapproval of the tactics being used to push the election process in a certain direction, demanding that no attempt be made by any quarter to vitiate the atmosphere that can lead to subverting the will of the people as the upcoming elections are of crucial importance to the future of the country.
Our battered image: By Naseer Memon
The Christian community experienced another tormenting nightmare some weeks ago when Joseph colony in Lahore was reduced to ashes by an insane mob. While a flurry of belated condemnations from official ramparts followed the incident, it was nothing less than wilfully ignoring a potentially serious situation as the incendiary episode started brewing at least a day before the horror scene occurred.
Workshop on “Promoting Ethical Journalism in Reporting Elections, 2013”
Strengthening Participatory Organization (SPO) organized the workshop on “Promoting Ethical Journalism in Reporting Elections, 2013”in Islamabad.
Insecure aid workers – December 25, 2012
By: Naseer Memon THE Aid Worker Security Report 2012 has grouped Pakistan among the five countries where aid workers face the most attacks.The other four include Afghanistan, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan. The report was released only a few days before the country witnessed the brutal killings of several anti-polio campaign workers in Karachi and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within two days. The reaction of aid agencies like Unicef and the World Health Organisation was the immediate suspension of the immunisation campaign. Pakistan already has an unenviable public image and the country’s security credentials hit rock bottom after the attacks, with such incidents placing more strictures on aid workers. The aforementioned report mentions that a rising trend of attacks on aid workers has been observed globally in recent years. In 2011, a total of 308 aid workers were killed, kidnapped or wounded, which is 340 per cent higher than the number of victims in 2001. The victims include both international and local aid workers. In fact, local aid workers are on the higher side, with 280 cases. According to the report some 72 per cent of cases were reported in the aforementioned five countries — all politically unstable and home to chronic conflicts. Between 2006 and 2010, Pakistan was fifth in the ranking on the number of incidents and sixth in the ranking on murder rates. The grim fact sheet further tarnishes the already battered reputation of the country in the international community.Since 2005 Pakistan has faced disasters of various types, both natural and man-made. Floods over the last few years have particularly exposed the vulnerability of the country in the throes of climate change. These disasters displaced millions of people, triggering humanitarian appeals and attention from the international community. Unfortunately, they coincided with protracted conflicts against militants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which rendered millions of people homeless. Even a highly stable country would be tested by the scale and frequency of such disasters. The international and local humanitarian community has been relentlessly scrambling to provide aid to people in all corners of the country. Despite the absence of exact numbers, it would not be unrealistic to estimate that humanitarian workers in Pakistan are in the thousands, and include countless unpaid community volunteers. Political instability, a fragile law and order situation, frail institutions and sociopolitical polarisation make the country a breeding ground for violent elements. These elements find humanitarian workers ‘soft targets’ because of their ubiquitous presence, especially in far-flung areas. A number of high-profile cases of kidnapping and killing of aid workers occurred in Pakistan in recent years, jeopardising the outreach of humanitarian organisations. A septuagenarian Swedish female social worker was shot in Lahore and passed away in her home country only a few days ago. A British Red Cross worker, Khalil Rasjed Dale, was killed after being kidnapped in Quetta in April. This constrained the Red Cross to scale down its work in the country. In August, the bodies of three Christian aid workers were recovered. They had been working in Mingora. In 2011, Warren Weinstein, chief of a consulting firm, was abducted by unidentified armed men in Lahore. The local staff of humanitarian organisations has not been spared either. Several incidents of kidnapping and killing of local aid workers have also been reported. Such incidents have confined foreign staff of aid agencies to hotels and heavily guarded offices. It has also increased the security cost of aid projects, eating into net resources trickling down to the people. As a result, many international aid agencies have curtailed their foreign staff and at times ceased to operate in certain areas, leaving communities at the mercy of an ineffective government system of rescue and relief. The political situation is another reason behind restrictions on the international aid community. From visa issues to restricted movement, a number of impediments make it difficult for aid workers to perform their duties. Considering the vulnerability of the country to natural disasters and its geo-strategic location, Pakistan can ill afford the brazen targeting of aid workers. The occurrence of more disasters and conflicts cannot be ruled out in the near future. The scale of the risk can be judged from the fact that the Global Climate Risk Index 2013 report has ranked Pakistan as the third most affected country after Thailand and Cambodia due to climate-related disasters. In terms of human development, the crevasse of unmet targets is further widening. The country is ranked at 145 on the Human Development Index. Most of the Millennium Development Goals are far from being met. In the current year Pakistan, Nigeria and Afghanistan jointly shared 97 per cent of the world’s polio cases. The state of human development in Pakistan demands sustained humanitarian support to extricate the country from the quagmire of illiteracy and disease. Sustained aid flow requires robust monitoring by international aid agencies to bridge the gaps in human development. This requires a peril-free environment for aid workers to operate. Crimes against aid workers are being perpetrated by criminal gangs and extremist groups. The conventional solution of providing escorts has not yielded the desired result. Aid agencies avoid accepting escorts as it enhances their visibility, making them further vulnerable. It is a complex situation where conventional solutions cannot deliver. The security framework needs major overhauling to restore the confidence of aid workers who are doing commendable service for the people of Pakistan. Political stability, enforcement of law and better governance are the key ingredients of the solution. Pakistan needs to urgently address the issue of security for aid workers before it is too late. Daily Dawn- 25th December 2012 http://dawn.com/2012/12/25/insecure-aid-workers/
SPO marks Human Rights day – December 10, 2012
SPO organized a roundtable meeting regarding socio-political situation in Balochistan to mark Human Rights Day in Islamabad. Dr. Tufail M khan, Chairperson SPO presided, Naseer Memon Chief Executive SPO welcomed the invitees. Zafarullah Khan, a leading policy analyst, was invited to moderate the discussion. Speakers, participants and the subjects covered are listed below; Dr. Tasnim Ashraf, Dr. Abdul Malik Baloch, Dr. Naimatullah Gichki, Mr. Abdul Khalique Hazara, Mr. Faseeh Iqbal, Adv. Zahoor Shahwani, Dr. Ameer Bakhsh, Mr. Abdul Razzaq Sabir, Mr. Nasrullah Zeray, Ms. Jahanara Tabassum, Ms. Jamila Kazi, Dr. Prof. Karamat Ali, Syed Abid Rizvi, Mr. Mohammad Amin ,Mr. Javed Jabbar ,Dr. Tufail Mohammad Khan,Dr. Taj Baloch,Ms. Rukhshanda Naz, Ms. Farida Tahir Nowsherwani, Ms. Zeenat Yaqoob Yousafzai, Mr. Mukhtiar Chhalgari, Mr. Tanveer Ahmed. Speakers identified the negative impact on the social, cultural and economic aspects of society and called for urgent remedial actions and reforms both by the civil and military institutions under the control of the Federal Government and by the Provincial government. There was complete consensus that while there are some examples of continued functioning of certain institutions and while there is wide-spread demand for quality education, health care and security, in most respects the situation is alarming and deserves concerted and comprehensive improvement. It was agreed that Balochistan has become a subject of regional geo politics and receives global attention and is no longer merely an internal problem. There is still time to stem the decline and to begin altering conditions for the better to fulfill the fundamental human rights of the people of Balochistan who want to build a peaceful, pluralist , democratic Pakistan that respects human dignity and ensures human security. While missing persons, sectarian attacks, kidnappings, targeted killings, corruption and mis- governance in Balochistan are already widely known and reported by media, a great silent tragedy is also unfolding every day directly impacted by the decline of law and order. This tragedy is evident in the virtually non-functional sections of primary education in particular, in public health services, in lack of access to basic infrastructural services by rural as well as several urban settlements, in the disempowered status of the large majority of women in the Province and the dis- engagement of most of the youth from the pursuit of education. Women and children have become the worst victims of continued neglect and worsened conditions. Whereas the maternal mortality rate in Pakistan is about 272 per 100,000 births, the same rate in Balochistan is over 600 per 100,000 births. Doctors have been specially targeted in past two years, eg. 27 killed, 16 kidnapped, 40 tortured and about 100 who have migrated from the province. Along-with the ongoing confrontation with the Provincial government, the health care system is virtually paralyzed. Deep concern was expressed at the freedom being given to religious extremists and to death squads to perpetrate threats and violence as well as conduct killings, kidnappings and destructive actions. SPO will prepare a report for publication and circulation to the Federal and Provincial governments, to the Judiciary, to civil society and to the media. The Express Tribune The Nation Jehan Pakistan Daily Qudrat
AAWAZ Voice and Accountability Programme
AAWAZ Voice and Accountability (V&A) is DFID-funded, five-year long programme, targeted to spread out in approximately 5000 villages and urban communities of 45 districts in Punjab and KP provinces. It aspires to address issues of socio-political and gender marginalization, peace and tolerance and inactive citizen’s demand for social services. Through AAWAZ Voice & Accountability Programme, SPO together with its consortium partners will strengthen citizens’ voices to help them articulate demand for an equitable, inclusive and a meaningful democracy by pressurizing state machinery to respond. The programme, launched in May 2012, is being implemented by a consortium of 5 leading Pakistani NGOs, well skilled at advocacy and research for governance reforms. Aawaz V&A is built on the considerable body of literature and best practices and has been conceived to carry forward the learning of consortium organizations into a large scale multi stakeholder programme. The programme seeks to impact on the promotion of a stable, tolerant, inclusive, prosperous and democratic Pakistan. This will be achieved through the following four outputs: Women’s safe participation in political and public spheres. Peaceful resolution of disputes working together for common solutions. Capacity building of citizens for constructively voicing demands for services and holding government accountable for its performance in service delivery. Improved evidence generated, synthesized, and communicated/championed to political leaders Aawaz V&A promotes establishing and strengthening of community and civil society based structures at village, union council and district levels with manifest 50% membership of women including representation of minority communities and people with disabilities. AAWAZ programme is uniquely positioned to synergize, complement and build on existing similar initiatives with a view to maximizing overall impact of the programme. AAWAZ alone cannot achieve the intended outcome unless it works together with a wide range of actors beyond NGOs to social movements, associations, trade unions, political parties, individual and other actors not normally covered by traditional notions of civil society confined to NGOs alone. Being conscious of the changing configuration of civil society, AAWAZ V&A will seek to forge partnership with the new forces to embed the culture of voice and accountability. As a result of the implementation of this programme, violence against women will become less socially acceptable, the incidence will drop, and women and other excluded groups will be better able to participate safely in politics and in public spaces at local levels, and articulate demands on the issues that affect them. With effective oversight, communities will be better able to resolve disputes peacefully and work together for improved service delivery.