Latest news with #Gillani
Business Recorder
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Gilani reiterates country's commitment to interfaith harmony
ISLAMABAD: Chairman Senate of Pakistan, Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, attended the Inaugural Mass of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV at St Peter's Square, Vatican City, on Sunday. The ceremony marked the formal commencement of Pope Leo XIV's papacy and was witnessed by an estimated 250,000 attendees, including numerous global leaders and dignitaries. Chairman Gillani's presence affirms Pakistan's commitment to interfaith harmony and its respect for the Catholic community worldwide. His participation highlighted Pakistan's dedication to fostering dialogue and mutual understanding among diverse religious traditions. The Inaugural Mass was attended by a distinguished assembly of international figures, including US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Peruvian President Dina Boluarte, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. European royalty, such as King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium and King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain, were also present. Pope Leo XIV, born in Chicago and holding dual US-Peruvian citizenship, is the first pontiff from either nation. In his homily, he emphasized themes of peace, compassion, and unity, reflecting his commitment to addressing global challenges through dialogue and cooperation. During his visit, Chairman Gillani is scheduled to engage in bilateral meetings with Vatican officials and international counterparts to discuss shared interests, including the promotion of peace, protection of minority rights, and the advancement of interfaith collaboration. Pakistan remains steadfast in its advocacy for religious tolerance and coexistence, and Chairman Gillani's participation in this significant event reaffirms the nation's role in promoting global understanding and harmony. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Al Jazeera
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Can Pakistan's new anti-extremism policy defeat rising armed attacks?
Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistan has unveiled a new policy to tackle 'violent extremism' using an unlikely bouquet of tools, including school curriculum changes, religion and social media outreach, in addition to military tactics, at a time when deadly armed attacks are surging. However, many analysts caution that the plan is too ambitious, thin on details and difficult to execute under the overall leadership of an army attuned to using military force as its primary weapon. Some experts argue that the National Prevention of Violent Extremism (NPVE) Policy, as the new plan is called, is in effect 'old wine in a new bottle'. The latest policy, released for public view last week, comes at a time of escalating violence, particularly in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the southwestern province of Balochistan. According to figures from the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), an Islamabad-based think tank, 2024 was the deadliest year in nearly a decade for Pakistan. The data reveals that 2,526 people were killed in attacks last year – including nearly 700 security personnel, more than 900 civilians, and approximately 900 armed fighters. The majority of these attacks were carried out by the Pakistan Taliban, known by the acronym TTP, an armed group ideologically linked to the Taliban in Afghanistan. The TTP has been waging an armed rebellion against Pakistan since its emergence in 2007. While Pakistan has introduced similar anti-extremism frameworks in the past, the new 71-page document [ PDF ], prepared by the National Counter Terrorism Authority – an autonomous government body responsible for intelligence gathering, threat assessments, and counterterrorism strategies – is different, said Dayyab Gillani, NACTA's director of research and development. The key shift, according to him, is that the new policy promotes a 'whole-of-society' strategy to prevent 'violent extremism', including using 'non-kinetic' means. In military terminology, kinetic measures refer to armed force. 'The so-called war on terror has taught us that military operations alone are not a sustainable strategy. Kinetic successes are only temporary, as they fail to eliminate terrorism at its roots,' Gillani told Al Jazeera during a recent interview in Islamabad. 'The causes and drivers of terrorism were never removed, which is why terrorism has resurfaced repeatedly, despite short-term gains.' What does the NPVE Policy say? Gillani, who joined NACTA two years ago, said work on the NPVE originally began in 2019, but political instability delayed its completion until 2024. The policy was approved by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's cabinet in December. The policy presents a '5-R' approach – Revisit, Reach Out, Reduce, Reinforce, and Reintegrate – with a series of 700 corporate-style key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure effectiveness in the short, medium and long term. The first policy action, 'Revisit', focuses on reforming the curriculum and engaging youth and influencers like teachers and religious leaders. 'Reach Out' aims to promote a national narrative through media and by countering hardline narratives on social media. 'We live in the age of social media, which has become a major tool for radicalisation,' Gillani said. 'This necessitates a revamped communication strategy.' 'We must foster a culture of tolerance, acceptance, and inclusion, where people respect social, political, and religious differences without resorting to violence,' he added. 'Reduce' targets youth and women through peace initiatives and research on women's roles in armed rebellion. 'Reinforce' seeks to promote peace and tolerance through arts, culture, and scientific innovation. The final policy action, 'Reintegrate', involves de-radicalisation, rehabilitation, and reconciliation programmes for former fighters and conflict-affected communities. 'A state's fundamental responsibility towards its citizens is to provide care for them. Non-kinetic measures, which are empathetic in nature and approach, is what the government needs to focus on in order to counter extremism,' Gillani said. Military operations and old policies Pakistan has faced two decades of armed violence and has launched multiple military operations to combat armed groups. Following the 9/11 attacks and the subsequent United States invasion of Afghanistan, Pakistan became a refuge for Taliban leaders and al-Qaeda members fleeing Afghanistan. After the TTP gained ground in Pakistan, the army launched several campaigns to eradicate them and regain control of the territory. However, it was not until the 2014 attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar, in which more than 140 children were killed, that the government formulated a National Action Plan (NAP) – one of its first formal frameworks to counter armed rebellion. Similar policies have since been launched and updated. But Gillani argued that these previous policies were 'reactive' and primarily focused on kinetic measures, making the NPVE's preventive and community-based approach unique. 'Community engagement is critical to success. Kinetic measures leave lasting scars on communities that have suffered violence,' he said. 'That's why we emphasise prevention.' Policy implementation challenges But while analysts acknowledge that the NPVE strikes a balance between military and non-military strategies — at least on paper — they warn that the policy's ambitious scope poses implementation challenges. 'Pakistan has a history of well-intentioned policies failing due to poor implementation. The success of this policy depends on whether the state ensures its proper execution,' said Abdul Basit, a research fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. Similar concerns were raised by Iftikhar Firdous, co-founder of The Khorasan Diary, a platform tracking regional security. 'This policy acknowledges that intellectual capital is as crucial as military action, as ideologies are often more influential than weapons. However, the policy's implementation framework lacks the rigour required to achieve its objectives,' said Firdous, who is based in Peshawar. At the heart of those implementation challenges is a central question: Who gets to execute the policy? Civilian vs military control Although NACTA is a civilian institution, Pakistan's security policies have historically been dominated by its powerful military, which has ruled the country directly for more than three decades and continues to wield significant influence even over civilian governments. 'At a time when the military's rapid influence in almost all aspects of society is visible, NACTA is no exception, so when a non-militarised framework to deal with violent extremism is carried out by the military, who can guarantee its success?' Basit, the Singapore-based academic, said. Firdous concurred that military oversight over the policy would raise concerns. 'How can NACTA operate effectively if it is perceived to be encroaching on the jurisdiction of other law enforcement agencies? Can a civilian-led NACTA be accepted in a system dominated by the military? These are crucial questions that need to be answered for consensus building and for implementing the policy,' he added. Rohan Gunaratna, a professor of security studies at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, argued that the new policy also suffers from another flaw. It is crucial for Pakistan to develop 'tailored policy options' that cater to the specific needs of each group of the society, he said. 'While the NPVE Policy can serve as a comprehensive guideline, it requires region-specific models to address the unique challenges faced by different groups and regions,' Gunaratna told Al Jazeera. 'A one-size-fits-all approach won't work.'
Express Tribune
09-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
'I cannot bear the sound of an ambulance'
In a heart-wrenching appearance on Zabardast With Wasi Shah, actor Mohsin Gillani was overcome with tears as he opened up about his grief over the death of his beloved daughter Fatima, who succumbed to post-labour complications in 2018 after the birth of her baby. Recalling that he was shooting his drama Ghughi at the time, Gillani said he had already pencilled in some time off from shooting so he could visit Fatima at what should have been a happy occasion for her delivery. However, shortly after Fatima gave birth to her baby daughter, the actor said her condition began to deteriorate. "My daughter held my hand and said to me, 'I think I am dying.' How are you meant to react when your own daughter is saying these words to you?" he said. Lost in the harrowing memory, Gillani added that shortly after Fatima had been taken away on a stretcher, he was summoned to a doctor's office, where the news was broken to him that his daughter had passed away. "People had already been distributing mithai after the birth of my granddaughter, and then we had to call them to share this awful news," said Gillani, overcome by the cruel irony. He added that in their grief, the family almost forgot Fatima's newborn baby at the nursery, and only went back to fetch her after a gentle reminder from hospital staff. Recounting the traumatic 10-hour drive from Islamabad to Multan, with an ambulance travelling side by side carrying his daughter's body, Gillani said the impact of that day would never leave him or his wife and younger daughter. "To this day, I cannot bear the sound of an ambulance, and my wife and daughter cannot travel by motorway," he said. "How can you get past these things in life?" Gillani went on to say that his son-in-law – who is also his nephew – honoured Fatima by naming her baby Syeda Fatima. "But at first, I could not even bear to say my granddaughter's name," added the actor, succumbing to tears during the interview. The death of his daughter left its mark on his professional life too. "When I resumed shooting, there was this scene where my onscreen daughter was getting married – I have to credit Asma Abbas for helping me get through that," he shared. "Afterwards, I had trouble memorising dialogue, and could only get past it when I reminded myself that so many other people in my family are relying on my work." Gillani has previously gone on record to share the aftermath of his daughter's death, and his latest interview is a harrowing reminder that a parent's grief remains lifelong.
Express Tribune
09-02-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Regional legislative cooperation pledged
LAHORE: The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) South-East Asia Regions Joint Conference concluded at the Punjab Assembly with the adoption of the "Lahore Charter", a framework aimed at strengthening regional cooperation, democratic governance, and legislative collaboration. Acting President of Pakistan, Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani, addressing the closing ceremony, emphasised that it is the responsibility of parliaments to bridge differences, enact laws catering to public needs, and promote cooperation, flexibility, and equality. He stressed that no single institution can tackle the challenges of the future alone. The conference, attended by over 100 representatives from 22 legislatures, including 12 speakers, 4 deputy speakers and delegations from Sri Lanka, the Maldives, the United Kingdom, Zambia, Malaysia and Pakistan, provided a platform to shape governance models in response to 21st-century challenges. Gillani stated that the discussions held during the conference must now translate into legislation, cooperation frameworks, and long-term regional strategies. He asserted that modern governance demands innovation and partnership, and the Lahore Charter would serve as a cornerstone for regional cooperation. Additionally, he highlighted the need for empowering local governments to ensure sustainable and effective public services. Speakers, presiding officers, and delegates from the CPA branches of Asia and South-East Asia unanimously adopted the Lahore Charter, reaffirming their commitment to parliamentary democracy, constitutional supremacy, and inclusive growth. The charter recognises the crucial role of parliaments in ensuring accountability, advancing rights, and addressing regional challenges such as climate change, socio-economic inequalities, and technological advancements. The document outlined commitments to strengthening parliamentary oversight, enhancing local governance, developing legislative measures to combat climate change, promoting responsible use of artificial intelligence, tackling misinformation, addressing healthcare and education disparities, ensuring greater representation of marginalized groups, and fostering inter-parliamentary collaboration. A significant outcome of the conference was the National Assembly of Pakistan being declared the Permanent Regional Secretariat for CPA Asia. Delegates congratulated Pakistan on this achievement, emphasizing the country's role in strengthening regional parliamentary cooperation. Earlier in the day, a session on "Strengthening Local Governance: Legislative Pathways for Effective Decentralization" was held. Participants highlighted the importance of an empowered local government system as the primary connection between citizens and governance.
