November 2017
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SPECIAL FEATURE HH Dr. Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin SLUG 2017 Reg. ss-973 November www.southasia.com.pk The Maryam Factor Another female prime minister of Pakistan is waiting in the wings. Maryam Nawaz is being groomed to lead the country mostly to give INSIDE continuity to the Nawaz Sharif INDIA legacy of political power. Strategic Rethink BANGLADESH Justice Delayed NEPAL Two’s a Crowd INTERNATIONAL SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2015 1 Desire for Change Contents 12 The Dynasty Continues Maryam’s becoming a prime minister would pave the way for her father’s future political continuity. Afghanistan Militia Without a Cause 28 Can the government run an anti-Taliban militia? India Bangladesh 20 Justice Delayed Hills on the Edge The Gorkhas want their The process of justice is a 30 long-drawn affair. own country. Nepal Two’s a Crowd There is no room for more 34 than two major political parties in the land. 40 International Merkel has been re-elected but the road in front of her is littered with obstacles. 4 SOUTHASIA • NOVEMBER 2017 REGULAR FEATURES Editor’s Mail 8 On Record 9 Briefs 10 COVER STORY The Dynasty Continues 12 First by Right 14 The Name that Pulls Votes 16 The Heir Apparent 18 REGION India Hills on the Edge 20 Strategic Rethink 22 Pakistan A Question of Accuracy 24 The Census Mix-up 26 44 Afghanistan Neighbour Militia Without a Cause 28 Climb-back to Bangladesh Democracy Politics in Thailand are in for Justice Delayed 30 yet another twist. Sri Lanka A Society Challenged 32 Nepal Two’s a Crowd 34 Bhutan 56 Towards Mature Elections 36 Violence The Maldives Acid Crimes against Freedom under Trial 38 Women Acid - throwing is INTERNATIONAL another lethal weapon The Right-Wing Flood 40 in the hands of miscreants. Desire for Change 42 NEIGHBOUR Climb-back to Democracy 44 Urban Issues SPECIAL FEATURE Sewer Deaths HH Dr. Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin 47 There is serious concern for sewer workers in India. 54 WATER – CRISIS IN THE MAKING Saving Water Together 52 OPINION The Rohingya Catastrophe 50 FEATURES Urban Issues Sewer Deaths 54 Violence Acid Crimes against Women 56 58 Development Development Catalyst Port 58 Catalyst Port BOOK LAUNCH Sri Lanka is an important Recognizing Invisible People 60 part of China’s future plans for the Indian Ocean. BOOK REVIEW Management Lessons 61 SOUTHASIA 15 Years Ago 62 SOUTHASIA • NOVEMBER 2017 5 COMMENT Visit or Stopover? hen the U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson touched base with Pakistan’s top NOVEMBER 2017 VOL.21 ISSUE 11 leadership, the ice is said to have been broken in the relationship, Though Pakistan’s Wproposal got a lukewarm response, hope was kindled that Islamabad and Washington PRESIDENT & EDITOR IN CHIEF will take tangible confidence-building measures (CBMs) based on mutual respect to balance Syed Jawaid Iqbal the trust deficit created after the announcement of President Donald Trump’s new Afghan strategy and his accusations to the effect that Pakistan was harbouring terrorist safe havens on MANAGING EDITOR its soil. It was undoubtedly very heartening to see Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Zeba Jawaid General Qamar Javed Bajwa meeting the US Secretary of State in complete unison and with EDITOR one voice, giving a clear message that both the civil and military leaderships in Pakistan were Javed Ansari on the same page. The visit, or more appropriately, the stopover of the US Secretary of State in Islamabad ASSISTANT EDITORS on his way to Delhi from Kabul, was too brief to discuss a heavy agenda. How much the 90- Faizan Usmani – Khawaja Amer Syeda Areeba Rasheed minute meeting held at the Prime Minister’s house could clear the air between the two cannot be confirmed as there was no press briefing after the meeting. However, a 30-minute video was released by the PM office in which Tillerson could be heard telling the Prime Minister that CONTRIBUTING EDITOR S. G. Jilanee Pakistan is “important regionally to our joint goals of providing peace and security to the region and providing opportunity for greater economic relationship.” According to reports, during the CONTRIBUTORS meeting Pakistan briefly presented its own grievances ranging from undermining its anti-terror Sanghmitra S Acharya – Sajjad Ahmad efforts to giving India a greater role in Afghanistan. While speaking in the Senate Khawaja Asif Dr. Moonis Ahmar – Mirza Mujtaba Baig also said that the Secretary of State was informed in clear-cut terms that India could only play Huzaima Bukhari – Muhammad Ali Ehsan the role of a spoiler in Afghanistan and, as such, Pakistan would not be responsible for failure of S. M. Hali – Dr. Ikramul Haq – Muhammad Omar Iftikhar the United States’ South Asia strategy nor was it ready to be made a scapegoat. S.G. Jilanee – Dr. Mehtab S. Karim – Dr. Raza Khan If memory serves right, former U.S. President Bill Clinton made a 5-hour stopover in Zehra Khawaja – Taha Kehar – Dr. Syed Ali Madni Pakistan in March 2000 on his travels in-between India and Bangladesh. While Bill Clinton K. A. Naqshbandi – S. Mubashir Noor – Maryam Sadriwala sounded tough, talking about contentious issues such as the restoration of democracy and relations with India over Kashmir with Gen. Pervez Musharraf, he graciously witnessed the GRAPHICS & LAYOUT signing of trade deals worth $4bn with India. There are many similarities in the recent visit of Kamran Ghulam Nabi the U.S. Secretary of State with that of President Clinton’s. Tillerson also sounded tough with Haroon Rasheed Pakistan and mentioned the upcoming Global Entrepreneurship Summit to be co-hosted by the Riaz Masih U.S. and India in Hyderabad in November. GENERAL MANAGER There can be no two opinions that Pakistan is an extremely important country in the region. MARKETING & SALES Pakistan’s strategic location and its sharing of borders with both Iran and Afghanistan serve as a Syed Ovais Akhtar bridge between the Middle East and the nations of Central Asia. This makes the country a natural MARKETING MANAGER ally of the U.S. Pakistan provides the main access route for U.S. aid and military equipment Hira Sarwar going to Afghanistan as, without these, continued U.S. military presence in Afghanistan would BRAND MANAGER not be possible. It is not easy for Washington to simply throw out Pakistan from the equation as Muhammad Aamir this could possibly force the country to get closer to China and tilt towards Russia, an option the CIRCULATION & COORDINATOR Trump Administration just cannot afford. Likewise, Pakistan also cannot afford to part ways with Aqam-ud-Din Khan America. The U.S. economic and military assistance to Pakistan has a long history stretching over decades. Several American governments have pumped billions of dollars into Pakistan. EDITORIAL & BUSINESS OFFICE 20-C, Lane 12, off Khayaban-e-Ittehad, Phase II There are a number of reasons for maintaining close and supportive relations between the Extension, DHA, Karachi - 75500, Pakistan two countries. Unfortunately, the U.S. has almost always maintained its relations with Pakistan Phones: 92-21- 35313821-24 on an as-and-when-required basis, keeping in view the changing priorities of its global policies. Fax: 92-21-35313832 Munir Akram, former Pakistan Ambassador to the UN rightly said, “Since U.S. goals and Website: www.southasia.com.pk priorities change periodically, at times rapidly, Pakistan- U.S. ties have often resembled a roller- Email: [email protected] coaster ride. One day Pakistan is America’s ‘most-allied ally’, the next its ‘most-sanctioned’ ally.” Now it seems that this attitude is changing and the time has come to establish bilateral MIDDLE EAST relations on the basis of strict mutual respect for the sovereign rights of each country. REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE Later, Rex Tillerson reportedly said in Washington that he did not visit Islamabad to lecture Pirana Advertising JLT PO Box 486207, 1704, Level 17, HDS Tower, or coerce Pakistanis but to tell them that Washington was determined to eradicate terrorism from Jumeirah Lake Towers Cluster F, Dubai, UAE the region with their support or “in a different way”. Diplomatic correspondents in Washington, Phone: +97-14- 4508309 commenting on the war of words between the two countries, noted that tough remarks from Fax: +97-14-3688487 both sides reflected their frustration in the lack of progress in normalizing bilateral relations. Email: [email protected] The bottom line is that mere rhetoric accusing each other will not work. The two governments must continue to sort out issues through talks respecting each other’s sovereignty. Though the SouthAsia is published every month best way to ‘resolve the‘ conflict is through negotiations but if the U.S. Administration continues by Syed Jawaid Iqbal for and on behalf of to repeat the Do More mantra, Pakistan will be left with no choice but to revisit its foreign JAWZ Communications (Pvt.) Ltd. policy. If the U.S. can come up with a new South Asia strategy involving India and Afghanistan to pressurise Pakistan, why can’t Pakistan frame its own new South Asia strategy with China and and printed by Union Graphics, Karachi. Russia to foil the U.S. approach. Views expressed by the contributors are not necessarily shared by the editors. Published since 1977 as Thirdworld, the magazine was re-launched in 1997 as SouthAsia. Syed Jawaid Iqbal Editor in Chief EDITOR’S MAIL Americans higher than the rising levels of air pollution strive to perform as per the American rest of the human beings. in the country’s urban areas expectations of the general Pipedream Sorry to say, the American in particular. Is Modi ji public are hit by needless Dream has gone from being listening? legislation and bureaucratic attainable to impossible.