European Asylum Support Office EASO COI Meeting Report Pakistan 16-17 October 2017 Rome February 2018 SUPPORT IS OUR MISSION European Asylum Support Office EASO COI Meeting Report Pakistan 16-17 October 2017 Rome Pakistan Practical Cooperation Conference 16-17 October 2017 Rome e Report February 2018 Pakistan © European Asylum Support Office 2018 Reproduction is authorised, provided the source is acknowledged, unless otherwise stated. For third-party materials reproduced in this publication, reference is made to the copyrights statements of the respective third parties. Cover photo: © iStock by Getty images / gaborbasch Lahore, Pakistan - May 5, 2013: Muslim women participating at a public event wearing colorful headscarves, duppattas and hijabs Neither EASO nor any person acting on its behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained herein. EASO COI MEETING REPORT PAKISTAN — 3 Acknowledgements EASO would like to thank the following experts and organisations for their participation at the conference and the presentations they gave: Anna Giustiniani, Project manager, IOM Italy Cyril Almeida, Assistant editor and journalist, Dawn newspaper, Pakistan Luisa Inversini, President of the Territorial Commission for International Protection, Milan Matthew Nelson, Reader in Politics, PhD, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London Muhammad Amir Rana, Director, Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) Nathalie Boschman, COI Expert, Cedoca, Belgium Shehryar Fazli, Senior Analyst and Regional Editor, International Crisis Group UNHCR 4 — EASO COI MEETING REPORT PAKISTAN Contents Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................... 3 Contents .................................................................................................................................... 4 Disclaimer .................................................................................................................................. 8 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 14 Map.......................................................................................................................................... 15 1. Overview of the current political and security situation in Pakistan (Cyril Almeida) .......... 16 1.1 The political process ...................................................................................................... 17 1.2 Security and violence in Pakistan .................................................................................. 19 1.2.1 Balochistan province .............................................................................................. 20 1.2.2 FATA ....................................................................................................................... 20 1.2.3 Punjab .................................................................................................................... 21 1.2.4 Sindh ...................................................................................................................... 21 1.2.5 Karachi ................................................................................................................... 21 1.2.6 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ............................................................................................. 21 1.3 Militancy in Pakistan ..................................................................................................... 22 1.3.1 Anti-Pakistan .......................................................................................................... 22 1.3.2 India-centric militants ............................................................................................ 22 1.3.3 Afghan-centric ....................................................................................................... 22 1.3.4 Sectarian groups .................................................................................................... 22 1.3.5 Foreign groups ....................................................................................................... 23 2. Sectarian politics (Matthew Nelson) ................................................................................... 24 2.1 Constitution ................................................................................................................... 25 2.2 Doctrine and intermediation......................................................................................... 26 2.2.1 Barelvi .................................................................................................................... 27 2.2.2 Deobandi ................................................................................................................ 27 2.2.3 Salafi ....................................................................................................................... 27 2.2.4 Lashkar-e-Taiba ...................................................................................................... 28 2.3 Ahmadiyya ..................................................................................................................... 28 2.4 Sectarianism and violence ............................................................................................. 30 2.5 District Chakwal............................................................................................................. 32 2.6 Shia borders .................................................................................................................. 33 2.7 Non-Muslims ................................................................................................................. 34 3. Private conflicts (Shehryar Fazli) ........................................................................................ 35 3.1 Legal protections ........................................................................................................... 35 EASO COI MEETING REPORT PAKISTAN — 5 3.2 Contextualising private conflicts ................................................................................... 35 3.3 Discriminatory laws ....................................................................................................... 36 3.4 Structural challenges ..................................................................................................... 36 3.5 Land ............................................................................................................................... 37 3.6 Land disputes ................................................................................................................ 37 3.7 Source of patwari influence .......................................................................................... 38 3.8 Considerations relevant for casework ......................................................................... 38 3.9 Primary sources of conflict ............................................................................................ 39 3.10 Urbanization, Development and Dispossession.......................................................... 40 3.11 Honour crimes ............................................................................................................. 41 3.12 Interfaith marriages .................................................................................................... 42 Additional comment by Matthew Nelson ........................................................................... 43 4. Fact Finding Mission to Pakistan (Nathalie Boschman) ....................................................... 44 4.1 Aim of fact-finding mission ........................................................................................... 44 4.2 Sources .......................................................................................................................... 44 4.3 Topics ............................................................................................................................ 45 4.3.1 Religion .................................................................................................................. 45 4.3.2 LGBT ....................................................................................................................... 45 4.3.3 Polio-eradication .................................................................................................... 45 4.3.4 Return Conditions .................................................................................................. 46 4.4 The judiciary .................................................................................................................. 46 4.5 Security situation .......................................................................................................... 46 4.6 Pakistan Security Situation report ................................................................................ 47 5. Religious minorities (Muhammad Amir Rana) .................................................................... 48 5.1 Religious extremism ...................................................................................................... 49 5.2 Inter-religious drivers .................................................................................................... 50 5.3 Sectarian assertion .......................................................................................................