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Subscribe to PAKPAC E-Letter May 2009 |
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 PAKPAC Press ReleasesPAKPAC's response to Secretary Clinton remarks PAKPAC took strong notice of Secretary Hillary Clinton remarks at House Foreign Relations Committee on Apr 21st. Secretary Clinton called on Pakistanis, Pakistani Americans and others in the diaspora to "speak out forcefully" in an effort to change the attitudes of the Pakistani government. "I don't hear that kind of outrage or concern coming from enough people that would reverberate back within the highest echelons of the civilian and military leadership," she said, in her first appearance before the committee since her confirmation hearing this year. PAKPAC is of the opinion that Pakistani American Community is active and engaged with the issues concerning the community and their home country. PAKPAC has initiated a media blitz in USA and Pakistan to highlight concerns of Pakistani-American Community about insecurity, extremism, and Talibanziation in Pakistan. Following letter was published in Apr 28th edition of LA Times What to do about Pakistan
Event for Senator Arlen Specter - PA PAKPAC BOD Dr. Raza Bokhari is holding an event for Senator Arlen Specter at his home in Villanova, PA on Saturday May 9th at 6 PM. Please support this important event as with his change in party affiliation Senator Specter is poised to become the Chairperson of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, which will have the final authority to approve the Kerry-Lugar bill for aid to Pakistan.
Police & Law Enforcement Reform in Pakistan - Hassan AbbasIt is a globally recognized fact that a state’s police and law enforcement agencies play a critical role as the first line of defense against the threats of terrorism and insurgencies. An informative RAND study titled How Terrorist Groups End provides evidence that effective police and intelligence work, rather than the use of military force, deliver better counterterrorism results. Based on this conclusion, the report suggested to U.S. policymakers that they stop using the phrase “war on terrorism,” because there is no battlefield solution to defeating terrorists. Another valuable study analyzing the police role in counterinsurgency campaigns in Malaya and Cyprus concluded that nearly all major twentieth-century counterinsurgency campaigns relied heavily on indigenous police as well as military forces. Both studies are very relevant to the terrorism and insurgency crisis faced by Pakistan today. Many security experts rightfully contend that both Pakistan and Afghanistan are facing a growing Taliban insurgency in the Pak-Afghan tribal belt – some even call it a Pashtun insurgency. According to Kelev I. Sepp’s Best Practices in Counterinsurgency, which closely studied seventeen insurgencies, the role of the police is always central to any successful counterinsurgency measures. His recommended measures for insurgency hit areas emphasize “police in the lead” with the military providing backup support and strengthening the police with diversified training capabilities to help meet the security needs of the at-risk population. More Lose lawless tribal areas and you lose Pakistan itself - Akbar Ahmad The "existential threat" that Pakistan now faces, according to Hillary Clinton, is overstated. There is a functioning political, civil and military structure in Pakistan that will prevent any total collapse of the state. The impulse for democracy is deep and goes back to the creation of the state in 1947. Pakistan's founding father, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, had a vision of a modern Muslim nation with a strong emphasis on womens' rights and civil liberties for minorities, but this vision is under greater threat than ever. Successive Pakistani leaders have, over the decades, failed to translate Jinnah's spirit into reality, while the structures he put in place have been weakened and corrupted. The emergence of the Taliban is one consequence of this. The Taliban's spread from the Swat Valley into the neighboring district of Buner is not entirely surprising: geographically, it is an appendix of Swat. The fact that Buner is close, as the crow flies, to Islamabad has set off alarm bells. But the bigger danger is what happens in Mardan. The most fertile and heavily populated part of the North-West Frontier Province is vital because it opens the gate to Peshawar. And if Pakistan loses control of Peshawar, the gateway for US supply lines to its troops in Afghanistan, it would be checkmate for the Western troops there. More
Muslims should adopt American constitution - Shaukat Malik Like the 10 Commandments, Sharia laws were never intended to supersede or violate human rights, but are there for the good of mankind. In this respect, the American constitution, by guaranteeing rights of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, is fully compliant with Sharia laws and should be used as a model by any Muslim state seeking redress for their masses. We must encourage all Muslim countries to review their constitutions and laws for contradictions between Islamic laws and divine human rights as embraced by the US and the rest of the civilized world. Unless we do this the “Taliban cancer” will continue spreading. More Pakistan Wake-up call - Nargis Ali It is indeed a very grave situation today in the Pak-Afghan region. There are internal and external dimensions to the whole conflict, however Pakistan has never faced an internal threat of this caliber. Between a corrupt and completely clueless government, a restrained army, and a shocking and violent enemy in the Taliban, the people of Pakistan must rise to this challenge and deal with this menace like never before. The Lawyers Movement has proved that the people power is very strong and it must be made stronger. The media has played an active and vital role in this accomplishment and must now take on an all out war against the Taliban and their likes. More Upcoming Seminars at Think Tanks
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Community Action Request a meeting with State Department
PAKPAC shares your concern and disappointment about Taliban relentless onslaught against Pakistan Army and Administration in areas surrounding Swat, threatening
Civil Liberties Investigating the Politics, Faith & Finances of Americans Returning Home - Muslim Advocates Law-abiding Muslim, Arab and South Asian Americans returning home after overseas travel have experienced widespread, systematic and profound privacy intrusions by federal agents at the nation’s borders and airports. U.S. Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) Customs & Border Protection (“CBP”) agents have questioned individuals about their political beliefs, religious practices, and charities they support. Agents have also sought to review and copy business cards, credit cards, and data on laptops, digital cameras and cell phones. These interrogations and searches are taking place without evidence or even suspicion that the travelers have engaged in wrongdoing. These experiences and others chronicled in this report suggest that law-abiding Americans are being systematically selected by CBP agents for searches and interrogations on the basis of race, religion, and national origin. Far from serving legitimate aims, such profiling undermines security, wasting scarce government resources and generating mountains of false leads, as well as eroding trust between law enforcement authorities and the public. Muslim Advocates proposes a series of discrete policy revisions that would restore constitutional protections eroded by the status quo border security apparatus and allow ample authority for the government to conduct legitimate activities to protect our nation’s security. They include steps that both the executive branch and Congress can take to better protect our nation’s border and our rights. Full report NSEERS: The Consequences of America’s efforts to Secure Its Borders The Center for Immigrants’ Rights at Penn State University’s Dickinson School of Law and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee released a white paper providing a legal and policy analysis of National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS). The paper provides proposals’ to the Obama administration, which includes the recommendation to terminate the program and provide remedy for those impacted by the program. The most controversial aspect of the NSEERS program was a “domestic” component that solicited registrations from more than 80,000 males who were inside the United States on temporary visas from Muslim-majority countries. In September 2003, of the more than 80,000 individuals who complied with call-in registration, 13,799 were referred to investigations and received notices to appear, and 2,870 were detained. Full report Immigration Filing Instructions for Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card USCIS issued revised filing instructions and mailing address for application to replace Permanent Resident card. Applicants must now file their Form I-90 and supporting documentation with the USCIS Lockbox facility in Phoenix. USCIS Phoenix, AZ 85036 This change in filing location affects all I-90 applicants filing a paper form, including those applicants filing the I-90 because their previously issued card was never received or because their existing card has incorrect data due to a USCIS error. This notice does not affect applicants filing an I-90 electronically or whose place of residence is outside the United States. FAQ's Applicability Date for E-Verify Contractor Rule Extended The applicability date of the final rule requiring federal contractors and subcontractors to begin using U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) E-Verify system has been pushed back by six weeks to June 30, 2009. The rule requiring federal contractors and subcontractors to agree to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their employees went into effect on Jan 19, 2009. The extension provides the Administration an adequate opportunity to review the entire rule prior to its applicability to federal contractors and subcontractors. For more information on E-Verify, visit www.uscis.gov/everify
PAKPAC has more openings for active community members to join in and become Board of Directors. Email Nomination@pakpac.net
PAKPAC is pleased to announce that Mr. Faiz Rehman and Mr. Shahid Tahir have joined PAKPAC Board of Directors.
Having served recently as the Executive Director News for the Dubai-based 24-hour satellite news channel ARY OneWorld, Faiz Rehman is a US-educated and -trained leading media professional, public speaker, and an entrepreneur. He is the founder and former editor-in-chief of the Los Angeles-based weekly Pakistan Link. He is president of UniLink Multimedia, a Washington-based media firm.
As the senior editorial producer and language director, in 2005, he launched the trend-setting and first of its kind daily newsmagazine program, Beyond the Headlines, produced by the Voice of America TV. More Shahid Tahir Shahid Tahir was born in Okara, a small village located approximately 300 kilometers from Islamabad, Pakistan. He graduated from M.C. high school and continued his education at a government degree college in Okara. He attended the University of Karachi and graduated in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Therapy. In 1993 he migrated to the United States working as a physical therapist and quickly advanced to the position of rehabilitation supervisor. He continued his studies in the United States and currently holds a Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree from Andrews University in Berrien Spring, Michigan. More Pakistani American Public Affairs Committee Board of Directors
Future Activities
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The Pakistani American Public Affairs Committee (PAKPAC) is a nationwide, membership based, non-profit lobbying organization registered with the United States Federal Government. PAKPAC’s mission includes advancement and strengthening of U.S.-Pakistan relations. It is organized to be a unified voice on issues and concerns common to the Pakistani American community. PAKPAC’s focus includes an active environment to foster greater political and civic engagement amongst the Pakistani Americans. PAKPAC is also focused on collaborating with other regional and national Pakistani American organizations to ensue increased efficacy and reduced duplication of the stated goals. PAKPAC along with our affiliates is working to serve as a watch dog for inaccuracies and bias in media coverage about Pakistan and Pakistani Americans. We are also involved in educating media groups, journalists, politicians, academicians and members of think tanks about views of concern and importance to the Pakistani American community |
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Faiz Rehman: