News

US grants Pakistan’s longstanding request for aerial spy drones

For years, Pakistan’s leaders denied that extremists — in Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan — posed a mortal threat to their country. After the Pakistani Taliban got within 60 miles of Islamabad last April they decided that they had no choice but to fight back. They were right. Unfortunately, their understanding of self-interest seems to stop at a border that the Taliban certainly does not respect. During his visit to Pakistan this week, Defense Secretary Robert Gates pressed Pakistan’s military leaders to open a new front against Afghan militants using Pakistani territory to stage attacks into Afghanistan — and was promptly rebuffed.

Displaying an alarming denial about the nature and urgency of the threat, an Army spokesman said there would be no offensive in the tribal region of North Waziristan — where the Afghan Taliban are based — for at least six months and perhaps as long as 12 months. Given the speed and virulence with which the extremists have spread their hatred and violence in the past year, that’s too long to wait. Read the rest

Terrorist’s attacks drop significantly in Pakistan – Brookings

According to Brookings latest Pakistan Index Report, terrorist attacks dropped by over 40%  from summer of 2009 to December 2009, resulting in over 400 deaths of civilians and security forces in the month of Dec 2009 alone dropping from a high of 600 in the month of June. NWFP province had the largest drop in .terrorist attacks. . At the same time there were 53 incidents of  drone attacks in 2009 compared to 36 in 2008. According to the report there are potentially 40,000 to 150,000 insurgents in Pakistan. Read Complete report.

US aid projects fail to achieve goals

US-funded programs in Pakistan often fail to achieve their objectives, mostly because they are not effectively implemented, says a US government monitoring agency. The US Agency for International Aid’s inspector general’s office underlines two such programs — a $100 million grant to support education sector reforms in Pakistan and a $45 million plan aimed at improving governance in Fata — to show how agencies entrusted with implementing those projects failed to do so.

One of the audit reports, put on the inspector general’s website on Jan 28, deals with the $45 million USAID program for improving the ability of Pakistani tribal leaders to govern Fata.  According to the audit report, the program first main goal was improving the capacity of Fata governmental institutions to govern while its second goal was to increase the capacity of NGOs working there to promote good governance. Read the rest

Pakistan to get $6.5 bn in four years from World Bank

While pointing out major macroeconomic challenges in the wake of uneven growth path and rising poverty, the WB unveiled its plan to provide $6.5 billion to Islamabad’s struggling economy under the forthcoming Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) for four years, 2010-2013. “We do not lend on the basis of political consideration,” said WB Country Director for Pakistan Yusupha Crookes, while briefing a select group of reporters at the WB office when he was asked to comment on the perception that the bank extended lending on the wishes of Washington.

He said it depended upon the performance of the government of Pakistan that how vigorously it pursued the committed reforms agenda. “Our lending depends on the performance indicators of Pakistan,” he added. He said the WB had reduced its lending during the last year of the Musharraf regime in 2007-08 as the bank was largely being accused of extending assistance to Pakistan during the tenures of military regimes. He said, the WB had given $1.6 billion during the last financial year when the democratically-elected government was in power. Crookes praised the PPP government for placing a mechanism to pass on the increased prices of fuel products to consumers. Read the rest

Community Action

CENSUS 2010 Participate or wait another TEN years

US Government is conducting a count of its residents; such a count -census is conducted every ten years. An accurate count of the U.S. population forms the basis for many important but often overlooked political, economic, and social decisions that are made that end up affecting our daily lives. By filling the Census form you’re making a statement about what resources your community needs going forward. Starting February US households will start getting Census forms in mail. PAKPAC requests to all Pakistani Americans to fully participate and make sure that they and their loved ones  are counted. Anyone in the family can complete the Census papers and it is required to have information on all people in the household.

Participation in census is not dependent on your visa or residency status. The census does not ask about your status. (Your information is protected). Please complete the form and include any relatives and friends even if temporarily staying at your address. To make it easier for US residents, Census Bureau have translated many forms and instructions and other information in many languages including Urdu. Read Census form in Urdu.

In 2000 Census the questionnaire had problems confusing the Pakistani Americans to be wrongfully counted as Asian Indians. To find out how to correctly fill the form checkout PAKPAC instructions.

If you have any questions about 2010 Census please contact ed@pakpac.net or 202-558-6404.

Viewpoint

Airport screening for 'Flying while Muslim'

It seems that now someone called "Barack Hussein Obama" can be pulled aside and patted down merely because of his name. But while our president has the benefit of Air Force One, millions of us with a "funny name" (Muslim and otherwise) do not. Like me.

I've consistently faced "random" selections for extra screening at the airport after I decided to wear the hijab, or Muslim head covering. I've been told to take my head scarf off or have my head probed while the passengers in front of me offered pitying smiles as they rushed to their flights.

One time, the woman in front of me had a hairdo that could pose more of a security threat than any head scarf could. Muslim women wear the hijab as a symbol of modesty, to be judged not by their appearance.

The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. dreamed that people would be judged for "the content of their character." However, the Transportation Security Administration is judging me and other Muslims by the way we look.  Read the rest

The veil holds Muslim women back – Shaukat Malik CPA- MD

Gamal al Banna, a brother of the founder of Egypt’s Ikhwan al Muslimun -- the Muslim Brotherhood -- says “the veil is not an Islamic tradition, but a pre-Islamic one, when Arab women covered their heads and left the upper parts of their chest uncovered.” He thinks the relevant Quranic verse commands women to cover their chests, not necessarily their heads. Unfortantely, the Arab world has gone where the Saudi conservatives wanted it to go. Nasserism in Egypt was followed by veiled female students at Al Azhar University in Cairo demanding the imposition of Shariah, and soon there were youths belonging to Gamaa Islamiyya willing to thrash women who refused to veil themselves in public. When the Arabs came to Afghanistan in 1996 to fight for the Taliban, the call for “true Islam” was already a slogan that was heard loud and clear in Pakistan. Ironically, “true Islam” usually applies to women and had begun spreading with General Zia’s Hudood Ordinance, ordaining that women anchors and announcers on PTV cover their heads. But the ulema on the right of Zia wanted more. In fact they wanted nothing short of a “shuttlecock”, a brutally punitive covering that renders women half blind.

Pakistan was reluctant to take the veil because of the embarrassing fact that Fatima Jinnah, sister of the founder of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, and Begum Liaquat Ali Khan were national icons without the veil. Read the rest

India & Pakistan Deadlines for dialogue - Suhasini Haidar

As a slew of new informal initiatives try to build a "roadmap" for a new India-Pakistan dialogue, it may be time to look at some of the circumstances in which dialogue has been derailed in the past — and hunt clues for the future. In the parlance of India-Pakistan ties, specifically in the past decade, it is the top leadership that has proposed new initiatives for peace, and it is terrorists and those who direct them who have been most easily able to dispose of them.

On the night of the Mumbai terror attacks of November 26, 2008, just an hour before the attackers fired the first shot, the Indian and Pakistani Foreign Ministers were holding a press conference in New Delhi. The tension between the two countries at the time was over the Indian cricket team’s hesitation to go play a series in Pakistan after the Marriott hotel bombing in Islamabad. Coincidentally, India’s Home Secretary was in Islamabad, where the two countries had issued a comprehensive Joint Statement on fighting Terror and Drug Trafficking. India and Pakistan had agreed to ‘fast-track’ the 5th round of the Composite Dialogue. Hours later all dialogue was suspended, and history was written once again by the terrorist’s gun. Read the rest

Announcement

Job Openings at American Pakistan Foundation

The American Pakistan Foundation is pleased to announce two openings for full-time positions, a President/CEO and a Director of Development, to be filled by end of March 2010. In order to lead this important new initiative to advance the social and economic development of the Pakistani people, APF is seeking professionals with senior-level executive leadership and management experience in the nonprofit, government or private sector. Please see the job descriptions for the position of President and Director of Development. All interested individual send a cover letter and CV to exec-comm@americanpakistan.org by February 28th, 2010. Candidates for each position will be contacted by the APF Executive Committee after review of applications.

Summer Internships at US Congress

1. The Project for American Civic Engagement (PACE) and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee Research Institute (ADCRI) have announced a Summer Congressional Internship Program. This is an exciting opportunity for college students and recent graduates to gain a better understanding of the workings of the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Government This program is designed to mentor and train youth from underrepresented communities so that they can develop the right skills to launch their careers in government. ADCRI will help match the candidates’ skills with available internships on Capitol Hill. Candidates must be at least a senior in College or higher with an interest in government, law, public administration, or public policy. They must be in good standing at the Institution at which they study and show a commitment to a rigorous work schedule that will include reading assignments, reports, research and fieldwork. Candidates must also show a long term commitment to working on Capitol Hill. Deadline for all applications is March 15, 2010. If you are interested in applying for the PACE/ADCRI Summer Internship Program, visit www.adc.org. All necessary information as well as the application is posted on the website. For more information or inquiries please contact Tom Albert albert@adc.org

2. The Center for Global Understanding has partnered with The Washington Center (TWC) for Internships and Academic Seminars to provide placement, housing and financial assistance to Muslim American Students. Student must:

1.                   Be enrolled in an accredited college or university as a second semester sophomore or above at the start of the program.

2.                   Have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.75.

3.                   Receive academic credit for your participation in the program.

4.                   Receive the endorsement of your campus liaison, or a faculty sponsor if your institution is not affiliated. For more details visit this link. Please contact internship@cfgu.us if you do not know whether your institution has a campus liaison.

Readers Corner

Hope within Pakistan – Myra Chaudhary

From America, Pakistan seems like a totally different world full of cultural and religious differences, and political chaos. I have seen Pakistan with my own eyes. The most important lesson I have learned is that Pakistanis are ordinary people just like Americans. Why should anyone even care about Pakistan? I personally cannot stop caring about this important country. As a Pakistani-American student at Brandeis University, born and raised in Massachusetts, I would like to show you my Pakistan.

I have traveled to Pakistan many times throughout my life. The memories of my visits will always be very dear to me. I continue to stay in touch with my relatives who live in the province of Punjab in the northeast. My family has been quite active in the Pakistani Association of Greater Boston, Association of Pakistani Physicians of North America, and Human Development Foundation. In Massachusetts, there are literally thousands of Pakistanis, all who are a very special part of my life. My fascination and understanding of Pakistan has intensified through interactions with a range of people including professionals, prime ministers, diplomats, ordinary shop keepers, poor servants, and Pakistanis of all ages and views. Read Complete article

Myra Chaudhary info

LINKS

US News

Congressional News

Pakistan News

World News

Events & Activities

DNI Admiral Blair meets with Pakistani Americans to foster dialogue

Director of National Intelligence Admiral Blair met with a group of young professional Pakistanis Americans. The 90 minute roundtable meeting took place at the DNI Headquarters in Virginia. Pakistan Ambassador Hussain Haqqani was also present at the meeting. Additionally representatives from FBI and White House participated in this dialogue. PAKPAC BOD’s Amina Khan had work hard to organize this meeting, which was also attended by PAKPAC Executive Director Irfan Malik. Besides PAKPAC other organizations present were PAL-c and Muslims Woman Coalition.  Focus of the meeting was to engage and encourage young Pakistani Americans to join US Administration in order to develop a better understanding between US and Pakistan.

Admiral Blair in his opening remarks stressed that US and Pakistan faces a common enemy and threat from religious extremism. and a better understanding is needed between the people of US and Pakistan to fight this threat. Ambassador Haqqani in his opening remarks reminded the Pakistani American community to cherish their love for Pakistan while respecting their loyalty to their country of citizenship. Ambassador Haqqani reminded Admiral Blair that there has been steep decline in Pakistani students at USA educational institutions, which is currently at around 5000, compared to 11,000 from Nepal, and 110,000 from India.

Pakistani Americans raised the issue of recent TSA Alert of including Pakistan as a country of interest whose citizens will be subjected to additional screenings at airports. Admiral Blair understood their concern and stressed that appropriate measures will soon be taken to address this issue.  Concern was also raised on the continued drone operations in Pakistan, and the lack of regional approach to the threats faced in that region.  DNI Director Admiral Blair pointed that this is the start of a dialogue which will continue at different levels in future.  DNI issued a press release of their meeting with Pakistani Americans. For employment opportunities with US Intelligence community check this link.

DHS Secretary  meets with Community Leaders to curb  violent extremism

PAKPAC and other leading National Arab, Muslim, and Sikh organizations met with officials of Civil Liberties and Civil Rights group and Homeland Security Advisory Council of Department of Homeland Security for a two day meeting in Washington DC to discuss and develop Community and US Administration efforts to counter radical and violent extremism. PAKPAC Executive Director Irfan Malik represented PAKPAC at this meeting.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano attended the meeting for an hour. DHS issued a press release of this meeting. DHS Secretary Napolitano said "Strengthening our partnerships with faith- and community-based groups will allow improved information sharing and better coordination in preparing for, assessing and responding to threats." On a suggestion from Dr. James Zogby of Arab American Institute Secretary Napolitano agreed to have a training of high level DHS staff on the cultural, ethnic and religious values of Muslims

Muslim, Arab, Sikh and South Asian American community leaders welcomed commitments by the Secretary to promote meaningful, positive and authentic dialogue.  Leaders from national and local organizations representing these communities expressed concern about DHS policies, such as racial, ethnic, and religious profiling at airports and the border, that have severely eroded the government’s trust and credibility with the communities. The Community leaders stressed the need for action and not words of comfort from US Administration to build the trust of American Muslim Community.

The commitments Secretary Napolitano made to these community leaders include:

• Community participation in an anti-violent extremism task force of the Homeland Security Advisory Council, which reports to the Secretary;
• Regular, quarterly meetings with the Secretary;
• Education and training for DHS leadership to promote understanding of the Muslim, Arab, Sikh & South Asian American communities and their concerns; and
• An honest and full discussion of legitimate grievances from members of these communities about DHS policies that are ineffective and have a deleterious, humiliating impact on Muslim, Arab, Sikh and South Asian American communities.

Community leaders believe that fulfilling these commitments would be a step forward in establishing meaningful, open and authentic dialogue between DHS and the Muslim, Arab, Sikh and South Asian American communities.  In addition, these leaders have called for changes to DHS policies that are ineffective and discriminate based on race, ethnicity or religion, including:

• Rescinding a new Transportation Security Administration (TSA) directive targeting travelers from or through 13 predominantly Muslim nations, plus Cuba.
• Revising a TSA directive on religious headwear, such as turbans and headscarves.
• Setting limits on interrogations and searches by Customs and Border Protection agents that probe an American’s faith, politics, finances or associations, as well as cell phones, laptops and electronic devices, without any evidence of wrongdoing. 

DHS -Community Partnership aims to curb recruitment of home grown extremism by developing counter narrative to extremism through tools like virtual Imam. DHS would consider adding Muslims organizations to their Homeland Security Advisory Council.

Other DHS Staff that attended the meetings included Arif AliKhan Assistant Secretary Policy Development, Julliete Kayyem, Assistant Secretary, Margo Schlanger Officer, Civil Rights Civil Liberties, Judge William Webster Former Director CIA, Chairman Homeland Security Advisory Council, John Cohen Special Advisor to DHS Secretary, Becca Sharp, Executive Director Homeland Security Advisory Council.

Following organizations besides PAKPAC attended this meeting; Sikh Coalition, South Asian Americans Leading Together, Islamic Society of North America, Muslim Public Affairs Council, Muslim American Society, American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee-Michigan Chapter, Arab American Institute, Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago, American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services, The Freedom and Justice Foundation, United African Congress, Gallup Center for Muslim Studies, Yemeni American Benevolent Association.

Patriot Act with Reform- Advocacy Day Feb 3^rd

US Congress will soon start debate on renewal of three provisions of the PATRIOT Act which are set to expire at the end of February 2010. PAKPAC and a coalition of grassroots organizations are planning to hold an Advocacy Day at Capital Hill on Feb 3^rd 2010. PAKPAC would like for you to support their effort for renewal of Patriot Act with reform.

There are three ways you can support PAKPAC and its allies efforts:

1.                  Join PAKPAC and other organizations in Room 402, Cannon House Office Building, Capital Hill from 8 AM – 3:30 PM on Wednesday Feb 3^rd 2010. You can register for the event through the provided link. Detail program for the day is provided at PAKPAC website.

2.                  Schedule a meeting with your Congressperson and/or US Senator on Feb 3^rd to share your concerns about Patriot Act renewal. You can use the suggested letter for this purpose. You can email your letter to your elected representative in US Congress; contact information for US Congress is listed here.

3.                  If you cannot participate in the activities of Feb 3^rd, then please sign a letter of support for Patriot Act renewal with reform using the provided link. Request your friends to sign this letter also. Send a copy of this letter to your elected representative in US Congress.

It is vital that we get organized and have our voices heard, before it is too late, time to act is now. If you have any questions about the event please email ed@pakpac.net or call 202-558-6404.

PAKPAC BOD Shahid Tahir meets with Pakistani political leaders

Shahid Tahir during his recent visit to Pakistan met with Pakistani politicians and discussed with them current US-Pakistan relations, in particular the Kerry Lugar Berman bill, American troops buildup in Afghanistan, increased insecurity in Pakistan. During the trip Mr. Tahir met with former Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif and former cricketer and politician Imran Khan. Mr. Tahir also covered in his meetings the issues Pakistani Americans face when they visit Pakistan. Mr. Sharif relayed his concerns about the implications of Kerry-Lugar Berman bill on the long term independence and sustainability of Pakistan.  Mr. Imran Khan emphasized the role of education and appealed to Pakistani Americans to help their country in making good quality education available to masses.

Immigration

USCIS explains ceiling on H1 visa cap numbers for current year

During their monthly stakeholder meeting USCIS provided clarification about H1 visa ceiling. USCIS has historically accepted more H-1B petitions than available cap numbers based on the assumption that some petitions will be denied, rejected or withdrawn. However, this year was different from previous years as we were able to use actual data on approvals to determine when to end the filing period for the regular and master’s caps. When the estimated regular cap eligible number reached 64,300 and the estimate master’s cap eligible number reached 20,000, the filing period was closed. Read more about the stakeholder meeting discussion.

Upcoming Seminars at Think Tanks

To get information about future seminars and events relating to US-Pakistan relations, please visit the following websites

Atlantic Council

Brookings Institution

Heritage Foundation

Middle East Institute

SAIS