Pakistan: Briefing Manual on Current Affairs

79 Pages·2011·1.11 MB·English

Open Minds
RoleofIslam
inan
Effective
State
Economic
Development
Democracy
and
RuleofLaw
Briefing Manual on
Current Affairs
Human
Rights
Causes&
Consequences
ofExtremism
and
Solutions
iwpr.net
InstituteforWar&PeaceReporting IWPR(www.iwpr.net)isanindependent,non-profit
organizationfocusedonbuildingpeaceanddemocracythoughfreeandfairmedia. With
nearly 20 years' experience, IWPR works on the ground in more than 20 transitional
countriesbuildinglocalcapacity,establishinglocalinstitutions,andsupportingpractical
trainingandinformationprogrammestobuildcivilsocietyandtheruleoflaw.IWPRis
well-knownforforgingmutuallybeneficialpartnershipsbetweenlocalmediaandNGOs
andforbuildingreliableandsustainablenetworksacrossstateandethniclines.IWPR
undertakespracticaljournalisttrainingprojects.
IWPRisregisteredasacharityintheUnitedKingdom;intheUnitedStatesasanot-for-
profitorganization;andasacharitablefoundationinTheNetherlands.
Copyright: InstituteforWar&PeaceReporting
Published: October2011
Islamabad,Pakistan
Publishedby:
No.5,BLOCK16,PHAAPARTMENTS,G-7/1
ISLAMABAD,PAKISTAN.
Tel:[phone]:www.iwpr.net

Briefing Manual on Current Affairs
4. Rule of Law and Good Governance 27
Ruleoflaw 27
Essentialcharacteristicsofruleoflaw 27
GoodGovernance 28
OutcomesofGoodGovernance 29
Conclusion 29
Questions for discussion 29
Chapter 3: Human Rights
31
Introduction 33
1. EvolutionandDevelopmentofHumanRights 33
Whatarehumanrights? 33
EvolutionofHumanRights 33
2. DistinctionandClassificationofHumanRights 35
DistinctionofNatureofRights 35
Classificationofhumanrights 35
Minorityrights 36
3. TreatiesandConventions 38
UniversalDeclarationofHumanRights 38
Treaties 38
OriginalGenevaConventionin1864. 38
Internationalorganizations 38
Non-governmentalOrganizations 40
4. StatusofHumanRightsinPakistan 41
StatusofPakistanonHumanRightsLaws&Treaties 41
StateofHumanRightsinPakistan 41
Questionsfordiscussion 43
Chapter 4: Role of Islam in an Effective State
45
Introduction 47
1. Whatisastate? 47
DefiningState 47
Typesofstates 47
Thestateandgovernment 47
2. MajorPrinciplesofIslamicGovernance 48
Islamandastate 48
PrinciplesofIslamicGovernance 48
3. FundamentalRightsofCitizensinIslam 51
4. Islam and Democracy 53
IslamicStateofMedina 53
ConsultationbyProphetMuhammad(PBUH)withhiscompanions 53
TheConceptofElectoralCollege 53
PoliticalDiversityinIslam 54
Briefing Manual on Current Affairs
Conclusion 55
Questionsfordiscussion 55
Chapter 5: Causes & Consequences of Extremism and Solutions
57
Introduction 59
1. Whatisextremism? 59
Definingextremism 59
SourcesofExtremism 59
ConsequencesofExtremism 60
2. HistoryandevolutionofextremisminPakistan 61
EvolutionofExtremism 61
Extremisminothercountries SriLanka'sexample 61
3. CausesofextremismanditsimplicationsonPakistanisociety 63
CausesofextremisminPakistan 63
Socio-economicAspect 63
Religio-politicalAspect 63
4. PossibleSolutionstoAddressingextremismandRoleofMedia 66
SolutionstoExtremism 66
Roleofmedia 67
Feedbackexercise 69
Bibliography
71
Tables
1. Missingfacilitiesinthegovernmentschools 10
2. Rural-urbandivideofpopulationinrelationtoeducation 10
3. AllocationofseatsintheNationalAssemblyofPakistan 24
4. AllocationofseatsinthesenateofPakistan 24
5. ActspassedbygovernmentofPakistansince2008 25

Briefing Manual on Current Affairs
FFoorreewwoorrdd
OpenMindsprojectisthefirstsuchinitiativeofIWPRinPakistanthatdirectlyaddressestheextremist
propaganda that fosters discord and negative impressions of the West, by offering a fact-based,
analyticalapproachtodiscussinganddisseminatinginformationoncriticalsocietalissues.
Onlyaround50%ofPakistanistudentsgraduatefromprimaryschoolsintomiddleandhighersecondary
schools,buttheseyoungpeoplearetheprimarygroupforterroristorganisations'recruitingefforts.The
targetagegroups(16-19)thatarethefocusofthisprojectarealsosusceptibletotheinfluenceofthose
whowishtospreadviolent,extremistpropaganda,andthusareinneedofthekindsofinterventionsthat
will help them to develop independent thinking skills and a greater ability to analytically judge the
'information'theyreceivefromothers.
Itisinthiscontextthatabriefingmanualoncurrentaffairshasbeendesignedforthevulnerablegroupsof
adolescents in Pakistani public and private schools and madaris (religious schools) to offer them a
differentperspectivefromtheirconventionalmodeoflearning.Thisbriefingmanualintendstobuildtheir
capacity to demonstrate an improved skill in articulating their views on issues known to counter
radicalization.
This briefing manual has been developed around five contemporary issues such as economic
development;democracy&ruleoflaw;humanrights;roleofIslaminaneffectivestateand;causes&
consequencesofextremismandsolutions.
The first chapter of this manual introduces the concept of economic development and offers a basic
understandingoftheeconomicdevelopmentindicators;wherePakistanstandsinternationallyand;how
othercountriesachievedeconomicgrowth.
Thenextchapterattemptstoelaboratethedifferentaspectsofdemocracyandruleoflawandgivesa
quick overview of the state of democracy in Pakistan while the importance of rule of law and good
governancehasalsobeentoucheduponinthissection.
The third chapter focuses on the evolution and development of human rights and lists down the key
treatiesandconventionsadoptedbytheUN.ItalsohighlightsthestateofhumanrightsinPakistanandits
position on the human rights laws and treaties. A brief introduction of some prominent and active
internationalandlocalhumanrightsorganizationshasalsobeengiveninthischapter.
InthefourthchapteranattempthasbeenmadetounderscoretheroleofIslamineffectivestate.Some
examplesfromtheprimevalhistoryofIslamicgovernancehavebeenreferredtointhissectiontogivethe
traineesanopportunitytoexploretherelationshipbetweentheIslamicandmodernformsofgovernance.
The last and final chapter aims to explain the concept and forms of extremism; how it evolved; its
implicationsonaPakistanisocietyand;thepossiblesolutionstoaddressextremism.
Theproductionofthisbriefingmanualhasbeensupported[inpart]byagrantfromtheOpenSociety
Foundations.IWPRisgrateful totheFoundationsfortheirsupport.
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Briefing Manual on Current Affairs
Acknowledgements
IWPR wishes to thank Miss Nimrah Zubair for developing the briefing papers on 'Economic
development'and'Causes&consequencesofextremismandsolutions'.MissZubairhasco-authoreda
booklet on "Rebuilding Lives towards a Safer Pakistan" for UNDP Pakistan and worked for different
developmentsectororganizations.
IWPRalsowishestoacknowledgethevaluablecontributionofMr.ImranGul,afreelanceresearcher,in
theresearchandcompilationofthestudieson'RoleofIslaminaneffectivestate','Democracyandruleof
law'and'Humanrights'.
IWPRisgratefultoitsprojectpartners,PeaceEducationAndDevelopmentFoundationandSwatYouth
Frontfortheirroleintheselectionofthethemesforthisbriefingmanual.
Disclaimer
Theviews,analysisandconclusionsorrecommendationsexpressedinthisbriefingmanualarethoseof
theauthorsanddonotnecessarilyrepresentthoseoftheInstituteforWar&PeaceReporting orOpen
Society Foundations. IWPR has made every effort to ensure the correctness of the contents of this
briefingmanualanddoesnotacceptresponsibilityforanyerrororomissionasitisnotdeliberate.
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