“West Asia is awaiting with a considerable anxiety the US President elect Donald Trump’s policy for the region mainly because of his divisive and hateful utterances against  Muslims,  anti-immigration rhetoric  and use of force  in the run up to his election campaign.
His election as the 45thPresident of theUnited Stateshas created a sense of uncertainty and fear in theWest Asiaregion because of his statements like surveillance of mosques and tracking of Muslims, restrictions on the entry of Muslims into the US, removal of Syrian migrants from the country, and the harshest possible reprisals against terrorists and their family members.There is anxiety in the Arab World about what the new US policies would be with regard to conflicts in Iraq, Syria and Yemen. Generally people feel that Trump has treated the Arab World with astonishing contempt.His naming of retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn as national security adviser; Sen. Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III, R-Alabama, as attorney general; and Rep. Michael Pompeo, R-Kansas, as director of the Central Intelligence Agency has heightened the fear as all three have hardline views that support Trump’s agenda on the Muslim community, immigration as also use of force.Although official reactions to Trump’s election was expectedly diplomatic, with all countries in the West Asia region hoping of have good ties with his regime , but there is frenetic  deliberations in the corridors of power to understand what his presidency portents for the region, given his unclear, varied and often contradictory statements on theMiddle East.Given Trump’s statement in the run up to the presidential election that “there is nobody more pro-Israeli than I am”,  and his promise to relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem , which Arabs say has been occupied by Israel, apparently to win Jewish votes, Arab anxiety is understandable.  He even showed support for continuing Israeli expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank.Trump appeared to be hard onIranas he had called theUSnegotiated deal onTeheran’s nuclear program “a disaster” and “the worst” ever negotiated. He has promised to scrap the agreement, which according to him would lead to a “nuclear holocaust.” The deal was negotiated by US President Barack Obama to control Iran’s nuclear program.  The collapse of the deal will not only batter Iran’s economy once again but would also give the hardliners in the country opportunity to take to the streets with their “”death toAmerica”” slogan again.Trump’s pick to lead the CIA, Mike Pompeo, recently wrote on Twitter: “I look forward to rolling back this disastrous deal with the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism.” Most countries have overwhelmingly supported the deal and that US President Barack Obama pledged to veto Republican attempts to undo the monumental diplomatic achievement. Iran has dismantled and limited key aspects of its nuclear programme in exchange for an easing of sanctions. Any move to undo the deal may  put the US in a confrontation with Russia, China and Europe — not just on Iran, but on other issues where Trump will need their cooperation, like the Syrian war.While taking any final call Trump would definitely by watching Iran if it adheres to its commitment to stop supporting terrorist organisations such as Hezbollah.Israel, which is delighted by Trump’s victory, is obviously happy with his stand so far on Iran’s nuclear programme as its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is vehemently against the nuclear agreement. While calling Trump as “a true friend of Israel” Benjamin has said he is looking forward to working with him to advance security, stability and peace in the region.Middle East observers feel that Trump would possibly not get involved into the wider regional crisis mainly in Syria and Yemen where the Gulf countries would like the US to defend their interests.  Trump has talked tough against the Jehadist group ISIS promising to “bomb the hell out of them” and but observers say that he is silent on the civil war in Syria where an estimated 400,000 people have died in the last five years.His pulling back from the ongoing interest in ending the civil war may have disastrous impact in Syria and Iraq where ISIS is very active, they said.However, Josh Kraushar, Politics Editor of the US-based National Journal,  sees the induction of Flynn, Pompeo and  Mattis as the biggest shift from US President Barack Obama to his successor  ‘’will be an increased urgency in defeating ISIS, both rhetorically and in its overseas engagement.Their appointment “also means that the new administration will be taking a much harder line with Iran, viewing very sceptically the nuclear  deal President Obama struck”,”he is quoted as saying by the journal.(M. Shakeel Ahmed is a Delhi-based freelance journalist. Earlier, he was posted in Bahrain as PTI’s West Asia and Gulf Correspondent.) “

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The World Health Organization (WHO) has released new guidelines on HIV self-testing to improve access to and uptake of HIV diagnosis. The guidelines come ahead of the World AIDS Day observed on December 1.

HIV self-testing means people can use oral fluid or blood- finger-pricks to discover their status in a private and convenient setting. Results are ready within 20 minutes or less. Those with positive results are advised to seek confirmatory tests at health clinics. WHO recommends they receive information and links to counselling as well as rapid referral to prevention, treatment and care services.

Self-testing has been shown to nearly double the frequency of HIV testing among men who have sex with men, and recent studies in Kenya found that male partners of pregnant women had twice the uptake of HIV testing when offered self-testing compared with standard testing. According to a new WHO progress report lack of an HIV diagnosis is a major obstacle to implementing the Organization’s recommendation that everyone with HIV should be offered antiretroviral therapy (ART).
 
The report reveals that more than 18 million people with HIV are currently taking ART, and a similar number is still unable to access treatment, the majority of which are unaware of their HIV positive status. Today, 40% of all people with HIV (over 14 million) remain unaware of their status. Many of these are people at higher risk of HIV infection who often find it difficult to access existing testing services.
 
“Millions of people with HIV are still missing out on life-saving treatment, which can also prevent HIV transmission to others,” said Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General. “HIV self-testing should open the door for many more people to know their HIV status and find out how to get treatment and access prevention services.”
 
HIV self-testing  is a way to reach more people with undiagnosed HIV and represents a step forward to empower individuals, diagnose people earlier before they become sick, bring services closer to where people live, and create demand for HIV testing. This is particularly important for those people facing barriers to accessing existing services, a statement by WHO said.
 
Between 2005 and 2015 the proportion of people with HIV learning of their status increased from 12% to 60% globally. This increase in HIV testing uptake worldwide has led to more than 80% of all people diagnosed with HIV receiving ART. HIV testing coverage remains low among various population groups. For example, global coverage rates for all HIV testing, prevention, and treatment are lower among men than women.
 
Men account for only 30% of people who have tested for HIV. As a result, men with HIV are less likely to be diagnosed and put on antiretroviral treatment and are more likely to die of HIV-related causes than women. But some women miss out too. Adolescent girls and young women in East and Southern Africa experience infection rates up to eight times higher than among their male peers. Fewer than one in every five girls (15–19 years of age) are aware of their HIV status, the statement added.

Testing also remains low among “key populations” and their partners – particularly men who have sex with men, sex workers, transgender people, people who inject drugs, and people in prisons – who comprise approximately 44% of the 1.9 million new adult HIV infections that occur each year. 
 
Up to 70 % of partners of people with HIV are also HIV positive. Many of those partners are not currently getting tested.  The new WHO guidelines recommend ways to help HIV positive people notify their partners about their status, and also encourage them to get tested. Twenty three countries currently have national policies that support HIV self-testing. Many other countries are developing policies, but wide-scale implementation of HIV self-testing remains limited. WHO supports free distribution of HIV self-test kits and other approaches that allow self-test kits to be bought at affordable prices. WHO is also working to reduce costs further to increase access. The new guidance aims to help countries scale up implementation.
 
WHO is supporting three countries in southern Africa which have started large scale implementation of self-testing through the UNITAID-funded STAR project and many more countries are considering this innovative approach to reaching those who are being left behind.”

“A group of heavily armed terrorists, donning police uniforms, stormed an Army camp in Nagrota in Jammu region on Tuesday morning. In the gun battle that followed with the soliders, seven Army personnel, including two officers, were martyred. The terror attack came two months after Pakistani terrorists had struck at an Army camp in Uri in Kashmir Valley, near the Line of Control, and killed 19 soldiers. The attack at Nagrota, headquarter of the Army’s 16 Corps, bore the same footprint as the terrorists used grenades and firing just before daybreak to gain entry into the army camp. They managed to force their way to buildings where army officers’ families were staying, leading to a hostage-like crisis.According to Defence spokesperson Lt. Col Manish Mehta, two Army officers and five security forces’ personnel lost their lives during the gun battle with terrorists while three terrorist were killed. The combing operation which has been halted will be launched in the morning on Wednesday.In another anti-terrorist operation at least 10 security personnel, including a BSF Deputy Inspector General, were wounded in Samba district. During an encounter in Ramgarh sector along the Indo-Pak international border in Samba district, the security forces there killed three heavily armed terrorist who had infiltrated. During this operation, seven security personnel including a BSF DIG were injured. The combing operation which has been halted will be launched on Wednesday  morning. The security forces suffered serious injuries when an IED blast occurred while the bodies of the slain terrorists were being searched out.”

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Women’s health tracker, Maya has launched an initiative – Project Sunshine–in India through which it aims to promote good health and hygiene among women and young girls. The project has been initiated in government schools in Naxal-affected Sukma district of Chhattisgarh.

As per the initiative, for every sign-up through a user referral, Maya will donate one month’s worth of sanitary pads to women and girls with limited access to hygiene products. So far over 1,417 sanitary pads have already been donated. 

As per a report by HEEALS, a non-profit organization, approximately 23% girls drop out of school every year in India due to lack of menstrual hygiene facilities. The percentage of girls having access to menstrual products is dramatically less in India and this is one of reasons of decline in number of girls in secondary and higher education courses, a statement issued by Maya said.

 Ã¢Â€Â˜Project Sunshine’ conceptualised as Maya believed that their work should impact the lesser privileged as well. The project will help in creating awareness both among the women who receive the products as well as the community of users on Maya who contribute to the cause. 

To drive ‘Project Sunshine’, Maya has partnered with Saral Designs and Shiksharth Trust. While Saral manufactures high quality sanitary pads at a low cost with machines designed and developed in-house at their unit, Shiksharth is a platform which operates out of Sukma region in Chattisgarh and is working towards the holistic development of tribal and rural children by bridging the gap between community and schools. Maya is working in collaboration with Saral towards procuring high quality sanitary pads that are distributed to women. It has partnered with Shiksharth to equip girls in tribal belts to overcome the limited access to menstrual hygiene products. 

Shiksharth Trust will be facilitating the process of distribution in schools with Danteshwari Mahila Mandali (Women’s Club of Sukma) and Rajiv Gandhi Shiksha Mission, Sukma Administration. Maya aims to expand the scope of donation to other geographies in India and extend partnerships with other organizations in facilitating and distributing sanitary pads. Though the project has been initiated amongst school girls, the goal is to expand to menstruating women in the country with little or no access to sanitary pads irrespective of their age. 

Project Sunshine aims to enable access to women in areas where availability of menstrual pads is an issue and inadequate sanitation is one of the major causes for reproductive health issues and has an impact on school dropout rates in developing countries, including India.

The project also aims to empower women by providing them better access to healthcare and sanitation resources which would improve women’s health. It also seeks to bring about a change in thought since menstruation is still a taboo subject in countries like India.  

“Since the inception of Maya, we have obsessed about decoding each day of the monthly cycle to help women across the world manage their health better. Project Sunshine is our way of contributing to this mission beyond the tier 1 cities in India. The project is driven by the community of users on Maya who are motivated about supporting women who are less privileged”, said John Paul, chief executive officer and founder, Maya.

Maya has recently raised an undisclosed amount in funding from Rajan Anandan, Vice-President, Google, Southeast Asia and India. The company had also raised seed funding of 5 crore from Prime Venture Partners earlier this year. Maya is building a personal health assistant that uses data, analytics and machine learning to provide women actionable insights around their health. Using the tracker, women can record vital health information and trace out patterns that help them manage their health better. 

Maya (previously LoveCycles) is the world’s most comprehensive women’s health tracker. Founded in early 2012 by John Paul, Maya logs more than 1.3 million active users every month. Maya enables women to keep track of their menstrual and physiological health via a mobile application. Led by John Paul and Raghu Mallena (CTO of Maya), the tracker has over 7 million downloads across 190 countries. 

Globally, the tracker supports 14 languages including Hindi, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and French and very soon will support popular regional languages in the country. The tracker has garnered a consistent 4.5-star rating across Android and iOS based on more than over 100,000 user ratings. Maya has also been featured on the Apple iTunes Store and Google Play Store regularly, the statement added.”

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The death of the charismatic Fidel Castro at the age of 90 eight days back on November 25 signifies the end of an era. While defying the might of the US, he remained an undefatigable symbol of resistance till he breathed his last. As it turned out he lived long enough to see the rollback of Washington’s sanctions for 54 years that crippled the Cuban economy. 

Spearheading the Cuban revolution, he played a crucial role in overthrowing President Fulgencio Batista in 1959 at the age of 32. Castro was an authoritarian who violated human rights, jailed his critics and remained highly intolerant. His die hard supporters found in him a person who challenged the US domination of Latin America while bringing healthcare and education to the poor.

Castro inspired socialist movements across the globe. He is believed to have thwarted more than 600 attempts to assassinate him by none other than the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Attempts were made to even make his beard fall which made him popular along with trying poison pills and toxic cigars. 

The Island nation of only 11 million people largely backed Castro. There is more to the Cuban icon or El Comandante as the people called him. He was much more than being the flag bearer of the underdog. At the same time those who opposed and despised him as a tyrant had to leave the shores of their country with most of them choosing the US. 

Given his anti-US stance, Castro had no option but to join hands with the Soviet camp during the Cold War years. It was surprising that he overcame the Bay of Pigs invasion by the powerful US as well as the Cuban missiles crisis. 

The revolutionary had to pay a telling cost for this resulting in an extraordinarily harsh trade imbargo against the tiny Island state isolating it economically. At the same time Castro supporters vouch for Cuba’s achievements in universal education and health care despite a debilitating resource crunch. This led to Castro being hailed by the Leftist movements globally. 

What hurt Havana under Castro was that it could not become part of the international system. His defiance of the ‘Yankees’ for more than six decades while extending support to national liberation struggles in Latin America, Asia and Africa turned him into a Third World icon. He refused to give up his belief in socialism. 

The clout of Castro’s global standing emerged from the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). It may be recalled Castro arrived in New Delhi in 1983 to hand over the Presidency of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to India. Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister then and the nation will never forget the bear hug the tall, bearded Cuban leader gave her spontaneously. 

His slogan of “”socialism or death”” inspired the nationalisation of natural wealth by governments across Latin America as a counter to the appropriation of oil and mineral resources by multinational corporations. 

The process of resumption of diplomatic ties between Havana and Washington under the leadership of his brother, Raul Castro, who took over in 2008 continues to be fragile. However, U S President Barrack Obama paid a historic visit to the Caribbean nation after a gap of  88 years earlier this year for a rapproachment between the two neighbours aimed at enlarging economic cooperation.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, it seemed Castro’s communist rule would collapse. On the contrary Cuba’s survived thanks to financial interventions by Venezuela now facing bankruptcy. 

Cubans had to endure prolonged power cuts and shortages of food besides other basic items. Stubborn as Castro was, he asked the people to endure this “”special period”” which they did stoicly. 

While undertaking some reforms he allowed the disgruntled to leave by makeshift boats that compelled US President Bill Clinton to agree to more orderly migration. Unlike other dictators he did not use power for personal gain.

With Fidel Castro no more, the challenge is immense for his brother Raul Castro who has announced stepping down as President in 2018. The question is will Cuba be able to maintain its egalitarian legacy while ensuring political and social freedoms. Havana desperately needs to recover from the past by giving a major push for integrating with the global order.

(T R Ramachandran is a senior journalist and commentator. The views are personal.) ”

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Paving the way for a much-needed boost to the Army’s firepower, India on Wednesday signed the Letter of Agreement and Acceptance (LOA) with the U.S. for getting 145 M777 ultra light artillery guns. The deal, worth Rs. 5,000 crores, was given a go-ahead by the Union Cabinet on November 17. The Defence Ministry had approved the deal in October to strengthen the Army’s firepower. The air portable 155mm/39 calibre gun, with maximum range of 30 km, is manufactured by BAE Systems.

In a statement, BAE systems welcomed the signing of LOA and said: “”The company anticipates signing a contract in the coming weeks with the US Department of Defense to supply these M777 Howitzers to the Indian Army.”” According to the BAE Systems, the M777 is a highly portable gun and will prove to be a big positive in the defence arsenal. The gun is portable by land, sea and air and can be easily moved and re-deployed as per the defence forces’ needs in all theatres of war. 

 It said that India will join the U.S., Canadian and Australian forces in gaining the M777’s unmatched strategic and tactical mobility.

“We look forward to providing the Indian Army with the combat-proven M777,” said Dr. Joe Senftle, Vice President and General Manager for Weapon Systems at BAE Systems. “Our plan to establish a domestic Assembly, Integration and Test facility further demonstrates our commitment to ‘Make in India’ and remains a firm part of our strategy to work with the Indian defense sector across Air, Land, Sea and Security.”

At half the weight of other 155mm towed howitzers, the M777 provides a rapid reaction capability and a proven pedigree that delivers decisive firepower when needed most in sustained combat conditions.

With more than 1,090 M777s in service, it is the only battle-proven 155mm Ultra-lightweight howitzer in the world. It will remain at the forefront of artillery technology well into the future through the use of technical insertions, long-range precision guided munition developments, and flexible mobility options, the manufacturer said.

Earlier this year, encouraged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to “Make in India”, BAE Systems announced a plan to establish an Assembly, Integration & Testing (AIT) facility in India which will expand our global supply chain and is an integral part of the offset offer to the Government of India.

The offset offer commits to investing in, and the development of, a number of Indian defence suppliers, providing them with access to the BAE Systems group across Air, Land, Sea and Security programs. The conclusion of this procurement will enable BAE Systems to make an investment of over $200 million in those Indian defence suppliers, it said.”

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The National Human Rights Commission in its latest order has directed the Ministry of Home Affairs to make appropriate proposals to the President of India for commutation of sentence of four death row convicts in the light of Supreme Court judgments on “undue, unexplained and inordinate delay in executive due to pendency of mercy petitions.’’ The Ministry has to submit action taken report to the NHRC within three months.

The Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) has welcomed the recommendation of the human rights panel on commutation of the death sentence of four death row convicts — Krishna Mochi, Nanhe Lal Mochi, Bir Kuer Paswan and Dharmendra Singh @ Dharu Singh — who were convicted in the Bara massacre case of 13 February 1993 in light of the Supreme Court judgments on undue, unexplained and inordinate delay in execution due to pendency of mercy petitions. This is the first ever recommendation made by the NHRC on commutation of death sentences and ACHR described it as a historic step in the right direction. The matter had been taken up with the Commission by the ACHR.

On 8 June 2001, the Sessions Judge, Gaya-cum-Designated Court under Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 found Krishna Mochi, Nanhe Lal Mochi, Bir Kuer Paswan and Dharmendra Singh alias Dharu Singh guilty and awarded the death sentence.  On 15 April 2002, the Supreme Court confirmed their death sentence though Justice M B Shah had dissented against the award of death sentence. Following the confirmation of the death sentence, these death row convicts filed mercy petitions with the President in 2003 and the prison authorities of Bihar forwarded their mercy petitions to the President of India on 3 March 2003. However, their mercy petitions were lost!

On 6th February 2014, ACHR filed a complaint with the NHRC against the refusal and/or failure to consider the mercy petitions filed by the four death row convicts, who are currently lodged in District Jail, Bhagalpur. The NHRC issued notices to the MHA and the State Government of Bihar to submit their replies.

After perusing the replies of the MHA and the State Government of Bihar, the NHRC in its substantive order said: “From a careful analysis of the facts and materials placed before the Commission it emerges that the four convicts in question had submitted their mercy petitions prior to 07.07.2004. This is clear from the admission of the Inspector General (Prisons and Correctional Services), Government of Bihar that the mercy petitions of the four convicts were forwarded to the Secretariat of President of India through the Home Department, Government of Bihar vide letter dated 07.07.2004. But according to the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Secretariat of the President of India, the mercy petitions had not reached the Ministry of Home Affairs, or the Secretariat of the President of India. If the claim of the Inspector General (Prisons and Correctional Services), Bihar that the mercy petitions were sent to the President’s Secretariat through the Home Department (Special) Bihar vide letter dated 07.07.2004 is correct, where did they go and what happened to those petitions? The fact remains that the mercy petitions submitted by the four convicts prior to 07.07.2014 were not considered by the competent authority even after 12 years. It is only after the intervention of the Commission that new mercy petitions dated 31.3.2013 along with the connected documents were sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs on 28.03.2016. Even these mercy petitions are still pending consideration by the competent authority.”

The NHRC further stated “In the case of Shatrughan Chauhan (supra), the death sentence of 15 death row convicts was converted to life imprisonment on the ground of delay in deciding their mercy petitions by periods ranging from 5-12 years. In the case of Ajay Kumar Pal, the delay involved was 3 years and 10 months. From the above mentioned judgments of the Supreme Court, it is clear that Krishna Mochi, Nanhe Lal Mochi, Bir Kuer Paswan and Dharmendra Singh, who are death row convicts and who had submitted their mercy petitions prior to 07.07.2004 have a strong case to get their death sentences commuted to life imprisonment as their mercy petitions remained un-disposed off for more than 12 years and their death sentences were not executed for more than 12 years. Even the new mercy petitions dated 31.3.2013, referred to in the letter dated 28.3.2016 of the Special Secretary (Law), Government of Bihar addressed to the Joint Secretary (Judicial), Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India have not yet been disposed off, despite expiry of a period of three years and six months.”

In the light of these, the NHRC recommended to the Government of India to submit appropriate proposals to the President of India, in the light of the judgments of the Supreme Court referred above. Necessary action in this regard may be taken by the Union Home Ministry within three months.””

“As an important limb of the democratic system, the Supreme Court should steer clear of activism in areas beyond its purview by ruling on Wednesday that cinema halls shall play the national anthem before a film starts. This has added a new dimension with certain legal luminaries suggesting that the bench should review its order at the next hearing fixed for February 14, 2017. It is churlish for any institution to assume that by standing up during the national anthem in a cinema hall is the ultimate test of patriotism. This is taking things too far as opinions differ in the ongoing debate on nationalism. In other words having a contrary view to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s sudden demonetisation to fight the menace of black money, counterfeit currency and terrorism does not necessarily make one an anti-nationalist. It is advisable for the courts to avoid non-judicial issues evidenced with the so called movie hall nationalism. The universal principles of democracy find no reflection in the court’s order on the national anthem. The job of the judiciary including the Supreme Court is to interpret laws. Making laws is the prerogative of the legislature. Clear separation of powers is the key to a democratic system of governance. There is no ambiguity in the message of the founding fathers of the Constitution. Respect to the nation and its symbols would not be enforced by state diktat or extracted through legal compulsion. It may not be out of place to recall some of the observations of the Supreme Court in this case. It is compulsory for all citizens to now stand up and listen to the national anthem before they watch a movie in a theatre. “”When the national anthem is played or sung in a cinema hall, its doors must remain locked so that no one can create any kind of disturbance that will amount to disrespect to the Anthem,”” Justices Dipak Mishra and Amitava Roy said in an interim order. The court gave the directions on a PIL filed by a retired army officer Shyam Narayan Chowskey. The petititon sought appropriate directions to the authorities to ensure that due respect is given to the national anthem and that it is played before the start of feature films in cinemas.Justice Mishra is in line to be the Chief Justice of India after Justice J S Kehar, who is expected to take over from Chief Justice of India T S Thakur in the new year in January. The Supreme Court took note of Article 51 (A) of the Constitution which makes respecting the National Anthem a fundamental duty of every citizen, emphasising “”it is the sacred obligation of every citizen to abide by the ideals enshrined in the Constitution. One such ideal is showing respect for the National Anthem and the national flag.”” An enforced or coercive nationalism will inevitably be shallow. Patriotism is a value that most people cherish. Why is it necessary to display one’s patriotism frequently. Is it to bring round the dissenter. Given the country’s National Anthem bringing to the fore its unity in diversity, why has it become necessary for the judiciary to make the playing or the singing of the anthem mandatory through its order. Have cinema halls been chosen because they were required to play the National Anthem and given up some 30 years back. What is odd is that the directive has come from the Supreme Court and not the government. Under the circumstances questions have been raised why is the judiciary trying to overreach itself.This comes at a time when the Supreme Court is exercised over the shortage of judges in the higher judiciary and blames the Executive for stonewalling in this regard. The apex court has said that its order must be enforced in ten days in cinema halls all over the country. Lets wait and see if that is practical or will the court change its order in the middle of February next year. (T R Ramachandran is a senior journalist and commentator. The views are personal.)”

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Pakistani army chief is the most powerful person in Pakistan. There is a saying that most countries have an army but Pakistani Army has a country. There were speculations that General Raheel Sharif who formulated an image of a hardliner, anti India and a powerful Chief of Pakistani army would not step down without giving a befitting reply to India of its surgical strike of September 29.

Nonetheless General Sharif belied all assumptions and like a true soldier handed over charge to General Qamar Javed Bajwa on November 29 exactly two months after the surgical strike which damaged his macho image. General Sharif made history by being the first Chief of Army Staff in last 20 years, who retired without seeking any extension. But Nagrota terror attack happened!
Pakistan was carved out from India in 1947 but all the four provinces including Balochistan, Pakhtoon Khawa, Sindh and Punjab in West Pakistan had intense desire to become autonomous states. Secondly after the partition, the then leaders of Pakistan including Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah thought that Indian leaders have not accepted the partition of the country and they will attack and again merge the new born nation. Pakistan’s Western neighbour Afghanistan had also refused to accept the creation of a new country hence Jinnah and other leaders favoured a strong centre and a powerful army. Therefore Pakistani leadership spent limited resources of the country in strengthening the armed forces and with the passage of time army became very powerful and it had not allowed the civilian institutions to grow.
In the past Nawaz Sharif preferred Raheel Sharif as his reputation was of a professional soldier who had an aversion towards politics but with the passage of time he started deciding Pakistan’s relations with most of the important countries like India, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and United States. Raheel Sharif, against the wishes of Nawaz Sharif, started Operation Zarb-i-Azb in North Waziristan and eradicated several terrorist outfits which were responsible for terrorist activities in Pakistan and considered as ‘bad terrorists’ by Inter Services Intelligence. Nawaz Sharif who promised before elections to negotiate with terrorist outfits was overruled.

Nawaz Sharif who is a businessman knows that both India and Pakistan can progress if they have friendly relations and in the beginning he wanted to have amiable relations with India but Pakistani Army which thrives on anti-India rhetoric countermanded him and despite best efforts of Prime Minister Modi, relations between India and Pakistan deteriorated.
Nawaz Sharif who selected several Army Chiefs knows well that Pakistani Army will remain supreme and the civilian administration cannot counter Army as an institution. Besides this the public image of army is far superior in comparison to the political leadership which is considered to be thoroughly corrupt. The names of family members of Nawaz Sharif already appeared in ‘Panama Papers” for having ‘offshore holdings’. General Bajwa played a positive role towards democracy in 2014 when Tahirul Qadri and Imran Khan were protesting against Nawaz Sharif government and were demanding his resignation. Analysts claim that General Bajwa’s pro-democracy image also helped him in becoming Chief of Pakistani army.eneral Bajwa, superseded Lieutenant-General Syed Wajid Hussain, Lieutenant-General Najibullah Khan, Lieutenant-General Ishfaq Nadeem Ahmed including Lieutenant-General Javed Iqbal Ramday who had been posted in 10 Corps and has experience of Kashmir affairs which is a hot spot at this juncture.

General Zubair Mahmood Hayat was appointed as the Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC). Although the post of CJCSC is senior to Army chief but Pakistan Army Chief is the most powerful person in the country. He took over as Chief after a tenure at the GHQ as the Inspector General of the Training and Evaluation from 2015 to 2016 and as the Corps Commander X Corps from 2013 to 2015 which is responsible for the area along the Line of Control. Bajwa also served as a peacekeeper in the UN mission in Congo as a brigade commander. Commissioned in 16 Baloch Regiment on 24 October 1980, in 1982, he was shifted to the Sindh Regiment.

Pakistani press and public feel that General Bajwa being apolitical and relaxed person would return back the power to the civilian government. The analysts mention that as Bajwa has a leaning towards democracy and is a low-profile general hence it will be easy for the civilian government to deal with him.

General Sharif lost his uncle in 1965 India Pakistan war while his real elder brother who was his mentor was also killed in 1971 war with India. Hence General Sharif had an inherent aversion towards India. It is anticipated that General Bajwa who has no repugnance towards India may be helpful in easing out the current tense atmosphere between both the countries. However, strategic experts claim that ISI sponsored two terrorist attacks on at Nagrota in which seven army personnel including two majors were killed was a blunt message to General Bajwa that he should not meddle with low intensity war launched by ISI against India.

Pakistan watchers unanimously feel that Indian security forces should not expect any major change in Pakistani sponsored terrorist activities because of change of army chief. Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told a Pakistani news channel that “The focus will remain on country’s eastern border and the armed forces backed by the nation will meet all challenges”. He further mentioned that “The legacy of General Raheel Sharif would continue in the light of the examples he set”.

General Bajwa would face problems at many fronts especially with its Eastern as well as Western neighbours. After surgical strike of India Pakistani forces enhanced shelling on Indo-Pak border and ISI is infiltrating terrorists at a large scale. The tension between both the nuclear countries is enhancing and General Bajwa may try to tone down the tension.

The terrorist incidents in Afghanistan are also enhanced and Afghan government alleges that ISI sponsored terrorist outfits are responsible for these terrorist acts. Pakistan should genuinely reduce its assistance to terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan so that relations between both the countries improve. US administration under Donald Trump will be much more stringent against terrorism in comparison to his predecessor and Pakistani army and government have to work hard to inculcate friendly relations.

Pakistani masses are fed up with several terrorist activities in the country hence Bajwa had to be more stringent with the terrorist outfits. The Pakistan analysts mention that operation Zarb-e-Azb will continue with more vigour and strength not only in tribal areas and Karachi but it will also expand in other areas. General Bajwa should also try to control ISI which is sponsoring terrorism in India so that the relation with its eastern neighbour is improved. Nonetheless the primary task of General Bajwa would be to inculcate cordial relations with the civilian government which is essential for the progress of the country as well as for a smooth foreign policy.
(Jai Kumar Verma is a Delhi-based security analyst. He has served in Indian missions in Dubai, Washington and Islamabad. The views in the article are personal. This article first appeared on November 30 in Aviation and Defence Universe and is being reproduced here with the author’s permission.)”

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday stressed the need to wipe out the terror network, saying it was endangering the entire region. A declaration released at the end of the summit also called for immediate eradication of terror to help Afghanistan which has faced destruction due to conflicts in its various regions. Addressing the Heart of Asia Summit in Amritsar, Punjab, Mr. Modi said that terrorism and externally induced instability pose the gravest threat to Afghanistan’s peace, stability and prosperity. “”And, the growing arc of terrorist violence endangers our entire region. As such, support for voices of peace in Afghanistan alone is not enough,” he told delegates at the summit which is chaired by Afghanistan.
Without naming Pakistan, Prime Minister Modi said that support for peace in Afghanistan must be backed by resolute action. “”Not just against forces of terrorism, but also against those who support, shelter, train and finance them,” he said in a veiled reference pointing towards Pakistan.
Mr. Modi asserted that silence and inaction against terrorism in Afghanistan and our region will only embolden terrorists and their masters. “”Our bilateral and regional commitments of material assistance for Afghanistan’s development and humanitarian needs must continue and increase. Our cooperative endeavours in Afghanistan should contribute to its infrastructure and institutional capacity, and self-propelling engines of growth,” he said.He said the need of the hour is to stand our ground and continue with our line of effort. “”We must protect and build on the gains of the last fifteen years and march ahead. Because, at stake is not just the future of Afghanistan that has invested in a vision of development, democracy, and pluralism. But, the peace and stability of this entire region, and beyond,” he added. 

Pointing to the need to reflect with urgency on what more must be done so that its citizens can self-sustain peace and economic growth, Mr. Modi said the question is of resolve and action and of putting Afghanistan and its people first. 

“”For this, First, an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled process is key. It is the only guarantor of durability of solutions. Second, we must demonstrate strong collective will to defeat terror networks that cause bloodshed and spread fear,” he told the summit. 

Mr. Modi said that Afghanistan should be at the centre of our connectivity networks, not peripheral to them. “We cannot deny that the more connected Afghanistan is with the regional arteries of trade, capital and markets, the more assured would be its economic growth and progress. President Ghani and I have converged on the priority of strengthening trade and transport linkages with other partners in the region,” he added. 

Pointing out that welfare of Afghanistan and its people was close to India, he said that successful  record of our partnership in projects, big and small, in Afghanistan speaks for itself. The principal dimension of our cooperation has always been its people centric nature. 

He said that India’s joint efforts were directed at educating Afghanistan’s young and nurture their skills; provide health care and improve agriculture; build infrastructure and institutions; and allow traders and small businesses in Afghanistan to connect with immense commercial and economic opportunities in India. 

Mr. Modi urged the delegates to re-dedicate to making Afghanistan a Geography of Peace — a place where reason and peace succeeds; progress and prosperity prevails and democracy and plurality wins. He asked the 6th Ministerial Conference of the Heart of Asia- Istanbul Process on Afghanistan to remember that every passing day we help Afghanistan to achieve successful political, security and economic transitions, we are also helping ourselves create a more peaceful region and world.”