Fascism of PPP in Sindh

 

Dr. Jami Chandio 

Sindh has a remarkable history of resistance that dates back to 712 AD, culminating in recent events surrounding the tragic death of Dr. Shahnawaz. He was killed by the Umerkot Police under dubious charges of blasphemy last month. Following his death, a charged mob desecrated his body, igniting a wave of reactions across society.

While some religious factions praised the police, showering them with flowers in a misguided celebration of extrajudicial killings, civil society and Sindhi nationalists condemned the barbaric actions of the Sindh police. This backlash eventually caught the attention of the Sindh government, but not until several days had passed after the Umerkot incident. Their realization was not instinctive; it was propelled by mounting pressure from Sindhi activists—teachers, poets, and artists demanding justice.

In response, the Sindh Home Minister appeared on television to announce the suspension of the implicated officers, from the Deputy Inspector General to the Station House Officer, and ordered a thorough investigation into the matter. According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), at least 65 individuals have been killed in Pakistan since 1990 over allegations of blasphemy. Dr. Shahnawaz’s murder marks the first such mob-lynching case in Sindh in thirty-five years. Notably, prior to the 1990s, no incidents of mob justice over blasphemy had been reported in the province.

One might wonder why other provinces experience more such distressing incidents of mob justice compared to Sindh, despite the mainstream media spotlighting every ailment in society. The answer lies in the foundational principles of Sindhi society, which is built on pluralism, peace, and patience—values championed by Sufis and reflected in Sindhi literature.

In light of these events, Sindhi nationalists and civil society called for a peaceful protest in Karachi this Sunday to raise awareness against the rising tide of extremism. However, their efforts were met with threats from religious groups intending to counter-protest at the same venue and time. Alarmingly, the Sindh government chose to ignore these tensions. How can a democratic PPP government stand idly by while two opposing factions prepare to clash? At the last moment, under pressure from religious leaders, the government recklessly assigned a new location for the planned peaceful gathering to the Sindhi nationalists.

On Sunday morning, a significant police and ranger presence was deployed at Karachi’s entry points, including the motorway toll plaza, effectively restricting movement for those from the left-wing community. In the ensuing chaos, police violently suppressed protesters—many of whom were women and the elderly—using batons and dragging them into police vehicles. Among those arrested were distinguished literary figures, PhD holders, university professors, poets, and artists—all subjected to humiliation regardless of their age, gender, or profession.

The unfolding events following the alleged blasphemy incident have revealed the intentions of the PPP government, raising critical questions that Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari must confront:

How can a democratic government treat its citizens in such a manner? Would a dictator behave this way?

What does this say about their view of individuals educated at prestigious foreign universities entrusted with significant responsibilities? Such treatment is unbecoming of a civilized society.

It is imperative that we hold our leaders accountable and demand a return to the values that have historically defined Sindhi society. The time for action is now.

Salahuddin Bhutto

October, 13 2024

CSS IR-I: Strategic Approaches to International Relations

Topics Covered

• War, Causes of War, Types of War
• Strategic Culture: Determinants of Pakistani strategic culture
• Deterrence: theory and Practices With special reference to Nuclear India and Pakistan 

File Photo: Pakistani SSG Commandoes 

• War, Causes of War, Types of War

§  War is an organized effort by a government or other large organization to stop or defeat something that is viewed dangerous or bad.

§  Substantial arms conflict between the organized military forces of independent political units.

§  War excludes the domestic conflicts, and considered as instrument of international politics and last resort to protect national interest.

§  A condition when there is no actual conflict but a permanent cold war that could become a “real” war at any time – State of war.

§   Causes of the war: the level of analysis concept can be used to explain why wars begin?

§  1) The individual level – theories about war center on rationality. Such as realism says international conflict is normal and reflects rational decision making of national leaders.  

§  War begins with conscious and reasoned decision based on calculation, made by both parties, that they can achieve more by going to war than by remaining at peace.

§  2) The domestic level – Characteristics of states or societies make them more or less prone to use violence in resolving conflict. Ex: Capitalist states vs. Communist states.

§  Domestic political factors, interests’ group, and legislature shape a state’s outlook on war and peace.

§  3) The interstate level – analysis explains power relations among major state actor’s in international relations are causes of war.

§  Power transition theory suggest that when power of two opposing states is in equilibrium (BOP) the conflicts are converted in wars.

§  4) The global level – analysis, a number of theories of war have been proposed.

§  Cycle theories, an effort to explain tendencies towards war in international system as cyclical. Such as, Kondratieff cycles is used to link wars with long waves in world economy.

§  Some other useful approaches to find causes of war:

§  Descriptive approaches, focus on specific direct causes of outbreak of the war such as, assassination of Archdule Franz Ferdinand in 1914 “caused” world war – I.

§  Theoretical Approaches, search for general explanation about wars break out.

§  Statistical Perspective, political scientist analyze data on types of war and circumstance under which they occurred.

§  Types of War:

§  Hegemonic War, war for the control of the entire world order and rules of the international system as a whole. Also called, world war, general war, or systemic war. Such as, WW-II.

§  Total War, the term was coined by German General Paul Von Ludendorff.

§  Warfare by one state waged to conquer and occupy another state. The goal is to reach the capital city and force the surrender of the government. Such as, Napoleonic war on French national economy. Such as, WW-I.

§  All available resources of country are completely mobilized to defeat enemy.

§  Limited War, Actions carried out to gain some short objectives of the surrender and occupation of enemy. Such as, US led war against Iraq 1991 retook the territory of Kuwait but did not go to Baghdad to topple Sadam Hussain’s government.

§  Raids are limited wars that consists single action. In 2007, Israeli warplanes bombed a facility in Syria that believed to be nuclear research facility. 

§  Decisive or total victory is not an objective, said, Karl von Clausewitz (Book On War)

§  Korean War, Vietnam War, NATO Bombing of Yugoslavia are example of limited war.

§  Asymmetric Warfare, War between belligerents whose relative military power differs significantly. Such as, American Revolution wars, hijackings and suicide bombings by terrorists.

§  Why big nations lose small wars article by Andrew J.R. Mack.

§  Civil War, War between fractions with in a state trying to create, or prevent, a new government for the entire state or some territorial part of it.

§  Such as, US Civil war in 1860s.

§  In 1971, civil war in Pakistan resulted in formation of Bangladesh

§  Guerrilla War, Warfare without front lines and with irregular forces operating in the midst of, and often hidden or protected by, civilian population.

§  The purpose is not to directly confront but rather to harass or punish it so as to gradually limits its operations and effectively liberate territory from its control.  Such as, US fought Vietcong guerrillas in 1960s and 1970s.

Strategic culture determinants of Pakistani strategic culture

• Strategic Culture: Determinants of Pakistani strategic culture

§  The term Strategic culture has grown to become the integral part of the IR since first being introduced by Jack Snyder in a 1977 research report on Soviet and American nuclear strategies.

§  It is “set of beliefs, attitudes and norms towards the use of military force, often molded according to historical experience”. – Chappell (2009).

§  Colin S. Gray argues, “All strategic behavior is affected by human who cannot help but be cultural agents”.

§  It is affected by national culture, national political culture and the situational factors.

§  Pakistan’s strategic culture was initially determined by hostile India during Kashmir war, in 1947-48 and Afghan’s claim on Pakistan’s territory, when they opposed our admission to UNO in 1947.

§  Feeling insecure we purchased small weapons and equipment from Great Britain and other commonwealth countries.

§  Decided to join American alliance system to overcome security problems.

§  Signed Mutual Defense Assistance Treaty with the USA in May 1954.

§  Joined Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) in September 1954.

§  Signed Baghdad Pact (renamed as) the Central Treaty Organization (CENTO) in Sept 1955.

§  Began to obtained weapons from China in 1965 after war with India.

§  Major strategic shift brought about by Z.A Bhutto to nuclearize Pakistan in 1972.

§  Supported the USA in Soviet Afghan War in 1979.

§  To rectify strategic imbalances in South Asia conducted nuclear explosion in May 1998.

§  Presently Indian and afghan factor, population, economy, health, terrorism are challenges faced by strategic culture of Pakistan.   

Air based Deterrence 

• Deterrence: theory and Practices With special reference to Nuclear India and Pakistan 

§  American military strategist Bernard Brodie wrote book The Absolute weapon: Atomic Power World order in 1946 and propounded term Deterrence.

§  Deterrence is act of discouraging an action by creating fear – fear of punishment. Or,

§  Use of punishment as threat to deter people from offending.

§  Nuclear Deterrence Dissuasion of sate from embarking upon actions – harmful to one’s vital security interest.

§  Nuclear Deterrence theory strategic equilibrium preserves peace, maintains stability, uncertainty decreases, the security dilemma diminishes, possibility of war decreases and peace become possible.

§  Deterrence is strategy of prevention it has three components: capability, the intention to employ it, and the ability to communicate both capability and resolve.

§  Indian Nuclear Deterrence India created deterrence in Asia by testing atomic bomb in May 1974 (Smiling Buddha or Pokhran I) and May 1998 (Pokhran - II).

§  PM Vajpayee said “we have announced our intention to maintain a minimum nuclear deterrence….”

§  Indian Nuclear Doctrine (IND) compiled and announced in Aug, 1999 to develop and deploy nuclear weapons. It has three components: Normative posture (use for peace and stability), minimum deterrence posture (to preserve greater India – Gandhian and Nehruvian Philosophy), and No First Use (NFU) policy (Use only in retaliation).

§  Pakistan Nuclear Deterrence In response to Pokhran – II Pakistan on May 28^th, 1998 tested Atomic Bomb (Chagi – I) to deter India against attacking Pakistan and to maintain balance of power. 

§  Since Pakistan tested its nuclear devices in May 1998, it has not formally declared an official nuclear use doctrine.

§  Pakistani maintain that ambiguity to serves Pakistan’s interests better.

§  It can be derived from statements of our officials.

§  Pakistan’s ambassador to conference on disarmament (CD) promised “restraint weaponization” in June, 1998.  

§  PM Nawaz Shareef in 20^th May 1999 said, “nuclear restraint, stabilization and minimum credible deterrence constitutes the basic elements of Pakistan’s nuclear policy.”

§  Parvez Musharraf in 2001-2 said, “we do not want war. But is war is thrust upon us, we would respond with full might, and give a befitting reply”.

§  So Pakistani deterrence constitutes: Credible minimum deterrence, First use (FU), Massive retaliation, Reliable C4I system.

§  Presently, both Pakistan and the India are using land, air and sea-based deterrence.

CSS IR-I: International Political Security

Topics Covered 

• Conceptualization of Security in Twenty First Century
• Elements of Power and National Power
• Balance of Power and its types
• Foreign Policy: Determinants, Decision Making and Analysis 
• Sovereignty: and Its types
• National Interest

Security in Twenty First Century

• Conceptualization of Security in Twenty First Century

§  Security concept dates back to ancient times.

§  Machiavelli (1469-1527) in his book “Prince” mentions that successful prince would provide security to his state and citizens.

§  Machiavelli also based theory of social contract and state formation on concept of security in his book “Leviathan”.

§  Present day, international security is also called as Global Security.

§  IS emerged as new subject as “security studies” with end of World War – II.

§  The reason UN was established on 24^th oct, 1945 to solve security issues and bring peace.

§  It has five dimensions that include human, environment, national, transnational, and trans-cultural security. 

§  There are different opinions about security.

§  Security is considered to be “high politics”.  – McDonald

§  “Not all political issues are security issues whereas all security issues are political problems”. – Edward Kolodziei

§  The security dilemma is negative consequence of anarchy in the international system.

§  In 21^st century return of great power conflict, climate change, uneven development, migration, resource shortages, religiously motivated terrorism, nuclear proliferation and cyber crimes are security threats to world.

§  By its resolution 38/188 H of 20 December 1983, the general assembly requested the secretary general to carry out a comprehensive study of concept of security.

§  “Critical Security Studies” deals with the “social construction of the security” and examine rhetorical nature of threat discourses. CSS was originated from Marxist criticism and post-modern, post-structuralist trends.

§  After fall of Iron Curtain and the September 11 attacks, the debate of security gained impetus among international scholars and governments.

§  Security Discourses: National Security 1940s, Comprehensive Security 1960’s, Common/Cooperative Security 1970-80s, Human Security 1990-2000s, and Non-Traditional Security 2000s onwards.

Modern Elements of Power and National Power

• Elements of Power and National Power

§  Defined as “ability to subdue others”.

§  Payne defines power as “The ability to get others – individuals, groups or nations – to behave in a way that they ordinarily would not.”

§  The power is objective, dynamic and relative.

§  Hegemonic system is one in which there is one dominant power in international system.

§  Bipolarity is international system in which there are two dominant or super powers.

§  Multipolarity is international system in with there are more than two dominant powers.

§  National power or state power is mix of many ingredients.

§  Gross domestic product, population, territory, geography and natural resources are elements of national power.

§  National power can also be determined from political culture, patriotism, education of people, and strength of scientific technological base.

§  Realist tend to see military forces and size of the army as most important element of national power.

Balance of Power

• Balance of Power

§  It become paramount feature of IR especially after the treaty of Westphalia of 1648.

§  The term balance of power was firstly known in 1701.

§  A situation where two powerful states, or group of states, are equal in power.

§  The process by which counterbalancing coalitions have repeatedly formed to prevent one state from conquering an entire region.

§  The theory of balance of power argues that such counterbalancing occurs regularly and maintains the stability of international system but does not guarantee peace.

§  The power transition theory seeks to answer what leads to war and under what condition is peace most likely?

§  According to it, peace is most likely when there is clear dominant power.

§  Techniques of balance of power: Alliances and Counter Alliance, Territorial Compensations, Partition, Armament and Disarmament, Divide and rule, buffer state, and neutralization.

§  Types of BOP: On the basis of no of states involved – Simple and Multiple, on the basis of breadth and width – local, regional, and worldwide, on the basis of intensity – Rigid and flexible. 

§  Characteristics of BOP: Constantly changing, result of human effort not natural, and real BOP does not even exist.

§  Importance of BOP: Preservation of peace, modern state system, and worked for effectiveness of International law.

§  But the liberals see BOP politics as never-ending formula for conflict and for wasting resources

Foreign Policy and Its determinants 

• Foreign Policy: Determinants, Decision Making and Analysis 

§  Foreign policies are the strategies that governments use to guide their action in the international arena. 

§  A country’s foreign policy is also known as international relations policy.

§  It is a policy of sovereign states for their interaction with other sovereign states.

§  The first known use of foreign policy is 1804.

§  “Foreign policy is shaped not only by the internal dynamics of individual and group decision making but also by the states and societies with in which decision-makers operate, and by the international and global context” – Goldstein and Peeve house.

§  Models of Decision Making:

§  1) Rational Model: In which decision maker calculate the cost and benefits of each possible course of action, the choose the one with highest benefit and lowest costs. Steps: Clarify your goals in the situation – Order them by importance – List the alternatives for achieving your goals – Investigate the consequences for each alternative – and choose the alternative that best achieve your goals.

§  2) Organization Process Model: In which policy makers or lower level officials relay largely on standardized responses or standard operating procedures. It implies much of the foreign policy results from “management by muddling through”. Example:  US state department received thousands of reports or inquiries from its embassies and sends out more than a thousand instructions and responses to those embassies.

§  3) Government bargaining model: Also called bureaucratic politics model, foreign policy decisions results from bargaining process among various government agencies having divergent interests.     

§  Analysis:

§  The Three factors that hamper “individual decision making” in international crisis:

§  1) Misperception and Selective perception: Due to available information about decision

§  2) Rationality of individual cost-benefit calculation: Undermined by the emotions that decision makers feel while thinking about the consequences

§  3) Cognitive bias: Distortion and limitations of human brain in making choices, human brain always tries to reduce cognitive-dissonance.

§   Influence of public opinion and interest groups on the foreign policy process:

§  Public Opinion: The range of views on foreign policy issues held by the citizens of state.

§  Public opinion has greater influence on foreign policy in democracies.

§  The influence is put through media and legislature.

§  Even dictators and authoritarian government pay attention to public opinion.

§  Both spend great effort on – propaganda to win support of public for foreign policy.

§  Interest Groups:  Coalition of people who share a common interest in outcome of some political issue and who organize themselves to try to influence the outcome.

§  These can be the farmers, businessmen, labor union, and senior citizens.

§  These groups do the lobbying – process of talking with legislator or officials to influence their decision on some set of issue.

§  Making Foreign Policy:

§  Foreign policy process: The process by which foreign policies are arrived at and implemented.

§  Comparative foreign policy: It is the study of foreign policy in various states in order to discover whether similar type of societies or governments consistently have similar types of policies.

§  Consider following factors while making comparative foreign policy size, wealth, extent of domestic participation in government and political culture and history.

Sovereignty

• Sovereignty: and Its types

§  Sovereignty and territorial integrity are central norms governing the behavior of states.

§  The treaty of Westphalia was the beginning of sovereign nation-state system. 

§  A state’s right, in principle, to do whatever it wants to do in its now territory.

§  Sates are sperate and autonomous and answers to no higher authority.

§  In principle, all states are equal in the status, if not in power.

§  It also means, states are not supposed to interfere in the internal affairs of other states.

§  Although states do try to influence each other (exert power) on matters of trade, alliance, war and so on, they are not supposed to meddle in internal politics and decision process of other states.

§  Presently, terrorism and the secessionist movements present two challenges to sovereignty and territorial integrity.

§  Types of Sovereignty:

§  Political Sovereignty: Obtained by voting, by the press, by speeches, and in many other ways which can’t be described easily. – Dicey.

§  Popular Sovereignty: Sovereignty obtained by the power of masses as contrasted to power of individuals.

§  Real Sovereignty: Existed in ancient times exercised by the monarchs.

§  Legal sovereignty: Authority of the state which has legal power to issue final command. And that authority is absolute and law is simply the will of sovereign.

§  de-Jure is the legal sovereignty founded on law. 

§  de-facto sovereignty which is actually obeyed.

§  According to International Law, state is an international personality which has duties and rights.

§  Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of states, 1933 establishes the state as a person of international law.

§  Even though states are sovereign but their certain form of action is required or permitted by international law is known as Opinio Juris.

The  National Interest 

 

• National Interest

§  Refer to by the French expression “raison d’etat” mean “Reason of State”.

§  Reason of states means “a mean between what conscience permits and affairs require.”

§  Defined as, the interests of a state overall (as opposed to particular parties or fractions with in the state).

§  The first thinker to advocate the primacy of national interest is usually considered Niccole Machiavelli.

§  “Means the general, long term and continuing purpose which the state, the nation, and the government all see themselves as serving.” – Charles Larches.

§  “The meaning of international interest is survival – the protection of physical, political and cultural identity against encroachments by other nation-states.” – Morgenthau.

§  The national interests may contain non-vital components which are determined either by circumstances, or by necessity of securing the vital components.

§  Thomas W. Robinson gave a six-fold classification of interests which nation try to secure.

§  Approaches to achieve National Interest:  The methods and tools that national leaders used to achieve national interest are called “Statecraft” these are: Diplomacy, Propaganda, Economic Loan and Aid, Alliances and Treaty, and Force or Coerce diplomacy.