Pakistan's law enforcement agencies harnessing their potential to combat terrorism
Abstract : In the aftermath of 9/11, the United States embarked upon a massive global hunt for terrorists and launched "Operation Enduring Freedom" in Afghanistan. Owing to its geographical proximity to Afghanistan, Pakistan emerged as an ally of the United States in its war against terrorism. Terrorists, having been evicted from Kabul, found the border areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan an idyllic sanctuary to promote future terrorism. During this period, terrorists extended their activities to other parts of Pakistan. At various stages, Pakistan's Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs), Federal and Provincial police, Frontier Constabulary, Levies, Frontier Corps, and Rangers were dovetailed into Pakistani Army operations against terrorists, but their ability to maintain security in their respective areas of responsibility has been questionable. They had neither conducted such operations anywhere in the past, nor were they sufficiently trained and equipped to produce a matching response to the terrorists' inventive and innovative techniques. Notwithstanding the sacrifices of troops employed against terrorists in Pakistan, it is extremely important to objectively review the LEAs' demonstrated training skills and combat worthiness in the country's ongoing counterterrorism campaign. This research focuses on appraising the existing infrastructure of Pakistan's LEAs and their potential to combat the menace of terrorism. Since Pakistan is currently fighting terrorism with the Army in a lead role, the thesis will emphasize the importance of enhancing the capabilities of LEAs other than the military to forestall, prevent, and effectively counter terrorists. The LEAs of Pakistan are a linchpin in the maintenance of law and order in the country, and their restructuring, training, and funding ought to be a priority for the Pakistani government. The authors include recommendations for upgrading the LEAs in Pakistan.
Pakistan : the contours of state and society
This collection of papers originated at a Paris seminar. It covers a very broad spectrum of life in Pakistan including political, strategic, cultural, social and gender topics.
Analysis: The Agenda 2007 Proposals: Evolution or Revolution?
On 10 February 2004 the Commission published its proposal for the financial perspective 2007-2013. A week later it adopted the third report on economic and social cohesion. These two documents form the basis of the so-called ‘Agenda 2007 reforms’. They will be the greatest challenge for the enlarged EU after the intergovernmental conference, since they will determine the financial basis for EU policy-making until the middle of the next decade. The Agenda 2007 proposals certainly hint at courageous reforms, because they place a previously unheard-of emphasis on performance and quality. Under the proposals, structural operations should generate value for money, and the funds should focus on projects which generate added value at a European level. Overall the Commission’s proposals point in the right direction, because they balance, on the one hand, solidarity for the new Member States and weak regions in the old Member States with, on the other hand, investments in future tasks. Moreover, they constitute a paradigm shift. For the first time, the Common Agricultural Policy will not be the dominant expenditure category. Now it is up to the Member States to examine the proposals politically and find a compromise between sometimes very divergent interests. It is to be hoped that, during the debate over expenditure limits and division of funds, national interests do not outweigh European interests.