Sindh

United States of America – Human Rights Champion?

Published

3 years ago

April 23, 2022

KARACHI: The United States, who branded himself as the world’s human rights defender, has always pursued hegemonism, unilateralism and interventionism. The country frequently uses force, resulting in a large number of civilian casualties. It has become the biggest obstacle and destroyer of the sound development of the international human rights cause.

The cost
Since the 21st century, the United States has launched a series of global foreign military operations in the name of anti-terrorism, resulting in nearly one million deaths. The website of USA Today reported on Feb. 25, 2021 that the so-called anti-terrorism war launched by the United States in the past 20 years has claimed the lives of more than 929,000 people, according to the “costs of war” study by Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs of Brown University. The 20-year U.S. military operations in Afghanistan have killed 174,000 people, including more than 30,000 civilians, and injured more than 60,000 people.

The ongoing war and instability have made nearly a third of the Afghan population refugees. A total of 3.5 million Afghans have been displaced by the conflict, and nearly 23 million face extreme hunger, including 3.2 million children under the age of five. When the United States withdrew its troops from Afghanistan, it immediately froze billions of dollars in foreign exchange reserves at the Afghan central Bank, causing the Afghan economy to be on the brink of collapse and making life worse for the people.

According to an assessment by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Program which was released November 2021, only 5 percent of Afghans receive enough food on a daily basis. Since 2016, 40 percent of airstrike casualties have been kids. In one infamous incident, US and Afghan forces attacked a Doctors Without Borders hospital, destroying its main building and killing forty-two patients and staff, even though they’d been given its GPS coordinates beforehand and hospital personnel had alerted the US military while they were being attacked.

It was as unambiguous a war crime as you can find, which is presumably why Washington put the kibosh on any independent investigation, no matter the contradictory and evolving explanations offered. Eventually, both Afghan forces and the US military publicly agreed they had committed the atrocity on purpose, supposedly because the Taliban had used the hospital as a perch from which to attack them.

The business
The New York Times reported that U.S. national defense contractors were the real winners in the “war on terror” and that the United States’ 20 years in Afghanistan “really built not a country but more than 500 military bases and the personal wealth of those who supplied them.” Only about 12 percent of the reconstruction aid the United States provided from 2020 to 2021 actually went to the Afghan government, with most of the rest going to American companies like Lewis Berger.

The future
26TH August, 2022, on the eve of US withdraw from Afgaistan, thirteen U.S. service members are killed and at least eighteen are injured in an attack at a checkpoint outside the Kabul airport, where thousands of people are being evacuated. They are the first U.S. service members killed in action in Afghanistan since February 2020. At least 170 Afghans are also killed.

The Islamic State in Khorasan claims responsibility, and several days after, the United States launches an air strike targeting a suspected plotter from the group. However, the Pentagon later admits that the strike was a “mistake” and killed ten civilians, including seven children.
This is a microcosm of the legacy left by the United States to Afghanistan. What are other elements left there? Terrorism, poverty, chaos, disorder, death, to name a few..

Related Topics:Afghanistan Pakistan USAHumanRights

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Sindh

Sharjeel Inam Memon calls on President Asif Ali Zardari

Published

1 day ago

May 5, 2025

Aftab Channa

ISLAMABAD: Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon called on President Asif Ali Zardari at the President’s House Islamabad. Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon gave a detailed briefing to President Asif Ali Zardari on several development projects in Sindh, specifically ongoing transport projects.

President Asif Ali Zardari ordered that all transport projects in Sindh be undertaken through modern technology.

President Asif Ali Zardari instructed to increase the numbers of Pink Taxi and Pink Scooty to provide special facilities to women.

President Asif Ali Zardari also said that women empowerment is our top priority, and these projects not only offer vital facilities but are also an important landmark in generating new job opportunities for women.

Sindh

Sindh launches 7th Agricultural Census 2024 – Integrated Digital Count

Published

4 months ago

January 1, 2025

Aftab Channa

KARACHI: In a remarkable move, the 7th Agricultural Census 2024 – Integrated Digital Count was officially launched here on Wednesday.

The event, held in Karachi, was marked by the participation of key dignitaries, including Mr. Muhammad Ali Malkani, Minister for Livestock and Fisheries, Government of Sindh, and Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Minister for Planning and Development and Energy, Sindh and Dr. Naeem-uz-Zafar, Chief Statistician, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), whereas secretaries, director generals and other officers of different provincial departments also attended the launch.

Dr. Naeem-uz-Zafar, in his keynote address, emphasized the transformational nature of this census. “This is not just a data collection exercise; it is a foundation for evidence-based decision-making that will steer our agriculture sector towards sustainable growth. For the first time, we are adopting an integrated and fully digital approach, combining agricultural, livestock, and machinery censuses into a single, comprehensive operation,” he stated.

Highlighting the census’s objectives, Dr. Naeem-uz-Zafar added, “The 7th Agricultural Census will provide critical insights into Pakistan’s agrarian structure, crop patterns, livestock population, and mechanization trends. The use of advanced tools such as tablet-based data collection, GIS dashboards, and real-time monitoring ensures accuracy, reliability, and timeliness. This initiative aligns with international best practices and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) guidelines.”

He detailed the preparations, including the extensive training of 1,695 enumerators and supervisors across 30 venues in Sindh, to ensure the quality of data collection. He also underscored Sindh’s vital role in Pakistan’s agricultural economy, with its 8.2 million acres of cultivated land and major contributions to crops like cotton, rice, sugarcane, and wheat.

Speaking on the occasion, Muhammad Ali Malkani, Minister for Livestock and Fisheries, echoed these sentiments in his address. “This census is a historic step towards modernizing our agricultural practices and addressing the challenges of food security, climate resilience, and rural development. Sindh’s agriculture sector is the backbone of its economy, supporting 37 percent of our population. The insights gained from this census will empower policymakers to make informed decisions and drive sustainable progress,” he remarked.

The Minister also lauded the collaborative efforts between federal and provincial governments, academia, and relevant stakeholders in making this initiative a reality. “The data we collect will have far-reaching impacts, shaping policies that uplift farmers, enhance productivity, and strengthen food security,” he said.

The event also featured Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Minister for Planning and Development and Energy, who reiterated Sindh’s commitment to supporting innovative initiatives like the Integrated Digital Count. “Our government firmly believes in using technology to address the challenges faced by our agriculture sector. This census is a critical step in achieving that vision,” he stated.

The journalists present on the occasion asked questions from the dignitaries regarding the reasons of 16 years gap since the last agricultural census, and the validation, relevancy and efficacy of this census in the face of continual climate crisis. The field operations for the census will run from January 1 to February 10, 2025, with the final results expected by August 2025. This initiative reflects dedication and cooperation between the federal and provincial governments to leveraging technology for governance and ensuring the sustainable development of the agriculture sector.

Sindh

Sindh Solid Waste Management Board starts paying for garbage disposal in Pak Rupees

Published

11 months ago

June 2, 2024

Staff Report

KARACHI: With an aim to lower the financial burden on the provincial exchequer, the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) started to pay private companies contracted for garbage disposal in the city in local currency instead of US dollars.

In this regard, Managing Director SSWMB Syed Imtiaz Ali Shah held a meeting with representatives of the private firms responsible for disposal of garbage in the city and apprised them of the decisions made by the steering committee of the Board.

The meeting deliberated upon the new plan of garbage disposal in the city before the expiry of the contracts made with private firms for solid waste management on district West, Malir, Keamari and East.

It was informed in the meeting that the negotiation with the contracting firms for payment in local currency had already been started.

The representatives of the private firms working in district Malir, West and Keamari informed the meeting that the verification of the staff and vehicles had been completed through a third party, while the verification was still going on in district East.

The managing-director directed the officials concerned to take steps to further improve efficiency in the new operational plan.

He asked the officials to make union committee-wise operational plan, containing complete details of daily waste volume, transport, machinery, staff and all resources to further improve the door-to-door waste collection services.

He also directed the private companies to pay the salaries of their respective staff on time. Mr Shah said that the operational plan should also include training of the staff, the strategy of separate collection of waste and date of people who picked garbage illegally.