By Dr. Fouzia Hadi Ali, Incharge Director, Regional Integration Center, University of the Punjab, Lahore

Introduction

Regional connectivity is the key catchword in today’s political discourse and economic activities. Therefore, to overcome the impediments in the free flow of people, ideas, and services among the countries, there is a dire need for regional integration. Besides, such divisions also hamper economic growth among the developing countries.

So keeping in view the significance of the regional integration, there was a need to establish a platform that provides long-term opportunities for the regional countries to cooperate in academic, social, economic, political, and cultural domains.

For this purpose, the University of the Punjab, Lahore, in collaboration with the Center for Global and Strategic Studies (CGSS), Islamabad, has established the Regional Integration Center (RIC) on Eurasia. The Regional Integration Center (RIC) aims to enhance the connectivity with regional countries in spheres of education, culture, media, policymaking, economy, ecology, security, technology, research, sustainable goal development, human capacity development, and lawfare.

Eurasia: The Heartland Region

A theoretical underpinning to emphasize the enhanced cooperation and relations with Eurasia can be linked to Mackinder’s “Heartland Theory” which postulates Eurasia as the core and pivot area of the Heartland and proposes that whosoever wants to rule the world has to rule the heartland. Therefore, it is imperative to explore this region, which is rich in natural resources and cultural heritage. Besides this, it is substantial to highlight the Eurasian region’s emerging significance dating back to the ancient Silk Road.  The region has deep genetic, cultural, and linguistic links with the sub-continent.  It comprises the continental area with several distinct peripheral coastal regions, including the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Western Europe, linked by Central Asia and Eastern Europe’s interior mass.

Moreover, the three Western, Eastern, and Southern Asia regions are developed around fertile river valleys. The civilizations in Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, and China shared many similarities, i.e., exchanged technologies and ideas. Ancient Egypt has also shared this model. These civilizations were most likely in more or less regular contact with each other by the early versions of the Silk Road.

Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Regional Connectivity

China has taken various regional and sub-regional initiatives to develop better connectivity within Asia. China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a mega project directed to promote regional integration and mutual economic development in Eurasia and beyond. It aims to promote the connectivity of Asian, European, and African continents and their adjacent seas, establish and strengthen partnerships among the countries along the Belt and Road, set up all-dimensional, multi-tiered, and composite connectivity networks, and realize diversified, independent, balanced and sustainable development in these countries.BRI approach encapsulates the pillars of multiple national, sub-national, regional, and local economies. Profound and ambitious in its reach and scope to ensure complementary advantages, BRI can influence sustainable development outcomes. It passes through 80 countries that generate 40 percent of the global gross domestic product (GDP) and account for 60 percent of the world population. The energy sector is deemed as the largest beneficiary of this project that accounts for 75 percent. The acceptance reflects the desire among the states to be a part of Beijing’s successful model of economic development, peace and stability, greater prosperity, and an idea of a community of shared future. Pakistan is optimizing benefits from the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which is part of the larger Chinese economic strategy (Belt and Road Initiative) based on inter and intra-regional connectivity with the mega projects.

The mission of the RIC

The RIC’s mission is to attract international students, enhance academic exchange, strengthen and broaden research on regional issues and cooperation between Pakistan and Eurasia. RIC aims to become a regional integration model that it seeks to acquire by actively collaborating with regional countries in various sectors and creating joint institutions for consultation and decision-making in the region and beyond. The center will develop a concept of a shared community for regional prosperity.

RIC Vision

The Regional Integration Center (RIC) envisions a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable region with strengthened relations with the regional states to act as a bridge between Pakistan and Eurasia.

Core Objectives of the RIC

• To attract international students in all departments, centers, colleges, and institutes of PU;
• To provide one-window operations to facilitate international students seeking admissions at PU;
• To initiate joint projects for mutual academic exchange and development, especially for the youth;
• To sign agreements with various academic and professional organizations;
• To organize various national and international conferences, workshops, and seminars, etc.;
• Organize various national and international conferences, workshops, and seminars, etc.;
• To introduce a research journal that publishes peer-reviewed articles relating to multifarious regional issues;
• Engaging international experts/ analysts to provide their input in global socio-political and economic domains;
• Promote cultural and linguistic ties within the region;
• To enhance cooperation in the agricultural sector;
• To excel in the multifarious research including Social Sciences, Law, Health, Education, Climate change, Peace and Security, Media, Technology, and so forth in collaboration with the regional countries;
• To develop strategies and framework to counter the future regional and global security challenges and threats;
• To study and provide possible solutions to regional disputes;
• To develop a policy cell that can guide various Eurasian countries on developing multilateral connectivity; and
• Explore the opportunities generated by BRI in the region.

RIC Mechanism

RIC has initiated a mechanism of cooperation with the neighboring states by establishing academic/research institutes with the capacity to award the graduate-level degree. RIC brings together highly qualified experts, intellectuals, analysts, and policymakers worldwide to deal with the emerging challenges and find venues of cooperation among states. Moreover, RIC is governed by Patron In Chief University of the Punjab, Lahore and will seek guidance from the Board of Advisors (Honorary Basis) for reviewing the academic and research activities of the Center. RIC has equal members from both the Center for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS), Islamabad and the University of the Punjab, Lahore.

University of the Punjab, Lahore proudly announce Center for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS), Islamabad as its collaborative partner for regional and international connectivity.

Also, RIC plans to engage higher education institutes and centers across Pakistan by collaborating with regional academic think-tanks, universities, and academic institutes.

This enhanced arrangement would allow to strengthening trade integration in the region by engaging relevant stakeholders. Furthermore, RIC will also initiate infrastructure programs to improve economic growth and regional integration. The collaboration would be facilitated by taking on board the Area study centers of the Pakistani universities, which would present the recommendations and suggested policy papers to the stakeholders in various subjects.

RIC will also study the socio-economic development models worldwide and identify best practices to develop an integrated model for relevant departments.

Major Projects: Activities under the RIC

The Regional Integration Center shall attract international students from the Eurasian region. It also aims to enhance academic exchange, strengthen and broaden research on regional issues and cooperation between Pakistan and Eurasia through joint Seminars, Conferences, and Roundtable Discussions with renowned regional universities. Furthermore, realizing a need for extensive research on the Eurasian Region, the center will promote research publications by publishing a research journal to make this region a single community with a shared future.

Moreover, to support academic collaborations, collaborative International Online Internship Programs are being initiated between RIC and renowned regional educational institutes. Furthermore, RIC also offers certified Courses and Diplomas in various regional languages to facilitate and enhance people to people connectivity in the Eurasian region.

Additionally, RIC’s major projects include Online and Physical lectures of famous regional scholars, establishing Chairs of regional countries in Pakistan and vice versa, and establishing a Eurasian E-Library.

Iqbal Khan

It is ironic that India continues to brandish its so-called vaccine diplomacy abroad while at the same time it has turned hospitals in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) into graveyards, choking essential medical supplies, let alone the Covid vaccine.Bigger aspect of the problem, however, is that it’s prioritising such exports at the expense of meeting “domestic” demand in the world’s second most populous country. The UN needs to step-in to quantify the exact requirement of Cobid-19 vaccine for IIOJK and institute requisite monitoring mechanism to ensure that inhabitants of IIOJK are not exposed to India’s vaccine terrorism through deprivation of medicine. After all India’s military and paramilitary forces deployed in IIOJK take pride in using rape as counterinsurgency weapon.

On March 23, 2020, UN Secretary General António Guterres issued an urgent appeal for a global ceasefire in all corners of the world to focus together on defeating COVID-19. He repeated the call at the start of the 75th UN General Assembly session in September. Since the first call, 180 countries, the Security Council, regional organizations, civil society groups, peace advocates and millions of global citizens have endorsed the Secretary-General’s ceasefire call. The world needs a global ceasefire to stop all “hot” conflicts, both inter-state and intra-state. While we endorse UN Secretary General’s intent for a global ceasefire, he also needs to make a specific call for ending atrocities in IIOJK.

Since the illegal occupation of Kashmir in 1947, killings of Kashmiris and aggression continues to this day. In 1947, at least 237,000 Kashmiri Muslims were killed just because they wanted to join Pakistan. Their enduring love for Pakistan is an unpleasant truth for India.The UN resolutions about Kashmir have not been implemented because of the Indian intransigence.

Hindutva regime has unleashed unspeakable brutality on the vulnerable Muslims of Kashmir. World powers have failed the people of Kashmir. Despite the presence of 900,000 troops, thepeople of Kashmir are continuing struggle for their self-determination and are peacefully opposing the alien rule. They are determined to carry on their struggle. They have been fighting occupation for 200 years and they will not give up.

On July 18, 2020,anIndian army CaptainBhoopinder Singhabducted three labourers, staged a gunfight, killed all three, and branded them as militants. All three were away from home to earn daily wages. According to police charge sheet, army captain staged this fake encounter inAmshipura,a village of Shopian,district Rajouri,just for paltry sum ofRs 20 Lakh.This is the value of civilian lives in Indian Illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

According to the police charge sheet, Bhoopinder Singh had hatched a conspiracy along with two civilians,TabishNazir and Bilal Ahmed Lone,with the motive for “grabbing” a reward money.The charge sheet was submitted before the chief judicial magistrate of districtRajouri.Lone has since turned an approver and recorded his confession statement before a magistrate.Captain is currently in the custody of the Indian army, and is likely to face Court Martial proceedings.

After reports emerged on social media that the three youths were not associated with terrorism, the Army had ordered a Court of Inquiry which completed its probe earlier in September 2020. It had found “prima facie” evidence that the troops had “exceeded” the powers granted under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). Following this, the Army had initiated disciplinary proceedings.General officer in Command of the XV Corps, Lt Gen B S Raju had said earlier that the Summary of Evidence had been completed and the Army will take the next course of action as per law.

The charge sheet submitted by the Special Investigation Team of Jammu and Kashmir Police has listed 75 witnesses in support of its findings and has also provided technical evidence including call data records of the accused persons involved in the case.The charge sheet also has the statements of four army personnel who were part of Captain Singh’s team. Singh and two other civilians also “purposefully destroyed evidence” of real crime that they had committed.The accused captain “furnished false information to mislead the senior officer and for getting” an FIR lodged to “tailor fit his motive for grabbing prize money in furtherance of criminal conspiracy”.

Hurriyat leaders and organizations in their separate statements sharply reacted to the IIOJK police charge-sheet. They urged the United Nations to set up a special tribunal to probe all such killings in the occupied territory.

Then there was another encounter in Srinagar onDecember 30, in which three innocent students were killed. According to Kashmir Media Service, IIOJK Bar has demanded an impartial probe into killing of 3 students.

Harassing of freedom fighters is a norm in IIOJK. On January 11, the special TADA/POTA court of Srinagar framed fake charges against illegally detained Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Chairman, Muhammad Yasin Malik in a three-decade-old fake case of RubiyaSayeed kidnapping.

The Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Liberation party, at a party meeting presided over by Chief Coordinator Dr Sarfaraz Ahmad Khan, reiterated the demand for immediate release of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and all other political leaders and activists languishing in various jails in India and in IIOJK.

Moreover,International Forum for Justice and Human Rights Jammu and Kashmir Chairman Mohammad Ahsan Untoo has strongly condemned the authorities for keeping nineteen students in jail for the past four years in a fabricated murder case. Many of the detained youth are undergoing treatment for many ailments.

IIOJK Tehreek-e-Wahdat-e-Islami’sspokesman in a statement said that Indian troops had martyred hundreds of youth in fake encounters in different areas of occupied Jammu and Kashmir during the past 33 years. He demanded of the United Nations to set up a special tribunal to probe the killing of innocent Kashmiri youth in fake encounters by Indian troops.

The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference leader and Member of Indian Parliament Justice (retired) HasnainMasoodi has called for reversal of illegal annexation actions of August 05 2019, initialization of dialogue with all the stakeholders of the Kashmir dispute.He also rejectedModi-led fascist Indian government’s so-called industrial policy for IIOJK and emphasized that the scheme would not fetch any results in absence of an aggressive peace initiative to address the political aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. General Secretary of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, Molvi Bashir Ahmed has said that the dark night of oppression imposed by India will end and the Kashmiris will see the dawn of freedom, one day. While addressing party workers in Pulwama, Bashir Ahmed said, the Kashmiris have never submitted to Indian machinations and will fight till end.

A Human tragedy is brewing in the IIOJK. International community can no longer afford to be indifferent towards this snowballing crisis. Kashmiris stay hopeful that one day their agony would end through exercise of right of self-determination leading to peace and prosperity.

The turbulent IIOJK region has long weathered violence and political strife. India’s security crackdown and the coronavirus have brought life in the tourist-dependent region to a near halt.

As the world continues its silence on the greatest human tragedy—Kashmir, it must also remain cognisant of the possible implications of the denial of basic human rights to the Kashmiris and their continued suffering at the hands of an extremist Hindutva regime in India.

Writer is a freelance contributor; email: [email protected]