Apropos to a news item published in the English language press about the ill-approach to sensitive security issues that potentially threatens the security of our country. The news carried activities of a foreign NGO that continues to map flood devastated areas using Geographic Information System (GIS) despite having been declared as ‘security risk’ by NDMA. Going through the news item in detail, it reinforced my belief that we as a nation have an inbuilt tendency to remain oblivious of the issues that may potentially affect security of our homeland. This is also true for the state and its security related organs. We failed to comprehend the vital information that might have been collected by US helicopters’ operations in Pakistan in the northern areas of Pakistan during the 2008 earthquake.
Incidentally, there were reports also that CIA took active part in the operations and collected vital ground based information on Pakistan’s air surveillance capabilities, ground mapping and location of sensitive security installations. The US may have carried out its operations in Abbottabad to nab Osama Bin Laden based on ground based information collected by CIA during helicopter missions in aid to victims of 2008 earthquake. We are again ignoring activities of foreign based NGOs that may be carrying out their operations in aid of CIA or collecting vital data that could be used to feed the trajectory of an in-flight missiles targeting some sensitive security installation located in or around flood affected areas.
America has a history of capitalising on events venturing into which may provide multiple information for their military actions or otherwise. No doubt that in today’s satellite technology, mapping of any area is not difficult but physical digital survey eliminates all obstacles that an in-flight missile can counter while heading towards its predetermined target.
More disturbing was the news that the NDMA, as per its Chairman Dr Zafar Qadir, had declared its disassociation with ‘Information Management and Mine Action Program (IMMAP) operating under UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in January but despite repeated reminders to interior ministry, DG UN in the foreign ministry, economic affairs division and other homeland security organisations, the organisation continues to map flood hit areas using GIS.
As per the news item the organisation was hired by UNOCHA to develop a ‘single reporting format project’ to standardise the procedures. It failed to deliver on the requirement and in January this year, the contract was terminated. However, the unmonitored digital mapping of the ground by any of the state organisations continues unabated. The foreign ministry, on a query by the NDMA, informed that the mandate of IMMAP was to focus only on mines clearances and it usually operated in conflict zones. The foreign ministry also reminded that Pakistan was neither in a state of conflict nor a post-conflict country and therefore the ministry concurs with the NDMA that IMMAP discontinue all of its activities.
Muazzam Khan, the foreign ministry spokesman, has also said: “There are some international relief and aid organisations working outside their mandate in Pakistan. They are performing unauthorised functions, including spying under the garb of humanitarian efforts and have enrolled irrelevant foreigners to work in Pakistan.” The Economic Affairs Division is also on record to have admitted that IMMAP was not registered with the government adding that its activities should be a cause of concern for security agencies.
We have kept our eyes closed for long on activities of some people and organisations knowing in what mayhem those activities could end up. Terrorism and extremism are some of the manifests of some of those overlooked activities that we confront today fatally impacting on our image in the comity of nations. The dubious activities of foreign NGOs and even some of our own are a cause of discomfort for all Pakistanis and the state, therefore, must move to stop them working on agendas exceeding their mandates and foreign employees working therein those NGOs whose visas have expired must be sent home under much debated rule of law.
ENGINEER JAVED IQBAL
Islamabad
I don't know you will post my comments or not but all these allegations are false. I think you and even chairman of NMDA don't know the difference between map and mapping.
Read response here.
https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups=#!top…
Pathetic! Sell out journalist!
Before giving this comment we watch the history of Indo-pak(sub continent), `in 1608 a.d firstly britishers entered in the sub-continent as traders, from this period till 1857 a.d they were seeing whole the resources, falts etc and in 1857 they fought with mughal emperors, britishers defeated them and succeeded in making govt: with the power of weapons. Thus I think all the US intelligence agencies are envolved in NGO’s working in pakistan. They knows all the secret informations of pakistan’s millitary and defence, it is duty of whole the nation, as public, government, military intelligence agencies,should close envolvation of all the US NGO’s.
The history repeats it self when a nation does’nt learn with it.
Thus we should give up our last drop of blood in the defense of ‘dear pakistan’, and try to finish all the U.S. agencies, NGO’s which are working in pakistan because they are against, they trying to finish pakistan.
I proudly hope that every patriot of pakistan be serious with this issue and try to finish all this robe.
Dear,
News item has been twisted perhaps,I know many ngos are making maps or maping their operational sites necessary for the site selection and completion of their activities or he work plan.
.And mind it ,nothing is new for the donors, they have more information about pakistan than we have had for the last 60 years.
Beggars are never choosers.
REMINDER FOR YOU , YOU MAY NOT BE BEGGAR BUT YOU MUST BE THE BLOOD OF BEGGAR, WATCH YOUR WORDS BEFORE YOU SPEAK FOR THE PEOPLES YOU HAVE BEEN MADE BEGGARS BY THE PROFESSIONALS LIKE YOU MR. BAIG
I agree with LEO. Mr Baig may have inferiority complex.
Dear,
Dear,
News item has been twisted perhaps,I know many ngos are making maps or maping their operational sites necessary for the site selection and completion of their activities or the work plan.
.And mind it ,nothing is new for the donors, they have more information about pakistan than we have had for the last 60 years.
Those who are eating up millions of funds are not reported usually.
Beggars are never choosers. – See more at: http://www.pakistantoday.mbt.pk/2012/11/23/commen…
It is informative to know about unauthorized operations of NGOs in Pakistan. There are several military operations are happening in Pakistan and still they are not able to completely wipe out the terrorists. This is a concern for common people. EMR software companies
How many people in pakistan have access to the activities of the NGOs working for the so called welfare of the Pakistani communities,and who will ensure the fair,free and transparent activities of the NGOs unless otherwise people are denied of having access to their activities along with their financial expenses/reports and the right to express one;s viewpoint on such activities, the law says.How an NGO can have millions/billions of funds in its balance sheet?
each NGO must be accounted for it activities and utilization of funds and ensuring access to each on its activities.
اليوم لقد اتيتكم بموقع رائع انا اعجبني شخصيا وهو يحتوي على باقة من العاب بنات جديدة ومتجدد دائما ولمن لا يعرف العاب بنات فهي العاب فلاش تلعب على المتصفح بدون تحميل وتلعب مباشرة والعاب البنات هي بدورها فيها عدة اصناف وهي العاب الماكياج وفي هذا النوع يجب وضع الماكياج للبنت الموجودة في اللعبة وهناك كتير منها ويوجد كذلك العاب طبخ وهذا الصنف عنده محبين اكتر من السابق بفارق كبير وهو المميز عند الجميع سواء كانو بناتا او اولادا وايضا الصغار يلعبون فيه كتيرا وهو الاكتر انتشارا في النت ومواقعه كتيرة ويوجد صنف آخر وهو اقل منه قليلا في الشهرة وهو صنف التلبيس هذا الصنف ايضا يعشقه كتير من البنات وعدد قليل من الاولاد وكل صنف من هذه الاصناف توجد به العاب خاصة بشخصية معينة مشهورة فمتلا باربي ستجدها في جميع هذه الاصناف متلا العاب تلبيس باربي او العاب طبخ باربي او العاب ماكياج باربي وهكذا وهناك شخصيات كتيرة في هذه الالعاب وهي الاكتر شهرة طبعا عن باقي الشخصيات الغير معروفة وهذا الموقع يقدم جميع هذه الاصناف التي تندرج تحت نوع العاب بنات فمرحبا بكم جميعا
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