- Marriyum says PPP project not against national interest
Collection of sensitive information pertaining to banned organisations has allegedly taken place in various parts of the country through the Pakistan Peace Collective (PPC), a UK-funded project.
The activities of the project have now been suspended by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoIB). Under the aegis of the project, information of sensitive nature has been gathered from 45 districts including Lahore, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, Jhang, Hyderabad and parts of Azad Jammu Kashmir.
The services of two multi-national consulting firms – MRB (formerly OASIS) and IPOR – were hired in this regard. The project from the outset continued its activities in close consultation and coordination with the Information Ministry and periodic activity reports were actively shared with the UK high commissioner to Pakistan.
So far, two reports, 2013/14 and 2014/15, containing sensitive data regarding the banned organisations, their strongholds and local perceptions about terrorism, counter-terrorism and counter violent terrorism have been handed over to the British high commissioner. However, the activities of the project (PPC) have reached at a standstill position as a chief executive officer of the project has resigned from top slot on March 31, 2017.
Copies of the official documents disclosed to Pakistan Today reveal that after repeated requests from the UK government to the Pakistan People’s Party-led past government, the government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the UK to root out extremism and terrorism from Pakistan through a proposed project.
The memorandum provided entire funding and support from the UK government for this project (PPC) through the British High Commission in Islamabad. The apparent objective of the project was to enhance the capacity and capability of the Ministry of Information to counter the extremist mindsets, terrorism, and to develop long-term communication strategy.
According to the document, the project, with a dedicated team of professionals, envisages comprehensive strategy, to reach out to the rural and urban population through print and electronic media as well as designed policy dialogue and research products with civil society with the objective to infuse the message of peace and tolerance and induce behaviour change in the society in order to defeat the ideology of extremism which spawns terrorism.
The project outlines the schemes to develop the ministry’s long-term strategic communication capability with British assistance to undertake the challenge of countering extremism and terrorism on a more solid basis by adopting its strategy of outreach through media and communications.
On condition of anonymity, the sources informed this scribe that PPC had hired the services of two multi-national companies for conducting research on extremism in various parts of the country. The collection and compilation of raw data and information regarding militant organisations especially Jamaat-ud-Dawa, Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM), Harakat-ul-Mujahidin (HuM), Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), Tehreek-e-Jafaria Pakistan (TJP), Muttahida Jihad Council etc was the responsibility of these two consulting firms.
They also worked for the British High Commission (BHC) and remained in direct contact with the high commissioner. The sources said that the UK government has caused the breach of the agreement by violating the terms of MoU and venturing into matters pertaining to Pakistan’s domestic security.
They said after signing of the agreement with the ministry, these two consultant firms got permission to go to any part of the country for research purposes. And, during field research in south Punjab, and Sindh province, these two multi-national companies gathered such information/data which was not part of the agreement and as a result security agencies raised the matter with the ministry and protested seriously.
Even, Multan CPO wrote a strong worded letter to the ministry about the methods of research and survey tools used in South Punjab for the data collection. They said that the CPO informed the ministry that the methods of research and surveys conducted in south Punjab for collection of information/data were similar to those which were adopted prior to conduct the Abbottabad operation by the US against Osama Bin Laden.
Although the collected data/information and research reports have been shared with Britain, yet the ministry has not shared the findings of PPC research/project with the public or media, and kept saying the reports are very sensitive in nature and cannot be made public. Also, the ministry is still fearful that both the companies (MRB & IPOR) have shared the raw data/information with the British high commissioner before preparing the final draft of the reports, the sources said.
The sources also said that a security agency had reacted over sharing of research results with the British officials during a meeting held in the Pakistan Television (PTV) headquarters in January 2016. The security agency wrote letter to PPC management, asking the ministry not to share the research results with anyone, they added.
It is relevant to mention here that Bushra Taskeen, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Pakistan Peace Collective project had submitted her resignation on March 31, 2017 and leveled allegations against the ministry of non-cooperation. Also, still no appointment on top slot (CEO) has been made by the ministry after the resignation of Taskeen.
State Minister for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb when contacted to get her views on the activities of PPC and possible theft of sensitive data, she in a text message replied, “Nothing of this sort. The project is entering into the second phase. And, nothing in the project is against the national interest. The CEO is fired due to her incompetence and the project very able, competent team and which is on board. And, I think the project has great potential. The new phase will have more structured, key performance indicators for performance and deliverables. The reported information is in correct.”
She also said, “The project continues uninterrupted under the leadership of newly-appointed chief executive who brings the right level of energy, integrity, capability and skill set to take the project in the second phase. The ToRs of the project are only aligned with the long-term economic and global strategy for Pakistan. We are grateful for the continued support and confidence of the UK government, our strongest ally in fighting the scourge of terrorism.”
A spokesperson of the British High Commission after repeated efforts to get official words regarding the fate of PPC project, and direct relations of BHC with two consultants in the research process, a spokesperson said, The British High Commission works with the government of Pakistan on a range of projects. “We do not routinely comment on individual projects,” the spokesperson further said.
Available documents further informed that the PPP government had formed a joint working group with Britain in 2008. And, after repeated meetings coupled with discussions held in 2010, both the sides agreed to start counter-terrorism research, communication and advocacy project in Pakistan. As a result, the information ministry forwarded a summary on August 9, 2011, to the then federal cabinet, seeking necessary approval for signing of an agreement with the British government to promote peace and tolerance, and to defeat the ideology of extremism which spawns terrorism in the country.
Surprisingly, the Foreign Ministry altogether contrary to the information and interior ministries had opposed the idea of signing an agreement with Britain to meet special purposes in 2011. Despite repeated efforts, the Information Ministry failed to secure the written consent of the Foreign Ministry in this regard.
However, the UK government asked the Information Ministry about the delay in signing of the agreement and further requested the ministry to immediately ink the agreement with British High Commission in Pakistan. And, the ministry while setting aside the opposition of the Foreign Ministry had presented a summary before the cabinet on August 9, 2011, for final approval.
Former prime minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani chaired the cabinet meeting which gave approval to sign the agreement with Britain. The cabinet made approval after finding full support of then interior minister Rehman Malik. As a result, British High Commissioner Adam Thomson and information secretary Taimur Azmat Usman and economic affair secretary Abdul Wajid Rana signed the document on August 30, 2011.
It is pertinent to mention here that Britain had got included a clause in the agreement under which in case if any employ/agent of this project is arrested over working against the interests of Pakistan then Britain will not be held responsible for his/her act. According to the agreement, Britain had provided three crore and 98 lakh rupees for the first year of the project to run a pilot project for 10 months. And, after getting success in the pilot project, this project was to continue for three more years till 2015. But, the project (PPC) got extension and continued till March 2017.
According to the sources, the British government has continued the project only because it was getting very sensitive and strategic data/information regarding banned organisations and their outfits in the country. They said so far three research studies have been conducted in various parts of the country including Azad Jammu Kashmir, south Punjab, Gilgit Baltistan, Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Jhang etc.
Two research reports have been developed and shared with the donor (UK) while work on the first part of the third report is completed as second part of this research report could not be compiled so far due to non-cooperative behaviour of the Ministry of Information led by Marriyum Auranzeb. “Britain is all out to get start the final phase of the PPC project,” sources said.
Defence experts expressed their surprise that the British institutes have been granted permission to conduct research and collect data/information in the name of research from every corner of the country at only four crore rupees per annum. There was no need to sign agreement with UK for PPC project as Pakistan has potential to conduct such sorts of research studies, they added.
