Admiring She-Roes

Ms. Aazadi Fateh Muhammad

SUSI 2012 - Pakistan 

 “For living a Life, I really fight Hard”… an ordinary woman’s expression stated decades ago in the Poetry of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, an accurate description that how far great efforts are placed by the modern women to achieve their rights, as well. Women, like men are equally human, living and full of life, but unfortunately, they have to struggle doubly hard to prove their identity and status in society. They are continuously discouraged by an assortment of general biases, underestimated as weak and meek creatures. This is not only predicament of developing societies, but these discriminatory mind sets and behaviors can be easily seen in so called ultra modern world as well, where even a woman has no specific title for her other than ‘Women’, which means Wife of Men.  Means treating them as a property of men is not a fashion of eastern societies just.

A Village Woman in Sindh Province

  Gender based biases and violence, like charity, begins at home. Our family structures and socialization patterns generally support male members. Since childhood family members are directed to behave and live on gender lines. Not only in Islam but the constitution and laws of Pakistan award women their all basic rights and status in society.

   Faces of Pakistani woman represent millions of identities, tales and fragments of society at the same time. Pakistani women, no matter living in urban or rural setups, are fighting at many stages to prove their own individuality and status. However, lack of education, poor awareness, social ignorance and male dominating social patterns are main hindrances in the way of her courage and success.

    Aurat Foundation (A local NGO) reports that violence against women decreased by 6.41 percent in 2010 compared to figure from 2009, the report revealed that 8,000 cases were reported across the country in 2010 against 8,548 cases in 2009. Still serious measures are required to introduce new concrete laws and their implementation. According to Aurat Foundation report 7,733 cases of violence against women including hurt, torture, burning, rape, domestic violence, threat to violence and more were reported in the media but very few of them were answered positively. Most part of this crime has not been named by the law nor recognized by the state so it goes unpunished. In this scenario Harassment at work places bill and property rights of women law are music for the ears.  

  Population Reference Bureau Washington issued a data sheet in 2011 which shows 59% female (Age 15 to 24) literacy rate in Pakistan and in total female population of 91.6 millions only 22% of them are active in economy. Means more than half percent of women population are not being utilized and ultimately have less opportunities and exposure to work.

   We are celebrating Pakistani Women Day on March 8 across the country with the International World, for acknowledging women achievements and raising awareness to protect their rights. This day is celebrated in the memory of those women who raised their voice against discriminatory and draconian laws of a dictator in early 80s. What is hidden and can be seen in a face of Pakistani woman? Let’s see below how intellectuals’ educationists and public representatives act in response towards this question.

    A Pakistani woman has her own rightful identity. Pakistani women are beautiful, intelligent and hold capability of doing anything against all odds. Pakistani society in general and specially the religious groups are reluctant to give them their rightful place. Most of them think that they should be confined to their homes; are meant only for producing male children and taking care of family is what primary aim of their lives, said Bari Awan, an active member of War against Rape since 90s.

Asma Jilani Jahangir is a leading Pakistani lawyer, advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, President Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan and human rights activist, who works both in Pakistan and internationally to prevent the persecution of religious minorities, women, and exploitation of children.

     Prof. Shahida Kazi (Head, department of Media Sciences at Institute of Business Management, Karachi) expressed her views as saying that Pakistani woman has so many different faces. “I will say that for the most part, because of centuries of suppression the Pakistani woman is one who has learnt to be cunning, scheming and manipulative in order to survive. Of course, there are exceptions but for the most part we are not straightforward or open even when there is no need to be crafty. And this goes for all, educated, uneducated, high class, low class, young, and old. Status of women in Pakistan differs according to circumstances. However I think all women of every class are basically nothing but commodities, generally taken as the property of their men”.

    In the opinion of Dr. Zareen Abbasi (Professor at a Local University), she  believes that Pakistani women are courageous, loyal, hardworking, sincere and leading at every walk of life in society  
excluding  all that she is capable for,  her status is still not recognized at home nor  even at working places.

    Rasool Bux Sarang working as Assistant Manager Media, at Aga Khan University elaborated his point of view as, being a professional career woman, worker or a house wife, a Pakistani woman is an example of a dedicated family member whose joys, sorrows, successes or failures are usually linked to her family, but who understands the larger role she can play in improving society. Majority of Pakistani women are dependent and powerless - still struggling for their individual identities. Modern communication sources are playing a good role in creating the awareness that a woman with a more productive role in society can benefit not only to her family but also the larger society.

     A young graduate Khushboo Rafique, responded to the question picked a rural woman as a model while defining a Pakistani woman; she has the real face of Pakistan. In my opinion, a Pakistani woman is a devoting and hard working woman who dedicates her own life to her family.

    Pakistani society is basically a male-dominating society where status of a woman is not satisfactory. Obsolete customs and traditions, lack of religious knowledge and education are the main causes. Men are given more favor and attention in most of the families against their female counterparts. The real gender discrimination thus starts from homes. Women are considered not more than property in rural areas particularly the condition in urban areas is far better but women in urban areas also suffer a lot of problems in different paths of life.

Kiran Baloch is the record holder of the highest individual score in the international game. She scored 242 in the first cricket Test against the West Indies

     In patriarchal societies like Pakistan, women are habituated to consent to men as the superior human being. However awareness, education and struggle for life may change the picture in general. History is full of enlightening examples of Great women leaders, artists, scientists, and other professional women from all walks of life, which have inspired other women to overcome social obstacles.

    Need of the time is to focus on specific change leading communication campaigns who can actually bring up some differences in the existing mind sets and social patterns. Covering more than half of the country population, they deserve to be nourished and appreciated by the society without any discrimination.  As Maya Angelou (an African American Poetess) said: It is equally important to recognize and celebrate our she-roes just like the he-roes. Let’s celebrate power and beauty of feminity not only on March 8, but onwards.

International Mass Media: July 24

By Lindsay Boyle

On Tuesday, July 24, the sixth International Mass Media summer course was held in Copeland Hall at the Ohio University campus. During each class, two SUSI scholars give a lecture about their own country’s media systems, journalism practices and political cultures. All of the lectures are streamed live through Ohio University distance learning and are available online to 35 students who are taking a summer class instructed by Dr. Brook Beshah.

The SUSI summer institute — in which scholars from all over the world come to the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at OU to study journalism and media — is funded by an annual renewable grant from the U.S. Department of State’s Study of the U.S. Branch in the Office of Academic Exchange Programs.

Prof. Aazadi Burfat
Pakistan

First, scholar Aazadi Burfat introduced herself, followed by her country, Pakistan. Pakistan has the second largest Muslim population in the world, many ethnicities and religions, and more than 300 languages, though English is the official one. According to Burfat, Pakistan is full of cultural festivals and social adoptability because of the many different cultures.

However, Burfat mentioned multiple problems faced by Pakistan. Fifty-six percent of those living in Pakistan are considered literate, with literacy often being defined as being able to write one’s name. Twenty-six percent are below the poverty line. Other problems include overpopulation, terrorism (from 2002 onward), natural disasters, cross border migration, corruption, illiteracy, and political riots and killings.

Since its independence in 1947, Burfat explained that Pakistan has gone back and forth between military and civilian rule, with more time under the military. Only one civilian parliament has ever completed its entire five-year term uninterrupted.

The current president of Pakistan is Asif Ali Zardari, but Burfat said that his presidency has not been without controversy. Adding to an unstable environment in Pakistan is the ongoing war in neighboring Afghanistan. Burfat explained that many Pakistanis have faced violence in the midst of others fighting for control.

Until the formation of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority in 2002, Burfat explained that TV and radio channels in Pakistan were solely state-owned. Now, there are 77 TV channels and more than 100 radio stations covering a variety of topics. All were licensed by PEMRA. About 8 million Pakistani households have TV, Burfat said.


SUSI scholar Aazadi Burfat presents a lecture that is streamed live through OU distance learning, and is available online.

In Pakistan, there are about 17,000 newspapers in many different languages. In 1947, there were only four major Muslim-owned newspapers, but Burfat said there are now many more. Jang is one of the top selling papers.

According to Burfat, 2011 was considered a year of social media in Pakistan. Social media were responsible for alerting Pakistanis of things such as Osama bin Laden’s death. In addition, videos that have gone viral on YouTube in the past have brought about pressure for governmental change.

Historically, Burfat explained that Pakistani media has suffered from censorship. Despite the media revolution of sorts that has occurred during the past 10 years and continues to occur, Burfat said that Pakistan is still the second most deadly country for journalists.

In addition, journalists have a lack of training and receive little or no salary. Also, media owners often place commercial motives above actual journalistic interests.

As a result, many associations are working to promote a free and mature media in Pakistan, Burfat said. Although some censorship still exists, she explained that most media now strive to be the fourth pillar of the government by reporting scandals. Their focus is typically on promoting awareness and a civic sense.

Prof. Hugo Zarate
The Bahamas

SUSI scholar Hugo Zarate began his presentation with an introduction of himself, followed by an introduction of his institution, The College of The Bahamas.

Zarate then explained a bit more about The Bahamas. Eighty-five percent of the population is made up of blacks, while the other 15 percent is composed of whites, Asians and Hispanics. The Bahamas is considered a Christian nation, with 68 percent of the population practicing a Protestant religion. Common languages include English — the official language, “Bahamian slang,” which formed as a result of British colonization, and Creole.

Two big cultural events that occur annually in The Bahamas are Junkanoo and The Bahamas International Film Festival. The College of The Bahamas also hosts its own Short Film Festival each year.

The Bahamas’ economy is based on tourism, Zarate explained. The country operates under a constitutional parliamentary democracy with three primary political parties. Societal problems include immigration, natural disasters, unemployment and more.

Zarate said that The Bahamas do not have big numbers media-wise. The government owns three radio stations and 2 TV channels, which cover many things, including religious programming. Such stations also become important during times of crisis, such as when destructive hurricanes are near.

According to Zarate, there are several Bahamian institutions responsible for different regulatory actions. He explained five of them. Some examples were the Bahamas Information Service, which covers the actions of the prime minister, the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority, which licenses and oversees electronic communication, and the Bahamas Christian Council, which judges movies and censors them accordingly.


SUSI scholars and staff listen as scholar Hugo Zarate presents a lecture that is streamed live through OU distance learning, and is available online.

Media can also be owned privately or independently, Zarate said. Privately owned media include outlets owned by media houses. One such media house is Jones Communications, which owns one paper, one TV station and one radio station, and focuses primarily on hard news. One private paper, The Tribune, is considered one of the most important papers in the country. It can be found in print as well as online.

Media owned independently do not belong to a media house, Zarate explained. Such media include The Punch newspaper, which focuses on yellow journalism and gossip, as well as several radio stations that cover a variety of topics.

In addition to Bahamas-wide media, Zarate said that some islands also have their own local stations and papers. Bahamians also have access to many AM radio stations, satellite television, and even some television channels broadcasted from Cuba and Florida.

Social media is a great tool for breaking news and citizen journalism in The Bahamas, according to Zarate. He explained that access to Internet and computers is quickly growing in The Bahamas, as evidenced by wi-fi networks popping up in restaurants, shops and more. Although online news is not yet as popular as printed news, Zarate said that students' influence on media is noticeable.

Zarate explained that there is not too much political influence on Bahamian journalists, though they sometimes practice self-censorship regarding news about the prime minister. He said that lack of training is the biggest problem facing journalists in The Bahamas.

Battling bullets with blackboards, Pakistan’s tribal youth struggle against extremism

By Sagar Atre

Copy edited and produced by Laura Straub

Jan Muhammad was born in the tribal province of Balochistan, a region devastated by decades of war, unemployment and extremism. But at 22, Jan Muhammad is a speaker at global youth forums for peace. Jan was part of a training workshop organized by the College of Youth Action and Development (CYAAD) to prevent youth from joining extremist groups.

CYAAD founder Raziq Fahim speaks to women in a village.

Lack of education

“The problem is the extreme lack of educational facilities and opportunities to earn a decent living,” said Muhammad. We have no real avenues for professional jobs. Extremist groups provide an income, and with no other option, youngsters often turn to violence. We have had violence here for decades now. Exploiting such sensitive situations is simple. I am lucky to have had the option of choosing a different path. Most of my friends don’t, and I want to change that.”

From the last few decades, residents of Balochistan, the federally administered tribal areas (FATA) and Khyber-Pakhtunkhuwa, all bordering Pakistan’s northern fringe, have seen conflicts in quick succession; the Soviet invasion, Islamic insurrections, tribal conflicts, and now, American drone strikes. Conflicts have destroyed basic infrastructure, farms and also factories and other workplaces.

The borders with Afghanistan are porous and the conflict there has a severe impact in these regions. Most people sustain themselves through small-time farming and odd jobs but shortages of water, food and opportunities to better oneself make these provinces a harsh place to live. Many generations of villagers are embittered, and become easy prey for religious indoctrination, and in turn, violent extremism. CYAAD aims to work against this problem.

Dissuading youth from extremism

Jan Muhammad conducts a workshop for tribal youth.

Raziq Fahim, founder of CYAAD, says, “These youth are alienated. They do not have opportunities or the economic and intellectual resources to create opportunities. This vacuum is exploited by extremists, who promise money and martyrdom. Youth here see loved ones die violently and have forever lived in poverty. We try to mitigate the bitterness arising out of this. We work to turn them away from violence and involve them in community building.” CYAAD runs training programs where youth learn about civic rights, community building, conflict resolution and peace. Six hundred youth have attended these workshops so far, and many have found work in the development sector.

Dr Muhammad Taqi, a columnist on Pakistan based in Florida, says, “Persuading a religiously indoctrinated, poor and angry young man towards extremism, which gets him a monthly salary is not difficult. Disillusionment with the government and anger towards the western world, combined with economic problems and helplessness are a perfect mix of what extremists are looking for. Right now, they are helped mainly by the voluntary organizations working there.”

The government is accused of ignoring the problem and failing to act. Officials at the education and social welfare ministries were not reachable for comment.

Computer training for tribal youth.

Sadiq Khan, senior faculty member at the Institute of Development studies and practices, (IDSP), is a trainer for IDSP workshops. Sadiq believes, “Our aim is to pull these youth back from religious fundamentalism. Our programs focus on giving youth a basic sense of some important areas: religion, local politics and the individual’s role in developing the community. We also work with women in communities; women are better anchors to a family. However, physical violence and hardships are stronger reminders of reality than our modules. Their devastated infrastructure and economic poverty must go for our trainings to become more effective. We can help them by equipping them with skills and knowledge, but the responsibility of providing them opportunities of earning and working must come from other agencies.”

Extremism begins young

Extremist recruitment begins from a very young age. Boys aged nine have been recruited by the Taliban and they have fought in tribal skirmishes alongside the Balochistan Liberation Army, a secessionist organization demanding a separate Balochistan. Dilawar Khan, a CYAAD fellow and faculty, says, “I was automatically a possible recruit when I lived in a rural region called Pishin. I knew who they were and how they recruited my compatriots. But my parents instilled in me a strong dislike of violence. Many of my friends were embittered by their losses. If anything, youth in those regions need to be cared for. We talk to them as friends. Showing them a different, more optimistic and peaceful side of life changes them and makes them more hopeful about the future. These youth need not be told the value of peace; they know it better than anyone.”

A peace rally for tribal areas.

The Baacha Khan Trust Education Foundation (BKTEF) is an organization which has established schools and developed curricula which mix academic learning with teaching various skills. Dr Khadim Hussain, Managing Director of the BKTEF, says, “We work simultaneously on school and college levels. Our school curricula focus on cultural skills, critical thinking, analytical skills, and other facets of education which enable the child to learn better. We also try to inculcate courses which emphasize peace and a better, more detached understanding of religion. For youth, we conduct dialogues and workshops. Talking to them about religion and its role in life and society is critical. We are working with the government to realize the need of economic investment and aid to these regions, and by doing so create a sustainable model which will empower the coming generations of the tribal areas not just psychologically, but also economically and professionally. We want tribal areas without poverty and violence. Their reputation as fertile recruitment grounds of extremism must end.”

Jan, Dilawar, and many other youth in the tribal areas now work with development agencies to help their compatriots build a better future. Youth are involved in rebuilding homes, running schools, improving the basic facilities in the tribal areas, and even involving more youth into these activities. Foreign agencies like UN Habitat are slowly adding more youth to their local cadre.

When last contacted, Jan was on his way to Egypt, to talk to youth there about resolving conflict. Change in the tribal areas is slowly coming, but violence, extremism and their aftereffects are a continual threat looming over these efforts of rebuilding Pakistan’s most desperate, barren lands and the morale of their people.

CITIZEN COALITION UNITED AGAINST EXTREMISM IN PAKISTAN

Written By:Thomas J. Morrisey

Edited By: Dave Talmage

As Pakistan continues to suffer from the violent actions of religious extremists, a coalition of students, lawyers, trade unions, and many others has stepped forward, dedicated to countering them by trying to wake up a populace they view as simultaneously fearful and apathetic.

Taking a stand

This January, several small political parties, non-government organizations united to form Citizens for Democracy, with the common goal of trying to fight extremism through popular protest.

Ali Kazmi is a psychology student at Beaconhouse National University in Lahore, very close to Pakistan’s border with India. Kazmi has been attending meetings of Citizens for Democracy.

“Even though things are really bad, it’s also important to know that work is being done to improve Pakistan,” Kazmi said.

Kazmi said that the group has started to fight the powerful extremists through such actions as filing legal complaints against clerics who make violent threats and pressuring news channels that give airtime to extremist hosts. “It’s a one point agenda – to separate church from state,” Kazmi said.

Citizens for Democracy is stymied by a population that commonly views secularism as advocating the repression or elimination of Islam, a viewpoint Kazmi said he did not agree with.

He blamed the Pakistani educational system for portraying politics as a black-and-white dichotomy, with the only choices being an atheist state that abolishes religion and political Islam.

“Nonpolitical Islam and a secular government could very easily coexist,” he said, pointing to the historical example of Sufism, a mystical tradition of worship within Islam, and its opposition to tyrants without making any claims on political power itself.

Kazmi said that the group is still small, but said that its existence alone has resulted in increased news coverage for secular political movements. He said that this was an important step forward, as he saw much of the media as being cowed and unwilling to challenge powerful mullahs directly.

Apathy and external enemies steal focus of many in Pakistan

Kazmi said that groups like Citizens for Democracy’s worst enemy is one that is far more widespread than extremists – apathy.

“The people have lots of ideas, but they’re all ideas that have been fed to them,” he said. Trying to get people to begin thinking critically is one of the most difficult challenges his group faces.

He was especially critical of Pakistan’s middle class, a group that he described by paraphrasing a famous line from John Lennon’s Working Class Hero. “They’re doped with religion and sex and TV,” Kazmi said.

Kazmi said that the coalition’s other great challenge is dealing with many Pakistanis’ focus on perceived external enemies. Many Pakistanis are focused on the United States as an enemy, due to its ongoing incursions into Pakistan’s border regions. Kazmi said that these attacks are counter-productive and stir up more support for extremism.

In fact, Kazmi said that even when extremists strike within Pakistan, many people are convinced that the attacks are actually “false flag” operations carried out by foreign intelligence agencies like the US Central Intelligence Agency and the Israeli Mossad.

Kaiser Khan, a tour guide operator, mountain climber and hunter based in Islamabad, agreed that one of the greatest challenges to stability in Pakistan was dealing with the negative fallout from US intervention.“Ever since the US has entered Afghanistan, we have suffered from this negative campaign,” Khan said. “We’ve lost more people, civilians, soldiers, and more collateral damage.”

Lacking central government

Both Kazmi and Khan expressed little faith in the central government’s ability to improve the situation or seriously combat terror.“The central government has always appeased the mullahs. It is very inept and impotent,” Kazmi said.

Khan voiced his agreement on government’s ineptitude, pointing out that the central government hasn’t even been able to consistently get informative material printed up and posted for distribution at his country’s embassies.

In its most recent effort to focus attention on the need for secularism in Pakistan, Citizens for Democracy held a vigil outside of the Lahore Press Club in memory of Shahbaz Bhatti, an opponent of Pakistan’s anti-blasphemy laws who was assassinated on March 2, 2011. Bhatti was the federal Minister for Minorities and a member of Pakistan’s Christian minority.

Pakistan: The Future of a Gold Mine

By Aisha Mohammed

Edited by Chen Lou

Miners working in the Saindak copper mine in Pakistan have little to look forward to. Wages, which are meager to begin with, are siphoned away to pay for substandard housing, food and medical bills, said Zahir Mengal, executive director of Azat Foundation. The foundation works to protect the rights of miners in Balochistan, a province mired in poverty in spite of its resource-rich lands.

Mengal says that a state-owned Chinese company called Metallurgical Corporation of China (MCC), which has operated Saindak since 2003, has over-mined the land but provided few benefits for workers. Miners get USD 5 a month for medical care and injured workers have received pink slips in lieu of medical attention. Development analyst Fazl-E-Haider has also noted that to date, there is no reliable data on the mine’s environmental impact.

In comparison to MCC, Tethyan Copper Company (TCC), enjoys a better reputation among miners. TCC holds an exploration license for the neighboring Reko Diq mine. It is working on a feasibility study and plans to apply for a mining license in the next few weeks. Unlike MCC, TCC has hired an environmental manager and workers at the site earn twice as much as their Saindak counterparts, said Mengal.

Yet, the future of TCC’s Reko Diq agreement is uncertain. Last December, the Government of Balochistan (GoB) terminated the agreement in order to gain greater control of the mine, which may be the fourth largest copper and gold deposit in the world.

According to Fazl-e-Haider, the federal government has indicated that it will re-negotiate the deal only if TCC agrees to form a joint venture with a smelting firm. This would allow the government to reap a greater share of the profits by exporting processed rather than raw copper. Although smelting captures less than 10 percent of the profits of the copper mining process, former U.S. Representative William Zeliff said the amount is “still important to the people there.” Zeliff currently serves as Chairman of Benway Corporation, a mining company which owns 241,000 acres of land next to Reko Diq.

Exploration and development rights for Reko Diq, which is estimated to yield over 11 billion lb of copper and 9 million oz of gold, have passed through the hands of several international companies. In 1993, the GoB awarded exploration rights to Broken Hill Proprietary (BHP), an Australian company. Seven years later, the GoB established a joint venture with BHP, allocating a 25% interest to the government and a 75% interest to BHP.

In 2000, TCC acquired the BHP holdings, but sold them 6 years later for USD 230 million to Barrick Gold Co., a Canadian company and Antofagasta Plc, a Chilean company. According to Shiekh Tanvir, CEO of Benway Corp., the “accounting was not correct,” because the GoB did not receive any portion of the profits.

“Barrick went through the back door. The deal was not done in a transparent manner,” said Ahmar Mustikhan, founder of the American Friends of Balochistan. According to Mustikhan, former TCC Chairman Muslim Lakhani acquired exploration and development rights in a questionable manner. Lakhani, a non-Balochi, established TCC for the sole purpose of operating Reko Diq and then exploited his friendships with members of Musharraf’s administration to get the rights transferred to his company. “He got it [rights for Reko Diq] moved to his company’s name, but he had no experience in gold or copper mining,” Mustikhan said.

Mengal dismissed the allegations against Lakhani as propaganda. He believes that China may have pressured the government to cancel the agreement because Reko Diq has more gold than Saindak. In February, the Pakistani Business Recorder reported that the Pakistani government declined a proposal from the Chinese government that urged them to award the contract to MCC. The Pakistani government declined, anticipating a legal battle with TCC. “We think that TCC has done a very good job, and this is their right to move forward. The Balochi people do not want the Chinese because their past record is not very good,” said Mengal.

Others, like Mustikhan are not so keen on TCC and its partners. According to Fazl-e-Haider, the “rapid change in the ownership of the province’s copper and gold properties [has] further created doubts” among the Balochi people. To the Balochis it seemed as if “foreign firms paid more attention on selling their interests in copper and gold property at Reko Diq to other copper firms than development of the mine,” he said.

Barrick’s 2009 Third Quarter Report noted that three Pakistani citizens had filed a law suit against Lakhani, all the mining companies involved in Reko Diq, the Balochistan Development Authority (BDA), and the governments of Balochistan and Pakistan. The petitioners alleged that the BDA’s entry into an agreement with BHP was illegal, along with the subsequent transfer of its interests and licenses to TCC. After the Balochistan High Court dropped the law suit in June 2007, the petitioners filed an appeal in the Supreme Court of Pakistan in August 2007. The Pakistani Supreme Court has yet to consider the appeal, but Barrick noted, “it intends to defend this action vigorously.”

That is not the only court case pending against Barrick. The Benway Corporation is suing Barrick for encroaching upon its lands. In 2007, Barrick began building an airstrip on 75 acres owned by Benway and appropriated surface rights for an additional 44,000 acres. Barrick needs the land for water and pipelines and is already conducting surveys, said Tanvir. The Board of Revenue granted Barrick the rights, even though it is only authorized to handle transfers that involve 15 acres or less. “To give rights to Tethyan on Benway exploration land for 75 acres and 44,000 acres is, in our reading of the law, a violation of their authority. The surface rights on mining exploration land can only be allocated by Mines and Minerals Department and not without consent of Benway,” he said.

Others are concerned about the Canadian mining giant’s environmental track record. In January, Norway’s Ministry of Finance announced that the country’s pension fund would divest from Barrick for ethical reasons. The Norwegian Council of Ethics concluded in its report that, “the company’s assertions that its operations do not cause long-term and irreversible environmental damage carry little credibility. This is reinforced by the lack of openness and transparency in the company’s environmental reporting.” Mir Mohammed Ali Talpur, an active member of the Baloch nationalist movement, is concerned that Barrick will not keep its word at Reko Diq. “Barrick is saying that it won’t use cyanide. I have my doubts about it,” he said.

Fazl-e-Haider said that Baloch nationalists had reservations about the deal because the provincial administration was under federal control at the time, and the “province’s interests were naturally neglected.” The Reko Diq project is just one of several development projects that the federal government has executed in Balochistan, despite opposition from Baloch nationalist groups. Historically, the Balochis have claimed that the federal government has denied them an equitable share of their natural resources.

The outcome of the negotiations could have a significant impact on Pakistan’s economic future. The mine is estimated to be worth USD 100 billion, and if Pakistan is able to capture even half of that wealth, it could pay off its external debts, which stand at USD 50.1 billion. However, cutting off ties with foreign investors, could also have ramifications. Speaking at the Overseas Investors' Chamber of Commerce and Industry, U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Anne Paterson warned that, “Multinational corporations will not invest in a country where deals are cancelled in one hour.” After peaking at USD 8.4 billion in 2007, foreign direct investment declined by nearly 50 percent last year.

Sitting on a volatile goldmine, Pakistan has no choice but to engineer a solution that satisfies the demands of its Balochi citizens as well as the balance sheets of foreign investors.

Photos from AP and benwaycorp.com