The Making of Benazir Income Support Program

The Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), introduced in 2008-09, is a unique cash support scheme for economically stressed families. Its uniqueness arises from several facets. The cash transfers are provided only to women aged over 18 years and have been ever married. It is unconditional and aimed at supplementing income as opposed to alleviating poverty. It was politically neutral, given that the facility to identify potential beneficiaries was extended to all parliamentarians, irrespective of party affiliation. A set of filters, applied electronically, ensured objectivity in beneficiary selection. Disbursement mechanism was automated to ensure minimal leakage. This paper outlines the process of the preparatory work that went into designing BISP – the conceptual debates, the beneficiary identification and disbursement procedures, etc. – involving a combination of high quality research with political decision making. It also addresses the debates surrounding BISP, cites independent empirical studies that show that the parliamentarian-based beneficiary selection mechanism was efficient and equitable and did indeed cover the deserving, and also responds to the variety of criticisms. ______

Pak-Us Strategic Partnership Amidst Conflicting Approaches Towards Militancy 2005-2015

International system based on anarchic theories and approaches in which power politics and statism are the basic components which play vital role when states conduct the relations with one another. The power of the state can be appraised through its ability to protect its national interests at any cost. States in relation with equal strength can easily protect their national interests but when the small and big state interests are clashed with each other, double standers and distrust take birth. Pakistan and the US relation is the best example of the realistic ideas in which it can be safely quoted „There is no permanent friendship and enmity. There are interests that decide the faith of friendship and enmity‟. After the partition of subcontinent civil and military leadership deviated from the golden principles of the founder (Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah) and joined the western bloc. America warmly welcomed Pakistan as the US needed partner in South and Southwest Asia and Asia Pacific to counter the spread of communistic ideologies in the region. From the day one the leader ship of Pakistan was not concerned with the communism but interested to acquire economic and military assistance from the US so as to keep balance with India. This is the reason that soon after the 1965 war parting of ways was started, resultantly Islamabad tilted toward Moscow in Bhutto regime. However, entrance of the Soviet forces in Afghanistan once again impelled both the old partners to stand together against the common enemy. Jihadi forces were gathered in Pakistan and billion dollars were pumped for their training and facilitation. Further, latest war technology was also handed over to Pakistan. After ten years of long war Geneva Accord was inked and Red Forces (Soviet Union) were retreated. Ever bad decision, which was accepted by Hilary Clinton, to leave Pakistan at lurch and propagated against the nuclear technology of Pakistan and imposed severe economic sanctions immediately after the end of war; this froze Pak-US relations. After the six years of civil war in Afghanistan the forces of Mujahideen with the title of „Taliban‟ emerged as triumphant and established their government. Once again the tragic incident of 9/11 in New York by the so-called Jihadi organization „Al-Qaida‟ provided an opportunity to the US for rekindling the relations with old partner Pakistan to ensure stability in South Asia and peace in the world by countering the emerging threat of terrorism. But from the very first day element of trust deficit was existed. Washington has been rebuffed in its efforts to compel Islamabad to eliminate Pakistan-based sanctuaries of militants who attack the US troops in Afghanistan while Islamabad has struggled to protect those groups with the justification of „strategic assets‟ and only to obtain a variety of coveted prizes from Washington. There is no denial to the fact that Pakistan army started number of operations in tribal areas with the financial support of the US because after 2001 Pakistan was among the world‟s leading recipients of the US aid and obtained billions of dollars under the US assistance including civil and security-related aid and also received reimbursement for its support of the US-led counterterrorism operations. Later on, the incidents such as drone strikes, Ramond Davis case, Osama raid and Salala incident further diluted the partnership of the states. Major factor of trust deficit between the partners is not to care of each other‟s national interests and to work only for their own interests. It is a general perception among the security experts of South Asia that Pakistan‟s proxy strategies will continue in Afghanistan and India unless the US takes concrete steps to resolve the core issues of Pakistan with its neighboring countries. Furthermore, the US approaches towards Pakistan always revolves around military objectives rather than broad based strategic partnership which is enshrined in Pak-US strategic partnership goals. In this partnership the US will cooperate in the different sectors such as to remove energy crisis, work for the uplifting of economic indicators, counterterrorism, defense, strategic stability, and education. Moreover, the US policy-makers should recognize the fact that only a stable, democratic, and economically thriving Pakistan can secure the vital interests of the US in the region without disturbing the balance of power in South Asia.