Moscow talks

 2021-03-20
AS the May 1 deadline for America to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan draws close, efforts
are afoot to speed up the peace process in the latter country. The latest sign of this came af ter a
meeting was convened in Moscow featuring Afghan stakeholders, as well as representatives of
regional and global players, to try and hammer out some sort of deal, and salvage the very
modest successes that have been achieved between the Afghan government, the Taliban and the
US. What is significant is that the US sent its emissary on Afghanistan to the event in Russia,
despite the fact that Washington and Moscow rarely see eye to eye, especially in the international
arena. Senior officials from Pakistan and China were also in attendance, as were Mullah Baradar
of the Taliban and former Afghan president Hamid Karzai.

The joint statement issued after the event is important as it calls upon the Taliban to not launch
any spring or summer offensives.

Over the past few months, there has been a sharp spike in violence as civilians, including
journalists and civil society figures, have been murdered. The Taliban say the US is not
complying with its end of the deal signed in Doha in 2020, and there was no clear signal from the
militia that they are willing to cease all hostilities in the interest of peace. Until there is such a
commitment, it would be too early to celebrate. However, considering the complexity of the
Afghan issue, the fact that the dialogue process is continuing is still a better alternative to settling
scores on the battlefield.

At this point, the stalemate will apparently continue as the Taliban have the upper hand. The only
major change to emerge from the Moscow conclave is that Pakistan, the US, China and Russia
appear to have a common view of the Afghan peace process.

America itself is not sure it will honour the May 1 deadline, with Joe Biden saying as much in a
recent interview. However, the dialogue process must continue and be backed by a long-lasting
ceasefire, which will act as the biggest confidence-building measure. The negotiation process is
due to resume in Turkey next month and by that time the Afghan stakeholders particularly the
Taliban must show that they are committed to the peace process by ceasing hostilities. If foreign
troops leave abruptly without a peace plan endorsed by all Afghan factions, a return to the civil
war seen during the Mujahideen period is likely. And if the foreign forces stay, the Taliban will
have an excuse to abandon the peace process and return to the battlefield. The available options
at this point are not very good, yet a modus vivendi must be reached where the violence stops,
power-sharing is achieved and the Afghans start the long process of rebuilding their shattered
homeland.
 PM`s assurance
 2021-03-20
THAT Prime Minister Imran Khan has assured the families of missing persons of assistance is
indeed welcome news, but there are still miles to go before these families get justice. Last month,
scores of Baloch citizens whose relatives have been missing for up to 12 years had gathered in
the capital to protest against these enforced disappearances and try and obtain information about
their loved ones` whereabouts. At the time, the protest was called off af ter an assurance was
given by Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari, who told the protesting families that she would
arrange their meeting directly with the prime minister. This week, Mr Khan met three members
of the Balochistan missing persons committee and tasked his principal secretary to ascertain the
status of the missing family members and give an update to these families. The prime minister`s
meeting with the relatives of missing persons no doubt is a show of support to these citizens who
have suffered a harrowing ordeal for years. But though it is encouraging, it also highlights what
an utter failure the Commission of Inquiry into Enforced Disappearances has been. The
commission was created in 2011 and, despite the passage of a decade, it has failed to end
enforced disappearances or bring relief to these families. Though the existence of such a body is
necessary, this particular commission has yet to address the grievances of families who have
endured traumatic years of separation and silence. Some observers say the commission is
unsuccessful due to inadequate human and financial resources.

Its head, retired Justice Javed Iqbal, is also the chairman of the National Accountability Bureau
which is a significant and consuming responsibility in itself. Not only do these families place
very little trust in this commission, even the few cases it has `resolved` do little to pin
responsibility or hold someone accountable.

The prime minister`s pledge has created hope for these despondent families, but justice and
closure will remain elusive unless concrete support and answers are given. The government
should either disband the commission or provide it a chairman and team that will deliver results.
Too many times, ministers and committees have given the affected families assurances that they
will be provided information about their missing relatives promises that have ended in
disappointment. If Mr Khan`s support to the missing persons` cause goes beyond lip service and
delivers tangible results, it will be a praiseworthy achievement.
 Online transactions
 2021-03-20
A Sl(;N[FICANT number of Pakistanis have shifted to internet irid mobile banking to transfer
money, pay bills and shop oril irie. Digital transactions are posting strong growth as reflected by
new State Bank data for the period between October and December. The data shows online
transactions spiking by 24pc in volume to 296.7m and 22pc in value to Rs21.4tr as more people
switch to internet and mobile banking for convenience. Three major factors have played a crucial
role in the online uptick. First, Covid-19 forced people to use online banking services. Second,
the waiver of transactional fees on all online interbank and intra-bank fund transfer encouraged
many to start accessing internet and mobile banking services, where the most uptake is seen in
the last one year.

Third, the incentives offered by the provinces to taxpayers using mobile banking for payment of
government taxes or restaurant bills also contributed to an uptake in digital transactions.

The number of point-of-sale machines also recorded growth of 18pc to 62,480, with digital
payments being made through debit or credit cards. According to the bank, 23m transactions
totalling Rs115bn during the three-month period to December were processed.

Meanwhile, e-commerce merchants saw 5.6m transactions through card payment that climbed to
Rs15bn compared to 3.9m transactions valuing at Rs11.9bn in the previous quarter. The
expansion in online payments indeed marks a welcome shift in the customers` approach to
payments and will go a long way in documenting the economy. The expansion in the digital
payment infrastructure as well as the emergence of new payment aggregators have played a role
in the growth. Nevertheless, it will be misleading at this point to assume that the increased online
transactions show the expansion of financial inclusion. The existing number of POS machines,
the limited number of people, especially women, with access to bank accounts or in possession
of payment cards, and even fewer of them with access to the internet, means we have a long way
to go before a larger section of the population can use internet and mobile banking services.