ISLAMABAD // The one-year extension given to the chief of Pakistan's powerful spy organisation last week is being seen as a sign of the army's continuing influence over a weak civilian government and ensures that its current regional and domestic policies will continue unimpeded.
Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha, the director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence directorate (ISI), is a confidant of the army chief, Gen Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani, who has sought to keep Gen Pasha by his side as Pakistan battles a Taliban insurgency.
The prime minister, Yusuf Raza Gilani, announced the extension in a brief statement on Wednesday, but the act was seen as being forced on the civilian leadership by the army.
According to the Pakistani constitution, the authority to appoint the ISI chief rests with the prime minister, but the current civilian government has had a turbulent relationship with the powerful military and the intelligence service.
The chief of the intelligence service carries a certain mystique given the absolute power that accompanies the post. The ISI chief is second only to the army chief in terms of power and clout. Any attempt by the political government to have a spy chief of its own choice and liking would have backfired, according to Pakistani defence analysts.
Speculation had been rife for weeks that Gen Kayani wanted to retain the spy chief, leaving the civilian government with little choice but to oblige.
Gen Pasha, 57, was appointed as the head of the ISI in October 2008. At that time he replaced a general who was a trusted aide of Pervez Musharraf, who resigned the presidency in August 2008.
Though having impressive military credentials, Gen Pasha lacked experience in the fields of intelligence and espionage. Previously, he was acting director of military operations and oversaw the army's campaigns against Pakistani Taliban militants in the restive North West Frontier Province. In that capacity, he interacted extensively with US and western officials, winning accolades for his professionalism.
"General Pasha has a lot of ingress with different power centres - both local and international," an intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said.
"It is a fact acknowledged by General Kayani," he said. "He is a very hardworking official, with a reputation of getting things done. He is a person who can get a policy implemented."
Gen Pasha is viewed as determined and keen on dismantling the Pakistani Taliban leadership that has wreaked havoc in the country with suicide attacks against civil and military targets.
He is also said to be carrying out a purge of pro-jihadi elements in the lower tiers of the country's clandestine intelligence network.
Gen Kayani, the army chief, is due to retire this year and some have interpreted the extension to Gen Pasha as insurance for his own stay in power beyond his retirement date.
Both generals are moulded in the traditional mindset of the Pakistani military that views India as the great existential threat, and Gen Kayani continues to warn against Indian influence inside Afghanistan.
Pakistani interest in being a decisive stakeholder in Afghanistan explains its alleged support of the Haqqani network, a faction of the Afghan Taliban that is based in Pakistan's north-western tribal region and which the United States blames for cross-border attacks inside Afghanistan.
The recent flurry of arrests of senior Afghan Taliban in Pakistan were of leaders thought to have broken contacts with the ISI and been in talks with the US-backed Afghan government, as it pursues reconciliation with willing factions. Observers say that the ISI was sending the message was that it cannot be excluded and will continue to act as a conduit and influence the future power structure of Afghanistan.
While military policy makers have tried to sell the extension of Gen Pasha as essential for "continuity of policy", dissenting voices have also emerged.
"The most charitable explanation for Pasha's extension, and let's get real, Kayani's later this year, is that Kayani and Pasha are fighting the good fight," commented Dawn, the country's leading daily newspaper, in an editorial. "But that would also mean Kayani has decided to wage this struggle behind closed doors."
The ISI is often described as being a "state within a state", given its unfettered powers and general lack of accountability and transparency. For decades, it has influenced and shaped the country's domestic and foreign policy, much to the chagrin of the political leadership. Feared by many and revered by others, the ISI is alleged to be behind hundreds of disappearances of terror suspects and nationalist political workers in recent years.
The regional influence of the ISI grew after 1979 when the United States supported the guerrilla war in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union. The ISI became a conduit for money and weapons while at the same time developing a relationship with the US Central Intelligence Agency.
After the Soviet withdrawal, the ISI supported the Taliban before abandoning its support - some say partially - after the September 11 attacks.
But anti-Americanism has steadily risen in Pakistani public discourse over the past several years. Despite being portrayed as an ally, Pakistan has a complicated and uneasy relationship with the US. Suspicion is a central feature of the relationship between the spy services as well, even as they continue to co-operate with one another.
@Email:foreign.desk@thenational.ae
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The specs: 2018 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy
Price, base / as tested Dh97,600
Engine 1,745cc Milwaukee-Eight v-twin engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 78hp @ 5,250rpm
Torque 145Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.0L / 100km (estimate)
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Crime%20Wave
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'Munich: The Edge of War'
Director: Christian Schwochow
Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
The Sky Is Pink
Director: Shonali Bose
Cast: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim, Rohit Saraf
Three stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Profile Box
Company/date started: 2015
Founder/CEO: Mohammed Toraif
Based: Manama, Bahrain
Sector: Sales, Technology, Conservation
Size: (employees/revenue) 4/ 5,000 downloads
Stage: 1 ($100,000)
Investors: Two first-round investors including, 500 Startups, Fawaz Al Gosaibi Holding (Saudi Arabia)
Bert van Marwijk factfile
Born: May 19 1952
Place of birth: Deventer, Netherlands
Playing position: Midfielder
Teams managed:
1998-2000 Fortuna Sittard
2000-2004 Feyenoord
2004-2006 Borussia Dortmund
2007-2008 Feyenoord
2008-2012 Netherlands
2013-2014 Hamburg
2015-2017 Saudi Arabia
2018 Australia
Major honours (manager):
2001/02 Uefa Cup, Feyenoord
2007/08 KNVB Cup, Feyenoord
World Cup runner-up, Netherlands
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
The%20specs
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Indika
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The currency conundrum
Russ Mould, investment director at online trading platform AJ Bell, says almost every major currency has challenges right now. “The US has a huge budget deficit, the euro faces political friction and poor growth, sterling is bogged down by Brexit, China’s renminbi is hit by debt fears while slowing Chinese growth is hurting commodity exporters like Australia and Canada.”
Most countries now actively want a weak currency to make their exports more competitive. “China seems happy to let the renminbi drift lower, the Swiss are still running quantitative easing at full tilt and central bankers everywhere are actively talking down their currencies or offering only limited support," says Mr Mould.
This is a race to the bottom, and everybody wants to be a winner.
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
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- 600-seat auditorium
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- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')
Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')
ILT20%20UAE%20stars
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
