Muhammad Shafiq | The Islamia University of Bahawalpur (original) (raw)

Papers by Muhammad Shafiq

QLANTIC Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2024

Hazrat Khwaja Noor Muhammad Maharvi, a Sufi saint from Tehsil Chishtian, played a significant rol... more Hazrat Khwaja Noor Muhammad Maharvi, a Sufi saint from Tehsil Chishtian, played a significant role in spreading Islamic teachings in the Bahawalpur region. He got his early education from Mahar Sharif, a small village near Chishtian. For higher education, he went to Dera Ghazi Khan, Lahore, Delhi, and Pakpatan. He pledged allegiance to his mentor, Shah Fakhruddin, in Pakpatan. On his return to Mahar Sharif, he took steps to spread Islam in the area. As a result, thousands of people benefited from his teachings. His caliphs and disciples started promoting religious education in their native areas. It is worth mentioning here that as a saint, Khwaja Sahib became famous and earned a high place in Punjab. Even Amir Bahawal Khan Abbasi II of Bahawalpur State was highly affiliated with him, and he was inspired by his teachings. Even the local people of South Punjab, especially the Bahawalpur region, have been blessed with his teachings and spiritual guidance. Nowadays, there is a madrasa, library, and a mosque adjacent to the Khanqah of Khawaja Noor Muhammad, where a number of students are acquiring religious knowledge. His Khanqah is a source of spiritual blessings and guidance for his devotees and the general public.

Journal of Contemporary Studies, Feb 15, 2017

The paper analyses the U.S. President Donald Trump's new Afghanistan strategy. It argues that the... more The paper analyses the U.S. President Donald Trump's new Afghanistan strategy. It argues that the policy is flawed as it focuses on a military approach rather than a political solution for Afghanistan. It also does not address the internal vulnerabilities of Afghanistan, especially reconstruction and nation building. Afghanistan's turmoil is essentially a product of internal dynamics of the country, which comprises of a burgeoning insurgency, ethnic and sectarian fault lines, religious extremism, rampant corruption and fragile governance institutions. The prevailing scenario is the result of more than 16 years of various military strategies employed by the US which failed to stabilise the war-ravaged country. Furthermore, suspicion and mistrust between Afghanistan and Pakistan have obstructed the peace efforts. Under the U.S. South Asia Policy, India has been given a larger role in Afghanistan while taking a dim view of Pakistan's counter terrorism efforts. It has raised serious concerns in Pakistan. Against this backdrop, the paper examines the limitations of Trump's South Asia policy, for Pakistan and what strategic adjustments the country needs to make in this scenario. It suggests dialogue among all stakeholders including the Taliban which is necessary for peace in Afghanistan.

Journal of Public Affairs, 2021

Global Foreign Policies Review

Afghanistan's incursion by the Soviet Union in 1979 enhanced the elements of extremism inform... more Afghanistan's incursion by the Soviet Union in 1979 enhanced the elements of extremism informer FATA. In the post-9/11 period, tribal areas of Pakistan became a hub of militants and terrorists.Meanwhile, the role of Pakistan in the War on Terror (WoT) increased elements of terrorism and instability in the country. Many terrorist organizations like Al-Qaeda, Haqqani Network and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and other small terrorist groups including the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) andLashkar-i-Jahangvi started terrorist activities in the shape of suicide attacks. The study attempts to explainvarious internal and external factors (Afghanistan) which contributed to enhancing extremism and terrorism in former FATA. Furthermore, the research explains the anti-state activities of above mentioned militant groups in the area.

Global Foreign Policies Review (GFPR), Jun 2022

Afghanistan's incursion by the Soviet Union in 1979 enhanced the elements of extremism in former ... more Afghanistan's incursion by the Soviet Union in 1979 enhanced the elements of extremism in former FATA. In the post-9/11 period, tribal areas of Pakistan became a hub of militants and terrorists. Meanwhile, the role of Pakistan in the War on Terror (WoT) increased elements of terrorism and instability in the country. Many terrorist organizations like Al-Qaeda, Haqqani Network and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and other small terrorist groups including the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) and Lashkar-i-Jahangvi started terrorist activities in the shape of suicide attacks. The study attempts to explain various internal and external factors (Afghanistan) which contributed to enhancing extremism and terrorism in former FATA. Furthermore, the research explains the anti-state activities of above mentioned militant groups in the area.

Global Strategic & Security Studies Review (GSSSR), Jun 2022

The entire security landscape of the world was altered due to the 9/11 terrorist attacks on Ameri... more The entire security landscape of the world was altered due to the 9/11 terrorist attacks on America's World Trade Centre. After this incident, the US accused Al-Qaeda headship of the attacks. Henceforth, President Bush demanded the Afghan Taliban hand over Osama Bin Laden to the US. However, when the Taliban did not respond positively, the US attacked Afghanistan. The US also pushed Pakistan to take a U-turn on its Afghan policy; hence, President Musharraf decided to offer logistics and other relevant backing to the American forces in their operation in Afghanistan. After the defeat of the Afghan Taliban in 2002, many militants from Afghanistan came to Pakistan's tribal areas through a porous border. As Pakistan supported the US War on Terrorism (WoT), a militant insurgency was started in the tribal areas of Pakistan. This research examines the counter-terrorism strategies of the Pakistan army that it implemented from 2009 to 2016. The study explains the military operations of the Pakistan army in former FATA against hardcore terrorist groups like Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other small and affiliated radical organizations. It is analyzed that military operations namely Rah-e-Nijat and Zarb-e-Azb in former FATA with a focus on North and South Waziristan relatively remained successful.

Global Political Review (GPR), Jun 2022

This descriptive and analytical study aims to investigate the empowerment of people through the m... more This descriptive and analytical study aims to investigate the empowerment of people through the mother of institutions i.e. Parliament which is regarded as the exclusive channel to represent the people's interests. All laws and acts passed by the parliament affect the life of the people. The period (March 17, 2008-March 16 2013) has the credit that for the first time in the history of Pakistan, the elected parliament completed its term. During this period parliament introduce various constitutional measures for the betterment of the people. This study does not intend to analyse the important legislation in parliament, but it focuses on the way it empowers the general public. It discusses various procedures in the parliament. The findings show that there were positive trends in the parliament regarding the democratic culture. Although practically people of Pakistan are leading a very miserable life, at least at the theoretical level the culture of debates and discussion was introduced within the parliament. The passing of acts through consensus is the prerequisite of the parliamentary system. Strengthening parliament is actually empowering the people.

Global Economics Review (GER), Mar 2022

In 1849, the British occupied Multan city and carried out transformations in areas like technical... more In 1849, the British occupied Multan city and carried out transformations in areas like technical, administrative, canal colonies, and irrigation. Religiously and socially, Multan was distributed into three main groups i.e. Hindu, Muslim, and Sikhs. Having strong political backgrounds Muslim families such as Syed, Qurashi, Gilani, and Gardezi also influenced the economic scenario. This study focuses on the socioeconomic transformations that were prevalent in the Multan region during British rule. Power and socioeconomic backwardness results in an unfair distribution of resources in Multan. The Multan region is chosen for analysis as it was a major centre of structural and urbanization transition and the economic resources that Britain brought to the region along with other parts of Punjab during the colonial period. These include changes to new irrigation systems, improved communications, and land revenue management. The focus of this study is the interaction between communities and colonial states.

Journal of Educational Research (JER), 2019

Over the years, there have been several discussions on the mainstreaming of Madrassas in Pakistan... more Over the years, there have been several discussions on the mainstreaming of Madrassas in Pakistan with their main focus to provide career opportunities to their students by reforming curriculum, removing hate speeches and adding some additional subjects such as Mathematics, IT and English. The issue of Madrassa reforms particularly came to lime light in the backdrop of post-9/11 developments especially the global war on terror. The terrorist attack on Army Public School in Peshawar in December 2014 provided further impetus for a 20-Points National Action Plan (NAP) for countering terrorism and extremism of which one the important points was that Madrassas would be regularized and reformed. The present study is aimed to highlight the importance of Madrassa reforms by discussing the challenges and sensitivities involved in this process. It also discusses the perceptions and ground realities about the role of the Madrassas in the society by highlighting its various dimensions. The discussion begins with an analytical overview of the history and background of these institutions. It also analysis the prevailing administrative structures controlling the working of various Madrassas. The analysis concludes on presenting various options and strategies for introducing reforms in the Madrassa system in Pakistan by offering some policy recommendations.

Journal of Contemporary Studies , 2017

Margalla Papers , Aug 28, 2019

The Wakhan Corridor, a narrow strip of territory in the Badakhshan Province of Afghanistan, is si... more The Wakhan Corridor, a narrow strip of territory in the Badakhshan Province of Afghanistan, is situated at the crossroads of four countries: China, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. The corridor has great historic value being part of ancient Silk Road. Even today it has great potential for regional connectivity and tourism. The Wakhan territory is considered very peaceful having no law and order problem. If a road is built across Wakhan, it will enhance trade and business activities in the region, especially for Pakistan, Central Asia and Afghanistan. It could offer a shortest trade route for Pakistan to reach Central Asia and for China to reach Afghanistan. In this backdrop the paper examines the possibilities of reviving Wakhan corridor by building roads infrastructure. The study highlights the geostrategic significance of Wakhan Corridor in the context of changing regional situation. It also discusses various challenges in undertaking this proposal.

FWU Journal of Social Sciences, 2019

The state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has been a source of enmity between Pakistan and India since... more The state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has been a source of enmity between
Pakistan and India since 1947. Though the incident of 9/11 pushed Kashmir issue to
backburner, the year 2016 proved as a turning point for the youth of Kashmir when
martyrdom of Burhan Wani imparted a new dimension to freedom struggle and
gave birth to a novel identity and philosophy of ‘wanism’. This article aims to review
human rights violations in J&K and Pakistan’s dilemma of Kashmir policy in the post
2016 era. The study highlights trouble spots while analyzing policies of PML-N and
PTI governments towards Kashmir conflict. It also sheds light on Prime Minister
Modi’s coercive Kashmir policy and the response of key world countries about
human rights violations in J&K, followed by conclusion.

Pakistani politics is full of political rhetoric. Attractive slogans are used by leaders of polit... more Pakistani politics is full of political rhetoric. Attractive slogans are used by leaders of political parties to inspire and set the mood of public about a particular issue. Even parliament is neglected by politicians. This political immaturity led the nation towards street politics and polarization in the society. Due to elements of intolerance in politics, leadership could not find consensus and viable solutions. The paper analyzes political rhetoric; slogan politics and role of parliament in Pakistan especially focusing on the first one year of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz's (PML-N) current government. In this context, political parties and their leaders' popular statements particularly in print media containing rhetoric and slogans to resolve two important issues i.e. electoral reforms and energy crisis has been examined. Political parties' initiatives in the form of calling attention notices, questions, resolutions, bills, motions and point of orders in the parliament have also been assessed followed by recommendations. The paper highlights that politicians generally use rhetoric and slogan politics instead of using parliament to satisfy the public on various issues. The paper recommends that political parties should enhance intellectual depth of party members and leaders so that they can effectively use the forum of parliament for resolving issues.  Since its independence, Pakistan's politics have been shuttling between democracy and dictatorship like a pendulum where political rhetoric and slogan politics are mostly used to inspire and win public support. Pakistan's current politics mostly focus on various key issues namely panama leaks, electoral reforms, energy crisis and law and order situation in the country due to terrorism. Many other issues like corruption, unemployment, education, health, poverty, price hike and inflation etc. are, however, at low priority agenda of political parties at the moment. These issues are mostly highlighted by political leaders on streets through demonstrations and media coverage. In developed democracies, politicians mostly use parliament as a forum to discuss various political, security, social and economic issues in order to reach at solutions and frame legislations. Furthermore, in advanced states, parliament works to detached people from staging demonstrations in streets and helps them to send their representatives in the legislature (Waseem, 2016). However, it

The transformation of terrorism from Al-Qaeda to the Islamic State (IS) has created new security ... more The transformation of terrorism from Al-Qaeda to the Islamic State (IS) has created new security challenges. This article examines the threats posed by these two groups by discussing their ideologies, structures and capabilities. Unlike local terrorist groups like the Afghan Taliban, the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda pose a global threat. While assessing the prospects of the IS in Afghanistan, the article also briefly looks at the Afghan Taliban. The IS which was initially fighting the " near enemy "-the Iraqi and Syrian regimes, has now changed its strategy by equally focusing on the " far enemy " as well, manifested in its high profile attacks in Europe and other places beyond the Middle East. The authors recommend that a comprehensive global strategy is required to eradicate this growing menace of organised terrorism.

Right to Information (RTI) is regarded as oxygen for democracy. It is imperative for the transpar... more Right to Information (RTI) is regarded as oxygen for democracy. It is imperative for the transparency and smooth running of a democratic system, good governance; reduction in corruption and to enhance accountability in any country of the world. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Right to Information Act, 2013 is comparatively well composed, based on international best practices and can be compared with universally recognized strong RTI laws. It is number one in Pakistan and 3rd in the world.

The, Asia Pacific region has emerged as a significant strategic centre in international political... more The, Asia Pacific region has emerged as a significant strategic centre in international political affairs. The region"s dependence on Sea Lines of Communication and the proximity with a rising China has hoisted its stature in US policy calculus whose focus will now shift to this region once the planned withdrawal of its forces takes place by the end of 2014. Three key emerging trends in the geo-politics of Asia Pacific deserve our special attention i.e. America"s reengagement with Asia Pacific region, a seeming "containment" of China and propping up of India as potential "counter-weight" to China. Whether we would be having the beginning of a new Cold War in Asia Pacific, especially on the issue of South China Sea, is too early to reckon but that the geo-political landscape is getting more complex, fraught both with challenges and opportunities, which should not be hard to imagine. Pakistan will have to closely watch these developments and make necessary adjustments in her foreign policy outlook as well as outreach to Asia Pacific region.