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Abstract
The global discourse on ‘winning hearts and minds’, engages the USA, local governments, and international actors in liberal peace building in conflict-affected settings. In north-western Pakistan, the Pakistani government supports this discourse by claiming to pursue a 3-pronged strategy based on dialogue, development, and deterrence. This paper examines how peace-building activities have been practiced in north-western Pakistan in relation to development and humanitarian interventions that support community needs. Field data were gathered in Swat and Peshawar valleys between September 2010 and February 2011, through semi-structured interviews that covered peace-building efforts in the form of local perceptions of development and humanitarian interventions, perspectives on development schemes, aid priorities, and the relationship between aid and security. Furthermore, the paper relies on secondary data sources such as development and humanitarian response plans, research briefs, and news events. The paper closely examines the dynamics of liberal peace building in terms of humanitarian aid operations and development activities in north-western Pakistan. Empirical evidence from the region highlights the conflations in liberal peace concerning the imbalances in policies, plans, and activities in north-western Pakistan. The large disconnect between liberal peace building and effective development policies and practices in north-western Pakistan reflects the diverse interests of different actors, states, development and humanitarian response actors and elites, in problematizing issues. The paper concludes that the liberal peace agenda has contributed to securitization of development assistance in the region, which in turn has significantly limited the impact of development assistance to crisis-affected communities.
Acknowledgements
The lead author expresses his profound gratitude and appreciation to the Higher Education Commission, Pakistan, for generously funding this research as part of his PhD research project. First and foremost the authors extend their gratitude to Professor Espen Olav Sjaastad, Noragric, Norwegian University of Life Sciences for providing valuable comments and analytical discussions on draft versions of this paper. The authors greatly appreciate the contribution of Mr. Saeed Ullah Khan, Country Director – Norwegian Refugee Council Pakistan and Dr. Aamer Abdullah independent development consultant based in Islamabad Pakistan for critical comments, guidance, conceptual oversight, and support in the field for carrying out this study in north-western Pakistan.
Notes
1The lead author – Kashif Khan − has carried out this study. This article is co-authored with Ingrid Nyborg; however for consistency in relation to the narrative outlined in the introduction ‘I’ is used in this paper.
2The conflict in north-western Pakistan worsened in 2004–5, but government officials attempted to downplay this by deflecting the focus to development schemes which they had initiated in the region.
3Formerly known as North West Frontier Province (NWFP), the name was officially changed to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on 1 April 2010, Dawn. Source: http://www.dawn.com/from-nwfp-to-khyber-pakhtunkhwa.
4This is based on the perceptions of the majority of the respondents, particularly those from the developmental and humanitarian sectors.
5Malala wants to rebuild schools in Swat. Source: http://www.dawn.com/2012/01/16/malala-wants-to-rebuild-schools-in-swat.html.
6The governor wants socio-economic development in Fata. Source: www.thenews.pk-Governor-wants-scocio-eco.html.
7The dominant perception in interviews with the key informants was that the government wanted to downplay the gravity and magnitude of the conflict; in renaming the PCNA the Government succeeded in taking out the word ‘conflict’, even though realities on the ground might seem different. However, the UN's humanitarian response to conflicts is always referred to as a ‘Post-conflict assessment’.
8Interview with a leading development and early recovery expert based in Peshawar.
9In extensive interviews at PDMA (Oct.–Feb. 10–11), I was informed that the P&D Department (which is the long-term development arm of the KP government) was solely responsible for development efforts. The Additional Secretary of the P&D Department was appointed DG PDMA/PARRSA on 18 January in place of the incumbent DG, who had held the position for almost 4 years, since 2008. Source: http://www.pdma.gov.pk/AboutPDMA.php.
10Interview given by DG PDMA to Duniya TV on the occasion of launching of the PHRP on 10 February 2010.
11Interview with a development and livelihoods team leader who has more than 2 decades of experience in north-western Pakistan.
12The HC is the most senior UN official in a country experiencing a humanitarian emergency, and is appointed by the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator at the onset of a humanitarian emergency.
13The Chief Secretary is the administrative head of the province.
14Pakistan highest foreign policy priority: US Saturday, 15 August 2009. Source: http://archives.dawn.com/?s=+pakistan+highest+foreign+policy+priority+us+za.
15USAID ready to help rebuild restive Pakistan. Source: http://archives.dawn.com/?s=+USAID+ready+to+help.
16President Bush, during his visit to Pakistan in March 2006, had announced a holistic development plan for the region which included the creation of reconstruction opportunity zones that would have free trade access to the USA.
17The Kerry-Lugar Bill, also called the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009 by the US Congress, authorizes releasing US$1.5 billion per year to the Government of Pakistan as non-military aid from 2010 to 2014. At the time of its passage it was considered a major shift in foreign aid policy to Pakistan. Source: http://www.cfr.org/pakistan/joint-explanatory-statement-enhanced-partnership-pakistan-act-2009/p20422. Pakistan and the USA have not been able to synergize their efforts in terms of channelling development assistance to ensure optimal policy sequencing in the region.
18This was a major theme in interviews carried out with security and development sector officials and communities affected by military operations across the region.
19Pakistan warns the USA over unilateral military action. Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-15364956.