Although the year did not herald any major breakthroughs for either the overall peace process or the composite dialogue process - however, it would be unfair to simply write it off as a non productive phase. Though the general sentiment prevalent was that the process had stalled to a certain extent, however, we must appreciate the few positive developments that took place, mainly with regards to Kashmir issue. The June visit of the Kashmiri leadership from the Indian held Kashmir to Pakistan was definitely a significant step forward, not only for the India-Pakistan peace process, but mainly for the Kashmiris. Not only denoting recognition of their disputed status by both the countries, it also provided an opportunity for the Kashmiri leadership to feel that Kashmir is not only an India-Pakistan issue but it is foremost a Kashmiri problem.

Interestingly enough, the Kashmiri leadership's landmark visit met with accusations from Indian side of alleged agreement violations by Pakistan of taking the visitors to Islamabad which was beyond the predetermined visit to Muzaffarabad. However, more important was the re-launch of the trans-Kashmir bus service, between Muzaffarabad and Sri Nagar to be followed a couple of months later by the opening up of not less than five crossing points across the Line of Control. Although this bus service was successful in bringing the Kashmiri population from both sides together, it also unfortunately once again brought to limelight the fragility of the process when one of the first buses leaving Sri Nagar for Muzaffarabad came under alleged militant attack. But the good thing was that neither side backed out of the process and the bus service continued across the LoC overriding bureaucratic resistance and administrative hurdles.

The disastrous earthquake of October 8th which wreaked havoc in Azad Kashmir was also felt in both the capitals and ironically facilitated in paving the path for opening up of LoC at five points. Dubbed as "Earthquake Diplomacy," by certain quarters, the two sides agreed to allow crossing on foot only, with the same procedures and parameters that are in place for the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service, however they have also promised to expedite the clearance process for intending travelers. These LoC openings are of great consequence not only for the Kashmiris; it also shows a growing understanding between the two sides in this hour of shared tragedy. The Pakistani president Musharraf seizing this opportunity signaled his willingness to accept the idea of demilitarization of Kashmir with the goal of a final settlement of the Kashmir dispute in view. Interestingly enough a similar offer had been made by the Indian prime minister in September when he had met an APHC delegation in New Delhi.

Although leadership on both sides has time and again stressed on the need to have a peaceful and fair resolution of differences and creation of an environment of trust among the nations concerned as essential first step for peace, security and prosperity in the region required, and during the dialogue process, both sides have also managed to come up with very innovative confidence and security building measures as well, the need first and foremost is to shun the conservative mindsets and overcome mutually distrust and hostilities. The Baglihar dam issue, the Iran- Pakistan-India gas pipeline project both is a proof that inclusion of a third party for dispute resolution or future economic growth is far better than sticking to the old guns of bilateralism. However, India has to realise that being the bigger of the two neighbors; it has to give some to earn the peace dividends.

Last but not least the twenty five years of SAARC, and what has this solitary regional organization managed to achieve? The Dhaka summit was nowhere as glamorous as its predecessor meet in Islamabad. However, it was momentous enough to welcome to SAARC's fold a new member in the shape of Afghanistan, and China and Japan joining the forum as observers. Even Iran now wants to join the regional forum given its commercial and economic as well as traditional linkages with the region.

Summing up, the year in review had its highs and lows. The year started on a tragic note of the devastating tsunami which affected half of the region, and is ending again with the tremors of the October 8th earthquake still fresh in the minds of many a people. However, on an optimistic note, the leadership, managed to turn these disastrous tragedies into opportunities which are and would in the future benefit the people of the region at large if not successful in altering the traditionally conservative mind sets.

New frontier of bilateral relations

Pakistan's foreign policy during the year 2005 remained linked to Islamabad's unrelenting role in the US-led war against terrorism. President General Pervez Musharraf continued to enjoy international support for this reason.

The President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz visited more than two dozens of countries to strengthen bilateral relations or participate in regional or international forums.

During their visits to the western countries, the anti-terror war with a particular focus on Pakistan's consistent campaign against Al Qaeda remnants topped the agenda.

In 2005, Musharraf paid visits to Uzbekistan and Kryzistan (March 5-8), India, Philippines and Indonesia (April 16-24), the United Arab Emirates and Qatar (June 4-6), Australia and New Zealand (June 12-19), Saudi Arabia (June 25-26), New York, Britain and France (September), and Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait (December 3-9). Similarly, Prime Minister Shaukat Azizís foreign visits in the year included: Belgium and Switzerland (January 24-30), Saudi Arabia (February 18-20), Iran (February 22-24), Oman (March 14-15), Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam, Thailand and Singapore (May 5-12), Lebanon and Turkey (31 May-3 June), South Korea and Malaysia (September 28-3 October), Russia (October 13-15), Malta (to attend Commonwealth summit) and Bangladesh to represent Pakistan in the South Asian Association for Regional Conference (SAARC).

A major highlight of the year was Musharrafís address to the American Jewish Congress in New York, the first ever by any Pakistani leader, as part of his efforts to promote his "enlightened moderation strategy" and inter-faith dialogue. This followed an unprecedented meeting between foreign ministers of Pakistan and Israel in Turkey. Both sides admitted that they have been holding secret talks for decades. The religious lobby intensely attacked Musharraf for these moves but some political parties hailed the initiative. However, Pakistan repeatedly emphasised that Islamabad would not accord recognition to Israel without the establishment of an independent Palestine state.

The uninterrupted flow of top foreign leaders to Pakistan in the wake of the devastating October 8 earthquake showed the success of Pakistanís foreign policy, again mainly due to its comprehensive participation in the war against terrorism. US Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the Turkish Prime Minister, the Jordanian King, and several other senior foreign leaders visited Pakistan to express solidarity in this trying hour.

For the first time, nearly 1000 engineers and technicians from NATO came to Pakistan primarily for ninety days to extend assistance to the quake hit areas. This particularly irked the opposition that kept demanding their withdrawal from Pakistan. It was again because of Pakistan's role in the anti-terror war that Islamabad got huge pledges of more than $6 billion at the international donors' conference that it organised to mobilise funds for the quake devastated region.

For the whole year, Musharraf continued to be the most favourite of the United States. Washington's allies followed it in supporting Pakistan. However, Musharraf remained under intense attack from the opposition on being too pro-American.

The year 2005 was of great importance with special reference to President Pervez Musharraf's announcement of holding general election in 2007 as all mainstream political parties have made preparations to launch year-long campaign (during 2006) for the forthcoming general election by raising a number of hot and controversial issues to win public support and to make their vote bank stronger.

Three main political parties, Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement have one thing in common that their leaders are in exile but unbelievably controlling their partymen from the foreign land. There already exists a number of alliances across the country to take lead in the general election and it is expected that more party mergers will be seen in the new year.

The election campaign was supposed to begin in the last quarter of 2005 but it was deleyed due to catastrophe that hit northern parts of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir and claimed thousands of lives.

Sindh also witnessed unusual political ups and downs during 2005 with special reference to local bodies elections, held after four years but on time, in which Muttahida claimed overwhelming victory.

Following the victory, the Muttahida fielded its non-controversial candidate, Syed Mustafa Kamal, for the slot of City Nazim. And finally Mustafa Kamal was elected as Karachi's Nazim replacing Naimatullah Khan advocate, the first Nazim of the city after introduction of new city government system.

This most important event played an important role in the stability of the federal government. Two major parties, PPP and PML (Nawaz) fielded their candidates but could not achieve results as per desire.

President Musharraf was to start his Sindh visit in December to gain support on his plan to go for the construction of proposed Kalabagh dam and give a go ahead for the project.

While promising to give legal gurantee to the Sindh province of not facing any harm in case the dam is constructed, President Musharraf has asked the Technical Committee headed by A.N.G Abbasi to finalise a report on the availability of water to pave the way for the construction of Kalabagh dam so that he can announce it during his Sindh tour.

In the month of December, the joint opposition had planned protest demonstration against General Musharraf's uniform. Now, it seems that the opposition will have no need to bring people on to streets as they will come out on their own against the Kalabagh dam project.

Before this situation had developed, Arbab Ghulam Rahim, as a spokesman for President Musharraf and as the Chief Minister of Sindh, held an important meeting with Muttahida Qaumi Movementís chief Altaf Hussain at party's London Secretariat on 7th April 2005 and discussed the overall political situation in the country with special reference to Sindh. Relationship between the coalition partners; the performance of the Provincial Government in the context of common man's grievances and other issues of mutual interest were also discussed at length for more than an hour.

The Kalabagh dam controversy has led to a situation that Sindh-based nationalist parties have formed a new alliance, "Sindh Qaumi Ittehad" (SQI) with Sindh National Front chief, Mumtaz Ali Bhutto as its chairman. According to Mumtaz Bhutto, the new alliance was specifically formed on one-point agenda "to safeguard the rights of Sindh". The component parties of this alliance are Sindh National Front, both groups of Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mohaz (JSQM), Sindh National Council (SNC), Sindh Taraqqi Pasand (STP) and two intellectuals Ibrahim Joyo and Nazir Memon.

Later, another nationalist party, Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM) also requested the SQI to include it in its campaign against various government decisions. Accepting the request the JSMM was added in the camp of newly-formed Ittehad raising the number of parties to five.

All these nationalist parties are also the component parties of PONM (Pakistan Oppressed Nation Movement), which includes leaders of all nationalist parties of Balochistan and Sindh, while the new alliance is specially formed for Sindh only to protect its rights and to fight anti-Sindh element who want to make Sindhi Red Indians.

The natural resources obtained in Sindh rightfully belong to Sindhi people and should be utilised for the benefit and betterment of locals only. Sindhi people demand that such legislation be passed that ensures the benefits of employment and of the wealth of Sindh's natural resources, including gas, coal and petrol to accrue mainly to the local people.

In this regard, a discussion on "Provincial Autonomy" was jointly organised by the Pakistan NGO Forum and the Sindh NGOs Federation in which more autonomy to province was demanded in order to ensure protection to people's rights and resolve their vital issues at local level. The provincial autonomy should be for the betterment of people and not for the political mileage.

It may be mentioned here that Karachi, the only port city of Pakistan, contributes billions of rupees in the head of taxes to the Centre. For this contribution the biggest city of the country expects reward and compensation from the which has so far been denied to it.

Like all provinces, the province of Sindh was also moved when the tragedy of Oct 8 struck the northern areas of Pakistan. While providing social, moral, economic and medical support to the earthquake victims, the people of Sindh, specially Karachi opened their hearts and purses with generosity for helping their affected brethern in the earthquake hit areas. The whole months of October and Novemeber saw Karachi brimming with aid collection campiagns and political parties, common people alike came togther to collect as much relief goods as possible. There is no denying the fact that Sindh's share in the relief efforts and relief aid was exemplry when compared with other areas of the country, where people both poor or rich donated whatever they could to their affected countrymen in their hours of need.

The massive October 8 earthquake that ravaged parts of Azad Kashmir and North West Frontier Province (NWFP) overshadowed Pakistanís politics in the last three months of the outgoing year 2005.

As the government campaigned in and out of Pakistan for raising funds and technical manpower for relief, recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction operations in the devastated areas, the combined opposition comprising the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) and Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) joined hands to assert that civilians should have supremacy in the rebuilding process and serving generals should be excluded.

In a bid to involve the opposition, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz announced in the National Assembly that he was forming a parliamentary committee to oversee rehabilitation and reconstruction in the quake-hit region. The opposition leaders did attend the maiden meeting of the 19-member body but did not accept its membership. They demanded that the military generals heading the Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority (ERRA) and Federal Relief Commission (FRC) should be replaced with civilians.

The prime minister has refused to accept this demand while he has agreed to all other proposals of the opposition contained in its what was generally known as terms of reference for the parliamentary body. The discussions between the government and opposition to strengthen the committee continue but Shaukat Aziz is unlikely to accept the main opposition demand of showing door to the army generals.

The nation as a whole put up an exceptional show of solidarity in extending assistance of all kinds to the earthquake victims. Almost all political parties pressed into service all their resources for the quake victims. Despite the opposition's boycott, the government succeeded in securing pledges of hefty funds from the international donors. The conference proved to be a big success.

Before the earthquake struck, the combined opposition, seriously hurt in the just concluded local council elections, had joined hands and was chalking out its strategy for a joint protest. The quake scuttled it. The government escaped from some serious grilling in and out of the Parliament for its doings in the local polls.

The opposition was all set to launch a campaign against General Pervez Musharraf for simultaneously holding the two offices of the army chief and president of Pakistan. For a change, the ARD and MMA were entering into a cogent and vibrant alliance for the anti-Musharraf movement.

Throughout the year, the MMA kept frequently observing "black days" on Fridays against the presidentís continuation as army chief. But these protests did not create any great impact in persuading Musharraf to change his mind. He stuck to his stand of holding both the offices till 2007 and even beyond. His grip and rule didn't face any major threat.

In the closing month of the year, Musharraf heightened a debate on construction of the Kalabagh Dam, which even eclipsed the wide-ranging controversy over the involvement of the army generals in rehabilitation and reconstruction process of the earthquake affected region. However, the debate exposed inherent contradictions and discord within the ruling coalition as well.

The outgoing year saw no flexibility on the part of the president to allow the two popular exiled former Prime Ministers, Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto, to stage a comeback to Pakistan. He remained steadfast in his resolve to obviate their homecoming and kept declaring that they have no role in Pakistan's politics for many years to come. The finely tuned talk of a deal between the government and Benazir Bhutto fizzled out. Asif Zardari, who was released in the end of 2004 after more than eight years of incarceration, failed to make any impact on Pakistan's politics as he was overcome by serious health problem. He mostly stayed abroad, convalescing, and has no immediate plans to fly back home.

As the year was about to end, Nawaz Sharif and seventeen other members of his family were issued Pakistani passports to fly to London from Jeddah for the first time since their exile five years ago. The Pakistan government issued the travel documents to enable Nawaz to attend his ailing son, Hassan, admitted in a London hospital. Since his departure from Pakistan on December 10 2000, Nawaz Sharif had never made any attempt to go out of Jeddah. Now, when he will be in London, he is unexpected to go back to Saudi Arabia and will heighten his political activities from the British capital.

Despite their lingering stay abroad, the two former premiers continued to have a firm grip and control over their respective political parties.

Throughout the year, Musharraf continued to enjoy massive international (read American) support for his relentless role in the continuing anti-terror war. The government captured and handed over to the United States a number of people wanted by Washington for their alleged terrorist activities.

-- From Tariq Butt

Quetta and other parts of Balochistan remained in the grip of different issues during 2005. As rocket attacks and bomb blasts have become a routine matter particularly after Dr Shazia Khalid's case in Sui tehsil of Dera Bugti district in January 2-3 2005. In backlash of the Dr Shazia case, unknown armed men fired over 500 rockets targeting the Sui gas plant during 7 to 11 January. On March 17, clashes between Frontier Corps (FC) and Bugti tribesmen flared up which claimed the lives of over 65 Bugti tribesmen. However, the Kohlu incident in which unknown armed men fired at least eight rockets on the arrival of President Gen Pervez Musharraf and subsequently attack on the helicopter of FC took a new turn and the security forces claimed to have launched action against the miscreants involved in the activities. The Security forces moved on December 18 against Marri tribesmen for their alleged involvement in rocket attacks, bomb explosions and other subversive activities in different areas of Kohlu district and other parts of Balochistan. Helicopters are also taking part in the action and targeting "camps" of "outlaws" in Kahan, Maiwand and other suspected areas.

The armed clash between Marri tribesmen and security forces, which was on the cards for months in view of tension prevailed in Kohlu, claimed various lives. The number of people who were arrested or killed in the action is still disputed. Tribal leaders have claimed scores of people have been killed in "military operation". But, officials said they couldn't confirm any deaths.

Sporadic violence continued in various parts of Balochistan since the action launched in Kohlu as rockets firing in Kohlu, Quetta, Nushki etc, became a matter of now and then. However, the rockets firing on the arrival of President Gen Pervez Musharraf in Kohlu on Dec 14, and subsequently attack on the helicopter carrying IG FC Maj Gen Shujaat Zamir Daar and DIG Brigadier Saleem Nawaz paved the way of the action.

The IG and his deputy sustained bullet injuries and their conditions are stated to be stable. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility of both the attacks and vowed to continue their struggle for securing the rights of the Baloch nation.

Reports reaching here form Kohlu said that over 2,000 troops of the Frontier Corps were taking part in the action and helicopters were flying at regular interval sorties from Loralai and Sibi airfields. According to reports, the forces destroyed some camps of outlaws.

The paramilitary forces had cordoned off the area before they targeted the hideouts and camps in Kahan, Mawand and Bhamboor areas. ISPR chief Maj-Gen Shaukat Sultan said that paramilitary forces had acted against elements involved in rocket attacks and bomb explosions. Officials said that the security forces' helicopters attacked the suspected training camps for miscreants and ground troops later moved into the suspected bases near Kohlu and seized heavy weapons and ammunition, said Lt-Col Hassan Jamil, a spokesman for the Frontier Corps. Paramilitary troops destroyed the two camps near Kohlu and Tali. The forces during a search found a huge cache of arms and ammunition, besides important documents from the sites. The latest fighting came after troops captured two other miscreant bases and arrested four tribesmen suspected of the attacks. Officials claimed several camps and bases of miscreants were destroyed during the airstrikes.

Balochistan government sources dispelled the impression that a military operation was going on in Kohlu and said the para-military forces were taking action against those involved in rocket attacks and bomb explosions. Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani also said the security forces were targeting the hide-outs of miscreants. However, Baloch nationalists disputed the government claims, saying the government was employing all its machinery against Marri tribesmen in Kohlu district. They said a large number of Marri tribesmen had fallen victim to the operation in district Kohlu. MPA Nawabzada Balach Khan Marri, the younger son of Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Khair Bukhash Marri, told newsmen from unknown place over telephone that the Baloch people were resisting the military action and fighting to protect their soil and resources. On the other hand, Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) chief Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti has alleged that the government has done away with the "gentlemen's" agreement reached with Chaudhry Shujaat and Mushahid Hussain Syed on elimination of trenches on all the routes to Dera Bugti. "An agreement was worked out with Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Mushahid Hussain Syed on removal of bunkers from Dera Bugti in March and April 2005. It was a "gentlemen's" agreement. Shujaat and Mushahid themselves had announced it. "We had made a Balochi promise. We kept our word. On the other side no one stood by their declaration. State institutions have taken hold of all the bunkers. They have constructed 45 to 46 more bunkers and pickets," he said this while talking to a group of journalists in his hometown Dera Bugti on Tuesday last.