Rise of Pakistan

Perception

2011-09-02T03:38:00.002+05:00

He needed to smoke. He desperately needed a cigarette. Would she mind that? "well"......he thought, "it is a little beyond that point now :)". He leaned over his king sized bed and grabbed a pack of his beloved drug, and sat up a little - doing this meant that her head slid from his shoulder. She looked up.

Her expression ..... what was that expression, he couldn't figure that out. Was it an expression at all ? he wasn't experienced enough to know that. He was a "noob", his thought process switched to the good old day's of computer gaming. "the Noob that I am" he thought, "totally pawned by her ...... :)". He was smiling to himself, he swung his arm from beneath her, carefully putting her head on the pillow.

His "Zippo" was a little farther than the pack, and he leaned further to get it. "click" sounded the lighter and he lit up the cigarette. first puff tasted a little of lighter fluid. he quickly took a couple of more puffs to get the "taste" back to normal. He started re-collecting what had just happened. A cold shiver ran through his spine.

He had always observed that jump starting a romantic relationship was governed by the limited availability of options in the person's proximity. He had never observed a relationship starting off with love at first sight between strangers. It was always between people who were forced to be confined one way or the other in a particular proximity. Class mates, co-workers, cousins (yeah he was living in a typical Eastern society), neighbors, and even regular commuters :). That sometime pitted unlikely partners together, and he had seen his share of odd couples over the years. What just happened to him ..... was not only new to him, but felt a little dreamy as well.

"I barely know her .... what just happened here?"....it was true that she gave out an impression of a strong woman - he knew that was his weakness as well - It was true that her unfortunate break-up and subsequent divorce sometime ago was topic of conversation of his household women.

He started to re-collect the events in immediate past. She came in asking for her friend - his sister - who wasn't at home. At that time he was trying to sleep. He knew that electricity won't be gone for next couple of hours, and the air-conditioner would be UN-interruptedly pumping cold air for that long. The temperature will be bearable enough to for a typical afternoon nap, at-least for two hours of electricity and a half hour after that, before the summer heat takes over and he would wake up sweating.

"She isn't here" he had replied, "her in-laws came to pick her up - they are out shopping. there is going to be a marriage in their extended family, and they have invited her " ..... "oh yeah she mentioned that - good for her", her face frowned a little. "Just that I wanted to take her to the market myself - I needed to do some shopping as well"...

"nuhhhh " he thought out loud, a little too loud in fact. That prompted an inquisitive expression from her. "You dont seem like someone who is a shopaholic or some one who likes spending time window shopping or bargaining for hours with shopkeepers without an intention for actually buying, I was trying to convince myself you are not kind" he justified.

A smile broke on her face, a broad smile, the kind that can make someone's day. That was just perfect, arrangement of her teeth, the cut of her upper lip, her high cheek bones were even more prominent and they along with her perfectly straight hair took one's attention away from the light circles under her deeply positioned eyes. "Actually I am not, I just got accepted and need to do some shopping for academy".

"Academy ?" ......

"Yeah, you don't know that? The result for interview has been published. I am accepted"

"accepted to what? "..... What academies did women in Pakistan got accepted to? they started accepting them in Air Force recently, did she got accepted there? but he didnt thought so. She was probably in her late twenties, an age bracket much above the military's recruitment preferance. He knew, he had applied once. What else? Air Hostess ? that would be a shame, the second hand knowledge that he had of her, she was a qualified lawyer, and since now she is divorced, she should have persued a career in law rather than serving food trays on airplane aisles.

"Array baba .... I got accepted in PCS services, I will be a civil servant in an year or so! " she said excitedly. "Ohhhhh " he was genuinely releived. "Thats great, congrats". he extended his hand which was warmly accepted with both hands and an even wider smile. That was a little odd he thought momentarily, women don't get physical with men in this society, especially the ones who are not related. But, guess in her overwhelming happiness she forgot so. "So when does that starts ? " he threw the obvious question "I don't know for sure, but it will probably bew a few weeks, may be a couple of months .... dun know for sure ".

That was awesome. It was absolutely perfect for his image of hers as a strong woman. A career oriented civil servant .... wow !!!! That was good going. Especially considering the fact that in this society with its own peculiarities regarding women( their careers, relationships and marriage) and that too for divorced women, meant that it will be quite sometime before they can steer it to a meaningful direction. She was already doing that. She was definitely a strong woman, a rarity in this society.

"Well best of luck, and may be when you are in that powerful position you can kick your ex husband's b--t .... might even get your son's custody back !!! " ...... that was said in light-hearted way, but, he forgot that it might instill a painful feeling in her heart. That is exactly what had happened. The deep-set eyes started to fill in, she gazed away from him to try and hold them back. He instantly felt guilty ... "I am sorry, I didnt meant that .... all I wanted to say was that what you've acheived is .... !"

She looked back at him, staring square in his eyes ..... he could see that her effort to control her outburst of tears was unsuccessful, she probably thought it was of no use to try to hold'em back as well. She wanted to break down in tears and cry. And as a consolation effort what he did next, gave her pre-text to do so. He gently touched her on shoulder .... "heyy i didn't mean that, I was just saying......" By that time she was practically sobbing which turned into downpour of tears.

He could swear he had never seen such tears. "They are like pearls ... " he thought "I am wicked" he thought to himslef, "She is crying and is hurt because of my careless choice of words, and anything that has my attention are her tears ??? " ... "Listen I am so sorry" ..... what could he do, how to make her stop crying, how does one do that? he was definitely a noob in such matters. If he had to console a friend of his, he would simply pat them on the back or light up a cigarette and pass it to them or turn the conversation to something else and divert their attention. What to do with her ?

Perhaps he could make a physical gesture like holding her hand or wipe the tears of her face .... His mind ws racing, she didnt minded shaking hands with him or when he touched her on shoulder. That can work, that should work........

Wrong move, he realized that as soon as he followed his thinking, the next thing he knew was that she was in her arms, his hands tighly held by her, and she was putting all of her body weight on her arms, holding his hands down in his lap.

Excite a schadenfreude and watch it slobber

2011-07-03T05:52:00.003+05:00

The Roaring of the Lion and Glimpses into the Future

2011-05-17T21:25:00.000+05:00

It is as though he has returned from the dead. Just a few days after destiny dragged him through the dark vale of death on the other side of the mountains of the moon, the Lion of Pakistan returned. And he was roaring. In a rare moment of mental concentration, our otherwise punch-drunk nation listened intently and agreed. We are a people who had almost forgotten what it feels like to listen to a leader who truly and eloquently voices our concerns. The all-too-frequent meek howls of jackals and the wily mutterings of foxes – they could never strike a chord with Pakistan’s aspirations. It was in the thunderous roaring of the engulfed Lion, that we finally found vindication for that basic right long denied to us – the right of representation in the highest halls of power.

When Nawaz Sharif came all out with his charge sheet against our praetorian overlords, who have yet again le the nation down, it was a great national cathartic moment. And more than that, it was a moment of destiny. Absolutely unpredicted by anyone. It wasn’t just the self-obsessed khakis who were taken aback. So inexplicable the whole episode was, that even after it has happened, the carrion-eaters who flourish on analyzing our multifarious miseries and misfortunes, the dementors who build personal careers and reputations by feeding upon whatever little is left of hope in our people, and the great political pundits, they are all dumbstruck. Bewildered, they are still trying “to explain the underlying factors” that might have “caused” this “political gesturing.” But they find nothing to support them; this time round, the Lion has roared and there is little that the misery-mongers can add.

The problem with the carrion-eaters is that their theoretical framework cannot accomodate a major factor which drives history - a factor that clearly does not hold complete sway over the unfolding of history but, equally so, can only be ignored at one’s peril. I am referring to the rare emergence of a moment of destiny accompanied by a man of destiny, who work in tandem to make history. This is what explains the roaring of the Lion. And it even offers us a glimpse into our national future – which turns out to be more promising that what the carrion-eaters would allow for.

At times like these, the professional cynics are left with little to say. By all rational calculus, the Lion of Pakistan had everything to gain by making his peace with the khakis, just like all the other political stakeholders did, even if this meant being treacherous to his temporal political sovereigns – the People of Pakistan. Only a few weeks ago, as the Lion waged a personal battle for his life in a hospital in London, swinging every hour between life and death, back home, the carrion-eaters were predicting his political demise. And it was quite clear that the forces-who-must-not-be-named were making every possible effort to unite all those who stood against the Lion – so as to deny him an other expected landslide electoral victory, whenever the next elections are held. And yet it is that just two weeks later, when destiny offered the Lion a perfect chance to oblige the khakis for ever by saving them from the wrath of the plebians, he just wouldn’t do it. Right at a time, when the olive branch would make the greatest personal sense for him, risking further enmity and embracing political isolation, the Lion, true to his instincts, decided to roar. Some of his own aides tried to pull him back. But he went all out. Thankfully, the nation has listened, and stands mesmerized by this man of destiny.

The critics cannot make any sense of this because in their profane calculus, there is simply no room to account for a man of destiny and a moment of destiny, even when they do encounter one. This has happened before. It was not too long ago, when another man of destiny, surrounded by five towering men in uniform, trapped deep in the lair of the khakis, simply refused to bow down. He stood. And the my people stood behind behind. That day, and long after that, the carrion-eaters couldn’t explain what was afoot. Yet, the man of destiny has not ceased to perform his daily share of miracles.

No less a man of destiny is the Lion. The People of Pakistan cannot agree more with him. He has taken a difficult stand and he will have to fight for it, paying a heavy price of blood, sweat and tears. Yet the People will stand with him, just at they stood, and even marched, not too long ago.

The critics still stare with disbelief. In the year 1999, the Lion took a stand. And then, in his hour of need, when he looked back, he found that there was absolutely no one standing behind him. He suffered long years of solitary imprisonment, exile and deceit. By all calculations, he should have learnt his lesson. And after all this, somehow he has again found the courage to become the Lion that he now is. What could possibly explain this? Destiny is one factor, clearly. But so, I dare say, is death.

Isn’t it amazing just how many times has death, both physical and political, engulfed him, and yet been turned back. In the early years of this decade, he seemed destined for the gallows, just like the equally popular and courageous ZAB before him. But in the last hours, destiny saved him. Then, in the opulent surrounding of a posh Jaddah neighborhood, isolated from his soil, he seemed destined for a slow political death – like a flower plucked from its roots. And yet destiny saved him. When the late Mohtarma returned to this country and made here NRO-guaranteed peace with the general and imperial powers, the Lion seemed destined for exclusion from the political process. And yet, just a day before the last date for filing nomination forms, riding on the wings of destiny, he touched Pakistani soil. Still, in the aftermath of Zardari’s election and being played around by the Dogar Court, under whose directions Shehbaz Sharif was disqualified, it again seemed that political death would finally get its long sought target. And yet again, he emerged unscathed. Now, just a few weeks ago, his failing heart seemed finally to be giving in to sorrows that surround my people. His enemies were multiplying, conspiring and consolidating. Yet, there he is. Back in the game. Repeated encounters with death have transformed him. And this is why, today, he is roaring. But where is destiny driving the Lion of Pakistan?

Here I can only share glimpses into the future which in the eye of the heart I beheld, even as I heard the Lion roar. This is the year two-thousand-and-fourteen. For all the critics’ warnings, Pakistan is still very much there. It has a more vibrant Parliament that ever before, now led by the Lion and his compatriots, both the young and fierce and the old and mellowed. Pakistan has the most civilianized executive it has so far had, and, in the wake of their embarrassment after the OBL debacle, the khakis are retreating, bit by bit, to their barricks, doing only that which they do best, leaving everything from governance to urban planning and education to those better suited for these jobs. And we also have the most independent and honest judicial system that we have so far had, since the cursed imperialists stepped in. I look back at 2004. Whatever I see there - a spineless judiciary, a corrupt executive led by khakis who worry about nothing more than their institutional interest, a pliant, King’s Parliament, a nation qietly digging itself a political and economic hole which it would soon plunge into – all of this seems history, by-gone, almost forgotten.

As the Lion roared, in the eye of the heart, this is the Pakistan I saw. The return of truth and courage in politics is an earth-shaking development. It is not just that we are seeing destiny at work, only amidst individuals and moments. My people are all a people of destiny. And it is their dawn, the spotless dawn which they are destined for, which has drawn nigh. Those ofus who can see things, can see it already. It is that close, I tell you.

MQM’s “revolutionary” success in bi-election

2010-10-19T15:49:00.001+05:00

Following picture shows one of the many reasons for MQM’s recent success in bi-election of PS-94. Altaf Hussains later said that Orangi Town has proved to be the “Altaf Town” in his usual funny and dramatic style.

PS-94 Bi-Election: MQM’s supporters are there to vote on behalf of their dead male relatives. This shows the “popularity” of MQM that even dead ones cast their votes in favor of MQM. [Caption Translation]: Photo Source

May be i am being jealous on MQM’s yet another “historic” victory, but how come they have managed the turn out of PS-94 to 70% when the situation was such tense and the opposition had boycotted the election? Seriously, 70% is much more than extraordinary turn out which is never seen even in western where people are such aware of their responsibility to cast their vote. In Pakistan, during general elections (when law and order situation is nothing like that day in PS-94) a turn out of 50% has never been witnessed.

It is worth mentioning that this “revolutionary” success of MQM cost 48 lives, which again they claim were their worker and sympathizers. It would be stupid to rule out the MQM’s role in those killings as well as of PPP and ANP. All of the three parties are coalition partners and yet worsening the life in Karachi. They will keep complaining and blaming each other BUT none of them will ever leave the Govt. On point of leaving government coalition, MQM has a distinction … as long as they think that government is not going anywhere they will remain in power and whenever they felt that government is collapsing they will immediately chant for “revolution”, feudal lords, landlords etc. and get out of the government.

I think that’s enough about MQM for today.

Aleem Dar wins 2010 ICC umpire of the year award

2010-10-11T12:58:00.001+05:00

Aleem Dar has won ICC umpire of the year award of 2010 for the second time in a row. His has also beaten five times winner Simon Taufel second time consecutively, after 2009. The other nominees in the category were Steve Davis, Tony Hill and five-time winner Simon Taufel. This award is named as David Shephered Trophy and it was the 7th time that this award ceremony was held. Simon Taufel has won it during first five years consecutively and now it seems that Aleem Dar is going to get it for the next couple of years as well. Previously he was nominated for this award in 2005 and 2006 but was beaten both times by Australian umpire Simon Taufel.

Dar was voted by the captains of the ten full members of the ICC and the eight-man elite panel of ICC's match referees for the period August 24, 2009 to August 10, 2010. Their choice was based on his decision statistics and officiating skills over the past 12 months.

After collecting his trophy from match referee Chris Broad, Dar said:

“I think the fact that I'm still playing cricket in Pakistan makes me a good umpire. In the last four times I've played cricket I've scored centuries so I definitely think that has helped. I’m honored to have been named the winner for the second year in row.”

PCB Chairman, Ijaz Butt has congratulated ICC elite panel umpire Aleem Dar on being named as ICC Umpire of the Year 2010.

“It is a great honor for the country that Aleem Dar has once again won the prestigious Umpire of the Year award for his honest and consistent performance over the last year. This is the second year running that Aleem Dar has been declared the best umpire in Cricket and it shows his hard work and dedication towards his job,” a PCB media release quoted Ijaz Butt. “Aleem Dar’s award has made all Pakistanis proud and we remain confident that he will continue to excel in his field On behalf of PCB I wish to congratulate him on being awarded this prestigious honor” Ijaz Butt added.

History

He made his international umpiring debut in an ODI between Pakistan and Sri Lanka at Gujranwala on February 16, 2000. In 2002 he became a member of ICC's International Panel of umpires. He was chosen to umpire at the ICC Cricket World Cup in early 2003. He was appointed to stand in his first Test match between Bangladesh and England at Dhaka, in October 2003. In April 2004, he became the first Pakistani to be part of the ICC Elite Umpire Panel. Aleem Dar also holds a record of umpiring 100 ODI’s in record time of just seven years, he umpired his 100th ODI on 17 Oct. 2007 and became 10th umpire to pass that number and first Pakistani to achieve this landmark. He was one of the on-field umpires for the final of the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy, and this was not just one time when he was selected to umpire such a high profile match, later he was chosen to stand in the final of the 2007 Cricket World Cup between Australia and Sri Lanka and was also selected to stand in the final of the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 between Australia and England.

Proof of Indian hand in South Waziristan Militancy: army

2009-11-18T20:15:00.001+05:00

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has found concrete evidence of India’s involvement in militancy in South Waziristan and decided to take up the matter with New Delhi.

This was disclosed by Information Minster Qamar Zaman Kaira and military spokesman Major-General Athar Abbas at a press briefing on the progress of operation Rah-i-Nijat here on Monday. It was the first time in recent times that Pakistan had pointed fingers at India from a forum having representation of political and military leadership.

Mr Kaira said although it had been decided to raise the issue with India, Pakistan would not deviate from the peace process.

Gen Abbas said a huge quantity of Indian arms and ammunition, literature, medical equipment and medicines had been recovered from Sherawangi area, near Kaniguram. He said the Foreign Office had been informed and the matter would be taken up with the Indian authorities through diplomatic channels.

Sources in the Foreign Office said a dossier containing proofs of India’s involvement in South Waziristan would soon be handed over to officials in New Delhi.
KANIGURAM TAKEN: Gen Abbas said security forces had secured control of Kaniguram, a redoubt of Uzbek fighters.

He said there were fortified positions and bunkers in the area which were being used by militants in possession of modern weaponry. The entire area had been cleared of mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Five truckloads of arms and ammunition were recovered from the area on Monday, he added.

Full Story: DAWN.COM | Pakistan | Proof of Indian hand South Waziristan: army

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Diya - A Hero's Daughter

2009-11-17T18:04:00.002+05:00

Text & Photos by Fauzia Minallah

Diya with her father Pervez Masih's photograph

Diya 3 and her mother Shaheen

Diya is only three, she is lost and has many questions about her father Pervez Masih. Pervez was a janitor at the International Islamic University. On the fateful day when IIU was attacked by suicide bombers, he was the hero who stopped the terrorist from entering the cafeteria for female students. Pervez lost his life, while saving the lives of more than 300 students.
He will always be remembered as a true hero by us. Diya will always be remembered as a hero’s daughter.

The Minister of Interior, Mr Rehman Malik, publicly announced that his family will recieve a compensation of approximately $10,000. So far, the family has not been contacted by anyone from his office. The IIU administration helped the family with Rs. 10.000 for the burial costs, employed his widow Shaheen as a sanitory worker and promised to help with Diya’s education. Other than that there has not been any help from anyone for Pervez’s family. The only person who has helped this hero’s family so far is a young student of Behria University, Maham Ali . She motivated her friends to donate funds for Pervez's family. She collected Rs. 52,500 and bought toys and clothes for Diya.

Maham and Diya.

We might be going through tough times, but even in this darkness there is hope. And for me that hope is in young people like Maham. She was our pillar of support by collecting funds for our effort in helping the internally displaced Pakistanis.

As a society we need to recognise our heroes, we need to rise above our prejudices and name streets, buildings and squares after Pervez Masih. So what if he was a poor Christian sanitory worker, he saved the lives of 300 Muslim students. Atleast on November 16th on the 'International Day of Tolerance', Maham was there to cheer Diya- a hero's daughter.

Here is a CNN story on Pervez Masih:
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/11/11/pakistan.hero/

--
Fauzia Minallah

www.funkorchildart.com
http://funkornews.blogspot.com/

Is America Serious in Fighting 'Terrorism'?

2009-11-16T17:01:00.002+05:00

Pakistani army is advancing at a fast pace in south waziristan. Resistance by the opponent group is far less than expected. Question arises that why is the resistance that low when it was considered a safe heaven for the armed militants residing there for so many years? Answer to this question becomes evident if we note that american checkposts in afghanistan along the south wazriristan border were removed within a few days after the start of the operation (Reported Here). So we can easily conclude that the militants have moved to afghanistan (obviously they'd have, they were provided the chance by the troops on eastern border of afghanistan).

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Protest against Gojra victimization and in favor of minority rights, organized by FASTRising.org

2009-09-11T07:12:00.003+06:00

Do issues die out when their intrinsic value diminishes? Or when there is no one left to agitate for their just resolution?

WHAT: Protest against the burning alive of fellow citizens at Gojra

WHEN: 5.00 PM, Saturday, 12^thSeptember, 2009

WHERE: Lahore Press Club

Join us if you feel the agony, if your conscience does not let this issue die out!

To Follow Updates: http://fastrising.org/?p=672

Victims of The Half Law ( Samson Simon Sharaf on Gojra violence)

2009-08-04T21:54:00.003+06:00

Samson Simon Sharaf is a well known columnist for THE NEWS daily english news paper. He is a respected Defence analyst, and is son of Mr. Sahraf, who was an active anti-Unionist activist of the pre-partition erra, and was instrumental in successfully aligning the Christian community in Punjab with Muslim League, owing in part to Mr. Jinnah's ideals w.r.t. minorities, in 1946 elections, to defeat the Unionist Govt. Here is what he had to say in one of his recent blog entries at Pak tea House.

This in part highlights the usual the inefficiency of the government, and their consideration of the protection of minorities as a non-issue. Exploitation of Blasphemy laws, still much open to interpretation by both the Muslim & Christian community to settle personal and political scores, and how easily can our public (we among them) be incited into mob mentality when it comes things which we don't want happening around us.

Victims of The Half Law

The recent incidents in Gojra are a grim reminder of how existing half laws can be manipulated for personal and political ends. Besides loss of life, property or the reputation of the country, it also reflects an opportunist political system in which strange bedfellows can be espoused for political expediency and where rule of law can be applied selectively. Worse, it exposes false claims of the provincial and federal governments over constant surveillance of banned militant outfits in Punjab.

The entire trail from Jhang to Gojra, Mian Channu and Shantinagar is littered with similar incidents of religiously fanned hatred spearheaded by banned militant outfits. Time and again such incidents take place with impunity and remarkable alacrity. It is to question why the local administration is caught sleeping and why no preventive measures manifest themselves in pre emptive actions.

There is no doubt that the working relationship between the Federal Government and PMLN Government is dysfunctional. It took the Government of Punjab three days to move into a belated action despite warnings given by Mr. Shahbaz Bhatti, the Federal Minister of Minorities Affairs. The provincial government dismissed the factual reporting of the federal minister for over two days and moved reluctantly after all the damage had been done and Faisalabad-Karachi Railway traffic blocked for two days. The Chief Minister has repeatedly postponed his visit to the city citing
security reasons. Meanwhile the frustrations continue to grow resulting in resignations of one federal and one provincial minister.

Reportedly, around 18th of July, intelligence agencies had issued a warning to the Government of Punjab of likely incidents of terrorism in which some enclaves of minority Pakistanis could be targeted. Rather than take this information seriously, the provincial government deemed it fit to act as it did, allowing free access to militant outfits for arson and murder. Perhaps they were too engrossed in the aftermath of the Supreme Court ruling sparing no moments for the welfare of its citizens.

The entire incident belying the fragility of our system began at a wedding party in Korrian, a Christian village 6 Kms from Gojra on 29 July. A local guest was escorted out of the celebrations for being drunk. He took revenge by leveraging the Blasphemy slogan in cahoots with some local clerics and sleepers of the banned outfits. The Federal Minister Mr. Bhatti moved into action but all his cautions fell on deaf and defiant ears in Lahore.

The Christian enclave in Gojra is located close to Awan Town named after a local property tycoon Mr. Qadeer Awan. Qadeer also runs and controls many local businesses like CNG and Petrol Pumps. He is reputed to be a very influential PMLN member and financier of the party and sleeper militants. He is known to hold the neighbouring Christian enclave in contempt with a long record of confrontation. He saw the incident at Korrian as an opportunity to settle issues and extract advantage. He is the prime suspect in the FIR, registered after 48 hours of delay. Christians allege that he with his team of sons and relatives master minded the entire operation including movement of militants from Jhang and surrounding areas.

These militants moved on public transport with automatic weapons, explosives and incendiaries with complete impunity despite many Police Check Posts en route. Rather than risk confronting heavily armed militants, the baton wielding local police chose to by stand. A nearby sizable Christian Village Chak 424 was put on hold through an expected militant attack. This was done through messages by militants, clerics and local administration. The village was never attacked but the warnings served to block reinforcements to the besieged people of Gojra. The militants were seen taking orders on cell phones as also pass on information. If all calls on cell phones from the area were to be checked during the arson, it would reveal a long trail of connections leading to militant leaders, politicians and handlers residing outside Pakistan.

But there is a positive side too. Neighbouring Muslim communities gave shelter to men, women and children, escorted them out of the area on their own transport and provided food. Some Pakistani NGOs have also established camps and MQM relief has arrived in trucks from as far away as Sindh. Pathetically, the only missing group is the Government of Punjab.

Standing next to seven caskets on the railway crossing at Gojra, I was questioning myself why seven females were burnt alive with incendiaries and why innocent people shot in the head at point blank. As I write this, two more men have succumbed to burn injuries in the local hospital. The Punjab Government made no efforts to evacuate them to a Burn Hospital in Lahore. I ask myself, did they deserve this treatment. Do Pakistani Christians who put the opportunist Unionist of Punjab to shame by aligning with Jinnah deserve this?

Local Christians allege that PMLN Government is reluctant to act because it fears losing its vote bank in the area. The incident has become a political battle ground between PMLN and PPP in which justice, rule of law and criminal accountability would ultimately be eclipsed. I remain in awe of the political system to move beyond its petty politics.

In an environment where the legal community is charged and Supreme Court taking landmark decisions, it is incumbent to take a look at half laws that provide a pretext for mob justice. The Supreme Court needs to re evaluate Section 295 C of the Pakistan Penal Code and direct the Parliament to frame it in a manner, wherein it cannot be exploited or manipulated.

Original Story at http://pakteahouse.wordpress.com/2009/08/04/victims-of-half-law-in-gojra/

Political unrest in Gilgit-Baltistan .. ( Abbas Ali for DAWN)

2009-07-30T21:05:00.001+06:00

GILGIT-BALTISTAN is a simmering cauldron of discontent. The continued deprivation of political, economic and human rights is driving the people of this strategic northern end of Pakistan to desperation. They have been fighting for their rights not just since 1947, when they won liberation from Dogra rule, but since Dogra occupation of 1848.

A brief review of history will be in order to understand the current hostile attitude of the people towards the current political set-up in Gilgit-Baltistan. The British left the Gilgit Agency on July 31, 1947, two weeks before the independence of the subcontinent. On October 27, 1947 the people of Gilgit-Baltistan defeated the forces of Gansara Singh (Dogra Raj) and achieved independence to celebrate their own ‘Yaum-e-Azadi’ on November 1 and founded a new country ‘Islamic Republic of Gilgit’.

However, the people of Gilgit-Baltistan wanted to be part of the newly-born Pakistan. During the transitional period the ‘Islamic Republic of Gilgit’ approached the founder of Pakistan, Quid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah with a plea to join Pakistan. As a corollary, on November 16, 1947 Pakistan established its administration in the area. But until today the region has not become the legal and political part of Pakistan. Many people in the region think that their efforts and sacrifices of their ancestors have gone waste.

continue to full story

A Dying Symphony by Akmal Khan on Mianwali / Essa Khel musical culture and challenges it faces

2009-07-19T10:57:00.003+06:00

Essa Khel (A sub-district in West Punjab), part of Mianwali District, has an illustrious history of producing musical geniuses. The area situated on banks of the mighty Indus River, has music, rag, folk lore, poetry & compositions rivaled by none other in Pakistan.

This short movie by Akmal Khan, presented in Film Festivat "Culture Unplugged" is a brilliant summrization of its musical genius. An area where music had replaced the gun/violence culture around a few decades ago, is again threatened by emergence of religious etremism in the area. The music is facing the biggest threat since it became popular country wide.

Must watch, beautiful, and above all, brilliant "Saraiki" sound over.

View this movie at cultureunplugged.com

My TAX Money

2009-06-28T13:18:00.002+06:00

Capital suggestion
Sunday, June 21, 2009
By Dr Farrukh Saleem

Budget 2009-10 has allocated Rs3 million a day, every single day of the year, for Prime Minister Gilani's foreign tours. That's a wholesome Rs100 million a month or Rs1.2 billion a year. If our prime minister somehow manages to restrain himself from leaving the geographical boundaries of Pakistan the same allocation could mean Rs500 for each and every IDP, every man, woman and child, sick and old. For Rs.1.2 billion, the Utility Stores Corporation can distribute 25 million kilograms of Dal Chana among the 400,000 IDP families so that each family gets 60 kilograms of Dal Chana.

Foreign tours or IDPs? Imagine; if our prime minister forgoes his foreign excursions just for a month the Rs100 million saved that month can go to feed and cloth at least 300,000 IDPs. This is what Rs100 million could buy: 500,000 kilograms of rice plus 100,000 kilograms of sugar, 250,000 kilograms of Dal Masoor, 50,000 kilograms of tea, 25,000 kilograms of red chilli powder, 50,000 kilograms of ghee and 250,000 kilograms of soap. Do you know how much Rs1.2 billion would buy? Six million kilograms of rice plus 1.2 million kilograms of sugar, three million kilograms of Dal Masoor, 600,000 kilograms of tea, 300,000 kilograms of red chilli powder, 600,000 kilograms of ghee and three million kilograms of soap. Do you know how many IDPs can live on that and for how long? Our entire pool of IDPs can live on that for at least two full weeks.

This year, the presidential allocation under the head of budget for "staff, household and allowances" stands at Rs390 million. Imagine; if our president forgoes his budget for "staff, household and allowances" just for a month the Rs30 million saved that month could go to feed and cloth at least 90,000 IDPs. This is what Rs30 million could buy: 150,000 kilograms of rice plus 30,000 kilograms of sugar, 75,000 kilograms of Dal Masoor, 15,000 kilograms of tea, 7,000 kilograms of red chilli powder, 15,000 kilograms of ghee and 75,000 kilograms of soap. Do you know how much Rs390 million would buy? Two million kilograms of rice plus 400,000 kilograms of sugar, one million kilograms of Dal Masoor, 200,000 kilograms of tea, 100,000 kilograms of red chilli powder, 200,000 kilograms of ghee and one million kilograms of soap. Do you know how many IDPs can live on that and for how long? Our entire pool of IDPs can live on that for five full days (all prices as quoted by the Utility Stores Corporation of Pakistan).

Imagine; budget 2009-10 has allocated Rs1 million a day for every day of the year under the head of budget for the president's "staff, household and allowances". For the record, three out of four Pakistanis make Rs160 or less a day. Amazingly, President Zardari took out a mere Rs230 million from the public kitty for his foreign junkets. And, that translates to around Rs20 million a month or a paltry Rs600,000 a day.

On an average day some 200 babies are born to IDP families, around 6,000 babies a month. How about prenatal care, fetal assessment and obstetrics? If our president and our prime minister forgo their foreign travels just for a day the savings would be enough to build, maintain and sustain an outpatient clinic, a primary health care centre plus diagnostic equipment. Imagine; how many hospitals can be built if our leaders forgo their foreign travels for one full year.

There must be some 1.5 million school-age IDPs. How about primary and secondary schools? How about vocational schools? If our president and our prime minster forgo their foreign travels just for a month imagine the number of schools that can be built, teachers hired and children taught?

Look at our priorities: NWFP allocates Rs2 billion for all our IDPs. Islamabad allocates Rs1.2 billion for prime minister's foreign travels, Rs38 million for Islamabad's law courts, Rs2.8 billion for Frontier Constabulary and Rs504 million for Pakistan Coast Guards.

Imagine; budget 2009-10 has current expenditures that actually exceed net government revenue. All this travelling around the globe is in essence on money borrowed in the name of the Islamic Republic. Is this addiction, obsession, compulsion, psychological dependence or just a sweet tooth? Where are our democratically elected MNAs? Hasn't anyone heard of a 'Balanced Budget Amendment' (under which our budget drafters would be under legal obligation to balance all projected revenues and expenditures)?

Donate $5 for Swat IDP's from US Cell phones

2009-05-20T18:56:00.005+06:00

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has enabled every American to donate for Internally Displaced Pakisranis by sending a text from their personal cell phone. Now any US citizen can donate for IDPs from their cell phones, they can text the word “swat” — to the number 20222 and make a $5 contribution that will help the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees provide tents, clothing, food, and medicine to hundreds of thousands of affected people.

For Details please visit: http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2009/05/19/clinton-text-aid-straight-to-pakistan/

Donate for IDPs from Swat

2009-05-19T22:45:00.002+06:00

As Pakistan is in the middle of the "War against Terror", there is a huge operation going on in the beautiful valley of Swat. There is an estimate that this operation can force 1.5 million people to leave their homes. There are four big refugee camps set up in order to provide shelter to these displaced Pakistanis. Other than that people have also taken shelter in different schools and government buildings.
There is no need to elaborate on the living conditions in the camps. One more important fact is that number of children under the age of seven is equivalent to the number of adults in these camps.
Right now, they require medicines and powdered milk in large quantities, along with other basic needs that include camps, quilts, mattresses, food items, water, pedestal fans, etc.
We at LUMS have set up a website which allows you to donate to this cause and we will ensure that your money is well spent and reaches the affected.

http://swatrelief.org/

You can donate online as well as through conventional means (cash, cheque, bank draft).

Swat – a report from the frontline ... Farhat Taj

2009-05-17T04:47:00.001+06:00

Recently an AIRRA (Aryana Institute for Regional Research and Advocacy – an Islamabad-based research organisation) investigation team went to some parts of Swat that had been under army attacks. The team observed whether the attacks were targeted at the Taliban and their installations. It observed two villages -- Ladikas and Watkai in Mingora -- and Khwazakhela, a tehsil in Swat. The team with its access to the people of the area could manage to take Besham route from Islamabad to reach Mingora via Khwazakhela. Though continuous curfew and alternate threats from the military posts and the Taliban posts badly hampered the journey of the team but somehow some of the members could manage to reach Mingora via Khwazakhela and Charbagh with the exodus of the people from different parts of Swat valley. The team was able to access and interview several dozens of those families who were still stuck up in the valley.

The team observed that the security forces have successfully destroyed the installations of the Taliban and have disrupted their chain of command in that area. They have killed many Taliban there with very little collateral damage, albeit with the destruction of civilian infrastructure. The best example is the Taliban headquarter in Khwazakhela. The headquarters was located on a mountain. It housed the Taliban operational command led by commander Yamin, the intelligence department led by commander Rashid and the department of logistics and supplies. The aerial bombardment of the Pakistan army reduced all that to rubble. The entire side of the mountain housing the headquarters has been exploded and razed.

The Taliban terrorists had established the headquarters with great efforts. They had cleansed a huge portion of the forest on the mountain to make free space for the building. They recruited the youth on a large scale, strengthened their command and control structure, established their hierarchical structure, planted mines on the main roads, dug bunkers and occupied the strategic passes in only two and a half months. And they did all this after the peace deal agreed with the NWFP government in February of this year.

The team interacted with the people in the area. Most of those killed were confirmed Taliban. There had been almost no serious collateral damage. Nearby buildings collapsed due to the force of explosions. Some people got injuries when hit by the collapsing debris.

Moreover, the army has cordoned off several narrow alleys of Mingora to prevent the Taliban from escaping. The military has cordoned off Swat from the northeast (the Shangla side), the southeast (the Buner side) and the southwest (the Dir side). In Mingora city itself, the Taliban are reported to be lying dead in the streets and local people confirm that some of them are well-known Taliban leaders.

There are still stranded people in Swat. The people are facing enormous difficulties due to power failure and water reservoirs in their homes which have dried up. Food commodities have become scarce and fuel stations have more or less stopped functioning. Soldiers of the Pakistan army and the FC are sharing their limited food rations with the stranded people. This goodwill gesture has earned respect of the stranded people for the security forces.

It is suggested to the army to issue the photos or video clips of the killed Taliban to the media and of the destroyed Taliban installations. Local people and the IDPs often know the Taliban and location of their installations. They would confirm that the dead were indeed the Taliban and the installations shown as destroyed indeed belonged to the Taliban. This is important because it will ensure transparency and reassure people of the success being achieved in the war.

It is highly commendable that the security forces are conducting targeted operations that have considerably damaged the Taliban in Swat. I would once again request the army high command to destroy the Taliban networks, installations, headquarters everywhere in Pakistan, including FATA and south Punjab. Taliban leaders in each and every city or town of Pakistan have to be neutralised. There is a strong connection between the Taliban in Waziristan, Orakzai, Swat, South Punjab, Khost and Kunar in terms of supply of manpower, weapons and chain of command. This connection is the Al Qaeda-linked Jalaluddin Haqqani and his terror secretariat in North Waziristan. This connection has to be broken, which means that Haqqani's 'secretariat' must be destroyed. Other than the military front, the war against militancy also needs to be fought on the ideological battleground -- Talibanisation needs to be denied ideological space in the country's security and state apparatus and this can be done by targeting elements in state structures and institutions deemed as being sympathetic to the militants.

The army must carry the war against the Taliban to its logical end. The army owes it to the Pakhtun and by extension to Pakistan, because the Pakhtun are citizens of the country and hence deserve the same protection by the state as accorded to those in the other provinces. The Pakhtun have always taken pride in giving their best sons to the army. It is now the turn of the army to reciprocate in such a manner that truly honours the Pakhtun martyrs of the army. This means complete elimination of the Taliban so that the Pakhtun live their lives free of the jihadi fear and intimidation. If done successfully, this will bind the Pakhtun even more closely with the state and the army. In that context, the army must convert this war into an opportunity that will substantially contribute towards making Pakistan a successfully functioning multi-ethnic state.

While the army is rising itself to the occasion, the performance of the politicians is dismal. The soldiers are giving their blood to save us from the Taliban. They are sharing their limited food ration with the stranded people. The army has given a share of their salary to support the relief work for the IDPs. Where are political leaders? What is President Zardari doing abroad? He should be visiting the IDPs rather than foreign lands. What is Asfandyar Wali doing in London? Why is Afrasiab Khattak in Dubai? The IDPs constantly complain that the ministers, MPAs and MNAs only come when the media is there and leave soon afterwards, without tending to their (the IDPs) problems.

All MNAs and MPAs, especially those elected by the people of Swat, Dir and Buner, should stay with the IDPs of their respective constituencies as long as possible because these are after all the people who voted them into public office.

Internally Displaced People in Islmabad .... Fauzia Minallah

2009-05-17T03:59:00.003+06:00

Following is an email by Fauzia Minallah (funkor.childart@gmail.com) an active civil worker from Islamabad, sent on a volunteer group, making it public, so that it can help create awareness on the situation of IDP's who have migrated to Islamabad.

According to some news reports there are nearly 50,000 IDPs in Islamabad. Civil Society Islamabad, visited 4 locations identified by out of these only one was an informal camp with approximately 40 tents near the Katchi Abadi in G 7/1. The IDPs are not registered in Islamabad and unless they are registered it is difficult to identitify deserving and genuine IDPs.

Amna Paracha and Ghazala Minallah met Sattar Edhi, according to him there should be a camp in Islamabad to identify genuine IDPs only then one can help them. The three other locations we visited, we found the IDPs living with their relatives. Several families cramped in one room.

Their problem is the sudden increase in rents by the locals. They are vulnerable to exploitation by individuals and dodgy NGOs. Despite all these problems atleast there is a roof over their heads. They need to be registered during summer break these families can spend the hot summer months in schools

IDP camp in G 7/1

Hazara Colony, Near Nala Leh.Pindi

IDP in Golra

Swati child Manan suffering from cancer, in Golra, Islamabad

Here it comes - SC takes up petrol, gas price issue

2009-05-13T09:44:00.000+06:00

The court has asked the government to decide whether it will reduce on its own prices of petroleum or let the apex court intervene.—File Photo

SC agrees to take up Sharif’s conviction in plane case

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the government to decide by Wednesday whether it would reduce on its own prices of petroleum and gas as suggested by a judicial commission or let the apex court intervene.

The judicial commission said in an interim report to the Supreme Court: ‘It is high time that the government should ponder seriously over reducing the burden of petroleum development levy (PDL) and uniform general sales tax (GST) at the rate of 16 per cent.’

Signed by Justice (retd) Bhagwandas, the five-page report observed that ‘freight rates, dollar-rupee parity source, cost of refining, margins allowed to distributors and dealers’ commission (too) need rationalisation and review in the larger public interest’.

Attorney-General Sardar Mohammad Latif Khan Khosa is required to v seek instructions and inform the three-judge bench, comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justice Raja Fayyaz Ahmed and Justice Chaudhry Ijaz Ahmed, about the government’s decision on price reduction by Wednesday.

‘It is open to the Supreme Court to make appropriate directions for the relief in prices of petroleum products as well as natural gas, CNG (compressed natural gas) and LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) as deemed just, fair and proper.’

‘The government is earning profit worth billions of rupees by doing business with its own people,’ Justice Raja Fayyaz said when Advocate Mohammad Ikram Chaudhry read out the interim report before the court.

The chief justice was also unhappy over Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) insensitivity for not reducing petroleum prices by a single penny even though the court was seized with the matter for the past month. read more

Pakistan faces biggest human flood since 1947

2009-05-12T07:35:00.002+06:00

complete story: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103987025

Thousands of civilians fled Pakistan's Swat Valley on Sunday after authorities briefly lifted a curfew. Pakistan's army said its war planes killed at least 180 Taliban militants within a 24-hour period in its all-out offensive in northwestern Swat Valley.

The army's casualty figures cannot be independently verified, but the U.N. warns that the fighting is producing one of the world's largest displacements of people. As they gather in makeshift camps, refugees' attitudes conflict about their plight and just who is responsible for the war that has driven them from their homes.

Across the district of Mardan, row upon neat row of tents is going up as the messy business of housing refugees from the conflict next door in Swat Valley picks up pace.

Swat Valley has become the epicenter of the power struggle between the militants and Pakistan forces. International aid agencies say 200,000 people have already escaped the widening conflict there. Another 300,000 are either on the move or trapped by the fighting.

Hundreds seeking help have overwhelmed the sprawling, century-old tuberculosis hospital that's turned into a receiving center in Mardan city. The new arrivals jostle each other in long lines. A full-throated official, or nazim, steps in as the heat bears down and patience wears thin. "It is our duty as Muslims to support you," he said to applause.

"Within two or three weeks you'll be back home and, God willing, those terrorists in the name of Taliban will be destroyed. Maximum three weeks."

Nawaz announces launch of struggle for Baloch people

2009-05-06T12:50:00.003+06:00

PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif exchanging views with former Governor Balochistan Lt. Gen. Abdul Qadir Baloch and Hamid Mir Nawaz who called on him at the Punjab House. –APP Photo ISLAMABAD: Leader of Pakistan Muslim League (N) Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday declared that his party would launch a struggle for the redressal of the grievances of the people of the much neglected province of Balochistan on the pattern of the movement for restoration of judges sacked by former military ruler Pervez Musharraf.

Talking to reporters after a party meeting here at Punjab House, he said the Federation cannot be run without harmony with the federating units. The people of Balochistan had genuine grievances which cannot be ignored any more. He said the small provinces had been neglected during the military rule in the country for about 32 years.

‘The time has come when removal of the sense of deprivation in the province had become inevitable’, he remarked.

He termed the assassination of prominent Baloch leader Nawaz Akbar Bugti during a military operation in the days of Musharraf’s rule as a dictatorial act and said it was a deliberate attempt to lead the country towards anarchy and turmoil. read full story

Pakistani TV Journalist Takes Camera Inside Pakistani Taliban Held Swat Valley

2009-05-05T23:53:00.004+06:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akocYqJMukQ&feature=related

With Pakistan's Swat Valley under Taliban control, worldwide interest about how life has changed in the region has grown. Prominent Pakistani journalist Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy recently went to investigate, spending two days in the valley to produce a documentary for the PBS television program "Frontline", which is being streamlined online at pbs.org/frontlineworld. VOA's Ravi Khanna spoke with the journalist and filed this report.

source: VOA's Youtube Channel ( http://www.youtube.com/user/VOAvideo )

How to clear the mess? Article by Imran Khan

2009-04-23T16:21:00.002+06:00

Read the article in URDU

The reason why there is so much despondency in Pakistan is because there is no road map to get out of the so-called War on Terror - a nomenclature that even the Obama Administration has discarded as being a negative misnomer. To cure the patient the diagnosis has to be accurate, otherwise the wrong medicine can sometimes kill the patient. In order to find the cure, first six myths that have been spun around the US-led “Global War on Terror” (GWOT) have to be debunked.

Myth No. 1: This is Pakistan’s war

Since no Pakistani was involved in 9/11 and the CIA-trained Al Qaeda was based in Afghanistan, how does it concern us? It is only when General Musharraf buckled under US pressure and sent our troops into Waziristan in late 2003-early 2004 that Pakistan became a war zone. It took another three years of the Pakistan army following the same senseless tactics as used by the US and NATO forces in Afghanistan (aerial bombardment) plus the slaughter at Lal Masjid, for the creation of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). If our security forces are being targeted today by the Taliban and their suicide bombers, it is because they are perceived to be proxies of the US army. Iran is ideologically opposed to both Al Qaeda and the Taliban yet why are its security forces not attacked by terrorists? The answer is because their President does not pretend to be a bulwark against Islamic extremism in return for US dollars and support.

Michael Scheuer (ex-CIA officer and author of the book Imperial Hubris), writing in The Washington Post in April 2007, cited Musharraf’s loyalty to the US even when it went against Pakistan’s national interests by giving two examples: the first was Musharraf helping the US in removing a pro-Pakistan Afghan government and replacing it with a pro-Indian one; and, the second, for sending Pakistani troops into the tribal areas and turning the tribesmen against the Pakistan army. To fully understand Musharraf’s treachery against Pakistan, it is important to know that almost a 100,000 troops were sent into the tribal areas to target around 1000 suspected Al-Qaeda members - thus earning the enmity of at least 1.5 million armed local tribals in the 7 tribal agencies of Pakistan.

The most shameful aspect of the lie that this is our war is that the government keeps begging the US for more dollars stating that the war is costing the country more than the money it is receiving from the US. If it is our war, then fighting it should not be dependent on funds and material flowing from the US. If it is our war, why do we have no control over it? If it is our war, then why is the US government asking us to do more?

Myth No. 2: This is a war against Islamic extremists ó an ideological war against radical Islam

Was the meteoric rise of Taliban due to their religious ideology? Clearly not, because the Mujahideen were equally religious - Gulbadin Hekmatyar (supported by the ISI) was considered an Islamic fundamentalist. In fact, the reason the Taliban succeeded where the Mujahideen warlords failed, was because they established the rule of law - the Afghans had had enough of the power struggle between the warlord factions that had destroyed what remained of the country’s infrastructure and killed over 100,000 people.

If the Pushtuns of the tribal area wanted to adopt the Taliban religious ideology then surely they would have when the latter was in power in Afghanistan, between 1996 and 2001. Yet there was no Talibanisation in the tribal areas. Interestingly, the only part of Pakistan where the Taliban had an impact was in Swat where Sufi Mohammad started the Shariat Movement. The reason was that while there was rule of law (based on the traditional jirga system) in the tribal areas, the people of Swat had been deprived of easy access to justice ever since the traditional legal system premised on Qazi courts was replaced by Pakistani laws and judicial system, first introduced in 1974. The murder rate shot up from 10 per year in 1974 to almost 700 per year by 1977, when there was an uprising against the Pakistani justice system. The Taliban cashed in on this void of justice to rally the poorer sections of Swat society just as they had attracted the Afghans in a situation of political anarchy and lawlessness in Afghanistan. It is important to make this distinction because the strategy to bring peace must depend on knowing your enemy. Michael Bearden, CIA station chief in Pakistan from 1986 to 1989, wrote in Foreign Affairs magazine that the US is facing the same Pushtun insurgency that was faced by the Soviets in Afghanistan. According to him, as long as NATO is in Afghanistan, the Taliban will get a constant supply of men from the 15 million Pushtun population of Afghanistan and the 25 million Pushtuns of Pakistan. In other words, this Talibanisation is not so much religion-driven as politically-motivated. So the solution to the problem in the tribal belt today does not lie in religion and “moderate” Islam but in a political settlement.

Myth No. 3: If we keep fighting the US war, the super power will bail us out financially through aid packages.

Recently, the Government’s Adviser on Finance stated that the war on terror has cost Pakistan $35 billion while the country has received only $11 billion assistance from the US. I would go a step further and say that this aid is the biggest curse for the country. Not only is it “blood money” for our army killing our own people (there is no precedent for this) but also nothing has destroyed the self-esteem of this country as this one factor. Moreover, there is no end in sight as our cowardly and compromised leadership is ordered to “do more” for the payments made for their services. Above all, this aid and loans are like treating cancer with disprin. It enables the government to delay the much needed surgery of reforms (cutting expenditures and raising revenues); and meanwhile the cancer is spreading and might become terminal.

Myth No. 4: That the next terrorist attack on the US will come from the tribal areas.

First, there is an assumption, based purely on conjecture, that the Al Qaeda leadership is in the tribal areas. In fact, this leadership could well be in the 70 % of Afghan territory that the Taliban control. More importantly, given the growing radicalisation of the educated Muslim youth - in major part because of the continuing US partiality towards Israeli occupation of Palestinian land - why can it not follow that the next terrorist attack on the US could come either from the Middle East or from the marginalised and radicalised Muslims of Europe, motivated by perceived injustices to Islam and the Muslim World.

Myth No. 5: That the ISI is playing a double game and if Pakistan did more the war could be won.

If Talibanisation is growing in Pakistan because of the covert support of ISI in the tribal areas, then surely the growing Taliban control over Afghanistan (70 % of the territory) must be with NATO’s complicity? Surely a more rational understanding would be to see that the strategy being employed is creating hatred against the US and its collaborators. Aerial bombardment and its devastating collateral damage is the biggest gift the US has given to the Taliban. According to official reports, out of the 60 drone attacks conducted between 14 January 2006-April 8 2009, only 10 were on target, killing 14 alleged Al Qaeda. In the process almost 800 Pakistani civilians have been killed, while many lost their homes and limbs.

Despite its military surge effort, the US will eventually pack up and leave like the Soviets, but the “do more” mantra could end up destroying the Pakistan army - especially the ISI which is being targeted specifically for the mess created by the Bush Administration in Afghanistan.

Myth No. 6: That Pakistan could be Talibanised with their version of Islam.

Both Musharraf and Zardari have contributed to this myth in order to get US backing and dollars. Firstly there is no such precedent in the 15-hundred years of Islamic history of a theocracy like that of the Taliban, outside of the recent Taliban period of rule in Afghanistan. However, as mentioned earlier, the Taliban’s ascendancy in Afghanistan was not a result of their religious ideology but their ability to establish order and security in a war-devastated and anarchic Afghanistan.

In Swat, the present mess has arisen because of poor governance issues. Also, it was the manner in which the government handled the situation - simply sending in the army rather than providing better governance - that created space for the Taliban. Just as in Balochistan (under Musharraf) when the army was sent in rather than the Baloch being given their economic and provincial rights, similarly the army in Swat aggravated the situation and the present mess was created.

What Pakistan has to worry about is the chaos and anarchy that are going to stem from the radicalisation of our people because of the failure of successive governments to govern effectively and justly. Karen Armstrong, in her book The Battle for God, gives details of fundamentalist movements that turned militant when they were repressed. Ideas should be fought with counter ideas and dialogue, not guns. Allama Iqbal was able to deal with fundamentalism through his knowledge and intellect. The slaughter of the fundamentalists of Lal Masjid did more to fan extremism and fanaticism than any other single event.

Pakistan is staring down an abyss today and needs to come up with a sovereign nationalist policy to deal with the situation. If we keep on following dictation from Washington, we are doomed. There are many groups operating in the country under the label of “Taliban”. Apart from the small core of religious extremists, the bulk of the fighting men are Pushtun nationalists. Then there are the fighters from the old Jihadi groups. Moreover, the Taliban are also successfully exploiting the class tensions by appealing to the have-nots. But the most damaging for Pakistan are those groups who are being funded primarily from two external sources: first, by those who want to see Pakistan become a “failed state”; and, second, by those who wish to see the US bogged down in the Afghan quagmire.

What needs to be done: A two-pronged strategy is required - focusing on a revised relationship with the US and a cohesive national policy based on domestic compulsions and ground realities.

President Obama, unlike President Bush, is intelligent and has integrity. A select delegation of local experts on the tribal area and Afghanistan should make him understand that the current strategy is a disaster for both Pakistan and the US; that Pakistan can no longer commit suicide by carrying on this endless war against its own people; that we will hold dialogue and win over the Pushtuns of the tribal area and make them deal with the real terrorists while the Pakistan army is gradually pulled out.

At the same time, Pakistan has to move itself to ending drone attacks if the US is not prepared to do so. Closure of the drone base within Pakistan is a necessary beginning as is the need to create space between ourselves and the US, which will alter the ground environment in favour of the Pakistani state. It will immediately get rid of the fanaticism that creates suicide bombers as no longer will they be seen to be on the path to martyrdom by bombing US collaborators. Within this environment a consensual national policy to combat extremism and militancy needs to be evolved centring on dialogue, negotiation and assertion of the writ of the state. Where force is required the state must rely on the paramilitary forces, not the army. Concomitantly, Pakistan needs serious reforms. First and foremost we have to give our people access to justice at the grassroots level - that is, revive the village jury/Panchayat system. Only then will we rid ourselves of the oppressive “thana-kutchery” culture which compels the poor to seek adjudication by the feudals, tribal leaders, tumandars and now by the Taliban also - thereby perpetuating oppression of the dispossessed, especially women.

Second, unless we end the system of parallel education in the country where the rich access private schools and a different examination system while the poor at best only have access to a deprived public school system with its outmoded syllabus and no access to employment. That is why the marginalised future generations are condemned to go to madrassahs which provide them with food for survival and exploit their pent up social anger. We need to bring all our educational institutions into the mainstream with one form of education syllabus and examination system for all - with madrassahs also coming under the same system even while they retain their religious education specialisation.

Third, the level of governance needs to be raised through making appointments on merit in contrast to the worst type of cronyism that is currently on show. Alongside this, a cutting of expenditures is required with the leadership and the elite leading by example through adoption of an austere lifestyle. Also, instead of seeking aid and loans to finance the luxurious lifestyle of the elite, the leadership should pay taxes, declare its assets and bring into the country all money kept in foreign banks abroad. All “benami” transactions, assets and bank accounts should be declared illegal. I believe we will suddenly discover that we are actually quite a self-sufficient country.

Fourth, the state has to widen its direct taxation net and cut down on indirect taxation where the poor subsidise the rich. If corruption and ineptitude are removed, it will be possible for the state to collect income tax more effectively.

A crucial requirement for moving towards stability would be the disarming of all militant groups - which will a real challenge for the leadership but here again, the political elite can lead by example and dismantle their show of guards and private forces.

Finally, fundamentalism should be fought intellectually with sensitivity shown to the religious and heterogeneous roots of culture amongst the Pakistani masses. Solutions have to be evolved from within the nation through tolerance and understanding. Here, we must learn from the Shah of Iran’s attempts to enforce a pseudo-Western identity onto his people and its extreme backlash from Iranian society.

The threat of extremism is directly related to the performance of the state and its ability to deliver justice and welfare to its people.

Source: The News

LUMS Student Killed: Call CCPO Lahore and Protest

2009-04-20T17:34:00.001+06:00

Three drunk people hit and killed a LUMS student early this morning, also severely injuring two other students. The students were walking near H block. The DHA police have been busy helping the culprits. Almost 500 students are protesting against this inaction in Defence right now. Please join the protest, if that is not possible, make one phone call to the police cheif of lahore and protest. Help keep the pressure up!

CCPO Lahore, DIG Pervaiz Rathore

0301-4093189

042-9202976

P.S. Please spread this around. Remember every phone call counts!

Yelling Yelling and more Yelling ...

2009-04-15T13:51:00.001+06:00

UK Police

LAHORE, Pakistan: The 11 Pakistani students arrested in Britain will be released, as the authorities have not found any evidence against them, Pakistan High Commissioner to London Wajid Shamsul Hassan has said. Hassan said the arrests were a mistake on the part of British intelligence agencies, a private TV channel reported. He said the British government had exaggerated the incident (UK PM used “Very Big Terrorist Plot” while talking about it), adding the remand ... read more

Balochistan and Baloch Nationalism

2009-04-13T10:09:00.004+05:00

Many in Pakistan, especially the generation of the 80’s and 90’s, cut off from the 60’s & 70’s erra by the State’s crackdown on information, publication and news during Military regime of Gen Zia, view Baloch Nationalism as a relatively recent phenomenon. The fact of the matter, however, is that Baloch Nationalist political and armed movements have recurrently arisen in the Balochistan after its division among Iran, Afghanistan & British India in late 19^th and early 20^th century.

Original Balochistan:

The information regarding an original Baloch State is shady, But a great deal is known about the early Baloch history through recent academic research and different historically prominent resources, which include the work of the famous poet Firdousi, when he details out the war between Alexander The Great & Baloch when he returns to Babylon via Balochistan. The secret documents prepared by the British Indian government in late 19^th century and early 20^th century by the British Indian ambassadors to Khanate of Kallat, War descriptions of Baloch forces who fought against Astyages (585-550 B.C.) and surviving texts and records from 1200 B.C. put them as an effective military and political force in time of Cyrus The Great and Cambyses. And they point out that:

Balochistan, a predominantly tribal state, has a loose, localized structure of power. Prime powers were delegated to the local ‘Sardar’. Khanate of Balochistan had its capital at Kallat.
The pre-dominant life style of Baloch, was reported to be semi-Nomadic and agricultural.
Baloch religions have evolved over the history of 2 millennia, but by late 19^th century, it is on record that they are predominantly Sunni Muslims with exception of Zikiri’s in Turbat (still present in Turbat) and a minor population of Shia’s.

ThThe geographical area consisting Balochistan was

Kech and Makran(East Makran is now part of Iran, West Makran is now part of Pakistan, previously part of Sultanate of Oman)
Khanate of Kallat(Modern day Kallat Division, encompassing Panjgur, Turbat, Khuzdar, and probably Jafarabad & Naseerabad)
Sibi
Southern Punjab Districts of D.G. Khan, Rajanpur & Rahim Yar Khan
Jacobabad(modern day Jacobabad distt. Of Sindh),
Siestan (the modern day Siestan province of Iran including Zahidan, Taftan and port city of Chabahar)
Registan ( South of Helmand River of Afghanistan, part of modern Afghan provinces of Farah & Nimruz)
A migration to Oman, reported around 200 years ago, made a strong Baloch community there. currently Oman’s 35% population is Baloch. However, Baloch Nationalists don’t lay claim to this geographical area.

Mir Jalal Khan In the 12th century united a total of 44 Baloch tribes to form a consolidated Baloch political authority. Rind Lashkari’s established a Confederacy in 15^th century in the command of legendary Mir Chakar Khan Rind. Khanate of Balochistan was established in the 17^th century with headquarters in Kallat.

Division of Balochistan

Before the division of Balochistan, it was governed by Kahante of Kallat, recognized as an Independent state by British India. After the division of Balochistan (which was motivated by countering Russian influence in the region) and pleasing the pro-Russian Iran & pro-British Afghanistan, Kahante of Kallat was given the status of ‘Proctorate of Kallat’ and considered part of British India.

The Perso-Baluch division (The Goldsmid Line) took place in 1871 and through 1895 till 1905, during which Siestan and West makran were awarded to Iran.
Baloch Afghan frontiers were demarked in 1895, during which areas of Balochistan in Farah and Nimruz were given to Afghanistan.
The British annexation of Balochistan in British India followed soon after which put the Jacobabad in Sindh and D.G. Khan in Punjab.

Annexation to Pakistan:

Khan of Kallat, on 15^th August 1947, one day after lifting of British Raj from Indian Sub Continent, declared Balochistan as an independent state. Mr. Jinnah, whose party was supported by the Khan during the 1946 elections was close to Khan of Kallat. He insisted on annexation of Balochistan with Pakistan. His visit to Kallat, was part of the effort to convince him to annex to Pakistan.

On April 1, 1948, Balochistan was annexed to Pakistan, officially, but not without a military presence in Kallat and adjoining areas. Baloch Nationalist are of the view that it was a full scale invasion, but keeping in view Pakistan Army’s commitment in Kashmir and its resource lessness at the time, others argue that it was a will full act on part of Khan of Kallat. The two opposing arguments still exist today.

Rise of Baloch Nationalism

Late 1920’s and early 1930’s saw a major political and armed revolt against the British Indian government. It was a time when suffering of Baloch people was felt across India, it eventually led to Mr. Jinnah’s demand of rights for Balochistan and providing state services in Balochistan in his 14 point agenda of demands presented in 1929.

In 1948, when Balochistan was officially annexed to Pakistan, with promise of greater provincial autonomy. Many people including brother of the then Khan of Kallat, Karim Khan did not agree with it. He was in favour of an independent Balochistan. He waged a small guerilla resistance for around an year.

In 1954, When the Government of Pakistan made the West Pakistan ‘One Unit’, and abolished all the provinces, a political movement started in Balochistan. Demand of this movement was re-establishment of Balochistan as a province, and providing the political provincial rights promised in 1948. Army operation went underway in Kallat which led to arrest of Khan of Kallat, and many others. A Baloch leader, Nouroz Khan, led an armed campaign against the Army, he was arrested in 1959, and died in prison in 1964.

In 1973, after Mr. Bhutto’s visited Iran, the then Shah of Iran demanded that Pakistan should show its commitment to Iran as a friendly nation, and act against Baloch insurgents, crossing over to Iran’s western borders, from Pakistan. That resulted in a Military Operation in Balochistan.

The position of Pakistan Government was that this military operation was intended to crush the support elements for insurgency in Iran, while the Baloch position saw a rift towards an independent ideology rather than political autonomy as a province.

Soon after the discovery of 350 soviet machine guns and thousands of rounds of ammo in Iraqi Embassy, allegedly enroute for Kallat. Provincial government was dismissed and Army moved in Balochistan, with an alleged air support of Iranian Cobra Helicopters.

The number reported during that time by international media puts military casualties around 3,000 and tribesmen casualties around 5,000.

In 1977, when Gen. Zia took over, he declared victory in Balochistan and Army moved out.

It is perceived that there was a period of lull during 80’s. However many groups such as BPLF and BLA started to emerge during that time. The Government of Pakistan maintained that pro-Russian Communist Government in Afghanistan was behind funding and training of BPLF & BLA. It can be noted that the BLA’s policy of pursuing Greater Balochistan includes the Afghani Provinces of Fara and Nimruz, which is contradictory to the then Afghan Government’s position, on the other hand many analysts believe that after withdrawal of Russian troops from Afghanistan, BPLF seized to exist and BLA was reduced to a very small support base.

During Gen. Musharraf’s regime, Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, the former C.M. of Balochistan, former Federal Minister, lead a media based campaign against Federal Governments policies towards Balochistan. Armed skirmishes were erupting around Balochistan targeting Gas pipelines and similar installations. A political dialogue led by PML-Q failed, the Army then again moved in Balochistan, which led to siege of Kohlu for weeks and Dera Bugti for months, and eventual death of Nawab Bugti.

The military spokesman of the time, maintained a position that Nawab was being supported by India via Afghanistan and had made an armed coup against the state. However opposition political parties, condemned this killing, and many liberal newspapers wrote editorials against this act.

Killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti was turning point for many Baloch leaders who believed in a political struggle for provincial autonomy, including Nawab Akhtar Mengal who, along with many others was arrested.

The infamous missing persons case, includes, the names of 450 Baloch nationalists as well, which eventually became the reason for illegal removal of Chief Justice of Pakistan.

A reported 900 Baloch tribesmen have lost there lives since then, engaged in conflict with the Army.

Balochistan Alaskan Model

When the new Government took power, the infamous constitutional package of Mr. Zardari, which was rejected by PML-N since it gave cover to unconstitutional orders of Gen. Musharraf of Nov 3, had infact, a proposition for Balochistan.

Soon after release of all Baloch leaders, with whom government went into dialogue, which led to formation of a clause in the package, that all resources in Balochistan were to be divided among province and Federation on a 80% provincial and 20% Federal share. No settler, not hailing from the current population of Balochistan will be given citizenship in Balochistan and right to vote. Only locals can vote. Gwadar port will be under control of Government of Balochistan.

Mr. Zardari cleverly tied it with the acceptance of the package as a whole, to create pressure on Mr. Nawaz Shareef. Mr. Nawaz Shareef rejected it on the pretext described earlier. Thus this political tug-of-war deprived people of Balochistan, with an important step towards addressing their suffering.

Unfortunately, an year has passed since then, and no one, from Government or the Opposition has said anything about it. Except the usual lip serving, nothing has been done.

Balochi Sex Slave scandal

A lot of Baloch were infuriated by this scandal. The details of this scandal surfaced with context to 23 year old Zarina Marri, a school teacher from a respected Baloch tribe, who was arrested in 2005 from Balochistan.

Mr. Munir Mengal, the managing director of a Balochi-language television channel, was arrested on April 4, 2006 from Karachi International airport by the state intelligence agencies and transferred to a secret jail in Karachi for nine months He narrated the story of the forced sex slavery of the young teacher Zarina Marri whom he encountered in a military cell. He was of the view that many other young women were held in captivity and forced into sex slavery; this is used as a tool to disgrace the rebellious Baloch Tribes.

Reporters Sans Frontiers (RSF) and Asian Human Rights Commission has issued statement validating the fears of Baloch Nationalists. Other Baloch Nationalists have also reported similar incidents.

Resignation of Baloch Leaders from Parliament and Senate.

Senator Sanaullah Baloch resigned from Senate, soon after elections citing ‘Concurrent List’ and short falls of 1973 constitution and military actions as reasons for suffering of people of Balochistan. The Balochistan National Party had resigned all its seats from parliament in protest over killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti .

This is creating fears among many, that Baloch Nationalists, are moving away from parliamentary and mainstream politics, as they don’t see any change in sufferings of Baloch people. The only path left, then, is either that of a military engagement or political struggle for a sovereign Balochistan.

Recent Killing of Baloch Nationalist Leaders:

Bodies of three prominent Baloch nationalist leaders, Baloch National Movement chairman Ghulam Mohammad Baloch, Baloch Republican Party members Lala Muneer Baloch and Sher Mohammad Baloch whose bodies were found in Turbat, which sparked a violent streak of protests across Balochistan and Karachi. These members were reportedly arrested from the office of a former Opposition Leader in Balochistan Parliament. The Army spokesman has denied it categorically.

Nawab Akhtar Mengal, a prominent Baloch leader, and former parliamentarian, however, maintains his accusations against state intelligence agencies.

MQM held a rally on 12^th April against the killings, while Supreme Court Bar Association has called for a week long strike of courts by Lawyers, All major political parties have condemned this act, as well as UN, US and Pakistan Army.

A statement issued by the US embassy confirmed that BNM leader Ghulam Mohammed Baloch played an active role in securing the release of American citizen and UNHCR official John Solecki, who was recently freed after being held for over two months.

The Modern Balochistan

According to Najam Sethi, editor-in-chief of Daily Times, in his T.V. program on April 12, for the first time in history of Balochistan a vast urban middle class is rising, it is nationalist in its political outlook. If something regarding suffering of Baloch people is not done soon, it will move along with the separatists version of a political future.

Baloch Nationalism in 50’s and 60’s was considered under the effect of Marxist-Leninist ideology. Even today, it is considered religiously liberal and moderate. Many analysts believe that it can be a force which is not allowing Talbanization to take place in Balochistan, if Baloch Nationalists are not heard, who are increasing their sympathies with separatist military groups like Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) things might take another turn.

The Baloch Nationalist movement, has taken a position, questioning participation in parliamentary politics. Even the mainstream politicians like Nawab Akhtar Mengal, are now airing their concerns of becoming part of political, parliamentary process.

The Pashtun population of the areas such as Pishin, Ziarat & Quetta consider themselves as a separate ethnic group. In 1992 armed clashes between the two led to imposition of curfew in Quetta and adjoining areas. This is another issue, relating to identity of a community of Balochistan, which is un-resolved.

Hazara population dominating the largest urban area of the province, Quetta, considers itself as a separate ethnic groups. They are not considered Baloch by Balochi’s. Though a minor population, but influential in Quetta and surrounding areas, have been ignored in the past, and remain one of the under progressed communities.

Pakistani media, military and Government Spokesmen, have repeatedly said that a cash in-flux from Indian Embassies in Afghan cities near Pakistan border, is the cause of recent upheaval.

Whatever the case, If issues of Balochistan are not addressed, and they are either ignored, or crushed upon by use of force, they might, soon, unanimously opt for an independent country, rather than a Province with liberties and rights they have demand in past.

Some Stats (provided by UNPO)

Population
The total population of Baloch is 13 to 15 million people. Although there are no independent figures about Baloch population in Iran, it is approximated at 4 million Baloch, who do not enjoy even limited political and cultural autonomy. The Baloch population is deliberately sidelined and marginalized in policy and practice by the occupant governments of Pakistan, Iran & Afghanistan.

Language
The Baloch speak Balochi and Brahui derived from the Indo-European - and Dravidian branches of language respectively.

Culture and religion

The majority of Baloch are Sunni Muslims with small minorities of Shia and Zekri.
References:

SCBA Chief announces Nationwide lawyers Strike over killing of Baloch Nationalist Leaders

2009-04-13T10:08:00.000+05:00

Supreme Court Bar Assosciation President, Ali Ahmed Kurd has announced a Nationwide Lawyers Strike till Monday over killing of Baloch Nationalist Leaders. This strike call is part of protests carried out by various political, ethnic, social and citizen groups over recent killing of prominent Baloch nationalist leaders, Baloch National Movement chairman Ghulam Mohammad Baloch, Baloch Republican Party members Lala Muneer Baloch and Sher Mohammad Baloch whose bodies were found in Turbat, which sparked a violent streak of protests across Balochistan and Karachi. These members were reportedly kidnapped from the office of a former Opposition Leader of the Balochistan Parliament.

Distt. Buner locals form more lashkars to fight militants

2009-04-09T02:50:00.007+05:00

picutre source: related Dawn.com news story

Second time in 2 years, the local tribesmen have taken up arms against the Pakistani Taliban to resist their forced entry into the Distt. Buner.

Last year, close to 400 local residents were killed, when they barricaded the mountain pass and river crossing at Khogan, to the Disst.Buner from the Swat valley, then a strong hold of Maulana Fazlullah and Mangal Bagh's militia's.

The locals formed up militia's to keep the Taliban out, and not provide the Army an excuse to come in the scenic Buner. They are of the view that Army's presence gives TTP an excuse to barge into the area, and vice versa. The local residents vowed not to let their hometowns become a battle field between the two.

Local Police is the only law enforcement agency that is trusted by the residents of Buner, as is evident from yesterday's clashes in which two policemen and two locals were killed, jointly fighting off the TTP militia at Koghan.

This time around, Dawn Newspaper reports that seven militia's of 100 each have been formed by the locals, administered by the influential elders, to hold key strategic positions. Last year they were able to thwart TTP advances and managed to keep the area military free, but only after a toll of 100's of deaths.

Current events, have already kicked off as a bloody standoff between the locals and TTP from Swat. This time around Army has increased its presence in the area already, and seems less prepared to let the civilians fight off the Taliban all by themselves.

For Dawn News Report, please click here

Parliamentary National Security Committee finalises strategy

2009-04-09T00:43:00.000+05:00

The Parliamentary committee on National Security has finalised it's strategy with regards to National Security and terrorism. The committee was formed by a joint Govt. and Opposition resolution in National Assembly.

The committee is headed by Sen. Raza Rabbani, while members consist of all the ruling and opposition parties. It was announced by committee that they have reached a unanimous charter, only second time in the history of this military ruled and politically debacled country in 60 years, to counter external, but more importantly, internal threats.

The findings will be presented in National Assembly on 9th April and in Senate on 17th April, and made open for discussion in both the houses, and released to public.

It is widely speculated that, the new strategy's focal point is its toughened position on the infamous Drone Attacks. The drone attacks by NATO forces on Pakistan's tribal belt, bordering Afghanistan, is being viewed as a primary source of resentment of the locals against the Government of Pakistan, and has been a major motivational tool for the likes of Baitullah Mehsud, Mangal Bagh and Mulana Fazlullah's armed militia's, operating autonomously in the Tribal belt and adjoining areas.

Recently, all the major attacks, including the attacks on Sri Lankan Cricket team, the attack on Police Academy in Lahore and the attack on Paramilitary residential quarters in Islamabad have been cited as 'revenge' for the 'drone attacks' by the TTP leader, Baitullah Mehsood.

The biggest problem, for Government to reach an accord with locals for non-assistance to Taliban, have been these drone attacks. In the tribal belt, when a drone attacks the village of a particular tribe, and kills people belonging to the tribe, that tribe, according to the tribal traditions, takes it upon themselves to 'avenge' the death of their fellow tribesman. This is where the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) provides them with a platform to fight the 'agressors'. NATO forces, ( more commonly viewed as US forces) in Afghanistan, and Pakistan Army and Civilian Law and Order agencies as their helpers and co-conspirators in Pakistan.

Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has reported over 4000 deaths in past few years, not including the death toll of Army, militants, and those killed in Drone Attacks. Add to it the AFP and other independednt news aganecies reported toll of over 350 people killed by drone attacks, in 2008 alone.

While the death toll is humungous, the Pakistan Govt. from the out-set during the Bush administration has been meekish in objecting to drone attacks. Gen. Musharraf's government, not once raised the question of drone attacks on official forums. Things, however, are now shaping up, especially when US envoy Richard Holbrooke is here.

A common person in Pakistan views these strikes as a violation of Nation's sovereignty., an issue most people are sensitive to in their psychological make up. That view is now being represented by the National Assembly. It fans more anti-American sentiments, and makes the Govt. position difficult to openly acknlowdge the threat of extremeists and devise and persue a counter strategy.

While drone attacks have been effective in killing their main targets i.e. high valued Taliban commanders i.e. Commander Naik Mohammad of Waziristan, and the foreigners(Chechen, Uzbek and Arabs) aiding Taliban,but the collateral they bring with them is huge. Only today a suspected Drone attack in a busy Waziristan market, fired a missile on a car parked outside shops. four people including two suspected Taliban and a shopper were killed, while another 4 shop keepers and shoppers were injured. In 2007, a suspected drone missile strike on a religious seminary killed more than 250 people in Bajaur.

Lahore protests against Terrorism, Talibanisation

2009-04-05T18:47:00.002+05:00

The Lahorites protested in numbers, conflicting reports put the protesters between 2,000 and 5,000, against the terrorism, violence by Taliban including the flogging of a minor girl in Swat.

The rally is part of a series of protests called upon by Human Rights Comission of Pakistan, Student Action Committee, Pakistan Awami Party & Labour Party of Pakistan.

The rally included people from differrent walks of life, political workers, Human Rights workers, student unions, labour and trade unions, husewives, children, and working class people. Thus Civil society members in general protested against a recent upsurge in violence, by religious extremeists dug in the northern part of the country.

Prominent people in the protest included Asma Jehangir, Prof. Salima Hashmi , Jugnu Mohsin, Dr. Wahab Alvi, Yousaf Baluch ,Sher Mohammed and Iqbal Haider.

Protest Against terrorism in Islamabad,

2009-04-05T18:42:00.000+05:00

Human Rights Activists, Journalists, Students, Youth Organisations and Civil Society activists held a protest against the Terrorism near press club, Islamabad, yesterday. The protestors demanded a swift action against those responsible for terrorism, especially the recent incident of public flogging in Swat.

an overwhelming majority of the protestors were women.

Various protests against flogging of a minor girl in Swat

2009-04-05T17:52:00.002+05:00

Dawn News* reported in it's April 5th issue, that various protests against the flogging of a minor girl were staged in differrent parts of the country.

Reported protests include two demonstrations in Multan by the Aurat Foundation, the South Asia Partnership, Pakistan, the Violence Against Women Group and the Legislative Watch Group and the Pattan Development Organisation.

The MQM in Karachi organised a black flag day to protest against "the growing incidents of terrorism in the country including flogging of a minor girl"

Punjab NGOs Forum's Zohra Sajjad Zaidi claimed to have organised protests in 13 districts of southern Punjab.

In Khairpur, the Sindhi Speakers’ Forum condemned the incident.

* picture and story source: http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/protests-against-girls-flogging--bi

National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) protest in Karachi

2009-04-05T15:48:00.000+05:00

The Karachi based, National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) organized a rally against the growing incidents of terrorism and violence against women in Swat, at the press club,
They demandedthat the "government to take practical steps to stop violence against women and to effectively counter the growing threat of Talibanisation in the country. "

CJ Chaudhry demands report on Swat woman’s flogging

2009-04-04T13:24:00.002+05:00

An eight-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry was earlier constituted to investigate the incident. - AFP

ISLAMABAD: The Chief Justice of Pakistan ordered governmentofficials on Monday to submit a detailed report within 15 days over thepublic flogging of a veiled woman, an incident that incensed the nation.

complete story: DAWN report

Call to join rally against terrorism

2009-04-01T18:31:00.001+05:00

Lahore, April 1: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) calls upon all political workers, lawyers, civil society organisations, trade unions, women activists, human rights campaigners, writers, artists, teachers and the youth to join the anti-terrorism rally in Lahore on Saturday, April 4, 2009. (Outside the Lahore High Court at 4.30 pm.). It is necessary to tell the terrorists that the people of Lahore shall not meekly suffer their cowardly attacks.

Asma Jahangir
Chairperson, HRCP

Manawan Police Academy Attack responsibility accepted by Baitullah Mehsud

2009-03-31T19:03:00.003+05:00

In a news report carried today by Geo TV at 06:30 PM local time, Baitullah Mehsud, the head of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has accepted resonsibility for yesterday's attack on Manawaan Police Academy.

Citing it as 'revenge' for the drone attacks. Futhremore a Shura of militant commanders has been formed to carry out further such organised attacks in Pakistan & Afghanistan.

HRCP meeting called w.r.t. terrorism

2009-03-31T01:44:00.004+05:00

Human Rights Commision of Pakistan (HRCP) has called a meeting tomorrow to discuss religious extremism and terrorism. Considering the current turmoil the country is going through it is of immense importance that we give the increasing attacks some serious thought. details of the event:

Date: 31st March
Time: 4pm onwards
Venue: Aiwan-I-Jamjoor, 107-Tipu Block (Near Kalma Chowk) New Garden Town, Lahore, 54600
Tel: (042) 5838341-5864994-5865969
Web: http://www.hrcp-web.org

Governor Rule lifted from Punjab, PA session called

2009-03-30T18:09:00.003+05:00

According to various news sources, the Governor Rule has been lifted from Punjab province. Last night P.M. Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani visited the Presidency and moved forward an advice to the effect, which was signed by the President.

It has also been reported that high ranking Civil Servants, serving the previous Cheif Minister have returned to there former positions and resumed their duties.

The gesture is welcomed by opposition parties and political analysts.

Silent streets may lead to an assumption of support for terrorists, Time to raise our voice

2009-03-30T14:30:00.010+05:00

The bloodbath incited by terrorist organisations boiled over today, when an alleged 20 or so terrorists attacked the Manawan Police Academy just outside Lahore.

It has been reported that at-least 26 people have been killed. The paramilitary operation still continues, and unconfirmed reports of more deaths and hostages are being aired on TV.

Dramatic terrorist attacks are taking place all over the country. A DCO and former Zilla Nazim were killed yesterday in Bannu, and a bomb blast killed many in a mosque in Peshawar. The ANP minister and supporter of Swat peace deal Mr. Billour escaped an attempt on his life a few days ago. and surely every one remembers the attack on Sril Lankan team at the start of this month. Not to mention the countless skirmishes between security forces and armed militants in various parts of Tribal belt, Dir, Swat & Bannu

While every one at individual level has been seen condemning these attacks, an organised public voice against these attacks has yet to be seen. Political leaders, political parties, Human Rights watchdogs, Lawyers, students or labourer unions, or the Civil Society in general has yet to register an organised condemnation of these activities.

One of the many reasons that many people turn thier eyes away considering it not a homegrown issue but an anti-Pakistan elements(RAW/Mosad) incited attempt to destabilize Pakistan. True there isn't a definite yes or no answer to this fear, but whatever the case, it is the local people who are carrying out these attacks. Local armed groups are being used to commit these horrific crimes against humanity. We need to show it to them, that even there fellow believers and countrymen codemn these and do not support there actions.

It's now more than clearly known that the current wave of suicide bombings and armed attacks and sectarian violence originate from the safe helms of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan(TTP) in NWFP. Many argue that they are doing it in some justified and glorified pro-Islamic holy war against the Enemies of Islam, but, what animosity do the young teenage police recruits have with Islam? or for that matter the innocent prayer offering people in a Peshawar Mosque?

Need of the hour is, that, we as a nation, as a civil society, which has shown in past 2 years that it is politically active and aware, need to come out on streets, show that we do not approve of it. It will help create an awareness amongst the people in general that these atrocities are inhumane and have no seal of approval from the rest of the nation.

We also need to show it to the elements in power, President, P.M., Chief ministers, Police officials and the military chain of command, and decision makers that they have the backing of the nation to do something about this. Many critics and commentators point out to a reluctance on part of Govt. & Military to go on an all out offensive against these elements fearing a public backlash on such a Military Operation. We need to show it to them as well, that people are behind them to eradicate this menace which is costing us lives of hundreds of people every month and livelihood of thousands of them.

We need to show to the ones committing these atrocities that people in general do not approve of it, and they are not being supported by the silent majority.

Silence on streets can lead to an assumption that many in our society approve of these high handed tactics, and want these religious extremist elements to rescue us from the whims of this 'Kaafirana' democratic system, and bring about a religious revolution, at any cost and save us all.

It's high time, this nation must break the silence against these attacks and elements which have cost Pakistan more than 3000 lives(not including military, terrorst or infamous drone attack victims), and the number is rising.

* picture used is from http://www.geo.tv, for source page click the picture.

Got queries regarding the new U.S. policy on Afghanistan & Pakistan ?

2009-03-28T16:27:00.003+05:00

Any queries related to new U.S. Afghanistan & Pakistan policy can be submitted to State Dept. representative in Pakistan on:

http://statedept.connectsolutions.com/conx

They will be duly answered on March 31. Advance level questions have a better chance of getting answered. So think something intriguingly "advanced" :)

Pakistanis Rejoice Over Restoration of Justice ......SABRINA TAVERNISE (NY Times)

2009-03-17T11:49:00.003+05:00

We had seen Sabrina Tavernise of New York Times interviewing people outside CJ's official residence, following are a few excerpts from her piece in NYT, for detailed story plz visit the link below.

source: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/17/world/asia/17voices.html

ISLAMABAD — It was a day of rejoicing, of drum playing, and of smiling at strangers. Pakistan’s chief justice had just been reinstated after a two-year struggle, and for those assembled in the country’s capital to celebrate, anything seemed possible.

In the crowd, whose members included a radio announcer who was researching homosexuality and an illiterate mechanic who wore a flower pot on his head to stay cool and admitted to stealing monkeys to get by, one word was on everybody’s lips.

“Justice,” said Mr. Khan’s wife, Rubina Javed, smiling broadly. “We came for justice.”

The word was apt for the victory at hand: the restoration of the chief justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, to his court. But others in a jubilant crowd celebrating on Mr. Chaudhry’s lawn on Monday were working from a broader interpretation.

“Justice is the solution to the common man’s problems,” Ms. Javed said, seated on a blue scarf on the grass with two daughters and four sons, ages 6 to 18, around her. “I want justice in schools, on roads, in transportation. Now the common man is speaking.”

In the Arab world, the word is a constant companion. Islamic political movements use it in struggles against autocrats, arguing that justice is a central tenet of Islam.

But in Pakistan, the political class comes from a powerful feudal elite, which has largely avoided policies that would bring greater social equality, like land reform. With only half of the population literate, so far the strategy has worked.

“The ruling elite can get away with anything,” said Muhammad Ali, a software engineer. “They are like kings here.”

But the lawyers’ movement may be starting to change that. Though small in number, it is made up of an educated, diverse cross section of Pakistani society that includes lower middle class professionals, whose reach may extend deeper into Pakistan’s 160 million population than initially expected.

“This movement has given an awareness to the common people in Pakistan of their rights,” said Shamoon Azhar, 26, a doctoral student at the International Islamic University in Islamabad, sitting on the lawn with a large group of his friends. “This is about awareness. It’s given people confidence. It’s shown people it can happen.”

Saif Abbas, a consultant who used to work for the Asian Development Bank in Islamabad, was more clear-eyed about the meaning of the march. Pakistan is still a poor country with a vast illiterate population, and a corrupt, unresponsive ruling class, he said.

His vision for Pakistan is a “thoroughly democratic” country based on an Islamic system of governance, with a strong, powerful middle class, like that in Turkey or Malaysia. The current system will simply perpetuate the power of the mullahs on one hand, he said, and the elite, on the other, “who are totally disconnected from the people of this country.”

In that respect, the march was meaningful.

“The next government is going to fear the people who pushed this one against the wall,” he said, as a troupe of lawyers from a city in central Pakistan, stormed past.

A revolution it is not, he said. “But it’s a good beginning.”

CJ to be reinstated, Governor Rule & Governor to be changed

2009-03-16T02:58:00.002+05:00

The unprecedented show of public force by the participants of the Long March has led to a recent breaking development Media reported with reference of Chaudhry Nisar (N-League) senior party member, that accord between Govt. & Long March participants has been reached, and.........Chief Justice Of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhaar Mohammad Chaudhry ...........will be reinstated, with full powers.

PM Yousuf Raza Gilani is expected to come on TV and announce it, officially.

The poeple's power and the politicial maturity of this nation has proven once and for all, that we can rise upto the occassion, make it clear what we want for ourselves, we can demand and decide what kind of a future we want to have for ourselves.

Good show this nation, I hope that we will continue to stand upto the occassion and will act, will be out on streets, and no force would be allowed to trample on our rights, constitution and our lives.

Long Live Pakistan, Long Live People Of Pakistan

As soon as official announcement comes in, we will update RiseOfPakistan with it, Being in Rawalpindi, I will be joining Student Action Commitee's karavan enroute from Lahore.

Muneer A Malik Arrested?

2009-03-14T23:27:00.002+05:00

Muneer A Malik is reported to have been arrested from Karachi's airport today. It is reported that he was arrested aboard a PIA flight, which was delayed for about 1 hour.

Some reports suggest that he was released later on, and he is on his way to Islamabad. There are no confirmed reports regarding his current status. It will be updated as soon as any news report confirms it.

Sherry Rehman resigns ?

2009-03-14T01:22:00.001+05:00

The Federal Minister for Information Sherry Rehman has supposedly resigned. Some say its in protest for banning Geo & Royal News, Some say its the outcome of the high level meeting in President House which is just ended.

It is being rumored that Zardari Camp, including Rehman Malik & Salman Taseer are going to resign.......... only time will tell

Is the P.M. going to rise to occassion?

2009-03-13T22:18:00.002+05:00

It is being widely circulated in media reports that P.M. Yousuf Raza Gilani after successfully getting the Army, Foriegn actors, Civilian & Military beauraucracy and even N-League & Lawyers leaders on his side, is going to take a series of steps to implement the charter of Democracy & reinstatement of judges & Punjab Assembly.

What remains to be seen is that, the circulated news is based on proper facts or a mere wishful fragment of imagination of political pundits and analysts.

Though a couple of weeks ago, it seems that P.M. & President seemed to be playing the classical 'good-cop/bad-cop' game, but now it is more evident than ever, that P.M. is acting as an independent actor.

Will he rise to occassion? will he be able to deliever what it takes to pacify the situation and take the country out of the current Zardari & cohorts produced political turmoil ???????????

Barani Agri University Hostilites told to vacate hostels

2009-03-13T22:12:00.002+05:00

In another dramatic development, The V.C. of Barani Agriculture University has directed the hostilites to vacate their hostels. "Duniya" T.V. report at 10:15 PM today, cited a university official that the University administration does not wants its students participating in the Long March.

The hostels are to be vacated for four days, upto 17th March. At the moment the Hostel residents are protesting over decision and have refused to do so. They are being threatened by a police action, if they choose not to comply with University Administration's decision.

and so it begins...

2009-03-12T22:26:00.002+05:00

the gatehring of lawyers from Southern Sindh at Toll Plaza Karachi was baton charged and many arrests were made. So begins the long march, a last ditch attempt by the civilian elements of the society for upholding the rule of law & usual high handedness of a Federal Govt. to discourage it.

complete story: http://geo.tv/important_events/lawyers_longmarch/pages/english_news.asp

PPP old-school irked over Governor Rule & Opposition to Long March

2009-03-11T22:24:00.003+05:00

While it is no secret that after assuming PPP leadership & becoming president Mr. Zardari has side-lined the former prominent members of BB erra and placed his assosciates on key positions i.e. Governor Punjab, Advisor on Interior Ministry and now the Chairman Senate.

This was supposed to have irked the former active and prominent members, but it has started to surface now, more than ever, that they are being irked and oppose the iron-fist tactics of Mr. Zardari.

Resignation of Mr. Razza Rabbani, Enver Baig, the vocal opposition and arrest orders of Naheed Khan & Fakhr, The oppostion of Makhdoom Amin Faheem and in-party sympathies of MNA's with him & most importantly indifferent stand of PM Yousuf Raza Gillni on mobile courts, his recent adresses in National Assemble expressing concerns over opposition of Long March are all indicators that for the first time in 40 year history of PPP, an internal pressure in building up against the party leadership.

PML-N & Nawaz Shareef's policy of targetting Zardari rather than PPP in general seems to have been carefully thought of, and is paying off. He provided the old-school members with a position to support the Lawyers movement and his stance on Punjab Govt. crisis, while at the same time starting an active public movement.

It still remians to be seen, however, how this will effect the events of 16th March. A miraclous executive order from PM, or involvement of resenting members of PPP in long march might still be a long-shot, but possibility is more than ever!

Speaker announced PA session on 18th of march.

2009-03-11T19:28:00.002+05:00

As Governor announced PA session on 16th of March, so that PML-N people can not attend it. But, speaker announces the session on 18th of March by using his constitutional right. Lets see what happens.

Long March and preparation by Government.

2009-03-11T18:37:00.006+05:00

There is no need to tell about the preparation of lawyers, students, political parties and civil society. But, the most impressive preparation are going on by Government.
They started by doubling the salaries of Islamabad police. Then they gave orders to the DPOs of all the districts that their job depends on their performance during Long March. And they seems to stick with what they said as they fired one SP in Gujranwala.
They have decided to seal Islamabad for two days.
So, there are multiple circles of blockage. city is sealed, people will be arrested from G.T road, people will be tried to stop at the edges. On top of that Govt. has threatened all fast food places and others to not to give food to Long March people. All rest houses in Islamabad are also instructed to not give places to attendees. So, lets hope govt. stay only this insane :P.

Raids are currently going on to arrest all the political leaders and lawyers.

2009-03-11T18:31:00.003+05:00

Raids are going on since yesterday all over Pakistan.
Imran Khan's house in Islamabad was raided and many PTI workers are arrested both from Islamabad and also from party headquarter in Lahore.
Aitezaz's house was also raided, but they were not able to arrest him. Athar Minullah was arrested and then later released.
News are continuously coming about raids in all over Pakistan.

PPP and PML-Q to make joint Govt. in Punjab. Session called on the same day as LONG MARCH.

2009-03-11T18:25:00.003+05:00

Finally the rumors are out there that PML-Q is going to sit in Punjab Govt. with a party whose chairman pronounced it as "QATIL LEAGUE".

But, even then they dont have numbers. Thats why Salman Taseer has called the provincial assembly session on 16th of march. The same day as LONG MARCH. So, that no one from PML-N can attend the session.

Government gone crazy!!! Dismissed SP Gujranwala on refusing to arrest innocent people.

2009-03-11T18:19:00.003+05:00

Government has seriously gone insane. One SP in Gujranwala refused to arrest innocent people on using their right to protest. The government removed him from his post.

It shows that there are people who listen to their conscious, but only person who seems to be totally without conscious right now is Zardari. He doesn't even seem to care what people of Pakistan think.

A good article

2009-03-09T17:29:00.001+05:00

Professions of peace on the part of those who sponsor mass movements may be sincere. Our experience shows that when people in large numbers come out on the streets they will not remain content with chanting endearing slogans. Orators will use their way with words, highs and lows of voice and body language to arouse them and call them to action. They will then set private cars and buses on fire, break windows and plunder stores, clash with the police, kill and get killed.
Supporters of the present government brand Nawaz Sharif’s protest movement as the politics of confrontation that is liable to strain the country’s fragile democracy beyond endurance. This is specious reasoning. People protesting on the streets are a part of the democratic tradition. They are a needed warning to rulers that they cannot get away with arbitrariness and usurpation of the citizen’s fundamental rights.
There are times when it is beyond the government’s capability to meet the protesters’ demand. That is not the case in Pakistan at this time. Reinstatement of Iftikhar Chaudhry, the deposed chief justice of Pakistan, along with the related issue of judicial independence, is the principal objective of the lawyers’ movement and their intended long march. The same objective informs the PML-N’s plan for a protest movement. Mr Nawaz Sharif says he will call off his movement if Justice Chaudhry is reinstated.
It is thus open to Mr Zardari’s government to reinstate the gentleman, send the protesters home and return our city streets to peace and tranquillity. It is possible that Mr Zardari’s personal pride and stubbornness are keeping his government from making this simple move to resolve the current crisis. If that is indeed the case, it is an awful shame that this government has chosen to keep the country in turmoil merely to appease a single individual’s ego, even if he be the president of Pakistan.
The writer, professor emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, is a visiting professor at the Lahore School of Economics.
EMAIL
anwars@lahoreschool.edu.pk

Full article at Random Thoughts

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Don't Make Pakistan's Enemies Happy

2009-03-07T11:55:00.003+05:00

THERE are some pundits in this country waxing eloquent on the unfortunate incident in Lahore on Tuesday. They demand to know why our cricketers were sent to Pakistan, which they say is not a safe place — as if Sri Lanka were! Yes, Pakistan is experiencing some problems and it may not be the ideal place for us to play cricket at this moment….

Sri Lanka … knows how hurtful it is to be questioned on her ability to provide security to visiting VIPs….

In 1996 … several cricket-playing nations did not want to play in Sri Lanka in view of terrorist threats…. But, Pakistan and India came here and demonstrated to the world that the situation was not so bad as it was made out to be….

So, it was Sri Lanka’s turn to stand by her all-weather friend, Pakistan, when she was invited to play cricket on the latter’s soil. And she did. Unfortunately, the least expected happened….

It is being claimed in some quarters that the Sri Lankan team had not been provided … adequate security. What is ‘adequate security’? No security is adequate where terrorism is concerned. In a world where the Pentagon has come under a terror attack and well-protected world leaders have perished at the hands of terrorists, there is always an element of risk in any kind of security arrangement….

Therefore, can we afford to complain about security arrangements in other countries?

Most of all, when its High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Bashir Wali Mohammad came under a terrorist attack in Colombo in 2007, Pakistan did not fault Sri Lanka. Instead, it gave an assurance that nothing would affect Pakistan-Sri Lanka relations. That is how friends should handle difficult situa tions…! Our cricketers are pre cious to us and we heaved a sigh of relief when they escaped death and returned home safely. Now that the boys are back, we must put the unfortunate Lahore episode behind us….

It is thanks to friends like Pakistan that Sri Lanka remains undivided. But for Pakistan’s un stinted support for Sri Lanka’s war on terror, perhaps there would have been no country for Mahela and others to rep resent in international cricket. Several were the occasions when Pakistan was so generous as to part with even the ammunition stocks reserved for its use to en sure that Sri Lanka’s war would go on…. No sooner had the Sri Lankan team been attacked than a sinister campaign was launched to discredit Pak istan…. Let no contribution be made to that deplorable move. Sri Lanka can rest assured that Pakistan will investigate the incident thoroughly … and bring the terrorists concerned to book. So, there is no need for pundits amongst us to tell Pakistan what to do.

That is the best way they can show their gratitude, if any, to a friendly nation in crisis struggling to avoid an adverse propaganda onslaught. — (March 05)

Source: http://epaper.dawn.com/artMailDisp.aspx?article=07_03_2009_007_008&typ=0

Let’s honour the Lankans

2009-03-07T11:41:00.001+05:00

A QUARTER of a century ago, The Economist carried on its cover a poignant close-up of Junius Richard Jayawardene with a tear rolling down his cheek.

Jayawardene was then the Sri Lankan president and the teardrop was actually the map of his island nation, which was bleeding from a debilitating insurgency.

In Lahore on Tuesday, another Jayawardene was leading the Sri Lankans. This time it was the cricket team. His performance was to be his swansong as captain and the island-nation’s team came perilously close to becoming a teardrop – albeit for Pakistan.

One has come across many people, not all of them with even a nodding acquaintance with cricket, since the events of Tuesday, who have shed tears at what happened at the Liberty roundabout in Lahore. Others who were more tuned in to the intricacies of what brought the Lankans to Pakistan looked on with disbelief as the terrorists struck, for they knew what this would portend for Pakistan – and Pakistani cricket, in particular.

There was a collective sigh of relief when the visitors returned home ‘in one piece’ as a jaded Jayawardene told reporters at the Bandaranaike International Airport upon arrival.

To begin with the ‘Pearl Island’ – as Sri Lanka is popularly known – showed great character in the face of intense pressure from India not to tour Pakistan after Islamabad reached out to Colombo following the cancellation of the Indian cricket team’s scheduled tour of Pakistan last January. According to news reports, Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee tried his best to nudge Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa into declining Islamabad’s request to fill the void left by New Delhi’s refusal to send over its team.

In the heat of the Mumbai mania – not to forget the geographical disposition of India vis-à-vis Sri Lanka – it was not an easy decision to make. However, Rajapaksa managed the diplomatic tightrope walk with grace. Although India succeeded in driving a wedge in the originally drafted series of three Test matches, five ODIs and a Twenty20 in Pakistan, Colombo did not turn its back on Islamabad. There is a bit of history involved in the Sri Lankan gesture of solidarity with Pakistan.

Sri Lanka won Test status in 1982 primarily due to a support campaign spearheaded by Pakistan. The people of Sri Lanka still remember with fondness how a combined team from Pakistan and India played friendly matches on the island to show solidarity with them when some teams, led by Australia, refused to play there during the 1996 World Cup.

But most of all, they have not forgotten how Pakistanis swarmed the Gaddafi Stadium with Sri Lankan flags to support them when, as poetic justice would have it, Australia had to face Arjuna Ranatunga’s tigers in the final of that World Cup in Lahore. No prizes for guessing who won.

But Sri Lanka’s ties with Pakistan go beyond a game both nations love and consider second only to religion. Sri Lanka’s geographical ties with India which has led to the latter being accused of fomenting the secessionist campaign of the LTTE through a sea route at the tip of the island in Jaffna has always been an albatross around Colombo’s neck. Subsequent Indian involvement – a result of late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s decision to send peacekeeping troops to the island under an agreement with Colombo – gave rise to bitter resentment among the Sri Lankans, who felt that the action compromised their sovereignty. The agreement unravelled in due course with Gandhi paying with his life in a suicide attack in India.

All this while, Pakistan not only lent diplomatic support to Colombo but also provided military assistance. Even though they are not geographically linked, the Sri Lankans have since embraced Pakistanis – and not the Indians – as their neighbours of choice.

It is a measure of how much the Sri Lankans value this relationship that, despite the dastardly act by militants on Tuesday, no official in Colombo, no member of Sri Lanka’s cricket board, no player in the Jayawardene-led team that returned home after a miraculous escape, no one from the intelligentsia or among ordinary fans has reacted to the horrific event with anger. After all, it would have been perfectly justifiable to do so. This amazing grace should not go unnoticed.

If the Pakistani government has a conscience – doubtful given the brazen lapses in security at its end – it should immediately move to honour the Sri Lankan team with at least the Nishan-i-Shujaat (Order of Bravery). This is the least the Government of Pakistan can do after letting the moment to offer an official apology to Sri Lanka pass.

The incident is nothing short of a national shame for us regardless of the nature of the beast that we are dealing with, especially given the fact that intelligence about the possibility, style and even the route likely to be used for such an attack was available as far back as January this year.

President Zardari can be sure that even a belated step such as awarding the Nishan-i-Shujaat to the Sri Lankan team would be much more welcomed by Pakistanis than, say, awarding the Hilal-i-Quaid-i-Azam to the likes of Richard Boucher for his ‘services’ in boosting ties with Islamabad.

A deadly missile attack on Pakistani soil by US forces less than 24 hours after receiving the honour with the portrait of Jinnah in the background was Mr Boucher’s chosen expression of gratitude.

We can be certain that the Sri Lankans would be more considerate and we may be able to even retain more than just a sporting contact with the islanders. So let’s hail the heroes with the award on March 23, along with our own policemen who lost their lives in the line of duty on March 3.

DAWN.COM | Pakistan | Let’s honour the Lankans

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Back to Square One?

2009-03-06T12:21:00.001+05:00

The following was written on 28th February - before the “mobile justice” Presidential Ordinance (finally withdrawn on 3rd March) and before the attack on the Sri Lankan national cricket team - in response to the promulgation of Governor’s Rule in the Punjab and the official obstruction of the Punjab Assembly sessions by the provincial executive authority.

Some observations:

1. Why does the dis-qualification of the incumbent CM lead to the siege of the PA by the police? Imposition of Governor’s Rule - even if ordered by a democratically elected government - is an attack on democracy, on the right of the people to govern themselves through freely elected representatives. A simpler alternative would have been for the PPP to have said that decisions of the judiciary were not in its control, that they valued the alliance with the PML-N and that they would encourage the PML-N to pursue the case through proper channels - for example, the appeals process.

2. Why do our civic liberties (freedom of speech, freedom of association, etc.) suffer because of a quarrel among the power elite?

3. Democracy needs to be allowed to take root and the anti-democratic measures taken by the central executive authority - imposition of Governor’s rule, disruption of normal proceedings at the provincial assembly - at such a sensitive time may provide just the right conditions (dissatisfaction with performance, overwhelming disapproval of government actions, power vacuum) for the Army to carry out yet another coup.

4. These two points taken together lead to criticism of both the PPP and the PML-N’s handling of the situation: Given the incredibly fragile condition of democracy in Pakistan, it is quite irresponsible of PML-N and PPP not to have worked out a better power-sharing formula. Irresponsible or simply incompetent. Some would say that it was impossible, that the rupture was inevitable. We simply do not have enough information but if some day the story of the behind-the-scenes negotiations between June 08 and February 09 comes out, it may well reveal missed opportunities and/or lack of vision on the part of our “leaders”.

5. A 100g roti need no longer be sold at Rs. 2 - the price ceiling was removed the day after the so-called Supreme Court handed down its disqualification ruling. Why should the completely de-politicised and alienated poor pay the price of a power struggle?

Pakistan is definitely at a critical juncture in its history. Swat has broken away from the jurisdiction of the Pakistani state after more than a decade of intermittent civil war [1] while at the recent CCP seminar on the situation in Swat, speakers claimed that upward of a million citizens have been displaced from their homes in FATA and Swat, forced to seek refuge in de-humanising UNHCR camps or accept the charity of relatives in “safer” cites. This adds to the existing crop of critical issues threatening the country:

Hijacked superior judiciary
Religious extremism
Army operations in Balochistan and FATA
Missing persons

It can be reasonably argued that these are merely the most critical manifestations of deeper issues such as:

Lack of socio-economic justice
Absence of the rule of law / accountability
Independent military intervention in the political and economic life of the country
Lack of national sovereignty, i.e., inability of the people to influence the important decisions that determine the environment in which they exist

The events of the next few days - the farce that was the “mobile courts” ordinance and the horror of the attack on the Sri Lankan national cricket team - have strengthened our belief in the essential correctness of our stance on the restoration of the independent judiciary and of the pre-Nov. 3rd. Constitution.

While many people would say that they are heartily sick of the lawyers’ movement and their continuous agitation, we maintain that at the moment, it is the only movement that holds out a chance to resolve one of the basic problems facing us, i.e., the absence of accountability. We further hold that we are, in fact, extremely fortunate to have a second chance to force the elected representatives of the people to respect their campaign promises and the overwhelming popular mandate to revoke the policies initiated by the Musharraf regime.

The Long March 09 is a historic opportunity that we cannot afford to waste. Join us in the struggle to make a positive difference!

[1] Excellent compilation of information on the troubles in Swat

Source: Emergency List

[Emergency] Declaration adopted at the National Conference Islamabad

2009-03-05T09:55:00.001+05:00

Declaration adopted at the National Conference for the restoration of independent judiciary held at Islamabad on 4^th March, 2009

This National Conference having deliberated upon the need for the restoration of the independent judiciary in the country and for that purpose it was necessary to undertake a peaceful and non-violent Long March to Islamabad and then to peacefully undertake a sit-in (Dharna) in front of the Parliament House, adopts the following resolution:

WHEREAS: This Conference is of the view that the actions taken by the General Musharaf on November 03, 2007 were wholly illegal, malafide and unconstitutional and therefore cannot be sustained;

AND WHEREAS: The action of November 03, 2007 ought to have been reversed by executive action and all their effects ought to have been purged immediately after General Elections of February 18, 2008 but was not done;

AND WHEREAS: The martyred leader of Pakistan Peoples’ Party Mohtarma Shaheed Benazir Bhutto had promised a Long March to ensure the reinstatement of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Choudhry and his independent colleagues; while Mr. Asif Ali Zardari, the Co-chairman Pakistan Peoples’ Party has thrice through formally written and signed declarations, promised the restoration of the judges to the position that prevailed on November 02, 2007; but these promises have not been kept by the Federal Government;

AND WHEREAS: The people of Pakistan demand for an independent judiciary so that the nation may attain stability, prosper, progress economically and develop into one of the leading states in the comity of nations, as an independent judiciary is the most essential element to ensure the sustenance and stability of the democratic order, to ensure economic growth and to attract investment, that will then address the problems of unemployment, inflation, crimes, law and order to make Pakistan a terror-free and peaceful place;

AND WHEREAS: This Conference is of the opinion that after the failure to fulfill its promises the Government has left the nation with no option whatsoever but to take recourse to a peaceful and non-violent Long March and Dharna as proposed by the Lawyers of Pakistan;

AND WHEREAS: The Conference has taken note of the unconstitutional steps taken by the Federal Government in imposing Governor’s Rule in the Punjab and ousting the government of a Party that continues to display that it has mandate of the people of the Punjab. The Conference is aware that this illegal step has been taken to attempt to subvert the Long March and Dharna but has resulted in such a designed turmoil in the Punjab Police that resulted in the security lapse resulting in the tragic attack on Sri Lankan Cricketers in Lahore. Had the malafide transfers not been made, and had the Punjab government not been ousted this tragic incident would have been prevented.

NOW THEREFORE IT IS RESOLVED THAT:

This Conference calls upon the entire nation to participate wholeheartedly in the Long March scheduled to start from Quetta and Karachi on March 12, 2009 so as to reach Islamabad on March 16, 2009 and there to stage a peaceful and non-violent Dharna (sit-in) until the Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Choudhry and his colleagues judges are restored to the offices they held on 02 November, 2007.

New Tarana for Dharna, made by US Lawyers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lldsSDV0Zyk

Ansar Abbasi Shares an Intelligence Report

2009-03-04T18:39:00.002+05:00

Embedded Video

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Indian Hand in Lahore Shootout?

2009-03-04T17:32:00.002+05:00

بھارت ملوث ہوسکتا ہے۔
بظاہر لاہور کا حملہ اسی انداز میں کیا گیا ہے جس طرح ممبئی میں دس دہشت گرد حملہ آور ہوئے تھے۔ چنانچہ پاکستان کی سیکورٹی اسٹیبلشمنٹ اور میڈیا کے بعض حلقے ان خطوط پر سوچ سکتے ہیں کہ بھارت کے کسی ادارے نے اسکور برابر کرنے اور پاکستان کو مزید بین الاقوامی بدنامی اور تنہائی کی جانب دھکیلنے کے لیے یہ حملہ منظم کروایا ہو۔ یہ بھی ہوسکتا ہے کہ دونوں ممالک کی ایجنسیاں اپنی اپنی حکومتوں کی پالیسیوں کے برعکس دوبدو جنگ میں خود کو جھونک چکی ہوں۔

Swat deal and western pressure

2009-02-22T12:25:00.002+05:00

Excerpts from a letter to the editor:

The West in particular and some people within Pakistan are opposing the pact with the TSNM, saying we should not stop fighting the militants. First, Soofi Muhammad cannot be seen as a militant, given his peaceful protest camp in Timergara and, now, the very impressive effort to promote peace in Swat. After nearly a year and a half of turmoil, the poor people of Swat have breathed easy and are even celebrating the occasion -- we must not betray them again.

Second, Jonathan Steele is a veteran British journalist who has been covering Afghanistan since the time of the Soviet invasion. There are many important arguments given in his article, based on long experience of the country.

For instance, the self-evident title becomes more lucid by the following paragraph: “Nato faces tougher challenges than the Russians (did). Twenty years ago, Taliban did not exist, suicide bombing was not in vogue, and the Afghan army and police were more effective.

....

..., it is up to us to save Pakistan, above all, and, after that, help the West to whatever extent we can. One has lost track of the number of senior western officials who have been saying aloud that there is no military solution to the Taliban problem and are themselves advocating peace talks with the Islamist militia.

Why should we be pressured to keep fighting an unwinable and endless war and get fatally injured? What is sauce for the gander should be sauce for the goose as well.

In his letter, Mr Ahmed has noted that the government did a U-turn after releasing Dr A.Q. Khan no sooner than the West expressed its annoyance. One only hopes that Islamabad doesn’t reverse its decision about the Swat agreement after it has had time to deal with the lawyers’ long march and sit-in the next month.

If the people’s trust is lost once more, the consequences will be disastrous.

ABDULLAH
Karachi

DAWN.COM | Letters to the Editor | Swat deal and western pressure

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Swat accord is not surrender

2009-02-22T12:09:00.002+05:00

By Kunwar Idris . Sunday, 22 Feb, 2009

Supporters of Maulana Soofi Mohammad peace march on the street of in Mingora, outskirts of Swat valley.— Reuters

A day after President Zardari conceded in an interview with an American television channel that the Taliban had established their presence across large swathes of Pakistan, the government of the NWFP, with his approval, recognised the presence of the militia in Swat - one which could not be eradicated even by military action.

Only time can tell whether this recognition will work to advance or check the aim of the Taliban which, in Zardari’s words, is ‘to take over the state of Pakistan and our way of life’. The instant merit of the agreement between the provincial government and Maulana Sufi Mohammad, however, lies in bringing to an end the sufferings to which the people of that once idyllic valley have long been subjected.

The jubilant crowds on the streets of Swat were celebrating not the advent of Sharia law but the return of normality — let there be no mistake about it. The ovation given to Sufi Mohammad was not because of recognition of him as a harbinger of a new order but as a messenger of peace.

Even if he is unable to persuade his Taliban son-in-law Fazlullah to lay down his arms and abide by the agreement, Swat’s worst nightmare, it seems, is over. If the political administration now acts sensibly and promptly, Fazlullah’s marauding men will no longer be able to raid music shops, harass women or burn down schools.

The reaction of Pakistan’s allies — the US and Nato — quite predictably has been sceptical. Both would have preferred Pakistan to press on with its military campaign. They suspect that the ceasefire would only provide a respite, giving the terrorists time to regroup and mount their assault again.

The allies, however, have conveniently overlooked the ground reality that the army operation was alienating the population without exterminating the fanatical fighters.

Thus even if the agreement fails to take hold, the ceasefire provides an opportunity to the government to muster popular support more than it does to the terrorists to refurbish their armoury. The loss of life and earnings that people of all vocations have undergone seems to suggest that they would rather put up with the present system howsoever corrupt or unjust than suffer all the more while waiting for an elusive Islamic order.

In any case the agreement between Maulana Sufi Mohammad and the NWFP government stipulates no more than a judicial system based on the Sharia laws to be introduced in the former princely states of Swat, Dir, Chitral, the protected area of Malakand and Hazara Kohistan.

The executive authority and all other regulatory and developmental functions will continue to vest in the provincial and federal governments under the same laws as are applicable to the rest of the country.

The judicial system envisaged in the agreement is hardly any different from what was in vogue in the former princely states before they were made districts. It was informal, inexpensive and expeditious even if harsh and not always just. Such was the experience of this writer as resident political agent and adviser of Chitral state as also of his colleagues in Dir and Swat.

The formal introduction of Sharia courts now that the states have become districts must not be viewed as Talibanisation of their society or institutions. For all purposes other than the trial of criminal cases and adjudication of civil disputes they will continue to administer justice as is done in other districts of the country.

It needs to be clearly understood that the three states and other parts of Malakand and Hazara divisions are not tribal societies nor wild territories in the sense that next-door Bajaur and Mohmand or further Khyber, Kurram, Orakzai and North and South Waziristan are.

It was wrong to have grouped them as Pata, i.e. provincially administered tribal areas, for they are not tribal as are the federally administered agencies collectively called Fata. Between Pata and Fata there is little affinity or communication. Even the language and social norms differ. Swat has cultural and lingual links with settled Mardan but none with the Mohmands, for instance.

Likewise, Sufi Mohammad’s Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi predates the Taliban phenomenon and had no connection with it — until recently. It was the agony caused by the expense, delay and corruption inherent in the operation of the unfamiliar and complex laws of Pakistan that persuaded him to launch a mass campaign for the enforcement of Sharia law in Dir much before 9/11. As the campaign dragged on, Sufi Mohammad’s son-in-law Fazlullah from his base in Swat established contacts with the Taliban and the movement took a violent turn.

Despite this connection which surely brought the TNSM arms and money, it remains essentially an independent movement confined to Dir and Swat. The occupation of Pakistan and the destruction of America do not appear to be its goal.

It would not have gathered the momentum it has if our local councils instead of indulging in politics had attended to the needs of the common people and had spared them the torture of prolonged litigations. The provisions of the local government law relating to the care of the poor and settlement of disputes at the village level had all along remained a dead letter.

Pakistan stands much to gain and its allies in the ‘war on terror’ have little to lose if the Sharia courts bring tranquillity and tourists back to the Swat valley and the mountains beyond that are among the highest in the world. Sharia law is not new to the area but violence is. As political agent in the 1960s, this writer presided over both Chitral’s Sharia system and its secular judicial council only to wonder now whether the people living under Pakistan’s elaborate judicial system could ever be as law-abiding, tolerant of dissent and content in poverty as were the Chitralis then. Swatis were not much different.

Given a just and non-intrusive but firm administration they can be the same again. Advice from Ijlal Hyder Zaidi who had long served in the region and was later Benazir Bhutto’s adviser should help. Talking to the mullahs and militants undoubtedly has its risk but it is one worth taking for the survival of Pakistan and peace of the region. The liberals and militarists will surely live to fight another day.

DAWN.COM | – NWFP | Swat accord is not surrender

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Unnecessary comments

2009-02-21T20:09:00.001+05:00

RICHARD Holbrooke may well have serious doubts about the Swat deal, and his reservations may well be shared by others in the American power structure. But does he need to be sending his message to Pakistan via a television interview? We think not. Start with the obvious. The Americans and many others have direct access to the corridors of power in Pakistan. There is hardly a week where some general or State Department official or congressional delegation does not arrive in Islamabad and is duly photographed meeting top government and army officials. Good-cop, bad-cop routines may be standard fare in international politics but do they need to be so publicly executed? Mr Holbrooke himself said, 'We are engaged in very intense discussions with the military leadership of Pakistan and the ISI about this particular issue.' So what mileage is there to be gained from going on television and talking about his reservations?

Full article, DAWN.COM | Pakistan | Unnecessary comments

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'Democratic' India denies rights of Kashmiris...

2009-02-21T18:40:00.002+05:00

SRINAGAR, Feb 20: Police opened fire and lobbed teargas shells to disperse protesters demanding the release of a top pro-independence leader on Friday, injuring at least 26 people.

Angry protesters took to the streets in Srinagar, shouting “Down with security forces, release Shabir Shah,” while some threw stones at policemen.

“Twenty-six people were injured in the clashes,” police official Fayaz Ahmad said.

Last year police detained Shah, a senior Kashmiri leader after he led some of the biggest rallies in two decades against Indian occupation of the disputed region.

Shah, dubbed by his supporters ‘Kashmir’s Nelson Mandela’ for the more than 20 years he spent in prisons for opposing Indian occupation, is an executive member of All Parties Hurriyat Conference, main alliance of Kashmiri political parties.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the region since a freedom struggle broke out in 1989. But overall violence involving Indian troops and militants has declined significantly since India and Pakistan began a slow-moving peace process in 2004. New Delhi has put a pause on that dialogue after last November’s Mumbai attacks.--Reuters

26 injured in Kashmir police firing -DAWN - Top Stories; February 21, 2009

but who cares???

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Progressive Youth Front (PYF) Karachi Protest Demo on Saturday 21st February

2009-02-21T16:28:00.000+05:00

Progressive Youth Front Karachi calls on civil society, activists, and particularly the youth of Pakistan to protest the ongoing injustices in Swat. We believe the recent Nifaz-e-Adl to be an unnecessary capitulation to forces that have held ordinary and civilian Swatis hostage. Much like the brutal and indiscriminate military operation could never solve the crisis of militancy, the Nifaz-e-Adl promises only a temporary reprieve.Â The decades-long neglect of the human rights of Swatis will not be addressed by this agreement. If it has any popular resonance, it is only because people are frightened, and tired of war and curfew. In that sense, a renewed military offensive promises to play into the hands of the militants. We call on the government to push instead for a ceasefire, backed by the promise of a free and fair referendum on the question of judicial reform. In the meantime, we express our full solidarity with our progressive brothers and sisters in Swat, whose resistance has been doubly suppressed, both by the bombardment of the military and the machinations of the Taliban.

As a youth organization, we want to, in particular, call attention to the devastated state of the schooling system in the districtâ€”for which both the military and the Taliban bear responsibility. Any sustainable solution to the problem of militancy in the region has to include a comprehensive plan to restore and improve the provision of education in Swat.

(About PYF: Progressive Youth Front Karachi is a revolutionary youth organization that believes in a secular and truly democratic Pakistan. We reject the inequalities and poverty that ravage our society, and will continue to organize for a more humane, just, and equal Pakistan.)

Protest demo against â€œdemolishing of educational institutes, Taliban fundamentalism, drone attacks on innocent people of swat, Bajhor, military operation of US imperials and local agentsâ€ .

Please come and show your solidarity with innocent people of swat and all area of Pakhtoon kawa.

Programme schedule
Date; - 21 February 2009

Day: - Saturday
Time: - 3:00 p.m.
Venue:- Karachi Press Club (KPC)
Please contact for details
Adanar,
0308-2497022.
Sherbaz,
0333-3280945.

Asfandyar vows to implement accord. Well done ANP!

2009-02-21T15:56:00.001+05:00

By Ashfaq Yusufzai
PESHAWAR, Feb 20: Awami National Party chief Asfandyar Wali Khan has said he can quit the government but cannot back out of his party’s commitment to get the amended version of Nizam-i-Adl regulation enforced in Malakand region for the sake of lasting peace.

He was talking to journalists in Momin Town where he had gone on Friday to offer condolences to the family of MPA Alamzeb Khan, who was killed in a bomb blast on Feb 11.

He said the people of the Malakand region wanted peace, rehabilitation and restoration of normality in their towns and villages and his party could not compromise on the issue.

“We have the president and prime minister on board for the peace initiative. We… can even quit the government, but will abide by the declaration agreed with Maulana Sufi Mohammad,” he said.

He said the ANP would sincerely take the Swat peace initiative to its logical conclusion.

“The bill regarding the enforcement of the Nizam-i-Adl regulation has not been sent to the president and, therefore, there is no question of it getting signed,” he told a reporter.

“We have to decide our matters in line with our needs. All our decisions reflect our desire to safeguard our interests,” he said.

The ANP chief said his party accorded priority to the wellbeing of Pukhtun people and it was ready to talk to the United States and other countries and Nato and other organisations on their reservations over the agreement.

“We will take decisions in accordance with our own requirements. We are ready to convince the people opposing the move,” he said. He said the initiative would take time but a consensus would be developed.

Asfandyar Wali said Alamzeb Khan had sacrificed his life for peace.

“Pukhtuns have always been made to endure terrorism and the same has been the case with Alamzeb Khan,” he said.

He said ANP’s intentions in reaching an accord with Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi (TNSM) regarding the enforcement of a ‘Sharia-based judicial system’ in Swat were based on sincerity.

The ANP chief said some elements were trying to put obstacles in the way of peace in Swat and all political parties and other segments of the society needed to stand up against terrorism.

“Those who don’t know where Swat is located are speaking and writing about Swat,” he said.

He said the analysts who were making a mountain out of a molehill should do something else to pass time. “They don’t know what price the residents of Swat have been paying since the eruption of violence in the valley.”

He said the people of Swat had welcomed the government’s announcement about providing speedy and inexpensive justice.

“Nobody will be allowed to sabotage the initiative for peace,” he added.

Asfandyar vows to implement accord -DAWN - Top Stories; February 21, 2009

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Avoiding selective silence....... by Samad Khurram

2009-02-18T17:13:00.004+05:00

source:http://dawn.net/wps/wcm/connect/Dawn%20Content%20Library/dawn/news/pakistan/Pakistan-Online-yn

In Swat, the army indulges in another never-ending battle with elusive militants who hold entire cities hostage to their whims. The silent victims of this violence are ordinary residents whose lives have been utterly devastated by the carnage. Sadly, there is no hope for peace until the residents of Swat and the people of Pakistan actively stand up and do their part in combating terrorism.

Speaking out against Islamic militants remains taboo in the minds of Pakistanis for many reasons. People are genuinely afraid of threats or falling victim to terrorism. Numerous editors have claimed to have been threatened by militants or their supporters. Furthermore, many who disagree with the militants in their actions may sympathize with what they stand for – a Shariah-based system of governance. They tend to silence their criticism either in the vain hope that militants will reform themselves, or for fear of being labeled a non-Muslim.

While we are often quick to dismiss conservatives as narrow-minded, this strategy of selective silence stems from the most progressive people of our country. PPP loyalists, who tend to be the most vocal advocates of human rights during other governments, turn a blind eye towards the appointment of honor killers in their cabinet. Those who still let principles guide their conscience and dare to speak up are scorned for sowing the seeds of a military takeover or being right-wing. Constructive intellectual discourse is stifled by an ‘us vs. them’ rhetoric that has become commonplace in our society.

For those who do wish to speak up, alternative media presents a different avenue. People can communicate without having to reveal any personal information using blogs, in chat rooms, or by commenting on popular sites and online videos. The messenger is saved from witch-hunts while the message trickles down. Given time, these drops of dissent can form a reservoir of change. Indeed, those of us who had no experience with or intention of starting a blog or mailing list realized that alternative media was the only tool left to us when the mainstream media vanished from our households in November 2007, when General Musharraf imposed emergency rule.

Eventually, the real resistance to the emergency was built on the internet. Millions signed online petitions and hundreds of thousands extended support as the world watched the blogosphere explode with anti-Musharraf rhetoric. Efforts such as The Emergency Times blog and mailing list, which I helped publish, helped people stay informed about protests as well as emergency-related news developments.

Some in Swat have tried to follow a similar model, but have enjoyed limited success. They were drowned out by the cacophony of voices on the internet or lacked the fundamentals of good blogging. Ironically, it was the mainstream media that helped put alternative media back on the map during the present crisis. An online dairy became a success once BBC Urdu picked up the blog of a brave seventh-grade school girl from Swat who pens her thoughts as well as the sights and sounds from the area, and tailored it for the general audience.

These online efforts have helped advocate for change, but the fact is the Emergency Times and Swat Diary will remain event-centric blogs, popular only among a small band of followers. Real, long-term impact is achieved by those who are willing to reveal their identities along with their message. Moreover, credibility is built by being consistently honest and advocating for the same principles each time.

Professor Adil Najam is one blogger who has spoken critically and impartially on many issues ranging from economics to foreign policy and religion at Pakistaniat.com. Thanks to his careful analyses, this liberal has garnered the trust and goodwill of many conservative Pakistanis across the world, and has even succeeded in changing many of their minds. Comments on Prof. Najam’s website clearly suggest that his readers do not agree with everything he says. Yet when he asked for help in reconstructing a girls’ school in Swat, his readers were quick to donate one-third of the cost in a few days. Many of the pro-judiciary, pro-Musharraf, pro-Nawaz, and pro-PPP cadres, who normally point knives at each other’s throats, banded for a common cause.

The same results could not be achieved by other cyber-intellectuals such as Ahmed Quraishi and Zaid Zaman Hamid. When reports of the crisis brewing in Swat were first revealed by Hamid Mir, Zaid Hamid was quick to dismiss them as fabrications and allege instead that Mir was a covert CIA operative. Neither website today has any mention of the crisis in Swat. And, in my opinion, neither would succeed if they initiated a call for action.

The fact is, alternative media has changed the dynamics of moral responsibilities. If you are a Pakistani who is able to read this message, it is your ethical and national obligation to speak up, present your side of the story, advocate for change, and organize for a better tomorrow. It also means that you are responsible for whatever statements you make as a Pakistani on the internet. Online readership is not geographically bound and one irresponsible statement can unleash a storm of hate. The vitriol generated by Zaid Hamid’s war threats to Indian journalists and citizens is ample proof of the high potential of abuse alternative media has.

The eventual hope of positive change in Pakistan rests with those who choose to make their voice heard by whatever means necessary. Specifically, that hope lies with nonpartisan activists such as Prof. Najam and not with those who exacerbate the ‘us vs. them’ split. Criticism must begin at home and must be applied without restraint to everyone, beloved or hated. That is the only way to change the minds of those on the other side and make the most of the power of free speech.

Samad Khurram is an undergraduate at Harvard University who made headlines by refusing to accept an award from the US ambassador to Pakistan, citing continuing drone attacks in the country. He maintains a popular blog and has participated in the lawyers’ movement to restore the judiciary dismissed by former President Pervez Musharraf.

Learning from US follies

2009-02-12T13:14:00.001+05:00

THERE has been an interesting and heartening development in Somalia. Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has been elected the new president of the country by their parliament and earned UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon’s congratulations (Feb 2).

Here, it is important to recall a few facts. In 2006, Sheikh Ahmed, who is considered by all sides to be a moderate leader, had been at the helm of the Islamist group called Islamic Courts Union (ICU), which was fighting to oust the ineffective transitional government created by the US-led international community.

By December 2006 the ICU had taken control of much of southern Somalia and restored peace to the territory, bringing to an end the warlords’ thuggery and lawlessness of the previous 16 years. However, this had alarmed Washington which, as usual, saw an Al Qaeda connection, despite ICU’s denials, and so it pushed Ethiopia into invading its neighbour to kick out the Islamists. The Americans themselves launched air and sea-based attacks on some hardliners.

In this period, the militant wing of the ICU, named Al Shabaab, allegedly aligned itself with Al Qaeda and was, by last December, controlling 90 per cent of southern Somalia. The tragedy is, if the US had not intervened two years earlier to rout the ICU-led by Sheikh Ahmed, radicalism wouldn’t have gone through the roof, taking thousands of civilian lives.

Ironically, the US representative has now welcomed the election of the same Sheikh as the president of the Horn of Africa nation! This illustrates the senselessness of American policies. As in case of the Iraqi invasion, apart from the Muslims, many Europeans (think tanks and analysts) had been stressing the need to include the Somali Islamists in the power sharing, but Washington’s extreme paranoia about Al Qaeda et al makes it act irrationally in all such situations.

Consider Pakistan. For the past several years, the US has constantly sabotaged all attempts by Islamabad to sign peace agreements with the Taliban and other militants. On several occasions it even resorted to air strikes a day or so before the treaty was due to be inked, in order to provoke the volatile tribesmen and scuttle the event.

The result is a manifold increase in radicalism and the situation now is of intense mistrust and hostility between the Taliban and the establishment, which is unlikely to end for years, if ever.Another significant fact is that according to reports in a section of the electronic media of Feb 1 (partly reported in Dawn, Feb 2), Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, chief of the British defence staff, has made several observations that are in line with what other British commanders and diplomats have been saying.

He said Taliban can only be defeated politically rather than militarily; that the American drone attacks on Pakistan are counterproductive and that the Karzai government’s weakness is causing difficulties for the British troops in Afghanistan, which implies problems for others as well, including Pakistan.

In view of these ground realities, it is extremely important for Islamabad to review its strategy for a war, which the Musharraf regime converted into its own, and the present government has been following suit. Premier Gilani felt constrained to observe in Davos and foreign Minister Qureshi, in different words in Multan, the other day that the American strategy has failed in Afghanistan. Apparently, in their hearts our leaders know the US game plan is bound to fail in the entire region, but are unable to oppose Washington’s dictates.

The front-page picture in Dawn (Feb 2) from the troubled valley of Swat showed a man carrying his elderly mother on his back to escape from the fighting in the area, which brought tears into my eyes. But, those who matter seem unmoved. Sitting at a distance in their fortified residences, they just can’t feel the pulse of these devastated souls.

Wherever the Americans have intervened directly or indirectly, thousands of Muslims’ lives have been lost at the very least, be it Algeria, Somalia, Afghanistan or Pakistan, while in Iraq nearly a million got killed. Why should the Muslims have to be guinea pigs for Washington’s psychological hang-ups and stumbling experimentation?

S. KARIM
Karachi
DAWN - Letters; February 10, 2009

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US, India and the 'K-word'

2009-02-12T13:10:00.001+05:00

AFTER great expectations had been raised in Kashmir and Pakistan that the new American president would finally do something about resolving the Kashmir issue, it appears that India and its supporters on the Capitol Hill have been able to dissuade him from doing so.

According to a report, on New Delhi’s request the US administration has kept the dispute out of the portfolio of Ambassador Richard Holbrooke (Jan 31). It cites the Washington Post as saying: “Eliminating… Kashmir from his job description…” is seen as a significant diplomatic concession to India that reflects increasingly warm ties between the country and the United States.

The Post also reported that Indian diplomats, worried about Mr Holbrooke’s tough-as-nails reputation, didn’t want him meddling in Kashmir. Ambassador Holbrooke is nicknamed “the Bulldozer” for arm-twisting warring leaders to the negotiating table as he hammered out the 1995 Dayton peace accords that ended the war in Bosnia.

Also, in interviews to various US news outlets, Indian officials warned Ambassador Holbrooke against ‘any high-profile intervention’ in Kashmir, pointing out that it was so politically sensitive in India that it’s referred to as the ‘K-word’. Further, that India’s former national security adviser, Brajesh Mishra, has said that his country was never going to relinquish control of Jammu and Kashmir because “that is written in stone and cannot be changed.”

The Indians are free to make any claims but they are reminded that there is another ‘K-word’ that is even more indelibly written in the life of nations and individuals, about which they ought to know better than anyone else. The word is ‘karma’ and is now known to ordinary people globally more than Kashmir is.

For 60 years India has been trying hard to digest what it had forcibly tried to swallow but the situation is that today it can neither swallow nor expel something that is non-kosher for it. The deadly side-effects of this unlawful morsel include a violent resistance on the part of the Kashmiri freedom-fighters — the erstwhile Indian premier Vajpayee had himself acknowledged it to be an indigenous struggle — that has caused much pain to India.

A fair estimate puts the number of those killed (another ‘K-word’) since 1989 at 80,000 and the Mumbai attacks appear to be one more manifestation of the karma. Another, even more frightful effect has been the nuclearisation of the region.

It is time India stopped fighting reality and accepted what the world leaders and even some of its own intellectuals and peace activists are saying. The famous writer and activist Arundhati Roy had been very candid and correct when she wrote last year (Dawn, Sept 3, 2008):

“For all these years the Indian state has done everything it can to subvert, suppress, represent, misrepresent, discredit, interpret, intimidate, purchase — simply snuff out the voice of the Kashmiri people. It has used money…, violence…, disinformation, propaganda, torture, elaborate networks of collaborators and informers, terror, imprisonment, blackmail and rigged elections to subdue what democratic people would call the will of the people.”

This should leave no doubt in anybody’s mind about the third degree New Delhi has given to the Kashmiris.

Instead of expediently trying to please India, Mr Obama should join hands with other countries such as Britain that think alike on the subject and do something concrete to resolve the issue fairly, in accordance with the UNSC resolutions and wishes of the Kashmiris.

The international community should not allow India to let its desire to hang on to Kashmir it grabbed from its real owners and continue to compromise the regional and global peace by blackmailing even the superpower. This would actually be in the nation’s own interest as well as that of South Asia and the rest of the world.

QAMAR IQBAL
Karachi

DAWN - Letters; February 10, 2009

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Tribal heads urge the govt. to change policy on FAtA

2009-02-12T12:56:00.003+05:00

Nawa-i-waqt

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Bazid Khel Villagers up in arms against Taliban

2009-02-12T10:26:00.004+05:00

Sometime ago, it was in the news that a Union Council Nazim is leading an uprising against the Taliban along with the villagers of 'BazidKhel' near Bara.

I wonder that this courageous act is getting any attention at all? Its a one-of-a-kind valiant effort of one village to stand-up to intolerable reign of terror unleashed by the Taliban.

A story by Daud Khattak, on one of the mailing lists goes as follows:

* Committees organise patrols by volunteers to guard against possible attack to avenge killing of nine Taliban

By Daud Khattak

PESHAWAR: The hujra (community guest house) of a union council (UC) nazim is abuzz with activity in Bazidkhel village, on the outskirts of Peshawar, where villagers had killed nine Taliban last week.

On February 4, the villagers had killed nine Taliban, who had come in two cars from the neighbouring Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency to abduct UC Nazim Fahimur Rehman, who is behind the villagers uprising against a Taliban group from Khyber Agency.

Following the Talibans killing, their groups chief had warned the people of Bazidkhel, through his illegal FM radio, of a bloody revenge.To guard themselves against a Taliban attack, the villagers have taken up arms and have started patrolling the streets of the village, 20 kilometres from Peshawar. Speaking on his FM channel, the groups chief had warned the villagers to hoist black flags on their houses, to show they were not involved in the killing of the nine men, or face a bloody revenge.

Volunteer groups: However, the villagers defied the threat and formed volunteer groups to patrol the streets to guard against a possible attack. A six-foot-high wall has been constructed just behind the main entrance of the UC nazims hujra. This wall has been completed to avoid an abrupt assault from the front entrance, said Rehman. On the roof, labourers were busy erecting a boundary wall, usually used by villagers to take cover during a clash.

Praising the courage and cooperation of the villagers, Rehman said, Let them attack and we shall come out with a tougher response.With an AK-47 assault rifle slung over his shoulder and his cell phone constantly ringing, Rehman claimed he had the support of the people from 28 union councils. Nearly two dozen armed men sat in the compound of his hujra. Others guarded the front gate while another group sat alert on the rooftop. Rehman was happy with the cooperation and support provided by the government and the police. Were going to meet the NWFP governor on Monday, said the bearded nazim, in his late 30s.He said Bazidkhel and the surrounding areas were known for their long-standing blood feuds but the groups attack threat has brought us together. He said all tribesmen had set aside their personal enmities and had joined hands to face the common enemy.

The local Taliban chief had said the nine men had gone to the village to attend a condolence meeting. However, the UC nazim claimed he had received threats from the group in Khyber a week before the February 4 killings. Rehman said the group had a support base in Bazidkhel before the February 4 incident. However, all the people were now united against the group, he added.

Locals said night patrols had been increased in the area and committees had been formed to oversee patrols by volunteers. Cell phones had been distributed among the village elders and heads of the committees for coordination and quick reaction to any eventuality, they said.

Pakistan's Valid Questions, India's Stubborn Response

2009-02-11T13:55:00.001+05:00

ISLAMABAD, Feb 9: Pakistan has described the information provided by India on the Mumbai attacks as ‘insufficient’ to reach a logical conclusion and bring the alleged perpetrators to justice.

Reviewing a report prepared by the Federal Investigation Agency, the defence committee of the cabinet headed by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani decided on Monday that Pakistan would also send a dossier to India with several questions required for investigation into the case.

Official sources told Dawn that the dossier had been drafted and would be sent to New Delhi in a couple of days.

India, it may be mentioned, has categorically rejected Pakistan’s claim that the information contained in its dossier was ‘insufficient’ and announced that it would not provide any further information to Pakistan.

In its dossier Pakistan seeks reports of DNA tests of Ajmal Kasab — the lone surviving perpetrator of the Mumbai attacks and nine others reportedly killed by Indian security personnel so that they could be matched with their family members, if any, in Pakistan.

Pakistan, according to the sources, also seeks information about weapons used by terrorists and details of mobile phone calls made by them and reportedly taped by Indian security forces.

Pakistan also demands information regarding I P addresses from which emails were sent to attackers by alleged perpetrators.

In the dossier, Pakistan also seeks access of Pakistani investigators to the Indians who also were believed to be involved in the attacks in order to interrogate them. There is a strong realisation in Pakistani security agencies that without the help of elements in India, the Mumbai crime could have not been committed.

Pakistan also urges India to provide details about Indian Navy officials who were reportedly killed by terrorists when they violated Indian territorial waters.

Pakistan has also decided to register a case against perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks to bring them to justice in accordance with the law of the land.

Full story on Ball back in Delhi’s court: Answer sought to queries raised in FIA report -DAWN - Top Stories; February 10, 2009

I'd say the indian response is premature and irresponsible as well.

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Dialogue with Taliban not an option............

2009-02-09T15:15:00.002+05:00

While it seems to be a good idea that Government should re-start negotiations with Pakistan Tehrek-e-Taliban (PTT), I have found an increasing opposition to this idea especially among my Pukhtoon friends.

Came across this article by Mateen Saeed ( a member of Aryana Institute for Regional Research and Advocacy & a research fellow at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Gender Research, University of Oslo), written in response to Masooda Bano's article urging a settlement of the violence in NWFP thorugh dialogue.

This article is reflective of the same thinking. It is a parallel view to currently prevailing view, I guess coming from a Pukhtoon analyst, should be given an ear.

I start by quoting him from his email posted in a mailing list,

Masooda Bano's suggestion/formula seems practical if Indian model of Bandit gangs surrenddering arms to CM or high ups is kept in mind. Masooda Bano might have in mind great Bandit queen Phoolan Devi, who was latter elected member of indian assembly, all her crimes pardoned etc. Problem with Taliban is neither they are Bandits nor any affectee of Talibans has ever levelled any such charge. They are puritans but their purification is confined to female activities, music, barber shops etc. Although they are very sensitive about nizam adle but if we compare their adminstration of justice with the justice great Sultani Daku, Muhammad Khan Daku and many alike personalities delivered during their reign of terror, one wonders either it will transform into an effective judicial system or will wipe out with the elimination of Taliban monstors. Another problems with talibans is they are sensitive only about speedy justice, on the other hand, problems of majority in this so-called land of pure are health , pure water , communication , inflation, employment and host of other problems. What solution our great puritans ( Talibans) have for these issues.

Complete story at: http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=160963

Excerpts:

Dialogue and peace deals with Taliban have been a recipe for disaster for the Pakhtuns. Take for example, the peace deals that were signed with the Taliban in North Waziristan. Despite their existence, killings are happening there, women are barred from applying for CNIC cards, female education and music are banned, and the entire tribal leadership has been killed or made to flee from the area. Furthermore, safe passage is provided often to sectarian terrorists to Kurram and Orakzai agencies and we all know what has been happening there. Journalists who have observed the negotiations and deals claim that usually there are two agreements – one written, the other verbal. The written agreement, if implemented, would in fact restore the writ of the government. The verbal version however is that both sides agree not to disturb the other which means that the Taliban can in fact do as they please as long as they don’t target the security forces. Unfortunately, it is the verbal one that is usually implemented.

and.........

How can one possibly have a dialogue with a person who believes that Shias must be killed and who has actually killed many Shias? How can one negotiate with someone who enjoys beheading people, and has beheaded people — like the Swat Taliban who every day announce on their FM radio the names of all those that they behead?

plus.......

In my view it is the less-informed analysts who are pushing for dialogue with the Taliban – the ordinary Pakhtun are most certainly not in favour of this. I may be criticized for this but I will also say that it is the less-informed analysts who seem to be making the same mistakes that contributed to the disasters of our past. Before the fall of East Pakistan, many non-Bengali analysts in the media were saying that soon the situation would be controlled and we know what happened then. I should also point out that I have come across many nationalist Pakhtuns who are so frustrated and angered that they would rather deal with the Taliban on their own or wouldn’t mind allying with other entities which display less of a reluctance to deal with this scourge head on.

Complete story at: http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=160963

Insurgency in Swat - An analysis

2009-02-06T22:00:00.005+05:00

Here's an analysis of the Swat situation by Abdullah Saad (http://abdullahsaad.com), a must read:

Part 1, Part 2

The Extremists!!

2009-02-04T12:17:00.003+05:00

By: Dr Muzaffar Iqbal

The oxymoron "Muslim extremists" was obviously coined by those who have no idea of who a Muslim is. By definition, a Muslim is someone who follows the middle path, the one who has proclaimed that there is no one worthy of worshipping except Allah, the Most High, and that Muhammad--upon him be peace--is His Messenger. This proclamation establishes a covenant between a Muslim and his or her Creator. By definition, a covenant is a formal agreement and a promise of legal validity. It is a volitional act; that is, there is no compulsion on any human being to declare the Shahadah. But anyone who declares the proclamation of faith simultaneously agrees to follow the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the most Noble Messenger, upon him be peace, both of which prescribe the golden middle path as the path of Islam.

These two primary sources of Islam contain a very detailed and elaborate set of instructions, guiding Muslims to the path that leads to ultimate success in the Hereafter. These two sources are stable, accessible, and totally transparent. They outline a clear code of conduct, provide examples of moral behavior in all situations one can think of, describe legal boundaries and consequences of following or not following the path of Islam. The foremost obligation of a Muslim is to remain within the boundaries established by Allah, for these boundaries of Allah (Hudud Allah) cannot be transgressed without severe retribution.

To protect life at all costs and to keep others safe from one's hands and one's tongue is one of the most important obligations of a Muslim. A Muslim, by definition, is one from whom no harm proceeds. This means that no Muslim can think of taking another life, for such an act will clearly push him or her beyond the sanctified boundary. Furthermore, the Qur'an describes the collective body of Muslims as the "Ummah of the Middle Path" (Ummatun Wusta), a collective body of human beings committed to the middle path.

These are not merely abstract ideals; they have been exemplified in the full light of history during the twenty-three year period of the Prophetic life of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in Makkah and Madinah. A detailed record of this period exists for all to examine. Obviously this historical record contains incidents where a Muslim failed to remain on the Middle Path of the Qur'anic teachings and the Sunnah of the Prophet. But these exceptions do not change the rule; they merely underscore human frailty and since the Creator in all His Mercy knows human nature, He has provided recourse to the repentant soul, and warned the transgressors who do not repent of dire consequences.

Given the clearly outlined Middle Path of the Qur'an and the Sunnah, one cannot be a Muslim and an extremist at the same time. Since the Qur'an and the Sunnah are unalterable sources, there is no possibility of anyone inserting personal opinions into these two primary sources of Islam. Thus, extremism can only be the result of misunderstanding the message, or of a conscious and willful distortion, or rejection of the teachings of Islam. This is how Muslims have traditionally understood all acts of violence and extremism. Since there are known and well-documented examples of individuals as well as groups who have behaved in extremist fashion, Muslim scholars have developed a complete schema of such behaviour and prescribed solutions.

Those who proclaim to be Muslim but fail to remain within the boundaries established by the two primary sources of Islam--the Qur'an and the Sunnah--are not called extremists, but Khwarij. That is, those who have left, gone beyond the limits. This is not merely a semantic distinction, it is a distinction of fundamental nature including all aspects of life. Furthermore, it is a legal distinction. The Law differentiates between a behaviour that is accidental and one that is the result of a distortion of beliefs. The distortion in beliefs (and hence in deeds) entails consequences for both this and the next world. The distortion in beliefs can take place even "in the name of Islam," as in the case of the Kharajites who rebelled against the Muslim Ummah and state during 690-730. Such movements are not common in Muslim history, but there have been examples of individuals and groups who have been afflicted with this terrible disease.

What Muslims face now, however, is a disease of another order. There has never been a time in their history when Khwarij have dominated the scene as they now do. And there has never been a time in the past 1,430 years of Muslim history when such an internal revolt was so widespread. What Muslims have today is a global movement of Khwarij of two types: there are those whose beliefs have been corrupted "in the name of Islam," and there are those who have become Kharajites because they have become "secular Muslims"--another oxymoron.

Both cases have produced the same result: extremists. Thus, there are two kinds of extremists: those who have left the Middle Path of the Qur'an and Sunnah, through a self-delusion they call "in the name of Islam," and those who have chosen to abandon it as a reaction to what they see in their societies, or because their belief has eroded through what they received as education. These two kinds of extremists now fill the foreground of Pakistan's national life, just as they are the prime focus of a global crusade launched by the United States of America to reshape the Muslim world according to its own needs and priorities and to secure its global hegemony.

Whether national or global, individuals in both camps of extremists now face each other in a clash that invariably results in violence. It is a random and undifferentiating violence that engulfs everyone who happens to be within its range. Innocent lives are thus lost in a conflict that has now become like a simmering war between two sets of modern-day kharajites. There are global shifts in the intensity of this conflict: at times it emerges in Algeria, at others, it dominates FATA or the Swat valley in Pakistan, or raises its ugly head in Iraq. But wherever it emerges, it has the same underlying source: a distortion of beliefs. It is, therefore, important to understand the roots and varieties of both kinds of extremism and explore ways to deal with them.

(This is the first of a three-part series of articles.)

Source: The News on Tuesday, February 03, 2009

[The writer is a freelance columnist. Email: quantumnotes@gmail.com]

Numbing statistics

2009-01-30T23:43:00.002+05:00

By Muhammad Ali Siddiqi
THE statistics are numbing and mind-boggling and should make any Pakistani sit up: in 2008 the country saw 2,148 terrorist attacks, which caused 6,825 casualties — 2,267 of them fatal.

Suicide attacks alone killed nearly 1,000 people — 967 to be precise — and wounded or maimed for life over 2,000. Of the 63 suicide attacks countrywide, the highest — 32 — occurred in the NWFP, killing and wounding over 1,000 Pakistanis; 10 in Punjab (201, dead, 580 injured), and 16 in Fata (263 dead, 497 injured).

Compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies, these statistics do not include those who fell in ‘operational attacks’. According to the think-tanks’ report for 2008, more than 5,500 people were killed or injured in operational attacks (a minimum of 3,182 dead and 2,267 wounded).

What is scary is the steady rise over the years in the number of terrorist attacks and the consequent increase in casualties. In 2006, terrorist attacks left 907 dead and 1,543 injured; in 2007 there was a quantum jump in the figure for the dead — 3,448.

If to those killed in acts of terrorism we add those who died in operational attacks, sectarian and factional clashes and US drone attacks, the total number of civilians and security personnel killed in 2008 comes to a morbid 8,000, with the number of the injured approaching 10,000. The grand total for 2008, thus, comes to 18,000 Pakistani people getting killed or injured in acts of political violence.

Is the world aware of this Pakistani trauma? Going by the doubts cast on our commitment to fight terrorism and the ‘do more’ litany one doubts if we have been able to inform the world what this country and its people have been going through for years. In fact, it appears as if, barring US Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Richard Lugar in America and Foreign Secretary David Miliband in Britain, very few top personalities in the policymaking apparatus in the western world seem to be aware of Pakistan’s plight and the scourge which terrorism has become for us Pakistanis in our daily lives.

Our post-Mumbai diplomatic effort has not been all disaster. It did indeed succeed in convincing the world diplomatic community that Islamabad was not involved in the Mumbai crime. However, Pakistan’s advocacy of its case was characterised by diffidence. It failed to show our justifiable anger over India’s attempt to obfuscate the issue, and often we appeared to be pleading rather than telling.

Has India suffered anything even remotely resembling Pakistan’s trauma as seen in the cold statistics above? The answer is no, but the world evidently doesn’t think so. What the world does is to view the situation in terms of the ‘safe haven’ which is supposed to exist in Fata and elsewhere for the Taliban. That deprives us of the sympathy we deserve.

Read full opinion at DAWN - Opinion; January 26, 2009

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War on Terror: Time to pull out?

2009-01-30T23:05:00.002+05:00

DAVID Miliband’s assertion that the ‘war on terror’ was a mistake, together with Nato’s Secretary-General Jaap De Hoop Scheffer’s criticism of pro-American Afghan President Hamid Karzai clearly indicates a rift between Europe and America towards Afghanistan and Pakistan.

International relations and global realities have changed tremendously since 9/11. The war on Iraq has exposed the limits of American military might. Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghuraib exposed the moral bankruptcy of American regime which tremendously weakened American political power.

The resurgence of Taliban in Afghanistan is testing the commitment of International Security Assistance Forces. The conflict between Georgia and Russia and now between Europe and Russia over gas supplies has marked the return of a belligerent anti-western power to the international stage.

The Iraq war and the recent butchery of Gazan Muslims in Palestine have exposed the bias inherent in international institutions such as the United Nations towards the West and its interests. And, above all, the most severe economic crisis has hit the West and crippled its economy, shattering the core capitalist principles of free market economy.

All of these factors have weakened western powers and their ability to influence states like Pakistan. Now is the time for Pakistan to review its foreign policy and make radical changes in it. The challenge on the eastern front provides Pakistan a golden opportunity to make a case for pulling out from the self-destructive war on terror.

The Pakistani government has already indicated that it would pull out from the war on terror if India isn’t reined in by the international community. After the rift increasing between America and Europe over the war on terror, Pakistan should actually move beyond just sending signals.

MOEZ MOBEEN
Islamabad

DAWN - Letters; January 22, 2009

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SOAS Students in Solidarity with Gaza

2009-01-29T19:06:00.006+05:00

SOAS barged in the BBC offices and protested against the network's biased coverage of Israeli military's slaughter in Gaza.

They were forcefully removed by the police from the premises.

here is the entry by an SOAS member:

Called within just a few hours and hardly built at all, about 50 or 60 protesters turned up to BBC on Portland place to protest about the disgraceful decision not to air the DEC appeal.

We got there a bit early and decided to storm the entrance leaving the police behind. We immediately sat down, linked arms and started chanting. We had a lot of support from BBC staff entering the building (i hope they can pull of a strike over this) by sort-of sneaky thumbs up when no-one was looking. the video below shows a small quiet period but really, it had a very good impact. Loads of press turned up, I'm just waiting for the reports to stream in!!

I was on BBC World Service and had to deal with an idiot Zionist who tried, somehow, to tie in Iran and their supposed nuclear weapons!!
and in response to a press release by BBC:

(italics my own-there is a definite case of contradictory conscience/reporting here)

Around 20 (i would say there was 12 of us inside!!) campaigners from the Stop the War Coalition SOAS StW society walked into the lobby of the central London building with a large banner proclaiming Hands off Gaza (the only banner we could find!)

They were removed by police before continuing a noisy protest outside, during which some of them set fire to their television licences.

source: SOAS blog( http://soassolidarity4gaza.blogspot.com/)

Sussex university acceeds to Students' demands..... Sussex University Occupation declares victory.

2009-01-29T18:58:00.005+05:00

Sussex university students staged an occupation of University buildings and presented a charter of demand to the University administration, which were accepted by university on second day of occupation.

Charter of Demand:

Ethical investment/divestment
Sanctions against Israeli goods and products sold on campus
Scholarships for Palestinian students
Support for Palestinian universities
No reprisals against protesters

A full and detailed statement had been developed by the University in discussion with the students, in response to the six demands which the students presented. That statement –which is set out below in full – represents a positive response by the University to all the points made by the students, in particular through:

confirming its ethical investment policy and reviewing its operation;
seeking to create new scholarships for students from all areas affected by conflict or catastrophe, including Palestine;
working with the students' union (USSU) and other UK HEIs to pass surplus educational materials to universities in Palestine.
Detailed discussion involving USSU on how these are to be taken forward will follow, now that the action has ended.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Michael Farthing, has also said that the University, working with the students’ union, will now wish to look at these events and review how such matters are handled , so that the University can learn lessons from what has happened, in the interests of the whole Sussex community.

source: LSE Occupation Blog(http://lseoccupation.blogspot.com/)

Sussex University Blog: http://sussexoccupation.blogspot.com/

King's College, London. Occupation in Solidarity with Gaza

2009-01-29T18:46:00.002+05:00

Students from the well reputed and world renkowned King's College London have started an occupation at their campus and have put a set of demand for the university administration.

Demands:

REVOKE SHIMON PERES' HONORARY DOCTORATE- FREE GAZA
Organise a fundraising day for Gaza
Donate educational resources, scholarships to Palestinian students
Start making links with Palestinian universities.

They organised a protest outside BBC, which they now dubb as Biased Broadcasting Company, fro biased coverage. Here is the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_JhdLK-H5U

Occupation Blog:
http://kcloccupation.blogspot.com/
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=58062638627&ref=mf

To show solidarity and agreement with their sense of justice for all and standing up for Humanitarian equality, please post your comments, thoughts on the blog page or email them to kcloccupation@gmail.co.

OXFORD UNIVERSITY STUDENTS OCCUPY BUILDING IN SOLIDARITY WITH GAZA

2009-01-29T17:54:00.005+05:00

A group of around 80 Oxford students occupied the historic Bodleian Library at Oxford University today in support of Palestinians and to protest the university’s policies towards Israel, notably calling for divestment from Oxford’s stake in the British arms manufacturer BAE Systems, a statement of support from the university in reaction to Israel’s bombing of the Islamic University in Gaza, and the cancellation of a series of lectures inaugurated by Israeli President Shimon Peres (which the students had earlier staged a protest against). They are also asking for scholarships to be created for Palestinian students and support for Palestinian academia.

Their full statement is after the jump. The students have a blog, Occupied Oxford, a Twitter feed and a YouTube page with videos of the occupation of the library.

The building occupation was ended after ALL of the demands from university administration were met.

Political involvement of students is rising, and this brave, non-violent & peaceful act by a group from oxford shows student activism can make a differrence!

source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/oxfordshire/7844890.stm

http://arabist.net/archives/2009/01/22/oxford-students-occupy-bodleian-library-in-solidarity-with-palestinians/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jan/23/student-protests-gaza

Pakistan hints at tit-for-tat response to extradition demand

2009-01-19T12:45:00.002+05:00

ISLAMABAD, Jan 18: Pakistan will ask India to hand over perpetrators of the Samjhauta Express blast, if the Indian government insists on extradition of "non-state-actors" suspected to be involved in the Mumbai attacks.

"If India (keeps) insisting on handing over the suspects of the Mumbai attacks, we will also ask it to hand over the accused of the Samjhauta Express blast," Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior Rehman Malik said on Sunday.

He reiterated Pakistan's commitment to see if there was any evidence in the information provided by India and to try in Pakistan if anyone was found guilty.

An official of the interior ministry said it had been suggested at a Foreign Office briefing a few days ago that Pakistan should also ask India to hand over the people involved in the train blast.The sources said that the government had decided to adopt a tough stand if India continued to demand extradition of some suspects in the Mumbai attacks.

However, Mr Malik said Pakistan would accept a decision if India conducted a fair trial and convicted the people involved in the train attack, and if that happened, India should also accept the decision of Pakistani courts. "It should be reciprocal, he said.

The adviser said that investigations into the Mumbai carnage were continuing under Pakistani laws, and vowed that the government would not succumb to foreign pressure.

"No foreign help would be sought. However, Indian investigators would be more than welcome. Pakistan is very open and inquiry officers have also been bestowed with full powers to fulfil their tasks," he told a private TV channel.

Terming Pakistani investigators "best among the best", he said records showed that they were quite competent to conduct the inquiry.

He said the inquiry could not proceed without legally tangible evidence. "If anyone is found guilty of being involved in the heinous crime, he will be tried under the Anti-terrorism Act."

Pakistan hints at tit-for-tat response to extradition demand -DAWN - Top Stories; January 19, 2009

Imran Returns Hilal-e-Pakistan Award to Govt in Protest

2009-01-15T09:39:00.000+05:00

Cricket legend-turned-politician Imran Khan has decided to return his prestigious Hilal-e-Pakistan award in protest over government conferring country’s top civilian awards to American Vice-President-elect Joe Biden and a State Department senior official Richard Boucher.

“I have decided in protest to return the award conferred on me for my services rendered in sports arena. I am disappointed and angered over government’s decision which neglected the sentiments of the people of this country who are frustrated and seething with anger with this deplorable decision”, Khan, chief of Tehrike Insaaf, told Khaleej Times.

President Asif Ali Zardari conferred Hilal-e-Pakistan to Joe Biden and Quaid-e-Azam Medal to Richard Boucher praising their unflinching support to Pakistan in helping the country in recent years through diplomatic channels.

Source: Khaleej Times

General Kiyani's [fictional] letter

2009-01-14T17:21:00.002+05:00

I wish this wasn't fictional...

Meray Aziz Hum Watno,
In the last 60 years of Pakistan and especially during the past decade, the image of Pakistan Army and that of the high rank officers of Pakistan's Army in particular has severely deteriorated. Pakistan Army has lost its respect in the eyes of the most of Pakistanis, as a result of which I have decided to take this drastic action and writing you this letter today.

Today, as the commander in chief of Pakistan Army, I will make my best efforts to assure you that things will change for the better future of Pakistan and this letter will mark as a turning point in the History of Pakistan Army and Pakistan.

God has blessed us with an opportunity to admit/confess our blunders, incompetency, incapability and other unlawful and unprofessional actions. As Chief of Pakistan's Army, I ask all Pakistanis for forgiveness and Pakistan Army as Institution promises of behaving in a way that fulfils the nation's expectations in future.

I herby announce the following actions:

Supremacy of Constitution & Accountability:

1- Change in PMA Curriculum to ensure that each Officer understands that they are subordinates to the Nation, its Constitution and the Law of the Land, and not to the Chief of Army Staff or any other Officer. Senior Lawyers will be hired to give lectures in the PMA so that the obedience to constitution is properly understood and ensured for officers in future.

2- Oath of the Army officers will be revised as per proposals of civilian government to make it more clear on supremacy of civilian rule. All the serving Army officers will also take this new oath and the oath ceremonies of all officers above rank of Major Generals will be held in Prime Minster House and will be broadcasted to Public.

3- Military training of Army officers going abroad (US, UK or EU) will be carried out with intensive pre-departure psychological scrutiny and post-training debriefing to insure that they have not been infiltrated by foreign powers.

4- There has been increasing number of incidents of bullying, torture, abuse of power by Army Officers against Civilians. Effective immediately, I announce that cases for all such incidents will be taken to a Civilian Court, and till the decision of the case, such officers will remain suspended and in civilian custody. Army will not use any coercive methods to harass the media from reporting such events and the names/ranks of culprits.

5- All Missing Persons in custody of Pakistan Army or related entities will be released immediately OR handed over to civilian authorities for prosecution through due process of law. Any involvement in kidnapping of any Pakistani Civilian, including that of a Prime Minister by the Army in future will be considered as terrorism, and will be punishable by death as per the laws of country.

6- In order to ensure that any Army Generals do not overthrow elected governments in future, all army collaborators in all previous military take-overs, will submit to the nation and to the court of law. The culprits of 1971 as identified in Hamood-ur-Rehman Commission report will be punished, even after death to finally correct our wrong doings of past.

7- Role of ISI will be redefined to focus on external threats only and monitoring of Pakistani civilians, including politicians, judges and journalists will be considered treason. I also announce closing of ISI media cells and the permanent suspension of funding for propaganda campaigns through all sorts of Ahmed Quraishis and Zaid Hamids effective immediately.

Military Budget and Economy Revival:

8- The 2400-acre GHQ land in sectors E10 and D11 of Islamabad will be immediately sold to overseas Pakistanis, which will boost the economy of our motherland. This most expensive and luxurious piece of land at foot of Margala Hills in Islamabad would fetch at least 80 Billion Rupees equivalent of foreign reserves. This amount should be good to clear large portion of our foreign debt.

9- I announce the transfer of all military bases and properties from the urban areas into nearby cheaper rural areas to end the symbols of British Colonial rule. The thousands of acres prime properties in centre of urban areas like Rawalpindi, Lahore, Jehlam and Karachi should fetch 10 Trillion Rupees, which would be enough to provide clean water, basic education and healthcare to every single Pakistani Citizen. I assure you that this action will be started immediately and completed within 2 years time.

10- Pakistan Army will cut down its conventional army from 550,000 to a lean, high tech and smart force of 200,000. When it comes to war, a smaller and more efficient force is better than a large number of unprofessional soldiers. This change will save 2 Trillion Rupees of taxpayer's money over a period of 5 years.

11- I announce that allotment of plots and properties to army officers without accountability will be stopped immediately. All previous allotments of lands and plots will be brought under public scrutiny to determine the number of plots sold illegally by army officers, violating the rules and regulations and the main objective of allotment.

12- No army officer would be given more than one plot during his career, and that too will be based on his performance. The full cost of plots will be paid from Army Budget and will be bought from Civilian Government on market rates, instead of 2,000 Rupees per Kanal.

13- Allotment of Agricultural lands to Army officers will be ceased immediately and permanently. All disputes with farmers regarding Agricultural lands (like Okara Farms Scandal) and any other issues with civilians will be settled through civilian courts ASAP.

14- Effectively immediately, I announce that the benefits of all Army Officers will be made compatible with that of Civil Servants. This will ensure that a Grade-20 Army Officer will get the same benefits as any Grade-20 Civil Servant. This will boost the morale of Civilian Government and also lower the burden on taxpayers by several billion rupees every year.

15- All non-military properties owned by Army for entertainment purposes, including all golf courses, rest houses and resorts at prime locations like Bhorban and all over Pakistan will be immediately and unconditionally privatized. This would generate 35 Billion Rupees that will be handed over to Education Ministry, so they can build several universities with Research & Development facilities.

16- I also prohibit the use of army properties or equipment for personal use. From now, no army vehicles will be seen on streets for personal purpose, like for buying groceries or trips to beauty parlours. This move will alone save 2 Billion Rupees of taxpayer's money from fuel and maintenance costs annually.

Pakistan Zindabad,

COAS General Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani

Pakistan Army

_______________________________________________
Fictional Letter by COAS Kiyani, written by Dr. Akram Khan

Suspected 'Suicide bomber' caught after Lahore blasts

2009-01-09T21:44:00.002+05:00

Pakistani police arrested a suspected suicide bomber Friday after at least six people were injured in a series of explosions in Lahore, Pakistan's second largest city, police told CNN.
At least four explosions occurred around 8.45 p.m. local time in the busy Mall Road district of the city, CNN's Reza Sayah reported, quoting police sources.
He said the suspected suicide bomber was arrested by police as he tried to blow himself up after throwing grenades from a rooftop near the Al-Falah theater.

'Suicide bomber' caught after Lahore blasts - CNN.com

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Protests @ LUMS against Israeli agression & International communities role in Gaza crisis.

2009-01-07T00:18:00.005+05:00

Students at LUMS held a protest today, Tuesday, the 6^th of January, against the continuing, genocidal Israeli assault on the people of Gaza. Over a hundred students assembled on the LUMS campus in the afternoon, holding placards denouncing and condemning the illegal and unjustifiable Israeli aggression, as well as the stark inadequacy of the response of the international community, including the government of Pakistan.

Various students and distinguished members of the faculty, like Dr. Rasul Bakhsh Rais and Mr. Abdul Rehman Mustafa spoke on the occasion, highlighting the plight of the people of Gaza and the complicity of the United States in their oppression. The US government was chided for thwarting all international efforts to broker a ceasefire between the warring parties. Shock was expressed at the lackadaisical attitude of the United Nations Security Council in brokering a ceasefire and addressing the gargantuan problems of the Gazans. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza due to the 2 year long blockade of the territory by Israeli forces was also highlighted by the students, with appeals made to lend a practical helping hand through the provision of humanitarian aid to the terror-stricken residents.

The students spoke about the need to continue their efforts to contribute to the international pressure being built on the Israeli government to withdraw their forces from Gaza and lift the illegal blockade.

In the end, the students put their names and signatures to a petition being sent to the US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice by Amnesty International to urge the US to prevent the unfolding humanitarian crisis in the Gaza strip.

After offering Fateha for the deceased and praying for an end to the suffering of those caught in the ugly conflict, the students then dispersed peacefully.

PTA orders blockade of six political sites

2009-01-06T00:11:00.002+05:00

source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=155004

THE NEWS, Friday, January 02, 2009
By Urooj Zia, Karachi

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) issued directives in the last week of December to Internet Service Providers (ISPs), ordering them to block a list of six webpages on the grounds that they were “harmful for the integrity of the country.”

The directive came on the orders of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) for the Evaluation of Websites. The IMC constitutes representatives of the Ministry of IT, PTA, Ministry of Interior and Cabinet Division. Its charter is to monitor and block blasphemous, pornographic, and anti-state or anti-Pakistan sites.

Three of the six webpages on the list issued by the PTA, however, are from dictatorshipwatch.com, a website set up after November 3, 2007, when then-President Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf implemented a state of emergency in the country. One webpage is from makepakistanbetter.com, a social and political discussion forum. The fifth page is from friendskorner.com, a general discussion forum, while the sixth webpage is a node from buzzvines.com. Most of the blocked webpages contained articles which claimed to provide information about Punjab Governor Salman Taseer’s “history”; others had pictures of members of Taseer’s family at lavish parties thrown recently at the Punjab Governor House.

None had blasphemous material, or anything which could even remotely be construed as “anti-Pakistan,” unless criticism of one person is considered an act of treason. The PTA circular, issued on December 26 by Enforcement Coordination Director Yawar Yasin, however, called for the immediate blockage of these pages. An email was sent out on December 29 to ISPs by Muhammad Shafiq, PTA Zonal Director (Enforcement) at the Authority’s Rawalpindi zonal office. The ISPs in question were directed to comply with these orders immediately and send a report to Shafiq by 3 pm the same day.

Meanwhile, the move to block political websites and webpages has been lambasted by ISPs as well as internet users, many of whom have, on various online discussion forums, compared this act with those under the military dictatorship of Gen (retd) Musharraf.

“While these webpages have been classified as ‘harmful for the integrity of the country,’ I don’t believe this is the correct classification. PTA as a regulator should not be involved in pushing or blocking political agendas and should clearly rise above political party favours and bias,” the CEO of a Lahore-based ISP said. “We feel that the criteria of blocking should be clearly defined and should not side with any political party.”

“This is a very repressive step and ISPAK condemns this act,” Micronet Broadband CEO and Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan (ISPAK) convener Wahaj us Siraj told The News. “The IMC has no mandate to block political web sites. The PTA apparently has less say in it and just conveyed the directive of the IMC to the ISPs.”

Israili Barbarism and Propaganda, lies exposed

2009-01-05T14:57:00.002+05:00

By Paul Reynolds

Israel has tried to take the initiative in the propaganda war over Gaza but, in one important instance, its version has been seriously challenged.

The incident raises the question of how to interpret video taken from the air.

Israel released video of an air attack on 28 December, which appeared to show rockets being loaded onto a lorry. The truck and those close to it were then destroyed by a missile. Click here to watch the Israeli footage of the truck being attacked.

This was clear evidence, the Israelis said, of how accurate their strikes were and how well justified. A special unit it has set up to coordinate its informational plan put the video onto YouTube as part of its effort to use modern means of communications to get Israel's case across.

The YouTube video has a large caption on it saying "Grad missiles being loaded onto the Hamas vehicle." As of Saturday morning UK time, more than 260,000 people had watched it.

Different version

It turned out, however, that a 55-year-old Gaza resident named Ahmed Sanur, or Samur, claimed that the truck was his and that he and members of his family and his workers were moving oxygen cylinders from his workshop.

Ahmed Sanur is challenging Israel's claim that rockets were targeted

This workshop had been damaged when a building next door was bombed by the Israelis and he was afraid of looters, he said.

The Israeli human rights group B'Tselem put Mr Sanur's account on its website, together with a photograph of burned out oxygen cylinders.

Mr Sanur said that eight people, one of them his son, had been killed. He subsequently told the Israeli newspaper Haaretz: "These were not Hamas, they were our children... They were not Grad missiles.".

The Israeli response was that the "materiel" was being taken from a site that had stored weapons. The video remains on You Tube.

But the incident shows how an apparently definitive piece of video can turn into something much more doubtful.

B'Tselem said these cannisters were near the destroyed truck

It is reminiscent of an event in the Nato war against Serbia over Kosovo in 1999. In that case, a video taken from the air seemed to show a military convoy which was then attacked.

On the ground however it was discovered that the "trucks" were in fact tractors towing cartloads of civilian refugees, many of whom were killed.

Israel effort

The Israeli propaganda effort is being directed to achieve two main aims.

The first is to justify the air attacks. The second is to show that there is no humanitarian calamity in Gaza.

Both these aims are intended to place Israel in a strong position internationally and to enable its diplomacy to act as an umbrella to fend off calls for a ceasefire while the military operation unfolds.

Israel has pursued the first aim by being very active in getting its story across that Hamas is to blame. The sight of Hamas rockets streaking into Israel has been helpful in this respect.

It has also allowed trucks in with food aid and has stressed that it will not let people starve, even if they go short.

Israel appears to think its efforts are working.

One of its spokespeople, who has regularly appeared on the international media, Major Avital Leibovich, said: "Quite a few outlets are very favourable to Israel."

Ban on foreign media

Israel has bolstered its approach by banning foreign correspondents from Gaza, despite a ruling from the Israeli Supreme Court.

The Arab television news channel Al Jazeera is operating there and its reports have been graphic and have affected opinion across the Arab world. The BBC also has its local bureau hard at work.

But the absence of reporters from major organisations has meant, for example, that Mr Samur's story has not been as widely told as it probably would have been, or his account subject to an on-the-spot examination.

Meanwhile Israel has received good coverage of the threats and damage to its own towns and communities.

Whether Israel retains any propaganda initiative is not all certain. Pictures of dead and wounded children have undermined its claim to pinpoint accuracy and the longer this goes on, the greater the potential for world public opinion to swing against it, with diplomatic pressure building for a cessation.

Its presentational problems would be hugely increased if it engaged in a ground operation, which would bring with it more pictures of death and destruction.

Update: several readers have e-mailed to ask whether I believe Hamas. One said I had "bought into" Hamas propaganda. Another that I should have dealt with Hamas' claims: "What's missing speaks volumes about your one-sidedness."

I do not believe anyone's "propaganda." We seek to verify all claims, from whatever source. One of the main claims in Gaza at the moment is the serious situation for the population. Having reported from Gaza many times over the years, I know how crowded parts of it are and how dependent the people are on food aid from the UN. This means they have no other source of supply but equally, if the system is working, they should be getting enough to get by on. The problem is that foreign correspondents cannot get in to establish the exact situation for themselves.

Paul.Reynolds-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk

'Hidden Government'

2008-12-31T03:19:00.003+05:00

An intersting & a must watch video. 'Hidden Government' is an eye opener to the naivety of many of the fellow Pakistani's who still believe in upholding the 'Military' & 'ISI' institution and wouldnt stop worshipping it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDbGn4jTTGI

The designer's of our demise, the gluttonous power hungry junta, that won't stop short of having everything for themselves or tearing apart what they cannot have. History is witness to it, only a matter of time before do they do their next 'stint' in destabilising the country & making room for their puppetered personalities in Islamabad.

(Embedding that video wasnt possible because author had disabled it, follow the link to view). Thanks to the fellows who pointed out this video link.

Questions about Mumbai .......... by Najamuddin Shaikh (Former Foreign Seceretary) for Daily Times

2008-12-29T16:01:00.001+05:00

ANALYSIS: Questions about Mumbai —Najmuddin A Shaikh

The befogging emotions that are so easily aroused in any Indo-Pak crisis make dispassionate investigative reporting difficult, and yet this is exactly the time when it is most needed

The media in Pakistan and India have both found it difficult, given the emotionally charged atmosphere, to ask the hard questions or try and unravel the manifest contradictions in the accounts that appeared in the Indian and international media regarding the horrific carnage to which Mumbai was subjected.

The government of India has to date issued no official statement on what transpired and who was responsible beyond Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s statement less than 24 hours after the attacks, saying there were “external linkages” and the attacks were carried out by a group “based outside the country”. A couple of days later, Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee said that elements from Pakistan were involved.

From the official statements issued on both sides, it appears that a list of names has been provided by India with the request that those of Indian nationality be transferred to India while the Pakistanis to be prosecuted in Pakistan under Pakistani law. It is made to sound extremely reasonable but in no case so far – as one can judge, again by official statements – has there been any evidence presented that any of these people were involved in the Mumbai tragedy. In fact, the Indian foreign minister stated that they were still completing the investigation and that once this was completed, information may be shared with Pakistan. This equivocal statement was accompanied by the complaint that in the past India had shared evidence but this had not produced results.

The burden of the Indian song has been that Pakistan’s President Musharraf and subsequently President Zardari had vowed to prevent the use of Pakistan’s territory for terrorist activity and that they were justified therefore in asking that Pakistan dismantle the terrorist network that they allege exists on Pakistan’s territory.

By their reckoning, it was unimportant to establish that this had a connection with the Mumbai carnage. What does not appear to have struck the Indians is that at this time, the focus must be not on an airing of old Indian grievances, no matter how justified they may be, but on providing the evidence that establishes the connection the attackers in Mumbai had with elements in Pakistan and that these elements were criminally responsible for the events in Mumbai.

While an unnecessary hysteria has been created in both countries, the media has set aside its primary task: asking the hard questions and getting the right information out to its readers and viewers so that the public makes informed judgements rather than rushing off blindly into condemnatory mode.

Some of the questions that need to be asked in India are:

How did the number of terrorists arrested shrink from the 9 mentioned by the Maharashtra chief minister on November 27, or the 3 mentioned by the knowledgeable Praveen Swami of the Hindu, to become 1 terrorist only. The Washington Post of November 28 says that according to Indian officials “several gunmen were captured”.

How was it that this hardened terrorist, presumably trained to remain silent, became so talkative that all details of his journey and his companions were revealed in the first few hours of his detention?

A truth serum can work wonders, but then why did it take him eight days to reveal that an explosive device had been planted at the railway station where he had wreaked havoc, and where he had almost seemed to pose for surveillance cameras to create the image that may well become the enduring icon for the tragedy? Surely the interrogators, having learnt that each of the attackers was carrying explosives, must have asked him where he had used them?

Some accounts suggest that the explosives Kasab and his colleague carried may have been exhausted since they were planted in taxis and at a place called Byculla. If Kasab did not plant the explosives at the railway station then who did?

Why is it that account after account in the New York Times, the Washington Post and other newspapers suggests that the number of attackers were far more than the 10 that current official accounts indicate? Even the Hindu’s account states that an estimated 12 people were in the boats/dinghies that arrived on Mumbai’s coast? Most reports relying on “eyewitnesses” assert that eight people got off the boat at the fishing village close to the Taj and conjecture that other members of the group had landed elsewhere.

Who were the people to whom Mukhtar, the Kashmir police undercover agent arrested in Kolkata, transferred the mobile phone SIMs he had acquired, which were allegedly used by the terrorists? Did he know how they got to the terrorists? Did he know the identity of the terrorists or their handlers, and if so, why did he not make this information available to the authorities in Mumbai?

How does one reconcile the home minister’s statement on the killing of Mumbai ATS chief Hemant Karkare, in which he states that the police vehicle in which Karkare was killed was snatched after killing Karkare and others from outside the Cama hospital, while earlier accounts say that after the firing at the railway station, the terrorists commandeered a police van but abandoned it when it got a flat tyre and then drove off in a Skoda? It was while they were in this Skoda, the BBC account says, that they fired at numerous targets including the Cama and Albless Hospital.

Why cannot the Pakistan authorities be informed, even while the investigation continues, about the list of Pakistani numbers that were called on the satellite phone that was found on the fishing boat or on the mobile phones that were used by the terrorists while they were in the Taj and Oberoi? This, after all, is supposed to be the corroboration to the “confession” extracted from Kasab. The Wall Street Journal reports that “Along with a confession from the one gunman captured in the attacks, officials cited phone calls intercepted by satellite during the attacks that connected the assailants to members of Lashkar-e Taiba in Pakistan, and the recovered satellite phone from the boat”.

Who among the people listed by India in the demarche presented to Pakistan were responsible for the Mumbai incident or is this the same list that has been presented to Pakistan before the Mumbai tragedy most recently at the meeting of the interior secretaries meeting in Islamabad hours before the Mumbai incident unfolded?

On the Pakistani side too, there are a number of questions that need to be addressed:

How did the people in the presidency allow the president to take a fake call from the Indian foreign minister?

Whose briefing did the president rely on when he said that the Indian violation of our airspace was “technical” and that the Indian military authorities, when they were contacted, were “apologetic”? The Indians maintain that there was no violation and, more importantly, that the first DGMO-to-DGMO contact took place three days after the violation.

On what briefings did our defence minister and our foreign minister base their statements about Masood Azhar that were subsequently found to be inaccurate?

The Director of Interpol made it clear that like Pakistan, he too had received no evidence from the Indians about the involvement of Pakistani elements in the Mumbai attack. Yet our friends, including Prime Minister Gordon Brown, stated on our soil on December 14 with no uncertainty that Lashkar-e Tayba was responsible for the attack. Secretary Rice maintained after her visit to Pakistan on December 4 that Pakistan had been given “sufficient information” to take action against the organisers of last week’s attacks in Mumbai. Did Brown and Rice share with us the basis for their assertions, and if so, what is our position?

India shld look into its own backyard, says an Indian Analyst

2008-12-25T19:20:00.004+05:00

Nawa-i-waqt

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Interpol chief says India yet to provide evidence

2008-12-25T18:53:00.002+05:00

By Syed Irfan Raza

ISLAMABAD, Dec 23: Interpol’s secretary-general Ronald Noble said here on Tuesday that India had not provided to him names of suspects and evidences about last month’s terrorist attacks in Mumbai.

Addressing a joint press conference with Adviser to the Prime Minister Rehman Malik at the Interior Ministry, Mr Noble indicated that India did not want Interpol’s help and a joint probe into the case.

The Interpol chief arrived in Islamabad from New Delhi where he offered assistance in investigating the Mumbai terrorist attacks.

Mr Noble did not say why India had turned down the offer but it is believed that India does not want any person or institution to delve into a ‘conspiracy theory’ relating to the killing of Mumbai Anti-Terrorist Squad chief Hemant Karkare, who was investigating the high-profile case of Samjhauta Express bombing in which over 60 people, mostly Pakistanis, were killed on February 19 last year.

There are reports that the Indian government has refused to separately investigate the killing of Mr Karkare and suggestions that it was a part of conspiracy against him.

When asked what evidence India had provided in connection with Mumbai shootout, the Interpol chief said he had not been given any significant information. “I have as much information as you have in Pakistan,” he added.

Rehman Malik said the Foreign Office had received a letter reportedly written by Amir Ajmal Kasab, seeking legal assistance.

“The letter is being examined by experts and the Foreign Office would issue a statement about it. However, there is no record of Kasab with Nadra,” Mr Malik said.

The adviser said that Pakistan and India were both victims of terrorism and needed to take joint action to eradicate the menace.

Answering a question about threats of war emanating from India, Mr Malik said the nation was united to face any challenge.

About Mumbai attacks, he endorsed Mr Noble’s statement and said India had not provided any evidence to Pakistan either. “If India gives us credible evidences about involvement of Pakistanis, the government will take action to bring them to justice,” he said.

India had neither provided any information officially to Pakistan about the arrest of a Pakistani national nor did it share any concrete proof about elements behind the Mumbai attacks, the adviser said.

Interpol chief says India yet to provide evidence -DAWN - Top Stories; December 24, 2008

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