Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Turkey’s main opposition leader stresses importance of secularism
A Tempest of Fear in Turkey
Although the word turbulence doesn’t exist in Turkish, it is probably the best description of the state of politics in Turkey these days. But we have other words, many of them, that denote “tension,” “masculinity” and “polarization,” all of which afflict the Turkish state. Turkey is a liquid country, a watercourse of conflicts and contradictions. The mood changes weekly, sometimes daily. Until recently the country was seen as a successful combination of Islam and Western democracy, a power broker in the Middle East. That view is rapidly fading, and the river that is Turkey is running faster than ever. With local, presidential and general elections coming, this is a year of loud polemics and quiet concerns. Citizens glance through websites dozens of times daily to see what else has happened. During a vote that gave the government greater control over the judiciary, members of Parliament exchanged blows; a bloody nose was a testament to our bruised democracy. Many in Turkey see the laws as a government effort to stem leaks in a corruption investigation.Amid Flow of Leaks, Turkey Moves to Crimp InternetFEB. 6, 2014 Nothing reflects the tempest better than the recent proliferation of conspiracy theories. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan repeatedly accused outsiders of being behind the protests in Gezi Park last summer, which left six people dead and 8,000 injured. Several government officials insinuated that dark forces were operating behind the scenes, including the Jewish diaspora, the C.I.A., the BBC, CNN and the interest-rate lobby, a term for a cabal of domestic and foreign banks that officials believe want to harm Turkey to further their own interests. A Turkish BBC reporter was openly accused of being a foreign spy. Protesters in Taksim Square were called terrorists. The German airline Lufthansa, it was suggested, was trying to scuttle an important new airport for Istanbul. On social media there are endless rumors about “deep state within deep state.” Gradually, Turkey is turning into a nation in the grip of paranoia. Nobody takes anything at face value anymore. There is a growing public suspicion that the news is filtered, if not manipulated. Recently leaked tape recordings revealed that opinion polls published in a major newspaper might have been tampered with to please the government. Journalists have marched to protest curbs on press freedom. In a country where freedom of expression is curtailed and media diversity has shriveled, social media is the only alternative platform of communication, information and misinformation. A new Internet law passed by Parliament further threatens freedom of opinion, though President Abdullah Gul, who said he would approve it, has conceded that parts are problematic. If the Gezi riots fueled conspiracy theories, the recent corruption investigation fanned the flames. Government officials talk constantly about foreign plots. Turkey has done too well, they say, and now hidden actors want to stop it from growing. These accusations resonate with some segments of society.By ELIF SHAFAK
Why are we so in need of contriving conspiracy theories?Part of the answer lies in the fact that Turkey is still not a mature democracy and its politics are masculinist, aggressive and polarized. Turkey’s polarization affects every layer of social, cultural and economic life. When checks and balances, separation of powers and media diversity are all at risk, those in power become too powerful. And part of the answer lies in old fears that go back to our upbringing. One of the songs from my childhood went: “One, two, three ... long live the Turks ... four, five, six, Poland plummeted ... seven, eight, nine, Russians are traitors ... ” We children merrily sang this song on the streets, declaring that the Italians were cunning, the Germans pigs. We grew up believing that Turkey was surrounded on three sides by water and on four sides by enemies. The Greeks aspired to reconquer Istanbul and make it Constantinopolis. The Arabs were untrustworthy. The Russians plotted to seize the Bosporus. Everybody wanted a piece of Anatolia, our land, and a Turk’s only friend was another Turk. In the past, one of the strengths of Mr. Erdogan’s party, Justice and Development, was a foreign policy of “zero problems with neighbors.” That policy has not been sustained. This government, which liberal intellectuals once supported in the hope that it would push Turkey to join the European Union, restrict the role of the military and enact democratic reforms, is nowadays reviving overused rhetoric. When Mr. Erdogan speaks he addresses the nation’s subconscious. He speaks to our primordial fears and xenophobia. And without realizing, we, millions of us, become children again, waiting in the school courtyard for the headmaster, the baba, to tell us how ill-intentioned every foreigner is and how united we must stand against the world. Yet, at the same time, this warped mentality no longer entices. Times have changed. The youth are far more open to the world than the previous generations, and the people are ahead of their politicians. As much as we tend to buy into conspiracy theories, we Turks have also grown very, very tired of them.
Thousands across Turkey call for Erdogan’s ouster
Protesters take to the streets in 11 cities after recordings surface, purportedly of Turkish PM discussing how to hide moneyProtesters took to the streets across Turkey on Tuesday, after audio recordings purportedly of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan ordering his son to dispose of vast amounts of cash amid a graft probe surfaced and went viral on the Internet.
Thousands of people demonstrated in 11 cities, including Ankara and Istanbul, shouting anti-government and anti-Erdogan slogans, according to China’s Xinhua news agency. Police in the capital fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd that chanted, “The government resigns,” and “Thief Erdogan.” In Istanbul, protests were reportedly held at 10 locations, with the biggest demonstration in the district of Kadikoy. Some 5,000 people marched to the district center, carring banners reading, “Where are the thieves?” “You will answer to the people,” and “Everywhere robbery, everywhere corruption.”Protests were also held in the cities of Izmir, Antalya, Antakya, Samsun, Trabzon, Eskisehir, Kocaeli, Bursa and Canakkale, according to Xinhua. In Istanbul, Bursa and Eskisehir clashes were reported between riot police and the crowds. A chief prosecutor’s office on Tuesday initiated an investigation into the audio recordings in question, state-run media reported, as opposition parties demanded that the government resign. Erdogan met with Turkey’s intelligence chief shortly after voice recordings of two people — alleged to be Erdogan and his son — circulated on the Internet on Monday. The voices were heard discussing means of getting rid of large amounts of money from an undisclosed residence. A statement issued by Erdogan’s office later said the tapes were fabricated and that legal action would be taken against those responsible. It was not clear if the probe by Ankara’s chief prosecutor was to determine the recordings’ authenticity or whether they pointed to a possible criminal act by the prime minister. Earlier on Tuesday, Devlet Bahceli, the leader of Turkey’s far-right Nationalist Action Party, called the recordings “mind-blowing” and urged prosecutors and other judicial bodies to intervene. The Republican People’s Party, Turkey’s main opposition, claimed to have verified the authenticity of the recordings through “three or four channels” and called on Erdogan to either resign or “flee (Turkey) by helicopter.” On Tuesday, Erdogan lashed out at Turkish and foreign enemies he claimed were conspiring to bring his government down and again charged that the tapes were fabricated. “This is a treacherous act against the prime minister of Turkey,” he said. The audio recordings reportedly took place on December 17, when three cabinet ministers’ sons were detained in the police corruption and bribery probe. The government said the investigations were orchestrated by followers of a moderate Islamic movement led by US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen. Gulen denies involvement. Erdogan says the group wants to discredit the government before local elections in March and a presidential election in August. Read more: Thousands across Turkey call for Erdogan's ouster | The Times of Israel http://www.timesofisrael.com/thousands-across-turkey-call-for-erdogans-ouster/#ixzz2uOhhKqBs Follow us: @timesofisrael on Twitter | timesofisrael on Facebook
Turkey: Is PM Erdoğan corrupt?
Russia condemns rumored Saudi plans to arm Syrian rebels with anti-air missiles
The Russian foreign ministry has expressed “deep concern” at reports from anonymous sources that Saudi Arabia is planning to supply Syrian rebels with anti-tank and anti-aircraft missile launchers to “turn the tide” in the three-year conflict.
“There is a chance that if these powerful weapons get into the hands of the terrorists who have flooded the country, they are likely to turn up far beyond the borders of Syria itself,” said a statement from the ministry.
The second report this month that these weapons will be given to rebels was published by AFP news agency over the weekend, and was indirectly confirmed up by several recent developments.
The Western-backed Syrian opposition chief Ahmad Jarba promised that “powerful arms will be arriving soon” to rebel units during a visit last week to rebel fighters on the ground. Meanwhile, his principal backers hosted Pakistan's army Chief of Staff, General Raheel Sharif in Riyadh earlier this month. Pakistan makes versions of both types of weapons, and has been earmarked as the supplier by Saudi officials, according to the source.
Riyadh has long insisted that rebels should be armed with these fearsome portable launchers, which are key to fighting a Syrian army that has air superiority and far more armored vehicles. But US and other Western allies have repeatedly refused the rebels’ requests, reasonably fearing that even one or two such weapons could be used for a major terrorist attack against a civilian aircraft.
According to the report, Jordan will be providing facilities to store the weapons before the delivery to Syria. Jordan’s territory is also being used by “by specialists from the Central Intelligence Agency” to train Syrian fighters, according to the Syrian National Coalition’s representative in the US, Najib Al-Ghadban, cited by Asharq Al-Awsat. Jordanian officials however denied this report .
These developments trigger concerns that the militants are preparing to open a new “southern” battlefield in the coming months, the Russian ministry warned.
A renewed hunger for a military resolution, following the virtual breakdown of the Geneva peace talks will test its resolve.
“The Syrian conflict cannot be solved by force, and we ask all those considering the military option to reconsider, and allow the Syrians to reach a peaceful agreement within the parameters of Geneva, and without outside interference,” said the Russian statement.
The long-awaited talks in the Alpine city last month have produced localized peace treaties to alleviate humanitarian suffering, but gave no hint of a political reconciliation between the warring sides.
However, on 22 February the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution to boost humanitarian aid access in Syria to ease civilian suffering. It strongly condemned the “widespread violations of human rights and international humanitarian law by the Syrian authorities, as well as the human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law by armed groups.”
The war-torn country has witnessed 140,000 people killed over the last three years while a major part of the population has fled their homes and are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.
The resolution calls on all parties in the Syrian conflict to allow “rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access for UN humanitarian agencies and their implementing partners” to ensure that humanitarian assistance “reaches people in need through the most direct routes.”
Ethnic Russian Rage Excites Secession Talk in Ukraine’s Crimea
Before long, the announcement filtered through that Chaliy had been voted head of a new coordination council, and within a few minutes, he appeared at a second floor window to the cries of supporters. In a move that smoothed the process, the former mayoral incumbent Vladimir Yatsuba had earlier tearfully announced his resignation, thereby paving the way for the Russian town to get its Russian leader. The day’s events marked the first stages in the establishment of an anti-Kiev administration amid tumultuous development that will cause headaches for the group of politicians that have replaced the administration of ousted fugitive President Viktor Yanukovych. Similar expressions of popular anger have taken place across southern and eastern Ukraine in recent days, but nowhere is dissatisfaction with the new regime greater than in Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula of two million people, which is the country’s only region with a majority ethnic Russian population. Chaliy’s election, which has been widely covered by Kremlin-friendly media outlets in Russia, is unprecedented. Sevastopol has not elected a mayor by popular plebiscite since Kiev deprived it of that right in 1992. Following up on their successful collective decision to install Chaliy as city head, the gathering in Sevastopol demanded that local security forces declare their allegiance to him and set up roadblocks to seal off the city. Speculation, often feverish, has been rife that armed units are to be dispatched from western Ukraine to subjugate Crimea and bend them to Kiev’s will. City police chief Alexander Goncharov, who went to Monday’s meeting to answer questions, said four roadblocks manned by armed officers would be set up around the city. “If we receive criminal orders from Kiev, we will not carry them out,” he said, in what seemed like a qualified attempt at fence-sitting as the situation becomes clearer. One of the people in the crowd, Fyodor, 26, a sailor from Sevastopol who travels around the world on merchant ships, echoed a common hope that Moscow could get involved. “If there’s repression of Russians in Crimea then Russia will be forced to respond,” he said. Alexandra, who declined to give her surname, called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to take direct action. “Putin and the Black Sea fleet should come,” she said. “We are not scared of bloodshed.” Crimea’s ties with Russia go back a long way. Until Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev in 1954 transferred the territory to what was then the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, Crimea was officially a part of Russia. During Yanukovych’s tenure, which began in early 2010, Ukraine renewed Russia’s lease on the naval base in Sevastopol until 2042, cementing what was already a strong economic link between Moscow and the region. Separatist sentiments surfaced following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, and rumors have persisted ever since that the impulse is covertly encouraged by the Kremlin. On Sunday, there was a wave of large pro-Russian rallies in Crimea. Some estimates put the turnout in Sevastopol upward of 20,000, far larger than the impromptu throng of the following day. Speakers variously condemned the new government in Kiev as fascist and openly called for secession. “We will not submit to the regime in Kiev,” Dmitry Sinichkin, president of the local branch of motorcycle club the Night Wolves told the crowd in Sevastopol. The Night Wolves are closely linked to Russia’s political elite. Putin has visited the group in the city several times, on one occasion in 2010 riding a three-wheeled Harley Davidson alongside the bikers. After his speech, Sinichkin told RIA Novosti that fresh bloodshed in Ukraine’s ongoing political crisis was inevitable. Rally-goers waved the Russian red, white and blue tricolor and yelled the football fan-style chant of “Ros-si-ya, Ros-si-ya, Ros-si-ya,” as they endorsed calls to create self-defense squads with police cooperation and withhold taxes from Kiev.
“Sevastopol is a Russian town and will always be a Russian town … we will never surrender to those fascists in Kiev,” said Anatoly, who was wearing a sweater bearing the logo of the United Russia party that dominates the political landscape in Ukraine’s eastern neighbor. United Russia, he said, had signed a cooperation agreement with the Sevastopol Russian Community, a local society of which he was a member. Purported moves in Moscow in recent years to push for granting Russian passports to ethnic Russians abroad has drawn fierce criticism from Kiev and sparked allegations of an attempted backdoor land grab. While Putin had as of Tuesday refrained from making any public pronouncements on the unfolding situation, the Russian Foreign Ministry was more forthright in describing the acting government as gaining power through “dictatorial and sometimes terrorist methods.” In remarks that hinted at possible future pressure from the Kremlin, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev expressed particular concern about Russians living in Ukraine. Indeed, fears are rising that southern separatists will use the current crisis to provoke Russians into lending their muscle and peel Crimea away from Ukraine. Some experts have raised the possibility of a scenario in which the peninsula becomes trapped in a frozen conflict and becomes wholly dependent on Russia, as has happened in other former Soviet nations such as Georgia, which lost control over the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, in large part because of Moscow’s involvement. “It’s easy to imagine that the Crimea calls a referendum and gets special status within the Ukraine,” said Masha Lipman, an analyst with the Carnegie Center in Moscow. “The natural next step would be to secede … and that could turn Ukraine into an unrecognized state like Abkhazia.” Not all in Crimea back secession, however. The local ethnic Tartar community, a mainly Muslim population that numbers about 250,000 people, has been vocal in support of the incoming government in Kiev. That adds a potentially explosive strand to the region’s ethnic mix of Russians and Ukrainians. How the new regime in Kiev will act is also hard to predict. Interim President Oleksandr Turchynov warned Tuesday that he recognized that separatism was a “serious threat” and said he would liaise with security forces on how to resolve the issue. In statements that can only have served to sow alarm, leaders from the nationalist Svoboda party, which played a central role in the opposition’s ascent to power, reportedly said Monday that Russia was dispatching extra naval forces to Crimea. In Sevastopol, Viktor Neganov, an advisor to acting Interior Minister, told RIA Novosti that the new government was for now trying to settle the situation without the use of force. But Neganov warned that what Chaliy is doing in the city amounts to a local coup. “If he stays, he will go to jail as a traitor to the state,” he said.
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Obama tells Pentagon to prepare for possibility of leaving no troops in Afghanistan
Afghanistan, peace and China’s regional role
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, on his first ever trip to Kabul vowed that his country will remain committed to cooperate with Kabul in areas of military training, agriculture and peace talks. This is the first ever visit of a Chinese Foreign Minister during the past 12 years, but it is too crucial as the visit has taken place at such a time when Kabul has been unnerved with the unpredictable politics of the United States as Washington has been threatening the Karzai-led administration over a highly crucial security deal—the BSA.
The US threatens if Kabul doesn’t sign the BSA it will opt for “zero option.” It means the US will pull out all of its troops and will suspend aid to Afghanistan. In such a time, the visit of the Chinese FM is extraordinarily important. If China shows readiness on cooperation in military training and peace talks, then we may conclude that peace will come in the region as China is not only a regional power but a global power as well. It can play even a more important role in Afghanistan than any other country, even Russia. Talking on the importance of the upcoming elections, he rightly said that the upcoming polls and military transition are the two biggest changes. He made the day of Afghans when he said China’s aid and cooperation will not be affected by any foreign factors, even the BSA will have no bearings on Kabul-Beijing ties. The fate of the region will take a positive turnabout when China-India relations turn good, when India-Pakistan relations turn friendly and their longest rivalry come to an end and when Afghanistan-Pakistan ties take a friendly turn. In theory these things look very fascinating and promising, but there are too many challenges to overcome and to be at such a world where borders are mere lines, where people are free and where people have no fear while roaming in bazaars, working in offices, schools and universities or offering their prayers in worship centers.
Though, after decades of tension and animosity, China and India are edging closer and resolving some of their rivalries and enmities. It is a positive paradigm shift that could change the strategic realities of Asia. Besides that India and Pakistan have started revamping their ties as they are making efforts, but until there is a fundamental change in Pakistan’s policy, South Asia will remain always under duress and chaos. The fundamental change is when Pakistan sincerely dumps its support to terrorists, who have been a cause of mayhem and destruction in Afghanistan and a factor of chaos in Kashmir. The critical factor in drawing China and India together has been their growing economies, but here is a question that what will bring Afghanistan and Pakistan closer? And when will their longest enmity come to an end? And when will the blood of Pashtuns in Afghanistan and on the other side of the Durand Line cease to spill? For the good of India and China their economies are growing and the risks of military conflicts are declining where bilateral economic competition and geopolitics could be a new source of possible friction in the relationship and Afghanistan can effectively utilize it for its own economic and security objectives. China’s interests in Afghanistan are vast and Beijing will like to further its interests and objectives in this country. However, it is also concerned with the presence of major powers in the region. Since China has a greater influence in Pakistan, Islamabad will have no spleen to downgrade its say when it comes to peace talks in the region. Moreover, Pakistan-based terrorists are also becoming a threat to China’s galloping development and the greater role on international level as it is poising itself to be the world’s power, therefore, it will definitely ask Islamabad to withhold its support to militancy in the region. Should this happen and this regional will take a sigh of relief of the monstrous challenge.
Pakistan role in Afghan peace vital: Rasmussen
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Tuesday said Pakistan had an important role to play in the Afghanistan peace process, a part that should not be undermined.
Rasmussen told a group of Afghan journalists in the Belgian capital: “I think the peace effort in Afghanistan needs continued political engagement and Pakistan can play an active role in this regard.”
He promised: “We will continue to support the Afghan forces.” The strength of Afghan forces had significantly surged during the last two years, he noted. He acknowledged much had been achieved due to the sacrifices rendered by them.
The post-2014 NATO mission would focus on training, advising and assisting Afghan forces, he said. “We will not leave the Afghans alone; we will continue to stand behind them.”
NATO and the international community would continue assisting the Afghans, who must decide their future themselves, he continued. Stressing the early inking of the Afghan-US security deal, the secretary general regretted the delay.
In the absence of the Afghan-US accord, NATO would not ink the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with Kabul. Subsequently, foreign troops would have to leave Afghanistan after 2014, he maintained.
Pointing to the upcoming presidential and provincial council elections, he said the process being led by Afghans. The ballot would be held in a free, fair and inclusive manner and its outcome would be acceptable to all Afghans, he hoped.
In response to a question, Rasmussen said 28 NATO member countries had so far decided to participate in the new Afghan mission. Ten other countries have pledged cooperation but are yet to take a final decision.
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Pakistan: Sindh cabinet backs action against militants
The Sindh cabinet has fully supported and appreciated the action taken by the security forces against militants in the northern areas.The cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah, here Monday directed the police to seal the Sindh border and deploy the security force on its entry and exit points to ensure checking of each individual passing from there.The Chief Minister Sindh said that heavy influx of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) is expected in Sindh after action by security forces against terrorists.He directed the police to plug all the entry and exit points and put these sites under strict vigilance. He said that each district police officer and SHOs would be responsible to verify and register aliens if any in their area. The cabinet was briefed by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah and Acting IG Sindh Police Iqbal Mehmood about the law and order in Karachi. The cabinet expressed satisfaction over the performance of Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) engaged in the targeted operation.The cabinet decided to continue the targeted operation till the elimination of last criminal in the city. The cabinet also expressed satisfaction over the pace of development works and ongoing utilisation of development funds under which out of total development outlay of Rs 165 billion more than Rs 80 billion were released against development schemes and Rs 50 billion utilised so far. The cabinet also expressed satisfaction over the briefing of the officers that 844 different development schemes will be completed by the end of this financial year. After the briefing, the Sindh cabinet urged the Federal Government to fully activate and equip the National Alien Registration Authority (NARA) and evolve an effective strategy to block illegal SIMs, the main source of crime in the city. The cabinet also recommended to the Federal Government for providing latest and well-equipped vehicles, latest explosive detecting equipment and other logistic support to the Sindh Police to strengthen and increase their capacity. The cabinet meeting was informed that the recruitment of 10,000 police personnel and 2,000 retired army commandos was in progress, while the procurement of 100 APV and other bullet-proof vehicles, helmets, waists and other equipment was also in process. It was informed that the development outlay of Rs 185 billion was earmarked in the financial year 2013-14 out of which Rs 165 billion was reserved for the development schemes pertaining to the provincial government, while Rs 20 billion was earmarked for district schemes. The meeting was attended by Senior Provincial Minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro and Provincial Ministers Mir Hazar Khan Bijrani, Manzoor Hussain Wassan, Dr Sikandar Mendro, Mehtab Dahar, Sharjeel Enam Memon, Ali Nawaz Khan Mahar, Dost M Rahmoon, Giyan Chand Asrani, Mukesh Kumar Chawola, Robnia Saddat Kaimkhani, Jam Khan Shoro, Javed Nagori, Syed Ali Mardan Shah, Advisor to CM Syed Murad Ali Shah, Advisor to Sharmila Farooqi, Chief Secretary Sindh Sajjad Saleem Hotiyana and others.http://mediacellppp.wordpress.com/
Pakistan air strikes against militants in tribal areas
Pakistan's military have launched air strikes against suspected militant hideouts in the north-west, killing at least 30 people, officials say. Fighter jets bombed targets in the North Waziristan tribal area on Tuesday, officials said. Fighting was also reported in South Waziristan. Talks between Pakistani government and Taliban militant negotiators broke down last week, after a Taliban-linked group said they killed 23 soldiers. "The militants had captured a stretch between South Waziristan and North Waziristan and had established training centres where they were also preparing suicide bombers," a military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, was quoted by Reuters as saying.
The latest attacks primarily took place in the Shawal valley and Datta Khel areas of North Waziristan, Reuters news agency added. There has been no independent confirmation of the number of casualties. The air strikes came a day after senior Pakistani Taliban commander Asmatullah Shaheen was reportedly shot dead in North Waziristan. Shaheen was briefly the TTP (Pakistani Taliban) interim leader after its chief Hakimullah Mehsud was killed last year during a US drone strike. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for Shaheen's death. Last week, government negotiators suspended a planned meeting with Taliban negotiators after militants based in the Mohmand tribal area said they had killed 23 soldiers who had been abducted and held since 2010. Those killings, and other violence in the past weeks, also triggered air strikes on suspected militant hideouts last Thursday in which the government said 38 militants were killed. Pakistani jets also carried out strikes on suspected militant hideouts in North Waziristan last month, following a wave of attacks against security forces.
72-year-old Mama Qadeer Baloch breaks record of Gandhi after 84 years
Nisar's cricket invite: PPP submits adjourned motion to NA Secretariat
Parliamentarians’ of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) submitted an adjournment notion in the National Assembly Secretariat over Interior Minister’s Chaudhry Nisar inviting the Taliban to play a cricket match. The motion was submitted by PPP MPAs Imran Legahri, Shazia Marri, Ijaz Jhakrani, Kamal Khan and Abdul Sattar Bachani. The motion states that the interior minister invited the Taliban to play cricket during a sensitive time. It adds that Nisar’s statement is tantamount to insulting the people and security forces of Pakistan. On Monday Interior Minister told a group of reporters that a cricket match against the Taliban could offer hope. "I have information that the Taliban keep an interest in cricket. So if this message can go through to them, we can have a cricket match with them which can have a better result," the minister said after an exhibition match in Islamabad. Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Shaidullah Shahid rejected the interior ministers invite and said cricket was responsible for turning the youth away from Jihad.
Senator asks Army and Frontier Corps to emulate Pakistan Navy in winning hearts and minds of people
Senator Farhatullah Babar asked the Army, the Frontier Corps and Coastal Guards in Balochistan to take a leaf from Pakistan Navy in learning how to win the hearts and minds of the people instead of behaving like an occupation force as is the general sentiments about them in the province. Taking part in the discussion on visit of the Senate defence committee to Makran coast he said that the launching of public welfare projects of schools, hospitals and water supply schemes by the Pakistan Navy from within its own meager resources was spirit lifting and an eye opener. It demonstrated that where there is will the security forces could win the hearts and minds of people. He said that in the present situation of insurgency it was vital that security forces refrained from acting like occupation forces and measured their success in terms of number of people they befriended and the hearts and minds they won instead of the land conquered and reclaimed. Farhatullah Babar also called upon the government to set up an endowment fund for the continued running of Bahria Cadet College in Ormara which was serving as an institution not only of quality education but also as an institution for national integration. He said that if it was not done the Cadet College which had been started with meager resources would clsoe down dealing a severe blow to the efforts of national integration mounted by the Pakistan Navy in the province.http://mediacellppp.wordpress.com/
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Pakistanis say no to the Taliban
Hundreds of thousands of people in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi have participated in the country's biggest anti-Taliban rally, demanding the government take serious action against the Islamists.
According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the militant Islamist groups, particularly the Taliban, are tightening their grip on Pakistan's financial capital, Karachi, and extending control over a number of areas in the city, which has become the Taliban's biggest base outside the country's northwestern tribal areas. The recent WSJ article shows that the Pakistani Taliban - also known as the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) - dominate nearly one-third of the multi-ethnic city, which has a population of over 18 million people. The New York-based newspaper claims that Karachi is providing "a vital financial lifeline" to extremists, and the money raised from "extortion, land-grabbing and robberies is sent to the Taliban's leadership in the tribal areas along the Afghan border." To demonstrate against this growing influence of the Islamists, hundreds of thousands of Karachi residents participated in a rally on Sunday, February 23, and demanded that the central government launch a decisive military action to uproot the Islamists from their city. The so-called "solidarity rally" was organized by the liberal Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), a party which has dominated the city's politics and administration for three decades but now finds its power diminishing due to the changing demography of the city and the rise of a number of religious groups. The MQM supporters are primarily descendants of Urdu-speaking migrants from India, who are in majority in Karachi and some urban centers of the southern Sindh province."It was a praise-worthy effort to organize people against the Taliban. It was a much-needed initiative," Abdul Hai, a veteran human rights activist in Karachi, told DW. "The Taliban threat should be taken seriously. I agree with the findings of the Wall Street Journal report on Karachi. We see the Taliban and their allies everywhere in city. Their influence is certainly growing, and it means that a huge disaster is in the making." 'Now or never' Saman Jafri, one of the rally organizers and the MQM's member of parliament, told DW that her party chief, Altaf Hussain, had been warning about the "radicalization" of Karachi for more than five years, but no one had taken him seriously. "We have been saying that the members of the Taliban and al Qaeda are coming down to Karachi from the northwestern areas. It started during the 2009 military operations in the north when thousands of internally-displaced persons (IDPs) left their homes in search of secure livelihoods. But they were not the only ones, as a number of militants, who posed themselves as the IDPs, moved to Karachi and other big cities of the country." Jafri says that Pakistan's progressive parties must unite against the religious fanatics if they want their country to survive. "We are pro-Pakistan and anti-Taliban, and we stand behind the security forces who are fighting the militants and sacrificing their lives. It is now or never, and the people have said no to extremism." Power politics Syed Mahmood, a student at the University of Karachi, believes that the state could easily tame the Islamists if it wanted: "The Taliban are not as powerful as the MQM or the government claim. It is good to be united against fundamentalism but the MQM, too, has a history of violent politics in Karachi. The problem is that now it feels insecure and is using the Taliban threat to get the city back under its control. It is not a fight between liberals and Islamists; it is about who controls the city and its economy." Others like Jahanzeb Siddiqui, an MQM supporter and a shop-owner in Karachi, disagree. "If we don't stand up against the Taliban now, soon they will turn Karachi into Kabul, flog women and ban music. The Sunday anti-Taliban rally is just a beginning; the whole country should stand up against extremists," he told DW. Talk or fight? Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's center-right government, however, is not as resolute about how to deal with the TTP and other Islamist groups as the MQM is. He is currently engaged in "peace negotiations" with the Taliban and the members of his administration have already held a round of talks with the militants. However, the talks are not going smooth. Despite agreeing to a ceasefire last month, the TTP continued to attack civilians and security forces. In response, Pakistani fighter jets targeted the Islamists in the country's restive tribal areas. On Sunday, February 23, the Pakistani air force bombed the militants' hideouts in the northwestern Tirah Valley, killing at least 38 terrorists. Experts say that Pakistan has a complex relationship with the Taliban, which it officially supported prior to the September 11, 2001 terror attacks in the US. Hence, to expect Islamabad to start an all-out war against the TTP is wishing too much, they say. "The TTP could have been routed out militarily or through police actions," Snehal Shingavi, a South Asia expert at the University of Texas, USA, told DW. "Everything indicates that they are not that sophisticated or large. But the Pakistani Army has used them as part of their strategic game in Afghanistan, and will probably continue to do so."
Pakistan: Nation will not accept Sharia enforcement at gunpoint
Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon has said that the nation would not allow the enforcement of Sharia at gunpoint. Talking to media before attending the Sindh Assembly session, Memon said that talks with Taliban have proved to be illogical. The whole nation has given its categorical decision over the issue of Taliban’s militancy that it supports Pakistan army, he said. Replying to a question, Memon said that he is not aware of any development about conclusive negotiation with Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) and that the party would join the government. “Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) believes in politics of reconciliation and we are in contact with all political parties including MQM (Muttahida Qaumi Movement).” Doors are open for dialogues with all political parties, Memon added.
Formation Of Terrorist State Will Not Be Allowed On Pashtun Land: Mian Iftikhar
shiapost.comANP leader and former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said here Monday that formation of terrorists’ state will not be allowed on Pashtun land. Talking to reporters here, he alleged that the committee nominated by Taliban for peace talks was trying to establish terrorists’ regime in the province, which will not be allowed come what may. He said shedding the blood of innocent people in the name of talks was not at all a good step. “When real time of the advocacy came, Taliban’s advocate Imran Khan escaped from the arena, but we would not permit formation of a terrorists’ state on Pashtun soil,” he said while criticizing the PTI chief. “The non-flexible attitude and stiffness of Taliban caused this deadlock in the peace talks of the dialogue committees,” Mian Iftikhar said, adding the government should not show any weakness at this critical stage. The action launched by the government, against Taliban in North Waziristan, should not be called an operation, in fact it is a counter reaction against brutal acts of the militants, he said. The ANP leader said the government should also formulate its last option alongside talks with the militants. The militants were taking revenge of the killing of their leader Hakeemullah Mehsud and did not stop their terror acts even during the talks, he added. He alleged that the PTI government was supporting the TTP, and added that terrorism in the tribal areas of the country had increased. The Pashtun culture has no connection with terrorism whatsoever, as Pashtuns are peace loving nation, he said and claimed that terrorists were now trying to increase their support in the parliament.
The deep desert shadows over Pakistan
Don’t we have enough of a Sunni-Shia problem at home that we should be taking sides in the larger Sunni-Shia cleavage racking the so-called world of Islam? The battle lines of this larger conflict are drawn most visibly in the killing fields of Syria and Pakistan, at the bidding of friends, has committed itself on the side of the increasingly sinister anti-Bashar al-Assad coalition. The recent joint communiqué signed in Islamabad calls for “the formation of a transitional governing body in Syria with full executive powers...” in other words for the ouster of al-Assad. The western powers wanted Syria to go down the Libyan path, and would have succeeded but for the Syrian military, the crucial help rendered by Hezbollah – the only Arab outfit, let us never forget, which has worsted the Israeli military in combat – and Russia’s backing of the Assad regime. And holy friends are incensed because President Obama launched no air strikes on Syria and because he is trying to improve relations with Iran, anathema to friends and to Israel. Even by the Middle East’s usual standards of throwing up the bizarre this would be counted as unusual: friends and Israel on the same page and both raving against the US. Saudi ambassadors are not known for their op-ed writing skills but when the US-Saudi rift over Syria came into the open the Saudi ambassador in London penned an op-ed column sharply critical of American policy. Unprecedented but there it was. The Obama administration is being careful about Egypt, skeptical of the military-led government but not openly critical. Friends from the desert of Hejaz are, on the other hand, openly supportive. Their cheque book the most potent weapon in their arsenal, a cheque for five billion dollars was recently written for the new dispensation in Egypt led by Field Marshal Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. Let’s try to make sense of this. In Egypt our friends – and please forgive me for being euphemistic – are for military-led ‘stability’. In Syria they are for the rag-tag opposition even if it contains significant al Qaeda elements. In Egypt they don’t like the Muslim Brotherhood because it is a populist movement, populism and monarchic absolutism not going well together, and because being who they are they look with profound distrust at anyone else claiming to hold aloft the true banner of Islam. In Syria they don’t like Bashar al-Assad because he is an Alawite Shia backed by Shiite Hezbollah and Shiite Iran. The US, Britain, France, and now even Turkey, are wary of Islamic extremists not only penetrating but dominating the al-Assad opposition. But our friends have thrown caution to the winds, the Saudi spy chief, Prince Bandar, previously long-time Saudi ambassador in Washington, overseeing the effort to arm and fund the anti-Assad forces. Into this Sunni-Shia conflict played out on a large checker-board, Pakistan has stepped at external bidding because (a) it is not easy for PM Sharif to say no to the quarter from where this pressure is coming, his friends having saved his skin during the Musharraf regime; and (b) Pakistan’s perennial need for dollars and riyals, or any other foreign currency. At a time of acute financial crisis Pakistan needs money and our friends, having worked themselves up into a passion for what they consider to be America’s betrayal of their interests – not a very sound analysis – are loosening their purse strings, or so think Pakistan’s present rulers. And Pakistan given the lure of short-term gains has been usually ready to offer its services to foreign contractors, no matter how high the risk involved or how questionable the enterprise so being fuelled. Indeed few countries would equal our record as masters of the bad bargain. Our popular narrative rightly blames military dictators for jumping into battles that were not Pakistan’s and selling Pakistan’s interests for a song. Now Pakistan has signed on to something that doesn’t concern it at all. If Gen Zia and Musharraf concluded deals and understandings without public disclosure much less anything resembling public discussion, Pakistan’s new tack on Syria has also come about in the same hugger-mugger fashion. Long live democracy. Some content is provided by this AFP dispatch (Feb 23): “(our friends are) reportedly in talks with Pakistan to provide anti-aircraft and anti-tank rockets to Syrian rebels fighting forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, a Saudi source said on Sunday.” No one in his right mind will say spoil relations with Saudi Arabia. If the Sharifs have some cachet with our friends from the holy kingdom they should exploit it in the country’s interest. This is a cash-strapped government, indeed a cash-strapped economy. We could do with what help we can get. But our begging bowl is eternal. We are always in need of cash. No one bailout or temporary funding is going to redeem our condition. In any event, this should not mean bartering away other interests such as our vital relationship with Iran for short-term gains. Iran and its rivals are entitled to the pursuit of their sectarian agendas and indeed their dreams of glory. But why must Pakistan become a party to this useless exercise? The Sharifs at a personal level perhaps owe a lot to their patrons in their days of exile. But if any repayment is required let it too be at a personal level. There was no protocol necessity for PM Sharif to receive and see off his recent guests at Nur Khan airbase. If he did and felt that this is what he his benefactors, that’s fine. But jumping into the Syrian cauldron is a different ballgame. Pakistan has been a proxy battleground for competing Saudi and Iranian interests from Gen Zia’s time, the Saudis pouring in money to Deobandi madressahs and the Iranians funding Shiite seminaries and imambargahs, and Pakistan reaping the whirlwind and turning into the sectarian and extremist powder keg it has become. Have we learned nothing from our tale of woe, the record of our follies? After Pakistan suffered defeat at the hands of India in 1971 Bhutto initiated the look west approach, the turning to the Arab world. But he knew how to play the game and developed equally cordial and close ties with all Arab states, conservative and so-called radicals alike. But Zia played to Saudi sensitivities because he wanted Saudi support and his treasury was empty. Afraid that the Saudis might appeal for sparing Bhutto’s life the then Jamaat chief, Mian Tufail Muhammad, was sent to Saudi Arabia where he met King Khalid. Of all the countries close to Pakistan only Saudi Arabia kept mum over Bhutto’s hanging. The Hudood Ordinance prescribing so-called Islamic punishments for sex and drinking – the single most regressive bit of legislation on our statute books – was issued by Zia to please the Saudis. This was just before Bhutto’s hanging. The irony remains that the constitutional amendment passed under Bhutto declaring Ahmedis as non-Muslims was also something, according to some Bhutto insiders, on which some of Pakistan’s foreign well-wishers were keen. In the name of religion or in the name of anything else Pakistan doesn’t need to be a pawn or a plaything of outside interests, the US or any other country. And the war against extremism in which Pakistan currently finds itself needs no mixed signals. It should be all clarity and no confusion. The understanding on Syria, however, sends a confused message, that instead of moving forward we are still clinging to aspects of our dangerous past.
Pakistan: ''Demand To Establish Minority Rights Commissions''
The South Asia Partnership-Pakistan has demanded to built an institution of commissions on minority rights at provincial and national.It will help meliorate the condition of human rights of religious minorities in Pakistan. It was also stipulated that it should be an independent organization with fiscal and executive powers which could also analyze the laws and policies causing biasness against religious minorities. SAP-PK also requested the Government of Pakistan to guarantee religious liberty and other primary rights of minorities as assured under the national and international obligations. Throughout a press briefing at a local hotel on Monday, SAP-PK’s National Coordinator for Human Rights Fund-III (HRF-III) Hameed Gondal said that the organization had already ongoing to execute a plan “HRF-III” aspiring to amplify the security and promoting rights of expression, assembly, association and thought including religious sovereignty of minorities all over the state. Articulating worry over the condition of minorities, he shared that it was awful to say that harassment of minorities in Pakistan was a major issue, but the matter was not being taken critically by the government. He said “the Constitution of Pakistan in its introductory chapter clearly said that no person would be prevented from or be hindered in doing that which was not prohibited by the law; and no person would be compelled to do that which the law did not require him to do.” Citing a number of examples of essential rights as assured in the Constitution of Pakistan, he said the Chapter One-Fundamental Rights and Principles of Policy said that laws inconsistent with or in derogation of Fundamental Rights to be void. Similarly, Articles 16, 17, 18 and 19 of the Constitution grant freedom of assembly, freedom of association and freedom of speech to every citizen in Pakistan regardless of any distinction. Article 20 of this Constitution allows professing religion and managing religious institutions. Speaking about the international commitments, he added that Pakistan had approved the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) which held the State to make sure the defense of religious sovereignty and other essential rights such as right of expression, association, assembly and thought. - See more at: http://www.christiansinpakistan.com/demand-to-establish-minority-rights-commissions/#sthash.IrIdvZg5.dpuf
Saudi Regime after Pakistan arms for Syria militants: Sources
Saudi Arabia is in talks with Pakistan to provide foreign-backed militants operating inside Syria with anti-aircraft and anti-tank rockets, sources say.
An unnamed Saudi source, who is close to decision-makers in the country, said on Sunday that Pakistan produces its own version of Chinese shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles, known as Anza, and anti-tank rockets, both of which Riyadh is planning to get for the militants.
The source referred to Pakistani army chief of staff General Raheel Sharif’s visit to Riyadh earlier this month during which he met Saudi Crown Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz.
Last week, Prince Salman himself headed a large delegation to Pakistan.
The source further said that Jordan is set to provide facilities to store the arms before they are delivered to the militants within Syria.
Ahmad Jarba, the head of the so-called Syrian National Coalition (SNC), said last week during a visit to northern Syria that "powerful arms will be arriving soon."
Citing Western and Arab diplomats as well as foreign-backed Syrian opposition sources, the Wall Street Journal reported on February 15 that Saudi Arabia has agreed to provide the foreign-backed militant groups in Syria with more sophisticated weaponry, including anti-aircraft shoulder-fired missiles.
A Western diplomat with knowledge of the weapons deliveries told the journal that “new stuff is arriving imminently.”
Meanwhile, the Syrian army has reportedly arrested more than 80 foreign officers and soldiers, mostly from Saudi spy services. The detainees are said to have entered Syria to carry out terrorist attacks.
Saudi Arabia has been the main supplier of weapons and funds to foreign-backed militants inside Syria.
Syria has been gripped by deadly violence since 2011. Over 130,000 people have reportedly been killed and millions displaced due to the unrest.
MR/PR/SL
Hand grenade defused near Iranian consulate in Peshawar
The Express Tribune NewsThe Bomb Disposal Squad defused a hand grenade near the Iranian consulate on University Road in Peshawar, Express News reported Tuesday.
Pakistan: Khursheed Shah seeks briefing on ‘Syria policy shift’
Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah on Monday objected to reportedly likely sale of arms to Syria and demanded a briefing by the government on foreign policy.
Speaking on a point of order in the lower house of Parliament, he claimed that it was a shift in the foreign policy, which would have serious repercussions like the country faced after indulging in Afghan war in 1980s.
He said when the country itself was facing extremism, supporting another troubled nation like Syria would be counterproductive.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader said that policies should be changed taking ground realities in account. Indulging in the affairs of other countries would have a backlash for Pakistan itself, he added.
“We should learn from the consequences of our previous policy of interference and make efforts for peace without inviting any problem,” said Shah.
Referring to the prevailing situation in the country in the wake of terrorist activities, the opposition leader said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should take the house and the nation into confidence.
“We and the nation want to know the status of dialogue with the militants,” he said and assured whatever the decision the government would take, the opposition and the nation would stand by it as well as the armed forces.
Minister for Science and Technology Zahid Hamid said that the government will soon take members of the National Assembly it into confidence on the issues of militancy and foreign policy.
He described the claim of alleged “U Turn” in foreign policy by the opposition as “speculative” and clarified that nobody should think that the government lacked political ownership of the decisions.
“Today is the first day of session. Tomorrow the cabinet will meet to discuss important issues. Afterwards, the house will be taken into confidence,” he said.
The minister said that an amendment was made to the rules of procedure and conduct of business to bring the development budget of ministries to the standing committees of the house.
“This amendment was moved by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and it is for the first time that the rules are being implemented properly,” he said, adding that 11 standing committees had either submitted their proposals or were in the process of doing so.
“Remaining standing committees shall also hopefully accomplish their task within the stipulated time,” Hamid said in connection with the discussion on the development budget of relevant ministries.
He said the proposals had been sent to respective standing committees by 22 ministries, most of which were being deliberated for preparation of recommendations for inclusion in the annual budget by the finance ministry.
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