#Pakistan's Shia Under Attack - OUTLAWED SIPAH-E-SAHABA THREATENS SHOPKEEPERS OVER NOHAS IN HUB CITY

Notorious takfiri terrorists of banned Deobandi outfit Sipah-e-Sahaba (ASWJ) have threatened shopkeepers in Hub city of Balochistan province that they must not hear nohas at their shops in mobile market.

The Hub police of district Lasbela that is situated near Karachi city is also abetting outlawed terrorist outfit’s hooligans instead of taking action against them. 

The SHO Hub Police Gul Hassan Pandrani Brohi himself is leading police in hurling these illegal and unauthorized threats to the shopkeepers. It is relevant to add here that Pandrani Brohis were also involved in terrorist attacks in Sindh. 

Shia notables and shopkeepers have demanded higher authorities must take action against the banned terrorist outfit and its patrons in Hub police for their threats.

http://www.shiitenews.org/index.php/pakistan/item/35630-outlawed-sipah-e-sahaba-threatens-shopkeepers-over-nohas-in-hub-city

Pakistan is broke, but PM Imran’s dogs travel on his chopper



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Here’s what is happening across the border: Austerity drive fails to reduce Prez Arif Alvi’s security cars and most non-resident Pakistanis are blue-collar workers and cannot contribute to dam collection. 
Pakistan Prime minister Imran Khan recently said that there is “no money” left to run the country, a remark that has now snowballed into a controversy.
“We don’t have the money to run our country. Majority of the population is young and looking for jobs. We took loans instead of creating wealth so that we could repay them,” he is quoted as saying by The News.
“With these loans, we have created projects that are running into losses,” Khan said.  He pointed out that the salary structure of bureaucrats and civil servants were “not enough for them to survive”.
However, lawyer and visiting professor at Harvard Law School Yasser Latif Hamdani sought to know — if Pakistan is broke, why Prime Minister’s dogs is also travelling with him in the prime ministerial chopper, when they could easily be carried in a car.
I love dogs and love owners who take dogs with them when traveling, but here is my question: why does the Prime Minister's dog travel with him back and forth from Bani Gala on a helicopter? Surely at least the dog can go on a car?
The austerity drive doesn’t seem to have reached the Pakistan President’s office. On a visit to Karachi Friday, President Arif Alvi was escorted by no less than 28-30 security cars, Pakistan Today reported. Hundreds of social media users expressed their annoyance at the public nuisance caused and slammed the government for “backtracking on its austerity drive”.

#Atif Mian - Religious bias okayed in naya #Pakistan



Pervez Hoodbhoy

IT’S always been easy for power-seeking Pakistani clerics and politicians to set our simple-minded religious masses on fire. But, as Prime Minister Imran Khan just discovered, jumping on to a man-eating tiger’s back is one thing; getting off is another. The saga of the Economic Advisory Committee appointment of Prof Atif Mian, a distinguished economist at Princeton University, tells of this.
It all began with Imran Khan reaching out for professional help to manage Pakistan’s failing economy. To his credit Imran Khan recognises that competence counts; professionalism is precisely what made his cancer hospital work. And so he went ahead, acting just as any true liberal (Khan says he hates liberals) would — focusing upon merit, and reaching across Pakistan and outside to find advisers like Mian.
To be honest, it wasn’t much of a proposition. The advisory position offered, then rescinded, was salary-less. The committee of 18 unpaid members of the EAC is tasked with conjuring up a wish list but, as with other such government advisory committees, such recommendations are not binding. No one takes unpaid advice very seriously. Even if things had worked out, Mian would not have moved to Pakistan from his tenured university position. Nor, given other professional commitments, could he have spent much time upon Pakistan’s multiple economic crises.
To wilfully use religious sentiment for worldly gain is now firmly part of Pakistan’s political culture.
Nevertheless, the outcry that followed Mian’s appointment showed that many cannot stomach the idea of an Ahmadi being invited onto an official body. For them this is a slippery slope leading down to the unthinkable: a day when Ahmadis would be accepted as normal citizens of Pakistan.
The backlash came from within PTI and from without. The strongest pressure to dismiss Atif Mian came from right-wing and centre-right parties — JUI(F), PML-N, MMA and JI. But even the nominally secular ANP, which lost hundreds of its members to Taliban suicide attacks, hit its political opponent with a religious club. This time around the PPP stayed mum, but then it has plenty of old baggage which it cannot readily explain away.
To its credit, Imran Khan’s team jumped straight in to defend Mian’s appointment. Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry tweeted that, “Pakistan belongs as much to its minorities as it does to the majority”. In another country this would have been considered unremarkable; here it was a veritable bombshell.
A still stouter defence followed: “If you think that we should drown all our minorities in the Arabian Sea, or that they have no rights here, they have no religious or economic freedom, or freedom to live, then this must be your opinion only. Our interpretation of the state of Madina is that Islam means security, peace and moving forward together … Because of these things [persecution of minorities] the entire world makes fun of us.”
Chaudhry’s tweets struck a sympathetic chord with the Minister of Human Rights, Dr Shireen Mazari (Columbia University, PhD thesis on the revolutionary communist thinker Gramsci), who chirped right back: “Exactly. Well put indeed. Time to reclaim space for the Quaid’s Pakistan!”
Almost unable to believe their own ears, liberal Pakistanis danced with joy. Naya Pakistan was for real and not, as they had long suspected, a fraudulent slogan to seize power. We were on the way — at least by a little bit — towards making a country where every citizen would be considered equal to any other. It was not to be.
What’s especially surprising is that we have been here before. Back in 2014, perched atop his container, Imran Khan promised a cheering crowd that he believed in meritocracy and, as an example, would appoint Mian as the kind of expert he wanted to take charge of Pakistan’s economy. Days later, upon being informed that Mian was Ahmadi, he did a swift U-turn. No one I know quite understands why there was a second U-turn and why Mian was again asked.
Still, many hoped, this time it would be different. Now that Imran Khan was prime minister and had power, he would surely take a stand in support of the constitutional rights of all citizens. This after all should be his obligation as the head of the government.
The swiftness of his climbdown surprised everyone because typically a new government feels strongest in its early days. Also, unlike the previous government, the present one has support from the army and a blind cult following. Nevertheless, fear of political opponents exploiting religious sensitivities left it paralysed.
In an attempt to quash the controversy, Imran Khan recorded and uploaded his video message. One sees an embattled man seeking to wriggle out of a bad situation. Looking haggard and aged rather than his handsome self, he swears repeatedly to the end-of-prophethood while jabbing his finger at an unnamed maulana (Fazlur Rahman?) who he accuses of playing religious politics.
Of course, Khan is correct. But, unfortunately, the wily maulana is not the only one playing this game. Had a similar matter come up before Khan became prime minister, what would have been his stance? One recalls the pictures of Imran Khan participating in numerous khatm-i-nabuwat meetings, some addressed by the most extreme of clerics. Where the goal is to obtain or retain political power, he was willing to say or do whatever it took no matter how hateful.
In a few days, the Atif Mian episode will recede into the background. Still, it warns of the dangers ahead. Imran Khan — like Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif before him — will have to navigate a minefield where a misstep can cost you a limb or your life. In such circumstances, fearful politicians will make concessions and principles evaporate.
No country is free of prejudices; certain groups of its own citizens are discriminated against. Still, at the very least this is normally deprecated officially and, as in some countries, one sees genuine attempts to create an equalitarian society. Pakistanis in Europe and North America take their freedoms for granted in spite of overtly projecting their identity. Still, they expect respect and mostly receive it. But in today’s Pakistan those with religious beliefs different from that of the majority’s stand little or no chance.

#PAKISTAN - #StopStateTerrorism - #PTM and arrest warrants

In worrying development, the Khyher Pakhtunkhwa (KP) police have issued arrest warrants for senior members of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM). Among those targeted are the group’s leader Manzoor Pashteen, MNAs Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar along with a handful of others; including Fazal Advocate whose son was killed in the Army Public School (APS) attack.
This is not the first time that the PTM has been pressured. At the beginning of the year the young ethnic Pashtuns engaged in a long march from Waziristan to Islamabad to call for an end to the systematic and decades’-long campaign that has been waged against this community. Their only demand was and remains the fulfilment of their constitutional rights. Which is another way calling for justice. Since then, the PTM have had to fend off baseless allegations that they are on the payroll of hostile intelligence agencies; namely, India’s RAW and Afghanistan’s NDS. As part of a manufactured policy to discredit the group and drown out their legitimate grievances.
Yet in the midst of all this, the PTM found an ally in Imran Khan. Indeed, during the elections, the latter even refrained from fielding PTI candidates in areas where the PTM were contesting. But perhaps more importantly, even before being crowned Prime Minister, Khan agreed to personally plead their case before the COAS; while cautioning against ‘anti-state’ rhetoric. That members of the PTM have now been declared proclaimed offenders despite their not being informed of their involvement in a police case raises important questions.
Some pundits see the timing of the arrest warrants as suspect; coming as it did on the very day that a PTM delegation had met with the provincial governor. The fear is that this may be intended to send a strong message to PM Khan to remain within his limits. Be that as it may, it most definitely undermines long-held claims that the KP police force is the only de-politicised one in the country. And then there are the potential implications for the FATA-merger.
It is hoped that the PTI government gets to the bottom of the matter at the earliest. This is not to give the PTM an entirely clean chit. For if did hold a rally without first obtaining the required Non-Objection Certificate (NOC), it must explain itself. However, even if this were the case it could have been better dealt with by approaching the KP Chief Minister. Naturally, rule of law must apply to everyone. But when a particular group has had their fundamental rights routinely violated by various institutions, a trust deficit exists. Whereas the young PTM leaders and the Pakistani state are on the same side. For the ethnic Pashtuns have also been thrust on to the frontlines of the someone else’s war. And many of those against whom an FIR has been registered have suffered immensely at militant hands. They do not need to endure more brutality.
In short, the entire misstep has served to put the question of Pashtun rights firmly under the spotlight once more. And we are optimistic that this is where it will stay.  

#StopStateTerrorism - #PAKISTAN - Twitterati react to Punjab govt’s Muharram ad featuring Manzoor Pashteen

Twitterati have started reacting to the Punjab government’s Muharram advertisement which allegedly depicts Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) leader Manzoor Pashteen as a symbol of sectarian violence.
The ad, being aired on television with regard to Muharram, shows Pashteen while warning people to avoid sectarian violence.


Afrasiab Khattak of Awami National Party (ANP) has criticsed the act and asked the govt to ‘formally & publicly apologise for running a home department TVC showing PTM leaders as terrorists’.




The government must formally & publicly apologise for running a home department TVC yesterday on national television showing PTM leaders as terrorists. The admins of terror factories dubbing peace loving leaders of a non violent Pashtun youth struggling for HR is condemnable.

Reham Khan, ex wife of Prime Minister Imran Khan, has also took a jibe at the government for ‘this blatant use of government money by PTI in Punjab for racial profiling of Pushtuns & defaming human rights activists who are law abiding citizens.’
Admitting the mistake, the federal government took down the ad. The Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry replied to Dawar that “this advertisement was immediately taken off as soon as it was brought to our attention”.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Police on Friday issued arrest warrants for Manzoor Pashteen, MNA Ali Wazir and six others.
A letter issued by a senior police official in Swabi and sent to political agents of North and South Waziristan declared Pashteen, Wazir, Dr Said Alam Masood, Fazal Advocate, Khan Zaman, Mohsin Dawood, Samad Khan and Noorul Salam proclaimed offenders and sought their arrest in connection with a case registered against them on August 28
According to the first information report (FIR), PTM workers held a gathering at cricket stadium in Swabi’s Shah Mansoor Town without required no-objection certificate from authorities concerned.

The PTM gained momentum following the extra-judicial murder of Naqeebullah Mehsud in Karachi. It sought capital punishment for the prime suspect in Naqeebullah murder case, former Malir SSP Rao Anwar, recovery of missing persons and removal of landmines in tribal areas. A Jirga, formed by the KP Apex Committee and comprising tribal elders, is holding negotiations with the group to resolve their issues.

Only democracy is the guarantee for a stronger and prosperous Pakistan: Bilawal Bhutto

Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that only the democracy is the guarantee for a stronger and prosperous Pakistan.

This he said in his message on the occasion of World Democracy Day, which is commemorated across the world today, September 15th.


He said that the democracy is the essence of history of mankind and despite the fact that democracy is the best form of government; it is still weak as compared to authoritarian forces in many countries of the world and especially in the third world. However, it is destined for the mankind to overcome the dictatorial rules and then democracy would prevail.
The PPP Chairman said that the challenges for the masses in Pakistan and for the democratic system are still at apex and the struggle for a better society based on equality and justice would yet go too long.


He said that besides the challenges, extremism and terrorism are two big menaces that have jeopardised the peace of the world and in Pakistan because a handful of terrorists do not want to see the world should embrace peace and tranquility. Peace and tranquility is tantamount to elimination of the extremist and terrorist forces.


Bilawal Bhutto Zardari reiterated his firm resolve for transforming Pakistan into a real federal democratic Muslim Role Model State as per the ideology of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and per the vision of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.
He vowed the PPP would take the struggle to its logical end and won’t hesitate for the sacrifices.



https://mediacellppp.wordpress.com/2018/09/14/only-democracy-is-the-guarantee-for-a-stronger-and-prosperous-pakistan-bilawal-bhutto-zardari/