Saturday, September 28, 2019
On Khashoggi Killing and Yemen, Saudis Cannot Avoid Fresh Scrutiny
The twin developments showed that despite backing from the United States under President Trump and Saudi attempts to build international support in an escalating conflict with Iran, the kingdom’s human rights record — and, in particular, the conduct of its de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — remains under harsh scrutiny on multiple fronts.
A group of experts, assigned by the United Nations Human Rights Council, has documented atrocities committed by both sides in Yemen’s civil war, and in particular the shattering impact on civilians of airstrikes and other abuses by the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthi rebels. The investigators, barred from entering Yemen, have interviewed hundreds of victims and witnesses, and examined an array of other evidence.
Saudi Arabia sought to cut short the investigation, but on Thursday the nations on the Human Rights Council, meeting in Geneva, voted 22 to 12 to reject the Saudi effort, with 13 other countries not voting.
That setback came after the release of a preview of a “Frontline” documentary that addresses the 2018 killing and dismemberment of Mr. Khashoggi at a time when Saudi Arabia hopes memories of the case, and the outrage it provoked, are fading.Mr. Khashoggi, a prominent Saudi writer who had criticized Prince Mohammed in opinion articles in The Washington Post, was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul nearly a year ago, shocking the world and damaging the reputation of the crown prince and his efforts to diversify the Saudi economy away from oil.It is unclear whether the comments by Prince Mohammed, 34, made in December, will alter the widespread belief that he authorized the assassination of Mr. Khashoggi. A C.I.A. assessment found that the crown prince, a son of the Saudi king, had likely ordered the killing — a conclusion shared by many officials of the United States and other countries.
The crown prince, who would like to be seen in the West as a liberalizer and modernizer, is also the architect of the four-and-a-half year war effort in Yemen by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates that has contributed to creating what the United Nations has called the world’s worst man-made humanitarian crisis.
Saudi officials have denied that Prince Mohammed had any prior knowledge of the operation against Mr. Khashoggi.
“It happened under my watch,” Prince Mohammed told Martin Smith, a reporter for “Frontline,” according to a trailer released on Tuesday for a documentary to be broadcast on Tuesday. “I get all the responsibility. Because it happened under my watch.”
Turkish and Saudi officials have described a complex operation that led to the killing of Mr. Khashoggi, who had fled waves of arrests of clerics and activists in Saudi Arabia, as Prince Mohammed consolidated his power, to settle near Washington.
On Oct. 2 last year, Mr. Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul for an appointment to obtain a document he needed to marry his Turkish fiancée. He was met by 15 Saudi agents who had flown in hours earlier on government jets. According to Turkish officials, one was a specialist in autopsies, who brought a bone saw.
They killed and dismembered him, and disposed of his body, which has yet to be found.
Turkish officials and a United Nations investigator who examined the killing have accused the Saudis of an elaborate cover-up involving a body double and teams of technical experts who cleansed the crime scene before the Turks were given access.
When asked how such an operation could take place without his knowledge, the prince said he could not stay abreast of every act in his country or government.
“We have 20 million people,” he said, according to the trailer. “We have 3 million government employees.”
He also said that Saudi agents could have used government jets without his knowledge, adding, “I have officials, ministers to follow things and they’re responsible, they have the authority to do that.”The conversation took place near the Saudi capital, Riyadh, in December, two months after Mr. Khashoggi’s killing. The trailer for the documentary, “The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia,” does not contain video or audio recordings of the prince. The quotes are recounted by Mr. Smith.
His interview was one of just a handful of times Prince Mohammed has spoken publicly about Mr. Khashoggi’s killing.
The Saudis have put 11 suspects in the killing on trial, and prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against five of them. But the court proceedings have been shrouded in secrecy. The Saudis have not identified any of the suspects by name, and diplomats who have attended court sessions have been sworn to silence.Absent among the suspects is Saud al-Qahtani, a powerful aide to Prince Mohammed who United States officials say oversaw the operation. Mr. al-Qahtani was removed from his position as an adviser to the royal court, but his status and whereabouts remain unclear.In a report on the killing released in June, Agnes Callamard, the special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions for the United Nations human rights agency, said the Saudi trial had been “clouded in secrecy and lacking in due process.”The experts investigating Yemen have identified people they linked to international crimes there. It is not clear whether Prince Mohammed’s name is on that list.
At the Human Rights Council on Thursday, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador, Abdulaziz Alwasil, accused international experts on Yemen of seeking to legitimize the Houthis and denounced their findings as unfounded and “full of lies.”
With the backing of some other Arab states, the Saudis had lobbied hard to promote a different approach: a resolution that acknowledged human rights violations by all parties in Yemen and, instead of an independent investigation, aid for an inquiry by a human rights commission set up by the Saudi-backed government of Yemen. Mr. Trump withdrew the United States from the council last year.
The Saudi effort to end the investigation failed.
“It’s a diplomatic reality-check for Saudi Arabia,” said Marc Limon, a former diplomat who heads the Universal Rights Group, a research center. “It shows Saudi Arabia is not as powerful and influential as it would like to think it is.”
Member nations of the council have also called on Saudi Arabia to account for killings, torture and detention to silence dissent among Saudis, including in the Khashoggi case.
#Yemen: US-made bomb used in deadly air strike on civilians
A precision-guided munition made in the USA was used in a Saudi and Emirati-led air strike carried out on 28 June of this year, on a residential home in Ta’iz governorate, Yemen, killing six civilians – including three children, Amnesty International said today.
It is unfathomable and unconscionable that the USA continues to feed the conveyor belt of arms flowing into Yemen’s devastating conflict
The laser-guided bomb, manufactured by US company Raytheon and used in the attack, is the latest evidence that the USA is supplying weapons that are being used by the Saudi and Emirati-led coalition in attacks amounting to serious violations of international humanitarian law in Yemen.“It is unfathomable and unconscionable that the USA continues to feed the conveyor belt of arms flowing into Yemen’s devastating conflict,” said Rasha Mohamed, Amnesty International’s Yemen Researcher.
“Despite the slew of evidence that the Saudi and Emirati-led coalition has time and again committed serious violations of international law, including possible war crimes, the USA and other arms-supplying countries such as the UK and France remain unmoved by the pain and chaos their arms are wreaking on the civilian population.”
Amnesty International spoke to two family members and two local residents, including two witnesses to the attack. The organization also analysed satellite imagery and photo and video materials of the aftermath of the attack to corroborate the witness reports.
Despite the slew of evidence that the Saudi and Emirati-led coalition has time and again committed serious violations of international law, including possible war crimes, the USA and other arms-supplying countries such as the UK and France remain unmoved by the pain and chaos their arms are wreaking on the civilian population
The organization’s arms expert analysed photos of the remnants of the weapon dug out from the site of the strike by family members and was able to use product data stencilled on the guidance fin to positively identify the bomb as a US-made 500 pound GBU-12 Paveway II.
A family ripped apart
Among the six civilians killed in the attack, which took place in Warzan village in the directorate of Khadir, were a 52-year-old woman and three children, aged 12, nine and six.
One family member told Amnesty International: “We buried them the same day because they had turned into severed limbs. There were no corpses left to examine. The flesh of this person was mixed with that person. They were wrapped up [with blankets] and taken away.”
One eyewitness told Amnesty International: “I was around three minutes’ walk away working at a neighboring farm. I heard the plane hovering and I saw the bomb as it dropped towards the house. I was next to the house when the second bomb fell… and I got down onto the ground.”
The closest possible military target at the time of the attack was a Huthi Operations Room on Hayel Saeed Farm – approximately 1km away. However, that stopped operating more than two years ago after being struck by several coalition airstrikes in 2016 and 2017. Witnesses told Amnesty International there were no fighters or military objectives in the vicinity of the house at the time of the attack.
This attack highlights, yet again, the dire need for a comprehensive embargo on all weapons that could be used by any of the warring parties in Yemen
A second air strike occurred in the same spot approximately 15 minutes after the first, indicating that the pilot wanted to guarantee the destruction of the al-Kindi family’s house. The home was struck again five days later while family members were at the house inspecting the site. No one was injured or killed in the latter attack.
Since March 2015, Amnesty’s researchers have investigated dozens of air strikes and repeatedly found and identified remnants of US-manufactured munitions.
“This attack highlights, yet again, the dire need for a comprehensive embargo on all weapons that could be used by any of the warring parties in Yemen.” said Rasha Mohamed.
“Serious violations continue to take place under our watch, and it is as crucial as ever that investigative bodies, namely the UN-mandated Group of Eminent Experts, are fully empowered to continue documenting and reporting on these violations.
Arms-supplying states cannot bury their heads in the sand and pretend they do not know of the risks associated with arms transfers to parties to this conflict who have been systematically violating international humanitarian law.
“Arms-supplying states cannot bury their heads in the sand and pretend they do not know of the risks associated with arms transfers to parties to this conflict who have been systematically violating international humanitarian law. Intentionally directing attacks against civilians or civilian objects, disproportionate attacks and indiscriminate attacks that kill or injure civilians are war crimes.
“By knowingly supplying the means by which the Saudi and Emirati-led Coalition repeatedly violates international human rights and international humanitarian law, the USA – along with the UK and France – share responsibility for these violations.”
Background
A recent report by the Group of Eminent Experts on Yemen, established by the UN Human Rights Council, concluded that the repeated patterns of air strikes carried out by the coalition raise “a serious doubt about whether the targeting process adopted by the coalition complied with [the] fundamental principles of international humanitarian law.”
The report further documents a range of serious violations and abuses by all sides to the conflict in Yemen – a conflict, which the UN states will have killed over 233,000 Yemenis by year end both as a result of the fighting and the humanitarian crisis. The UN Human Rights Council is slated to vote on the renewal of the Group of Eminent Experts today or tomorrow. Amnesty International, in coalition with other organizations, is urging states to support the Human Rights Council resolution extending and enhancing this group’s mandate.
According to the Defence Security Cooperation Agency, in 2015 the US government authorized the sale of 6,120 Paveway guided bombs to Saudi Arabia; in May 2019, President Trump bypassed Congress to authorise further sales of Paveway guided bombs to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
As school year starts in Yemen, 2 million children are out of school and another 3.7 million are at risk of dropping out
“Conflict, underdevelopment and poverty have deprived millions of children in Yemen of their right to education – and of their hope for a brighter future. Violence, displacement and attacks on schools are preventing many children from accessing school. With teacher salaries going unpaid for over two years, education quality is also at stake,” said Sara Beysolow Nyanti, UNICEF Representative in Yemen.
The current conflict in Yemen spiralled more than four years ago and has devastated the country’s already fragile education system. One in five schools in Yemen can no longer be used as a direct result of the conflict.
“Thirty years since the Convention on the Rights of the Child was ratified, it is unacceptable that education and other fundamental child rights are out of reach for children in Yemen all because of man-made factors,” said Nyanti.
When children are not in school, they face countless risks of exploitation, abuse and other rights violations.
“Children out of school face increased risks of all forms of exploitation including being forced to join the fighting, child labour and early marriage. They lose the opportunity to develop and grow in a caring and stimulating environment, ultimately becoming trapped in a life of poverty and hardship,” added Nyanti.
Together with partners, UNICEF is working around the clock so that children can realize their right to education. In the last school year, UNICEF paid incentives to over 127,400 teachers and school-based staff who had not been paid in over two years to help them cover their transportation to school and other basic expenses. UNICEF has rehabilitated over 1,300 schools since 2015 and continues to provide learning materials for children.
Urgent efforts must be made to prevent an entire generation of children in Yemen from missing out on their education.
- Stop attacks on education facilities to protect children and teachers. These attacks are a grave violation against children and breach International Humanitarian Law. Schools must be protected as safe zones for learning.
- Education authorities across Yemen should work together and find an immediate solution to provide salaries for all teachers and education personnel so that children can continue to learn.
- The international community, donors and development partners should support incentives for teachers while the search for long-term solutions to the salary crisis in Yemen continues.
Above all, parties to the conflict in Yemen must work towards peace to allow for recovery and for children to return to normalcy.
د ډاکټر نجیب الله ۲۳ تلین، پلویان او مخالفین یې لا هم یادوي
د سپتمبر ۲۷مه له هغې ورځې سره سمون خوري چې طالبان ۲۳ کاله دمخه کابل ته ننوتل او پخوانی افغان ولسمشر ډاکټر نجیب الله یې اعدام کړ.
د ډاکټر نجیب الله ځينې ځوان پلویان نن جمعه ۲۷ سپتمبر د کابل واټونو ته راوتلي وو او د هغه د ۲۳ تلین په مناسبت یې په بېلا بېلو ځایونو کې د ده عکسونه ټومبل.
د مېروېس مېدان یا کوټې سنګي پر پله یې د هغه لوی تصویر راځوړند کړ، داسې لکه څه باندې دوې لسیزې مخکې چې د هغه مړ وجود په دار شو.
لکه نن، ۲۳ کاله مخکې همداسې د جمعې ورځ او د سپتمبر ۲۷ نېټه وه، وسله وال طالبان د جمعې په شپه کابل ته ننوتي وو، مهمې سيمې يې نېولې وې او جهادي ډلو پلازمېنه پرېښې وه
کابل مېشتو په اریانا څلور لارې کې د ډاکټر نجیب الله او د هغه د ورور جنرال شاپور احمدزي د مړو په لیدو ټکان خوړلی و چې د ترافیکو په یوه ستنه پورې راځونډ وو.
د هغه د وژل کېدو د څرنګوالي په اړه نظرونه مختلف دي. د کابل ده افغانان سيمه کې یوه عکس او جنترۍ یا کلیزې پلروونکي ته ورغلم.
په مخ کې يې د نقشو او د نجیب الله د عکسونو تر څنګ د بېلا بېلو جهادي قومندانانو، نظامي او سیاسي څېرو عکسونه هم پراته وو. د احمد شاه مسعود، عبدالرشید دوستم، قسیم فهیم، جنرال رازق او محمد اشرف غني.
لکه د همدغو څېرو، د ډاکټر نجیب الله ملاتړي او مخالفان هم سره ویشلي دي. څوک یو چا ته اتل خو نورو ته ظالم ښکاري او همداسې برعکس.
هماغلته مې دوه لارویان راوګرځول، یو يې دغه پخوانی ولسمشر ظالم باله او بل له هغه سره په جنګېدو پښېمانه و. لومړي هغه وویل:
''مجاهدین به چې کلیو ته ننوتل، ده به الوتکې پسې واستولې، بمبارۍ به یې پرې وکړې او د حکومت مخالفینو تر څنګ به یې بې ګناه کلیوال هم ورسره ووژل. ''
- دویم کس بیا وویل:''دوولس کاله مې د ده پر ضد جهاد وکړ، جګړه مې ورسره وکړه، موږ تېر ایستل شوي وو، دی ډېر وطندوست سړی و، چې په دار یې کړ، سخت پرې خواشینی شوم. ''د ډاکټر نجیب الله مېرمنې فتانې نجیب د هغه د ۲۳ تلین په مناسبت په یوه لیکنه کې کښلي چې د افغانستان په اړه يې د مېړه اندېښنې ريښتیا شوې. د هغې په خبره، ځکه د نجیب الله د فکر پلویانو پر زړه د هغه وړاندوینې ناستې دي.د هغه واکمنۍ د وخت یو پوځي افسر جنرال امرالله امان هم په همدې نظر دی او وايي له همدې کبله په ځوانانو کې د ډاکټر نجیب الله د فکر لارویان ډېر شويډاکټر نجیب الله د خپل واک په وروستیو کلونو کې د افغانستان د لانجې د هواري لپاره د ملي پخلاينې تگلاره اعلان کړه خو د يولړ لاملونو له کبله تگلاره خپلې موخې ته ونه رسيده.د افغانستان دغه پخوانی ولسمشر په پکتیا کې پخپله پلرنۍ هدیره کې په یوه خاورین قبر کې خښ دی.
چمن میں دھماکا: جے یو آئی (ف) کے رہنما سیمت 3 افراد جاں بحق
چمن میں تاج روڈ پر ہونے والے زور دار دھماکے میں جمعیت علماء اسلام (ف) کے ڈپٹی جنرل سیکریٹری اور رکن مجلس عاملہ مولانا محمد حنیف سمیت 3 افراد جاں بحق اور 17 زخمی ہوگئے۔
دھماکے میں زخمی ہونے والے مولانا محمد حنیف کو کوئٹہ منتقل کیا جارہا تھا لیکن وہ راستے ہی میں دم توڑ گئے۔
جمعیت علماء اسلام ف کے سربراہ مولانا فضل الرحمٰن نے مولانا محمد حنیف کے جاں بحق ہونے پر گہرے دکھ کا اظہار کیا ہے۔
پولیس کے مطابق دھماکا ریموٹ کنٹرول ڈیوائس سے کیا گیا، دھماکا خیز مواد موٹر سائیکل میں نصب کیا گیا تھا۔
زخمیوں کو فوری طور پر سول اسپتال منتقل کردیا گیا۔
پولیس کا کہنا ہے موٹرسائیکل مولانا محمد حنیف کے دفتر کے باہر کھڑی تھی، اُن کے دفتر سے باہر نکلتے ہی دھماکا ہو گیا۔
پولیس ذرائع کا کہنا ہے کہ دھماکے کے بعد قریب کھڑی ایک گاڑی میں آگ لگ گئی۔
دھماکا اس قدر شدید تھا کہ متعدد دفاتر، دکانوں اور گاڑیوں کے شیشے ٹوٹ گئے۔
واضح رہے کہ تاج روڈ پر مختلف سیاسی جماعتوں اور میڈیا کے دفاتر بھی ہیں۔
Course correction - The illegitimate political system thrust upon Pakistan
The popularity of the mainstream PMLN that has been excluded from office in Islamabad and Lahore has risen in direct proportion to the failure of the PTI to “deliver”, no less than the plummeting credibility of certain state institutions to deliver “insaf” to Nawaz Sharif whether through the courts or through the NAB. Indeed, contradictions have arisen between the courts and NAB, with the former trying to protect its credibility by bending before the Bar while pointing an accusatory finger at NAB for discriminating between government and opposition. The recent conduct of the Supreme Court under CJP Asif Khosa to redress the imbalance, albeit belatedly, as evidenced in the latest developments in the Qazi Faez Isa case, should not be missed.
Much the same may be said of the Chief Election Commissioner, a retired high court judge, who has finally plucked up the courage to call a spade a spade. For obvious reasons, the CEC may not be keen to speed up the disqualification petitions against the “selected” prime minister, Imran Khan, but he has put his foot down on two important cases that have a direct bearing on political developments in Pakistan: he has refused to accept the PM’s two nominees on the ECP because these have not been sanctioned via due constitutional process; and he has allowed Mariam Nawaz Sharif to retain her Vice-Presidency of the PMLN.
Much the same sort of tremors are beginning to be felt in the media. The independent press, which had succumbed to junta pressure, is beginning to anticipate the prospect of breathing freely again. Proof of a halting revival comes from two opposite developments: a significant gang of “journalists” who had sold their souls to Imran Khan, or simply couldn’t resist the indiscreet charm of the Miltablishment, have suddenly taken a U-Turn and launched a barrage of criticism against the cult hero for whom they voted. Alarmed, the PTI government is trying to rush through emergency legislation to establish anti-media, speedy Tribunals, an effort that is likely to be fiercely resisted by the opposition in the Senate no less than by the media in the courts.
Cracks are also beginning to appear in the upper echelons of the Miltablishment. The loudest whisper is that not everyone is happy with the PM’s decision to extend the tenure of the army chief. And the more the political model fails to deliver, the more its chief architects and beneficiaries come under critical scrutiny. Indeed, the fact that the Miltablishment is facing a loss of credibility, trust and legitimacy in its bastion of Punjab whence its rank and file is largely recruited is cause for serious concern amongst its supporters. The fact that the chief minister of Punjab, a dubious selection, is the butt of both crude jokes and frustrated rage, is sufficient to reinforce the perception of unremitting, abject failure.
The continuing mismanagement of the economy and its ensuing hardships, in the backdrop of developing crises in relations with India, Saudi Arabia, Iran, America and Afghanistan, is giving sleepless nights to all and sundry.
Now Maulana Fazal ur Rahman has announced a million-man march on Islamabad. Nawaz Sharif is on board even if Asif Zardari is still hedging his bets. At the minimum, this will destabilize the government and set back its reform agenda. Maximally, it may spur a change of horses mid-stream to salvage the situation.
The most important factor in the dynamics of success and failure of any political strategy is popular perception of its strengths and weaknesses. Until recently, the Miltablishment was perceived to be ubiquitous, omnipotent and infallible; the combined opposition was imagined as weak, vacillating and divided; and the selected prime minister was lauded for his inspirational leadership qualities. But all that has, by turns, rapidly evaporated. The legitimacy of the political engineering has been corroded by the arrogance, incompetence, bias and unaccountability of its main practitioners in the organs of the state while the credibility and strength of the opposing forces, inspired by the courage and resilience of Nawaz and Mariam Sharif, has risen exponentially.
The sooner we recognize our failures and correct course, the better it will be for Pakistan.
#Pakistan - First they came for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - The creeping coup advancing menacingly
By Farhatullah BabarThe creeping coup advancing menacingly must come to an end if the country is to survive, writes Farhatullah Babar.
Last month, in the dead of the night, the miltablishment quietly conquered the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and handed over its control to the army. An ordinance, Action in Aid of Civil Power, was promulgated without informing the public and even the provincial assembly. Quite literally a coup took place without anyone noticing – a grave assault on democracy and the rule of law. This creeping coup, which has been in the works for quite some time, ominously expanded its frontiers to new and dangerous limits. Yesterday, erstwhile tribal areas were captured, today it is Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and tomorrow it will be the Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan. This should be a wakeup call.
Empowering the army under Article 245 of the Constitution (which means that its actions cannot be challenged in any court), the surreptitiously promulgated ordinance authorizes it to ‘establish security posts,’ ‘possess and occupy any property,’ ‘enter and search any property’ and to intern any person in special ‘internment centres’ that may be set up anywhere in the province.
Further, it says that statements by personnel of the armed forces will be enough as evidence of offence committed, with no further proof needed. “Notwithstanding anything contained in the Qanun-e-Shahadat, 1984, any member of the armed forces deposing or any official statement before the court to prove any offense shall be deemed to have proved the offence and no other statements, depositions or evidence shall be required. Such statement or deposition shall be sufficient for convicting the accused as well,” in the words of the Ordinance itself.
After breaking the backbone of militants, the state should have strengthened civilian rule and expanded constitutional writ over the merged tribal districts and the province
What are the various ‘actions in aid of civil power’ that the army has been authorised to perform in KP? These include a series of measures such as armed action, mobilization and stationing of troops. For how long? “Until the orders under which the troops were called are withdrawn in writing,” it says. Thus even cantonments may be set up under it, no questions asked. After all, not long ago, a cantonment indeed was set up in Swat administered under a similar regulation for provincially administered tribal areas (PATA) promulgated in 2011 in the thick of militancy.
The latest assault on civilian rule would not have even been noticed but for a petition pending before a two-member bench of the Peshawar High Court challenging the special laws made for erstwhile tribal areas during the last decade. Besides questioning the constitutionality of the special regulations the petitioner, a lawyer, maintained that after the merger there was no justification for the continuation of special regulations in the erstwhile tribal districts. It was discrimination against the people of tribal areas, the petition argued, and urged the court to strike them down as well as declare internment centres established under it as unconstitutional.
When the bench of Chief Justice Justice Waqa Ahmad Sethi and Justice Ahmad Ali began hearing last week, the advocate general threw a bomb shell: the government had promulgated the KP Actions in Aid of Civil Power Ordinance 2019 on August 5, and that was applicable to the entire province, he said. Since it was applicable throughout and not just in tribal areas there was thus no discrimination, the government argued before the court and a stunned audience.
The regulations ‘actions in aid of civil power’ were first issued in June 2011, separately for erstwhile federally administered tribal areas (FATA) and the provincially administered tribal areas (PATA) during the Taliban insurgency in Swat and Malakand. The main purpose of these regulations was to give legal cover to hundreds of suspects held in custody for years. That is why the regulations were also given back dated effect from 2008 to bring into the open all suspects held in custody and try them in open courts.
After breaking the backbone of militants, at least it is so claimed, the state should have sought to strengthen civilian rule and expand the constitutional writ over the merged tribal districts and the province. Instead, the miltablishment has decided to further encroach upon the civilian space and apart from tribal districts, taken over control of the entire province. Why do something now that was not done even when Pakistan was said to be facing an existential threat?
The ordinance is part of a pattern of unceasing creeping coup and a ceaseless capture of commanding political and economic heights of the country by the miltablishment. The powers once acquired by it are not only not abdicated easily but even expanded further. The example of Sindh Rangers whose special powers of arrest and detention are renewed every three months is before us. As a result, police is weakened as Rangers are reluctant to give up the position of power and privilege. The Supreme Court verdict in Faizabad dharna and its report in the Quetta massacre illustrate how the invisible, unaccountable establishment has expanded its space.
This creeping coup advancing menacingly must come to an end if the country is to survive. Unfortunately political parties have failed to protest against it forcefully. A few months before her death, late Asma Jehangir thought of a beginning by forming a small group of committed democrats, beyond party politics, to fight against the creeping coup. She spoke about it in her close circles. Unfortunately, she did not live long enough to take the idea forward. Isn’t it time to take her idea forward?
استاد هدایت الله خاورو ته وسپارل شو
د پښتو موسېقۍ نامتو سندرغاړي استاد هدایت الله د سېپټمبر پر ۲۸مه پېښور کې له اوږدې ناروغۍ وروسته د فاني نړۍ او خپلو مینه والو سره د تل لپاره خدای پاماني وکړه.
نوموړی په همدې ورځ د نوښار په ډاګ بهسود کې چې د نوموړي پلرنۍ سیمه ده، خاورو ته وسپارل شو.
د استاد هدایت الله لمسي مشال خان مشال راډیو ته وویل چې نېکه یې اوږده ناروغي تېره کړه:
"نیکه مې له تېرو اتو یا لسو کلونو راهېسې ناجوړه وو. اول لږ لږ ناجوړه وو، له کوره به د باندې وتلو، خو بیا وروسته یې بیماري زیاته شوه، له کوره نه شو وتلی او حافظه یې هم کمزورې شوې وه، څوک به یې نه پېژندل."
استاد هدایت الله په ۱۹۴۰ کال کې د پبو په ډاګ بهسود کې نړۍ ته سترګې غړولې وې. هغه د خپل کلي له های سکوله د لسم جومات امتحان پاس کړی وو او بیا هملته د کرکیلې په اداره کې تر ۲۵ کلونو پورې مامور پاتې شوی وو. خو د شهرت وجه یې د هغه خوږ اواز او پښتو موسیقۍ ته خدمت وه.
نوموړي په ۱۹۶۹ کال کې پېښور راډیو ته او په ۱۹۷۱ کال کې د پشتو فلمي نړۍ ته د یو سندرغاړي په حیث ورغلی وو او تر لسګونو کلونو پورې یې خپل خدمات وړاندې کړي وو.
د نوموړي په اړه ویل کېږي چې له ۵۰۰ نه زیاتو پښتو فلمونو لپاره یې سندرې ویلي چې ځیني یې اوس هم مقبولې دي.
د پاکستان حکومت نوموړي ته د هغه د ښه هنرمندۍ له وجې صدارتي اېوارډ ورکړی وو خو مینه وال او کورنۍ یې وايي، وروستی ژوند یې ډېر له کړاوه ډک وو او حکومت یې د درملنې لپاره هېڅ هم نه وو کړي.
د پښتو موسېقۍ استادان وايي استاد هدایت الله د یو ځانګړي غږ څښتن وو. موسېقار ای ار انور مشال راډیو ته په دې اړه وویل:
"هغه یو ځانګړی غږ درلودلو. یو وخت وو چې د هغه له سندرې پرته به فلم نېمګړی ګڼل کېدو."
نوموړی وايي، کله چې استاد هدایت الله په یوسف خان شېربانو فلم کې سندرې وویلې او کراچۍ ته لاړ نو د هغه ځای موسېقارانو ویل چې د هغه غږ بلکل د هندي سندرغاړي محمد رفیع په شان دی.
موسېقار ای ار انور وايي د هدایت الله مړینه د پښتو موسېقۍ لپاره یوه ستره ضایع ده.
Pakistani Cartoonist Fired Over PM Caricature
Abubakar SiddiqueA cartoonist in Pakistan says one of the country’s leading English-language dailies has told him to stop drawing for them following a controversy over his caricature of the country’s prime minister this week.
Khalid Hussain, 54, a professional cartoonist, told RFE/RL’s Gandhara website that the management of The Nation newspaper informed him that they will not be printing his cartoons after a sketch of his depicting Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan garnered angry reactions from senior government officials after being published on September 25.
“I don’t know how long they will not be printing my cartoons or whether they will ever print my cartoons [again],” he told Gandhara on September 27.
It was not immediately possible to reach The Nation’s management.
But in a September 26 statement to its readers, the paper apologized for Hussain’s cartoon. “The artwork fell short of our standards and does not reflect our editorial policy,” the statement said.
“We are proud to be a nationalistic paper, and we regret sincerely the attention taken by an artwork that was inappropriate, especially at the time of the UN General Assembly session taking place in New York,” the statement said adding that “necessary steps have been taken to ensure our internal procedures” without elaborating.
The firing highlights growing censorship and a clampdown on media. Rights activists in Pakistan and global media watchdogs have criticized Islamabad for pressuring the print and electronic media outlets to stop criticizing Khan's administration.
The controversy comes at a time when Islamabad is trying to draw international attention to alleged human rights abuses and restrictions in parts of the disputed region of Kashmir administered by neighboring India. Tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations have spiked since New Delhi revoked the special status for Kashmir on August 5.Khan highlighted Kashmir in an address to the UNGA on September 27. His administration in Pakistan is keen on showcasing his weeklong visit to the United States as a diplomatic success amid tensions with India.Hussain says that his cartoon, which depicted Khan chasing a “mediation” carrot dangled by U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as they ride a cart pulled by Khan, was a comical take on a complex geopolitical situation.“I didn’t aim to hit Imran Khan personally. But as the prime minister of the country, he symbolically represents the country he rules,” he said. “What I felt was that Trump has repeatedly assured Pakistan to mediate between India and Pakistan. But he later said that Modi has not agreed to [his mediation].”
The reality of U.S. diplomacy is more complex. Trump first offered to mediate between Islamabad and New Delhi during an Oval Office meeting with Khan in July. But New Delhi rejected the offer.
Since then, meetings between Trump and Modi have indicated that Washington considers New Delhi a strategic partner in South Asia.
Still the United States has demonstrated that it seeks reconciliation between the two South Asian nations. On September 25, Trump told journalists that he encouraged Khan and Modi to work out their differences. "I said, 'Fellas, work it out. Just work it out,'" he said. "Those are two nuclear countries. They've got to work it out.” But Shireen Mazari, Pakistan’s minister for human rights, declared the cartoon to be “offensive, over the top, and downright insulting.” She said that the “cartoonist, in his hate-filled mind, has also failed to understand that the situation on ground! Trump repeatedly wants to mediate, and Modi finds himself in uncertain terrain.”
Marzari later deleted the tweets because she complained to the wrong newspaper but wrote that her comments about the cartoon remain valid. “You can have your criticism of the prime minister, but some basic norms and decency and respect should be shown or does hatred overrule decent journalistic bounds,” she wrote in her original tweet.
Hussain, however, says he liked Khan when he highlighted the need for tackling corruption as Pakistan’s number one issue as an opposition leader before coming to power last year. “I was hoping that his government’s policies toward media will be tolerant, but what we are seeing is very disappointing for me,” he said.
Hussain relies on some $600 monthly salary to look after his wife and their three children. “I am a full-time professional cartoonist and don’t have any other source of income,” he noted.
Thousands of Pakistani journalists and media workers have lost their jobs over the last year. Censorship and declining revenues have forced television stations, magazines, and newspapers to shut down. Some journalists have turned to social media platforms to continue reporting and survive in uncertain times.
https://gandhara.rferl.org/amp/pakistani-cartoonist-fired-over-pm-caricature/30187529.html
‘Media tribunal’ backlash shakes Pakistani deep state
To tighten its grip on the game that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is gradually losing on the power chessboard, it has announced the establishment of media tribunals to curb even further the already shrinking space for dissent and freedom of expression in Pakistan. The announcement triggered a severe backlash from the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and civil society, and as a result the special assistant to the prime minister, Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, had to issue a statement that the PTI government would consult with journalist organizations before actually establishing the special tribunals.
However, given the track record of the PTI, one can easily predict that another U-turn in this matter will be taken, and all of a sudden the already spineless media will find itself at the mercy of these special courts. Mainstream media in Pakistan since 2014 have been subject to many invisible restrictions imposed by the deep state, first to topple former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and, under PTI rule, the media have been enslaved even further. Television and print media have been pushed back to the eras of General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq and Ayub Khan when dissent and free expression were considered treason.
Now this country whose social fabric is built on the false narratives of religious supremacy and self-created morals and ethics, and where political discourse is engineered and the state is overseeing the demise of literature and journalism, may be witnessing the last nail in the coffin of a failed doctrine that has dominated the past six decades. This doctrine started with the martial law of General Ayub Khan, who through strong propaganda made the masses believe that politicians were corrupt and press freedom was a threat to the national interest. But the definitions of corruption and vague “national interest” keep changing as per the requirements of the establishment in Ayub Khan’s era.
It was also propagated that Parliament or elected leaders could not define or defend the ideological narratives and it was only the security establishment that could safeguard both the geographical and ideological boundaries of the country. This indoctrination of society was so strong that even after the fall of East Pakistan the masses did not question the legitimacy of this doctrine.
Later, General Zia’s Islamization not only wove religious fundamentalism into the social and political fabric of the nation but also laid the foundation of a press that was incapable of thinking beyond the religious and vague “national interest” theories. Still later, General Pervez Musharraf defined the national interest and patriotism according to his own needs, and after the fall of Musharraf, the security establishment kept dictating to the media and the rest of the country with its own self-created narratives of patriotism, religion, and national security and kept interfering in the social and political discourse through the effective use of propaganda.
The deep state in Pakistan used the same formula of “choice blindness” that has been used by the big corporations to sell their brands to consumers. Swedish philosophy academic Petter Johansson has demonstrated that this formula can be used to make people believe that what they are buying – be it a product or an idea – is based on their own judgment and needs, when in fact it is not.
Since the narratives created by Pakistan’s invisible forces were laid on weak foundations and were far from the reality of the modern world, both the social and political fabrics of the country have almost failed. As a society, people are divided according to ethnicity, sects and castes, and intolerance of criticism of their beliefs is now common practice. While engineered political discourse has resulted in an unprecedented polarization of Pakistani society, now intolerance even over political differences is increasing at an alarming rate.
The economy is bleeding while the important pillars of the state such as the judiciary, Parliament and civil administration have been almost destroyed, only to fulfill the vested interests of the deep state. However, the media under strict curbs and society devoid of critical thinking and modern education cannot raise even the simple question as to why the businesses controlled by the security establishment, from the real-estate sector to financial institutions and from selling corn flakes to cement, are not being hit by the bad economy. How is it that the business empire of the establishment continues to grow under these circumstances?
As well, even the political parties are silent and not asking what happened to the narrative that Kashmir is the jugular vein of Pakistan. Over the last 70 years billions of rupees were spent in the name of Kashmir and millions of minds were indoctrinated with the notion of an armed militant solution for the Kashmir problem, but the deep state is not answerable to anyone. In fact, as a consequence of raising such questions, journalists go missing, are fired from their organizations or are prohibited from roaming freely in the country.
But controlling the media and masses through fear has never proved beneficial and it will not be useful in the future either. Since the prevailing religious, political and security narratives were shaped by the establishment, it has to accept its failure and should go back to its constitutional role of being subservient to the elected government. So poor is the state of the country now that while our neighbor India is trying to reach to the moon, we are busy in debates like whether covering women’s bodies is essential to save them from sexual harassment, and who is a perfect Muslim or patriot and who is not.
For generations, Pakistanis have been fed the narratives of Saudi monarchs’ brand of religion and self-created “national security” concerns and hate toward dissent. The question arises of who will change this mindset, as it will take decades of honest efforts, and whether the deep state will allow this to happen, as its business empire stands on a society that is incapable of thinking and living in the 21st century.
The way forward for Pakistan – in fact, its very survival – depends on a new social and political contract between the establishment and the citizens. The end of the current engineered political dispensation, holding fresh general elections and setting the media free, and giving the elected government the power to shape social, political and foreign narratives, can take Pakistan in the right direction, and gradually will be able not only to change the mindset of society but also change Pakistan from a security state to pluralistic welfare state. A theological or security state has no chance of survival in the modern era, with neighboring war-torn Afghanistan the best example.
The deep state is already losing the battle on the political chessboard and it should realize that a respectable retreat could be face-saving, while giving Pakistan a chance to move forward in the modern world. Otherwise, there will come a point when the journey of moving in blind circles will sink the country. One hopes that sanity will prevail among the establishment and the political forces and new social and political contracts between the state and the citizens will be shaped.
Full text of India’s reply to Imran Khan’s speech at the UN General Assembly
VIDISHA MAITRA
Vidisha Maitra, First Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, countered Imran Khan's speech with a strongly worded reply.
Mr. President,
I take the floor to exercise India’s right of reply to the statement made by the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
2. Every word spoken from the podium of this august Assembly, it is believed, carries the
weight of history. Unfortunately, what we heard today from Prime Minister Imran Khan of
Pakistan was a callous portrayal of the world in binary terms. Us vs Them; Rich vs Poor;
North vs South; Developed Vs Developing; Muslims vs Others. A script that fosters divisiveness at the United Nations. Attempts to sharpen differences and stir up hatred, are
simply put – “hate speech”.
weight of history. Unfortunately, what we heard today from Prime Minister Imran Khan of
Pakistan was a callous portrayal of the world in binary terms. Us vs Them; Rich vs Poor;
North vs South; Developed Vs Developing; Muslims vs Others. A script that fosters divisiveness at the United Nations. Attempts to sharpen differences and stir up hatred, are
simply put – “hate speech”.
3. Rarely has the General Assembly witnessed such misuse, rather abuse, of an
opportunity to reflect. Words matter in diplomacy. Invocation of phrases such as “pogrom”,
“bloodbath”, “racial superiority”, “pick up the gun” and “fight to the end” reflect a medieval
mindset and not a 21st century vision.
opportunity to reflect. Words matter in diplomacy. Invocation of phrases such as “pogrom”,
“bloodbath”, “racial superiority”, “pick up the gun” and “fight to the end” reflect a medieval
mindset and not a 21st century vision.
4. Prime Minister Khan’s threat of unleashing nuclear devastation qualifies as
brinksmanship, not statesmanship.
brinksmanship, not statesmanship.
5. Even coming from the leader of a country that has monopolized the entire value chain
of the industry of terrorism, Prime Minister Khan’s justification of terrorism was brazen and
incendiary.
of the industry of terrorism, Prime Minister Khan’s justification of terrorism was brazen and
incendiary.
6. For someone who was once a cricketer and believed in the gentleman’s game, today’s speech bordered on crudeness of the variety that is reminiscent of the guns of Darra Adam Khel.
7. Now that Prime Minister Imran Khan has invited UN Observers to Pakistan to verify
that there are no militant organisations in Pakistan, the world will hold him to that promise.
that there are no militant organisations in Pakistan, the world will hold him to that promise.
8. Here are a few questions that Pakistan can respond to as a precursor to the proposed
verification.
verification.
● Can Pakistan confirm the fact that it is home to 130 UN designated terrorists and 25
terrorist entities listed by the UN, as of today?
terrorist entities listed by the UN, as of today?
● Will Pakistan acknowledge that it is the only Government in the world that provides
pension to an individual listed by the UN in the Al Qaeda and Da’esh Sanctions list!
pension to an individual listed by the UN in the Al Qaeda and Da’esh Sanctions list!
● Can Pakistan explain why here in New York, its premier bank, the Habib Bank had to
shut shop after it was fined millions of dollars over terror financing?
shut shop after it was fined millions of dollars over terror financing?
● Will Pakistan deny that the Financial Action Task Force has put the country on notice
for its violations of more than 20 of the 27 key parameters?
for its violations of more than 20 of the 27 key parameters?
● And would Prime Minister Khan deny to the city of New York that he was an open defender of Osama bin Laden?
On terrorism and human rights
Mr. President,
9. Having mainstreamed terrorism and hate speech, Pakistan is trying to play its wild
card as the newfound champion of human rights.
card as the newfound champion of human rights.
10. This a country that has shrunk the size of its minority community from 23% in 1947 to
3% today and has subjected Christians, Sikhs, Ahmadiyas, Hindus, Shias, Pashtuns, Sindhis and Balochis to draconian blasphemy laws, systemic persecution, blatant abuse and forced conversions.
3% today and has subjected Christians, Sikhs, Ahmadiyas, Hindus, Shias, Pashtuns, Sindhis and Balochis to draconian blasphemy laws, systemic persecution, blatant abuse and forced conversions.
11. Their newfound fascination for preaching human rights is akin to trophy hunting of the
endangered mountain goat – markhor.
endangered mountain goat – markhor.
12. Pogroms, Prime Minister Imran Khan Niazi, are not a phenomenon of today’s vibrant
democracies. We would request you to refresh your rather sketchy understanding of history. Do not forget the gruesome genocide perpetrated by Pakistan against its own people in 1971 and the role played by Lt. Gen A A K Niazi. A sordid fact that the Hon’ble Prime Minister of Bangladesh reminded this Assembly about earlier this afternoon.
democracies. We would request you to refresh your rather sketchy understanding of history. Do not forget the gruesome genocide perpetrated by Pakistan against its own people in 1971 and the role played by Lt. Gen A A K Niazi. A sordid fact that the Hon’ble Prime Minister of Bangladesh reminded this Assembly about earlier this afternoon.
‘Those who thrive on conflict never welcome peace’
Mr. President,
13. Pakistan’s virulent reaction to the removal of an outdated and temporary provision that
was hindering development and integration of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir stems from the fact that those who thrive on conflict never welcome the ray of peace.
was hindering development and integration of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir stems from the fact that those who thrive on conflict never welcome the ray of peace.
14. While Pakistan has ventured to upstream terrorism and downstream hate speech
there, India is going ahead with mainstreaming development in Jammu and Kashmir.
there, India is going ahead with mainstreaming development in Jammu and Kashmir.
15. The mainstreaming of Jammu & Kashmir, as well as Ladakh, in India’s thriving and
vibrant democracy with a millennia-old heritage of diversity, pluralism and tolerance are well and truly underway. Irreversibly so.
vibrant democracy with a millennia-old heritage of diversity, pluralism and tolerance are well and truly underway. Irreversibly so.
16. Citizens of India do not need anyone else to speak on their behalf, least of all those who have built an industry of terrorism from the ideology of hate.
I thank you, Mr. President.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)