Don't expect Afghanistan to change with this list of presidential candidates

The imminent Afghan elections are historic, no doubt, but the line-up of familiar faces points towards parochialism and the past You would think the final list of candidates for one of the most important presidential elections in Afghanistan's history, and the country's first democratic transfer of power, would provide some excitement. Instead there is little to cheer about. The list comprises many old faces, and it raises questions as to whether the poll due to take place on Saturday will be truly representative across ethnic lines.

All the eight candidates in this Afghan-managed and Afghan-led election are from the majority Pashtun ethnic group, with two, Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and Zalmay Rassoul, leading the polls. Only one lead candidate, Dr Abdullah Abdullah, is half Pashtun and half Tajik.

Although Pashtun make up 42% of the poulation, the main non-Pashtun groups combined – Tajiks, Hazaras and Uzbeks– also represent a sizeable proportion of the population at over 45%. Yet prominent political figures from these groups, such as Hazara leaders Karim Khalili and Mohammad Mohaghegh, or the powerful Uzbek leader General Abdul Rashid Dostum, are running mates not presidential candidates, and one of the most important Tajik political players, Atta Muhammad Noor, has refrained from participating. Instead there have been strange alliances. Ghani, a respected former World Bank official and finance minister, an advocate of human rights, who says his main agenda is the rule of law, has chosen Dostum as his running mate. Dostum stands accused of a string of alleged war crimes and Ghani openly criticised President Karzai for choosing Dostum as running mate in 2009 elections. Another point to consider is that both Ghani and Rassoul have over the past 12 years held top posts in President Karzai's cabinets, and if elected would probably allow him a strong say in the country's future. They have both made statements indicating that they see him as a man of influence. So their cabinets are very likely to be the Karzai team reshuffled.

Abdullah was also the foreign minister in President Karzai's first cabinet, but in the past eight years he has been a consistent voice of opposition. He refused to do a deal with Karzai after finishing runner-up in the 2009 elections. He has a strong following among Tajiks and those who remember him as the right hand man of the iconic Tajik commander, Ahmad Shah Massoud. However, many would regard this association as a negative. Although most initial polls indicate strong support for Abdullah, it is not clear he could hold an outright majority. To do this he would need to win a large portion of the Pashtun votes.

There are still more familiar faces from the past. Abdul Rasul Sayyaf, who is said to have had ties to Osama bin Laden; Gul Agha Sherzai, the former mayor of Jalalabad and a former warlord; and Qutbuddin Helal, the spokesperson for another warlord, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, with links to the Taliban.

So when people of Afghanistan go to the polls on Saturday they will see many of the old faces, either as presidential candidates or running mates: most of them reminders of a past they would really like to forget.

Even if we take the most positive view that the elections on 5 April will be inclusive, with reasonable security and minimal fraud, then the most likely outcome is that none of the three main contenders will win an outright majority. In that case the two main Pashtun contenders – Rassoul and Ghani – would unite and force Abdullah out of the race.

That result would lead to a reshuffled Karzai cabinet, possibly with increased influence for warlords and the Taliban. While the Taliban machinery of terror continues to kill civilians, including hundreds of Muslim women and children, that is not a cabinet that would bring any hope to the people of Afghanistan.

At this crucial juncture in Afghanistan's transition, only a credible political transition can provide stability. This could only be gained through a popular mandate across ethnic lines for a wider political, economic and social agenda – including peace and reconciliation.

Nayyara Noor-------'tera saya jahan bhi ho sajna'

Attack on Hindu ashram in Pak sparks protests

indiatimes.com

A Hindu ashram was attacked in Pakistan's Sindh province by four persons who stole a 'trishul', triggering protests and a partial shutdown of businesses at several places, a media report said on Monday.

The violators also desecrated parrh (a piece of cloth wrapped around the idol) at Faqir Par Braham's ashram in Tharparkar district, a Hindu majority area. The minority Hindu community came out on streets and also staged a sit-in at Mithi's Kashmir chowk. Markets in Deeplo, Islamkot and Chachro towns were shut. "The Hindu community is being targeted in all parts of Sindh under a conspiracy," Raja Bhawan of Tharparkar's Hindu panchayat, who led the protesters said.

Tharparkar SSP Muneer Shaikh said police have arrested four suspects and the stolen 'trishul' has been recovered. An FIR has been lodged on the complaint of one Seth Jhaman Das.

Pakistan: Man appeals blasphemy death sentence

The Express Tribune

Sentenced to death for blasphemy, Sawan Masih appealed against his conviction on Tuesday, saying the charges were trumped up to speed up the eviction of Christians from the area. Masih was convicted last week of blasphemy, which occurred during a conversation with a Muslim friend in the Joseph Colony neighbourhood of Lahore in March last year. “We have filed an appeal in the Lahore High Court against the death sentence awarded to Sawan Masih and called for his acquittal and release from jail,” his lawyer Naeem Shakir told AFP. More than 3,000 rioters rampaged through Joseph Colony, torching some 100 Christian homes in Lahore, after the allegations against Masih emerged. Police had initially said they would investigate whether or not Muslim businessmen in the area may have instigated the violence with the aim of seizing Christians’ land, or to exploit the blasphemy allegations for political gain. Shakir said the circumstances in which the incident took place cast “serious doubts” over the prosecution’s case. He added his client had told the court the blasphemy charges “were fabricated by the elements who wanted to occupy the property of Joseph Colony.” There is a de facto moratorium on civilian hangings since 2008. Only one person has been executed since then, a soldier convicted by court martial.

Pakistan Ahmadi prayer center attacked, police arrests local Ahmadis for ‘desecrating’ Quran amid rampage

Ahmadiyya Times

“We claim to be Muslims and the Holy Qur'ān is a holy book for all Muslim.No Ahmadī will ever do such a thing and all such accusations are always total lies, period.”

An Ahmadiyya prayer center was attacked yesterday and a local Ahmadī leader injured when a charged crowd reacted to rumors that a young child was beaten by two Ahmadi men on account of the youngster carrying a copy of the Holy Qur'ān.

According to a report carried by Daily Dawn, an English daily published from Karachi, Pakistan, activists of religious parties gathered residents from various parts of Tando Allahyar city near Hyderabad, and “attacked the home-cum-worship place of a man belonging to the Ahmedi community for his involvement in the alleged sacrilege.”

The crowed “went on the rampage in the worship place on the ground floor” while Tahir Ahmed “took refuge on the upper floor, where his family lived,” the newspaper reported.

The police and Rangers arrived in large numbers, the report said, and they arrested Tahir Ahmed while the crowd threw stones at the suspect and injured him.

Police took Ahmad and an unidentified man to the local police station where they were booked on blasphemy and other charges under Sections 295-b, 337-A-1 and F-1 of Pakistan’s criminal code.

The protesters burnt tires and fired shot in the air, forcing local business to shut down.

The situation, according to Daily Dawn, was tense till late in the night in Tando Allahyar.

Speaking to Daily Dawn, Tando Allahyar Deputy Superintendent Police, Noor Mohammad Marri, said that according to Tahir Ahmed’s wife, the young accuser and their son had fought over some petty matter in the afternoon.

Also, according to Daily Dawn’s own sources, “it was rumoured that some people wanted to grab Tahir’s house.”

Speaking to Ahmadiyya Times, a local Ahmadī (name withheld) rubbished the claim that an Ahmadī attempted to desecrate the Holy Qur'ān. “We claim to be Muslims and the Holy Qur'ān is a holy book for all Muslim.”

“No Ahmadī will ever do such a thing and all such accusations are always total lies, period.”

An official statement is awaited from the Ahmadiyya community in Pakistan.

Bilawal Bhutto felicitates APNS newly-elected office bearers

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Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Patron-In-Chief, Pakistan Peoples Party has congratulated the newly-elected office-bearers Hameed Haroon as President and Sarmad Ali as General Secretary and all Executive Committee members of All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) and hoped that the new body will place its priorities by looking into the grim situation our country is being pushed into. In a press release, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said APNS is the prime body of national and regional media outlets and the role of media is going to define the future of the country and the democratic order. “A free media can survive and thrive only in a free Pakistan. At a time, when entire nation is under attack from the forces of darkness in the shape of terrorism and extremism, media should stand with the nation unambiguously,” he added. PPP Patron-In-Chief assured that his Party will extend all possible help and support to the newly-elected office-bearers of APNS in playing and performing its positive role at this crucial juncture in our history and putting it back on the track to a welfare state where terrorism, extremism, exploitation, crime and injustice have no room.

The FARC and the Taliban: Drawing Lessons across Colombia and Pakistan

http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/

Few Pakistanis get to visit Colombia, a country quite physically and culturally distant from their land of abode. Yet as I discovered from my visit to Colombia’s capital Bogota this week, there is much which Pakistanis can learn from this land of coffee, cocaine and coal. So what are the similarities between these two ostensibly disparate lands, separated by geography, ethnicity and religion? A troubling common thread between Colombia and Pakistan pertains to the issue of terrorism and guerrilla insurgency. For the past few decades, both countries have been fighting locally grown, ideologically driven, terrorist militias, which receive some degree of foreign support but also thrive on drug money and various forms of extortion and kidnapping. Both countries are also currently involved in controversial peace processes with the insurgents that remain far from achieving their aim but are likely to continue.

Colombia’s experience with fractured politics and terrorism predates Pakistan’s predicament. The country achieved independence from colonial Spain in 1819 — long before Pakistan was even dreamed of. Yet soon thereafter, the unified territory of “Gran Colombia’ fell apart, and Venezuela and Ecuador seceded from the land as independent states in 1830 – the same year that the great revolutionary and colonial liberator Simon Bolivar died in the northern Colombian city of Santa Marta. Like Colombia, Pakistan also has experience with secession – Bangladesh’s independence in 1973, only 26 years after independence from Britain.

For much of the twentieth century Colombia endured political unrest and interference from the United States. Indeed, US intervention to build an ambitious canal between the Atlantic and the Pacific, led to the creation of Panama in 1903, from what was originally part of Colombia. However, in this case, the US recognized a level of culpability in this secession and in 1919 Colombia was paid $25 million in compensation for the American role in Panama’s secession. The Cold War brought intervention by both the US and the Soviet Union in Colombia. Among the various communist revolutionary groups that formed during this period, the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) has been the most persistent. Since its formation in 1961, as a reaction to land appropriation for industrialized agriculture, the group has grown to be a potent militia that has claimed half a million lives in its 50 year–long insurgency.

Both Colombia and Pakistan are now at a crossroads. Peace talks are underway between the FARC and the Colombian government as well as between Pakistan and the Taliban. Unlike the FARC, the Taliban have a religious agenda which can lead to more trenchant absolutism. However, “hardcore” communist elements within the FARC can also be as intransigent as any theological fanatics. Both countries have political divides about whether to pursue compromise with an untrustworthy foe or to fight it out with the fanatics. Colombia’s nearby neighbour Peru fought its insurgency against the Sendero Luminoso till the ultimate capture of its intellectual leader Professor Abimael Guzman. The incarceration of Guzman in 1992 has essentially led to the dismemberment of the organization, although some vestiges linger in remote areas of the country. Some political leaders in Pakistan look to their neighbour Sri Lanka which also ended a bloody insurgency through armed defeat of the Tamil Tigers in 2009 after peace talks mediated by the Norwegian government failed to achieve resolution.

Yet the current Colombian and Pakistani governments believe that the insurgencies in their respective lands are too entrenched and covering vast swathes of rugged terrain. The cost of armed conflict would likely be too great in such a case and hence some measure of reconciliation is worth a try. The Colombians have more experience with such insurgencies than the Pakistanis and have managed to recover from grave terrorist threats and incidents. In 1985, the M19 rebel movement managed to lay siege to the Supreme Court building in Bogota and the ensuing confrontation led to over a 100 deaths and the entire ‘palace of justice’ building in fiery ruins. Nevertheless, soon thereafter, a process of engagement under threat of greater military onslaught, led to a demobilization of this group and their mainstreaming into Colombian Politics. The current Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos is inclined to follow a similar path with the FARC.

What should be the parameters of a peace plan and what might Pakistan learn from Colombia’s longer experience of dealing with ideologically driven insurgencies? Remarkably, despite the torrent of terror and conflict, Colombia has managed to still maintain a semblance of functionality in terms of foreign investment and develop its economy to the extent that in October 2013, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OCED) formally launched its accession process. This has all been possible because of highly effective military and police intelligence deployment at the federal and provincial levels, leading to a containment of the FARC threat away from the major industrial infrastructure. Although occasional kidnappings and low intensity attacks of continued, the government made it a priority to make investors feel safe. Pakistan has failed to accomplish this because of ambivalence on the part of its military to deal with the Taliban threat and the relative ineffectiveness of police intelligence services at the provincial level.

Pakistan has to also learn from the Colombian experience that negotiations are only workable with such groups if there is some unified negotiation hierarchy and influence across the guerrilla population who are involved in terrorist activity. Unlike the FARC, the Taliban have so many factions that negotiations over specific actions become hard to enforce. Once there is some clarity on the enforcement power of the negotiators, it is worth considering whether the terms of a peace plan might undermine the overall functionality of the Pakistani state. For example, any points of negotiations regarding marginalization of minority sects such as Shias who constitute 20% of the population would lead to ruin. The FARC are willing to join the political process within Colombia if their basic demands for land and resource management regimes are met. Would the Taliban be willing to do so if given limited degree of governance in particular parts of the country so as to prevent imposition of their worldview in some form over all of Pakistan? How might there be enforcement of their sphere of influence under a peace plan? Expansionary tendencies will need to be monitored carefully in both peace processes.

Disparate as they may seem on the surface, Colombia and Pakistan have much to gain from exchanging notes with each other on dealing with their intractable insurgencies. In a globalized world where arms and drugs can flow freely across the miles, surely lessons on governance and peace-building should find no barriers.

Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorism

http://www.cbc.ca/

International community must address situation immediately, immigration minister says

Canada and its allies must take a united front against Pakistan because it is a state sponsor of terrorism that threatens world security, says Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander. Alexander, a former ambassador to Afghanistan, said the fight against the Taliban and groups like al-Qaeda will never be won in Afghanistan alone because it is a “cross-border conflict” supported by the Pakistan government. Speaking on a special edition of CBC's Power & Politics about Canada’s legacy in Afghanistan, Alexander said the world has only caught up with that reality in recent years, despite long-standing warnings from Afghanistan that Pakistan is a big part of the problem. “This is state sponsorship of terrorism. It’s covert. It’s been denied. Not even Western analysts agree that it’s happening on the scale we know it to be happening,” he told host Evan Solomon.

Alexander, who authored the book The Long Way Back: Afghanistan’s Quest for Peace, called for continued support for Afghans who are fighting against the Taliban and for security and democracy as Canada and other countries wrap up prolonged military missions. But he also urged allies to confront Pakistan. “We need to have a united front in dealing with Pakistan. The civilian government there doesn’t control military policy, strategic policy.… the army and the intelligence service do,” he said.” And they have denied the obvious, postponed this reckoning for years with so many terrorist groups, including al-Qaeda, that are doing so much harm around the world, still based in that country, this should be a priority for everyone.” Alexander said the international community must address the Pakistan situation urgently because it’s “all connected” with other trouble spots — linked to Syria and Iraq because so many militants and jihadis are going there, and also linked to foreign policy on Russia.

Alexander, who authored the book The Long Way Back: Afghanistan’s Quest for Peace, called for continued support for Afghans who are fighting against the Taliban and for security and democracy as Canada and other countries wrap up prolonged military missions. But he also urged allies to confront Pakistan. “We need to have a united front in dealing with Pakistan. The civilian government there doesn’t control military policy, strategic policy.… the army and the intelligence service do,” he said.” And they have denied the obvious, postponed this reckoning for years with so many terrorist groups, including al-Qaeda, that are doing so much harm around the world, still based in that country, this should be a priority for everyone.”

Alexander said the international community must address the Pakistan situation urgently because it’s “all connected” with other trouble spots — linked to Syria and Iraq because so many militants and jihadis are going there, and also linked to foreign policy on Russia.

'Haven for terrorists'

Pakistan's tribal region along the border of Afghanistan has long been labelled a "haven for terrorists." But Alexander said even people within Pakistan aren’t aware of the degree of official involvement. He cited a recent New York Times article (censored in Pakistan) that focused on Pakistan’s relationship with al-Qaeda and its knowledge of Osama bin Laden hiding within its borders.

“The civilian government will say we don’t control it, it happens behind closed doors in places run by the army, run by the ISI (Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence). The Pakistani population doesn’t know this is happening. But it has to be said. You can not, they have not, trained, financed, equipped the Taliban on this scale without the institutional involvement with these groups. And they are negotiating with the Taliban — trying to lie down with the lion inside Pakistan in spite of all the loss of life inside Pakistan. This has got to change.”

Former Canadian diplomat David Mulroney, who served as deputy minister in charge of the Afghanistan Task Force overseeing co-ordination of Canada’s engagement in Afghanistan, said that if Alexander’s remarks represent the government's official position, they must be followed up with “real measures” and a “much tougher stance” against Pakistan.

“Tomorrow can’t be business as usual for our High Commission in Islamabad. We can’t have the same kind of co-operation with Pakistan,” he said. “And we have to make very certain that players like the Canadian Forces and our security establishment aren’t having one set of conversations with the Pakistanis while our diplomats are having another. We have to get really serious.”

Mulroney, distinguished senior fellow at the Munk School's Canada Centre for Global Security Studies, said Canada should engage in talks with Washington, where the "real levers" are. Roland Paris, university research chair in International Security and Governance at the University of Ottawa, agreed that Alexander’s statement has significant implications for foreign policy.

“If this is Canadian government policy, that has implications for what we are doing. And if it’s Canadian government policy, the actions need to be brought into line with that policy. If it isn’t Canadian government policy, then minister Alexander should reconsider those words,” he said.

Pakistan:The Jamaat-e-Islami’s shenanigans

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/

We seem to have been bombarded of late by the stunted intellect of the mullah variety in Pakistan. As if the Council of Islamic Ideology’s edicts on underage marriage and polygamy were not enough, the Jamaat-e-Islami, Pakistan’s mainstream hardliner religious political party, has moved a motion in the National Assembly that the talent show ‘Pakistan Idol’ is “obscene” and ruining the values of society. One wonders where these maulvis (clerics) come up with such logic from. How can a music and singing talent contest that allows youngsters to showcase their vocal abilities and add some fun and colour to their lives and the lives of the viewers be a vulgarity-promoting activity? There is absolutely nothing objectionable about the programme from an ethical or moral point of view but, it seems, anything that brings even the slightest amount of joy to the people of Pakistan must be condemned by those belonging to the Jamaat-e-Islami and their ilk. This is typical of the dogmatic mindset that has begun permeating almost every level of society of late, leaving little room for logic and reason.

To add to the concern, the Jamaat-e-Islami has elected a new ameer (chief). Munawar Hasan has been replaced by Sirajul Haq, a senior minister in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government. His predecessor, Munawar Hasan, became quite notorious and loathed a few months back when he boasted that soldiers from the Pakistan army are not shaheeds (martyrs) but those militants killed by drone strikes are. Now it is quite alarming to note that Sirajul Haq, who has a reputation for being much more of a hardliner than Munawar Hasan, has been anointed ameer. His predecessor Munawar Hasan had been a lacklustre leader and only succeeded in weakening the position of the Jamaat-e-Islami to such an extent that, electorally, the party has continued to show dismal results, having only four of its members sitting in the current National Assembly. Sirajul Haq was also a senior minister in the now defunct Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal alliance, which, when it had a government in the then North West Frontier Province under the Pervez Musharraf dispensation, was so disliked by the people that it did not survive the political demise of Musharraf. To think that this man is now going to head the Jamaat-e-Islami is a pointer towards only one reality: the party will further issue harsh and ludicrous edicts like the one on Pakistan Idol, further limiting the open and broad vision with which the average Pakistani wishes to live. Also, when the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal government was in place in what is now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, it was a time of strengthening homegrown terror, betraying the link between the provincial government and militant outfits. So, combining the Jamaat-e-Islami’s love for marking all things recreational as obscene and for its open support for terror groups, we seem to now be looking at a period of further isolation of the party. The majority of Pakistanis, while religious, are not hardliners at heart. They believe in the Sufi tradition and culture and wish to live in peace. The brand of Islam that the Jamaat-e-Islami wishes to promote is out of sync with the mindset of the people. It is hoped the Jamaat-e-Islami will revisit its position on matters such as that of Pakistan Idol but this is unlikely. What will probably happen is more ludicrous assertions being made by the new hardline ameer of the Jamaat-e-Islami and the people rolling their eyes at the narrow-mindedness they reflect.

Pakistan: Saudis jump in to ‘save’ Musharraf

The government is planning to allow safe passage out of Pakistan to Pervez Musharraf on “humanitarian grounds” after direct possible diplomatic intervention from the Saudi Arabian authorities as a part of a covert deal, a top government functionary revealed on Monday. “The modalities are being given final touches,” the source, a federal minister by portfolio, told the Daily Times in an exclusive day-long interaction at his office. Musharraf’s application for the removal of his name from the Exit Control List (ECL) was discussed during a top-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and attended by Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan and other cabinet members at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat on Monday. Requesting anonymity, a close aide of Musharraf confirmed to this reporter that the application regarding the removal of the ex-general’s name from the ECL will be filed on Tuesday (today). Saudi rulers, who were close to Nawaz as well as Musharraf, have traditionally been involved in the high-profile political deals in the past. During a recent conversation, the Saudi crown prince is said to have showed his “displeasure” with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over the way Musharraf’s case was being handled, especially in the backdrop of his mother’s poor health who, the prince believed, deserved to be attended by his son. In this context, grounds are being paved for Musharraf’s ouster from Pakistan for humanitarian reasons. The legal experts, however, say the former military dictator cannot leave the country without the Supreme Court’s consent. Unless the Supreme Court reviews its decree on federal guarantees over Musharraf’s presence in the country, the government cannot lift the travel restrains against him, according to a highly placed official at the Interior Ministry. The turn of the upcoming events looks to be a replay of the happenings in 2001 when Nawaz Sharif and his family were sent to Saudi Arabia under a deal, and after 13 years, Musharraf would be expecting the same from Nawaz. “The sole difference between then and now is that Musharraf would be allowed safe passage on health grounds,” a source added.

Pakistan: Pervez Musharraf’s indictment

A HISTORIC day it was yesterday as for the first time ever a former army chief and military dictator stood before a judge and faced charges of violating the Constitution. Whether a trial of Pervez Musharraf under Article 6 of the Constitution will make it more difficult for future coup makers is an important question, but not the only one. Surely, if the Constitution is sacrosanct and the democratic will of the people is to be protected as a foundational value of the state, then a power grab in violation of the Constitution and democratic values ought to be punished, as stipulated by the Constitution itself. And while a court judgment alone is unlikely to deter a future dictator, the polity here has evolved and a trial could be the capstone of a new Pakistan in which coups are much more unlikely for a variety of reasons.

Now for the complications. As known to one and all, Mr Musharraf was indicted for the November 2007 Emergency that saw him try to extend his hold on power by ousting a superior judiciary that may have stood in the way of him gaining yet another term as president. But, as also known to one and all, nothing Mr Musharraf did on Nov 3, 2007 would have been possible if it were not for the fact that he had already overthrown the Constitution and grabbed power — back in October 1999. Trying the former dictator for actions that were only possible because of the original sin, the original coup, without so much as a mention of the original sin is problematic, and inadequate. Yes, the events of 1999 have gone through a far more complicated legal path and validation than the events of 2007, which were not sanctified by the courts or parliament, but there is a simple, undeniable fact that ought to hold: power was grabbed illegally in 1999 by Mr Musharraf under the same Constitution that he stands accused of violating in 2007. Furthermore, there must be questions asked about whether Mr Musharraf alone should face history’s judgment, or whether the many individuals whose collaboration was necessary for sanctifying and perpetuating Mr Musharraf’s rule ought to also face trial.

Nevertheless, a process is under way now and the immediate question is what will be its outcome. If indictment took far too long, a trial itself with Mr Musharraf inside the country is still far from a certainty. The will-he, won’t-he question has immediately taken centre stage: will Mr Musharraf be allowed to travel abroad, thereby reducing the likelihood of a return to Pakistan ever again, or won’t he be allowed to do so? For now, the matter appears to be the federal government’s to decide, but it is likely to seek direction from the Supreme Court first. The pre-trial circus may yet continue for a while.

CM Sindh condemns the theft of statue, sacred objects from Hindu shrine

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The Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah has strictly condemned the theft of a statue, some other sacred objects from a Hindu shrine near Mithi and attempt to desecrate the Hindu worship places. He termed these attempts as conspiracy to trigger communal riots in the province. He said that some anti-state elements, who do not want Peace, tolerance and brotherhood among the people, are behind this conspiracy, the Chief Minister vowed that the government not to allow anyone to pitch any segment of society against other one by creating religious or ethnic issues between them. The Chief Minister said that each minority should to enjoy all rights equally to other societies in the province. He said that the Sindh government to provide full protection to minorities, worships, and their business here in Sindh province. He directed the Inspector General Police to put all the intelligence network at his disposal in the field and unearth / detect the conspirators against this heinous crime and take strict but exemplary action against this gang of criminals and their supporters. The Chief Minister Sindh also directed all the DIGs, SSPs and District Administration in Sindh to be vigilant and ensure foolproof security at all worships of minorities. The Chief Minister Sindh while expressing his solidarity with all minorities specially with Hindu Communities assured them that their rights provided in constitution would be protected at any cost. He said that there was a big majority of minorities supporting the PPP and PPP would stand with them to protect.

Turkey accused of sending fighters to Syria

Damascus says Ankara sends foreign fighters to Syria to fight government troops.

Syria's information minister has lashed out at Turkey, accusing Ankara of sending foreign fighters across the border to fight Syrian government troops in President Bashar Assad's ancestral homeland in Latakia province.

Omran al-Zoubi told the state TV on Sunday that neighbouring Turkey is facilitating the entry of "groups of foreigners, armed to their teeth" into Latakia, where fighting is raging between Syrian government forces and rebel fighters trying to oust Assad.

Recently, the Syrian government complained to the UN that Ankara was providing cover to rebels crossing the border to Syrian soil.

Turkey is a NATO member that once had good ties with Syria. But the two countries had a falling out over Ankara's support for the Syrian opposition in the three-year-old conflict. Hostilities have flared along the border on several occasions and last week, Turkey shot down a Syrian fighter jet, saying it violated its airspace.

Damascus rejects Ankara's airspace violation allegations, saying that the plane was hit on Syrian airspace.

Saudi Arabia: Three held over criticising government on YouTube

Saudi authorities have arrested three citizens who posted YouTube videos urging the oil-rich kingdom to improve their living standards and criticising “corruption”, activists said on Sunday.

The arrests were made on Saturday, the day US President Barack Obama flew home from Saudi Arabia under fire for not having done more to raise human rights concerns during talks with King Abdullah, activists said.

In one video, a young man identifying himself as Abdulaziz Mohammed al-Dosari addressed King Abdullah saying he has to survive on a low income, and does not own a house or a car.

“We are fed up, and you still blame those who carry out bombings,” the man says, urging the king to give Saudis money to improve their lives.

“Give us our money… we do not want to beg… You and your children are playing with this money,” he said about Saudi’s oil wealth in the 30-second video during which he held up his identification card.

In another video, a man identifying himself as Abdullah bin Othman charged that “corruption is widespread” in Saudi Arabia while “people are hungry and oppressed.”

GHULAM ALI KHAN: ''SAQI SHARAB LA KEH TABIYAT UDAS HAI''

Pakistan:Sindh Assembly demands end to CII

The Sindh Assembly Monday demanded the disbandment of the Council of Islamic Ideology while passing a resolution to stop implementation on the CII's earlier decisions, DawnNews reported. The resolution was moved by Pakistan Muslim League-Functional's (PML-F) leader Mehtab Akhtar Rashidi. The Assembly expressed serious reservations over the recent decisions taken by the CII with regards to women. It moreover demanded of the federal government that any implementation of the CII’s recommendations on underage marriages and DNA tests should be stopped The CII has come under fire with its controversial statements and rulings. Earlier this month, the CII had ruled that laws related to minimum age of marriage were un-Islamic and that children of any age could get married if they attain puberty. CII chairman Maulana Mohammad Khan Sheerani had said that the age of puberty varied from individuals to individuals and that it was the responsibility of guardians to have ruksati as soon as the child attains the age of puberty. It had also said that the current law requiring a man to seek written permission from his wife before contracting a second marriage should be amended. “The government should amend the law to make the issue of more than one marriage easy and in accordance with Sharia," Sheerani had said.

Farhatullah Babar replies to media queries about jewelry allegedly belonging to Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto

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Spokesperson replies to media queries about jewelry allegedly belonging to Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Islamabad March 31, 2014: Replying to a media query about a letter purportedly written by PPP Co Chair Mr. Asif Ali Zardari to unnamed Swiss authorities through a Swiss lawyer seeking return of a jewellery allegedly belonging to Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, Spokesperson Senator Farhatullah Babar recalled that the jeweler, when summoned by the Swiss Magistrate, had already deposed at the time denying that the jewelry belonged to her.

Since the ownership of the jewelry has already been denied by the jeweler himself before the Magistrate it is strange and illogical to assert that Mr. Asif Ali Zardari has asked for the return of the jewelry that neither belongs to him nor to Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, he said.

Furthermore, he said that for the past several years since the case ended there has been no Swiss lawyer of Mr. Zardari in Switzerland through whom Mr. Zardari is alleged to have approached unnamed Swiss authorities.

Kerry, Lavrov fail to reach Ukraine deal

The United States and Russia failed to reach a deal on Ukraine after talks in Paris, with US Secretary of State John Kerry calling on Moscow to pull back its forces.

Europe’s dependence on Russian gas to remain in near future — German expert

Diversifying gas supplies to Europe will only be possible by the end of this decade, says Friedbert Pflueger, director of the European Centre for Energy and Resource Security

Europe cannot reduce energy dependence on supplies from Russia in the near future despite signals sent by Western leaders in the light of the Ukraine crisis, says Friedbert Pflueger, director of the European Centre for Energy and Resource Security (EUCERS).

In an article published by Germany's leading business and finance daily, Handelsblatt, on Monday, the expert said that while discussing the issue, “a very significant aspect” was usually overlooked.

“Diversifying gas supplies (to Europe) will only be possible by the end of this decade,” he said. “Besides, considering that Europe is running out of natural gas, Russian energy supplies will be in great demand in 2030 as well.”

Pflueger noted that US supplies of liquefied natural gas produced by hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, could be a theoretically possible alternative. But this was also connected with certain problems. Firstly, this kind of export would be mainly oriented towards Asian countries. Secondly, its price would not be as low as Europeans wanted due to its high production and shipping costs.

“Whether we want it or not, our energy dependence on Russia will still remain for a rather long time, even if we manage to slightly reduce it,” Pflueger said. “EU strategy aimed at diversification of energy sources is right in terms of politics and economy,” he added. “However, it should be used with caution, avoiding populist decisions made in a hurry and taking into account the importance of Russian supplies for European enterprises and consumers that will remain for a long time.”

Crimea to become special economic zone with tax breaks to attract investors

Moscow will make Crimea a special economic zone with tax breaks to attract investors, Russian Prime Minister has announced at a government session in Crimea’s capital Simferopol.

“We made a decision to make Crimea a special economic zone,” Medvedev said. “Today the state duma began reviewing this legislation.”

Companies that make investments with the authorities of Crimea and Sevastopol could be given tax breaks, Prime Minister said

“We have to ensure swindlers don’t take advantage of this state in transition,” Medvedev said. “It is our purpose to make the peninsula as attractive as possible for investment.” The Prime Minister described the development of Crimea as a national priority and compared the importance of the region to that of the Far East.

Earlier, Medvedev drew parallels between Crimea and another Russian region that’s geographically separated from Russia. He said Crimea could acquire the status of a special economic zone similar to the one enjoyed by Russia's western Kaliningrad region.

"As well as in the case of Kaliningrad, a specific law is required which allows tax privileges to all large investors, ready to put money into the region," Medvedev said last week.

Speaking in Simferopol on Monday, the Prime Minister said Crimea was ready to be integrated into the Russian monetary system.

“For fully fledged integration of Crimea into the ruble zone, Russian currency has been delivered in sufficient volumes to the peninsular,” he announced.

Medvedev said the ruble has already started circulating in the region. “Now, our main task is to expand the Russian banking network to Crimea,” he added. The Crimean parliament approved switching to the Russian currency earlier in March. The MPs decided to also keep the Ukrainian hryvnia as a second official currency until 2016, to make the transition to the ruble less painful.

Medvedev earlier this month ordered the cabinet to have a comprehensive program on the development of Crimea and Sevastopol ready by July.

Vice-premier Dmitry Kozak, who supervises the peninsular, said the plan could be ready as early as April 15. Before being entrusted with overseeing Crimea, Kozak was in charge of preparations for the Sochi 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

New Focus on Pakistan’s Lawless Border Region

Next year’s anticipated departure of foreign troops from Afghanistan is focusing new attention on Pakistan’s volatile border region known as the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). The region has long been outside state control, and observers worry it could become an “epicenter of international terrorism” if the militant groups based there are left unchecked after foreign troops leave Afghanistan.

With a population of around five million, the semiautonomous FATA region of Pakistan mostly consists of seven tribal districts. All but one border Afghanistan.

The lawless territory has long been a refuge for fugitives and criminal gangs involved in kidnapping, trafficking drugs and weapons. In the 1980s, it served as a training ground for radicalized Afghan and Arab fighters who participated in the U.S.-funded insurgency against the Soviet occupation.

That fundamentally changed the region, said author Ahmed Rashid.

“In the 1980s FATA was a huge dumping ground for weapons and ammunition for the Mujahideen both by the CIA and the ISI. Thousands of miles of roads were built right up to the Afghan border so that these arms and ammunitions could be dumped right on the border and then mule backs could take them further in the country to fight the Soviets,” said Rashid.

In the years that followed the Soviet withdrawal in 1989, critics said Pakistan’s spy agency continued to assist groups based in the region to exert influence in Afghanistan. Rashid said the region remains a key base for the Afghan insurgency to this day.

“In 2003 and 2004, the Afghan Taliban were re-launched in Afghanistan with the help of Pakistan. FATA played a huge role in that re-launch, a great many of the Afghan Taliban were based in FATA," said Rashid.

The United States and Afghanistan have long said FATA is used by militants for deadly cross-border raids on U.S. and coalition troops in Afghanistan. Pakistan’s army has launched offensives over the years against some groups in parts of the tribal region, but it has not carried out a broad offensive as sought by Afghanistan and the United States. Instead, Washington has targeted militants in the region through drone strikes, a policy that has created deep resentment in much of Pakistan.

Pakistani authorities admit that the region harbors militants who have carried out attacks killing thousands in Pakistan. But Abdul Qadir Baloch, Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions, said there are steep challenges to bringing the region under state control.

“There have been large scale migrations and displacements [in FATA]. There has been a massive radicalization of the [tribal] society, large-scale target killings have been taking place, writ of the government has been weakened beyond almost repair and there have been military operations. The result of this has been the disruption of the existing social fabric of FATA,” explained Baloch.

Successive governments in Pakistan have often preferred to keep the status quo in FATA instead of taking a chance on uncertain military or political strategies that face steep challenges.

Yousaf Rahim, FATA’s Additional Director General Projects, said there are still longstanding economic and social problems in FATA that will make any intervention difficult.

“Sixty percent of the population in FATA is below the poverty line, which makes it pretty difficult to intervene in FATA. The economic activity, which we have in FATA at the moment, I would say, is negligible and that primarily gives rise to unemployment and the issues affiliated with that. We have a low literacy rate of around 17 percent," said Rahim.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has repeatedly described the militancy originating from FATA as a threat to Pakistan. His administration is reaching out to the Taliban with peace talks, but it also has not ruled out a broader military offensive. American scholar Marvin Weinbaum said terrorists operating in FATA pose threats to Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, making them a global danger.

“The international community is sincerely concerned about for one thing Pakistan as a custodian of its nuclear assets and that to the extent that terrorism is enabled in Pakistan that it will make the nuclear assets vulnerable to extremist groups,” said Weinbaum.

Pakistani officials insist the nuclear weapons are secure from militants, but Weinbaum argued that the departure of international forces in Afghanistan removes a powerful check on the militant groups in the region, making them a deadlier threat.

The country’s ruling political parties are making new efforts to reassert control over FATA, possibly by changing the British colonial laws that still govern the region. Surveys indicate a majority of people favor making it a province like the rest of Pakistan, which could lead to the creation of police forces and courts to adjudicate disputes.

Abdullah Sees Surprise Win Making Him Afghanistan President

Abdullah Abdullah, who finished second in Afghanistan’s 2009 presidential election, is confident he can win enough ballots on April 5 to avoid a runoff and sign a deal “within a month” to keep U.S. troops in the country.

“God willing, we will have an election which will purely reflect the outcome of Afghans votes and it won’t go to the second round,” Abdullah, 53, said in an interview on March 28 during a campaign stop in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif when asked about his chances. “I’m not that much concerned about other candidates.”

Abdullah is one of several leading contenders to succeed President Hamid Karzai, who has refused to sign an agreement to keep U.S. troops in Afghanistan beyond this year. The Taliban, which lost power after the U.S. invasion in 2001, has sought to disrupt the vote with attacks on police outposts, election offices and establishments frequented by foreigners. A surprise first-round victory followed by the security agreement would pave the way for Asia’s poorest country to receive billions of dollars in funds to pay government salaries and fight militants. Marine Corps General Joseph Dunford, the head of U.S.-led forces in the country, said this month the elections are likely headed for a runoff, and a new president probably wouldn’t take office until August.

Abdullah, who served as Karzai’s foreign minister for four years, withdrew in 2009 from a runoff with his former boss, saying it wouldn’t produce a clean vote. Abdullah said he has “hope” that this election will be cleaner than the 2009 election, even as Taliban attacks curtail monitoring activities.

U.S. Troops Afghanistan needs the U.S. and international community to provide support, both financially and with security, Abdullah said. President Barack Obama said Feb. 25 that he asked the Pentagon to prepare plans for withdrawal of all forces by December, while waiting to see if the next Afghan leader will sign the Bilateral Security Agreement.

The number of international troops in Afghanistan should be enough to “assert their presence and provide support,” Abdullah said. “It’s in the interest of Afghanistan.”

At the same time, he called for closer relations with neighboring countries and said Afghanistan’s foreign policy should balance concerns of Russia, China and the U.S.. While cross-border attacks have hurt relations with Pakistan, it’s still an important partner for Afghanistan, he said.

“Pakistan understands Pakistani Taliban are threatening their own security, and Afghan Taliban are also threatening their security and ours,” Abdullah said.

Blaming Pakistan Karzai blamed Pakistan for a March 20 attack on Kabul’s Serena Hotel that killed nine people. In a phone call two days ago with Secretary of State John Kerry, Karzai questioned whether the U.S. has the ability or will to influence countries that “support terrorism,” a reference to Pakistan.

The Taliban are boycotting the elections and have vowed to disrupt the polls. Abdul Jabar Haqbeen, governor of northern Sar-e Pol province, said the group last night abducted a candidate who is running for a seat in the provincial council along with his seven associates. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed did not answer calls to his mobile phone.

The guerrilla group attacked the Election Commission headquarters in Kabul two days ago, adding to violence that killed or injured more than 8,000 civilians in 2013, a 14 percent increase from the previous year, according to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.

‘Desire Peace’

The people of Afghanistan “just desire peace,” Abdullah said in the interview, adding that he’d continue talks with the Taliban to reach a settlement.

Abdullah is half Pashtun and half Tajik. Pashtuns account for 42 percent of Afghanistan’s 31 million people, while Tajiks make up 27 percent, according to the CIA World Factbook. Uzbeks and Hazaras both account for 9 percent and other groups comprise the rest, it says.

Last week in Mazar-e-Sharif, an area where Pashtuns are a minority, tens of thousands of people came to hear Abdullah’s speech. Some supporters celebrated the political rally by dancing in the crowd.

“Dr. Abdullah has grown up among people and he can better understand people’s sorrow, said Jawid Khaliqi, 27, a book seller in the city, in an interview. ‘‘Other candidates grew up in foreign countries and will never understand our needs.’’ Sept. 11 Abdullah was a close aide of Northern Alliance commander Ahmad Shah Masood, a Tajik who is seen by many Afghans as a national hero. They fought together against Soviet occupiers in the 1980s and the Taliban in the 1990s. Suicide bombers killed Masood two days before the Sept. 11 attacks that led to the U.S. invasion.

Abdullah’s top opponents are Pashtuns who have also had roles in Karzai cabinets: Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, a former finance minister who holds a doctorate degree in cultural anthropology from Columbia University in New York, and Zalmai Rassoul, an ex-foreign minister who received an endorsement from Karzai’s brother.

Also running is former warlord Abdul Rasul Sayyaf, according to a Feb. 27 report from the Congressional Research Service. Sayyaf supported figures in the 1980s and 1990s who ultimately formed al-Qaeda and served as the ‘‘mentor” of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, according to The 9/11 Commission Report. Either Abdullah or Ghani will probably become Afghanistan’s next president, according to Faizullah Jalal, a lecturer at Kabul University.

“It is hard to say which one of these two most popular politicians will win,” he said. “But it’s simple to say one of them will win unless there is fraud.”

Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto - Aeek Hee Rasta - URDU DOCUMENTARY

A tribute to Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto

A tribute to Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto by Kashif Gujjar

Post by Pakistan Peoples Party - PPP.

Video: Afghan election: Kandahar conundrum

Pakistan’s Former Ruler Pleads Not Guilty to Treason

Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan’s former military ruler, pleaded not guilty to treason on Monday after being formally indicted by a special court in Islamabad, the capital, according to lawyers in the case.

The indictment marks a turning point for Pakistan, where the military has long dominated the civilian leadership and no military ruler has ever been tried for abuse of power.

As the formal charges were read out, Mr. Musharraf stood in a defiant stance and pleaded not guilty.

“I fought two wars for the country,” he said. “I gave 44 years of my life to Pakistan’s army. The country was nearing default in 1999 when I assumed power, but I restored the country’s honor. I regret that despite all this I am being called a traitor.”

Mr. Musharraf is accused of subverting Pakistan’s Constitution in 2007, when he imposed emergency rule and fired high-ranking judicial officials in an attempt to maintain his grip on power. He resigned under threat of impeachment in 2008 and left the country.

He returned to Pakistan in March 2013 to revive his political career, but instead found himself ensnared in a phalanx of court cases stemming from his time in power. The treason charge is the most serious one Mr. Musharraf faces; if convicted, he could be sentenced to death.

Proceedings in the case began last December, but Mr. Musharraf’s appearance Monday was only his second in 37 hearings. His lawyers have cited security and health concerns for past absences.

On Jan. 2, Mr. Musharraf was on his way to court but went instead to a military hospital in the neighboring garrison city of Rawalpindi, after complaining of heart trouble. Since then, the justices on the panel hearing the case have expressed their unhappiness with Mr. Musharraf’s continuing absence. The panel, headed by Justice Faisal Arab, issued an arrest warrant for Mr. Musharraf that would have gone into effect had he failed to attend the hearing Monday.

Late Sunday night, Mr. Musharraf’s lawyers said he had been admitted to intensive care at the military hospital, suggesting that he might again fail to appear. But on Monday morning, a contingent of Islamabad police officers arrived at the hospital. Mr. Musharraf, for whom arrest would have been a deeply humiliating possibility, agreed to go to Islamabad.

Elaborate security arrangements were made for the proceedings Monday. At least 2,100 police officers and paramilitary troops stood guard on the route from the military hospital in Rawalpindi to the court in Islamabad.

Muhammad Farogh Naseem, a lawyer for Mr. Musharraf, urged the court to allow him to travel to the United Arab Emirates to visit his mother, who he said was in critical condition in a hospital there. Mr. Naseem also asked that Mr. Musharraf be allowed to go to the United States, where he would prefer to receive his medical treatment. Justice Arab said the court would rule on those requests later Monday.

Renowned intellectuals believe Saudi-funded fanatics set all to occupy Pakistan

www.shiitenews.com

Renowned intellectuals and analysts of Pakistan believe that Saudi-funded Deobandis and Salafis set all to occupy Pakistan.

Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, head of PMLQ, said that Pakistan would have to pay heavy price for the $1.5 billion Saudi gift.

“Saudis always fund for services that the Saudi regime need from Pakistan hence their 1.5 billion dollars should also be seen in that perspective,” said Zaid Hamid, an analyst and intellectual answering a question of Din News channel’s anchor.

On the other hand, Khushnud Ali Khan, Editor of Daily Jinnah, wrote in a column that Sunni Bralevis are majority sect in Pakistan but their majority doesn’t have deep knowledge of their peaceful ideology so they couldn’t differentiate between Bralevis and Deobandis/Salafis.

He said that banned Sipah-e-Sahaba and such other outfits take the advantage of this ignorance and convert Sunni Bralevis by their propaganda. He said that Sunni Bralevis are ignorant of the fact that Saudi-backed Deobandis and Salafis have set all to occupy whole of Pakistan.

“PMLN Government has displeased Shia population of Pakistan and Iran by allowing terrorist group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi freedom in Pakistan,” said Zaid Hamid. He further said that on the one hand, Pakistani army train Saudis who now want Pakistan naval officials too for Saudi submarines and on the other Iranian trainee cadets were assassinated in Pakistan. He said that awards were given to Lashkar-e-Jhangvi terrorists who assassinated Shia Muslims and Iranians and Punjab government’s representatives were present at that ceremony in Quetta.

Pakistan: 95% of minority worship places converted to commercial use, survey finds

Out of 428 minorities’ places of worship in the country, 408 have been converted into toy stores, restaurants, government offices and schools after 1990, a survey has found.

Another shocking figure disclosed in the survey conducted by the All Pakistan Hindu Rights Movement (PHRM) was that only 20 Hindu temples out of the 428 places of worship are operational.

“The remaining places of worship have been leased for commercial and residential purposes by the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), said PHRM Chairman Haroon Sarab Diyal. The 135,000 acres of land owned by around four million Hindus is now under ETPB’s control.

Representatives of the Hindu community also wrote to all the chief ministers of the four provinces but have not received a response yet, Diyal added. He urged the government to hand over these religious places to the Hindu community to mitigate their resentment and fear of being forced to leave their homeland.

Sharing documents with The Express Tribune, he revealed that Kali Bari Hindu Temple has been rented out to a Muslim party in Dera Ismail Khan. This historic temple is being used as Taj Mehal Hotel, he added.

The documents also allege that Frontier Constabulary officials, with the help of the ETPB, occupied the Shamshan Ghaat, also in Dera Ismail Khan. The Hindu community is unable to cremate their dead because of the unavailability of Shamshan Ghaat and is forced to bury them in a graveyard shared my members of other faiths. A Hindu temple in district Bannu, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, is now a well-known sweets shop. Meanwhile, the Holy Shiv Temple in Kohat has been converted into a government primary school.

Government Girls High School, Peshawar Cantt, now stands where a historical Hindu temple used to be; other historic temples such as the Asamai temple has been closed down in the K-P capital.

Meanwhile, Guru Duwara Gali, a Sikh religious place, has been converted into a garments shop in Abbottabad. In the federal capital, Islamabad, the Raam Kunde Complex of Temples at SaidPur Model village is now a ‘picnic site’. A second temple at Rawal Dam, Islamabad, has been shut down and the Hindu community believes that it is going to dilapidate day by day without being handed over to them.

In Punjab, a Hindu temple was demolished and reconstructed as a community centre in Rawalpindi, while in Chakwal, ten famous temples collectively known as Bhuwan are being used by the local Muslim community for commercial purposes, despite being handed over to the Hindus.

“Even if we have control of the temples, local residents dump oil drums, utensils and animals around them,” complained Diyal.

However, Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Yousaf assured that the Evacuee Trust has already been directed to gather the data pertaining to all religious places owned by minority communities. “At least, [all this] did not happen during our government’s tenure,” he said when he was informed of the survey’s findings. “I’ll take up this matter with minorities’ leaders. It’s a serious matter.”

A committee will be constituted to address these concerns, he routinely added.

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Balochistan: Three more bodies found from a mass grave in Khuzdar

http://balochwarna.com/

Three more bodies were found in a mass grave in Tootak area of Khuzdar, Balochistan on Sunday.

Tootak is the same area where on Jan, 24, 2014 at least 13 bodies had been recovered and the recovery of three more corpses makes the total official number of bodies 16.

Balochistan Home and Tribal Affairs Secretary, Asad Gilani, confirmed the recovery of three more bodies; he told BBC Urdu that a local of the area informed Deputy Commissioner Khuzdar about the presence of bodies.

He said the local administration inspected the area and excavated the three bodies.

According to Levies sources two bodies were found from one grave whereas the third was found from some distance in another place. The bodies have been shifted to district headquarters hospital in Khuzdar. Hospital sources said the bodies were disfigured beyond recognition and six months old. Hospital sources also said two bodies were merely bones whereas the third still had some flesh on it. The Home Secretary said that steps will be taken for the DNA test of these bodies to ascertain their identity.

It is pertinent to remember that three mass graves were found in the same location of Tootak area inKhuzdar district of Balochistan on 24 January. The regional administration had confirmed the discovery of 13 bodies from those graves.

After the discovery of mass graves human rights organizations and Baloch nationalist parties and organizations had protested against this incident. Baloch nationalist parties had said at least 169 bodies were found from three mass graves. The Pakistan army had later sealed the area and took control of the bodies. The Balochistan government constituted a judicial inquiry Tribunal comprising a Balochistan High Court judge to investigate the discovery of mass graves in Tootak.

The Tribunal allowed the burial of 11 disfigured and unidentified bodies that were found from Khuzadr on 24 January, 2014. The local administration of Khuzdar buried the bodies in a mass grave. Identity of three of the bodies was ascertained and they were handed over to their relatives. All three men were residents of earthquake hit district of Awaran Balochistan. Balochistan High Court judge Justice Mohammad Noor Miskanzai recorded the statement of eye-witnesses of Tootak mass graves before judicial Tribunal. The investigation of the previous mass graves is still continued yet another mass grave has been found in the same area.

Voice for Baloch Missing Persons and Baloch pro-freedom Baloch parties and leaders had asked for an international inquiry and urged the UN to send a team of medical experts to investigate the incident and ascertain the identity of those bodies found in Tootak mass graves.

Baloch pro-freedom leader Hyrbyair Marri in a statement expressed his concerned about the unearthing of mass graves in Balochistan on 24 January.

He had said: “We suspect that the government is trying to remove the evidence from the site because the other day when locals were digging the mass graves, the Pakistani security forces opened fire on them and took control of the entire region. They are not allowing anyone including the media to go in that area which illustrates that Pakistan army is busy in removing evidences.”

Demographic change in Balochistan and coming Tsunami

Ever since the inception of Pakistan, Balochistan has been the most turbulent province. It has witnessed five major military operations. The ongoing operation which started on 2006 and was intensified after the demise of Nawab Akbar Bugti an influential tribal chief cum politician has been the deadliest of all operations.

As compared to past, Baloch sarmachars ( Baloch guerillas) are now more organized and powerful. They have been successful in not allowing the Gwadar Port (bone of contention between Islamabad and Baloch leaders) to be functional. Due to the fear of these insurgents, no entrepreneurs have shown any interest in vast resources of Balochistan because they fear that government will not be able provide security to them against Baloch insurgents.

In most parts of the Balochistan, especially in southern and central Balochistan, writ of the government does not exist. In schools no Pakistani anthem is sung and no Pakistani flag is hoisted.

To counter the Baloch sarmachars, establishment has resorted to various counter insurgency strategies like kill and dump policy, hiring local people and establishing their own death squads, to abduct people who are ideological proponents of sarmachars. But all these imprudent strategies have not resolved the issue rather it has added oil to the fire. Owing to these insane policies, gulf between Baloch masses and state has widened.

After failing to crush the Baloch insurgency, establishment has now opted for another dangerous strategy that is bring demographic changes in Balochistan and to prove that anti state Balochs are minority in Balochistan, whereas, pro state Pashtoons are in majority. To achieve this goal, establishment is now importing Pashtoons from neighboring Afghanistan to settle in Balochistan.

As a result of this new strategy, millions of Afghan refugees have settled in Balochistan, especially in the Quetta city. Kharotabad, Pashtoonabad and western bypass are the areas where Afghan refugees are in majority. According to a survey, 50% of Quetta comprised of Afghan refugees. They don’t consider them as refugees, they have Pakistani passport, CNIC and have bought property in Quetta.

This unwise strategy will have grim and grave repercussions not only for Baloch insurgents, but for the Pakistani state as well. The immigrants will never be loyal to Pakistan; they will always remain loyal to their homeland Afghanistan. A visit of Liaqat Bazaar made me confused whether I am in Quetta or Kandahar. The Afghan refugees have put Afghanistan’s flags on the dash board of their cars and they have pasted sticker of Afghanistani flag on the windows of their cars.

A prominent leader of a Nationalist Pashtoon Party openly said that “those who call them refugees they are wrong, this is greater Afghanistan and a Pashtoon who travel from Quetta to Kandahar, he is not a refugee there, similarly a Pashtoon who travel from Kandahar to Quetta, he is not refugee here. Durand line, itself is an illegal border line and we don’t recognize it.” So, instead of countering Baloch insurgency, this import of refugees is reviving Pashtoon nationalism.

As compared to Baloch nationalism, Pashtoon nationalism will be far more dangerous for the state. In the Afghan refugees of Quetta, bulk of the population comprised of Afghan Taliban and in lexicon of Pakistani establishment they are called Good Taliban or Pro Pakistan Taliban and they have no nexus with Bad Taliban or Anti Pakistan Taliban. But in real, there is no concept of Good or Bad Taliban. They are same, they share the same ideology, they have a same agenda to establish their hegemony in the region and to impose a shariah of their own brand and more importantly they belong to the same ethnic group. According to the political pundits, after the departure of US, Taliban will easily conquer Kabul and Bad Taliban or TTP will find safe havens in Afghanistan and they will launch their attack in Pakistan from Afghanistan. There will be a change in the attitude of Good Taliban after US drawdown and they will also become Bad Taliban. They will join hands with TTP and they will start a Al-Qaeda version of Jihad in Pakistan.

Unlike Baloch nationalism, Pashtoon nationalism can use the tool of Islam to capture whole Pakistan which means apart from Pashtoon Taliban, Punjabi Taliban, Lashkar e Jhangvi and other Islamic militant all over the world can come to join hands with them and Pakistan’s chances of defeating these combine forces of Islamic extremists will be nil. The result will be as that of a Tsunami.

Pakistan: Female anti-polio worker shot dead in Bannu

Pakistan Today

Terrorists continue attacking anti-polio teams as one more female worker was gunned down on Monday. According to reports, the incident took place in the limits of Cantt police station of the city where unidentified gunmen opened fire on the female polio worker, leaving her dead on the spot. It may be mentioned here that anti-polio teams are being attacked in almost every province of the country since last year. Seeing the situation, the government has provided better security facilities to the workers.

Pakistan: Formation of forward bloc possible as differences engulf PTI

Internal rifts have been posing a serious threat to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) recently, as several founding members have either left or been sidelined by newcomers who registered themselves with the party just before the general elections last year.

Many who struggled to establish PTI in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) now refuse to attend party meetings and lament the current situation, saying that businessmen and billionaires have hijacked the PTI.

A sense of ‘partition’ prevails as PTI Nazriati is expected to emerge with over 20 members of the provincial assembly belonging to different districts, including Peshawar, Mardan and Swat.

Party sources told The Express Tribune that many loyal supporters had been expressing their grievances, but could not complain publicly. However, with the recent reshuffling in the K-P cabinet and relentless interference from the centre, the differences have surfaced and a forward bloc seems to be in the making.

A party source, requesting anonymity, questioned why only the health ministry was reshuffled and cited the long tussle between former health minister Shaukat Yousafzai and PTI Central General Secretary Jehangir Tareen over shutting down Peoples Primary Healthcare Initiative (PPHI), a project reportedly being looked over by Tareen.

The source alleged nonstop interference in provincial party issues by Tareen, adding, “The central leadership of PTI is putting unnecessary pressure on the provincial government and this interference may disintegrate the party in K-P. I can see a forward bloc in the making.”

The PTI source seconded a statement issued by former information minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain, where he claimed the party may have removed Qaumi Watan Party MPAs over corruption allegations, but had failed to keep a check on corruption in their own party. The source added that K-P Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser has also expressed deep reservations over Shahram Tarakai’s additional charge of the health ministry besides being a senior K-P minister; while Javed Naseem’s resignation from the standing committee is another sign of internal strife, since he was refused a promised portfolio in the provincial cabinet. Jehangir Tareen, Azam Swati and the party spokesperson Shireen Mazari could not be contacted despite several attempts.

Overhaul in the making: Bilawal Bhutto hopes to induct fresh blood into PPP

The Express Tribune

The young leadership of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is looking for a massive overhaul of the party by inducting into its ranks younger and dynamic faces that can actively engage the public through social and conventional media.

Without proper organisation for a long time, the PPP is now looking for fresh blood to help its young patron-in-chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in steering the party following its humiliating defeat in the last year’s general elections.

Bilawal, 25, who inherited the PPP from his mother Benazir Bhutto and maternal grandfather Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, is himself very active on social media and wants to reorganise all the wings of the party – especially its students’ wing, Peoples Students Federation(PSF) – by creating parallel youth wings at the union council level, according to activists close to the PPP chief.

The party’s reorganisation process, though long overdue, suffered a blow due to famine in Tharparkar district of Sindh. The disaster in the province ruled by the PPP left the party red-faced and tarnished its image further. “The visit of Bilawal to Punjab to reorganise the party was due in March. But it is delayed due to security reasons and the situation in Thar,” an old PPP member told The Express Tribune. Since the party was voted out of power in the centre and all the provinces except Sindh, the party leaders have been giving different dates for the party’s re-organisation. However, this time, the party is serious in doing so, claimed the PPP central leaders.

Bilawal was declared chairman of the party though a purported will, after assassination of his mother in 2007, but his father former President Asif Ali Zardari still calls the shots, analysts believe. The party’s reorganisation process has already kicked off, claimed Naveed Chaudhry a veteran PPP leader from Lahore. He said the first meeting in this regard was held last week in Dubai. Bilawal took recommendations from the party’s leaders and those who could not go to Dubai were taken live on Skype, he added. “A few more meetings will be held before the plans will get a final shape,” he added.

Qamar Zaman Kaira, former information minister and information secretary of the party, said though he could not give precise dates when the party’s reorganisation would be completed the process had already kicked off. “Security issues are the main reason for postponement of Bilawal’s visit to Islamabad,” he said, adding that Bilawal wanted to focus more on youth in party’s proposed new bodies.

Contrary to Bilawal’s own point of opinion to induct maximum fresh blood at all levels, the PPP senior leaders have recommended him to include a mix of youth and experienced at the central and provincial levels while at the lower level party should focus maximum on fresh blood.

Peoples Students Federation According to Faisal Sakhi Butt, who contested but lost a National Assembly seat from Islamabad, Bilawal wants to reorganise the PSF, which, he said, was once very dynamic on campuses throughout the country. Butt said before announcing new bodies of the PSF, Bilawal wants to hold interactive sessions with students of colleges and universities. “We are planning his interaction with students when he will be in Lahore. We are also planning his visit to Islamabad for the same purpose,” he said.

In Lahore, he would be meeting students from the central and southern belt of Punjab, while in Islamabad he would meet the students of colleges and universities from Northern Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and other adjoining areas, Butt said. He claimed that the process would be completed by the mid year before the new PSF bodies are in place.

Pakistan vs Syrian conflict: lessons from history

By Inayatullah Rustamani

The war on terror has proved costly for Pakistan. Islamabad has lost its economy, peace, cricket and tarnished its international image as well. Pakistan cannot afford to step for the third time in history into the affairs of another country — the conflict in Syria

Saudi Arabia has provided $ 1.5 billion to the government of Pakistan. Apprehensions and misgivings are widespread over the ulterior motives behind this big sum of money. The Prime Minister (PM) of Pakistan and the finance minister have stated to the opposition parties, the media and the nation that the money has been ‘gifted’ to Pakistan by Saudi Arabia without any terms and conditions. This is not a plausible explanation by the PML-N. This has never occurred in the history of Pakistan. The PML-N first tried hard not to divulge the name of the donor country but in this cyber age that attempt failed and it fuelled suspicions of ulterior objectives behind the move. Saudi Arabia has been frustrated by the US’s inclination to support dialogue between the rebels and the Assad government for a resolution of the Syrian civil war. Saudi Arabia has criticised the international community for not arming anti-Assad regime rebels. Saudi Arabia wants an end to the regime in Syria at every cost. It knows well that if Bashar al-Assad is not removed, Shia resistance in the Middle East will continue and its dreams of being the sole powerful player in the affairs of the Middle East will remain unfulfilled. To turn its dreams into a reality, Saudi Arabia has turned to Pakistan. The talk about town is that Saudi Arabia needs Islamabad’s support for anti-Assad forces in Syria. The foreign minister of Saudi Arabia visited Pakistan in January. The crown prince came to Islamabad in February. The King of Bahrain paid a visit this month. All these dramatic visits paint the picture that Saudi Arabia needs men and arms from Pakistan.

Pakistan has already suffered enormously for interfering in the affairs of others. It has done so twice. The then president Ziaul Haq dragged Pakistan into the Afghanistan war in the 1980s. This made the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan the permanent abode of freedom fighters and, nowadays, terrorists. Ex-president Pervez Musharraf repeated Zia’s acts and involved Pakistan’s army in a US-led war on terror to crush those fighters once called freedom fighters during the Zia regime. The war on terror has proved costly for Pakistan. Islamabad has lost its economy, peace, cricket and tarnished its international image as well. Pakistan cannot afford to step for the third time in history into the affairs of another country — the conflict in Syria.

There is very disturbing news too that ‘al Qaeda militants seek a Syria base, US officials say’ (The New York Times, March 25, 2014), which reads: “Dozens of seasoned militant fighters, including some mid-level planners, have travelled to Syria from Pakistan in recent months in what American intelligence and counterterrorism officials fear is an effort to lay the foundation for future strikes against Europe and the United States...The Qaeda veterans have multiple missions and motivations, counterterrorism officials say. Like thousands of other foreign fighters, many have been drawn on their own to Syria to fight the government of President Bashar al-Assad.” Pakistan’s involvement or any indirect role in the Syrian conflict will turn sour the relations between Pakistan and its neighbouring country, Iran. It will shelve the already long delayed Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline. Pakistan faces a severe energy shortage and the supply of gas from Iran will play a pivotal role in reducing it. The US and Saudi pressure on Pakistan is huge in that both do not want Pakistan to purchase gas from Iran. Pakistan must pursue its own national interests. It has made a pact with Iran for the gas purchase so it must live up to its pact.

Relations between Pakistan and India have always been strained. This has always compelled Islamabad to make a huge budgetary allocation to the defence sector. In the last budget, there was over Rs 600 billion for defence — around 18 percent of the total budget. Sour relations with another neighbouring country, Iran, will have unbearable impacts on Pakistan in terms of defence budgetary allocation. All the efforts of Iran are directed in Syria towards saving the regime of Bashar al-Assad, and any anti-Assad regime move by Pakistan will surely prove the final straw in relations between Islamabad and Tehran. Pakistan is being blamed internationally by those who say that its foreign policy is for sale and that it is a rentable state. There should not be any compromise on our foreign policy and national interests. The PML-N government must clearly reveal the real Saudi intentions behind provision of the money to dispel the wrong perceptions being circulated in different national and international circles that Pakistan received the money to arm anti-Assad rebels and send armed men to Saudi Arabia and Bahrain to topple the Assad regime. There is a strong suspicion that a secret cauldron is boiling in Pakistan regarding the fate of Syria. We must learn a lesson from the past two blunders made by Zia and Musharraf. Pakistan should not be part of a third blunder, which will make for the mother of all blunders.

Pakistan's Musharraf charged with high treason

A court in Pakistan has charged former military ruler Pervez Musharraf with treason, the first army chief to face such a prosecution. Mr Musharraf is accused of unlawfully suspending the constitution and instituting emergency rule in 2007. He pleaded not guilty and has always claimed that the charges against him are politically motivated. He faces the death penalty if convicted. President from 2001 to 2008, he was one of Pakistan's longest-serving rulers. He went into self-imposed exile in 2008, returning to Pakistan in March 2013. He had hoped to lead his party into elections, but was disqualified from standing and found himself fighting an array of charges relating to his time in power. He has been in hospital since the beginning of year and reports say he is being treated for high blood pressure. The judge read out five charges to Mr Musharraf. He pleaded "not guilty" to each of them but also addressed the court with a speech about his services to the country and questioned how he could be called a traitor. He declared that he was a patriot who fought in two wars for his country and that he acted within the constitution when he declared a state of emergency in the country in 2007. Mr Musharraf also added that he did not act alone when he suspended the constitution in 2007. The BBC's Shaan Khan at the scene reports that when the former president entered the court he was heavily guarded, but nevertheless appeared relaxed, even waving to the audience.

Forgotten Balochistan

THE attack on a radar station in Pasni may be a small incident in the larger, darker scheme of things in Balochistan, but it is yet another reminder that the low-level insurgency in the province could explode once more with devastating consequences for the province and the federation. Unhappily, Balochistan appears to have once again become the forgotten province. Vast swathes of the Baloch populated areas are all but cut off to the outside world and to the media. Quetta is heavily barricaded and while still relatively accessible, is hardly the preferred destination of anyone outside Balochistan. Bodies of activists linked to separatist politics continue to turn up. The missing persons issue continues to inflame. Meanwhile, the provincial government, of which there were such high expectations last summer, has descended into internecine coalition warfare. Chief Minister Abdul Malik Baloch seems a man overwhelmed and unable to give much, or any, attention to his principal task: returning normality in a security sense to the province.

Just as egregious, given the role that the centre has to play in brokering a peace between the army-led security establishment and the separatists, is the approach of the federal government. Having ceded its claim to the top job in the province, the PML-N leadership in Islamabad, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in particular, appears uninterested in investing any further political capital in the provincial government, meaning little headway can be made. The juxtaposition between the pre-election promises and the post-election actions of Mr Sharif are startling: where he once talked bluntly and repeatedly about the need for dialogue in Balochistan, it seems the only dialogue the prime minister is interested in today is with the outlawed TTP. Is it the case that once again the perceived relative importance of some regions over others is making itself felt? Is Balochistan destined to remain on the back burner forever, or at least until events cause a fresh conflagration?

If even the interest and will to bring peace to Pakistan’s geographically largest and strategically vital province are in question, there is little point in reiterating the well-known first steps that have to be taken. Who to talk to and how to go about it becomes a secondary issue when it’s not even clear that the governments, federal and provincial, even see talks as a priority issue. In fact, perhaps the most important preliminary step the federal government could take now is to stop the infighting in the provincial coalition government by issuing clear instructions to the provincial PML-N leadership. Surely, Prime Minister Sharif could not have believed that once he had overruled his party leadership in Balochistan and installed the National Party’s Abdul Malik as chief minister, it would be smooth sailing. But the prime minister seems far too distracted by the dialogue with the TTP to pay much attention to Balochistan at the moment.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa govt to spend Swabi varsity funds on uplift schemes

The future of the recently-established University of Swabi is at stake as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is understood to have decided to spend the funds approved for the educational institution on development schemes.

The Awami National Party-led government in the province had established the University of Swabi at the request of local lawmakers to provide higher education to youths, especially girls, on their doorstep.

According to an official in the know, Rs1.454 billion was approved for development of the university’s infrastructure and payment of salary to its employees during five years.

He said in light of the availability of limited financial resources, the government had decided that the university’s expenses would be met from Swabi’s share in tobacco cess and net hydel profit.

The official said the current MPAs from Swabi had, however, forced the government not to release approved funds for the university’s development, so the share in tobacco cess and net hydel profit would be utilised on construction of roads, streets, drains etc.

A senior member of the university’s administration said under the plan, Rs221 million and Rs290 million were to be paid to the university for 2012-13 and 2013-14 respectively, but that didn’t happen. “The only fund the university has received so far is the Rs426 million grant given by the previous government,” he said.

He said denial of funds could lead to the university’s closure.

The member of the administration said the university had enrolled 1,500 students and employed more than 300 people. He said the employees’ salary and electricity and other utility bills cost the university millions of rupees every month. The member of the administration, however, said the university could approach donors agencies for funds as a last resort.

The university was established in two buildings of the Elementary College for Boys and Elementary College for Girls.

Currently, it’s in initial stage of establishment. When asked if the Higher Education Commission has provided any funds to the university like other universities in the country, the member of the administration said under the HEC rules, the newly established universities were to be financed by the respective provincial governments for first three years.

He said unavailability of funds had hampered the university’s plans to put up new buildings, establish libraries and laboratories, and carry out other activities.

When contacted, Swabi MPA Shahram Khan Tarakai, who is also the provincial agriculture and information technology minister, said utilisation of net hydel profit and tobacco cess payments on the university was illegal.

He said under the rules, money generated by tobacco cess would be utilised for the development of the area from where it was collected. The MPA said not all local MPAs, who were part of the previous government, had approved of the use of tobacco cess and net hydel profit payments on the university.

He said the chief minister had agreed to provide funds for the university from other heads as the government didn’t want to close it.