Democracy and the rule of law are interdependent, and a democracy without the rule of law will only bring havoc, says a commentary to be carried by Saturday's People's Daily.
In recent days, protests have been staged in Hong Kong in the name of seeking "real universal suffrage," causing traffic jams, less tourists, the stock market plunging and the suspension of schools and stores.
"All these chaotic scenes have caused worries and irritation among Hong Kong citizens," says the commentary on the flagship newspaper of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.
According to the article, the so-called "Occupy Central" protests are aiming to realize political intentions that violate Hong Kong's Basic Law through unlawful means, and however the organizers and instigators labeled such acts as "peaceful" or "nonviolent," they cannot change the illegal nature of the protests.
"These acts will undoubtedly end up with the rule of law violated, severely disrupted social orders, huge economic losses and possible casualties," says the opinion piece.
The protests attempt to force the central authorities to change the decision made by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, on Hong Kong's electoral system. The decision made on Aug. 31 granted universal suffrage in the selection of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR)'s chief executive on the basis of nomination by a "broadly representative" committee.
Noting that one essence of the rule of law is absolute abidance by the law and the punishments on violators, the article says nobody is able to disregard the law or take exception to it. "Young students should also abide by the law."
It also says that the measures of Hong Kong police to cope with the protests are necessary to ensure the rule of law, and they only used teargas when left without choices against protesters who bumped police defences and even poked police with umbrella.
"Hong Kong police are very professional, and the actions they took were necessary, appropriate and moderate. There are no reasons to criticize their law enforcement acts," it says. "A democratic society should respect the opinions of the minorities, but it doesn't mean those minorities have the right to resort to illegal means.
"Democracy can only be prosperous and the rule of law developed when we express opinions and seek consensus under the framework of law," the article says, urging protesters to return to reason and the rule of law as the common responsibilities of all Hong Kong residents who truly love Hong Kong.
Saturday, October 4, 2014
China - Firmly safeguard rule of law in :Hong Kong People's Daily
Democracy and the rule of law are interdependent, and a democracy without the rule of law will only bring havoc, says a commentary to be carried by Saturday's People's Daily.
In recent days, protests have been staged in Hong Kong in the name of seeking "real universal suffrage," causing traffic jams, less tourists, the stock market plunging and the suspension of schools and stores.
"All these chaotic scenes have caused worries and irritation among Hong Kong citizens," says the commentary on the flagship newspaper of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.
According to the article, the so-called "Occupy Central" protests are aiming to realize political intentions that violate Hong Kong's Basic Law through unlawful means, and however the organizers and instigators labeled such acts as "peaceful" or "nonviolent," they cannot change the illegal nature of the protests.
"These acts will undoubtedly end up with the rule of law violated, severely disrupted social orders, huge economic losses and possible casualties," says the opinion piece.
The protests attempt to force the central authorities to change the decision made by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, on Hong Kong's electoral system. The decision made on Aug. 31 granted universal suffrage in the selection of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR)'s chief executive on the basis of nomination by a "broadly representative" committee.
Noting that one essence of the rule of law is absolute abidance by the law and the punishments on violators, the article says nobody is able to disregard the law or take exception to it. "Young students should also abide by the law."
It also says that the measures of Hong Kong police to cope with the protests are necessary to ensure the rule of law, and they only used teargas when left without choices against protesters who bumped police defences and even poked police with umbrella.
"Hong Kong police are very professional, and the actions they took were necessary, appropriate and moderate. There are no reasons to criticize their law enforcement acts," it says. "A democratic society should respect the opinions of the minorities, but it doesn't mean those minorities have the right to resort to illegal means.
"Democracy can only be prosperous and the rule of law developed when we express opinions and seek consensus under the framework of law," the article says, urging protesters to return to reason and the rule of law as the common responsibilities of all Hong Kong residents who truly love Hong Kong.
Anti-corruption drive to boost Afghan president's credibility
In a bid to keep his promise of tackling corruption, President Ghani has reopened a probe into a massive banking fraud scandal. Experts say the new leader is seeking to prove himself to Afghans and the global community.President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, who has promised a fight against rampant graft, reopened an inquiry into the notorious Kabul Bank case on Wednesday, October 1. The commercial bank collapsed in 2010 after media reports exposed massive high-level corruption and the misappropriation of more than 900 million USD - most of which was deposited by international donors. In a presidential decree, Ghani ordered Afghanistan's Supreme Court to launch a new investigation into the case within 45 days. He also ordered the Attorney General's Office to arrest all the suspects within three days and keep them in detention until the court investigation is fully concluded. "We promised to combat corruption comprehensively, on a full scale and in a principled manner and it is time for action," Ghani said after signing the decree. The new president wants to prove himself to Afghans and the international community by taking on what is known as the biggest corruption scandal in the country, said Said Massud, economics lecturer at Kabul University, who was present during the signing of the decree. "It is a very interesting move by the president and a test for the new government. If the administration can solve this case and track the missing money, it will gain credibility and international prestige," Massud told DW. Lingering doubts Many of those who are suspected to be involved in the scandal are related to former or current high-ranking Afghan officials, including brothers of former President Hamid Karzai and his then first vice-President Mohammad Qasim Fahim. In total, 21 people were convicted in the case, including the bank's founder Sher Khan Fernod and chief executive Haji Khalil Ferozi, who were sentenced to five years in jail. However, Karzai's brothers and one of his vice-presidents were not sent to jail due to a presidential decree that granted immunity to shareholders who returned stolen funds. Massud expresses concern over the 45-day deadline set for the Supreme Court to carry out an investigation into the case, as he doubts the capacity of institutions that will execute President Ghani's decree. The analyst believes the powerful people behind the scandal will be another big challenge for the new president. "It is to be seen if the Afghan government is powerful enough to put the people involved in the Kabul Bank case behind bars because many of them belong to very powerful families," Massud stressed.
Seeking attention
International community, which has been funding Afghanistan since 2001, has demanded Afghan officials to tackle widespread corruption.
Many countries including Afghanistan's biggest donor, the United States, have warned they will cut their financial aid to the war-torn nation if it does not take concrete actions against graft.
Kabul Bank scandal was described as "one of the largest banking failures in the world" by the country's anti-corruption watchdog.
The case triggered a financial crisis and shook Afghans' confidence in banking, which was a booming economic sector until 2010. Experts believe the country's new government needs to do more to eliminate the practice of corruption, which would go a long way in retaining international financial support.
There were three immediate priorities for Ghani after taking over the reins, Massud noted. These included: a security pact with the US, agreement on NATO's new training mission in Afghanistan and tracking Kabul Bank's stolen money, the lecturer underlined. "President Ghani has already completed the first two. He will gain international credibility if he can achieve the third goal," he added.
Decisive move
Many experts believe success in the fight against corruption will give Ghani's new government the support and the credibility it needs from the people, particularly after the country's disputed presidential election and a controversial political agreement between Ghani and his former electoral rival Abdullah Abdullah. Abdullah is now the Afghanistan's Chief Executive.Massud says the new president should deliver results as a failure to do so would put his future plans at risk. He is of the view that Abdullah's support will be crucial to achieve success.
"If Ghani wants to govern well in the coming five years, he should make sure that the probe into Kabul Bank scandal succeeds. Otherwise, he will face huge problems as people will question his authority," Massud said.
Afghan Watchdog Says Ex-Leaders' Brothers Owe In Bank Scandal
A corruption watchdog in Afghanistan says the brothers of former President Hamid Karzai and one of his vice presidents are among 19 people and companies that still owe a total of $663 million from a 2010 loan fraud scandal at Afghanistan's biggest commercial bank.
The Independent Joint Anticorruption Monitoring and Evaluation Committee announced the figures released on October 2 -- a day after newly inaugurated President Ashraf Ghani relaunched investigations into the Kabul Bank scandal.
Mahmud Karzai, the brother of the former president, was listed as owing $22.2 million on loans from Kabul Bank and having paid back only $13.4 million.
But he denied he still owed money, saying he paid back all his loans with interest.
The watchdog says Abdul Haseen Fahim, brother of former First Vice President Mohammad Qasim Fahim, still owes $4.4 million after paying back nearly $36 million.
Fahim could not be immediately reached for comment.
Rashed Behroz, executive director of the Monitoring and Evaluation Committee, said the government's new inquiry should consider new prosecutions in the case.
"Regardless of the political and personal affiliations of the people who have been involved in this matter, these people should be prosecuted and we hope that we will soon be able to see the results of this," he said.
The two brothers of the former Afghan leaders are both shareholders of Kabul Bank.
They were spared prosecution under a decree by former President Karzai that granted immunity to those who returned the funds.
The $935 million fraud case nearly brought about the collapse of the country's largest commercial bank in 2010.
The two former heads of the bank, founder Sher Khan Fernod and former chief executive Haji Khalil Ferozi, were convicted of taking $810 million out of the $935 million that was stolen.
Both received five-year prison sentences.
Much of the missing money has yet to be recovered.
Ten other Kabul Bank insiders were also convicted in the case and received sentences ranging from six months to five years.
Ghani, who was inaugurated on September 29, ordered Afghanistan's Supreme Court on October 1 to reopen the Kabul Bank case, saying, "The time for action has come, and as we had pledged, the fight against corruption will be done in a thorough and systematic way."
Afghanistan's courts were criticized for imposing light sentences against those convicted in the case and for allegedly failing to bring to justice the masterminds of a scheme that diverted hundreds of millions of dollars in fraudulent loans to bank insiders.
Kabul Bank had handled about one-third of Afghanistan's banking and most of the government payroll -- including salaries for the army and security forces.
It was renamed New Kabul Bank after a government bailout.
Pakistani Taliban Declares Allegiance To Islamic State
The Pakistani Taliban has announced that it has declared allegiance to Islamic State militants and has ordered its fighters to help the militant extremist group try to set up a global Islamic caliphate.
The announcement by Taliban spokesman Shahidullah Shahid on October 4 comes after Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri said in September that he had named former Taliban commander Asim Umar as the "emir" of Al-Qaeda’s new South Asia branch.
Shahid’s statement came despite recent speculation that the leadership of Pakistan’s Taliban is wary of IS fighters, who are driven by different ambitions that have little to do with South Asia.
Although there has been little evidence of a firm alliance between IS militants and Al-Qaeda-linked Taliban commanders, IS activists have been spotted recently in Pakistan’s northwestern city of Peshawar distributing pamphlets that praise the group.
http://www.rferl.org/content/pakistani-taliban-islamic-state-allegiance/26620750.html
Pakistan : Developing a counter-narrative
Pakistan: More blood in Balochistan
Pakistan: Blast in Quetta Hazara town; several reported injured
A large explosion occurred in Quetta's Hazara Town area on Saturday, with initial reports suggesting several people were injured in the blast. According to DawnNews, the blast took place near a girls' school in the Aliabad area of Hazara Town, a locality populated mainly by the ethnic Hazara Shia minority which has been targeted by extremist militant groups in the past. Initial reports suggested several people were wounded in the blast. Emergency was imposed at all hospitals in Quetta following the blast. Police and rescue teams were on their way to the site of the explosion.
Pakistan - Terrorists Strike Back
Bilawal Bhutto is a reflection of ZA Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto
Pakistan _ Explosion in passenger van kills six in Kohat
Pakistan: Thousands of govt schools in KP without electricity, potable water, washrooms
Friday, October 3, 2014
Pakistan : Brother of PM’s aide appointed AIOU VC
Pakistan : Rehman Malik wants parliamentary committee to investigate Arjumand sacking
Pakistan - Zardari, Siraj discuss political situation
Fears that Islamic State will use Yazidi families as 'human shields'
‘Extremism prevention’: Austria to amend century-old law on Islam
Just two years after a lavish ceremony to celebrate the centenary of Austria’s “model” law on Islam, the law is set to be overhauled to ban Muslims from receiving foreign funding and pave the way for a standardised German language version of the Koran. Muslim groups in Austria have expressed disappointment that their government was bowing to “blanket suspicion and mistrust” of the Muslim community.
Muslims make up 6 percent of Austria’s population, and are the second largest religious grouping, after Roman Catholics, in Vienna. Until recently the community enjoyed good relations with their neighbours, but governmental reports on the rise of Islamic militancy have caused nationalist parties to gain ground in the polls in recent months. Around 140 Austrians are understood to have travelled to Syria and Iraq to fight as jihadis, according to Reuters.
“The clear message should be that there is no contradiction between being a faithful Muslim and a proud Austrian,” Foreign Affairs and Integration Minister Sebastian Kurz has told reporters. “If you don't have orderly legal regulation ... this can always bring dangers (of extremism). In this sense, if you like this is maybe a part of prevention.”
Sharia law has “no place here,” he added.
The amended law will prohibit Muslim organisations from receiving foreign funding. One-off grants, such as money left in a will, will be allowed but only if the management of assets is handled in Austria, The Local has reported.
Living subsidies, such as those given to Imams to fund their work will be outlawed. 65 of Austria’s approximately 300 Imams are currently employed by Turkey. They will either have to cease work or find alternative funding.
Muslim organisations will be compelled to teach at least one lesson in German, and community leaders will be dismissed if they have a criminal record. According to the BBC, 60,000 children take part annually in Muslim religion classes in Austria, which are taught in German.
All state-recognised religions, of which Islam is one, will have to offer a standardised German-language version of their doctrines and holy texts, including the Koran. This presents a particular problem for Islam as the draft law bundles together the Sunni, Shi-ite and Alawite traditions. Further issues are created by the fact that Muslims believe the Arabic version of the Koran is the literal word of Allah in Islam, and that any translation constitutes an interpretation.
“If a version of the Koran (in German) comes along as the codified, ultimate (version), then this would contradict the self-conception of Islam,” said Carla Amina Baghajati, spokeswoman for the Islamic Community of Faith in Austria (IGGIO), one of two officially recognised Austrian Islamic organisations.
Speaking more generally about the proposed bill, she said “Among the Muslim base, the law is not seen as a gift for the Eid holiday," referring to the upcoming holiday of Eid-al-Adha.
"(The bill) mirrors in its overtone the spirit of the times we currently perceive, which is marked by blanket suspicion and mistrust against Muslims,” she added, although she is also optimistic that the draft legislation might still be amended.
However, Kurz was dismissive, pointing out that it had been possible to create unified teaching material for Islamic religious studies in Austrian schools. Last month he told an Austrian radio station that countless translations of the Koran had been created, and that it was in the interest of the Muslim community to eliminate possible misunderstandings. German translations of the Koran have previously been made.
Austria’s 102 year old Law on Islam had previously been seen as a symbol of religious tolerance, as it awarded Muslims in Austria the same rights as those given to Christians, Jews and Buddhists, amongst others, making Islam a state-recognised religion.
Speaking in 2012 at a ceremony held to celebrate the law, Omar Al-Rawi, a Vienna City councillor, praised the law for integrating the Muslim community into Austrian life, saying that it made them feel accepted.
“Austria is a model in Europe in dealing with Islam, but the Austrian Muslims are also a European model,” he said. “The Muslims know that with rights there are also obligations and duties. And if you have a lot of rights and benefits, you also have something to lose.
“Austrian Muslims go all over the world saying we are Austrians, we belong to this country that gave us respect and recognition and gave us a lot of benefits that even some Muslim countries don't enjoy. And that is why they are very proud saying that they are Austrians.”
Austria’s President Heinz Fischer called for peaceful and respectful relations, saying that, thanks to their legal status, Austria’s official religions were obliged to “respect and accept the laws of the state”.
http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-London/2014/10/03/Austrias-Law-on-Islam-Overhauled-Amid-Growing-Distrust-of-Muslim-Community
US Vice-President Joe Biden blames US allies in Middle East for rise of ISIS
US Vice-President Joe Biden has accused America’s key allies in the Middle East of allowing the rise of the Islamic State (IS), saying they supported extremists with money and weapons in their eagerness to oust the Assad regime in Syria.
America’s “biggest problem” in Syria is its regional allies, Biden told students at the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum at the Institute of Politics at Harvard University on Thursday.
“Our allies in the region were our largest problem in Syria,” he said, explaining that Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the UAE were “so determined to take down Assad,” that in a sense they started a “proxy Sunni-Shia war” by pouring “hundreds of millions of dollars and tens of thousands of tons of weapons” towards anyone who would fight against Assad.
“And we could not convince our colleagues to stop supplying them,” said Biden, thus disassociating the US from unleashing the civil war in Syria.
“The outcome of such a policy now is more visible,” he said, as it turned out they supplied extremists from Al-Nusra Front and Al-Qaeda.
All of a sudden the regional powers that sponsored anti-Assad rebels awakened to the dawn of a major international security threat in the face of ISIS – now called Islamic State. After being essentially thrown out of Iraq it found open space and territory in eastern Syria and established close ties with the Al-Nusra Front which the US had earlier declared a terrorist group.
Now Washington needs a coalition of Sunni states to fight the Islamic State because “America can't once again go in to Muslim nation and be the aggressor, it has to be led by Sunnis, to attack a Sunni organization [the IS],” Biden said, acknowledging that it is for the first time that the US uses a geopolitical strategy.
“Even if we wanted it to be, it cannot be our fight alone,” Biden said. “This cannot be turned into a US ground war against another Arab nation in the Middle East.”
Video Report - President Obama: "America is a story of progress."
An excerpt from President Obama's remarks on building a new foundation for the American economy at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois on October 2, 2014.
China - Critics lash out at protestors for jeopardizing Hong Kong's future
Critics of different countries have denounced the illegal gatherings of the Occupy Central movement and criticized protestors for resorting to violence and jeopardizing Hong Kong's future.
The protests in Hong Kong's busiest areas since Sept. 28 have led to serious traffic disruption, temporary closure of schools and banks, and slumps in the benchmark Hang Seng Index, impacting the region's economic prosperity and social stability.
Martin Jacques, a Guardian columnist, wrote a commentary titled "China is Hong Kong's future - not its enemy" on Wednesday.
He said in the commentary that it should be remembered that for 155 years until its handover to China in 1997, Hong Kong had been a British colony, forcibly taken from China at the end of the first Opium War.
All its 28 governors under the colonial rule were appointed by the British authority, Jacques said, adding that democracy was actually introduced to Hong Kong by the Chinese government.
In 1997, the latter adopted the Basic Law, which included the commitment that the chief executive of Hong Kong will be elected by universal suffrage in 2017.
Over the last 17 years since the handover, China has honored its commitment to the principle of "one country, two systems."
Pierre Picard, an expert on China from the University of Paris-VIII, told Xinhua on Wednesday that some Western countries used double standards on the Occupy Central movement and interfered in China's internal affairs, which was "astonishing."
What should be concerned about is that why the Occupy Central happened three years before 2017 and who use it to undermine the democratic process of Hong Kong and the stability of China, Picard said.
He stressed that people should be wary of the real motives of the Occupy Central organizers.
Fang Yan, a critic in New York, said the Occupy Central organizers oppose to list "love China, love Hong Kong" as a requirement for Hong Kong's chief executive candidates.
These organizers intend to get rid of the leadership of the central government with the support of foreign powers and try to turn Hong Kong into a certain kind of independent political entity.
Fang said since Hong Kong's return to China, the mainland and Hong Kong have been closely linked, sharing weal and woe. Hong Kong not only needs support and assistance from the central government, but cooperation with other provinces and municipalities in various areas.
If one who does not love China were elected as Hong Kong's chief executive, the very first victim would be Hong Kong itself, Fang added.
Pakistan : Asif Ali Zardari to celebrate Eid in Lahore
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Asif Ali Zardari will arrive here in Lahore on Friday afternoon and will celebrate Eid-ul-Azha in the city as well, ARY News reports.
According to party sources, Zardari will stay at Bilawal House in Lahore for a week and will celebrate the joyous occasion in the city.
He will also meet the party leaders and activists during his stay in Lahore.
Sources further said that a series of party meetings are scheduled in which the former and present party officials will be present. The party strategies will be discussed in the party sessions as well.
- See more at: http://arynews.tv/en/zardari-to-celebrate-eid-in-lahore/#sthash.jWzO5Ti0.dpuf
In Historic Homeland, Pakistan's Sikhs Live Under Constant Threat
Every time someone walks into his pharmacy in the volatile Pakistani city of Peshawar, Amarjeet Singh prepares for the worst. "I don't know if it's a customer or an assailant who will reach out for his gun," Amarjeet, a member of Pakistan's tiny Sikh minority, told Reuters. Easily recognized because of their colorful turbans, members of Pakistan's Sikh community say they have been singled out and attacked increasingly in the South Asian nation where radical Islamist militants see them as infidels. Their plight highlights a growing atmosphere of intolerance in a country long plagued by sectarian violence. Like Shi'ite Muslims, Christians and other minorities, Sikhs live in a paranoid and hostile world where every stranger is assumed to be an attacker. Many Sikhs see Pakistan as the place where their religion began: the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, was born in 1469 in a small village near the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore. Wearing a large pink turban and sitting cross-legged in his shop, Amarjeet, 40, said the community was so afraid that most people stopped showing up for prayers in the traditional Sikh place of worship - the Gurdwara, or the gateway to the guru. "I have run this business for last 22 years. Never in my life have I experienced such insecurity," he said. "Around 60 percent of our shops are closed due to security concerns. Many parents are not sending their children to schools." Last month, Harjeet Singh, another Sikh shopkeeper, was shot dead at his herbal medicine shop in Peshawar, near Pakistan's border with Afghanistan which is home to most of the country's 40,000 strong Sikh community. Peshawar, a sprawling and chaotic city of 3.8 million lies in a conservative region awash with radical Islamist ideology. Pamphlets praising Islamic State, a group fighting to set up a global Islamic caliphate, have recently appeared. According to police, at least eight Sikhs have been killed in the past year and a half - the first ever recorded sectarian killings of Sikhs in Pakistani history. HISTORIC ROOTS Sikhs have a long and colorful history in Pakistan. Originally persecuted by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in the 17th century, they fled to the remote mountains on what is now the Pakistan-Afghan border and settled among Pashtun tribes. Sikhs have praised their Pashtun hosts for allowing them to hide in their lands thanks to the tribal principle of sanctuary but growing instability in the region has changed the picture. At least 500 Sikh families have recently migrated to Peshawar due to a military operation against Taliban militants in the North Waziristan region on the Afghan border. "They were forced to leave their established businesses ... They were also doing well in Peshawar until the latest wave of attacks," said Haroon Sarab Diyal, chairman of the All Pakistan Hindu Rights Movement, a group advocating Hindu and Sikh rights. "Sikh are not sending their children to schools, especially boys who stand out due to their head dress." A multi-story shopping mall in Peshawar, Orakzai Plaza, where Sikhs own a range of shops, stands abandoned after Sikhs closed their businesses for security reasons. Senior police officer Najeeb-ur-Rehman said police were regularly patrolling Sikh areas and were deployed at the main temple, its facade, painted in a light golden color, shining gently in the sun above a narrow maze of dusty alleys. "Pakistan is land of the pure for us, it is the birth place of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. It's our mother land, we love this soil. Why are we being targeted here?" asked Sardar Charanjit Singh, a Sikh elder. "People are very frightened, it's a time of sorrow for us." Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/r-in-historic-homeland-pakistans-sikhs-live-under-constant-threat-2014-10#ixzz3F58G49fxBY SYED RAZA HASSAN
Bombing in Pakistan and a Wave of Attempts Point to a New Drive by Militants
Amid a wave of bombing attempts in this northwestern Pakistani city on Thursday, a bomb rigged to a timer exploded inside a passenger van, killing seven and wounding six, the police said. Although the attack was the only one of eight attempted bombings to succeed here, the police said, the mass of attempts pointed to a concerted effort by militants to intensify their attacks on government targets. “The bombs were intended to destroy an electrical tower, and to target police and a convoy of the law enforcement agencies,” said Shafqat Malik, the head of the Peshawar bomb disposal unit, noting that the bombs all had “a level of sophistication.” “The bomb that went off was to target civilians. Imagine what would have happened, had they all gone off,” he said. “Today was the worst day in my professional career.” The van that was bombed was set to carry passengers to Parachinar, the main town in the Kurram tribal region. In an interview, a policeman investigating the case, Ejaz Khan, said that a man had left two bags in the van, then asked the driver to wait for him while he went to bring more passengers. The bomb, with roughly 10 pounds of explosives, went off after he left. Although Kurram has in the past been a center of sectarian violence between Sunnis and minority Shiites, police officials said it was more likely that the bombing was a randomly chosen terrorist act rather than a targeted killing. “People are heading home for Eid holidays,” Mr. Khan said, referring to the Eid al-Adha festival this weekend. “There is a lot of rush. No one could have known which passenger was heading where.” A senior police superintendent, Najib Bhagvi, suspected that Pakistani Taliban militants were behind the attacks. That organization, along with some of its allies and splinter groups, has come under increasing pressure since the start of a military offensive against militant bases in North Waziristan in June. “Peshawar is heating up, and this is the blow back of the operation in Waziristan,” Mr. Bhagvi said. “All the terrorist outfits, including Al Qaeda, have joined forces and are hitting back.” Peshawar has seen a surge in militant attacks this year, particularly against the police. Twenty-five policemen have been killed since January, including a police inspector who was shot dead outside his house on Thursday. Mr. Malik, the bomb squad commander, worried that more attacks were sure to come. “Tough days are ahead,” he said.By ISMAIL KHAN
The Islamic State's Potential Recruits in Pakistan
By Kiran Nazish
There is evidence that the terrorist outfit is actively recruiting fighters in the troubled country.Tanned, green-eyed, long-bearded Pashtun crossing the border from Afghanistan have never been so feared in Peshawar, the capital city of the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan. Through history this region has been one of the busiest in Central Asia, connecting travelers, traders and storytellers to India and beyond. But the recent decade has been agonizing for local Pashtun, with their identity and geography appropriated by militant groups like al-Qaeda and the Taliban, as well as their various factions in the region. This week brought the biggest blow yet, when the formidable Islamic State (IS, also known as ISIS and ISIL) was discovered openly recruiting in the city. Local fighters in Peshawar and FATA were seen to be showing around about a dozen men who had crossed over from Afghanistan to Pakistan to promote the cause of the caliphate. These men in turn distributed hundreds of pamphlets in Peshawar and its environs. For fighters and militant commanders in Pakistan, the Islamic State is an object of awe. Most militants, individually and in groups, romanticize the idea of Islam and sharia spreading across the world. In essence, the idea and ideals of a unified caliphate has aroused jihadists everywhere, multiplying the Islamic State’s following in Pakistan and Afghanistan much more rapidly than was achieved even by heavyweights like the Taliban and al-Qaeda. Amanullah Khan, a former professor at Peshawar University who worked for many years trying to de-radicalize youth, said that IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is an appealing figure for young followers with a jihadi mentality, with his background as an Islamic scholar playing a stronger bonding role for impressionable youth. Unlike Osama Bin Laden and Aymen al-Zawahiri, respectively an engineer and doctor, jihadists who were less immersed in knowledge of Islam, Baghdadi offers both a traditional Islamic education and an abundant jihadist resume. “That legitimacy can definitely turn a lot of al-Qaeda and Taliban supporters in the region, and in fact it is already happening,” says Khan. With at least 48 known jihadist groups in Pakistan, IS would seem to have plenty of potential to grow within the country. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, a banned militant group that wants to establish Pakistan as a Sunni Muslim state, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, and offshoots of al-Qaeda and the Haqqani Network are just a few of these groups. The Pakistan military has long been accused of providing opportunities, logistics and sponsorship to these groups in exchange for their proxy services. With the popularity of right-wing religious parties swelling in every city, Pakistan has become a hotbed for new recruits. IS is now tapping these resources, and given Pakistan’s porous borders with its neighbors, it could give the group the foothold it needs to establish a presence in South Asia. Operation Zarb-e-Azb, the military operation in North Waziristan, has displaced more than one million local civilians from the region, yet the army has still not been able to decisively defeat the militants it was targeting. In fact, recent reports suggest that most top commanders of both Haqqani and Pakistani Taliban left Waziristan prior to the operation. Some crossed the border and escaped into Afghanistan, while others scattered to relocate in the north of the country in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, or in Karachi in the south. The Pakistani military recently claimed that had 901 militants had been killed in the Waziristan operation, but these figures are refuted by local sources as well as militant groups themselves, who claim to have escaped the operation. And in fact the government has not been able to identify the militants it says it has killed. At any rate, the Pakistan Taliban has been able to re group. More disturbingly, Omar Khalid Khorasani – a former Pakistan Taliban leader who has strong links with both al-Qaeda and its leader Zawahiri – has apparently now established a new group called Jamat-ul-Ahrar, which he insists is the “real Taliban” in Pakistan. According to Khorasani, more than eighty percent of Taliban fighters and commanders from different regions and militant groups across the country have joined his new outfit, which is a staunch supporter of the Islamic State. Recent weeks have offered Pakistan’s militants a unique opportunity, with the country in the grip of political instability. The struggle between elected Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and politician Imran Khan – a former cricketer best known these days for his ability to orchestrate mobs – has shaken this fragile democracy. Both the media and state shifted their focus from jihadist developments, allowing the militants to regroup. According to at least a dozen sources in Peshawar, including fighters who say they have returned from Syria, IS has been recruiting in Pakistan for some time. Many fighters from anti-Shia militant groups in Pakistan sign up, and were initially tasked to fight the Assad regime. In Sistan and Dasht, two regions in Balochistan bordering Iran – Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest province with its own ongoing separatist movement – locals have found wall markings with similar messages. According to a few local Baloch, there are more than a hundred militants from Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and other anti-Shia groups in these areas. Although evidence of these activities was present before, they passed largely unremarked until IS began to advertise publicly. Local reporters who might have been familiar with the recruiting avoided reporting out of fear for their lives. All this now means that collaboration is possible between some of the most hardline and unbending regional groups in Pakistan and IS in the Middle East. And the most striking and high-profile support that IS may be able to count on in Pakistan comes from Jamat-ul-Ahrar, the newly formed group. Ehsanullah Ehsan, spokesperson for Jamat-ul-Ahrar, is clear on the group’s plans to fight along with the Islamic Caliphate, “We consider every mujahid (fighter for Jihad) as our brother.” He added, “Islam is a religion of peace. We want implementation of this system. We’ll continue our armed struggle until we implement Shari’ah in Pakistan.” With hardline groups in Pakistan offering safe haven for the Islamic State in this region, while simultaneously pursuing their own local goals, and with younger fighters and groups inspired to join the cause of the caliphate, the security situation looks set to deteriorate not just in Pakistan but throughout the region. The Pakistani military has failed five times since 2007 to crush the jihadist groups. Now, commanders who say they have left al-Qaeda and sworn allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi may form a force that is beyond the military’s ability to contain.
Pakistan : PML N's government targeting Christian asylum seekers in South and South East Asia: A Report
The Central Secretariat of Pakistan Christian Congress PCC has issued a press note here today condemning conspiracy of ruling party Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz Group PML (N) in federation and Punjab Province to target Pakistani Christian asylum seekers in Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Thailand who fled from Pakistan for safety of their lives after Muslim mob attacks on their life and property in Punjab.
There are more than 9 thousand Pakistani Christian asylum seekers in Thailand and 2-3 thousands in Malaysia and Sri Lanka respectively.
The government of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz PML (N) hatched a conspiracy and engaged one Christian Federal Minister who was selected on PML (N) in parliament to participate in every official function of High Commission of Sri Lanka in Islamabad which can be witnessed on viewing official website of Sri Lankan High Commission.
The Pakistan government provided logistic support to Sri Lanka to defeat Tamil Tigers and establish writ in Tamil majority areas. With support of Pakistan, hundreds and thousands of innocent Tamils were killed by Sri Lanka army.
As Pakistan and Sri Lanka are not signatories of International Criminal Court ICC, therefore one super power used Pakistan to transfer deadly weapons to Sri Lanka to kill Tamil innocent population to avoid any charges of genocide and crime against humanity.
The gathering of Pakistani Christian asylum seekers in Sri Lanka and their applications to UNHCR was never appreciated by government of Pakistan and government of Punjab which are of PML (N).
PML (N) Christian federal Minister was provided huge funds by Intelligence Bureau IB to send delegates of some Bishops and NGO,s to Colombo to collect data of Christian asylum seekers in Sri Lanka to prove that Pakistani Christian asylum seekers were not oppressed or persecuted in Pakistan.
After collection of data of Pakistani Christian asylum seekers in Sri Lanka, the government of Pakistan found that cases submitted with UNHCR by Christians are genuine, the government of Pakistan pressed upon Sri Lankan government to end entry on arrival for Pakistani nationals and to impose visa requirements in return of its support to kill innocent Tamil population.
There for in June 2014, Sri Lanka impose Visa requirements on Pakistani nationals revoking entry on arrival but still it fell short on demand of deportation of Pakistani asylum seekers. On which Sri Lankan government started arresting Pakistani asylum seekers on health issues blaming that these asylum seekers are spreading malaria diseases.
Another Christian Minister in Punjab Government which is also led by Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz Group PML (N) also played role against Christian asylum seekers in South and South East Asia.
It is learned by Pakistan Christian Post sources that profiles collected by PML (N) government of Christian asylum seekers have been forwarded to UNHCR with fake documents prepared by Intelligence Bureau of Pakistan to prove that cases submitted are not true.
The Christian asylum seekers sold their properties to flee from Pakistan for safety of life which Christian Federal Minister, Christian Provincial Minister, some Christian NGO workers and few Christian religious leaders want to target and their deportation to Pakistan from those respective states in which they have applied for asylum with UNHCR.
Pakistan's Shia Genocide - SUC Leader Warns Govt. Over Release Of Takfiri Terrorists
shiapost.comAllama Shahenshah Naqvi, central leader of Shia Ulema Council, has warned the government that Shiites would not accept the release of the takfiri terrorists involved in Shia genocide. “Government, it seems, to have surrendered to the takfiri fanatics’ demand for release of their terrorist comrades but we alert the government not to release a single terrorist,” he said speaking at a press conference. Allama Jafar Subhani, Allama Abid Raza Irfani, Maulana Roohullah and Maulana Karamuddin Waziri were also present. He said that government banned takfiri terrorist groups and now held talks with the banned group’s ringleaders. He asked if it would help establish rule of law. He condemned the timidity of Sindh government against the ferocious terrorists. “Should the rulers accept the pressure of protest and sit-in by takfiris for release of the terrorists, then we make it clear to the government that we too shall come out on streets and stage sit-in to pressure the government not to release the terrorists,” he maintained. Allama Shahenshah Naqvi demanded that Operation Zarb-e-Azb should be expanded to every nook and corner of the country. He urged the Sindh Government to crush terrorist network through security agencies instead of striking deal with them.
UK: Celebrities urge PM to help mentaly ill man jailed in Pakistan for blasphemy
CELEBRITIES have added their voices to calls for Prime Minister David Cameron to intervene in the case of Edinburgh grandfather Mohammad Asghar, who was shot in a Pakistani prison.The Leith grocer – who is being held after being sentenced to death on blasphemy charges – now has backing from Stephen Fry, Frankie Boyle and David Morrissey. Campaigners are urging the UK Government to do all it can to help bring the 70-year-old, who suffers from severe mental illness, back to this country. Mr Asghar was shot in Adiala prison in Rawalpindi last week, reportedly by a police officer or prison guard. He is currently in intensive care, but concerns have been raised for his safety by legal charity Reprieve after it was revealed the Pakistani authorities planned to return him to the jail. Reprieve said people accused or convicted of blasphemy in Pakistan face a high level of risk from attacks by religious extremists. Mr Asghar’s daughter, Jasmine, has called on Mr Cameron to help ensure that as soon as he is well enough to travel, he is brought back to the UK. That call was echoed by Stephen Fry, who tweeted: “Govt must not let mentally ill Brit Mohammad Asghar be returned to prison. They must do all they can to get him home.” Comedian Frankie Boyle tweeted: “70yo Scotsman Mohammad Asghar shot, under death sentence for blasphemy, surely government should get him home.” Al Murray urged his followers to sign a 38 Degrees petition for the Prime Minister to bring Mr Asghar home, saying it “means a lot to me”. And in a newspaper article, David Morrissey wrote: “It is surely not too much to ask that the British government exert every political sinew to protect him at this desperate stage.” Scottish External Affairs Minister Humza Yousaf said ministers at Holyrood were “extremely concerned” and were doing all in their power to ensure Mr Asghar’s health, safety and security. He said First Minister Alex Salmond had “directly intervened in this case” and had held face-to-face talks with Muhammad Sarwar, the governor of the Punjab, the region of Pakistan where Mr Asghar is being held.
Pakistan : 2,000 political activists killed in the last eight years in Balochistan
The ongoing crisis — that in effect is a low-intensity war — in Balochistan continues to take lives on all sides. There are estimated to be around 2,000 political activists killed in the last eight years. Some of that number have simply ‘disappeared’ and are presumed dead, others are found by the roadsides riddled with bullets whilst yet others turn up in gunny sacks, sometimes dismembered, at others decomposed beyond the point of easy identification. One such instance occurred on September 24 when two sacks containing human remains were found near Rakshan Nadi in the western Panjgur district. Nationalist party workers quickly proclaimed the remains to be of party workers.
The blame game started immediately, and as there is never any conclusive investigation of the killings in Balochistan, nor a successful hunt for the killers and consequently no prosecution, blame is hurled indiscriminately with or without foundation. Baloch nationalists invariably blame the government agencies and entities, and in places where the insurgency is hot — such as Panjgur — there are frequent clashes between security forces and Baloch nationalist and separatist groups. The government has commented that some neighbouring countries are involved. Rival groups also clash between themselves, adding much confusion as to who is doing what to whom and why. Inasmuch as anything is clear the entire province is touched by violence and decades of distrust — indeed outright betrayal on occasion — and virtually nowhere can be considered safe and secure. Sectarian killings are common, and doctors and teachers regularly gunned down. Innocents are caught in the crossfire or die as ‘collateral damage’ in bombings. Both the provincial and federal governments are unable or unwilling to get a grip of a resolution to the many and complex disputes that can be owned by all stakeholders, and it is difficult not to conclude that there is an artificial state of ‘managed instability’ in the province.
Express Tribune
Pakistan : Zardari, Sirajul Haq likely to meet in Lahore today
Sources have revealed that former President of Pakistan and co-chairperson of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is likely to meet with Jamat-e-Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq today at his headquarter in Mansura, Lahore.
Sirajul Haq has confirmed that there has been an initial contact between the two leaders. However, the meeting has not been finalized yet.
Asif Ali Zardari is traveling to Lahore to meet with Sirajul Haq today in the evening. Both leaders are expected to discuss the current political crisis in Pakistan whereas would also review the administrative activities.
Pakistan's 2013 Election - Probe finds irregularities in NA-125 ( Khawaja Saad Rafiq ) polls: report
Soaring numbers: Dengue patients in Pindi surge to 65
The Express TribuneThere has been a 48 per cent increase in the number of dengue patients in the Rawalpindi District as compared to the numbers recorded last year till October. Data collected by The Express Tribune from the allied hospitals and the District Health Department reveals that till October last year, there were 44 confirmed cases of dengue whereas this year the number of patients has soared to 65. District Dengue Surveillance Coordinator Dr Ehsan Ghani stated that the majority of cases reported this year are residents of the cantonment area. “Almost 80 per cent out of the total number of cases reported from Rawalpindi are from the Cantonment area; a part of the city that does not fall under the jurisdiction of the health department,” he elaborated. He further stated that the majority of the rest of the cases—from places that do fall under the department’s jurisdiction—23 have been reported from Rawal Town. “Even last year the majority of dengue fever cases were reported from the union council of Rawal Town. Discrepancies in numbers Though the number of dengue patients has considerably risen, reports from the allied hospitals and health department are contradictory. According to a consolidated report complied by Holy Family Hospital (HFH) In-charge Infectious Diseases Dr Javed Hayyat, 65 patients have been confirmed for dengue in three public hospitals of the city this year. In contrast Ghani says 56 cases have so far been confirmed. In this regard, Hayyat said he has “complied the data of the patients that have been registered in three public hospitals along with three other patients who do not fall under the district”. Whereas, Dr Ghani asserts that they have been compiling the records and the latest count of patient add up to 56. Another possible case in capital A patient suspected of having contracted dengue has been admitted to the Polyclinic hospital. According to Dr Tanveer Malik, emergency in-charge of the hospital, the patient was brought in two days back with high fever, bleeding and acute muscular ache. “His medical report is due within a day or so,” said Malik, adding that his case would become clear only after the results come in. Currently, one person has been confirmed to have contracted the disease in the capital.
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