Saudi Arabia is in talks with Pakistan to provide anti-aircraft and anti-tank rockets to Syrian rebels to try to tip the balance in the war to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad, a Saudi source said Sunday.
The United States has long opposed arming the rebels with such weapons, fearing they might end up in the hands of extremists, but Syrian opposition figures say the failure of Geneva peace talks seems to have led Washington to soften its opposition.
Pakistan makes its own version of Chinese shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles, known as Anza, and anti-tank rockets -- both of which Riyadh is trying to get for the rebels, said the source, who is close to Saudi decision-makers, requesting anonymity.
The source pointed to a visit to Riyadh earlier this month by Pakistan's army chief of staff, General Raheel Sharif, who met Crown Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz.
Prince Salman himself last week led a large delegation to Pakistan, shortly after Saudi's chief diplomat Prince Saud al-Faisal visited the kingdom's key ally.
Jordan will be providing facilities to store the weapons before they are delivered to rebels within Syria, the same source said.
AFP could not obtain confirmation from officials in Saudi, Pakistan or Jordan.
The head of the Syrian opposition, Ahmad Jarba, promised during a flying visit to northern Syria last week that "powerful arms will be arriving soon."
"The United States could allow their allies provide the rebels with anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons following the failure of Geneva talks and the renewed tension with Russia," said the head of the Gulf Research Centre, Abdel Aziz al-Sager.
Providing those weapons to the rebels "relieves pressure on the US in the short-term," said Simon Henderson, director of the Gulf and Energy Policy Programme at the Washington Institue for Near East Policy.
"But the long-term political worry is that Manpads (Man-portable air-defence systems) will leak and be used to bring down a civilian airliner somewhere in the world."
Rebels have long said that anti-aircraft rockets would help them defend themselves against Syrian warplanes, which regularly bomb rebel-held areas with barrels loaded with TNT and other ordinance.
The nearly-three-year conflict in Syria has torn the country apart, killing more than 140,000 people, including some 50,000 civilians, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Rising Saudi influence
Saudi Arabia has a strong influence on Syria's southern front, where it coordinates with Jordan, and has helped unite the rebel fighters in the area, according to Syrian opposition sources.
On the other hand, Qatar and Turkey are responsible for coordinating with the rebels on the northern front, said an official of the Syrian opposition, requesting anonymity.
Saudi Arabia has come to eclipse Qatar as the main supporter of the Syrian rebels, a development illustrated by the election last July of Ahmad Jarba, who has strong Saudi links, to lead the Syrian National Coalition, the main umbrella opposition group.
The trend appeared to continue with the dismissal last week of General Selim Idriss, the top commander of the Western-backed Free Syrian Army, who was considered close to Qatar, according to an opposition source.
The main criticism of Idriss was "bad distribution of weapons" and "errors in battle," said another opposition source.
Idriss, who has refused his dismissal, has been replaced by Brigadier General Abdel Ilah al-Bashir, the leader of the rebel military council for the region of Quneitra in southern Syria.
On its internal front, Saudi Arabia has sidelined intelligence chief Prince Bandar bin Sultan, who had been leading Riyadh's efforts concerning Syria, according to a Western diplomat.
Diplomats have said that the file has been passed to the interior minister, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, known for his successful crackdown on Al-Qaeda following a wave of deadly attacks in the kingdom between 2003 and 2006.
Bandar's management had triggered American criticism, diplomats said.
The Saudi royal himself has reproached Washington for its decision not to intervene militarily in Syria, and for preventing its allies from providing rebels with much-needed weapons, diplomats added.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Saudi Arabia 'seeking Pakistani arms for Syrian rebels'
Saudi Arabia is in talks with Pakistan to provide anti-aircraft and anti-tank rockets to Syrian rebels to try to tip the balance in the war to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad, a Saudi source said Sunday.
The United States has long opposed arming the rebels with such weapons, fearing they might end up in the hands of extremists, but Syrian opposition figures say the failure of Geneva peace talks seems to have led Washington to soften its opposition.
Pakistan makes its own version of Chinese shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles, known as Anza, and anti-tank rockets -- both of which Riyadh is trying to get for the rebels, said the source, who is close to Saudi decision-makers, requesting anonymity.
The source pointed to a visit to Riyadh earlier this month by Pakistan's army chief of staff, General Raheel Sharif, who met Crown Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz.
Prince Salman himself last week led a large delegation to Pakistan, shortly after Saudi's chief diplomat Prince Saud al-Faisal visited the kingdom's key ally.
Jordan will be providing facilities to store the weapons before they are delivered to rebels within Syria, the same source said.
AFP could not obtain confirmation from officials in Saudi, Pakistan or Jordan.
The head of the Syrian opposition, Ahmad Jarba, promised during a flying visit to northern Syria last week that "powerful arms will be arriving soon."
"The United States could allow their allies provide the rebels with anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons following the failure of Geneva talks and the renewed tension with Russia," said the head of the Gulf Research Centre, Abdel Aziz al-Sager.
Providing those weapons to the rebels "relieves pressure on the US in the short-term," said Simon Henderson, director of the Gulf and Energy Policy Programme at the Washington Institue for Near East Policy.
"But the long-term political worry is that Manpads (Man-portable air-defence systems) will leak and be used to bring down a civilian airliner somewhere in the world."
Rebels have long said that anti-aircraft rockets would help them defend themselves against Syrian warplanes, which regularly bomb rebel-held areas with barrels loaded with TNT and other ordinance.
The nearly-three-year conflict in Syria has torn the country apart, killing more than 140,000 people, including some 50,000 civilians, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Rising Saudi influence
Saudi Arabia has a strong influence on Syria's southern front, where it coordinates with Jordan, and has helped unite the rebel fighters in the area, according to Syrian opposition sources.
On the other hand, Qatar and Turkey are responsible for coordinating with the rebels on the northern front, said an official of the Syrian opposition, requesting anonymity.
Saudi Arabia has come to eclipse Qatar as the main supporter of the Syrian rebels, a development illustrated by the election last July of Ahmad Jarba, who has strong Saudi links, to lead the Syrian National Coalition, the main umbrella opposition group.
The trend appeared to continue with the dismissal last week of General Selim Idriss, the top commander of the Western-backed Free Syrian Army, who was considered close to Qatar, according to an opposition source.
The main criticism of Idriss was "bad distribution of weapons" and "errors in battle," said another opposition source.
Idriss, who has refused his dismissal, has been replaced by Brigadier General Abdel Ilah al-Bashir, the leader of the rebel military council for the region of Quneitra in southern Syria.
On its internal front, Saudi Arabia has sidelined intelligence chief Prince Bandar bin Sultan, who had been leading Riyadh's efforts concerning Syria, according to a Western diplomat.
Diplomats have said that the file has been passed to the interior minister, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, known for his successful crackdown on Al-Qaeda following a wave of deadly attacks in the kingdom between 2003 and 2006.
Bandar's management had triggered American criticism, diplomats said.
The Saudi royal himself has reproached Washington for its decision not to intervene militarily in Syria, and for preventing its allies from providing rebels with much-needed weapons, diplomats added.
Multi pronged assault on the sources of terror is needed not negotiations or operations
The theater of talks with the Taliban has already given them a vantage point, the government treating them as an equal partner, they have never had before. They are all over the media as an equal to the State of Pakistan. The recent air strike on North Waziristan by Pakistan’s armed forces is indeed a positive step. However, it does show Pakistan up as a free for all country. The Army has the might and the resolve to avenge itself when it is directly attacked. However, the civilian government is utterly toothless to protect its subjects, including its own policemen, let alone taking revenge when they are mercilessly slaughtered. Also sporadic attacks like this will not do the trick. Unfortunately, peace in Pakistan cannot be achieved without declaring a complete war on the terrorists. Attacks confined to FATA are like assailing the head office of a company while letting its branches and franchises operate totally unhindered.
These franchises are mainly the banned organizations like the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Sipah-e-Sahaba, long tolerated or even sponsored by Pakistan’s powerful military and intelligence establishment. But now they have joined the Taliban to turn on Pakistan. We know that many of these factions (like the SSP and the LeJ) have a sectarian bent that far outstrips ideological ambitions, if any. If these outfits are not being targeted then that simply means that the government does not care about the blood of Shias, Barelvis, Christians and Ahmedis that is being ruthlessly spilled across the national territory. That does not even seem to figure among the cards that the government has dealt itself to play poker with the Taliban. It also means that all the federal government cares about is to ensure peace in Punjab – especially its fiefdom in the centre and north of the province.
Any operation against the Taliban cannot achieve peace, let alone a victory, unless it undertakes a fully-fledged and multipronged assault on the sources of terror in the country. The entire country needs to be roused and put on a war footing. The government is fully aware of the Taliban’s catchment area and operating bases in Southern Punjab and their fast growing influence in Karachi. So much so that the militants remain free to wipe out the entire families of those opposing them. Unless the civilian intelligence and law enforcement agencies and the Armed Forces wholeheartedly collaborate in a stretched wholesale attack against the militants of all ilks, we cannot have peace in this country. In the absence of a wholesale approach in attacking it, the TTP will step up its attacks in the urban centers, as we have witnessed in the recent weeks. They are well entrenched in all urban areas outside of Punjab, whereas the largely rural Southern Punjab provides the militant groups a haven to train and reconnoiter. The recent news-articles in WSJ and other international publications have amply described how the Taliban are tightening their noose around the country’s economic jugular – Karachi. The much-touted current operation –largely targeted at the anti-fundamentalism MQM- has made Taliban’s entrenchment in the city deeper and their advances easier. WSJ explains how the Taliban now control one-third of the Megapolis. It seems there was a secret agreement between the government and Taliban as both the MQM and the ANP stress that during the five-months of this operation the banned outfits have emerged as better organized, more entrenched, and stronger.
This whole thing has turned into a mockery of Pakistan, with the Taliban running circles round the country’s government. The Taliban accept the responsibility of various terror attacks with a disdain that pours scorn on our government’s and politicians’ eagerness to placate the Taliban. The longer we shun this fight, the higher the cost for the country and its hapless people, especially those being targeted by the TTP and its cohorts. Sooner or later, this war will be upon or else the Taliban will control the country.
- See more at: http://lubpak.com/archives/305955#sthash.weFJgf4x.dpuf
Pakistan: Islamabad a safe place?
By Wednesday, the capital city Islamabad had become as dangerous a place to live as Mogadishu or Bangui, the capital of Central African Republic. 'The capital city was at a high risk... It has sleeper cells of members of banned organisations including al Qaeda, TTP and LeJ', said the director general of National Crisis Management Cell of the Interior Ministry as he briefed a committee of the National Assembly. Not those other places in the country were less dangerous and relatively secure against terrorism, they too are unsafe and dangerous to live in given the looming threat of terrorism all over the country, he added as he dished out graphic detail on the ubiquitous presence of the terrorist outfits. No surprise the otherwise self-assured residents of Islamabad enjoying a relatively longer terror-free ambience felt fear passing down their spines, setting off frantic phone calls to each other over the deceptive calm the city guardians had obtained for some time. In some cases, the foreigners living outside of the Red Zone asked the private security agencies to increase the strength of guards on their gates.
There was the painful hark to the past when terrorists attacked a five-star hotel, blasted the city markets and carried out assassinations of a federal minister and a provincial governor. But then something happened; the very next day the same city was declared the most secure and safe city in the country - by none else but Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali. No foreign agency was at works in Islamabad, nor there are so-called sleeper cells of terrorists in the city, he told reporters. But he did concede having received a number of calls from foreigners who were 'scared by the impression of the threat to the city'. As to why all this panic was created by his ministry, because 'the threat perceptions concept could only be comprehended by people having an understanding of the technical language'. May be so, if one were to believe that the residents of Islamabad live on another planet where there are no terrorists and what does the expression 'sleeper cells' mean. Give us a break Mr Minister, it is you who owes an explanation as what happened that the same Islamabad which a day before was under thick shadow of terrorism had come out in the sunlight of peace and tranquillity in just 24 hours. Is it that the interior minister and his team are not on the same page and speak from two different tongues on an issue as critical as the menace of terrorism? Of course, Chaudhry Nisar needs to put his own house in order. And also there the work cut out for the members of the National Assembly committee who were fed his blatantly contradictory perspective on national security. If the minister is correct and the National Crisis Management Cell head was incorrect the parliament is supposed to move against the person who led its committee up the garden path.
Lies could not be and should not be told by the government functionaries to the members of parliament. Maybe - there is this minority point of view - the interior ministry had acted the way it did to mentally prepare the general public for the military action against the terrorist hideouts in the restive tribal region. And once the action was over the minister thought it proper that he should dispel the fears the report to the NA committee had generated. But irrespective of the design and intention behind this quick somersault the impression begins to form that even today, almost after a decade of suffering at the hands of terrorists, what we have at hands in terms of a national security policy is nothing but a few time-serving gimmicks. What an irony; the government remains confused and tentative while its nemesis the terrorists are dead on spot. Certainly this is that crucial aspect of psychological warfare where the government is always on the back foot. And this got to change and change without losing a day more. The upcoming sessions of the National Assembly and the Senate we hope the government would pass the long-delayed national security policy.
Pakistan: N Waziristan can be cleansed within weeks
Amidst growing chatter of a military operation in North Waziristan Agency, security sources on Saturday said the task of purging the area of all violent groups could be over in a “matter of weeks”.
“It would take the military four to six weeks to clear the agency of fighters,” security sources said, insisting that it was not difficult for Pakistan Army to re-establish the writ of the government in North Waziristan.
The officials also quashed the impression that the operation had only 40% chance of success, as claimed by some politicians in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
The security sources said that North Waziristan is the last militant stronghold which, if cleared, would result in a significant drop in violent attacks across the country. The military and the civil government are on the same page and there is no ambiguity on the issue.
They conceded that the operation could have a severe backlash elsewhere in the country or that the fighters could sneak into major towns and cities of the country to carry out attacks. “The responsibility of the civil administration would increase as it would have to act pro-actively to cub terrorism.”
The security sources said that a ground offensive hasn’t been started yet in North Waziristan, though F-16 fighter jets have been bombing hideouts of suspected militants in ‘targeted air raids’. “Since Pakistan doesn’t have technology to fly lethal drones, F-16s are the best option available,” they added. “F-16s hit their target with precision, almost ruling out the possibility for collateral damage.” The security sources added that ground offensive would be launched after the civil government gave the go ahead.
Asked about the possible strategy for North Waziristan operation, security sources said that it would be similar to the one carried out in Swat in 2009. Civilians and innocent tribesmen will be given time to shift to safe areas before the launch of the operation. “The operation will target all fighter groups without discrimination.”
Once cleared of militants, the security sources said, it would be difficult for violent groups to find a sanctuary in North Waziristan again. They added that the number of fighters in the area was being exaggerated.
Asked about the stalled peace talks, the security sources said that the security establishment and the civilian government were on the same page vis-à-vis peace engagement. “The military fully supports the government’s peace overtures because it believes in giving peace a chance.”
However, the security sources added that talks should be pursued from a ‘position of strength’. They said that despite the ongoing peace process, militants carried out a string of fatal attacks which necessitated the ‘use of force’.
The security sources claimed that Pakistani fighters were receiving monetary and material support from outside. Afghan spy agency, the National Directorate of Security (NDS), was in league with India. Around 3,000 personnel of NDS, Afghan National Army and other security agencies were receiving training in India.
The security sources, however, rejected as hackneyed the impression that Pakistan’s military was seeking ‘strategic depth’ in Afghanistan. However, they added that the military was not oblivious of the security of the country’s borders. “Pakistan Army is ready to face any challenge.” The security sources said that militants also have supporters and sympathisers within the country.
Commenting on the recent air strikes in North Waziristan and Khyber agencies, the security sources said that it was wrong to call them a prelude to a full-fledged operation. However, if the Taliban carry out any violent attack, they would be responded in the same coin – and the process has already started.
As part of the same strategy, helicopter gunships targeted hideouts of suspected militants in Thal tehsil of Hangu district early Saturday. A security official said that the air raids were ordered after credible intelligence suggested that militants based in the area were plotting attacks.
“The air strikes were carried out in the mountainous areas of Tora Warhi and Darsamand, situated at the confluence of borders between Orakzai and Kurram tribal agencies around 7am,” a security official said. The raids continued till 9am, he added.
The official claimed that at least nine militants – among them three commanders, Gul Nawaz, Arshad and Wali Zaman – were killed when a suspected compound was bombed.
While the air strikes were ongoing, a shell fired from unknown direction slammed into a civilian house in the Darsamand area, wounding two women identified as Sakina Bibi and Sultana Bibi. They were driven to a hospital in nearby Thal.
The security official said it was an air raid by helicopter gunships against militant hideouts in Thal. It is the only tehsil of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa where a US drone had targeted an Islamic seminary (madrassa) on November 21, last year, killing six persons.
The Express Tribune
Asked about the possible strategy for North Waziristan operation, security sources said that it would be similar to the one carried out in Swat in 2009. Civilians and innocent tribesmen will be given time to shift to safe areas before the launch of the operation. “The operation will target all fighter groups without discrimination.”
Once cleared of militants, the security sources said, it would be difficult for violent groups to find a sanctuary in North Waziristan again. They added that the number of fighters in the area was being exaggerated.
Asked about the stalled peace talks, the security sources said that the security establishment and the civilian government were on the same page vis-à-vis peace engagement. “The military fully supports the government’s peace overtures because it believes in giving peace a chance.”
However, the security sources added that talks should be pursued from a ‘position of strength’. They said that despite the ongoing peace process, militants carried out a string of fatal attacks which necessitated the ‘use of force’.
The security sources claimed that Pakistani fighters were receiving monetary and material support from outside. Afghan spy agency, the National Directorate of Security (NDS), was in league with India. Around 3,000 personnel of NDS, Afghan National Army and other security agencies were receiving training in India.
The security sources, however, rejected as hackneyed the impression that Pakistan’s military was seeking ‘strategic depth’ in Afghanistan. However, they added that the military was not oblivious of the security of the country’s borders. “Pakistan Army is ready to face any challenge.” The security sources said that militants also have supporters and sympathisers within the country.
Commenting on the recent air strikes in North Waziristan and Khyber agencies, the security sources said that it was wrong to call them a prelude to a full-fledged operation. However, if the Taliban carry out any violent attack, they would be responded in the same coin – and the process has already started.
As part of the same strategy, helicopter gunships targeted hideouts of suspected militants in Thal tehsil of Hangu district early Saturday. A security official said that the air raids were ordered after credible intelligence suggested that militants based in the area were plotting attacks.
“The air strikes were carried out in the mountainous areas of Tora Warhi and Darsamand, situated at the confluence of borders between Orakzai and Kurram tribal agencies around 7am,” a security official said. The raids continued till 9am, he added.
The official claimed that at least nine militants – among them three commanders, Gul Nawaz, Arshad and Wali Zaman – were killed when a suspected compound was bombed.
While the air strikes were ongoing, a shell fired from unknown direction slammed into a civilian house in the Darsamand area, wounding two women identified as Sakina Bibi and Sultana Bibi. They were driven to a hospital in nearby Thal.
The security official said it was an air raid by helicopter gunships against militant hideouts in Thal. It is the only tehsil of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa where a US drone had targeted an Islamic seminary (madrassa) on November 21, last year, killing six persons.
Pakistan: Finishing the job
While the government mulls over the results of negotiations with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the army takes concrete steps to eliminate terrorist sanctuaries in the tribal areas, different political parties involved or observing the process weighed in with their opinions as well. Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s Jamiat-i-Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) called for a resumption of the dialogue under different auspices, with his involvement of course. The Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) chief, Munawar Hasan, recently agreed with the militants, saying that peace talks and military actions were incompatible and that the government shouldn’t bow to Indian and US pressure. It may be necessary to remind him that last week the government were virtually pleading for a ceasefire while TTP attacks continued unabated in an orgy of bloodletting, despite no military action against the terrorists since the All Parties Conference in September, and over 400 civilians and military personnel killed in terrorist attacks in the same period. This cognitve dissonance is now a common theme among supporters of the negotiations, which continues irrespective of the militants’ actions and claims. The TTP’s most recent statement blaming the government for the breakdown in negotiations and demanding it put its guns down first reflects a stunning lack of recall power, considering the events of the last few months.
However, as the army has shown, actions speak louder than words. The military’s limited punitive strikes against TTP infastructure in the tribal areas over the last three days have been precise and according to reports have severely damaged the militants. They lend weight to General Raheel Sharif’s statement that the armed forces are more than capable of dealing the TTP a death blow and eliminating them from their strongholds. The latest attack by helicopter gunships yesterday in Hangu reportedly killed nine militants, mostly foreigners. The precise nature of these actions highlights the disingenuousness of Imran Khan’s recent statements concerning an army operation in the tribal areas. Far from claiming that a military operation only had a 40 percent chance of success, fomer COAS General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani’s statement is more accurately rendered as stating that a military operation would immediately reduce terrorism by 40 precent, but that the government should be prepared for the blowback in a renewed wave of terrorism in the whole country. Imran’s revelation of this private statement to the public, and in a twisted form, is mendacious simply because as leaders of the people, politicians are supposed to help motivate people during difficult times, not sap their will and create panic to score political points. Opining negativity about the capabilities of one the largest and best trained armed forces in the world does not create a positive atmosphere for dialogue either; it merely undermines one side. So far strikes have reportedly killed over 60 militants, most of them from outside Pakistan, including Uzbeks and Tajiks. This fact also puts paid to Imran’s statement that the TTP are our countrymen and brothers.
However, the military requires political support and politicians who can lead in order to finish the job, which will be difficult and perhaps lengthy. The retaliatory actions by the military are a first step, not an end result, and highlight the necessity for a national security framework, something Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif placed high on his list of priorities upon taking office. A basis for the broader security strategy Pakistan will pursue is needed, in the light of the US exit from Afghanistan and the new realities Pakistan faces. Bilawal Bhutto’s statement that he aims to correct the mistakes of his mother and grandfather highlights the fact that there have been strategic mistakes made in the past and those mistakes must not be repeated. And while his party vehemently opposes the negotiations, it would be a mistake to close the door to militants who may want to put down their weapons, renounce violence and extremist ideologies, and return to civilian life. For the time being this strategy may be sufficient, though hard decisions remain in the days ahead.
Pak-Saudi relations: History repeating itself: 'Persistent (Marxian) dilemma'
Saturday, February 22, 2014
China urges U.S. to correct mistakes on Tibet
peopledaily.comChinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Qin Gang on Saturday evening urged the United States to correct its mistakes after President Barack Obama met with the Dalai Lama. "We once again urge the U.S. side to correct mistakes," Qin said in a press release. He said the United States should stop conniving and supporting anti-China, secessionist force which pursues "Tibet independence," halt interference into China's internal affairs, and adopt measures to offset negative influence, in order to avoid further damage to the China-U.S. relations. Qin pointed out that Tibet is an inseparable part of China's territories and that the affairs of Tibet are totally internal affairs of China. Qin said the U.S. side has done serious damage to China-U.S. relations by allowing the Dalai Lama to visit the country and meet with the U.S. leader despite objection of China. He said such a wrong move gravely interfered in China's internal affairs, seriously violated the U.S. commitment of recognizing Tibet as part of China and of not supporting the "Tibet independence," and gravely violated basic norms governing the international relations. "Facts have proved that the Dalai Lama is definitely not just a religious figure, but a political exile who has long engaged in anti-China secessionist activities in the name of religion," he said. Qin said the Dalai Lama has never stopped secessionist activities though he proclaimed not to seek "Tibet independence." He accused the Dalai Lama of attempting to pursue independence in a disguised way by advocating the so-called "middle way" and a "Greater Tibet," which in fact is nonexistence in history. "This is what the Chinese government and people will never accept," Qin said. He said the central government of China has always kept the door open for contact and discussions with the Dalai Lama. "If the Dalai Lama really wishes to achieve progress in contact and discussions, he must reflect on his own words and deeds in a thorough way and stop all activities of separatist and destructive nature," Qin said. Qin said the Chinese people have the biggest say on the situation in Tibet. Since the peaceful liberation of Tibet more than 60 years ago, Tibet has experienced tremendous changes. Serfs of the old time Tibet have long become the master of their own destiny while unprecedented progresses have been achieved in all fields, he said. "These are facts that won't be denied by anyone without political bias," Qin added.
Polio re-emerges amid paranoia in Pakistan
http://www.thestar.com/
When health workers approached Zulfikar Quaid about inoculating his three children against polio, Quaid picked up an old cricket bat and waved it at them. “Get out of my house,” he yelled. “My children are Muslim and we don’t need your dirty Hindu drugs.” The health workers were stunned — though they’d become accustomed to some resistance to vaccines, they’d never heard it linked to a Hindu conspiracy. Zarmina, the lead health worker, asked Quaid’s wife why they were refusing the drugs. “The Hindus are lacing it with pig’s blood to send us all to hell,” she explained. Quaid was still waving the bat menacingly. Zarmina, familiar with anti-vaccine fervour, decided a quick retreat was the safest option. In the past 18 months, 34 health workers had been killed for attempting to administer the polio vaccine.
Since 1978, when the World Health Organization’s Expanded Program for Immunization was launched in Pakistan, conspiracy theories about polio have been rampant. While the supposed conspirators change frequently, the myth usually involves someone attempting to rid the world of Muslims — Zarmina and her fellow health workers have heard that the polio vaccine is part of a Western (or U.S. or Jewish) conspiracy to sterilize all Muslims, or that Mossad or the CIA is orchestrating the campaign to kill Muslims outright. “When the polio vaccination program was initially launched, international organizations didn’t take into account that there was very little engagement with the local government,” said a senior World Health Organization official, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “Because the drugs and information was all coming from another country, people became very suspicious of vaccine programs.”The bin Laden problem The immunization effort in Pakistan took a major hit in 2007 when Maulana Fazlullah, the current chief of the Pakistani Taliban, announced a ban on polio vaccinations in Swat. After news broke that the CIA had launched a fake hepatitis-B vaccination program to obtain information about Osama bin Laden, the theories gained even more prominence in Pakistan. Since then, militants and religious leaders alike have warned people against the polio vaccine and targeted health workers like Zarmina for participating in the immunization campaign. “In Pakistan, conspiracy theories are almost an Olympic sport,” explained C. Christine Fair, a Pakistan scholar and assistant professor at Georgetown University. The problem isn’t confined to Pakistan. In Nigeria, Ibrahim Datti Ahmed, a physician and the president of Nigeria’s Supreme Council for Sharia Law, accused Americans of lacing the vaccination with an anti-fertility agent that sterilized children. It took years for international organizations to combat the rumour and polio is still endemic to Nigeria. India, too, battled conspiracy theories about sterilization and poisoning. Unlike Pakistan, however, India has a stronger local government program, which has aided the World Health Organization’s efforts to eradicate the disease. “In Pakistan, conspiracy theories are almost an Olympic sport,” explained C. Christine Fair, a Pakistan scholar and assistant professor at Georgetown University. It’s not just vaccination campaigns that inspire bizarre rumours. Many people believe the CIA planted the Taliban to weaken the Pakistani state and that Malala Yousafzai, the schoolgirl who stood up to the Taliban, was a CIA agent. Four days after Osama bin Laden’s death was announced, a YouGov/University of Cambridge poll found that 66 per cent of Pakistanis did not believe he had really been killed. The Pakistani media often magnifies disinformation rather than debunking it. In 2010, the Washington Post chronicled the frustration of the U.S. embassy in the country when confronted, for example, with reports in the media that all Pakistanis are stripped naked at American airports. Fair isn’t one to mince words: “Part of the problem is that in Pakistan, lies are built into the very fabric of the educational system,” she said, referring to reports that state textbooks often have factual inaccuracies about Pakistan’s national history, along with a great deal of anti-minority and anti-Western language. Many of the falsities about polio are spread by religious leaders, who often don’t have a formal education, but can disseminate information to a large number of people in their local language. Earlier this month, Maulana Sami-ul-Haq, a religious scholar and leader of a faction of the conservative political party Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, came out in support of the polio vaccine, issuing a fatwa against polio. Though not many local clerics followed suit, his announcement was viewed as a major victory in the fight against polio. But the rumours are so pervasive, and the suspicion of officials so great, that in some Karachi neighbourhoods, residents aren’t swayed even by the fatwa. “Why is the government giving me polio drops for free?” asked one resident of Orangi town, who wondered why the government would do this while not providing education, basic health care and access to water. For Zarmina the battle is personal. She became a community health worker — part of the WHO funded Lady Health Worker program — in 2002 after her eldest daughter died after contracting measles. A few hours after her confrontation with Quaid, Zarmina heard that shots had been fired elsewhere in the city and that three people had died administering the vaccine. She’s not sure that she’ll participate in the next National Immunization Day drive. The consequences of people like her quitting have ripple effects across the globe. Late last year, a polio outbreak in Syria was linked to a strain from Peshawar. With both Nigeria and Afghanistan reducing the number of polio cases in 2013, health experts warn that Pakistan may become the only exporter of the polio virus in the world. “I used to think that by talking individually with the families in my neighbourhood, I could help stop this crippling disease,” Zarmina said. “Now, I’m not so sure.”
Pakistan: TTP threat panics Kalash people
A pat for Bilawal
His clear, no nonsense stand on terrorism and terrorists is his strength. Those at the helm of affairs must take notice of what was said in very plain and simple language by their youngest opponentIn a country where perhaps a nine-year-old can sing an ode glorifying modern day brutes and barbarians, what if I jot a few lines in favour of their ideological nemesis? Before I am chastised for buttering up to the heir-apparent of the Bhutto dynasty, let me clarify something for the idle and often empty minds. Being a dual citizen, I will perhaps be unable to vote for him, come 2018. So, take a deep breath and chill. I remember doing a write up on him on these pages, when he was in my neck of the woods way back in 2012. The title of the column was ‘The rookie chairman’ (Daily Times, May 31, 2012); for curious minds, it is worth a read, demonstrating my straightforward, no nonsense critique of this budding politico. There is an ongoing debate, which basically trashes the concept of political dynasties. You will find people airing their vehement opposition to the concept. I laugh when people provide their moronic reasons about how they do not want two families to dominate the leadership of this blessed nation. I often wonder and want to ask these great democrats of this day and age: how many Muslim countries can boast of being functioning and true democracies? In our case, out of 66 years, how many years have seen a democratic set up able to function? Then, as I said earlier, I will say it again; will Bilawal Bhutto Zaradari come in the contingent of the 111 Brigade or with your vote? Find a worthy opponent and let him/her give Bilawal a tough fight at the polls. As they say, if you can't handle the heat, better step out of the kitchen. Nothing in the constitution bars a politician’s son or daughter from contesting. Entry into this arena should be wide open to a street vendor and to a member of the elite alike. This is the true essence of democracy and equality. When Bilawal and his allies talked about the Sindh Festival on Twitter, I was a bit cynical and critical, like many others. In my opinion, the timing of the festival was a bit odd because people are in the grip of never ending terror. These people perhaps would not give a damn about their culture and roots when their core existence is being challenged. Looking at the response from the people, I must admit I was a bit off in my assessment. A lot of people suddenly became archeologists on the social media as soon as they heard that the opening ceremony was being held on the ruins of Mohenjo Daro. Fear mongering and critique hit the Twittersphere about how a party would be held at the historical site, which could potentially ‘ruin’ the ruins. Perhaps it was political envy that took over the better sense of many. There were assurances from specialists that the site would not be impacted adversely. Despite the opposition and reservations, Bilawal’s media team did a fantastic job and the opening ceremony went extremely well. Without going into the various programmes that were held to bring joy and laughter back into the lives of the fear and grief stricken people, let us jump to the ending of the festival in the historic city of Thatta. This is where a 25-year-old Bilawal, in his accented Urdu, spoke directly from his heart. Often you could feel that it was his late mother thundering from the dais — perhaps in his DNA and genetic makeup. One can chuckle here and there over his honest, straightforward delivery but one cannot ignore or discredit his message. For a 25-year-old, he is as clear as day about his vision and how he wants to carry this country forward. The current lot of senior politicos who constantly dither, who are confused, afraid, disillusioned and disconnected from reality ought to take some clue from him. Bilawal resonated with the Pakistanis who are sick and tired of living in fear, and advocated their basic right to life and existence. His clear, no nonsense stand on terrorism and terrorists is his strength. Those at the helm of affairs must take notice of what was said in very plain and simple language by their youngest opponent. I agree with his point: you can dislike him as a novice lad, an elite class child born with a silver spoon, but you cannot disagree with his stance when it comes to eliminating the menace of terror. Yes, he offers a ray of hope while others run around in circles either lying, obfuscating or presenting ‘what if’ scenarios. What people often forget is that when it comes to your birth, you have no control over the circumstancs. Once you grow up, you do have the ability to make clear choices — the choice to be either on the right or wrong side of history. While I see that Benazir spark in Bilawal, I have my concerns for his safety. The forces of darkness, which want to prevail in this country, once could not fathom and digest his mother’s return and the affection of the masses towards her. The same forces of evil do not like anyone following in her footsteps and steering this country towards a modern and progressive republic. To them, anything modern is equated with being western. They forget that doing right is noble and just, and is neither eastern nor western. To chime in with someone who envisions a peaceful, prosperous and modern Pakistan is the right thing to do. A very humble request to young Bilawal: please carry the same message to the other provinces as well. You may have your roots in Sindh but you are the son of this whole country. God speed son. Stay safe and stay blessed.
Friday, February 21, 2014
President Obama to Award Medal of Honor
http://www.whitehouse.gov/On March 18th, 2014, President Barack Obama will award 24 Army veterans the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry. These veterans will receive the Medal of Honor in recognition of their valor during major combat operations in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Each of these Soldiers’ bravery was previously recognized by award of the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation’s second highest military award; that award will be upgraded to the Medal of Honor in recognition of their gallantry, intrepidity and heroism above and beyond the call of duty. In 2002, Congress, through the Defense Authorization Act, called for a review of Jewish American and Hispanic American veteran war records from WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, to ensure those deserving the Medal of Honor were not denied because of prejudice. During the review, records of several Soldiers of neither Jewish nor Hispanic descent were also found to display criteria worthy of the Medal of Honor. The 2002 Act was amended to allow these Soldiers to be honored with the upgrade - in addition to the Jewish and Hispanic American Soldiers.
Obama, Putin Hold ‘Constructive’ Call on Ukraine Crisis
US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday discussed the implementation of a plan to resolve the bloody conflict in Ukraine, a conversation one senior US official described as “constructive.”
“They exchanged views on the need to implement quickly the political agreement reached today in [Kiev], the importance of stabilizing the economic situation and undertaking necessary reforms, and the need for all sides to refrain from further violence,” the White House said in a statement.
The Kremlin described the conversation as “substantive” in an English-language statement that blamed the violence in Ukraine that has left dozens dead on “the radical opposition,” which it accused of taking the confrontation in the former Soviet state “to a very dangerous point.”
Washington has said that both security forces and protesters in Ukraine must refrain from violence but that it holds the government of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych ultimately responsible for reining in the deadly clashes and stabilizing the situation.
Yanukovych on Friday signed an agreement with opposition leaders aimed at ending the nation’s deadliest violence since it gained independence in 1991, agreeing to an early presidential election and a return to a 2004 constitution designed to limit presidential powers and make the country a parliamentary republic.
In a call with reporters Friday, a senior US State Department official called the Obama-Putin phone call “constructive” and said the two leaders agreed that “the agreement reached today needed to be implemented quickly.”
“It’s clearly an important signal that the president and President Putin were able to talk positively about implementing this agreement,” the official said, the Washington newspaper The Hill reported on its website. “We have to move on from there and ensure that this very, very fragile Ukrainian economy is stabilized.”
The United States and its EU partners have been at odds with Russia over the crisis in Ukraine, with officials in Moscow accusing the West of stoking the violence by backing what they describe as radical elements seeking to carry out a coup against Yanukovych.
US and European officials have said they are merely supporting Ukrainians’ right to protest peacefully after mass demonstrations broke out there in November following Yanukovych’s decision to forego partnership and trade agreements with the EU in favor of closer integration with Russia.
As Obama and Putin were preparing to speak by telephone, White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters Friday that “it is in Russia’s interest for the violence to end in Ukraine, as it is in the interest of the United States and our European friends.”
“We welcome the cessation of violence, and we welcome the agreements that have been reached,” Carney said.
Obama initiated the call, during which the two leaders also discussed Iran’s nuclear program and the situation in war-torn Syria, the White House and the Kremlin said.
Both sides said in their respective statements that Obama congratulated Putin on the Winter Olympics currently being held in Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi.
China expresses "strong indignation, firm opposition" against Obama-Dalai Lama meeting
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui on Friday night summoned Daniel Kritenbrink, charge d'affaires of U.S. embassy in China, to lodge solemn representations for U.S. President Barack Obama's meeting with the Dalai Lama regardless of China's strong opposition.
According to Zhang, such a wrong move gravely interfered in China's internal affairs, seriously violated the U.S. commitment of not supporting the "Tibet independence", gravely violated basic norms governing the international relations, and seriously undermined the China-U.S. relations.
"China expresses strong indignation and firm opposition," Zhang said.
Tibet is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory, Zhang said. "The Tibetan issue is the domestic affair of China and the United States bears no right to interfere," he stressed.
The contradictions between the Chinese side and the Dalai Lama is neither an ethnic issue nor religious and human rights issues, but an important issue concerning the principles of maintaining China's unification while opposing secession, he said.
China firmly opposes any foreign country to allow the Dalai Lama's visit and opposes any foreign dignitaries to meet with the Dalai Lama by any form, he stressed.
"Nobody can shake the will and determination of the Chinese government and people to oppose outside interference and to safeguard the national sovereignty and unification," he said.
"The United States, on the one hand, recognizes that Tibet is part of China and has agreed not to support 'Tibet independence', while on the other hand arranged the meeting between its leader and the Dalai Lama," he said, calling the Dalai Lama "chief head of the secessionist group seeking 'Tibet independence.'"
"Such a move will gravely sabotage China-U.S. cooperation and relations, and will definitely undermine its own interests," he said.
"The key to ensure the healthy and steady growth of China-U.S. relations is to respect the other's core interests and major concerns," he said.
He urged the United States to seriously take into consideration of China's solemn stance and observe its commitments of recognizing Tibet as part of China and opposing "Tibet independence."
Moreover, he demanded the United States to immediately take concrete actions to offset negative influence, stop interfering into China's internal affairs by making use of Tibet-related issues, stop conniving and supporting anti-China secessionist activities made by the Dalai Lama and his followers.
"The United States must take concrete actions to regain trust of the Chinese government and people," he said.
On the same day, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said China has time and again expressed its serious concern over the Dalai Lama's visit to the United State for a period of time.
"The Dalai Lama is a political exile who has long engaged in anti-China secessionist activities in the name of religion," he said.
He urged the United States not to connive and support anti-China secessionist forces seeking "Tibet independence," in order to avoid further damage to the China-U.S. relations.
Warning: Saudi mayhem ahead
http://www.atimes.com/By Pepe Escobar Move over, Peter O' Toole. It's Charles of Arabia time. Prince Charles switched to Lawrence mode when he went schmoozing and dancing in Riyadh this past Tuesday with the natives. And just like clockwork, the next day BAE Systems - Europe's number one weapons peddler - announced that the UK and the House of Saud had agreed on "new pricing" for an extremely juicy deal; 72 Eurofighter Typhoon jets. The Eurofighter is a direct competitor of the spectacularly unsalable French Rafale and the very expensive American F-35s and F-16s. The Associated Press duly included in its dispatch - reproduced by virtually every newspaper around the world - the Washington-enforced meme "Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries are fortifying their military capabilities to counter a perceived threat from regional rivals, particularly Iran." As if Tehran was going to bomb the House of Saud tomorrow. The Eurofighter, on the other hand, has already been employed against fellow Arabs - as in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's humanitarian bombing of Libya back to failed-state status. It's open to debate whether the House of Saud might be tempted to employ it against the enemy within: aspiring Saudi women drivers. Brandishing the official excuse that near-nonagenarian King Abdullah was not able to receive him, Charles of Arabia declined to discuss with the House of Saud the absolutely appalling women's rights, migrant workers' rights and for that matter the full human rights situation in the kingdom. Of course not; this is only brought up when demonizing Russia, China and/or Iran. Moreover, Charles of Arabia could not possibly ruffle feathers as the French are also positioning themselves as contenders in the Snuggle-Up-with-a-Saudi industrial-military complex game show (worth more than US$70 billion in these past few years). French President Francois Hollande - an abysmal nullity at home but a Great Liberator of Africa and Syria - visited Riyadh in December trying hard to steal significant market share from the Anglo-Americans. The problem is, no sentient being anywhere would even contemplate buying a Rafale. Here's the dough, now gimme a bomb So the House of Saud is stockpiling weapons. Check. Saudi Arabia's Prince Bandar bin Sultan, aka Bandar Bush, remains on the loose, financing/weaponizing his growing army of mercenaries in the Levant. Check. And the House of Saud is up to something with its ally Pakistan. Check. Just one day before Charles of Arabia hit Riyadh, Saudi Defense Minister - and, crucially, Crown Prince - Salam bin Abdul Aziz was in Islamabad. The heart of the matter was - what else - a "defense pact". [1] Crucially, there's also a Pipelineistan reverberation. By mid-2013, Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was all excited over the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline, which should theoretically go online in 2015. Now he's not so sure. One doesn't need to be the perspicacious Charles of Arabia to detect a Saudi hand on all this - actively spoiling the Iran-Pakistan energy partnership. The House of Saud's Iranian paranoia has no equal in the whole solar system, and regime change in Syria is a key plank in the retribution scenario. No matter Washington's non-denial denials of the "we're not involved" kind, Bandar Bush's network will soon be supplying mercenary gangs in the Levant with anti-aircraft weaponry. And guess who's following Charles of Arabia to Riyadh next month: none other than US President Barack Obama. As part of the House of Saud's multi-pronged attack, King Abdullah will practically supplicate from Obama (of Arabia?) a decisive push for regime change in Syria. Meanwhile, the House of Saud is trying to amass as many Pakistani "advisers" as possible to train its paid goons in Syria. The official Pakistani non-denial denial is that they won't be sending their army to Syria. [2] But in a remix of Afghanistan during the 1980s jihad, a bunch of seasoned "advisers" will more than suffice. Then there's the House of Saud nuclear play. Already in 2012, they were advertising the drive to build no fewer than 16 commercial nuclear reactors by 2030 - and on top of it a tech agreement with Beijing was signed. The House of Saud spent a lot of dough in the Pakistani nuclear weapons program. It's not even a matter of "acquiring nuclear technology" against Iran; that would take too long. Depending on the result of the P5+1 talks with Iran along 2014, a hyper-paranoid House of Saud could simply rain a mountain of hard cash on cash-strapped Islamabad and just buy one of its nukes. After all, Riyadh just offered a cool $3 billion to the Lebanese army so that it would buy French weapons - something that over-excited Frenchmen duly interpreted as a Saudi "tactical divorce" from the Barack Obama administration. Every each way one looks at it, expect major House of Saud-provoked mayhem ahead. Even in Tehran, they are worried about Saudi sanity - as the office of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei knows all there is to know about the cosmic paranoia, aging King Abdullah (89) riding into the sunset, the fierce succession war to follow, and, meanwhile, Bandar Bush's warmongering offensive. Which brings us back to perspicacious Charles of Arabia. He could not have failed to notice there is a direct continuum from medieval Wahhabism and one Osama bin Laden. Until recently, every leadership of every hardcore Islamist gang on the planet shared three traits: they studied in Saudi Arabia; they were financed by Saudi sources (public or private); and they reached their "maturity" in Afghanistan. Now the jihadi landscape is more diversified. So it's up to Bandar Bush to regiment the new jihadi Google generation into "Islamic Fronts". For the House of Saud, though, the agenda always remains the same: demonize Iran; be the dutiful errand boys of the hyperpower and lesser Western "powers"; and buy weapons in droves. No wonder Charles of Arabia happily danced to their tune; after all, these jolly old chaps are "our" gold-medal bastards.
Afghan Women Campaign for Peace
http://www.voanews.com/War-weary women in Afghanistan have unleashed an unprecedented campaign to seek an immediate cessation of hostilities and defend the freedom they have gained over the past decade in the mostly conservative and male-dominated Afghan society. The move comes amid intensifying fears the Islamist Taliban would try to regain power after NATO combat troops withdraw from the country in December. Afghanistan’s nearly four-year-long peace effort, made through a High Peace Council of prominent Afghan personalities, has so far failed to persuade the Taliban to end its insurgency and join a political reconciliation process. The lack of progress has prompted the women's wing of the panel to undertake a rare peace initiative of its own, providing a glimmer of hope for traditionally and socially oppressed Afghan women. A Council member, parliamentarian Golalei Nur Safi, is at the forefront of the campaign, called ‘Voice of Afghan Women for Peace and Cease-fire’. She told VOA their mission is to urge the government and Taliban-led opposition groups, as well as international forces, to try to negotiate a peaceful settlement of the conflict as soon as possible. Safi said the campaign was launched early this month and Afghan women are joining it in large numbers every day. She added that despite security concerns, women volunteers are making serious efforts to secure as many signatures as possible from female members of Afghan society on a piece of paper carrying a message of peace. “We go door-to-door also and also [arrange] some meetings between the women. And the group of volunteers they go to the people, to the society, to the schools, to the universities, to the workplaces, and they tell [them] about the message that we want peace and [a] cease-fire. We have hundreds of women, they are working like volunteers to take the signature from the women and until now we have more than 120,000 signatures,” said Safi. Organizers say copies of the signatures will be submitted to President Hamid Karzai, United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon and representatives of the Taliban. Safi said they have also taken their demands to candidates taking part in the upcoming Afghan presidential elections. “We talk to every candidate about this campaign and we tell our message to them that Afghan women they are very tired from the war and we want peace,” said Safi. She said that after more than a decade of political empowerment at different levels, Afghan women are determined not allow anyone violate their rights, be it the government or the Taliban. The lawmaker reiterated that women must be made part of political decision-making process to ensure their rights are protected in the search for a peaceful way out of the crisis facing Afghanistan. “We expect that the rights of women are not violated once again that we have achieved and accomplished in the last ten years in Afghanistan. And we believe that the rights of women will not be jeopardized once again as it was a decade ago and these rights shall be respected and should be promoted despite starting or convening the peace negotiations with the Taliban,” she said. The Afghan civil war of the 1990s that paved the way for the Taliban to seize power and impose their brand of strict Islamic law critically undermined female rights in the war-shattered country. The Taliban banned women from workplaces and prohibited girls’ education during their five year rule. It is estimated that until the U.S.-led military coalition ousted the Taliban from power in 2001, there were fewer than one million Afghan children in school, and all of them were boys. Recent local and foreign studies show that international assistance has since helped the country raise the number of students close to eight million; more than a third of that 8 million are girls. Meanwhile, improvements to health facilities has brought down the maternal mortality rate by 80 percent and Afghan women are now running their own businesses.
Balochistan: The untold story of Pakistan's other war
Pakistan's on-off dialogue with the Taliban has been commanding headlines and the attention of politicians and diplomats. But there has been little interest in a dialogue that could end the longest civil war in Pakistan's history, says guest columnist Ahmed Rashid.
On 17 January, 13 bodies were discovered from a mass grave in the village of Tutak near Khuzdar in Balochistan province. Only two of the mutilated, decomposed bodies have been identified so far - both were men who had disappeared four months earlier.
A heartbreaking account of the mass grave by Saher Baloch, a journalist for Dawn newspaper, ends with the ominous prediction by an official that there are more bodies waiting to be found.
The Frontier Corps, the anti-Shia group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and other groups are all enmeshed in a decade-long campaign of "pick up and dump" in which Baloch nationalists, militants or even innocent bystanders are picked up, disappeared, tortured, mutilated and then killed.
The army, paramilitaries and the government have consistently denied being responsible for violence in Balochistan, pointing instead to the myriad of armed groups operating in the region.
But even though the Supreme Court has taken up some of the cases of the disappeared, the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has failed to engage with the issue.
Untold story
Nobody even knows how many people have have disappeared - the figures are between hundreds and several thousand. Now the families of those disappeared are on a long march through the winter months from Karachi to Islamabad to register their loss and grievances with the government.
Wizened old men and women wrapped in chadors have been dragging children along and braving the cold and the rain. They entered Lahore earlier this month and have already been on the road for nearly four months.
They said they do not even have a dead body to bury and want to know where the men of their families are. But the government has ignored them - it is almost as if they did not exist.
So many journalists have been killed in Balochistan that there are few honest reports from the province in the national print or electronic media because journalists are too scared. The story of this bloody civil war is going untold.
The chief minister of Balochistan Abdul Malik Baloch, who heads the weak provincial government in Quetta, has demanded a dialogue with the nationalist leaders.
He is powerless unless the federal government and the army agree to rein in the violence many believe they are responsible for - something they utterly deny - and the militants agree to a ceasefire.
The fifth Baloch insurgency against the Pakistan state began in 2003, with small guerrilla attacks by autonomy-seeking Baloch groups who over the years have became increasingly militant and separatist in ideology. Their leaders who are mostly in exile abroad now demand independence from Pakistan.
Cycle of violence
Unlike in past Baloch insurgencies when militants only targeted the army, this time the militants have targeted non-Baloch civilians living in Balochistan in an attempt to drive out other nationalities.
Every disappeared Baloch leads to many more youngsters taking up arms. Every attack on the security forces leads to more disappeared. It is an endless cycle of violence that has gone on for 11 years.
The tragedy is that although there is intense division in the country over talking to the Taliban - strong pro- and anti-lobbies hammer it out daily - there is no such dispute about talking to the Baloch nationalists.
All the political parties seem to be in agreement about the need for a dialogue, but it is the army that has to agree to one. "After the opening of negotiations with the Taliban, it is even more absurd to be not offering an opening to talk to the Baloch nationalists," said IA Rehman, secretary-general of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.
"The lack of response is causing incalculable harm to Pakistan," he added.
The Taliban have killed thousands of people in the past five years compared to the Balochistan insurgency where casualties have been far lower.
But without a major initiative from the federal government to bring together the army, parliament, the political parties and other stakeholders in the establishment, it is unlikely there will be any move for opening talks with the Baloch militants.
Pakistan remains fragile, with all the violence that the state faces from the Taliban and mayhem in Karachi. Meanwhile the economy only gets worse.
As long as the government stays silent on Balochistan, the longest civil war in Pakistan's history will only create more casualties and break more records for longevity and heartbreak.
Pakistan: ‘Enemy’ of the state
Pakistan: For Being A Christian, Got Fired From Government Job
Bilawal Bhutto: Nothing Islamic about TTP
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) patron-in-chief, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari tweeted his response to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Shahidullah Shahid’s statement that there was not a single Islamic clause in Pakistan’s constitution.Bilawal Bhutto Zardari tweeted: “Shahidullah Shahid said there is nothing Islamic in Pakistan’s constitution. He clearly can’t read. The truth is there is nothing Islamic in the TTP.” The TTP spokesman had made the statement during a news conference held in North Waziristan. Shahid said the government wanted the Taliban to accept the constitution of Pakistan through dialogue.
Pakistan: Senate to take up shift in policy on Syria
A calling attention notice has been submitted in the senate asking Advisor Foreign Affairs to explain government position on ” shift in policy on the civil war in Syria in the wake of the visit last week of foreign dignitary from a Middle Eastern country and its impact on Pakistan’s national security and relations with other countries in the region” has been submitted in the Senate as it meets on Monday. Through a calling attention notice PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar has asked the Advisor on Foreign Affairs and national Security Sartaj Aziz to take the House into confidence on this ” matter of great public importance” as there seemed a sudden, unexplained and a major departure from the known and stated position of Pakistan on this issue. Farhatullah Babar said that it was significant that after talks between the visiting dignitary and the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the two countries called for ‘the formation of a transitional governing body with full executive powers enabling it to take charge of the affairs of the country’, clearly meaning ‘regime change’ in Syria which will have profound implications for Pakistan’s relations with countries of Middle East particularly Iran. Until now, Islamabad refused to take sides and kept a delicate balance in its ties with Kingdom of Saudi Aarabai and Iran. That balance seems to have been upset, he said. He said this shift in policy may drag Pakistan into uncharted waters without tangible gains that should best be avided. He said that the warning by Iran’s interior minister to send troops into Pakistan to secure the release of kidnapped border guards could be seen as Iran’s discomfort over the shift in our policy. Asking for regime change in far off countries for internal disturbances can potentially land Pakistan, itself beset with myriad internal problems, in serious trouble, he said adding that the government must explain the correct position.http://mediacellppp.wordpress.com/
Pakistan urged to release British man sentenced to death for blasphemy
Letter signed by UK politicians and academics asks for release of Mohammed Asghar so he can receive mental health treatment
A group of politicians and academics have called for the release of a British man sentenced to death in Pakistan for blasphemy, so that he can receive mental health treatment.
In an open letter published in the Independent, the group raised concerns about Mohammed Asghar's wellbeing and asked the president of Pakistan to intervene.
Asghar was arrested in 2010 in Rawalpindi, near Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, for claiming to be the prophet Muhammad.
His family says he suffers from mental illness and was treated for paranoid schizophrenia in Edinburgh before returning to Pakistan in 2010.
He was convicted last month and his family immediately launched a campaign for him to be released from custody in order to receive medical help.
His lawyers said he appeared "pale, dehydrated, shaking and barely lucid" during a recent visit, prompting fears his condition had seriously deteriorated.
Signatories to the open letter include the shadow justice secretary, Sadiq Khan, Scottish human rights lawyer Aamer Anwar, academics from the Muslim Institute, the Islamic Society of Britain and a host of charities.
The letter is addressed to Pakistan's president, Mamnoon Hussain.
It reads: "Like so many British Pakistanis, Mr Asghar was a successful businessman and pillar of the community who lived for many years in the UK where, through a lifetime of hard work, he helped promote the bonds of friendship and understanding between his native and adopted countries.
"We the undersigned are concerned that his recovery from illness is impossible whilst he remains detained at Adiala jail, where his lawyers fear he is in danger of taking his own life.
"We respectfully urge you to consider using your discretionary powers as president to pardon Mr Asghar and to allow him to be released from jail so that he can receive his treatment and be reunited with his loving family."
The blasphemy complaint was brought against Asghar by a tenant with whom he was having a dispute.
His family have appealed to the UK government to do everything it can to make sure he is safe.
In a statement released through Reprieve earlier this month his relatives said: "As a result of a property dispute with one of his tenants, my father was jailed pending a trial.
"The dates kept being moved forward so that by the time the trial concluded he had already been in horrific jail conditions, sharing a cell with several other men for three years.
"Throughout this time he had minimum access to medication that might have helped his mental illness for three years.
"We are really upset and concerned that they will never release him and that he will die in jail."
A petition on change.org, addressed to the prime minister, David Cameron, and Scotland's first minister, Alex Salmond, is calling Mr Asghar's release. It currently has over 28,000 signatures.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said it has continuously made representations to the Pakistan government on behalf of Asghar and would continue to do so.
The Scottish government said it was in touch with the Foreign Office about the case.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
India 4th most dangerous country for journalists in 2013
One hundred and thirty-four journalists and media support staff were killed while on reporting assignments last year, with India fourth on the list of countries with the most number of deaths, the London-based International News Safety Institute (INSI) said on Tuesday.
Most of those killed were targeted deliberately.
Of these, 65 died covering armed conflicts - primarily in Syria, where 20 were killed, and Iraq, where the death total was 16 - while 51 were killed in peacetime covering issues like crime and corruption, and 18 died in accidents.
After Syria and Iraq, cited by the Institute as the most dangerous countries for journalists last year, came Philippines with 14 deaths, India with 13 and Pakistan with 9.
The total was down from 152 deaths recorded in 2012, but there was an accompanying rise in assaults, threats and kidnappings directed at journalists which largely go unreported, said the INSI study, "Killing the Messenger."
The institute, funded by major world news organisations including Reuters, has been issuing the report since 1996. Its main work is providing security training for journalists reporting in dangerous situations.
INSI said local journalists were the main victims, with 123 of the dead killed while covering their own country. Of the 20 who died in Syria, 16 were Syrian nationals.
"Most journalists were targeted, and shooting was the most common cause of death," INSI said. The report, compiled for INSI by the Cardiff School of Journalism in Wales, showed 85 of the victims were shot.
Others died in explosions, stabbings and beatings, under torture or by strangulation, or in accidents, according to INSI.
In 2012, 28 reporters died in Syria, 18 in Somalia, 12 in Nigeria, 11 in Mexico and 11 in Pakistan.
The 2013 total for the Philippines, which in past years has seen a mass shooting of reporters as well as individual assassinations, included five who lost their lives in natural disasters.
Not Knowing The Worst Thing For Kin Of Slain Pakistani Soldiers
http://www.rferl.org/Are they dead or alive? That’s the question haunting relatives of a group of Pakistani soldiers who were captured four years ago. When the Pakistani Taliban (Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan, or TTP) announced on February 16 that they had executed 23 members of the Frontier Corps, families of the missing soldiers expected answers. Instead, their questions have multiplied. In total, 35 Frontier Corps troops were kidnapped in June 2010 in Pakistan's northwestern Mohmand tribal agency, a district of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas that has been a source of militant activity in recent years. The killings announced this week by the Mohmand branch of the TTP came in response to the extrajudicial killings of militants in recent weeks, and amid efforts by Islamabad to negotiate an end to an insurgency that has left 40,000 dead since 2007. The Taliban has not revealed the identities of the 23 they claim to have killed, however, leaving relatives of the missing in despair. Mustafa, whose brother Anwar Shah was among the troops captured in 2010, said the family wants closure. "Our family is in mourning. Our women and children are crying. If they are really dead, we ask the Taliban to hand over their bodies, even if they have to drop them from a helicopter on the road," Mustafa said. "At least if we get their bodies it will end our mourning." Dawood Khan's nephew, Rahim Khan, was also among the soldiers captured when TTP militants overran their checkpoint in Mohmand tribal agency on June 17, 2010. He says his nephew's kidnappers have twice contacted the family to set up a meeting. On both occasions the family declined. Khan has slammed the government for what he sees as its unwillingness to go after the militants and rescue the missing soldiers. "If a single spent [ammunition] cartridge is lost, the army launches an inquiry," Khan said. "But when 23 soldiers are missing for four years the government doesn't do anything. The government doesn't do anything and doesn't tell us what to do. We don't know where to go." The militants posted a video message in Pashto this week explaining their reasons for the executions, but the recording did not show the bodies of the soldiers. It was not immediately clear whether the faction acted with the approval of the TTP's central command. The Pakistani Taliban, an umbrella organization of over a dozen militant groups, is fiercely divided and local commanders have often acted on their own. Feroz Khan, whose son Zahid Khan was captured during the 2010 operation, says his family is anxiously awaiting news of his fate. "Yesterday we rushed to the army offices and met with the colonel and he told us the army had no information about the killings," Khan said. Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who has led the effort for a negotiated peace with the TTP since taking office in 2013, called the purported deaths a "heinous" crime and warned they would impact the reconciliation process that began between Islamabad and the militant group last month. Meanwhile, government peace negotiators pulled out of scheduled talks on February 17. Negotiators declared the meeting "purposeless" after the "sad and condemnable" killings. Niamatullah, whose brother Nasim who was among the abducted soldiers, reiterated the feeling of helplessness felt by the families of those missing in action. "If they were killed, we ask that they hand over their bodies," Niamatullah said. "If not, then we will continue our mourning."
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
نواز حکومت نے پاکستان کی خارجہ و سیکورٹی پالیسیوں کو سعودیہ عرب کا تابع کردیا – تجزیہ تعمیر پاکستان
سوموار کی شام پاکستان اور سعودیہ عرب نے علاقائی ایشوز پر مشترکہ موقف اختیار کرنے کا اعلان کیا سعودی وزیر دفاع اور ولی عهد پرنس سلیمان بن عبدالعزیز کے پاکستان کے تین روزہ دورے کے اختتام پر مشترکہ اعلامیہ جاری کیا گیا اس مشترکہ اعلامیے میں جو حیران کن انکشاف ہے وہ پاکستان کا شام کے اندر شامی حکومت اور باغیوں کےدرمیان جاری سول وار پر موقف کی تبدیلی ہے اس اعلامیے میں بشار الاسد کو فوری طور پر عبوری حکومت قائم کرنے کو کہاگیا ہے اور بشارالاسد سے اقتدار چهوڑنے کو کہا گیا ہے جبکہ اس سے قبل پاکستان کی جانب سے یہ اعلان کیا جاتا رہا کہ وہ شام کے ایشو پر غیر جانبدار ہے اور وہ شامی تنازعے کو بشار الاسد و شامی حزب اختلاف کو مل جل کر حل کرنے پر زور دیتا رہا ہے مشترکہ اعلامیے میں شام میں غیر ملکی فوجی اڈوں کو ختم کرنے کا مطالبہ بهی کیا گیا اس مطالبے کا براہ راست اثر روس ایران پر پڑتا ہے روس کا ایک فوجی اڈا شام میں موجود ہے جبکہ پاکستان کا یہ موقف روس چین کی پالیسی کے بهی خلاف ہے شام پر پاکستان کی پالیسی میں بنیادی بدلاؤ آنے سے ظاہر ہورہا ہے کہ پاکستان کی خارجہ اور دفاعی پالیسی کی تشکیل میں سعودیہ عرب کا کردار اہمیت کا حامل ہوتا جارہا مشترکہ اعلامیہ میں دو طرفہ دفاعی تعاون کازکر موجود ہے لیکن اس کی تفصیل نہیں بتائی گئی سعودیہ عرب کے ساته پاکستان کے دفاعی تعاون کی تفصیلات کو پردہ اخفا میں رکهے جانے کی پالیسی بہت پرانی ہے سعودی ولی عہد نے پاکستان کے جوائنٹ چیفس آف سٹاف جنرل راشد محمود ،چیف آرمی سٹاف جنرل راحیل شریف اور ڈی جی آئی ایس آئی سمیت دیگر عسکری عهدے داروں سے طویل ملاقاتیں کیں لیکن ان ملاقاتوں کی تفصیل کو چهپایا جارہاہے پاکستانی مین سٹریم میڈیا میں اردو پرنٹ و الیکٹرانک میڈیا نے پاکستان کے شام تنازعے پرموقف میں تبدیلی جیسی اہم خبر کو سنسر کی نظر کرڈالا جبکہ ڈان نے اس خبر کی اہمیت کے برعکس اعلامیے بارے خبر کو شایع کرتے ہوئے اعلامیے بارے سرخی میں اس کا زکر نہ کیا سعودیہ عرب کے ولی عهد کی آمد پر پاکستانی میڈیا نے سعودی عرب کی جانب سے پاکستانی سرحد کے قریب واقع کنٹر صوبہ افغانستان میں پانچ هزار دیوبندی طالبان کی تربیت پر خرچ کرنے اور بلوچستان میں ایرانی سرحد کے قریب دیوبندی دهشت گردوں کی سرپرستی کی خبروں کا بهی بلیک آوٹ کیا پاکستان کی موجوده حکومت سعودیہ عرب کی گرتی ساکه کو بدلتے عالمی تناظر میں سنبهالنے کی کوشش کررہی ہے پاکستان میں ریاست ،حکومت اور مین سٹریم میڈیا کی کوشش یہ ہے کہ سعودیہ عرب اور پاکستان کی موجودہ سٹریٹجک شراکت داری کی فرقہ وارانہ جہت کو نمایاں ہونے سے روکا جائے اور پاکستان اور سعودیہ عرب کے درمیان علاقائی ایشوز پر جو ہم آہنگی بڑھ رہی ہے اس میں چھپے ہوئے خدشات کو سامنے آنے سے روکا جائے اردو اخبارات اور ٹی وی چینلز میں آنے والے فیچرز،کالم ،تجزئے اور خبروں کا اگر اس حوالے سے جائزہ لیا جائے تو صاف نظر آتا ہے کہ پاکستان اور سعودیہ عرب کی سٹریٹجک پارٹنر شپ کی فرقہ وارانہ جہت اور اس حوالے سے خطے میں دیوبندی خارجی تکفیری دھشت گردی کے پھیلاؤ کا جو خدشہ ظاہر کیا جارہا ہے اسے مغربی پروپیگنڈا اور بیرونی دشمن کی سازش قرار دیکر بے اثر کرنے کی کوشش کی جارہی ہے جبکہ حقیقت یہ ہے کہ پاکستان کی موجودہ حکومت اور عسکری قیادت مڈل ایسٹ اور جنوبی ایشیا میں سعودیہ عرب کی خارجہ پالیسی کی پیروی کرنے اور سعودیہ عرب کو اس حوالے سے درکار لاجسٹک سپورٹ دینے پر رضامندی ظاہر کرچکی ہے سعودیہ عرب کی مرضی اور منشاء کو پاکستان کی خارجہ و دفاعی پالیسی میں مرکزی حثیت حاصل ہونے کا مطلب یہ ہے کہ پاکستان مڈل ایسٹ میں خاص طور پر اور جنوبی ایشیا میں عمومی طور پر سعودیہ عرب کے سٹریٹجک مفادات کے حصول میں ہرممکن مدد فراہم کرے گا سعودیہ عرب کی پہلی ترجیح یہ ہے کہ ایران کے گرد گھیرا تنگ کیا جائے اور اس کے لیے مڈل ایسٹ اور جنوبی ایشیا میں وہ سلفی اور دیوبندی تکفیری خارجی دھشت گردوں کو ایک مضبوط پراکسی کے طور پر استعمال کرنے کو پہلا آپشن قرار دیتا ہے پاکستان ایسے سلفی اور دیوبندی دھشت گردوں کی گوریلا تربیت میں سعودیہ عرب کا ہاتھ بٹاسکتا ہے سعودیہ عرب نے زرداری حکومت کو بھی کہا تھا کہ وہ شام میں مداخلت کے لیے اسے سریع الحرکت باغی گوریلا فوج کی تربیت کے لیے فوجی انسٹرکٹر فراہم کرے لیکن زرداری حکومت نے ایسا کرنے سے معذرت کرلی تھی لیکن مسلم لیگ نواز کی حکومت ایسا کرنے پر رضامند نظر آتی ہے دیوبندی طالبان ،لشکر جھنگوی اور دیگر پاکستانی بیسڈ گوریلے سعودی عرب کے لیے ایران کے خلاف ایک مضبوط گوریلا فورس ثابت ہوسکتے ہیں اگر پاکستان سعودیہ عرب کا ساتھ دینے پر تیار ہو جبکہ ان میں سے بعض گروپوں کے سعودیہ عرب سے پہلے سے تعلقات کا شبہ ظاہر کیا جارہا ہے سعودیہ عرب اور پاکستان کی موجودہ سٹریٹجک شراکت داری پاکستان ،انڈیا،بنگلہ دیش ،ایران ،افغانستان میں بسنے والی شعیہ،بریلوی،احمدی ،ہندؤ ،عیسائی مذھبی برادریوں کے لیے سخت خطرناک ثابت ہوسکتی ہے کیونکہ اس کے نتیجے میں ان مذھبی برادریوں کے خلاف کام کرنے والے تکفیری و خارجی سلفی و دیوبندی گروپس مزید طاقت پکڑ کر ان مذھبی برادریوں کی نسل کشی کی مہم مزید پھیلا سکتے ہیں یاد رہے کہ سعودیہ عرب پاکستان کے اندر ایسے دیوبندی و سلفی مدارس کی مالیاتی اور لاجسٹک مدد کررہا ہے جو پاکستان میں بسنے والی غیر سلفی و دیوبندی مذھبی برادریوں کے خلاف انتہا پسندانہ اور ان کے خلاف تشدد کو فروغ دینے والے خیالات کو پھیلانے میں مصروف ہیں تحریک طالبان پاکستان ،سپاہ صحابہ پاکستان ،لشکر جھنگوی ،جیش محمد جیسی دھشت گرد تنظیموں کو ںطریاتی اور فکری رہنمائی فراہم کرنے والا دیوبندی مدرسہ جامعہ بنوریہ کے مولویوں بشمول مفتی نعیم کا سعودیہ عرب کے ساتھ بہت گہرا تعلق اور رشتہ ہے اور یہ مدرسہ مرکز ہے تحریک طالبان پاکستان ،لشکر جھنگوی جیسے دھشت گردوں کی ساکھ بنانے کا اسی طرح سے سعودیہ عرب جماعت اہلحدیث ،جماعۃ الدعوۃ جیسی سلفی وہابی تنظیموں کو بھی مدد دے رہا ہے پاکستان میں تکفیری اور خارجی آئیڈیالوجی کو فروغ دینے میں سعودی عرب کی امداد سے قائم ہونے والے مدارس و مساجد کا بہت بڑا ہاتھ ہے اس تکفیری و خارجی آئیڈیالوجی کے دیوبندی مکتبہ فکر میں دخول اور غلبے میں سعودی عرب کا بہت بڑا ہاتھ ہے پاکستان کی فوجی اسٹبلشمنٹ ،سول بیوروکریسی اور سیاسی اشرافیہ میں سعودی عرب کا اثرورسوخ اس قدر زیادہ ہوگیا ہے کہ سعودی عرب کے سفیر کا کردار بعض تجزیہ نگاروں کے سعودی عرب کے وائسرائے کا نظر آنے لگا ہے جبکہ پاکستان سعودیہ عرب کی ایک کالونی نظرآتا ہے سعودیہ عرب نے پاکستان سے سعودیہ جانے والی ورکنگ فورس کے ساتھ جو سلوک روا رکھا ہوا ہے اور وہاں پر آزادانہ کام کرنے کی آزادی سے جو محروم رکھا گیا ہے اس پر پاکستان کی ریاست اور حکومت نے کبھی سوال نہیں اٹھایا سعودی ولی عہد کی پاکستان آمد پر پاکستانی ریاست نے کسی ایک موقعہ پر بھی سعودیہ عرب میں قید ہزاروں پاکستانیوں کی رہائی کا ایشو نہیں اٹھایا اور سعودی سفارت خانے نے پاکستان کی اہم فوجی ،حکومتی ،سیاسی شخصیات کے اعزاز میں جو عیشائیہ رکھا اس میں بھی کسی سیاسی جماعت کے نمائندے نے سعودیہ عرب میں قید پاکستانی شہریوں کی حراست اور ان کی ملک بدری کے خدشے بارے کوئی سوال نہیں اٹھایا گیا ادھر یہ اطلاعات بھی ہیں کہ پاکستانی حکومت ایک لاکھ ایکٹر زرعی رقبہ سعودیہ عرب کے حوالے کرنے کا منصوبہ بناچکی ہے اور سعودیہ عرب پاکستان میں خاص طور پر سرائیکی بیلٹ ،بلوچستان اور سندھ میں زرعی رقبہ حاصل کرکے ایک بہت بڑا فوڈ زون بنانا چاہتا ہے جہاں یہ سعودیہ عرب کی غذائی ضروریات پوری کرنے کا منصوبہ عمل میں لاسکے سعودیہ عرب اور پاکستان کی مجوزہ سٹریٹجک پارٹنرشپ اور اس کے مضمرات بارے پاکستان کی بائیں بازو کی سیاسی جماعتوں جیسے سنٹر لیفٹ پارٹی پی پی پی،اے این پی اور سنٹر رائٹ پارٹی ایم کیو ایم ،سیکولر قوم پرست جماعتوں کی جانب سے کوئی مخالفت سامنے دیکھنے کو نہیں ملی حیران کن طور پر تکفیری خارجی دھشت گردی کا شکار بریلوی ،شیعہ کی مذھبی سیاسی جماعتوں کی لیڈرشپ نے بھی اس مسئلے پر چپ تان رکھی ہے جس سے پاک-سعودی سٹریٹجک شراکت داری کے ممکنہ متاثرین میں شدید بے چینی پھیلی ہوئی ہے کہ ان کی آواز بننے والا کوئی ںظر نہیں آتا - See more at: http://lubpak.com/archives/305449#sthash.SuIvzukj.dpuf
Pakistan govt says Islamabad 'extremely dangerous'
The Interior Ministry report will be presented before the standing committee of National Assembly. The capital was recently put on high alert for nearly a week after a suicide bomb blast in Rawalpindi last month. Heavy security checks were introduced while alerts were sent out to all Embassies and High Commissions here. The Embassies had warned its citizens here to avoid a number of places in the capital. Diplomatic sources had said such kind of an alert was issued after many years. Over the past six months, the Islamabad police claim to have busted a number of sleeper cells here besides seizure of large amount of explosives and arms. Nasiruddin Haqqani, the chief financier of the Haqqani militant network - one of the most feared groups fighting US-led forces in Afghanistan was shot dead in the Pakistani capital in November last year. He was believed to have been based in the federal capital for long.
Christian Sisters in Shadows After Failed Attempts Of Islamists
Pakistan: Murder most foul
Disturbing news has come out of the tribal village of Manzkai in Balochistan where, it appears, medieval practices are in full swing. It is being reported that on the orders of a local cleric, a couple has been stoned to death for the ‘crime’ of adultery. Eyewitness accounts relate that after the stoning the man and woman were shot to make sure that there were no chances of survival. So far, eight people have been arrested in connection with this atrocious crime, including the cleric who issued the fatwa (religious edict) to have the couple killed via stoning. We in Pakistan are unfortunately used to hearing about this kind of monstrous behaviour emanating from the tribal areas and villages where verdicts passed by jirgas (tribal or village councils) are taken as law. These verdicts usually sentence women to all sorts of cruel treatment and honour killings of both women and the men they are accused of being associated with are common. However, we do not normally hear of fatwas leading to killings. Also, the gruesome punishment of stoning is also very rare. To stone a person to death requires a particularly cold-blooded and jaahil (barbaric) disposition and, unfortunately, there seem to be many takers for this in Pakistan. The cleric in this instance took the law into his own hands much like the members of jirgas will do to practice a particularly cruel and draconian interpretation of Islam. We have a system of law and, while achingly slow and creaky, the judicial system of the country in no way condones these practices. What has happened in Balochistan was illegal and nothing less than murder most foul. A man and a woman have been heinously murdered and all those who participated in this slaughter must be brought before the courts where exemplary punishments should be meted out.
We do not live in the Dark Ages and we must do everything possible to establish this truth. The judiciary in Pakistan must get its act together and understand that it is because of our grindingly slow and inefficient legal system that traditional communities choose the alternative recourse for ‘justice’ through these jirgas and now, it seems, mullahs who will stop at nothing to impose their orthodoxy on us. It is imperative that a loud and clear message be sent out regarding this savage murder and how we will not tolerate the law being taken into anyone’s own hands.
Bilawal Bhutto to visit Lahore next month
The Express TribunePakistan Peoples Party chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will visit Lahore early next month to meet party leaders and workers, Pakistan People’s Party Punjab President Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo told office bearers of Narowal and Hafizabad organisations on Tuesday. Wattoo said party leaders and workers were anxiously waiting for the forthcoming visit. He emphasised the importance of mobilisation at the grass roots level. He said the PPP would continue its struggle to build a democratic and pluralistic Pakistan according to the vision of its founding fathers. He said the government had made false promises during its election campaign. The delegation from Narowal, led by former federal minister Tariq Anees, called on Wattoo with with other office bearers. They informed him of the PPP’s position in the district. They also presented suggestions to organize the party. The delegation from Hafizabad reviewed the election results of the May 2013 elections with a view to restructure the party so that it could emerge as a political force again. They emphasized the importance of holding public meetings. Punjab Secretary General Tanvir Ashraf Kaira was also present in the meeting.
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