"We are in government because we have got people's mandate" - President Zardari

KARACHI: Following weeks of sharp criticism, President Asif Ali Zardari assured PPP supporters that his government would complete its five year term in a televised address, DawnNews reported.

In an address to PPP supporters in Karachi via video link from the Presidency, the President lashed out at critics for painting a grim picture of his government.

Addressing a rally of thousands of party loyalists at Shahra-e-Faisal in Karachi, Zardari marked the PPP’s 43rd anniversary by hitting out at what he called ‘certain forces’ and ‘sections of the media’ for increasing criticism over the government and casting doubt over its future.

‘Parties criticizing the government should wait for next elections to prove their point, as that would strengthen democracy,’ said the President, adding that ‘the PPP will not be blackmailed by few political actors.’

Highlighting the PPPs successes and national appeal, Zardari highlighted that his party was ‘the first to apologise to the people of Balochistan,’ and that winning elections in ‘Gilgit-Baltistan was a tremendous achievement.’

The President went on to say that he had returned to Pakistan to ‘fight for democracy’ despite knowing that he would ‘be sent to jail.’

He went on to add that his party was fulfilling their promises to the people, and that ‘it is the PPP’s right to rule for five years.’— DawnNews

PPP to remain strong, complete its term: President Zardari

KARACHI, Nov 25 (APP): President Asif Ali Zardari Wednesday said the PPP remains strong and committed to defend democracy, will complete its term and foil the “attempts of political actors” to de-rail the system.“We will foil all conspiracies against the party. We are not afraid of conspiracies and if there are any, we will fight,” the President said in an address to the party workers and leaders gathered here at Peoples Chowrangi on PPP’s Founding Day.

“It is the right of PPP government to complete its tenure. I can say proudly that the parliament and the opposition do not want the system to get derailed.”

“Neither the political parties, nor the establishment want it either, but it is only a handful of political actors. They should wait for their turn till the next election,” he added.

President described those critical of the party as “political actors” and said the party was not afraid of any “dates” being given by some.

“We are here because we have got a mandate.”

The event held next to the Mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah was addressed live by the President from the Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad, and attended by thousands of party workers who waved the tri-colour party flags and raised slogans of ‘jeay Bhutto’ and “aik Zardari sab pey bhari’ - one Zardari is superior to all others, throughout the event.

The event was also addressed by various tiers of party leaders including Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Minister Labour Syed Khurshid Shah.

The President said once again a campaign to tarnish image of the party was being carried out.

“The people of Pakistan elected us through democratic vote and gave it a mandate and it is the democratic right of the party to complete its term.”

The President expressed complete confidence in the party and its workers and said “courageous and devoted workers of PPP are the strength of the party.”

“You have never, and will never give up the struggle against anti people forces,” the President said and added “the dream of democracy has survived only because you have shed your blood and rendered numerous sacrifices.”

He said Sindh has played a key role in the creation of Pakistan and will render every sacrifice for the country. “We have to save Pakistan,” he added.

The President said some other political parties were not seeing what he was foreseeing and said “we want that the party of Mian Nawaz Sharif succeeds while other smaller parties also succeed.”

He said the PPP won a huge mandate in Gilgit Baltistan which was a proof of its popularity.

The President said the PPP draws its strength from Shaheeds Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. It was the party that decided who will hold which post.

It was the PPP that called upon Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, in the name of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto to become the future Prime Minister of Pakistan, he said and recalled the same was done for him.

“Bhuttoism is now in the President House and that is what causes fear amongst some,” he said.

“It was the same President House that echoed that late Benazir Bhutto was a security risk. Today it echoes with slogans of ‘Jeay Bhutto’ and the credit goes to the sacrifices of its leaders and workers.

“Now I can say with confidence that Bhuttoism lives and will continue to live in the hearts and minds of the people,” the President Zardari said as the venue reverberated with resounding slogans of ‘Jeay Bhutto’.

He said it was the PPP that gave rights to people of Balochistan, FATA and Gilgit Baltistan.

He said the world today knows that Pakistan was serious and was waging a struggle to eliminate extremists and terrorists from its soil. He also mentioned the return of 2.5 million IDPs to their homes in an unprecedented short period of time.

The President also paid rich tributes to the hundreds of martyrs of democracy, to valiant soldiers, policemen and members of the law enforcing agencies who laid down their lives in fight against terrorism and militancy.

He described terrorism and militancy as a cancer that “took away Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto from us.” He said the PPP government got “political ownership” to this war through the parliament, and the nation, along with their armed forces stand united to fight it till the end.

The world today has acknowledged the role of Pakistan in the war against terror.

“Now they do not tell us to do more. Rather we ask them to do more [for us].”

The President said Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto formed this Party 42 years ago and gave a voice to the people.

He recounted the several achievements of the party and said “we have served our country and not done a favour to our people.”

The President recalled the statement of Bilawal Bhutto who termed “democracy as best revenge” and said the next generation of the party has risen from its sacrifices.

The President described the founding of the party as “a day of people empowerment and a reminder that all power belongs to the people.”

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Froma Kharadar to Khajji Ground: A report by BBC Urdu's Hasan Mujtaba

کھارادر سے کھجی گراؤنڈ تک

حسن مجتبٰی

بی بی سی اردو ڈاٹ کام، نیو یارک

سنہ بانوے میں کراچی میں امن و امان کی صورتحال ناگفتہ بہ تھی۔

مئی انیس سو بانوے میں حیدرآباد کے قریب گائوں ٹنڈو بہاول میں فوجی آپریشن میں قتل ہونیوالے نو کسانوں اور کھیت مزدوروں کے قتل کی تحقیقات کے لیے جب سندھ کے اس وقت کے کور کمانڈر جنرل نصیر اختر ٹنڈو بہاول گاؤں آئے تھے تو وہاں انہوں نے واقعے کے ایک چشم دید گواہ چھوٹے بچے سے پوچھا تھا کہ اس کے گھر پر چڑھائي کر کے اس کے ابا کو گرفتار کرنے والے لوگوں نے بھلا کپڑے کس طرح کے پہنے ہوئے تھے؟ بچے نے کور کمانڈر کی وردی کی طرف اپنی انگلی سے اشارہ کرتے ہوئے کہا تھا کہ ’ایسے کپڑے جیسے تم نے پہنے ہوئے ہیں‘۔ ٹنڈو بہاول آج کسے یاد ہے؟

ہونا تو یہ چاہیے تھا کہ انیس سو نوے سے لیکر چھیانوے تک کراچی اور سندہ کے شہری دیہی علاقوں میں جتنے ایم کیو ایم اور غیر ایم کیو ایم لوگ مارے گئے، جتنے سندھی، پنجابی، پختون، بلوچ اور اردو بولنے والے لوگ مارے گئے، جتنے پولیس، فوج اور رینجرز کے لوگ مارے گۓ ، کھاردار سے لیکر کھجی گراؤنڈ تک، لانڈھی سے لیکر لالو کھیت یا لیاقت آباد تک، منگھو پیر سے لیکر ملیر تک ان تمام لوگوں کے خون کا سراغ کسی کی گردن یا ہاتھوں پر ڈھونڈ لیا جاتا لیکن یہاں حساب بے باک ہو چکا ہے یعنی کہ ’یہ خون خاک نشیناں تھا رزق خاک ہوا‘۔

بریگیڈئیر امتیاز اور جنرل نصیر اختر یا حمید گل جیسے پاکستانی اسٹیبلشمینٹ کے ’ولی اللہ‘ اور ’بزرگان دین‘ نے مقدس اعترافات کر لیے جس کی کوئي سزا نہیں۔

’اور یہ وہ سورما ہیں جو آئی ایس پی آر کی ٹینکوں پر چڑھے سچ کی وادی کی سیر کو نکلے ہوئے ہیں‘۔ یہ الفاظ تھے جریدے ’نیوز لائن‘ کی ایڈیٹر رضیہ بھٹی کے جو انہوں نے انیس سو بانوے میں سندھ میں فوجی آپریشن پر نکلنے والے شمارے میں اپنےادرایے میں اس وقت لکھے تھے جب پاکستان کا تقریباً تمام پرنٹ و الیکٹرانک میڈیا فقط فوج کے شعبۂ تعلقات عامہ یا آئی ایس پی آر کی پریس ریلیز ہی چھاپ رہا تھا۔

فوج کی ایجنسی ملٹری انٹیلیجنس (ایم آئی) اور دوسری طرف انٹیلیجنس بیورو جس کے ڈائریکٹر جنرل تب بریگیڈئير امتیاز تھے اور آئی ایس آئی کے مابین بھی زبردست شورش نما چپقلش تھی۔ ان ایجنسیوں نے ہر اس شخص ادارے، افسر ، تنظیم اور لیڈر پر دست شفقت رکھا ہوا تھا جو یا سندھ کی صورتحال کی خرابی میں ایندھن پھونک سکتا تھا یا پھر سویلین حکومت کی چولیں ہلا سکتا تھا۔

مجھے یاد ہے کہ نیوز لائن کا وہ پرچہ جس کے سرورق پر فوجی کو لانگ بوٹ تلے ایم کیو ایم کا جھنڈا روندتے ہوئے دکھایا گیا تھا۔ ان دنوں ایم کیو ایم کا جھنڈا یا اس کے سربراہ الطاف حسین کی تصویر کا کسی سے برآمد ہونا ٹارچر اور شاید کچھ حالات میں موت کو دعوت دینا تھا۔ قطع نظر اس کے کہ اسی رضیہ بھٹی اور ان کے جریدے نیوز لائن کے عملے کو ایم کیو ایم میں دھڑے بندی یا اندرونی لڑائي کے متعلق رپورٹیں چھاپنے پر دہلی کالونی کے جلسے میں ایم کیو ایم کے سربراہ نے اپنی تقریر میں سنگین نتائج کی دھمکیاں دی تھیں۔

وہ فقط ایم کیو ایم کے اندر دو دھڑوں کے بیچ دنگا تھا بلکہ فوج کی ایجنسی ملٹری انٹیلیجنس (ایم آئی) اور دوسری طرف انٹیلیجنس بیورو جس کے ڈائریکٹر جنرل تب بریگیڈئير امتیاز تھے اور آئی ایس آئی کے مابین بھی زبردست شورش نما چپقلش تھی۔ ان ایجنسیوں نے ہر اس شخص ادارے، افسر ، تنظیم اور لیڈر پر دست شفقت رکھا ہوا تھا جو یا سندھ کی صورتحال کی خرابی میں ایندھن پھونک سکتا تھا یا پھر سویلین حکومت کی چولیں ہلا سکتا تھا۔

ایم کیو ایم کے دونوں متحارب گروپوں کے پاس ایک دوسرے کے کارکنوں کی ہٹ لسٹیں تھیں جن کے مطابق وہ ایک ایسے’سپرے‘ میں مصروف تھے کہ انیس سو بانوے سے انیس سو چھیانوے تک صرف کراچی میں دو ہزار لوگ قتل ہو چکے تھے۔ سرِ شام تھانوں کے دروازوں پر تالے پڑ جاتے مگر پھر بھی تقریباً وہ سب پولیس افسر قتل کر دیے گئے جنہوں نے کراچي آپریشن میں حصہ لیا تھا۔

’امبیڈیڈ جرنلسٹ‘ کا نام تو بہت بعد میں عراق کی جنگ میں سننے میں آیا لیکن کراچي اور پاکستان کا میڈیا تو بہت پہلے سے ہی امبیڈیڈ یا فوج کے ہمرکاب ہو چکا تھا۔

یہ وہ وقت تھا کہ جب کوئي بھی جوان اور مرد جس کی عمر تیرہ سے چالیس سال ہوتی اپنے گھر میں شاذ ونادر ہی رات کو سوتا تھا۔ چھاپے، محاصرے، ٹارچر، گمشدگیاں، بوری میں بند لاشیں عام تھیں۔ مجھے شاہ فیصل کالونی کے رہائشی ایک بزرگ نے اپنے ننھے منھے پوتے کی موت پر بتایا تھا کہ کئي ماہ میں یہ علاقے میں پہلی موت ہے جو غیر فطری نہیں تھی۔ کراچی کی ایمپریس مارکیٹ جیسا علاقہ بھی سرشام بند ہو جاتا تھا اور وہاں صرف برف اور پھولوں کی دکانیں کھلی رہتی تھیں۔ جہاں اکثرگاہک یہ ان دو چیزوں کی خریداری لاشوں کو تازہ رکھنے اور ان کی تدفین کے لیے کرتے تھے۔ ہٹ لسٹوں پر اہم شہری، سرکاری و غیر سرکاری شخصیات تھیں جن میں عبد الستار ایدھی بھی شامل تھے تو سندھ کے تب کے آئی جی پولیس افضل شگری بھی۔

انیس سو بانوے میں آپریشن شروع ہوا۔ کراچی سمیت سندھ ایک فوجی محاصرے تلے یا مفتوح علاقہ لگتا تھا۔ یہ سب کچھ خبروں میں نہیں آتا تھا کیونکہ تب آئی ایس پی آر کے کرنل صولت، میجر چشتی اور بریگیڈئير آصف ہارون کا کراچی میں طوطی بولتا تھا۔ ’امبیڈیڈ جرنلسٹ‘ کا نام تو بہت بعد میں عراق کی جنگ میں سننے میں آیا لیکن کراچي اور پاکستان کا میڈیا تو بہت پہلے سے ہی امبیڈیڈ یا فوج کے ہمرکاب ہو چکا تھا۔

کراچي میں آئي ایس پی آر کے میجر چشتی کا چند ’سرکاری وجوہات‘ کی بنا پر افریقہ تبادلہ کر دیا گیا تھا۔ ایف آئی ٹی یا فٹ (فیڈرل انویسٹیگشن ٹیم) کرنل آفریدی کے ماتحت لوگوں کی باندھ چھوڑ میں ملوث تھی۔ افغانستان اور سندھ ایسے دو علاقے تھے جن پر سویلین حکومتوں کی دسترس نہ ہونے کے برابر تھی۔

خیرپور میرس میں گلو سیال تھانے کی حد میں ایک ایسے شخص کی کیٹی پر ڈاکوؤں کی سرپرستی کرنے کے الزام میں چھاپے مارے نے والے ایس پی پولیس کو فوجی ایجنسی نے ڈاکوؤں کا ہمدرد بتا کر کھڈے لائن لگادیا تھا اور سندھی وڈیرے کو سندھ کا وزیر داخلہ بنا دیا گیا۔ بعد میں یہی ایس پی میجر امتیاز بینظیر بھٹو کے سکیورٹی انچارج بنے جو ان کے قتل کے وقت بھی ان کی سکیورٹی سنبھالے ہوئے تھے۔ یعنی کہ یہ تمام لوگ بینظیر بھٹو کے کتنے قریب تھے! (جاری ہے)

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PTI demands treason case against Nawaz

Monday, August 31, 2009 By By our correspondent

Karachi The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Sindh (PTI) has demanded that a treason case be registered against former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for killing 15,000 people in Karachi in a military operation launched in 1992 in Sindh, especially in Karachi. The demand was made by the provincial PTI leader Ashraf Qureshi, who stated that the disclosure of Brig Imtiaz, ex-Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief, regarding the military operation in Sindh in Nawaz Sharif’s government exposed the actual plan of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader, which he started in 1990 when he was chief minister Punjab. Qureshi said that a treason case should be registered not only against Brig (retd) Imtiaz but also against Sharif who approved the military operation in Sindh. Qureshi said that the aim of the military operation in Sindh particularly in Karachi was to destroy Sindh and its economy and the PML-N government attempted to pressurise the investors into shifting their capital to Mian Channo and other areas in Punjab for investment. The PTI leader also urged the party chief Imran Khan to distance himself from Sharif because the aim of his politics is to damage democracy and unity among the four federating units of the country. Source

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A comprehensive review of the ISI money, Nawaz Sharif, IJI and MQM Pandora Box

PML-N’s losing grace

ISI money case to reopen old wounds, hurt many

Situationer Saturday, August 29, 2009 By Amir Mir LAHORE: Former chief justice of Pakistan Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui’s statement that the Inter Services Intelligence dished out millions of rupees to different politicians during President Ghulam Ishaq Khan’s regime to manipulate the 1990 elections, followed by Asghar Khan’s demand that the present chief justice should re-open the said case which he had filed in 1996 to take it to its logical end, has dusted off an old controversy, which is set to blemish the democratic credentials of many leading politicians of the country. Chief justice (retd) Siddiqui told a private TV channel that the ISI was an intelligence agency and it should not interfere in national politics, or be used against politicians. Seasoned politician Air Marshal (retd) Asghar Khan had gone one step ahead in asking Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry to reopen the case he had filed with the apex court almost 13 years ago with a view to take the culprits to task. His case is pending with the Supreme Court of Pakistan following the November 1997 unceremonious exit of former chief justice Sajjad Ali Shah from his office at the hands of the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif. The case had originated on June 16, 1996 from a letter by Asghar Khan to the then chief justice Sajjad Ali Shah, asking him to take appropriate action on then interior minister Naseerullah Babar’s statement in the National Assembly. Babar had stated on the floor of the house: “The ISI collected some Rs 140 million from the Habib Bank Ltd and distributed among a number of politicians prior to the 1990 elections with a view to manipulate the results in favour of the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad.” Asghar Khan’s letter was subsequently converted into a constitutional petition (19 of 1996) by the chief justice under Article 184(3), envisaging the human rights jurisdiction of the apex court. According to the petitioner, Asghar Khan, he had sent the first letter with the sole purpose of exposing the role of the ISI in manoeuvring the election results and supporting its favourite politicians to fulfil political ends of the establishment. “You never know how many elections have been rigged and manoeuvred by the ISI in the past,” Asghar had stated in his letter to the CJ, adding the ISI moves since 1988 were actually aimed at defeating the PPP and, therefore, the matter be adjudged and action be taken against those found guilty. The respondents in the said case were former Army chief Mirza Aslam Beg, Lt-Gen (retd) Asad Durrani, ex-director-general of the ISI Directorate, and Younis Habib, ex-chief of ex-Mehran Bank Ltd, then confined to Central Jail, Karachi. However, the case could not be decided because of the premature dismissal of chief justice Sajjad Ali Shah. He was followed by CJPs Ajmal Mian, Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui, Irshad Hasan Khan, Bashir Jehangiri, Shaikh Riaz Ahmed, Nazim Hussain Siddiqui and now Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry. Yet, even after a lapse of 13 years, the Human Rights Petition No 19/96 remains shelved as none of the chief justices after Sajjad Shah had dared to invite the wrath of the mighty military and intelligence establishment by reopening the controversial case. In his written reply to the apex court and subsequently reported by the media, Aslam Beg had stated: “More serious damage has been caused to the reputation and the goodwill of the armed forces by Air Marshal (retd) Asghar Khan in bringing the petition before this Honourable Court and raising an issue before the apex court which of course would receive great publicity and would cause greater damage by scandalisation in the media... That dragging the ex-service chief to the courts on a letter may be detrimental to the prestige, honour and dignity of the institution he has once represented. That Asghar Khan has approached this august court with ulterior motives and his representation is based on mala fides.” Beg had stated in his written reply to the apex court: “That in early September [1990], Mr Younis Habib, then serving in the Habib Bank Ltd as Zonal Chief, had called on the answering respondent [Beg] and informed him that he was under instructions from the President’s [Ghulam Ishaq] Election Cell to make available a sum of Rs 140 million for supporting the elections of 1990. “That in 1990 the National Assembly of Pakistan was dissolved and the government of Ms Benazir Bhutto was dismissed. A caretaker government was formed to hold elections within 90 days. The then president, Ghulam Ishaq Khan, had formed an Election Cell directly under him managed by Roedad Khan/Ijlal Haider Zaidi. That later on, the answering respondent was informed by Director-General, ISI, that various accounts were opened and the amount of Rs 140 million was deposited in those accounts directly by Younis Habib. Director-General, Inter Services Intelligence, made arrangements to distribute these amounts amongst the politicians belonging to various political parties and persons as instructed by the Election Cell.” The petition further stated: “That in 1975, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the then prime minister, had created a Political Cell within the ISI organisation. As a result, the ISI was made responsible to the chief executive, i.e. the prime minister/president for all matters of national and political intelligence. The receipt of this amount by ISI from Younis Habib in 1990 was also under the directions of the Chief Executive. DG ISI also informed the answering respondent that funds so received were properly handled and the accounts were maintained and that Ghulam Ishaq was briefed by him on this matter. “That during this period, in his meeting with President Ghulam Ishaq Khan, the answering respondent had informed him about the donations made by Younis Habib and its utilisation by DG ISI under the instructions of the Presidentís Political Cell. That the petitioner has made the following allegations : (a) actions of Gen Mirza Aslam Beg and Lt-Gen Asad Durrani amounted to gross misconduct; (b) both have brought the armed forces of Pakistan into disrepute; (c) both have been guilty of undermining the discipline of the armed forces. That these allegations are false, based on mala fide, and unfounded. That DG had ISI acted within the limits of the ‘lawful command’ received from the President’s Election Cell. Definition of lawful command as interpreted by Pakistan Army Act Section 33 Note b(3) is: ‘A superior can give a command for the purpose of maintaining good order or suppressing a disturbance or for the execution of a military duty or regulation’, and Pakistan Army Act Section 33 Note b(11): ‘A civilian cannot give a ‘lawful command’ under this sub-section to a soldier employed under him; but it may well be the soldier’s duty as such to do the act indicated. That the actions of the respondent and Lt-Gen Asad Durrani did not amount to gross misconduct and the orders were carried out under a lawful command.” Afterwards, a former ISI DG, Lt Gen (retd) Asad Durrani, had conceded in an affidavit submitted to the FIA that his political cell received Rs 140m from Younis Habib for distribution among the anti-PPP politicians at the behest of Aslam Beg. (The News) PML-N warns of long march if Musharraf ‘not fixed’ Saturday, August 29, 2009 Says ISI money matters can’t undermine Nawaz’s popularity; threatens protest if vilification against its leader doesn’t stop ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz said on Friday it could go for a Long March to ensure former president Pervez Musharraf was punished. Addressing a news conference, PML-N Secretary Information Ahsan Iqbal on Friday said that character assassination of the party chief Nawaz Sharif could in no way deter the PML-N’s struggle for the supremacy of the Constitution, parliament and Musharraf’s trial under Article 6. He said: “We succeeded to get the deposed judges reinstated despite the fact that democracy had not yet strengthened its root in the country at that time. This time too, we would make firm efforts to get our constitutional demands fulfilled,” said the information secretary. He said the issue of Karachi operation was being trumpeted by those who afraid of Nawaz’s increasing popularity, adding that if such malicious campaign was not stopped, the N-League reserved the right to protest in as well as outside the Parliament. The party leader said the November 3, 2007 steps were not protected under the Constitution, so it was essential that the person who took such steps must be tried. Ahsan Iqbal said the matter of giving money to political leaders by the secret agency could not undermine Nawaz’s popularity and people elected him despite such maligning drive. He told the media that the military operation in Swat got appraisal from all circles and if this operation had been carried out by dictator, it could have never won such praise. (The News) In the ring Thursday, August 27, 2009 The hand of the so-called 'establishment', that shadowy entity comprising the army, the bureaucracy and the agencies among other forces, has long been a part of politics in Pakistan. The coming and going of governments, the downfall of individuals and all kinds of other events are attributed to it. But today, we apparently find this powerful entity locked in what appears to be an internal dilemma. According to a report in this newspaper and rumours that drift across Islamabad's leafy avenues, elements within the establishment are engaged in an all-out effort to discredit Nawaz Sharif, a man whose political career is said to have begun with the support of the same lobby. The purpose appears to be to save former president Musharraf from trial – and possibly by exposing or threatening to expose misdeeds from the past – pressurising Sharif to abandon the strident position he has taken on the issue. It has been alleged that key figures have attempted to use the media to advance their stance and that a Karachi-based political party is also being used for the same purpose. The tussle is a fascinating one in many ways. The PML-N, which insists it will not back down, has for the first time come up directly against those with whom it is said, in the past, to have worked with hand in glove. The accounts also suggest that as many suspect, the army is indeed keen to save a former chief and by doing so keep intact the notion that the men who wear khaki cannot be touched and ride above the law of the land. There have been some suggestions that Nawaz Sharif may still have supporters in powerful places who are willing to back him against Musharraf – thus opening up a distinct divide. As has happened before, such events also act to throw light on some of the more murky deeds in our history. Sadly these are many. The continued lack of access to information means that truths about corruption rackets or other equally dark deeds rarely surface unless somebody wants to throw back the dust covers and expose such goings-on, to serve their own purposes. As such, there is a possibility, as the power struggle hinged around Musharraf continues, that more facts may emerge from the past. These could help satisfy curiosity and give the public more information about leaders. The risk though of course is that accuracy will be lost amidst the effort to score points. It is impossible for the present to predict who the winner will be in the ongoing tussle. But what it does underscore is the powerful role the establishment still plays in our set-up and how difficult it indeed is to distance the military from events in the political sphere. (The News) 60 MQM men buried in Margalla hills in 1997: Shujaat Thursday, August 27, 2009 ISLAMABAD: PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Husain has disclosed that at least 60 activists of the MQM were buried in the Margalla Hills of the Federal Capital in 1997. Talking to a TV channel on Wednesday, he said the said activists, apprehended from Karachi, were shifted to Islamabad, where they were tortured to death and later buried in the Margalla Hills. No investigations of any sort were held regarding the killing of the detainees.” Chaudhry Shujaat further disclosed: “I was Federal Interior Minister at that time, but Chairman Accountability Bureau Saif-ur-Rahman was more influential than me. The map, which the law-enforcement agencies exposed, has no reality. Responding to a query, he elucidated that trial for the former dictator Pervez Musharraf would not be held. Shujaat said he was personally not in favour of presenting the resolution in the House. The incumbents, as at this juncture of time, should focus their attention to relieve the masses from prevailing energy and commodity crisis, instead of indulging in dead issues. The PML chief said the political leadership of the country was taken into confidence in connection with the 1992 military operation in Karachi. The federal cabinet was also not briefed before the military operation in Karachi, he said. The PML-Q leader expressed his anger that the issues of 1992 military operation and ‘Jinnahpur’ were being aired at this particular time to divert the attention of the masses from prevailing crisis. Meanwhile, the spokesman for the PML-N, Siddiq-ul-Farooq, while refuting the allegations levelled by Chaudhry Shujaat, emphasised that the PML-N chief had nothing to do with any sort of genocide during his both the tenures. Farooq said Chaudhry Shujaat Husain was federal interior minister in 1997 and should have resigned from his office, if he had any moral courage, over the ëkilling of 60 activists of the MQM in the Federal Capital. (The News) Chief politicians embezzle donation money in Ishaq era KARACHI: According to the sworn undertaking of ISI’s former chief Lieutenant General (rtd) Asad Durrani, which he took before Supreme Court (SC) on July 24, 1994, that he was instructed in September 1990 by the then Chief of Army Staff (COAS), the former General Mirza Aslam Baig for provision of Logistic Support to embezzle money donated for election preparations from some Karachi traders and use the same donation money for Islami Jamhuri Ittehad (IJI) party. Asad Durrani was told that the instructions to misappropriate donation money were backed by the then government of Pakistan, according to his affidavit statement before SC. Subsequently, in pursuit of the instructions he received, he was forced to open some fake bank accounts in Karachi, Quetta and Rawalpindi while one donator from Karachi, by the name Younis Habib, deposited as much as 140 million rupees and the money from all accounts were transferred to other places according to the need for extension of logistic support to IJI party while the remaining money was transferred to a special fund, his sworn statement added. His statement further added, Rs10 million were given to Mir Afzal in NWFP province, Rs3.5 million to Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif in Punjab, Rs5.6 million to Lieutenant General (rtd) Rafaqat for advertisement on media, Rs5 million to Jamat-e-Islami, Rs1 million to Begum Abida Hussain, Rs0.5 million to Altaf Hussain Qureshi and Mustafa Sadiq, Rs3.3 million to small groups, Rs5 million to Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi in Sindh, Rs5 million to Jam Sadiq, Rs2.5 million to Muhammad Khan Junejo, Rs2 million to Pir Pagara, Rs0.3 million to Molana Salahuddin, Rs5.4 million to small parties, Rs1.5 million to Humayun Muree, the son-in-law of Bugti, Rs4 million to Jamali, Rs1 million to Kakar, Rs0.7 million to Jam Yousuf, Rs0.5 million Bazinjo and Rs1 million were given to Nadir Mengal. (The News) It is pertinent to mention that the value in rupees of 12 grams of gold was Rs33 at the time when money was misappropriated while it stands at Rs29,000 today. (The News) Nawaz Kush Campaign and Fauji Chooran - By Rashid Murad: Some relevant comments: Source: pkpolitics runaway said: Now NS claiming that 92 operation was done without his permission. What the hell? He was the Prime Minister of PAKISTAN not PUNJAB. Kargil done without his knowledege..92 operation done without his permission. Was Qarz Utaro Mulk Sanwar and Dollar Freeze also done without his knowledge…bhola !! Gul said: I totally disagree the ‘quaidabad’ issue is of headline importance. This was clarified way back in 92 soon after the accusation was made. Brig. Imtiaz’s bringing it up yet again, at this time, is nothing but a typical red herring to distract from the genuine issue of MQM’s terrorism, and the inquiries it now faces. It is also being used to somehow weaken Nawaz Sharif, who appears unstoppable in gaining popularity. It suits, and has always suited, the establishment not let any one political party or leader become very strong. Keep them all weak, thereby keeping own hold on country. There can be NO other purpose in bringing up such a non issue at this time, and sending all the talking heads spinning into this rat hole. Amir Hameed said: @Gul, Re: your post above, I tend to disagree with you. We need to highlight the role of intelligence agencies in weakening the political structure of this country. Hamid Gul has also issued a statement recently where he has indicated how the agencies were involved in forming IJI. The bottom line is that agencies need to stay out of the political structure, period. Gul said: @Amir Hameed I agree with you a 100% on the need to struggle against agencies’ role in preventing Pakistan from ever acquiring a strong democratic dispensation. Where I don’t agree is that this dead issue, a red herring, will do that. As I said, the fact that there never was such a map was very much contradicted and clarified very shortly after the claim was made. Beating this idiotic and long failed, long disproven claim, NOW, is meant to serve purposes entirely different form highlighting agencies’ role in the past or the present. Amir Hameed said: @sacheebat, …unless politicians or parties are involved in anti-Pakistan or other illegal activities… That is fine but it is related to treason and not the political structure. Agencies’ role should be to protect the country, both from inside and outside threats, BUT not to interject their influence in the political structure. @Gul, Re: this being a dead issue; Altaf Hussain’s speech in India should also be a dead issue because we all know that it DID happen but we beat this dead horse every single chance we get. In the context of Jinahpur, I do not see any reason why we should not discus a) who orchestrated it, meaning where did the orders come from? b) why was it done? c) What was the role of the-then government? These are all legitimate questions and should not be put under the cover. People have the right to ask and to know the truth.

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Brigadier Imtiaz’s ‘get Nawaz’ conspiracy?

A recent flurry of interviews to TV channels by ex-ISI operative and ex-IB chief Brigadier (Retd) Imtiaz Ahmad Billa — at his urging — has caused discomfort in a lot of quarters. Brig Billa’s “disclosures” are flying in all directions, indicating that the old spy has once again not employed his brains while strategising his public appearances after having languished in jail for eight years.

Brig Billa has turned out to be the proverbial loose cannon. In fact, if someone wants to give an example of how a not too well intellectually endowed person can shoot all over the place, he is the perfect reference. Known for his loyalty to the PMLN leader Mr Nawaz Sharif, he has criminally mistimed his “absolution” of the MQM from the Jinnahpur charge at a time when the PMLN was crossing swords with the MQM in parliament.

Clearing himself of the role he played in Operation Midnight Jackals against the PPP government, he has offended ex-army chief Aslam Beg and ex-ISI chief Hamid Gul too. Both had painstakingly removed from themselves the stigma of having toppled an elected government when the people are being told by Brig Billa that they had put him up to it. In a TV discussion he has admitted that he was “partly” wrong in hating the PPP government!

He thought the Jinnahpur “disclosure” would not go against “his leader” Mr Sharif, but it has done exactly that. Tuesday night, on a TV discussion, he actually had a spat with Khwaja Muhammad Asif of the PMLN and ended up threatening him with public disclosures about Mr Asif’s person.

In the course of the discussion that followed, Brig Billa ended up blackening the name of the ISI too. Tough verdicts were passed on ISI officers who were a permanent danger to democracy because their view of state security was an in-house concept that had nothing to do with the security of the people of Pakistan.

Brigadier (Retd) Imtiaz Ahmad Billa has caused a ‘get Nawaz’ conspiracy theory to raise its head. If this is not what he wanted — and we don’t know the truth — he has done exactly that because of his lack of intellectual gifts. God save us if there are more like him in the army. (Daily Times)

Ex-ISI officials come out with new versions on MQM operation

Daily Times Monitor

LAHORE: Former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) officer Major (r) Nadeem Dar claimed on Wednesday he had recovered maps of Jinnahpur from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) headquarters, a private TV channel reported. Meanwhile, former ISI director general Lt Gen Asad Durrani told another private channel then president Ghulam Ishaq Khan had ordered an end to the military operation against the MQM to deny political mileage to the Pakistan People’s Party.

Dar told the channel he had personally recovered the Jinnahpur maps from Nine-Zero during the 1992 military operation in Karachi. This contradicts claims by Brigadier (r) Imtiaz, who had claimed that he had informed then premier Nawaz Sharif there were no maps of Jinnahpur. Separately, Durrani told a channel the government was informed about every step of the military operation against the MQM. He claimed the MQM-Haqiqi had also supported the military in the operation. He alleged the 1992 military operation had been launched for ulterior motives and Jinnahpur had been used as a scapegoat. (Daily Times)

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Fazl-e-Hussain article in Daily Nawaiwaqt on the 1992 Karachi Operation against MQM:

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Talibans start making their presence felt in Karachi !

Co-edu institutions in city receiving threats from Taliban?

KARACHI: Panic has spread in the city’s co-education institutions after receiving threats, believed to be from the Taliban, in which they have been warned to close down or face the consequences, Daily Times learnt on Monday.
Various educational institutions including schools, colleges and universities have received threatening letters and phone calls by the Taliban. A source privy to the matter revealed that mostly schools having affiliation with the Cambridge Board where male and female students are studying together without any discrimination have received threatening phone calls and also letters posted by the militants.
The source further pointed out that the sender of the threat posed themselves, either on the phone or in the letter, as the Taliban while demanding the end of the co-education system or prepare for an attack.
It was also learnt that the vice chancellor of the largest university of the city had also received phone calls by intelligence agencies inquiring about the possible threat of the Taliban. The source revealed that the agencies suggested to the VC of the universityto make the veil (burqa) compulsory for all girl students as a precautionary measure.
It is pertinent to mention here that a number of schools have also received fake phone calls of there being a bomb on the school premises.
The source further pointed out that the British Council Pakistan delayed the schedule of the O and A level exams because of the possible threat of terrorism. There are 22 centres that will be announced to host the examinations by the British Council Pakistan, however, the announcement of the centres was delayed and it has been decided by the authorities concerned that the schedule of the examination centres will be disclosed late because of minimum risk.

Source: Daily Times ---- 28th April, 09
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PPP's massive rally in Karachi in support of President Asif Ali Zardari

PPP, MQM rally against PML-N

By Irfan Ali

KARACHI: The supporters of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) flocked to MA Jinnah Road to participate in the PPP rally held on Wednesday in support of President Asif Ali Zardari, in the face of the malicious propaganda being carried out against him by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

In one sentence, they rejected the criticism conveying their message that PPP’s supporters do not need to test a time-tested leader like Zardari.

PPP also warned that the people will not pardon those who attack democracy. PPP leaders vowed that they will offer their lives simply on an order from PPP’s chief Asif Zardari. With PPP’s tri-coloured flags fluttering in the sky, portraits of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto and Asif Zardari on display, they raised slogans in support of Zardari.

“Do you want another sacrifice from us after the martyrdom of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Murtaza and Shahnawaz Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto,” Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah asked speaking at the large rally near Jamia Cloth Market.

Muttahidda Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) Shoaib Bukhari, Raza Haroon and Waseem Aftab also joined the rally to express their support to Zardari.

“First MQM had given you a reply by staging a mass rally here and now it is the final answer to you, Nawaz Sharif, that thousands of people reject your allegations against the unity of Pakistan,” he said.

To ensure foolproof security arrangements, PPP’s security team coordinated with the police and Rangers. The points leading to the route of the rally were sealed. Body searches were conducted on everyone before they were allowed to enter the venue of the rally.

Shah said that Sharif was struggling to come into power through backdoor channels, unconstitutional and undemocratic means. He said that the sacked chief justice took oath under the PCO twice and also validated the military take over that dislodged the Nawaz-led government on October 12, 1999. He declared the attack on the Sri Lankan cricketers a deep-rooted conspiracy that was not hatched in one day.

“You will not be able to oust the democratically elected government that was established after a long struggle and after a great sacrifice by Benazir Bhutto,” he said.

Shah reminded the PML-N that three provincial assemblies trusted and nominated Zardari for presidency and he was voted for by all four provincial assemblies unlike the PML-N’s candidate.

He said that Zardari had enjoyed the confidence of all four provinces because of his national reconciliatory politics. Shah said that Zardari had the majority of three provinces while he had a considerable number of votes from the Punjab Assembly too.

PPP’s supporters were at ease on the venue. Some people were serving drinking water and some were offering food items to the participants of the rally. Sindh Assembly Speaker Nisar Khuhro warned the PML-N chief that his artificial crisis might pave the way for intervention from undemocratic forces.

“PPP’s members and supporters are capable of defending Pakistan, its people, Zardari and the PPP-led government. Beware of the consequences of conspiracies against the elected government,” Khuhro further said. He said PPP’s good intentions were welcomed and Pakistan is witnessing the politics of reconciliation due to PPP’s practical steps for harmony and cohesion.

Employees of PIA, HBFC, PQA, People’s Doctors’ Forum members, paramedical staff, Lawyers Forum, women wing, PSF, Labour Bureau, Youth Wing and Cultural Wing turned out to stage a successful show of strength.

PPP Karachi Chapter chief Faisal Abedi said that the PPP and its allied parties sacrificed the lives of their members for the sake of an independent judiciary but the sacked chief justice did not even have the time to condole the PPP workers’ death. He said he had arranged this rally on a 22 hours notice. He said if he was asked to plan the rally 15 days ago, countless people from Karachi to Islamabad would have participated in the rally. He thanked the MQM for their support.

MQM’s leaders Shoaib Bukhari and Raza Haroon said that MQM’s support to the PPP-led government was not an alliance between political parties or the coalition partners but in fact, it is an alliance of the hearts and minds of the people of Sindh. “Those who desecrated the monument of Benazir Bhutto are narrow-minded. Benazir Bhutto is a popular leader and her party took revenge by establishing democracy,” Shoaib Bukhari said. He said that MQM and PPP’s reconciliation and alliance was for the welfare and stability of Pakistan. He urged the rival parties to be aware of the internal and external dangers.

MQM and PPP leaders said that Sharif considered himself a political leader by speaking at a gathering of 400 people.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\03\05\story_5-3-2009_pg12_1
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MQM holds a huge rally in Karachi against the the damaging of the Benazir memorial in Rawalpindi by the PML-N workers...

MQM rally to condemn damaging of BB’s memorial PDF Print E-mail

KARACHI, March 1 (APP): The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) held a huge rally in downtown Karachi on Sunday to protest against the damaging of the memorial at the site of the assassination of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. The rally was attended by lakhs of people in a very disciplined manner.



They displayed banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the damaging of the memorial at the site of assassination of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.

Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Federal Minister Dr. Farooq Sattar, Speaker of Sindh Assembly, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, Senior Provincial Minister, Pir Mazhar ul Haq, Sindh Home Minister, Dr. Zulfiqar Mirza, also addressed the gathering.

Speaking on the occasion, the MQM Chief Altaf Hussain offered Mian Nawaz Sharif that if he shuns violent protest and course of confrontation the MQM through the Haq Parast constitutional and legal experts would file review appeal at the Supreme Court against the disqualification of Sharif brothers.

He said that Mian Nawaz Sharif should exhibit large heartedness so that the issues could be resolved through the spirit of understanding and reconciliation. The MQM chief also asked the government to find a middle way through some constitutional and legal manner.

He vehemently condemned the damaging of the memorial at the site of assassination of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.

Altaf Hussain said that Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto had sacrificed her life for the cause of country and its people.

He said that the verdict was given by the Supreme Court and not by Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.

The MQM chief said that imputing charges against President Asif Ali Zardari, was also not right as the verdict was given by the Supreme Court and not by President Zardari.

He urged that any derogatory language should not be used against the President.

Altaf Hussain also counselled the workers of the PML (N) to exercise patience and do not resort to politics of reprisal.
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MQM expels Salim Shehzad

dehshatgard "Quaid" ka jo ghaddar hay, kis cheez ka haqdar hay?

The countdown begins....?

How can the Pakistani nation forgive the killers of 12 May 2007?


KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has expelled Salim Shehzad from the party’s Rabita Committee here on Friday.

The decision has been taken at an emergency meeting of the Coordination Committee of MQM today. The committee directed the activists not to make any contact with Salim Shehzad, failing which their membership will stand cancelled.

Shehzad has been removed from the party’s membership due to his involvement in some mysterious activities, it said.

MQM also instructed the workers not to contact senior member Muhammad Anwar.

Meanwhile, MQM’s senior member Anis Advocate also voluntarily resigned from the party’s membership.







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The Gujaratis of Pakistan - By Aakar Patel

The Gujaratis of Pakistan

Sunday, February 08, 2009
Aakar Patel

Pakistan has fewer Gujaratis than it should, and that is to its detriment. Even so, the Gujaratis of Pakistan are its best citizens. None of the people on the list that follows are big in the field of literature, since Gujaratis are not particularly interested in that. This is because the trading instinct of Gujaratis tilts them towards the culture of Jains, whose texts are not in Sanskrit.

The Gujarati qualities are pragmatism and industry. Their courage is different from the courage of North India, which is martial. A Gujarati is brave with his gamble. The language of the stock market and the betting industry in India is Gujarati and is centred in Bombay. Unlike north Indians -- Punjabis in particular -- Gujaratis are a high-trust society. In Surat, the only major city of Gujarat to escape religious violence, the bond comes from trading between Hindus and Muslims.

Unusually among Indian castes, even the peasantry in Gujarat does not put too much premium on martial honour.

The Patels worship Krishna in his Ranchhod form. Ranchhod means 'he who fled from battle'. It refers to Krishna's retreat from Mathura under attack from Jarasandh's general Kalyavan, and then his flight, running away when he was challenged. This act of wisdom saved him and Gujaratis recognise it though it's not godlike behaviour.

Pragmatism, getting on with it, is what defines Gujaratis of all religions. It is what their identity is about. This is not to say that they are not susceptible to emotion. Gujarati Muslims helped partition India, but without understanding what they were getting into.

Aga Khan III, leader of the Ismaili Khojas (Jinnah's community), helped found the Muslim League in 1906, and the Syedna of the Bohra community gave his blessings to Pakistan, though only barely. The Dawoodi Bohras are an amazing Gujarati community. They are deeply religious but are not inclined to pan-national Islam. They are very good businessmen and very good citizens.

For some reason the Syedna encourages his flock to trade and discourages them from taking jobs under Hindus, writing in a book that this was akin to slavery. Even so, India and Pakistan are much better off because of the Bohras of Gujarat, Bombay and Karachi.

The Memons gave full tilt support to separatism, helping Jinnah win 40 out of 40 reserved Muslim seats for Bombay in the 1945-46 elections. But Pakistan rewarded them with nationalisation and the Nishtar Park bombing. The Gujaratis did not understand the destination when they set off on their religious journey with Jinnah.

Pakistan's attack on language, one of Jinnah's staggering mistakes, has decapitated Gujarati in Karachi. By ordering the monopoly of Urdu, a language he could barely speak and couldn't read, Jinnah began the process of cultural erosion that made religion supreme in Pakistan. His hair would have stood on end if Jinnah had been able to actually communicate with his constituents in Urdu. But all of these men would have been comfortable talking to each other in their mother tongue, and with their shared values.

Abdul Sattar Edhi

Like Gandhi, Edhi is from Kathiawar and probably speaks Gujarati in the sing-song dialect that south Gujaratis from Surat find funny. Born in Bantva, a village that has produced many great men, Edhi is representative of an individualism that Gujaratis are familiar with. His act of giving dignity to the dead is in particular a Gujarati trait. In Gujarati cities, cremation is free for everyone, and the wood for pyres is donated anonymously by merchants.

The world recognises the quality of Edhi. He has won the Magsaysay award, and the Nobel prize for peace ought to be his by right. Given the loopy Nobel nominations of the past (Kissinger, Al Gore) and the omissions (Gandhi, Biko), it may not really matter if this great man doesn't get it. Edhi is called the Mother Teresa of Pakistan. But unlike her he does not inject religion into his charity.

M A Jinnah

Quaid-e-Azam was a constitutionalist before he was anything else. He should have been valued in the subcontinent for that alone, but we are a people who perennially clamour for identity. After Partition, he would have been comfortable neither in India's anarchic democracy nor in Pakistan's anarchic theocracy. He liked order and he had values.

He was a man of refined European taste who would have disliked Bollywood, and would have been unable to access Faiz and Manto. He spoke Gujarati well and I translated an interview of his from the archives of the Gujarati magazine Visami Sadi (20th century). He told his interviewer in 1916 that the quality a man should be admired for was independence.

It is said the Labour Party denied him a ticket because he was "too much of a toff". He was a superb advocate, possibly the best of his time, as his defence of Bhagat Singh showed. He was deeply secular for most of his life, a truly great man and the greatest Gujarati of Pakistan.

Javed Miandad

Who is Pakistan's best Gujarati cricketer? We have the brothers from Junagadh, Mushtaq and Hanif Mohmmad and of course Danish Kaneria, the Gujarati whose name his own countrymen cannot say property (it is Dinesh -- Lord of the Day). And then we have Javed Miandad, Pakistan's greatest cricketer of any community. Less popular than Imran because he is dark and speaks Urdu nasally like a Gujarati, Miandad is nonetheless the man that people would want to bat for their lives.

His heroism is not from his machismo but from his refusal to be defeated. He broke the hearts of Indians with his last-ball six off Chetan Sharma in Sharjah, but he truly let his Indian fans down by arranging his son's marriage to Dawood Ibrahim's daughter.

Maj-Gen A O Mitha

Aboobaker Osman Mitha had a Hindu wife. His fellow officers would have been wary of him for this fact given the Pakistan army's indoctrination, and he would probably have been more comfortable in the Indian army.

He would certainly have been uneasy with the one Muslim equals 10 Hindus bombast of his army, especially after 93,000 Pakistanis surrendered in Dhaka. Mitha, a Memon from South Bombay, was one of the few intellectual officers in the army who grasped immediately what the problem in East Pakistan was. Lt-Gen Niazi's memoir, The Betrayal of East Pakistan, has a telling paragraph, a message that Mitha sent to the GHQ on reaching Dhaka:

"This operation has now developed into a civil war. No long-distance moves, no rail moves possible. No ferries of boats available. In fact, movement has become the chief obstacle for conducting operations or restoring economy and will remain so for some time…"

Pakistan was partitioned through civil war, not India's perfidy. Mitha's book, Unlikely Beginnings, is the best written by a Pakistani soldier. Bhutto, always one to do the wrong thing, sacked him, a fatal mistake.

Ahmad Dawood

The Memons are converts from the caste of Luhanas and they speak a mix of Kutchchi and Gujarati. Among India's Sunnis they are the peerless merchants, superior to the Chiniotis of Punjab, the Malabaris of Kerala and even the neo-mercantile Gujaratis, like the Sunni Bohras of Rander.

Ahmad Dawood left Bombay and moved to Karachi with Jinnah. He set up mills in Burewala, Lawrencepur and Karachi. The Dawood family's businesses also span insurance, chemicals and paper.

Bhutto skewered the Memons with Mubashir Hasan's half-baked economic ideas, taking over businesses that the government had no competence to manage. Dawood Petroleum was nationalised in 1974, as was Habib Bank. There is no chance that the Pakistan state would have been able to run any business as well as the Memons, and many of them migrated to Europe in that period, their second flight after 1947. But resilience is one of their qualities and the Memons still dominate large parts of Pakistani industry (ARY is owned by a Memon).

Ardeshir Cowasjee

The story is that when the Parsis landed in Gujarat, fleeing the Arabs under Caliph Abu Bakr (RA), they were sent a glass brimful of milk by the Rana of Sanjan. This indicated that there was no room in his land for more people. The Parsis added sugar to the milk and sent it back.

It is indisputable that the Parsis, the greatest community of Bombay, have sweetened India. The people of Bombay believe that Parsis lose their marbles after 60. All interviews and profiles of Cowasjee mention the man's eccentricity. Despite his grouchiness, and constant predictions of doom, Cowasjee is an optimist. Someone who has written as many decades on the issues he has would surely have stopped if he did not believe change were possible.

As a journalist, Cowasjee is methodical as Parsis are. He reported Zardari's illiteracy ("may Gaad give us strut to save Pakistan") or dyslexia at the Mazar-e-Quaid. Every paper in Pakistan – journalism is the laziest profession on the subcontinent -- bought the state's version and ran him down till he demonstrated that he did not write things he had not verified. He represents the best of Gujarat and the best of Pakistan. (The News)

The writer is a former newspaper editor who lives in Bombay. Email: aakar.patel@ gmail.com
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Violence in Karachi: The hell that is hate

The hell that is hate
Saturday, December 06, 2008
Samina Wahid Perozani

It all started when the driver and the conductor of a bus were beaten up by an angry mob in Moosa Colony. Soon enough, news of this incident spread to other parts of Karachi giving rise to an ethnic strife. The spate of violence played out for a good three days – educational institutions and commercial areas remained closed, public transport was sporadic and rumours were a dime a dozen (reports of chopping off people's ears and pouring adhesive in their eyes made the rounds). The death toll, going by the news reports, was an alarming 50 with countless lying in injured in hospitals to date.

Speculations about these cleverly contrived riots, it seems, have also been thriving. There are many who strongly believe that this 'so-called' strife was orchestrated by forces beyond our control – you know, Israeli, Indian, American and other such forces; anything that doesn't start with a 'P' and isn't laced with local and national vested interests. Others say it's a backlash: payback for what happened in Mumbai. For those who take the trouble to look past the conspiracy theories, the answer is quite simple – the cycle of violence last week stemmed from pure and simple hate. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out the obvious, which in this case would be the unfortunate fact that a certain political group harbours immense dislike for a certain ethnic group. Why? Because the ethnic group in question has invaded the city, calling dibs on gainful means of employment such as selling fruit and livestock, driving public vehicles, and servicing all and sundry with tea and sustenance. A lot of this, say critics, has led to encroachments, land grabbing and, subsequently, the presence of slums in the city. "So this community really needs to go," said a colleague.

While one can't entirely disagree, it has to be said that this is no way to take care of a problem that has been germinating under our very noses for a very long time now. Yes, land grabbing cannot be endorsed and it's true that Karachi has one too many slums for its own good. But kicking out a community that was once warmly welcomed in the city and given ammunition for purposes of 'security' isn't really going to set things straight. Relocating human beings isn't the same as shifting farm animals – you can't suddenly decide one fine day that you don't want this group that you were keen to play host to before. It doesn't work like that with people. Unlike farm animals, they will resist if uprooted and in extreme cases, they may even retaliate. They will do whatever it takes to protect what they now know as home. It would help, however, to consider why this community is here in the first place – the relentless drone attacks in the northern parts of the country as well on Afghanistan, forcing them to flee and settle in Karachi. So you can kick them out and reclaim your city but where are you going to send them? The refugee camp? Or back to the borders where they don't know if they're going to live to see another day? But that is another long story; the kind that merits a separate article some other day.

Also, there is this little matter of replacing the labour that one is so intent on displacing. Is the political party in question really up to the challenge of driving buses, setting up tea stalls and the ilk in the city? Such jobs require hard work, the kind that not everyone in the city is used to doing. So are the party workers actually willing to go the distance just to prove that Karachi is their turf? Sadly, I think we all know the answer to that.

The writer is a staff member. Email: samina.perozani@gmail.com (The News)
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The Taliban are present in Karachi and have links with the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Sipah-e-Sahaba and other banned religious organisations

Taliban present in Karachi: TTP

KARACHI: The Taliban are present in Karachi and have links with the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Sipah-e-Sahaba and other banned religious organisations, but they have no intention of carrying out attacks in the provincial capital if not provoked by a political party or the government, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Mullah Omer has told Daily Times.

Talking exclusively to the newspaper, Omer said his organisation would not disrupt peace in the port city. “The Taliban have never been involved in any type of terrorism in Karachi,” he claimed. “And we will not be involved in any such activity in future until a political party or the government leaves us with no other choice.”

Omer, however, said his organisation had no links with Al Qaeda. He said the TTP had not been able to lay its hands on evidence suggesting the presence of Al Qaeda in the Tribal Areas. “The name of Al Qaeda is being used to attack the Taliban ... the operation in the Tribal Areas is meant to target the Taliban.” faraz khan (Daily Times)
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Geo and ARY news blocked in Karachi and other urban parts of Sindh. Time for MQM as well as hostile media acnhors to pause and reflect...

Geo and ARY news blocked in Karachi and other urban parts of Sindh. Time for MQM as well as hostile media acnhors to pause and reflect... Let us listen to Khusnood Ali Khan as well as Salman Taseer:


PM orders probe into blocking of TV channels (The Post, 18 Nov 2008)

Agencies

ISLAMABAD: Condemning all forms of restrictions on private television channels, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani expressed strong resolve of his government to repeal all black laws affecting the freedom of expression.

Talking to reporters at the airport, Prime Minister Gillani renounced restrictions on the media, and ordered PEMRA to investigate the recent banning of a local TV channel's transmission. Provincial Information Minister Shazia Marri holding cable operators responsible ordered an inquiry into the incident.

There was a chorus of indignation over the incident. PML-N leaders Mian Nawaz Sharif and others said it was continuity of black laws of former Musharraf government and demanded stern action against those responsible.

PML-Q's Chaudhry Shujaat and MQM's Faisal Sabzawari condemned the move in the strongest possible way.

A private TV channel's telecast was halted Monday in parts of the Sindh province including Karachi. When contacted, government officials denied having any knowledge.

Although blamed for the incident, cable operators refused to cite any reason for their action.

Exactly one year ago on November 17, 2007, TV channels' transmissions were shut down.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has taken serious note of suspension of the transmission of its licensed channels "Geo News" and "ARY One World" on cable TV networks in Karachi and some areas of the interior Sindh.

A statement issued here on Monday said PEMRA got the transmission restored immediately and took prompt action against the cable operators. It said that show-cause notice was issued to them and an investigation was underway.

Meanwhile, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ms Sherry Rehman Monday expressed concern and anguish over the blocking of Geo News' transmission in Sindh by some unscrupulous elements.

Talking to a private TV channel, she urged cable operators not to fear anybody and report about the rogue elements who threatened them and asked them to stop certain channels. She said the government believed in freedom of the press and was duty bound to protect the media. "PEMRA or any other government agency is not involved in any way in blocking the Geo network transmission in Sindh on Monday," she said.

Ssaid that on learning that the transmission of Geo had been blocked in Sindh she immediately contacted PEMRA but they denied having blocked the transmission.

She cable operators in Karachi and Hyderabad would be given full protection.

Talking about a coincidence that Geo News was banned on November 17 2007, she said Musharraf regime had targeted four to five anchors of Geo in a planned manner, whereas the People's Party has never gagged the press. She said some political forces were involved in blocking the transmission of Geo News. (The Post)

.......

On 17th November, Geo and ARY TV Channels tranmissions were blocked in Karachi, Hyderabad and some other urban parts of Sindh. Till now no one from Government or Media circles has openly pointed to the terrorists involved in this shameful act. This includes Geo and ARY where they hinted involvement of a political party of Karachi but could not have guts to name the culprit.

But credit goes to Daily Jinnah Editor Khushnood Ali Khan who discussed this issue very openly revealing the reasons behind this issue. Khushnood Ali Khan Says:

“Ataf Hussain had an event in London to celebrate the landmark victory of Mustafa Kamal to be delared world 2nd Best Mayor. Geo and ARY did not broadcast this event Live as per the desire of MQM Leadership that made them furious. Farooq Sattar, then ordered blocking these channels through cable operators. On contact by Chairman PEMRA Malik Mushtaq, Farooq Sattar replied that if they will not show speech of Altaf Bhai, then how (dare) they can run their channels”.

Link to Daily Jinnah article by Khushnood Ali Khan

http://www.dailyjinnah.com/?p=12794

.........

Read Wusatullah Khan's article on the hypocrisy of media by blaming PPP while not revealing MQM's name:


http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/pakistan/story/2008/11/081118_geo_secret_rza.shtml


......


Comments:

paindoo says:

At least there is some element of truth when Salman Taseer complained that TV hosts talk nonsense and media has become monster. Clips of Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer’s conversation with Atiqa Odho were also shown by the programme host Hamid Mir wherein the governor vented his anger towards the TV channels saying the media in Pakistan has crossed all limits and become a monster.

Excerpts from The News:

Salmaan Taseer said the entire country had come under the clutches of the media, as “it does not let any government work smoothly.” He went on to say that anchorpersons of these TV channels think of themselves as some godly figures. He said if they (TV anchorpersons) were in the West, they would have long been handcuffed and arrested. He said the private TV channels disseminate disinformation. He said the anchorpersons do not take care of others’ respect and talk non-sense. They made people dance in front of the camera. He said in Pakistan there are no Madhuri Dixits, Amitabh Bachans and Aishwarya Rais and that was the reason why these channels are popular among the people. The information minister however struck a different note saying her government did not believe in clamping sanctions on the media. She said there were some elements outside the government who off and on counselled it to bring the media under its control.

...

Aman:

Hello All,

I think altaf hassain gives speaches so many times in a month , and they have never asked or got furious on any TV channel to brodcast his speach , than why now they will do so ? As far as the world second mayor award is concerned thats not a big deal, Mustafa Kamal has done a great job for karachi so for karachides he is already NO.1.

There is something else going around this could be molana sahib issue as hamid mir challeged moulana fazl-ur-rehman as moulana sahib calling the Jews Agents.there may be some other thing , but one could not beleive in govt stand as they do not know who gave order for this , thats what makes me confused govt has to see this issue very seriously otherwise this could lead them to another scandal , i wish all , All The Best.


piyariawam Says:
November 18th, 2008

all parties in Pakistan are not innocent. Jamaat i Islami and PPP and PML and Army and all. No one is innocent and neither is MQM. But I can tell you Paksitan can break but MQM will not they are too strong Now. To buy arms is not a crime. To use it against innocent ones is.

.... is agiants MQM and against Geo’s Kamran Khan KAy saat. Only when Nawaz Sharif was interviewed by it, They put that show on it, What kindda nonsense. No one will be allowed to play in Karachi untill MQM’s permission. Too much money involved in one place and the poeple of Karachi are behind MQM and support this Gunda Party, as all the party in Karachi is more or less the same.

People of Karachi does not trust Army , PPP and PML or any other party than MQM alone.

Just forget about MQM and forget about Karachi. Live and let live in Peace.
Chao!


alam Says:
November 18th, 2008


I watched that episdoe of CT and Hamid Mir,Irfan Siddiqui, Mazhar Abaas were all like scared to death and did not take the name of gang responsible for all this.

khipro Says:
November 18th, 2008


@piyariawam

I am totally agreed with you. This website is biased towards Sindh Urban specially Karachi. For God sake leave us, we are happy. We know better than you what is good for us and what is bad. Though i am not a big fan of MQM at all and have some serious concerns in some issues but for Sindh Urban: they are the best what i think. I was born in Hyderabad and raised in Karachi. I know the reality of Racism. As for as MQM is concerned, my and my family votes are always with MQM if they continue same performance.


justice4all Says:
November 18th, 2008

Someone will have to come forward to expose the terrorists of MQM.
Khusnood Ali Khan must be a brave man to talk about MQM.
Imran Khan was the only one we know before.

Munir Solangi Says:

With due respect i don’t agree with this claim that Pakistani media is silent against MQM.Yes media is scared and helpless but who will rescue the staffers of Geo and ARY in Karachi if theyt are attacked by MQM?

I lived in Karachi for many years and i know that how many times MQM attacked Jang and Geo.Many visitors of this website are saying that only Imran Khan can fight with MQM.With due opology Imran can fight with MQM only and only in Capital Talk of Hamid Mir.Few years ago Hamid Mir produced the film of Altaf Hussain in Delhi where he spoke against creation of Pakistan.It was a brave act og Geo but next day the channel was blocked and Geo stafeers were threatened.One of my freinds in Geo Asadullah was beaten by MQM in Nazimabad and Asadullah accused Hamid Mir for his sufferings.If Imran Khan is a real hero then he should go to Karachi and at least address a jalsa at Mazar-i-Quaid.I assure him that i will come with 200 boys from Sukhar and join his party.

...

makhalil says:


“جب حکومت نے ان چینلز کی انتظامیہ سے استفسار کیا کہ وہ کم از کم یہی بتادیں کہ انہیں کس پر شبہہ ہے تو چینل انتظامیہ کا جواب تھا کہ یہ بھی حکومت ہی معلوم کرے۔

”

Look at this piece
“ایک جانب کراچی میں چینلز کی نشریات میں خلل ڈالنے والوں کا نام تک نہ لینا اور دوسری جانب نشریاتی خلل اور گورنرسلمان تاثیر کی خبر کو ایک ساتھ نمایاں کرنا ایسا ہی ہے جیسے کمہار پر بس نہ چلے تو گدھے کے کان اینٹھ دیئے جائیں ”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/pakistan/story/2008/11/081118_geo_secret_rza.shtml

Enjoy the ‘free’ media.

.....

Zaigham Says:
November 19th, 2008 at 7:35 am
comment-top

MUSHTAQ MINHAS & NUSRAT JAVED:

Do you ppl remember when some of the activists of Tahir-ul-Qadir gathered outside AAJ TV office & demonstred against some comments passed by BOLTA PAKISTAN anchors against tahir-ul-qadir ???
Did u notice that how BRAVELY both the anchors talked against the protestors? Nusrat Javed was continously calling them “BALONGRAY” of tahir-ul-qadir.

NOW…Where are these anchors???

These people know that if they speak a single word against MQM, they would be KILLED…this is what we call dual standards.

......
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Mustafa Kamal one of the best mayors in the world: Muhajir haters are dying with jealousy

Mustafa Kamal second best mayor in the world

KARACHI, Nov 9: The Foreign Policy magazine of the United States has chosen Karachi Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal as the second among the best three mayors in the world for 2008.

Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit and Chongqing Mayor Wang Hongju were the other two “mayors of the moment”, a press release issued by the Karachi City District Government said.

The magazine said: “No city globalises on its own, but with shrewd investments and smart urban planning, a mayor can help turn a regional player into a global powerhouse. Here’s how three of the world’s top mayors are climbing the ladder.”

The ‘Foreign Policy’, which is published by the State Group, a division of the Washington Post.Newsweek Interactive, LLC, said that the mayor of Karachi was an unlikely poster child for innovative urban planning.

It said: “The 36-year-old Syed Mustafa Kamal governs a city that’s more often in the news for religious violence than cosmopolitan ways. But the hard-charging Kamal is looking to change all that. He’s courting foreign investment, encouraging international ties, and boosting the city’s tourism.”

According to the magazine, Mr Kamal is not shy about his goals: He has said he wants to turn Karachi into the next Dubai. His ‘Green Karachi’ project aims to plant thousands of trees in the city. He has threatened to arrest anyone who tries to cut down the new saplings, it added.

Mr Kamal, however, gives all credit for this feat to his party leader Altaf Hussain who, he says, selected the representatives from lower and middle classes that represent 98 per cent of the country’s population.

In a statement, he said it was also the recognition of the philosophy of the MQM and the 30-year struggle of its leader.

He said that in the past there was no concept of ownership in Karachi. However, “we owned this city and carried out development works on a large scale. A lot of work is still to be done and the city is still far from the concept of an ideal city.”

Mr Kamal said that despite all the obstacles and challenges and difficulties faced by his team, he had never let down the people and would not do so in future.

He said there was no single command and control authority for Karachi, adding that 13 organisations were controlling the city’s municipal affairs which had made the situation very difficult for its development. “We have contacted everyone from top to bottom who has anything to do with the policy and decision making and now they should pay attention to this.”—APP

Source: Dawn, http://www.dawn.com/2008/11/10/top11.htm

....

Karachi Nazim among top three mayors

Monday, November 10, 2008

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Policy, a reputed journal, in its report has declared Nazim of Karachi Syed Mustafa Kamal the second best mayor of the year 2008. The Foreign Policy report said the Mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit, 55, topped the list of the best mayors of the world for the current year and Karachi Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal, 36, was placed second on the basis of his performance in the last three years, a private news channel reported.

Source: Daily The News, http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=18274

Some Comments:

#
iris on November 10th, 2008 @ 2:15 am

The article on the website says he is #57. Im not sure whats going on. Here is the link:

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4509&page=3
#
barristerakc on November 10th, 2008 @ 2:39 am

@iris,

it works out differently mate!

No. 1 Klaus Wowereit Mayor of Berlin (#17) <<< here 17 is the city rating (from the index)

Then our lad,

No.2 Syed Mustafa Kamal Mayor of Karachi (#57) <<< here 57th is city rating among the best cities to live, invest and all ….

#
monkey on November 11th, 2008 @ 1:03 am

I’ve been a fan of Mustafa Kamal since he became the nazim. The man is phenomenal and has really changed the face of Karachi. The city has begun to breathe again which is so heartening. I mean, Karachi is such a vibrant city!! For me, he’s #1. I am truly amazed by his work. If I could, I would vote for him as President of Pakistan!:)

#
shalak on November 11th, 2008 @ 1:20 am

I moved out of Karachi 16 years ago when it was a place from hell ,
MK + team has turned this hell into place worth living again , its true that crime has gone up but 80% of crimes are caused by people who dont even live in Karachi and they have got nothing to do with Karachi.

MK’s work is unprecedent!!! never been done before and the guy is only 36 years old !! wow !! he is a shining example for us all .

Long Live Mustafa Kamal !!!!!!!

#
tperacha on November 11th, 2008 @ 2:46 am

I concur with some of the bloggers here that MK isn’t really ranked the 2nd best world mayor, but rather one of top mayor as his city, Karachi, is ranked in the 2008 Global Cities Index.

However, MK has done a great job for this city and credit should be given where it’s due. The fact that he was mentioned specifically by the Foreign Policy is recognition of his achievements. I don’t know how many of you follow NPR, but not too long they did a series of episodes on Karachi and one of them covered MK as well. Here is the link:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91071685

#
Tariq Khanani (tariqkhanani) on November 11th, 2008 @ 9:59 am

No.2 or not No.2, bottom line is Action speak louder than words. Even if the website didn’t mentioned him in world’s top mayor, he is still praised.

#
Danish Says:
November 12th, 2008 at 6:02 am

The best example of our thinking process. Actually, matter of fact is that we don’t think as a Pakistani. It’s very clear that we use to think as Punjabi, Sindhi, Muhajirs, Pukhtoons, Baloch.

If Aitizaz’s & CJ’s movement/actions is supported by rest of the world, its good. On the other hand, if the same world admits City Nazim Karachi’s hard work, “oh no. it’s fake and some thing like that”. It becomes our tradition now.

Believe me or not, I was just wondering till now that if Mayor’s news would also be reported on this Punjab dominant website or not…. And here is what we get.

As a neutral person, one should speak against the wrong deeds of MQM, I agree. But, for God Sake, plz also learn to admit the good work by the same party.

I don’t think that no one can deny the massive development in Karachi during the last two or more years and we don’t need any certification. Even the Pukhtoon TV took the interview of Mayor and admits his hard work.

But we are so use to of the culture that if one party is bad and we never expect something good for them, and one party is so good therefore never expects anything wrong from them.

Some days back, I saw the same type of story regarding ANP Leader and the comments by the members were really astonished me. Why do we have such a huge hate amongst each other??? Someone is definitely working on it and most of us are following their agendas.

Plz I request you all, that we all should be very proud of being Pakistani and nothing else. Otherwise, the movements like “Greater Pukhtoonistan”, “Greater Balochistan”, “Greater Sindh” or “Greater Karachi” would become popular in public. And it would be the result of hate that is also propagating through this website.

The time has come now that we should start respecting each other being a Pakistani, nor we only respect or prefer people belongs to our same ethnic/regional group. It’s the time to give equal rights or share to all Pakistani. Otherwise, our enemies have huge funds and ambitions that would really hit us very badly.

#
manson Says:
November 12th, 2008 at 6:13 am

i am sorry to say that i will have to disagree with the admin on this occasion..When some one do some good work in pakistan we never acknowledge and appreciate him..to be honest with you all pakistani brothers and sisters, mustafa kamal is the second person after ayoob khan who have done a lot to make karachi a better city.. all karachians including sindhis, punjabis, pathans, siraikis and muhajirs have been seen him working hard day and night..if you want to meet mustafa kamal, you can go to any under construction site of karachi city govt and can find him there even on odd timings..If not world’s best but he is definitely the best mayor of pakistan at the moment…now please do not deny me just because i do not belongs to punjab…



dara Says:
November 12th, 2008 at 7:28 am
comment-top

@ Danish

I appreciate your point of view, unfortunately

there has been a deep spread and injected poison in Punjab against other nations.
specially in the times of Zia Ul haq , I know most of the Pujabies do not think like that but there are some who have been poisoned with a stupid idea that they are the most loyal to Pakistan.

This was the Last province to accept Qaidi azam and Muslim League as till 1945/46 it has unionist party cabinet and provincial Govt.
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