Goodbye, Peshawar?

ARTICLE PRINTED IN "THE NEWS" DATED:29th June 2008


Peshawar -- literally 'High Fort' in Persian -- now stands encircled. Haji Mangal Bagh Afridi controls most of what is west of Peshawar. Dara Adam Khel, a mere 35 kilometres south of Peshawar, is controlled by Baitullah Mehsud's loyalists. Charsadda and Shabqadar, both less than 30 kilometres north of Peshawar, are controlled by Commander Umar Khalid, TTP's (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan) leader in Mohmand agency. Two weeks ago, Javed Aziz Khan of The News reported that Sheikhan, Sarband, Regi and Nasir Bagh were under Mangal Bagh's absolute control while Mathra, Michni, Daudzai and Khazana were under Umar Khalid's control.

What is the real plan? Is the 'High Fort' being surrounded with the intent of an assault? After all, Pakistan army's XI Corp -- some 60,000 soldiers -- commanded by the brave Lieutenant-General Masood Aslam is headquartered in Peshawar (in 1971, Masood Aslam was wounded fighting in Chumb-Jaurian sector. He has served in Siachen and has been the recipient of Sitara-i-Jurat for his extraordinary service and bravery). Peshawar also has the Bala Hisar Fort, the Frontier Corps' headquarters, where Major-General Mohammad Alam Khattak (Tamgha-i-Basalat) is the commander. Peshawar has the 7th Infantry Division, the Golden Arrow Division, Pakistan's "oldest and the most battle-hardened division".

Peshawar also has the Central Police Office. Malik Naveed Khan is in command but has neither human capital nor much else. The Sarband Police Station, which is right next to Khyber agency, according to Javed Aziz Khan, has a total of six bullet-proof jackets and not a single armoured personnel carrier (APC). The Matani Police Station has one APC but that is almost always at the workshop. Is Peshawar under siege? Athar Minallah, my dear friend, insists that there are Taliban in Bradford and in Birmingham. Question: What really prevents Bradford from falling into Taliban's hands? It is not the 10the Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment; it is the civilian administrative apparatus. Cripple that civilian administrative machinery and Bradford Taliban will take over the City Hall, Bradford Cathedral and also the National Media Museum. And, in absence of an effective civilian administrative setup, almost all residents of Bradford will rush towards the Taliban for protection as well as for the dispensation of justice.

South Waziristan now belongs to Baitullah Mehsud. Hafiz Gul Bahadur is the Taliban supreme commander in North Waziristan. Maulvi Faqir Mohammad controls Bajaur. Mangal Bagh and Haji Namdar reign over Khyber. Commander Umar Khalid is the boss in Mohmand. That's some 20,000 sq-km of physical Pakistan terrain. Is this terrorism or is it an insurgency? Should the state of Pakistan devise a counter-terrorism or a counter-insurgency strategy?

To be certain, violence is the common denominator in terrorism and insurgency. But, rarely will terrorists attempt to actually control physical terrain. In essence, what the state of Pakistan faces is not terrorism but an active insurgency.

A retired army brigadier, as knowledgeable in FATA as anyone I know, insists that the roots of this insurgency can actually be traced back to 1997. In 1999, this brigadier, with his FATA insurgency fact-file under his arm, had walked up to the DG-ISI but no one was ready to pay much heed. Then came 9/11 and that pushed the Talibanisation of NWFP some two years behind.

How do we get out of it? It is obvious that jirgas are meaningless and so are peace agreements. The best suggestion that I have heard so far is as follows: give the militants every sort of indemnity that they ask for. Forgive each and every one of their past crimes. Accept a hundred other conditions put up by the militants. All in exchange for just one. And, that condition is that no one -- absolutely no one -- will be allowed to run a parallel administration.

Where is the government going wrong? Well, the government blinks while the Taliban -- the government's ex-proxies -- freely exhibit their muscle (for instance, they enter Peshawar at will and take from Peshawar whatever they want). Remember, tribal loyalties belong to whoever has the muscle. Act now or sayonara Peshawar. Adiós Peshawar. Au revoir Peshawar. Mach's gut Peshawar. Aloha Peshawar. Arrivederci Peshawar. Zai jian Peshawar. Just what language do our decision makers understand?

A Conspiracy to Talibanise Karachi

A CONSPIRACY IS BEING HATCHED TO TALIBANISE KARACHI: MUTTAHIDA QUAMI MOVEMENT

3rd July 2008

A marathon emergency meeting of the Central Co-ordination Committee of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) was held in London in which the Members of Karachi Central Co-ordination Committee, Karachi Tanzimi Committee present in London and Members of the International Secretariat participated. The Members expressed their deep concerns over settling the Jihadi extremists from all over the country in Karachi through deliberate and sustained emigrational process and their escalating anti-peace and nefarious activities. In a statement released after the meeting, the Members of the Co-ordination Committee said that the province of Sindh is the land of “Sufis” and peace-loving people who believe in religious tolerance, sectarian harmony, brotherhood and unity while a conspiracy of Talibanising Karachi by settling the Jihadi extremists in Karachi is being hatched. The statement said that the settlement of Jihadi extremists is being carried out under the patronage on certain elements of the agencies of the Establishment. They further elaborated that these elements are not only illegally occupying lands in different localities of Karachi but also resorting to loot and plunder, robberies, theft, kidnapping for ransom and extortion. The statement further said that while committing above mentioned crimes they are also writing slogans on the walls inciting sectarian hatred and intimidation that manifests their future ulterior motives. The statement cited a few glaring examples of those slogans openly chalked on the walls of the flats, houses and parks situated at Asma Gardens in Housing Scheme 33, Gulshan View Apartments, Noman Arcade and its nearby flats and parks stated: “If you wish to live in Karachi then you have to say Jeay Taliban”, “If you wish to live in Karachi then you have to live like Talibans”, “if you wish to live in Karachi then you have to live like Jihadis”, If you wish to live in Karachi then you have to say yes to Baitullah Mehsud” and with profound and deep regrets we have to cite this horrible slogans written by these religious extremists elements that says: “Khomeini Dog, Khomeini Infidel and those who do not acknowledge are also infidels”.
The Members of the Central Co-ordination Committee said that people of Karachi are extremely concerned over this dangerous and crucial situation and said that they have no conflicts with the elements belonging to different religious extremists groups. The statement further said if these elements are facing problems in their own areas then we can establish shelter and camps for their refuge in Karachi and would also provide them help and basic amenities but the people of Sindh and Karachi will never permit to illegally occupy the land of Karachi, the capital of Sindh province and destroy its peace. The statement said that they ask the peaceful people of Sindh including Karachi to remain beware, keep their eyes open and keep unity in their rank and file and make each and single person aware of the conspiracy of Talibanisation of Sindh particularly Karachi. The Members of the Central Co-ordination Committee demanded of the Government to take stern action against the elements illegally occupying lands in Karachi, committing loot and plunder, robberies, extortion and kidnapping for ransom and the extremists elements Talibanising Karachi and other contemptuous elements.

Altaf Hussain praises the steps in NWFP taken by Federal Government

Altaf Hussain praises the efforts and steps taken by the Federal Government in improving law and order situation and establishing the writ of the state in NWFP and tribal areas

MQM Founder & Leader Mr Altaf Hussain praised the efforts and steps taken by the Federal Government in improving the law and order situation and establishing the writ of the State in NWFP and tribal areas. He said that the law and order situation in Swat and tribal areas has deteriorated, which has now spread to Peshawar and its surrounding areas. As a result, the people of these areas are very concerned and feel that the Government must take concrete steps to improve law and order situation in the province of NWFP. He said that if the agreement between Government and various groups would have been honoured and the writ of the Government would not have been challenged then we would not have been facing this situation today. He said that the MQM has always believed to resolve all issues through peaceful dialogues and to avoid the use of force. However, it is evident that if the writ of the State is challenged then the State will take action to restore the writ, maintain peace and improve the law and order situation. He praised the Government for taking necessary steps to curb terrorism, maintain law and order and provide security to the life and property of its citizens. He also praised the Federal Interior Advisor Rehman Malik for his relentless efforts towards tackling terrorism and establishing peace in the region.

DHARTI

Iss Shah Latif ki dharti mein
Iss amn-o-pyar ki basti mein
Mein paida hooa iss dharti mein
Parwan charha iss basti mein
Khana bhi yaheen ka khaya hai
Pani bhi issi dharti ka piya hai
Phir mujh say door kyun rehaytey ho?
Kyon mujh ko ghair samajhtey ho?
Mein tum say alag, tum mujh say judaa
Kyon aisi sochain rakhtey ho?

Achievement of City Govt Karachi

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Geneva has granted ISO certification 9001to City Government Karachi for providing best services to its citizens. The certificate was handed to Nazim Karachi Mustafa Kamal by ISO’s Consultant in Pakistan Arshad Hashmi, on behalf of President ISO Hocken Marbi, at a ceremony held at a local hotel.
Mustafa Kamal was praised by the Supreme Court of Pakistan for his efforts to make Karachi a mega city and to carry out relief operations.





"I see bright future for Karachi because all the problems would be solved, InshAllah. Instead of providing temporary solutions that lasts for short period of time, we are concentrating on permanent ones. New development activities are commencing in the city and we are going to build up Karachi of future". Syed Mustafa Kamal City Nazim Karachi.

Operation "92" Black Day

It was sixteen years earlier on the ill-fated day of June 19, 1992 that Karachi experienced one of the worst moments in its existence. The people of Karachi became victims of a targeted semi-genocidal operation developed by various agencies which were later found to have undeniable and strong links with the Government at that time.
These were innocent people with families struggling to make a living in the feudal dominated elitist philosophy rampant across Pakistan’s social strata, the social strata that was questioned by the ideology of The Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM), a movement that was created to shake the status quo of power in Pakistan, a movement that was dedicated to the soul of Pakistan’s public and became a voice for everyone including the lower and middle income groups, the person on daily wage, the struggling housewives, the laborers, the small businessmen, the students.
MQM’s existence has forever been a threat to the power players of Pakistan who fear that if the movement’s ideology took hold in the country, it would diminish their psychological hold on the public. As MQM started to evolve, these power players strategized to break up the party; they presented the MQM’s leadership with lucrative offers in a bid to buy them out but they could not succeed, because the strength of MQM has forever been the passion and dedication of its workers and their belief in the ideology.
Failing to break up the movement, what conspired was the chaos of June 19, 1992; when these innocent people were slaughtered, their only crime was that they supported the movement.
June 19 is acknowledged as the “Black Day” in Karachi’s history, representative of the destruction that the citizens witnessed. The agencies advantageously collaborated with the Haqiqi group whose members were originally a part of MQM but were disowned due to their involvement in terrorism and other illegal activities. The Haqiqis had a score to settle with MQM and had strong financial backing. They also had the license to kill.
“Operation 92” as it’s titled was targeted to kill MQM supporters but resulted in a massacre of the citizens of Karachi. Such an operation was the first of its kind that experienced covert terrorism unchecked by the government and the police force. Premeditated activities were advised to these terrorists that included brutal rape and murder of women, torture of men, and the elderly, looting of houses, hostage, and family threats all for the sake of punishing them for their beliefs.
It has been 16 years since that episode and still the effect lingers, the victims and their families have not been able to stabilize themselves. While the political parties and their leaders demand enquiries for every incident that happens in the country no one has questioned the event of June 19, 1992 in Karachi. MQM takes up this matter every time a new government comes into power but still the questions remain unanswered, intentionally.
While the movement cannot bring back the innocence that the victims’ lives have lost, it realizes that its voice is stronger and is heard by everyone due to the people who stood up for the movement on June 19th.
MQM honors those martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the cause of MQM; our cause is the cause of every single person out there.
"Rahay haq kay Shaheedon tum ko salam"

SECRET BEHIND THE PROGRESS OF A COUNTRY

RAHIMYAR KHAN AND BAHAWALPUR DISTRICT

Training Sessions (Tarbiati Nishist): The formal sittings for discipline and training are required to acquaint the individuals associated with the movement about the Movement’s manifesto and the purpose of the movement; its philosophy and mission; the procedures required to fulfil the movements obligations, maintenance of order and discipline, the social etiquettes and decorum, how to carry the message forward, how to communicate socially, character building and every other aspect with regard to the movement and its organizational responsibilities be it principles, rules and regulations and for the fulfilment of all those essential requirements which are need for the association with the movement.