Saturday, May 30, 2009
TALIBAN'S ARMS COMING FROM AFGHANISTAN?
LAHORE: Military spokesman Maj Gen Athar Abbas has said that “many of the Taliban’s arms are coming across the border from Afghanistan ... the US should stop worrying about Pakistan’s nukes and start worrying about the weapons lost in Afghanistan”, a private TV channel reported on Friday. In an interview with a foreign news channel, the ISPR director general said the current conflict in Swat was intricately linked to the situation in Afghanistan. He said that Swat was a political problem, which could only be partially solved by military intervention. He estimated that 10 percent to 15 percent of the Taliban in the Swat valley and its adjacent areas were foreign fighters. He said Mingora could be secured in 48 hours, but it may be “much, much longer” before the area was totally pacified. He also said that there was “no plan, date or time for the launch of an offensive in South Waziristan”. daily times monitor 30-5-09
A WAR AGAINST TALIBAN OR A WAR AGAINST PASHTUNS?
Are the Pakhtuns under siege?
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Rustam Shah Mohmand
In the nineteenth century they fought the British imperialists in a long-drawn-out war of attrition. In the twentieth century they were pitted against the might of another empire, the Soviet Union. In the 21st century, in yet another unequal contest, they are confronted by and fighting against the US empire.
To make matters worse, the Pakistani Pakhtoons are also under attack by the security forces of their own country.
The Pakhtoons, perhaps never before in their history, were going through an ordeal as awesome in its magnitude as in its cruelty.
In neighbouring Afghanistan, Pakhtoon villages are being systematically demolished, their men, women and children are dying every day like cattle or, worse still, like flies. It is a Pakhtoon genocide. Their economy is in ruins, their homes broken, their families shattered, their future uncertain and their present as bleak as it can get.
In the tribal areas they are being bombed and struck every second day with missiles, as if they are all enemies.
In Karachi, the biggest Pakhtoon city, they are periodically picked up and brutally killed, with no questions asked. Politics is more sacrosanct than the lives of ordinary mortals in the Land of the Pure.
The launching of the latest operation by the government smacks of the same hypocricy, double standards and lack of foresight that has characterised our policy formulation in the last 60 years.
From the word go, it appeared that the government was in no mood to implement the act it chose to extend, most reluctantly and after inexplicable delay.
The interregnum between the signing of the agreement and the approval of the president to sign Nizam-e-Adl into law was utilised for creating a hype, for painting a dreadful scenario of the implications of implementing the act. A deliberate mindset of phobia was created. It was not, for instance, explained to the people and to the world that the government is only re-enacting a law that was adopted by the governments of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif.
When there was no countrywide criticism of the act, then why was a storm being created now?
And when the law was extended finally there was a lukewarm attitude towards putting in place an infrastructure to implement the act. That was partly deliberate and partly reflected the incompetence of the authorities.
Just as the act was extended In 1994 and in 1999 and not allowed to take practical shape, it was presumed that the act would remain a document on paper and it would be business as usual.
This approach failed then, and it didn't quite work out this time.
It was not realised that merely calling a judge a qazi does not make him competent for administration of a totally different legal system.
The uncertainty produced serious doubts in the minds of the Nizam-e-Shariat and Taliban leaders.
But Maulana Sufi Mohammad stood steadfast in his support both to the government and to the newly enacted Law.
His cooperation with the government did not, unfortunately, translate into the cessation of hostilities. The government could have persisted with having him on board. It is a failure of skilful negotiations or a deliberate effort to deny the people the fruits of the new act.
The movement of some "Taliban" numbering about 25 riding in two vehicles from Swat to Buner was perhaps the turning point in the whole tragic episode.
Whether this movement was orchestrated or whether the Taliban in their naivety took their own senseless decision would remain to be seen.
But the fear of the Taliban taking control was so vociferously projected in the wake of two vehicles being driven into Buner by a few disorganised youths that it seemed like a deliberate move to create justification for a strong government intervention.
Strangely, the implications of such a stupendous operations were overlooked. And then there was inexplicable and heavy reliance on air action--use of aircraft and gunships to bomb, rocket and shell villages which were being flattened.
Quite understandably bombs and heavy artillery as well as gunships would not differentiate between militants and innocent civilians.
In its wake it caused tremendous human displacement which the UN called, for a time span of 15 days, the largest human dislocation in the world in the last 20 years.
Hundreds of innocent civilians having been killed and hundreds of thousands having been forced to leave their homes. What a price to pay for peace!
That the whole operation was timed to coincide with the president's visit so the US adds another sinister dimensions to the government policy.
Do we establish the "writ" of the government by causing the displacement of 1.5 million peaceful citizens?
And are these the only areas where the writ was challenged? Has the government writ not disappeared in the mega-city of the country since the time Musharraf took control? And was he not complicit in surrendering the mega-city to an ethnic political outfit?
Have scores of people not been killed on ethnic grounds in that city without anyone getting penalised?
Would the government apply the same yardstick that they applied in the case of poor Swatis?
The fact that Pakhtoons are being systematically killed and their properties destroyed from Farah, Helmand and Kunar to the tribal areas and Malakand Division has raised many disturbing questions in the minds of the people.
True, Gen Kiyani has proved to be an inspiring leader with impeccable credentials. But when the dust has settled people would bear anger and acrimony against the handful of Taliban militants, as well as the government, for launching an operation which has obliterated the Pakhtoon mainland. This is not going to help in creating any conducive environment which could inspire love for the country and respect for its institutions.
Which other nation would get involved in a genocidal war for obtaining "assistance"? Indeed the whole pattern of the events would seem to fit in the overarching strategic goals of some distant imperial power. And if that is the case, watch out! Waziristan is next in line.
Pakhtoons on both sides of the divide are paying a colossal price for not being "on board" and not being conformists; and this while they don't have any leadership worth the name. Genuine leaders would stay with their people and share with them their agonies and sufferings rather than choosing to stay away in such critical times in the history of Pakhtoons. news 30-5-09
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Rustam Shah Mohmand
In the nineteenth century they fought the British imperialists in a long-drawn-out war of attrition. In the twentieth century they were pitted against the might of another empire, the Soviet Union. In the 21st century, in yet another unequal contest, they are confronted by and fighting against the US empire.
To make matters worse, the Pakistani Pakhtoons are also under attack by the security forces of their own country.
The Pakhtoons, perhaps never before in their history, were going through an ordeal as awesome in its magnitude as in its cruelty.
In neighbouring Afghanistan, Pakhtoon villages are being systematically demolished, their men, women and children are dying every day like cattle or, worse still, like flies. It is a Pakhtoon genocide. Their economy is in ruins, their homes broken, their families shattered, their future uncertain and their present as bleak as it can get.
In the tribal areas they are being bombed and struck every second day with missiles, as if they are all enemies.
In Karachi, the biggest Pakhtoon city, they are periodically picked up and brutally killed, with no questions asked. Politics is more sacrosanct than the lives of ordinary mortals in the Land of the Pure.
The launching of the latest operation by the government smacks of the same hypocricy, double standards and lack of foresight that has characterised our policy formulation in the last 60 years.
From the word go, it appeared that the government was in no mood to implement the act it chose to extend, most reluctantly and after inexplicable delay.
The interregnum between the signing of the agreement and the approval of the president to sign Nizam-e-Adl into law was utilised for creating a hype, for painting a dreadful scenario of the implications of implementing the act. A deliberate mindset of phobia was created. It was not, for instance, explained to the people and to the world that the government is only re-enacting a law that was adopted by the governments of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif.
When there was no countrywide criticism of the act, then why was a storm being created now?
And when the law was extended finally there was a lukewarm attitude towards putting in place an infrastructure to implement the act. That was partly deliberate and partly reflected the incompetence of the authorities.
Just as the act was extended In 1994 and in 1999 and not allowed to take practical shape, it was presumed that the act would remain a document on paper and it would be business as usual.
This approach failed then, and it didn't quite work out this time.
It was not realised that merely calling a judge a qazi does not make him competent for administration of a totally different legal system.
The uncertainty produced serious doubts in the minds of the Nizam-e-Shariat and Taliban leaders.
But Maulana Sufi Mohammad stood steadfast in his support both to the government and to the newly enacted Law.
His cooperation with the government did not, unfortunately, translate into the cessation of hostilities. The government could have persisted with having him on board. It is a failure of skilful negotiations or a deliberate effort to deny the people the fruits of the new act.
The movement of some "Taliban" numbering about 25 riding in two vehicles from Swat to Buner was perhaps the turning point in the whole tragic episode.
Whether this movement was orchestrated or whether the Taliban in their naivety took their own senseless decision would remain to be seen.
But the fear of the Taliban taking control was so vociferously projected in the wake of two vehicles being driven into Buner by a few disorganised youths that it seemed like a deliberate move to create justification for a strong government intervention.
Strangely, the implications of such a stupendous operations were overlooked. And then there was inexplicable and heavy reliance on air action--use of aircraft and gunships to bomb, rocket and shell villages which were being flattened.
Quite understandably bombs and heavy artillery as well as gunships would not differentiate between militants and innocent civilians.
In its wake it caused tremendous human displacement which the UN called, for a time span of 15 days, the largest human dislocation in the world in the last 20 years.
Hundreds of innocent civilians having been killed and hundreds of thousands having been forced to leave their homes. What a price to pay for peace!
That the whole operation was timed to coincide with the president's visit so the US adds another sinister dimensions to the government policy.
Do we establish the "writ" of the government by causing the displacement of 1.5 million peaceful citizens?
And are these the only areas where the writ was challenged? Has the government writ not disappeared in the mega-city of the country since the time Musharraf took control? And was he not complicit in surrendering the mega-city to an ethnic political outfit?
Have scores of people not been killed on ethnic grounds in that city without anyone getting penalised?
Would the government apply the same yardstick that they applied in the case of poor Swatis?
The fact that Pakhtoons are being systematically killed and their properties destroyed from Farah, Helmand and Kunar to the tribal areas and Malakand Division has raised many disturbing questions in the minds of the people.
True, Gen Kiyani has proved to be an inspiring leader with impeccable credentials. But when the dust has settled people would bear anger and acrimony against the handful of Taliban militants, as well as the government, for launching an operation which has obliterated the Pakhtoon mainland. This is not going to help in creating any conducive environment which could inspire love for the country and respect for its institutions.
Which other nation would get involved in a genocidal war for obtaining "assistance"? Indeed the whole pattern of the events would seem to fit in the overarching strategic goals of some distant imperial power. And if that is the case, watch out! Waziristan is next in line.
Pakhtoons on both sides of the divide are paying a colossal price for not being "on board" and not being conformists; and this while they don't have any leadership worth the name. Genuine leaders would stay with their people and share with them their agonies and sufferings rather than choosing to stay away in such critical times in the history of Pakhtoons. news 30-5-09
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
FALL-OUT OF SWAT MILITARY OPERATION
THE NEWS, May 27, 2009
Rahimullah Yusufzai
The writer is resident editor of The News in Peshawar.
The huge military operation launched in Malakand region in late April was meant to decisively defeat the Taliban militants and restore the writ of the state in Swat, Buner and Lower Dir districts. One doesn't know how long the army action will continue in view of the fact that the federal and provincial ministers and the military authorities have been giving conflicting timelines for its completion. There is also noguarantee that militancy will be defeated once and for all as a result of this unprecedented undertaking by Pakistan's armed forces within the country.
There is no doubt that the militants forced the hand of the government and the military to take action against them due to their unreasonable actions and strong-arm tactics. The militants' strength has certainly been diminished following the military operation and it will take them a while and another period of government non-performance, inaction and mistakes to recoup and regroup. Despite the government's claim that the Malakand military operation was initiated under strategic planning, there is little to suggest that it was ready for it.
Something that is far more obvious is the emergence of new problems and challenges for our already beleaguered nation. One is the issue of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) that is threatening to overshadow all other priorities of the state. The massive displacementof people caused by the military action wasn't properly foreseen by those who planned, executed and backed the operation. It is,therefore, hardly surprising that all of them are now finding it difficult to cope with the situation. This is a man-made disaster that will require divine intervention because our governments have a poor record of helping people in need. Every uprooted family has suffered so much for no fault of its own that it will be impossible to compensate it for its loss, whether it is physical or emotional.Unknowingly, or rather callously, a humanitarian crisis has been created without having the foresight to realise its magnitude and understand its consequences.
The military operation and the large-scale dislocation of hitherto well-knit rural communities have also raised valid questions about the concept of nationhood and the federation of Pakistan. Already, two province-wide strikes called by rival groups of the ultra-Sindhi nationalists Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM) have been held against the arrival of IDPs in Sindh. The JSQM and other Sindhi and Urdu-speaking nationalists may have strong reasons to oppose the influx of ethnic Pakhtuns in Sindh but the timing of their protest and the targeting of Pakhtun transport and other businesses during the strike carried a disturbing message that cannot augur well for the future of relations between the ethnic entities that make of Pakistan. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), which despite the change of its name still operates as the Mohajir Qaumi Movement, enthusiastically backed the first call for strike and withdrew its support for the second one on the request of its ruling coalition partner, the PPP. This also helps explain as to why the first strike on account of MQM's active support on May 23 was more widespread and violent with two people, including a 50-year old woman who was burnt alive, getting killed and a lot more vehicles owned by Pakhtuns being torched.
By backing the recent anti-IDPs strike, a powerful MQM-linked segment of the PPP-led Sindh government became involved in the unconstitutional act of denying entry to genuine Pakistanis, that too uprooted and suffering households coming all the way from unliveable places like Swat, Buner and Dir, into a province with a substantial Pakhtun population. No thought was given to the repercussions of such an ethnic-based approach to the problem of displaced people in NWFP,from where they came, and also in Balochistan, home to a considerable number of Pashtuns. Also, there was no appreciation of the fact that the Karachi-bound IDPs weren't going to be a burden on the Sindh government. They were heading to Karachi to live with their Pakhtun relatives and friends and seek means of livelihood in a city that is the obvious destination for most jobless and shelterless Pakistanis.
This is not to say that the PPP leadership, which we all know is dominated by the Sindhis, wasn't supportive of the move to keep the IDPs out of Sindh. President Asif Ali Zardari, who is still the PPPco-chairman, and some of his party colleagues have been for quite sometime advocating registering and controlling the IDPs coming to Karachi and the rest of Sindh. The MQM on its own could not have forced the Sindh government to take this decision. It needed sympathisers in the PPP to make the move and support the call for strike that was basically against its own government's inaction for not stopping theIDPs from entering Sindh. The ruling PPP cannot absolve itself of the blame for blocking the trucks and buses bringing the IDPs to Sindh at the border town of Kashmore and for insisting that they go back totheir native NWFP or stay in not-yet-ready tented camps there in the middle of nowhere. It was an insensitive act that added insult to injury and contributed to the pain suffered by the IDPs and felt by all Pakhtuns. More pain was inflicted on the Pakhtun psyche by certain PPP leaders, including its blundering spokesperson Fauzia Wahab, when the IDPs were equated to the Afghan refugees. If this isn't a slip of tongue, then it obviously means that many politicians and also other likeminded people from different walks of life in Punjab and Sindh have come to believe that the Afghan refugees too are primarily Pakhtuns and all of them need to be kept out of Pakistan's two biggest provinces to avoid harm.
The PML-N despite its praiseworthy relief work in support of the IDPs also damaged its growing reputation as a party sympathetic to the cause of smaller provinces by hesitating to allow setting up of IDPs camps in Punjab. Nawaz Sharif too backed the military operation in Malakand division after having pleaded earlier for a peaceful political solution of the issue of militancy and he cannot absolve his party now from the responsibility of the army action's consequences.In fact, it was the PML-N's backing for the military solution of the Swat issue that changed the course of the debate on the pros and cons of using the armed forces to solve a problem that emerged due to the unresponsive system of justice and governance and deteriorated when politicians failed to tackle it politically.
The apathy of some of the Sindh- and Punjab-based political forces to the woes of the IDPs looks all the more glaring when one compares it to the unparalleled generosity shown by the common people all over thecountry. In particular, the way the people opened their hearts and homes to the IDPs in NWFP was heart-warming to say the least. Nowhere was this magnanimity more visible than in Mardan and Swabi, the two districts that have received most of the displaced persons coming from neighbouring Swat, Buner and Dir. Villagers with little means have accommodated IDPs in their homes and hujras and those with a room or house to spare are still busy registering their names to show their willingness to take in the displaced families. Every village in Mardan and Swabi has become a camp for the IDPs. Little or no relief supplies have gone to these unknown IDPs' village camps because most of thegoods are going to the designated camps. In fact, almost 80 per cent of the IDPs are living outside the relief camps with relatives,acquaintances and even with strangers.
If ordinary Pakhtun villagers with few resources could do this on such a massive scale and lessen the burden of the government, is it asking too much from politicians who are in and out of power and are supposed to show the way to the nation to be sensitive to the plight of the IDPs instead of rubbing salt on their wounds? Or according to their interpretation the IDP issue should be a matter of concern for NWFP and the Pakhtuns only? If that is the case, then one should be worried about the damage this attitude could cause.
Rahimullah Yusufzai
The writer is resident editor of The News in Peshawar.
The huge military operation launched in Malakand region in late April was meant to decisively defeat the Taliban militants and restore the writ of the state in Swat, Buner and Lower Dir districts. One doesn't know how long the army action will continue in view of the fact that the federal and provincial ministers and the military authorities have been giving conflicting timelines for its completion. There is also noguarantee that militancy will be defeated once and for all as a result of this unprecedented undertaking by Pakistan's armed forces within the country.
There is no doubt that the militants forced the hand of the government and the military to take action against them due to their unreasonable actions and strong-arm tactics. The militants' strength has certainly been diminished following the military operation and it will take them a while and another period of government non-performance, inaction and mistakes to recoup and regroup. Despite the government's claim that the Malakand military operation was initiated under strategic planning, there is little to suggest that it was ready for it.
Something that is far more obvious is the emergence of new problems and challenges for our already beleaguered nation. One is the issue of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) that is threatening to overshadow all other priorities of the state. The massive displacementof people caused by the military action wasn't properly foreseen by those who planned, executed and backed the operation. It is,therefore, hardly surprising that all of them are now finding it difficult to cope with the situation. This is a man-made disaster that will require divine intervention because our governments have a poor record of helping people in need. Every uprooted family has suffered so much for no fault of its own that it will be impossible to compensate it for its loss, whether it is physical or emotional.Unknowingly, or rather callously, a humanitarian crisis has been created without having the foresight to realise its magnitude and understand its consequences.
The military operation and the large-scale dislocation of hitherto well-knit rural communities have also raised valid questions about the concept of nationhood and the federation of Pakistan. Already, two province-wide strikes called by rival groups of the ultra-Sindhi nationalists Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM) have been held against the arrival of IDPs in Sindh. The JSQM and other Sindhi and Urdu-speaking nationalists may have strong reasons to oppose the influx of ethnic Pakhtuns in Sindh but the timing of their protest and the targeting of Pakhtun transport and other businesses during the strike carried a disturbing message that cannot augur well for the future of relations between the ethnic entities that make of Pakistan. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), which despite the change of its name still operates as the Mohajir Qaumi Movement, enthusiastically backed the first call for strike and withdrew its support for the second one on the request of its ruling coalition partner, the PPP. This also helps explain as to why the first strike on account of MQM's active support on May 23 was more widespread and violent with two people, including a 50-year old woman who was burnt alive, getting killed and a lot more vehicles owned by Pakhtuns being torched.
By backing the recent anti-IDPs strike, a powerful MQM-linked segment of the PPP-led Sindh government became involved in the unconstitutional act of denying entry to genuine Pakistanis, that too uprooted and suffering households coming all the way from unliveable places like Swat, Buner and Dir, into a province with a substantial Pakhtun population. No thought was given to the repercussions of such an ethnic-based approach to the problem of displaced people in NWFP,from where they came, and also in Balochistan, home to a considerable number of Pashtuns. Also, there was no appreciation of the fact that the Karachi-bound IDPs weren't going to be a burden on the Sindh government. They were heading to Karachi to live with their Pakhtun relatives and friends and seek means of livelihood in a city that is the obvious destination for most jobless and shelterless Pakistanis.
This is not to say that the PPP leadership, which we all know is dominated by the Sindhis, wasn't supportive of the move to keep the IDPs out of Sindh. President Asif Ali Zardari, who is still the PPPco-chairman, and some of his party colleagues have been for quite sometime advocating registering and controlling the IDPs coming to Karachi and the rest of Sindh. The MQM on its own could not have forced the Sindh government to take this decision. It needed sympathisers in the PPP to make the move and support the call for strike that was basically against its own government's inaction for not stopping theIDPs from entering Sindh. The ruling PPP cannot absolve itself of the blame for blocking the trucks and buses bringing the IDPs to Sindh at the border town of Kashmore and for insisting that they go back totheir native NWFP or stay in not-yet-ready tented camps there in the middle of nowhere. It was an insensitive act that added insult to injury and contributed to the pain suffered by the IDPs and felt by all Pakhtuns. More pain was inflicted on the Pakhtun psyche by certain PPP leaders, including its blundering spokesperson Fauzia Wahab, when the IDPs were equated to the Afghan refugees. If this isn't a slip of tongue, then it obviously means that many politicians and also other likeminded people from different walks of life in Punjab and Sindh have come to believe that the Afghan refugees too are primarily Pakhtuns and all of them need to be kept out of Pakistan's two biggest provinces to avoid harm.
The PML-N despite its praiseworthy relief work in support of the IDPs also damaged its growing reputation as a party sympathetic to the cause of smaller provinces by hesitating to allow setting up of IDPs camps in Punjab. Nawaz Sharif too backed the military operation in Malakand division after having pleaded earlier for a peaceful political solution of the issue of militancy and he cannot absolve his party now from the responsibility of the army action's consequences.In fact, it was the PML-N's backing for the military solution of the Swat issue that changed the course of the debate on the pros and cons of using the armed forces to solve a problem that emerged due to the unresponsive system of justice and governance and deteriorated when politicians failed to tackle it politically.
The apathy of some of the Sindh- and Punjab-based political forces to the woes of the IDPs looks all the more glaring when one compares it to the unparalleled generosity shown by the common people all over thecountry. In particular, the way the people opened their hearts and homes to the IDPs in NWFP was heart-warming to say the least. Nowhere was this magnanimity more visible than in Mardan and Swabi, the two districts that have received most of the displaced persons coming from neighbouring Swat, Buner and Dir. Villagers with little means have accommodated IDPs in their homes and hujras and those with a room or house to spare are still busy registering their names to show their willingness to take in the displaced families. Every village in Mardan and Swabi has become a camp for the IDPs. Little or no relief supplies have gone to these unknown IDPs' village camps because most of thegoods are going to the designated camps. In fact, almost 80 per cent of the IDPs are living outside the relief camps with relatives,acquaintances and even with strangers.
If ordinary Pakhtun villagers with few resources could do this on such a massive scale and lessen the burden of the government, is it asking too much from politicians who are in and out of power and are supposed to show the way to the nation to be sensitive to the plight of the IDPs instead of rubbing salt on their wounds? Or according to their interpretation the IDP issue should be a matter of concern for NWFP and the Pakhtuns only? If that is the case, then one should be worried about the damage this attitude could cause.
CASH REWARD FOR ARREST OF TALIBAN LEADERS
Thursday, May 28, 2009
PESHAWAR: North West Frontier Province (NWFP) government has announced late on Wednesday the cash reward over information leading to the arrest of the 21 leaders of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Geo news reported.
According to NWFP information Minister Mian Iftikhar, Rs. 4 million will be awarded over the help arrest of TTP leader Molvi Fazlullah, Rs. 4 million over arrest of Haji Muslim Khan, Rs. 5 million over arrest of Naib Ameer TTP Shah Doran, Rs. 3 million over commander Qari Mushtaq Gali, Rs. 3 million over arrest of commander Koza Bandah Mehmood Khan, Rs. 2 million over arrest of commander Kabal Akber Hussain, Rs. 1 million over commander Charbagh Sher Muhammad Kasab, Rs. 3 million over commander Malam Jabba Sirajuddin, Rs. 3 million over Matta Bakht Farzandi, Rs. 1 million over local commander Koza Bandah Mian Fazal Gahfoor, Rs. 1 million over Matta Nisar Ahmed, Rs. 1 million over Baraymian Torobanda Lal Deen and others.
The advertisements, of the following cash reward from NWFP government over the information helpful for the arrest of 21 TTP leaders, have been published in all newspapers.
The ads stated that the names of the persons, providing information in this respect, will be kept secret while some telephone numbers, in this wake, have also been published in advertisements, sources confirmed. news 28-5-09
PESHAWAR: North West Frontier Province (NWFP) government has announced late on Wednesday the cash reward over information leading to the arrest of the 21 leaders of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Geo news reported.
According to NWFP information Minister Mian Iftikhar, Rs. 4 million will be awarded over the help arrest of TTP leader Molvi Fazlullah, Rs. 4 million over arrest of Haji Muslim Khan, Rs. 5 million over arrest of Naib Ameer TTP Shah Doran, Rs. 3 million over commander Qari Mushtaq Gali, Rs. 3 million over arrest of commander Koza Bandah Mehmood Khan, Rs. 2 million over arrest of commander Kabal Akber Hussain, Rs. 1 million over commander Charbagh Sher Muhammad Kasab, Rs. 3 million over commander Malam Jabba Sirajuddin, Rs. 3 million over Matta Bakht Farzandi, Rs. 1 million over local commander Koza Bandah Mian Fazal Gahfoor, Rs. 1 million over Matta Nisar Ahmed, Rs. 1 million over Baraymian Torobanda Lal Deen and others.
The advertisements, of the following cash reward from NWFP government over the information helpful for the arrest of 21 TTP leaders, have been published in all newspapers.
The ads stated that the names of the persons, providing information in this respect, will be kept secret while some telephone numbers, in this wake, have also been published in advertisements, sources confirmed. news 28-5-09
Sunday, May 24, 2009
PAK TALIBAN COMMANDERS
No evidence yet about death of leading militant figures
By Rahimullah Yusufzai
PESHAWAR: Intelligence gathered during the period when Maulana Sufi Mohammad-brokered peace deal was in force in Swat is helping security forces to target militants’ hideouts in the valley.
However, it isn’t clear due to the absence of media persons in Swat if the artillery shelling or air strikes are hitting the right targets. The military authorities have been claiming that they were right on target and were systematically destroying the militants’ positions through precision attacks by jet-fighters, gunship helicopters and artillery guns.
An officer of the country’s premier intelligence agency said he and his colleagues had travelled widely in Swat after the peace deal between Maulana Sufi Mohammad and the NWFP government in February 2009 and collected information that was proving useful. He said peacetime was best to do intelligence work.
The intelligence agencies have faced criticism from politicians, the media and members of the civil society for failing to locate and pin down the important Taliban commanders in Swat and the rest of the Malakand Division. Earlier, the spy agencies were criticised for being unable to provide timely information about the whereabouts of the Taliban and al-Qaeda figures and pinpoint their hideouts and arms depots in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata). In their defence, officials of the intelligence agencies point out that most of their work has remained hidden from the public due to obvious reasons.
Taliban and independent sources have yet to confirm the death of any top Taliban commander in the military action in Swat, Buner and Lower Dir. In Buner, a claim was made by the military authorities about the death of Taliban commanders Afsar Hameed and Maulana Khalil. Taliban denied the claim and both the commanders later spoke to reporters by phone to announce that they were alive.
In Lower Dir, it was claimed that the head of the Taliban named Maulana Shahid had been killed in military action. Though Taliban have failed to produce him before the media despite promises, many people in Maidan area say that Maulana Shahid has been making speeches on his FM radio. It could be someone else faking as Maulana Shahid.
Maulana Fazlullah, the head of Swat chapter of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), his Deputy Maulana Shah Dauran, Spokesman Muslim Khan and other important aides including Sirajuddin, Mufti Bashir, Maulana Khalil, also known as Mohammad Alam alias Binoray Mulla, were stated to be alive. Not much is known about the fate of leading Taliban commanders in Swat such as Ibne Amin, Akbar Hussain, Ghazni, Said Rahman alias Fateh though the militants are insisting that none of them has been harmed in the military action.
Most Taliban leaders have reportedly shifted out of Swat. Some reports suggested they could be in Lower Dir district or Bajaur Agency. Muslim Khan is occasionally accessible to reporters and he even managed to give interviews on his new mobile phone.
Certain official sources are confident that both Ibne Amin and his brother Ibne Aqeel, hailing from Matta Tehsil, have been killed in two separate incidents. The military authorities had made a public claim about Ibne Aqeel’s death in a failed Taliban assault on the Matta police station. Taliban denied the claim. Though the death of Ibne Amin, probably the most ruthless Taliban commander in Swat, wasn’t publicly claimed by the government, sources in the intelligence agencies said he died along with his wife and children when his house in the Namal valley was hit by an air strike. There has been no independent confirmation of this piece of information. If true, Ibne Amin’s death would be a major setback for the Swat Taliban.
Another disputed claim concerned the death of a Taliban commander Abu Tariq, also in the Matta area. This was an unfamiliar name for journalists covering Swat militancy. It later turned out that Taliban Spokesman, Muslim Khan, was sometimes referred to as Abu Tariq. He himself confirmed to reporters that he was Abu Tariq and was alive.
The name of Rashid Lala, a Taliban commander for Mingora city, was also mentioned among those killed in the military operation. But sources with good information about the situation in Mingora insisted that he was alive and ready to fight should security forces enter Mingora. Two other junior Taliban commanders in Mingora named Osama and Farooq were also stated to be alive. However, the sources maintained that not more than 50 Taliban fighters were left in Mingora as the rest had escaped. They felt these Taliban would not be able to put much resistance when security forces would storm the city. There were reports that the troops had laid siege to Mingora from four sides, reaching Rahimabad from Qambar side, Naway Killay from Kanju area, the People’s Chowk from Fizzaghat side, and Mingora police station from the Saidu Sharif town. Taliban fighters were reportedly massed at the Green Chowk and certain other strategic places in the city.
Another report said the Taliban fighters were massing outside Mingora in the Kabal Tehsil in places like Shah Dherai, Akhund Dheray, etc and, in lesser numbers in Charbagh. Correct and up-to-date intelligence information would be crucial in locating and targeting the Taliban commanders and fighters in Swat. Any failure on the part of the sleuths would prolong the military operation and, in the process, extend the agony of the displaced people. NEWS 25-5-09
By Rahimullah Yusufzai
PESHAWAR: Intelligence gathered during the period when Maulana Sufi Mohammad-brokered peace deal was in force in Swat is helping security forces to target militants’ hideouts in the valley.
However, it isn’t clear due to the absence of media persons in Swat if the artillery shelling or air strikes are hitting the right targets. The military authorities have been claiming that they were right on target and were systematically destroying the militants’ positions through precision attacks by jet-fighters, gunship helicopters and artillery guns.
An officer of the country’s premier intelligence agency said he and his colleagues had travelled widely in Swat after the peace deal between Maulana Sufi Mohammad and the NWFP government in February 2009 and collected information that was proving useful. He said peacetime was best to do intelligence work.
The intelligence agencies have faced criticism from politicians, the media and members of the civil society for failing to locate and pin down the important Taliban commanders in Swat and the rest of the Malakand Division. Earlier, the spy agencies were criticised for being unable to provide timely information about the whereabouts of the Taliban and al-Qaeda figures and pinpoint their hideouts and arms depots in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata). In their defence, officials of the intelligence agencies point out that most of their work has remained hidden from the public due to obvious reasons.
Taliban and independent sources have yet to confirm the death of any top Taliban commander in the military action in Swat, Buner and Lower Dir. In Buner, a claim was made by the military authorities about the death of Taliban commanders Afsar Hameed and Maulana Khalil. Taliban denied the claim and both the commanders later spoke to reporters by phone to announce that they were alive.
In Lower Dir, it was claimed that the head of the Taliban named Maulana Shahid had been killed in military action. Though Taliban have failed to produce him before the media despite promises, many people in Maidan area say that Maulana Shahid has been making speeches on his FM radio. It could be someone else faking as Maulana Shahid.
Maulana Fazlullah, the head of Swat chapter of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), his Deputy Maulana Shah Dauran, Spokesman Muslim Khan and other important aides including Sirajuddin, Mufti Bashir, Maulana Khalil, also known as Mohammad Alam alias Binoray Mulla, were stated to be alive. Not much is known about the fate of leading Taliban commanders in Swat such as Ibne Amin, Akbar Hussain, Ghazni, Said Rahman alias Fateh though the militants are insisting that none of them has been harmed in the military action.
Most Taliban leaders have reportedly shifted out of Swat. Some reports suggested they could be in Lower Dir district or Bajaur Agency. Muslim Khan is occasionally accessible to reporters and he even managed to give interviews on his new mobile phone.
Certain official sources are confident that both Ibne Amin and his brother Ibne Aqeel, hailing from Matta Tehsil, have been killed in two separate incidents. The military authorities had made a public claim about Ibne Aqeel’s death in a failed Taliban assault on the Matta police station. Taliban denied the claim. Though the death of Ibne Amin, probably the most ruthless Taliban commander in Swat, wasn’t publicly claimed by the government, sources in the intelligence agencies said he died along with his wife and children when his house in the Namal valley was hit by an air strike. There has been no independent confirmation of this piece of information. If true, Ibne Amin’s death would be a major setback for the Swat Taliban.
Another disputed claim concerned the death of a Taliban commander Abu Tariq, also in the Matta area. This was an unfamiliar name for journalists covering Swat militancy. It later turned out that Taliban Spokesman, Muslim Khan, was sometimes referred to as Abu Tariq. He himself confirmed to reporters that he was Abu Tariq and was alive.
The name of Rashid Lala, a Taliban commander for Mingora city, was also mentioned among those killed in the military operation. But sources with good information about the situation in Mingora insisted that he was alive and ready to fight should security forces enter Mingora. Two other junior Taliban commanders in Mingora named Osama and Farooq were also stated to be alive. However, the sources maintained that not more than 50 Taliban fighters were left in Mingora as the rest had escaped. They felt these Taliban would not be able to put much resistance when security forces would storm the city. There were reports that the troops had laid siege to Mingora from four sides, reaching Rahimabad from Qambar side, Naway Killay from Kanju area, the People’s Chowk from Fizzaghat side, and Mingora police station from the Saidu Sharif town. Taliban fighters were reportedly massed at the Green Chowk and certain other strategic places in the city.
Another report said the Taliban fighters were massing outside Mingora in the Kabal Tehsil in places like Shah Dherai, Akhund Dheray, etc and, in lesser numbers in Charbagh. Correct and up-to-date intelligence information would be crucial in locating and targeting the Taliban commanders and fighters in Swat. Any failure on the part of the sleuths would prolong the military operation and, in the process, extend the agony of the displaced people. NEWS 25-5-09
Monday, May 18, 2009
DEADLY DRONE ATTACK S IN NORTH WAZIRISTAN
40 militants die in NWA drone strikes
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Senior Taliban commanders among those killed in deadliest US attacks so far
By Mushtaq Yusufzai, Mumtaz Khan & Haji Mujtaba
PESHAWAR/MIRAMSHAH: Forty people, most of them militants, were killed and several others critically injured in two successive attacks by US spy planes at Khaisur village of Mirali subdivision of North Waziristan Agency on Saturday morning.
“It is the biggest-ever loss for the Mujahideen in the tribal areas so far,” militant sources claimed.
Tribal sources said two US spy planes were seen flying over Khaisur village, 20 kilometres south of the Mirali subdivision, the second major town of militancy-wrecked North Waziristan tribal region.
The drones fired two missiles at a double-cabin pick-up parked close to a mud-house allegedly used as a hideout by the Taliban militants.
According to sources, the militants had just sat in the vehicle and were due to travel to some undisclosed location when they came under attack around 8:00 am.
Soon after the attack, other militants staying at the building arrived and started rescue work. “They were recovering bodies of the slain militants when the drone fired two more missiles, almost 12 minutes after the first attack. It was terrible as almost all the Taliban involved in rescue work were targeted,” stated a local militant commander based in Mirali.
Pleading anonymity, he said majority of the militants killed in the attack were local tribal militants, and their bodies were badly burnt and split into pieces.
“We lost very trained and sincere friends. Some of them were very senior Taliban commanders and had taken part in successful actions in Afghanistan. Bodies of most of them were beyond recognition,” the militant commander said in a choked voice.
He vowed they would take revenge on the American forces in Afghanistan for the killing of the Taliban.
“The Pakistan government has failed to protect us against the US aggression and, therefore, we will soon teach a lesson to the US troops in Afghanistan,” the enraged militant commander maintained.
He said the militants had made all arrangements for their trip to Afghanistan and fight against the US-led forces there. The militant commander said a few of the victims were Arab fighters.
He denied reports that senior al-Qaeda operatives were among the victims of the drone attacks. “It’s the biggest-ever loss of Mujahideen in any drone attack so far,” he claimed.
The militant commander admitted that US spies had entered their movement and that’s why the Taliban were now suffering heavy losses in drone attacks in North and South Waziristan tribal regions.
“There is no question for strange people to enter our centres. It is impossible without the involvement of people having close liaison with the Taliban,” said the Taliban commander.
Tribal sources in Mirali said the Taliban fighters cordoned off the venue after the first attack and did not allow the villagers to see what had happened to them. However, after the second attack, nobody was there in Khaisur village to retrieve the bodies of the slain militants. Even villagers were reluctant to go there and take part in rescue work.
It was later when the drones disappeared, the militants started arriving from the adjoining villages in pick-ups and cars in large numbers at the spot.
The villagers said some of the militants could not control their emotions and cried over the loss of senior fighters.
A government official in Mirali confirmed the drone attack in Khaisur village but said he did not know about the exact losses of the militants.
“Taliban always cordon off an area and don’t allow even local tribesmen to visit the targeted building,” the official said and declined to be named.
It is pertinent to mention here that Taliban in the tribal areas, particularly North and South Waziristan tribal regions where they are in full control, had killed dozens of people on charges of spying on the militants for the US forces in Afghanistan.
They usually behead the alleged US spies and then place their bodies at busy squares or roadside. However, they never punished their own people on charges of spying for the US forces.
It is astonishing that despite a full-scale military operation launched by Pakistan against the Taliban in the Malakand region, the US forces are yet to stop targeting the tribal areas while the drone strikes have been fuelling anger among the people against the Pakistan government and the armed forces.
AFP adds: Other intelligence officials put the death toll as high as 28, saying the dead were mostly local militants from a local Wazir tribe who had been preparing to leave for neighbouring Afghanistan to carry out attacks. NEWS MAY 18,2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Senior Taliban commanders among those killed in deadliest US attacks so far
By Mushtaq Yusufzai, Mumtaz Khan & Haji Mujtaba
PESHAWAR/MIRAMSHAH: Forty people, most of them militants, were killed and several others critically injured in two successive attacks by US spy planes at Khaisur village of Mirali subdivision of North Waziristan Agency on Saturday morning.
“It is the biggest-ever loss for the Mujahideen in the tribal areas so far,” militant sources claimed.
Tribal sources said two US spy planes were seen flying over Khaisur village, 20 kilometres south of the Mirali subdivision, the second major town of militancy-wrecked North Waziristan tribal region.
The drones fired two missiles at a double-cabin pick-up parked close to a mud-house allegedly used as a hideout by the Taliban militants.
According to sources, the militants had just sat in the vehicle and were due to travel to some undisclosed location when they came under attack around 8:00 am.
Soon after the attack, other militants staying at the building arrived and started rescue work. “They were recovering bodies of the slain militants when the drone fired two more missiles, almost 12 minutes after the first attack. It was terrible as almost all the Taliban involved in rescue work were targeted,” stated a local militant commander based in Mirali.
Pleading anonymity, he said majority of the militants killed in the attack were local tribal militants, and their bodies were badly burnt and split into pieces.
“We lost very trained and sincere friends. Some of them were very senior Taliban commanders and had taken part in successful actions in Afghanistan. Bodies of most of them were beyond recognition,” the militant commander said in a choked voice.
He vowed they would take revenge on the American forces in Afghanistan for the killing of the Taliban.
“The Pakistan government has failed to protect us against the US aggression and, therefore, we will soon teach a lesson to the US troops in Afghanistan,” the enraged militant commander maintained.
He said the militants had made all arrangements for their trip to Afghanistan and fight against the US-led forces there. The militant commander said a few of the victims were Arab fighters.
He denied reports that senior al-Qaeda operatives were among the victims of the drone attacks. “It’s the biggest-ever loss of Mujahideen in any drone attack so far,” he claimed.
The militant commander admitted that US spies had entered their movement and that’s why the Taliban were now suffering heavy losses in drone attacks in North and South Waziristan tribal regions.
“There is no question for strange people to enter our centres. It is impossible without the involvement of people having close liaison with the Taliban,” said the Taliban commander.
Tribal sources in Mirali said the Taliban fighters cordoned off the venue after the first attack and did not allow the villagers to see what had happened to them. However, after the second attack, nobody was there in Khaisur village to retrieve the bodies of the slain militants. Even villagers were reluctant to go there and take part in rescue work.
It was later when the drones disappeared, the militants started arriving from the adjoining villages in pick-ups and cars in large numbers at the spot.
The villagers said some of the militants could not control their emotions and cried over the loss of senior fighters.
A government official in Mirali confirmed the drone attack in Khaisur village but said he did not know about the exact losses of the militants.
“Taliban always cordon off an area and don’t allow even local tribesmen to visit the targeted building,” the official said and declined to be named.
It is pertinent to mention here that Taliban in the tribal areas, particularly North and South Waziristan tribal regions where they are in full control, had killed dozens of people on charges of spying on the militants for the US forces in Afghanistan.
They usually behead the alleged US spies and then place their bodies at busy squares or roadside. However, they never punished their own people on charges of spying for the US forces.
It is astonishing that despite a full-scale military operation launched by Pakistan against the Taliban in the Malakand region, the US forces are yet to stop targeting the tribal areas while the drone strikes have been fuelling anger among the people against the Pakistan government and the armed forces.
AFP adds: Other intelligence officials put the death toll as high as 28, saying the dead were mostly local militants from a local Wazir tribe who had been preparing to leave for neighbouring Afghanistan to carry out attacks. NEWS MAY 18,2009
THIS IS RADIO TALIBAN
By Fawad Ali Shah
KARACHI: “Da paka army na ganda army da, da kafiran di dwee na sirf sar na di prekawol pakar balkai da dwee tukri tukri kol pakar di,” (They are not the Pak army, they are infidels, not only behead them but also chop their bodies up into little pieces), this is what Zuleikha, 52, heard on Fazlullah FM, after the military operation was launched in Swat; it was Maulana Shah Duran, a close-aide of Maulana Fazlullah, who delivered the speech.
“They call the police and army infidels and have given permission to everyone to kill them,” says Zuleikha, who hails from the Khwazakhela Town of the Swat Valley. She migrated to Karachi a few days ago, as the law and order situation in the valley deteriorates. She is currently living with her daughter, who has been living in Qasbah Colony, Karachi for the last ten years.
Zuleikha reveals that Maulana Shah Duran, who was one of the three speakers on Fazlullah FM, would use abusive language when talking about government officials. The FM radio would broadcast programmes from 8:00 to 10:00 pm and rebroadcast them from seven to nine in the morning. The programme schedule was divided into three segments; the recitation of Holy Quran verses and their inferences, threats to opponents and a programme titled ‘Good News’.
Many violent incidents started after Maulana Fazlullah established a FM radio station in Swat; he first used the station for the purpose of reciting and preaching Quranic verses, but later on, he and his accomplices used it to spread propaganda. This radio station was very popular among women, who traditionally stay at home in the Malakand division. On it, they could learn the Quran and the principles of Islam.
“When I heard it for the first time, I found it very informative,” the elderly woman, playing with her granddaughter’s locks said. The station would teach us Islamic rituals and other things, she added, however, she laments that later on, Maluana Fazlullah and Shah Durran started using abusive languages on the station. “Women would follow all the instructions he gave in the beginning and listened very carefully to the radio, however, it lost it’s attraction for them as soon as Durran started dictating what to do and what not to do,” Zuleikha went on to say. “Even after the peace agreement was signed they continued dictating people.”
Though the women lost interest in the Fazlullah FM and would only listen to the recitation and explanation of versus of the Holy Quran, the children had their own reasons to listen to the station. “I loved the way he used to talk about the policemen,” said Alamzaib, 9, who is presently living in Banaras at his uncle’s home. “Maulana Shah Alam would call them chickens,” he narrates the story with fun. “I would listen to the second part of their programme, which was usually hosted by one of the accomplices of Maulana Fazlullah.”
With a smile on his face, the child revealed that Taliban would issue instructions and would name the policemen who would be killed the next day. However, he adds that he abhors the Taliban, as one of their accomplices had slapped him while he was playing ‘gulli danda’ with his friend.
“Learn how to play with guns,” the Taliban man advised him. He maintained that Shah Duran also did not like games and called them, ‘a waste of time’.
Zainab, 24, has her own story of the Taliban and their radio to tell. “I listened to it because it was so funny; Shah Duran who has been the leading presenter on FM, in the recent days, would use abusive funny language.” However, Zainab says Maulana Fazlullah does not appear on the radio anymore.
The men of Swat were not interested in the religious sermons and would listen to the radio in the days of war to learn the new directives of Taliban, as going against them would cost them their lives.
“They would abuse clean-shaven people in public and called them transgenders,” said Jamal Khan, who hails from Kabal Town and has migrated to Karachi in the wake of the ongoing military operation.DAILY TIMES MAY 18,2009
KARACHI: “Da paka army na ganda army da, da kafiran di dwee na sirf sar na di prekawol pakar balkai da dwee tukri tukri kol pakar di,” (They are not the Pak army, they are infidels, not only behead them but also chop their bodies up into little pieces), this is what Zuleikha, 52, heard on Fazlullah FM, after the military operation was launched in Swat; it was Maulana Shah Duran, a close-aide of Maulana Fazlullah, who delivered the speech.
“They call the police and army infidels and have given permission to everyone to kill them,” says Zuleikha, who hails from the Khwazakhela Town of the Swat Valley. She migrated to Karachi a few days ago, as the law and order situation in the valley deteriorates. She is currently living with her daughter, who has been living in Qasbah Colony, Karachi for the last ten years.
Zuleikha reveals that Maulana Shah Duran, who was one of the three speakers on Fazlullah FM, would use abusive language when talking about government officials. The FM radio would broadcast programmes from 8:00 to 10:00 pm and rebroadcast them from seven to nine in the morning. The programme schedule was divided into three segments; the recitation of Holy Quran verses and their inferences, threats to opponents and a programme titled ‘Good News’.
Many violent incidents started after Maulana Fazlullah established a FM radio station in Swat; he first used the station for the purpose of reciting and preaching Quranic verses, but later on, he and his accomplices used it to spread propaganda. This radio station was very popular among women, who traditionally stay at home in the Malakand division. On it, they could learn the Quran and the principles of Islam.
“When I heard it for the first time, I found it very informative,” the elderly woman, playing with her granddaughter’s locks said. The station would teach us Islamic rituals and other things, she added, however, she laments that later on, Maluana Fazlullah and Shah Durran started using abusive languages on the station. “Women would follow all the instructions he gave in the beginning and listened very carefully to the radio, however, it lost it’s attraction for them as soon as Durran started dictating what to do and what not to do,” Zuleikha went on to say. “Even after the peace agreement was signed they continued dictating people.”
Though the women lost interest in the Fazlullah FM and would only listen to the recitation and explanation of versus of the Holy Quran, the children had their own reasons to listen to the station. “I loved the way he used to talk about the policemen,” said Alamzaib, 9, who is presently living in Banaras at his uncle’s home. “Maulana Shah Alam would call them chickens,” he narrates the story with fun. “I would listen to the second part of their programme, which was usually hosted by one of the accomplices of Maulana Fazlullah.”
With a smile on his face, the child revealed that Taliban would issue instructions and would name the policemen who would be killed the next day. However, he adds that he abhors the Taliban, as one of their accomplices had slapped him while he was playing ‘gulli danda’ with his friend.
“Learn how to play with guns,” the Taliban man advised him. He maintained that Shah Duran also did not like games and called them, ‘a waste of time’.
Zainab, 24, has her own story of the Taliban and their radio to tell. “I listened to it because it was so funny; Shah Duran who has been the leading presenter on FM, in the recent days, would use abusive funny language.” However, Zainab says Maulana Fazlullah does not appear on the radio anymore.
The men of Swat were not interested in the religious sermons and would listen to the radio in the days of war to learn the new directives of Taliban, as going against them would cost them their lives.
“They would abuse clean-shaven people in public and called them transgenders,” said Jamal Khan, who hails from Kabal Town and has migrated to Karachi in the wake of the ongoing military operation.DAILY TIMES MAY 18,2009
SOME ULEMA BACK ARMY OPERATIONS AGAINST TNSM
Ulema say suicide attacks are un-Islamic
By Syed Irfan Raza
Monday, 18 May, 2009
ISLAMABAD, May 17: Leading Ulema of the country declared on Sunday that suicide attacks and beheading of people were ‘un-Islamic’ acts and said that militants in Swat and Fata were pursuing the agenda of Pakistan’s enemies.
The edict was issued at a convention of Ulema and Mashaikh from different parts of the country. This is the first time that prominent Ulema and religious scholars, mostly belonging to the Sunni school of thought, have denounced the Taliban and their inhuman acts in such a categorical manner.
A unanimous resolution adopted at the convention said: “The assassination of Ulema should be stopped and sacred places, including shrines, should be cleared of extremists. Suicide attacks and beheading is Haram”.
The convention also condemned the killing of innocent people in the US drone attacks and urged the government to raise the issue at the United Nations.
The Ulema said the US drone strikes were challenging the country’s sovereignty. “The government must take effective measures to force the US to halt these strikes.”
They supported the military operation in Swat and other parts of Malakand and declared it a ‘war for Pakistan’s integrity and sovereignty’. The elements engaged in creating a state within the state must be crushed, they added.
The convention also adopted a resolution backing the all-parties conference convened by the prime minister.
Maulana Sahibzada Fazal Karim, a leader of Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan, said in his address that those trying to harm the integrity of Pakistan should be severely dealt with.
He and other Ulema stressed the need for forging unity against militancy.
Some of them expressed readiness to form their own Lashkar against the Taliban if security forces needed their help to eradicate terrorists from the troubled areas.
“We played our role during the independence movement and we will protect the country and foil every design of the enemy,” Sahibzada Karim said, adding that the operation in Swat was the need of the hour because some sections of society were forcing people to accept their brand of Islam. “These elements kill those who opposed them,” he said.
The JUP leader also vowed to enforce Sharia in the country. He said a number of agencies were working against the integrity of Pakistan and were trying to destabilise its economy. “These agencies were pouring millions of dollars and large quantities of weapons into areas along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border,” he said.
Ruet-i-Hilal Committee chairman Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman criticised the establishment for patronising the militants for almost three decades. “We are now harvesting the crop we sowed three decades ago.”
He said the practice to surrender before the gun should end and called for a decisive offensive against the militants.
Mufti Muneeb said those who were fighting in the name of Sharia must first abide by Islamic laws.
He said the Taliban were even slaughtering children. “This is contrary to the teachings of Islam which calls for protecting people who are not involved in battle,” he said.
“If the Taliban have any respect for Islamic values, they should give up bloodshed because it was harming national integrity,” the Mufti said.
The Ulema also called on the Organisation of Islamic Conference to come forward to help the displaced people of Swat and other parts of Malakand.
Dr Sarfaraz Naeemi called upon Ulema to forge unity in their ranks against the conspiracies of the Taliban, Sufi Mohammad and enemies of the country. He urged the government to reject the US agenda of controlling Madaris. Sarwat Ejaz Qadri said the Taliban had tarnished the image of Islam across the world. “All Muslims should stand up against them.”
Haji Hanif Tayyab said security forces were fighting the militants to save the country. He called for trying Sufi Mohammad for mutiny.DAWN 18-5-09
By Syed Irfan Raza
Monday, 18 May, 2009
ISLAMABAD, May 17: Leading Ulema of the country declared on Sunday that suicide attacks and beheading of people were ‘un-Islamic’ acts and said that militants in Swat and Fata were pursuing the agenda of Pakistan’s enemies.
The edict was issued at a convention of Ulema and Mashaikh from different parts of the country. This is the first time that prominent Ulema and religious scholars, mostly belonging to the Sunni school of thought, have denounced the Taliban and their inhuman acts in such a categorical manner.
A unanimous resolution adopted at the convention said: “The assassination of Ulema should be stopped and sacred places, including shrines, should be cleared of extremists. Suicide attacks and beheading is Haram”.
The convention also condemned the killing of innocent people in the US drone attacks and urged the government to raise the issue at the United Nations.
The Ulema said the US drone strikes were challenging the country’s sovereignty. “The government must take effective measures to force the US to halt these strikes.”
They supported the military operation in Swat and other parts of Malakand and declared it a ‘war for Pakistan’s integrity and sovereignty’. The elements engaged in creating a state within the state must be crushed, they added.
The convention also adopted a resolution backing the all-parties conference convened by the prime minister.
Maulana Sahibzada Fazal Karim, a leader of Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan, said in his address that those trying to harm the integrity of Pakistan should be severely dealt with.
He and other Ulema stressed the need for forging unity against militancy.
Some of them expressed readiness to form their own Lashkar against the Taliban if security forces needed their help to eradicate terrorists from the troubled areas.
“We played our role during the independence movement and we will protect the country and foil every design of the enemy,” Sahibzada Karim said, adding that the operation in Swat was the need of the hour because some sections of society were forcing people to accept their brand of Islam. “These elements kill those who opposed them,” he said.
The JUP leader also vowed to enforce Sharia in the country. He said a number of agencies were working against the integrity of Pakistan and were trying to destabilise its economy. “These agencies were pouring millions of dollars and large quantities of weapons into areas along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border,” he said.
Ruet-i-Hilal Committee chairman Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman criticised the establishment for patronising the militants for almost three decades. “We are now harvesting the crop we sowed three decades ago.”
He said the practice to surrender before the gun should end and called for a decisive offensive against the militants.
Mufti Muneeb said those who were fighting in the name of Sharia must first abide by Islamic laws.
He said the Taliban were even slaughtering children. “This is contrary to the teachings of Islam which calls for protecting people who are not involved in battle,” he said.
“If the Taliban have any respect for Islamic values, they should give up bloodshed because it was harming national integrity,” the Mufti said.
The Ulema also called on the Organisation of Islamic Conference to come forward to help the displaced people of Swat and other parts of Malakand.
Dr Sarfaraz Naeemi called upon Ulema to forge unity in their ranks against the conspiracies of the Taliban, Sufi Mohammad and enemies of the country. He urged the government to reject the US agenda of controlling Madaris. Sarwat Ejaz Qadri said the Taliban had tarnished the image of Islam across the world. “All Muslims should stand up against them.”
Haji Hanif Tayyab said security forces were fighting the militants to save the country. He called for trying Sufi Mohammad for mutiny.DAWN 18-5-09
SITUATION IN SWAT AS ON MAY 17,2009
Forces enter Matta and Kanju:
18 May, 2009
ISLAMABAD, May 17: Security forces achieved significant successes in the Malakand operation and 25 militants were killed in clashes on Saturday night and Sunday, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.
An army officer also lost his life and seven security personnel, including an army officer, were injured.
According to an ISPR press release, Operation ‘Rahe Rast’ has entered a new phase.It said troops had surrounded and entered Matta and Kanju to flush out terrorists.
Local people have been urged to help troops to identify militants and to keep away from their strongholds and hideouts.
The ISPR said troops could clear, secure and hold the area only with the help of local population, adding that security forces would flush out the militants or kill them.
Troops destroyed militant compounds in Dang Arkot and Nazarabad near Ranial when they encountered resistance. Five militants were killed in the mop-up operation.
A sketch of military deployment in Swat was also found from one of the compounds.The bodies of terrorists killed during the offensive were still lying there.
Security forces secured areas between Kanju and Nawan Killi (Ayub Bridge) and Ballogram and Takhta Band Bypass after intense fighting.
ISPR said that soldiers were fiercely engaging terrorists on the outskirts of Mingora.
Troops, meanwhile, were expanding their foothold in the Peochar valley, regained from terrorists earlier this week.
An army officer was killed and two soldiers were injured during action to clear and secure an important position on Saturday night. At least 20 militants were killed in the fighting.
Militants used rockets and 12.7mm machine-guns against the advancing troops in the area.
Security forces were consolidating their positions in Chakdara and cleared the area between Barikot and Tandodag. —APP DAWN OF 18-5-09
18 May, 2009
ISLAMABAD, May 17: Security forces achieved significant successes in the Malakand operation and 25 militants were killed in clashes on Saturday night and Sunday, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.
An army officer also lost his life and seven security personnel, including an army officer, were injured.
According to an ISPR press release, Operation ‘Rahe Rast’ has entered a new phase.It said troops had surrounded and entered Matta and Kanju to flush out terrorists.
Local people have been urged to help troops to identify militants and to keep away from their strongholds and hideouts.
The ISPR said troops could clear, secure and hold the area only with the help of local population, adding that security forces would flush out the militants or kill them.
Troops destroyed militant compounds in Dang Arkot and Nazarabad near Ranial when they encountered resistance. Five militants were killed in the mop-up operation.
A sketch of military deployment in Swat was also found from one of the compounds.The bodies of terrorists killed during the offensive were still lying there.
Security forces secured areas between Kanju and Nawan Killi (Ayub Bridge) and Ballogram and Takhta Band Bypass after intense fighting.
ISPR said that soldiers were fiercely engaging terrorists on the outskirts of Mingora.
Troops, meanwhile, were expanding their foothold in the Peochar valley, regained from terrorists earlier this week.
An army officer was killed and two soldiers were injured during action to clear and secure an important position on Saturday night. At least 20 militants were killed in the fighting.
Militants used rockets and 12.7mm machine-guns against the advancing troops in the area.
Security forces were consolidating their positions in Chakdara and cleared the area between Barikot and Tandodag. —APP DAWN OF 18-5-09
SITUATION IN BUNER AS ON MAY17,2009
Daggar — devastation all around
By Zahid Hussain
Monday, 18 May, 2009
DAGGAR (Buner), May 17: Burnt vehicles, spent artillery shells and broken electric poles were strewn across the dusty road. There were devastated houses riddled with bullets and artillery shells all around.
A few young men sat chatting inside a tobacco shop which opened for some time on Sunday during a curfew break. On a corner of the main street, Amir Basha examined his devastated grocery shop. He had returned to the town on Sunday during the curfew break from Peshawar where he and his family have taken refuge after fleeing the fighting some three weeks ago. “I don’t think my family can return home soon,” he muttered shaking his head in despair.
Ambela, a small mountainous town of some 10,000 inhabitants became the frontline in the military’s battle against the Taliban. The troops have flushed out militants after fierce clashes which also forced almost the entire population to flee the town. But the militants still lurked in the mountains not far from there. “We fear that they may come back after the troops are withdrawn,” said Mr Basha.
A few families have trickled back after security forces relaxed curfew restrictions to allow farmers to harvest the wheat crop. “This is the only source of living for me and for my family,” said Rehman Gul, a 50-year-old farmer working in his small field with his two sons. But most of the crop may go waste as uncertainty and fear held back most farmers from returning home.
According to officials, more than half of Buner’s 700,000 population have left there homes. They have joined another one million refugees from Swat and other conflict zones triggering one of the worst humanitarian crises in the country’s 62-year history.
The government rushed some 5,000 army and paramilitary troops to Buner after the Taliban advancing from the neighbouring Swat valley seized control of the district which is famous for its fruit orchards and fertile land. The Taliban’s offensive was embarrassing for the military and the weak civilian government.
Pakistani military said scores of militants had been killed in Buner. But the fighting is far from over. Hundreds of militants are still entrenched in Sultanwas and Pir Baba areas, just three miles from Daggar, the main town and administrative headquarters of Buner. The mountains echoed with the thunder of artillery fire at regular interval.
Life is slowly returning to Daggar and Swahri which have been least affected by the fighting but a deep feeling of unease was quite evident. People fear that fighting could resume with the Taliban still holding on in many parts of Buner.
“The militants are still controlling some key routes and villages,” conceded a nervous Yahya Akhunzada, the district DCO, sitting inside his heavily guarded office. He said there were some 350 militants, including some Arabs and Uzbeks, were holding on in Sultanwas which has become Taliban’s main base in the region. It has also been described as ‘Peochar’ of Buner.
The militants were also controlling Pir Baba, another town where the shrine of highly revered Sufi saint is located. “Armed Taliban are patrolling the streets,” said Mohammed Khan, a local shopkeeper.
Mr Akhunzada said the situation was still tense. “We can only ask the people to return when the entire area is cleared,” he said. He expressed the hope that the militants would be driven out soon.
Officials fear that more militants could enter Buner as the army presses ahead in Swat. More than 15,000 troops are battling some 5,000 militants in the valley. The army has been preparing to take control of Swat’s main town of Mingora where many of the estimated 5,000 Taliban fighters in the valley are believed to be holed up.
A major problem is to rebuild the infrastructure destroyed during the fighting. The supply of electricity, which comes through Malakand, cannot be restored without eliminating the militants from the entire region. Local officials said it would take months to restore power supply and the infrastructure even if the fighting stopped soon. And there is no sign of it happening soon.DAWN 18-5-09
By Zahid Hussain
Monday, 18 May, 2009
DAGGAR (Buner), May 17: Burnt vehicles, spent artillery shells and broken electric poles were strewn across the dusty road. There were devastated houses riddled with bullets and artillery shells all around.
A few young men sat chatting inside a tobacco shop which opened for some time on Sunday during a curfew break. On a corner of the main street, Amir Basha examined his devastated grocery shop. He had returned to the town on Sunday during the curfew break from Peshawar where he and his family have taken refuge after fleeing the fighting some three weeks ago. “I don’t think my family can return home soon,” he muttered shaking his head in despair.
Ambela, a small mountainous town of some 10,000 inhabitants became the frontline in the military’s battle against the Taliban. The troops have flushed out militants after fierce clashes which also forced almost the entire population to flee the town. But the militants still lurked in the mountains not far from there. “We fear that they may come back after the troops are withdrawn,” said Mr Basha.
A few families have trickled back after security forces relaxed curfew restrictions to allow farmers to harvest the wheat crop. “This is the only source of living for me and for my family,” said Rehman Gul, a 50-year-old farmer working in his small field with his two sons. But most of the crop may go waste as uncertainty and fear held back most farmers from returning home.
According to officials, more than half of Buner’s 700,000 population have left there homes. They have joined another one million refugees from Swat and other conflict zones triggering one of the worst humanitarian crises in the country’s 62-year history.
The government rushed some 5,000 army and paramilitary troops to Buner after the Taliban advancing from the neighbouring Swat valley seized control of the district which is famous for its fruit orchards and fertile land. The Taliban’s offensive was embarrassing for the military and the weak civilian government.
Pakistani military said scores of militants had been killed in Buner. But the fighting is far from over. Hundreds of militants are still entrenched in Sultanwas and Pir Baba areas, just three miles from Daggar, the main town and administrative headquarters of Buner. The mountains echoed with the thunder of artillery fire at regular interval.
Life is slowly returning to Daggar and Swahri which have been least affected by the fighting but a deep feeling of unease was quite evident. People fear that fighting could resume with the Taliban still holding on in many parts of Buner.
“The militants are still controlling some key routes and villages,” conceded a nervous Yahya Akhunzada, the district DCO, sitting inside his heavily guarded office. He said there were some 350 militants, including some Arabs and Uzbeks, were holding on in Sultanwas which has become Taliban’s main base in the region. It has also been described as ‘Peochar’ of Buner.
The militants were also controlling Pir Baba, another town where the shrine of highly revered Sufi saint is located. “Armed Taliban are patrolling the streets,” said Mohammed Khan, a local shopkeeper.
Mr Akhunzada said the situation was still tense. “We can only ask the people to return when the entire area is cleared,” he said. He expressed the hope that the militants would be driven out soon.
Officials fear that more militants could enter Buner as the army presses ahead in Swat. More than 15,000 troops are battling some 5,000 militants in the valley. The army has been preparing to take control of Swat’s main town of Mingora where many of the estimated 5,000 Taliban fighters in the valley are believed to be holed up.
A major problem is to rebuild the infrastructure destroyed during the fighting. The supply of electricity, which comes through Malakand, cannot be restored without eliminating the militants from the entire region. Local officials said it would take months to restore power supply and the infrastructure even if the fighting stopped soon. And there is no sign of it happening soon.DAWN 18-5-09
Friday, May 15, 2009
RAHMAN BABA: THE MOST-LOVED PASHTUN
Tuesday, 17 March 2009
The attack at Rahman Baba's shrine is an attempt to destroy the Pashtun heritage
By Rahimullah Yusufzai: The News On Sunday
Two Pashto language poets are household names among the Pashtuns whether they live in Afghanistan, Pakistan or anywhere else in the world. One is the warrior-poet Khushal Khan Khattak and the other Rahman Baba. The former may sometimes arouse tribal animosity on account of his feuds with rival tribes but the latter is loved by every Pashtun.
It was, therefore, natural for the Pashtun to be outraged when they came to know about the recent bombing of the shrine of their most beloved poet. It was something unimaginable. The attack was seen as an attempt to destroy the Pashtun heritage. As someone commented, the enemies of the Pashtuns weren't even willing to spare their long dead heroes.
The 16th century sufi poet's original name was Abdur Rahman. But he is held in so much reverence that he is universally known as Rahman Baba. The Pashtuns, and many other ethnic groups, reserve the title Baba for their religious, spiritual and literary figures. Babas are supposed to be old and wise men who preach peace and work for love, harmony and tolerance.
Rahman Baba's shrine is located in a cemetery not far from Bahadur Killay, the suburban Peshawar village where he was born in 1653. He died in 1711 and is buried in Hazarkhwani village, sited three kilometres from the city near the chaotic Ring Road. Before Peshawar's haphazard expansion on all sides, his grave and the graveyard were located in the midst of a vast and green rural landscape. His mausoleum, with its gleaming white dome that is visible from afar, is still a bit removed from the main roads and not easy to approach. Poets and writers, along with his innumerable devotees, often complain that the shrine's location is lonely and off the beaten track. They want a wide approach road to be built to enable his fans to visit his grave more often.
The mausoleum, which had become a landmark owing to its impressive height and façade, suffered extensive damage in the bombing. Engineers have declared the building dangerous and recommended its reconstruction. The ANP-PPP coalition government in the NWFP, which has come under strong criticism for its failure to provide security to the people, has already allocated Rs15 million for the reconstruction. Increased security measures have been announced for the shrine and a police post would be set up for the purpose. The security was lax at the time of the attack but nobody has been held responsible or punished for the lapse. One reason for the inadequate security was obviously the thought that nobody would attack and desecrate the grave and mausoleum of the most beloved Pashto poet.
The ease with which the four or five attackers sneaked into the mausoleum from a rear door after smashing the windowpanes explains the laxity of the security at the place. Dawn hadn't broken yet and the few caretakers were apparently asleep or not even at the site of the mausoleum. They could have been at the nearby mosque or at their homes. The miscreants had enough time planting explosives to the four pillars that support the huge building. Two bombs were also buried on the right and left side of the grave of Rahman Baba, a man of God who never harmed anyone in his life. The bomb placed to the right of the grave didn't explode or it would have cause extensive damage. The five explosive devices placed in the pillars and the bomb planted to the left of the grave exploded simultaneously around 5.07 am and the explosions were heard all over Peshawar. Cracks appeared in the gigantic structure and the damaged pillars seem unable to support the building. It may collapse anytime but this hasn't deterred Rahman Baba's devotees, along with those hungry for a photo-session and publicity, from going inside to place wreaths, chaddars and candles, on his grave.
Thousands of people have visited the shrine since its bombing. Many were seen weeping and wiping off their tears. Every visitor cursed the attackers. Most refused to believe that a Pashtun could do this to the mausoleum of Rahman Baba. Militants were the usual prime suspects but their motives appeared unclear. When the shrine of Bahadur Baba, a respected religious and spiritual figure, was attacked with missiles a day after the bombing of Rahman Baba's mausoleum, it was felt that this was a calculated move to desecrate the graves of saints and poets loved by the Pashtuns and was, therefore, an attempt to provoke them. Other shrines too have been desecrated in recent years.
Pirs, faith healers and magicians have also been attacked and harmed in parts of the NWFP. A few were killed and others forced to give up the profession. Many faith-healers, who dealt in "taveez" (amulets) offering cure and good luck to clients, in Swat and rest of Malakand division were warned by the militants to stop their business or face the consequences. All of them complied after making public announcements and placing paid advertisements in the local newspapers.
Villagers from Hazarkhwani, Bahadur Killay and other nearby villages held a demonstration to protest the attack on Rahman Baba's mausoleum. His fame had made his native village and the neighbourhood famous and proud. The bombing provoked every dweller of these ancient villages angry and triggered the spontaneous demonstration.
The caretaker of Rahman Baba's mausoleum, Gohar Ali, received a threatening phone call from an unknown person two days before the attack. The caller threatened an attack if female visitors weren't stopped from entering the shrine. According to Gohar Ali, the shrine was partitioned for male and female visitors in a way that they couldn't see each other. He argued that it was impossible to stop the women from visiting the shrine as most came to the cemetery to pray at the graves of their relatives buried there. No extra security measures were put in place after the threats. The attackers, who according to most accounts were militants, thus found it easy to act upon their threats and bomb the mausoleum.
The work on the Rahman Baba mausoleum complex was completed in 1994. It included the mausoleum, mosque, a little used library and a cafeteria. The project cost Rs 110 million but there wasn't any proper funding for the upkeep of the mausoleum. Mir Afzal Khan, the late chief minister of NWFP, had approved the project at the time and laid its foundation stone. Former President Farooq Leghari inaugurated the complex.
According to Hidayatullah Khan, Nazim of the Hazarkhwani union council where the mausoleum is located and an active member of the Rahman Baba Adabi Jirga, residents of the area were bearing expenses of the maintenance and expansion of the shrine and serving voluntarily as its "khadims" (servants). The jirga held literary sittings at the mausoleum, which came alive on Thursday evenings as devotees and poets, writers and fans of Rahman Baba visited the place. The annual gatherings at the shrine were big events. However, the shrine remained deserted most of the year. It was one such night when the attackers found it easy to bomb the mausoleum and hurt the feelings of the Pashtuns.
The attack at Rahman Baba's shrine is an attempt to destroy the Pashtun heritage
By Rahimullah Yusufzai: The News On Sunday
Two Pashto language poets are household names among the Pashtuns whether they live in Afghanistan, Pakistan or anywhere else in the world. One is the warrior-poet Khushal Khan Khattak and the other Rahman Baba. The former may sometimes arouse tribal animosity on account of his feuds with rival tribes but the latter is loved by every Pashtun.
It was, therefore, natural for the Pashtun to be outraged when they came to know about the recent bombing of the shrine of their most beloved poet. It was something unimaginable. The attack was seen as an attempt to destroy the Pashtun heritage. As someone commented, the enemies of the Pashtuns weren't even willing to spare their long dead heroes.
The 16th century sufi poet's original name was Abdur Rahman. But he is held in so much reverence that he is universally known as Rahman Baba. The Pashtuns, and many other ethnic groups, reserve the title Baba for their religious, spiritual and literary figures. Babas are supposed to be old and wise men who preach peace and work for love, harmony and tolerance.
Rahman Baba's shrine is located in a cemetery not far from Bahadur Killay, the suburban Peshawar village where he was born in 1653. He died in 1711 and is buried in Hazarkhwani village, sited three kilometres from the city near the chaotic Ring Road. Before Peshawar's haphazard expansion on all sides, his grave and the graveyard were located in the midst of a vast and green rural landscape. His mausoleum, with its gleaming white dome that is visible from afar, is still a bit removed from the main roads and not easy to approach. Poets and writers, along with his innumerable devotees, often complain that the shrine's location is lonely and off the beaten track. They want a wide approach road to be built to enable his fans to visit his grave more often.
The mausoleum, which had become a landmark owing to its impressive height and façade, suffered extensive damage in the bombing. Engineers have declared the building dangerous and recommended its reconstruction. The ANP-PPP coalition government in the NWFP, which has come under strong criticism for its failure to provide security to the people, has already allocated Rs15 million for the reconstruction. Increased security measures have been announced for the shrine and a police post would be set up for the purpose. The security was lax at the time of the attack but nobody has been held responsible or punished for the lapse. One reason for the inadequate security was obviously the thought that nobody would attack and desecrate the grave and mausoleum of the most beloved Pashto poet.
The ease with which the four or five attackers sneaked into the mausoleum from a rear door after smashing the windowpanes explains the laxity of the security at the place. Dawn hadn't broken yet and the few caretakers were apparently asleep or not even at the site of the mausoleum. They could have been at the nearby mosque or at their homes. The miscreants had enough time planting explosives to the four pillars that support the huge building. Two bombs were also buried on the right and left side of the grave of Rahman Baba, a man of God who never harmed anyone in his life. The bomb placed to the right of the grave didn't explode or it would have cause extensive damage. The five explosive devices placed in the pillars and the bomb planted to the left of the grave exploded simultaneously around 5.07 am and the explosions were heard all over Peshawar. Cracks appeared in the gigantic structure and the damaged pillars seem unable to support the building. It may collapse anytime but this hasn't deterred Rahman Baba's devotees, along with those hungry for a photo-session and publicity, from going inside to place wreaths, chaddars and candles, on his grave.
Thousands of people have visited the shrine since its bombing. Many were seen weeping and wiping off their tears. Every visitor cursed the attackers. Most refused to believe that a Pashtun could do this to the mausoleum of Rahman Baba. Militants were the usual prime suspects but their motives appeared unclear. When the shrine of Bahadur Baba, a respected religious and spiritual figure, was attacked with missiles a day after the bombing of Rahman Baba's mausoleum, it was felt that this was a calculated move to desecrate the graves of saints and poets loved by the Pashtuns and was, therefore, an attempt to provoke them. Other shrines too have been desecrated in recent years.
Pirs, faith healers and magicians have also been attacked and harmed in parts of the NWFP. A few were killed and others forced to give up the profession. Many faith-healers, who dealt in "taveez" (amulets) offering cure and good luck to clients, in Swat and rest of Malakand division were warned by the militants to stop their business or face the consequences. All of them complied after making public announcements and placing paid advertisements in the local newspapers.
Villagers from Hazarkhwani, Bahadur Killay and other nearby villages held a demonstration to protest the attack on Rahman Baba's mausoleum. His fame had made his native village and the neighbourhood famous and proud. The bombing provoked every dweller of these ancient villages angry and triggered the spontaneous demonstration.
The caretaker of Rahman Baba's mausoleum, Gohar Ali, received a threatening phone call from an unknown person two days before the attack. The caller threatened an attack if female visitors weren't stopped from entering the shrine. According to Gohar Ali, the shrine was partitioned for male and female visitors in a way that they couldn't see each other. He argued that it was impossible to stop the women from visiting the shrine as most came to the cemetery to pray at the graves of their relatives buried there. No extra security measures were put in place after the threats. The attackers, who according to most accounts were militants, thus found it easy to act upon their threats and bomb the mausoleum.
The work on the Rahman Baba mausoleum complex was completed in 1994. It included the mausoleum, mosque, a little used library and a cafeteria. The project cost Rs 110 million but there wasn't any proper funding for the upkeep of the mausoleum. Mir Afzal Khan, the late chief minister of NWFP, had approved the project at the time and laid its foundation stone. Former President Farooq Leghari inaugurated the complex.
According to Hidayatullah Khan, Nazim of the Hazarkhwani union council where the mausoleum is located and an active member of the Rahman Baba Adabi Jirga, residents of the area were bearing expenses of the maintenance and expansion of the shrine and serving voluntarily as its "khadims" (servants). The jirga held literary sittings at the mausoleum, which came alive on Thursday evenings as devotees and poets, writers and fans of Rahman Baba visited the place. The annual gatherings at the shrine were big events. However, the shrine remained deserted most of the year. It was one such night when the attackers found it easy to bomb the mausoleum and hurt the feelings of the Pashtuns.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
BOOKS ABOUT PASHTUNS ETC
( FROM KHYBERWATCH OF MAY,2006)
There are some books available which to some extent covers chach and its people:
1. Campbellpur - Ancient and Modern (The Brittish Role-The
Pakistani Role).By; Ayub Khan Saidookhail
Published by: Saidokhail TradersVillage and Post Office GhorghoshtiDistt. Campbellpur
The preface was dated 1978.
2. Punjab District Gazatteers Attock District 1930 & 1907
Its a
bit old but there is quite a lot which might be relevant still.It says that the majority of the tribes belong to various branches of the Yusufzai tribe and that they migrated to the area from the areas across the Indus river (Swabi). Utmanzai is mentioned as the main branch from which there are other branches, Alizai, Kanizai and Akazai. Tarkhelis are said to be a branch of Alizai. Other tribes are also mentioned like Dilazaks, Pirokhels(branch of Afridi), Ghilzai and Manduri, Barahzai( both said to be branches of Yusufzais).In the Gazatteers from Peshawar and Hazara the same tribes are said to live in Swabi and the Southern part of Hazara (bordering Attock)
About migration the book (1907 ed) says: "There is also a litte
permanent immigration from the Mardan Tahsil of Peshawar across the river","From the north east corner of the Chhachh very large numbers of men go out as stokers on the P. and O. and Brittish India boats, and come back shattered in health, but full of money. Others used to go as hawkers to Australia, and indeed there are very few parts of the empire which someone in the Chhachh has not visited,"
1930's Ed says: "There are over 300 Chhachhi Pathans employed in HongKong alone, mostly as darwans, some as contractors of labour, others in comercial pursuits, and a few fill posts of conciderable responsibility under the administration."
1907'Ed mentions some of the notable men of the time:" Gulab Khan and Najf Khan of Ghurgashti, Muzaffar Khan and Mirdad Khan, Malik Mala,Bahadur Khan of Babbudi, Mahomed Khan of Sarwana, Mahomed Azim Khan,Honorary Magistrate, Hazro; Hafiz Sher Mahomed Khan and Shahbaz Khanalso of Hazro; Ali Akbar Khan of Yasin, Mahomed Amir Khan of Waisa,Sher Dil Khan of Shinka, Ali Bahadur Khan of Islamgarh and Mir AfzalKhan and Humayun Khan of Harun."----------------------
judging from recent ethnographic studies, researched from the University of Lahore, it is evident that as many as 80% of chach pathan tribes originate from the yousafzai.
On the topic of books, Daman-e-Abaseen, is a very interesting book
on the history of Chach Pathans. I have also great pleasure in
announcing that a book has been published on the history of the
greatest Chach Pathan warrior of the early 18th century, the Great Nawab Najabat Khan. The book has been written by Akbar Khan and is entitled Tazkira Nawab Najabat Khan (Nawab of Kunjpura), and includes commentary from Sikandar Khan, the author of Daman-e-Abaseen. It must be noted however, that the book written by Mr Akbar Khan is not comprehensive, and does not cover events that occured in Ghourghushti, which lead to his migration, and later his conquests in the Punjab.Nawab Najabat Khan never returned to Ghourghusti. His home in Ghourghusti to this day is still occupied by his descendant familymembers (i.e those kin that remained in Ghourghusti). The home has had many visitors from the Punjab, particularly Kunjpur where the descendants of Najabat Khan would come and visit and marvel at the similarity of the occupants to the description of Najabat Khan that they have been told about by their forefathers.Nawab Najabat Khan's descendants in Kunjpur became part of the social elite during the 19th and early 20th century. He was a modest man, and had good qualities such as honesty, bravery and piety. His characteristics are more akin to his descendants in ghourghusti, who are completely unaware of this great man's accomplishments, than his descendants in Kunjpar, who can now be found in cities such as Lahore and Karachi. Nawab Najabat Khan is from the Salarkhel tribe(nowadays pronounced as Sarkhel, which stem from the Yousafzai tribe.=================================some pashtoon villages Sheenkay, jalala,Mian derai,waisa,nar topa, malao,tajik, damaan,parmalee,barazai, ghor ghushtee,khalo, kaman parhttp://ghorghushti.netfirms.com/Ghourghushti.htm
__________________The Truth Only Hurts; It's The Lies That Kill."
I want to know the difference between chach pathans and pathans in peshawar, yousafzai.You all living in chach area might know that in ghourgushti mostly pathans dont marry their daughters outside their tribe, can we chachi pathans marry yousafzai??-----------------------------------------------------there is no such thing as a chachi pathan.......chac is an area and yusufzai is a tribe...i would say most of the afghan origin people in chach are yusufzai......the people of chach do not think low of the people across the river, although the people across the river might look down upon hindko speakers as they associate hindko with non-afghan origin people. hindko speakers in peshawar city rarely have any afghan blood in them and trace their roots to kashmir, punjab or are locals.i know of many pakhtun and hindko speaking afghan origin people in chach who have married from sawabi. peshawar is quite far from us and many of my villagers would think getting married into shadi khan which is abot 10 km away as too far. there is also cultural dfferences between chach people and sarhad people.....as most chach afghan origin people do not speak Pakhtu anymore they have little links with Pakhtun culture....the media and influence they use will come from Punjab or India - the songs they play, music they listen to etc etc etc.its not ghurghushti that peop[le just do this....its almost every pakisatni village....lol....people from ghurghushti will get marred into sheenka, barazai, pabuto, malakmala, natopa, hazro etc as i have known also they will marry from the ghazi area too....but generaly marrying out is rare for most pakistanis
The difference Dear Friendsi wanna give the answer of one friend she says that why Ghour Ghoushti pathan not married there daughter in out side the tribe and also diffrient between Peshawar pathans and Chach pathan according to my knowladge every PASHTO speeking is not pathan the are from diffrint tribs not pathan in peshawar basicaly live pathan they are technical person so we say in URDU pesha war i mean do any specilest in there work like Mochi Tharkan Lohar many other they speek pashtoo so we say pathan and orignal pathan of peshawar are DalaZaik trib and chach pathan come from Afghanistan the not come from Peshawar most of chach pathan from Ghazni and other area of Afghanistan and chach pathan not like give there daughter to other trib except pathan coz they say we r pathan and also i give u the information about the word PAKHTONi axplain this in pashtooP - path ( To give respect to othere )KH - Khigira ( to give the protection to othere who come in there protection)T - Toora . ( Do some extra ordinari work like in speed"N- Nighyalay ( who give the life on land "country" Petriot ".may be i am not fully explain this is any friend know please explain fullyi thing all my friend know well about pathan of chach and peshawar next time i give u the all detail of chach and sarounding area.
Language change in Cahch from Pashtu to Hindko the question is why do so many chach people marry into Hindko families.Until maybe a 100 years ago there were so many Pashtuns in Chach bt now there are not even a 1/3 left. Where did they all go?The one way I think they all disappeared was through inter-marriage.....large portions of Barazo, Ghurghshto, Malak Mala and so many other villages were Pashtun but now there is 0 left....where did they all go.........The non-pathans and the Pakhtuns must have inter-married......to bring Hindko into a Pashtun locality............Fact 1. Pabuto - the village between Malak Mala and Natopa is more or less Pashtun 95%. The few who speak Hindko are not of Afghan origin and ae labelled by the Pashtuns generally as low class or "Kami". These are not my views bt the views our peopel held. Pabutowal people do not intermarry with these and have retained their Pashtu.
Fact 2. Looking at Sheenka and Natopa which have large numbers of both Pasht and Hindko speakers. The language which is grwoing and spreading is Hindko at the expense of Pashtu. Pashtu the native language of the Afghans/pathans is losing out slowly in these 2 villages. How is this happening? Through inter-marriage wth Hindko speakers. So a lot fo Chachies will now have mixed blood. The numer of hindko speakers must have grown so high tha Pasht must have become no longer needed as a language of communication. language spreads quickest through marriage - the number of one parent pashtun and one parenst hindko speaker families I know from Chach are quite high - one thing i notice about the kids is that they will speak hindko more.
Language change in Cahch from Pashtu to Hindko With respect, your question: "the question is why do so many chach people marry into Hindko families" seems to me to be nonsensical, and the 'facts' that you have stated are not exactly facts, they are your theories.Chach is an area, whose inhabitants are many, including Pathans, Kashimiris, Punjabis, Gujjars, and who speak various mother tongues. I have not come across any literature which suggests that the original language of this area, which formed Gandhara, was Pushto. On the contrary, ancient text states that the people of Gandhara spoke Hindko. It is not clear, if it is the same Hindko that many people in Chach speak today. However, it is true to say that many originally Pushto speaking Pathans nowadays speak Hindko. From my experience, i do not believe this is due to inter-marriages, it is just due to social change. There are various factors which neccesitate social change, e.g. education, local government, local market forces.A number of texts and folklore suggests that Ghourghusti was originally inhabited by two Afghan clans, the descendants of whom still live in Ghourghushti. There is no evidence to suggest that this is true for the rest of Chach.-------------------------------------------
economics does play a role in language cange for sure......but the fact is many people must have inter-married....Hindko took a place in the houses of Afghans .
Language change in Cahch from Pashtu to Hindko A statement may only be deemed 'fact' if you have evidence to prove it. There are many Pathans who live in Ghourghushti, who have only married within their own clan. Pushto was quite prominent in Ghourghushti three or four generations ago, ask your own elders, if you are from Ghourghushti. The language became less fashionable due to societal change, there are so many Pathan clans in Ghourghushti these days, whose members no longer speak Pushto, there may have been some inter-marriage, but that is very rare, and is not the main reason why Pushto is not spoken as much in Ghourghushti.
Language change in Cahch from Pashtu to Hindko so what are you saying - the people suddenly left pashtu?i met many elders from ghurghshti malak mala who claim they speak pashtu.....but they dont......they lost it before that...language change must have happened when teh kids started aspeaking hindko at home....how did t ecome th majority language
very informative post .hey guys why dont we start new thread for Pashtoons in Attock & Mianwali? plz give your suggestion.
Welldone Guys ! now we have one thread dedicated to our pashtoon brothers and sisters living in attock and mainwali...Nazia..Aemal khan..Dawezay..khanjee now come forword with more information regarding this area...Blive me there was a time when khan e shaheed khan Abdula samad khan achakzai used to visit other parts of pashtoon land then ppl used to call him balochi khan and wonder how a baloch could speak that pure pashto...it wasn't thier fault it was just coz we are divided and ppl have less information about geoghraphy of pashtoon land..so,now a days we are living in world of internet and we must collect and provide every possible information to those pashtoons who still dont know about thier land's geoghraphy and tribes residing there.....i would be happy if someone type for any information regarding pashto and pashtoon in yahoo and google and it would lead them to our forum and work of our respected member's.Thank you.
There are some books available which to some extent covers chach and its people:
1. Campbellpur - Ancient and Modern (The Brittish Role-The
Pakistani Role).By; Ayub Khan Saidookhail
Published by: Saidokhail TradersVillage and Post Office GhorghoshtiDistt. Campbellpur
The preface was dated 1978.
2. Punjab District Gazatteers Attock District 1930 & 1907
Its a
bit old but there is quite a lot which might be relevant still.It says that the majority of the tribes belong to various branches of the Yusufzai tribe and that they migrated to the area from the areas across the Indus river (Swabi). Utmanzai is mentioned as the main branch from which there are other branches, Alizai, Kanizai and Akazai. Tarkhelis are said to be a branch of Alizai. Other tribes are also mentioned like Dilazaks, Pirokhels(branch of Afridi), Ghilzai and Manduri, Barahzai( both said to be branches of Yusufzais).In the Gazatteers from Peshawar and Hazara the same tribes are said to live in Swabi and the Southern part of Hazara (bordering Attock)
About migration the book (1907 ed) says: "There is also a litte
permanent immigration from the Mardan Tahsil of Peshawar across the river","From the north east corner of the Chhachh very large numbers of men go out as stokers on the P. and O. and Brittish India boats, and come back shattered in health, but full of money. Others used to go as hawkers to Australia, and indeed there are very few parts of the empire which someone in the Chhachh has not visited,"
1930's Ed says: "There are over 300 Chhachhi Pathans employed in HongKong alone, mostly as darwans, some as contractors of labour, others in comercial pursuits, and a few fill posts of conciderable responsibility under the administration."
1907'Ed mentions some of the notable men of the time:" Gulab Khan and Najf Khan of Ghurgashti, Muzaffar Khan and Mirdad Khan, Malik Mala,Bahadur Khan of Babbudi, Mahomed Khan of Sarwana, Mahomed Azim Khan,Honorary Magistrate, Hazro; Hafiz Sher Mahomed Khan and Shahbaz Khanalso of Hazro; Ali Akbar Khan of Yasin, Mahomed Amir Khan of Waisa,Sher Dil Khan of Shinka, Ali Bahadur Khan of Islamgarh and Mir AfzalKhan and Humayun Khan of Harun."----------------------
judging from recent ethnographic studies, researched from the University of Lahore, it is evident that as many as 80% of chach pathan tribes originate from the yousafzai.
On the topic of books, Daman-e-Abaseen, is a very interesting book
on the history of Chach Pathans. I have also great pleasure in
announcing that a book has been published on the history of the
greatest Chach Pathan warrior of the early 18th century, the Great Nawab Najabat Khan. The book has been written by Akbar Khan and is entitled Tazkira Nawab Najabat Khan (Nawab of Kunjpura), and includes commentary from Sikandar Khan, the author of Daman-e-Abaseen. It must be noted however, that the book written by Mr Akbar Khan is not comprehensive, and does not cover events that occured in Ghourghushti, which lead to his migration, and later his conquests in the Punjab.Nawab Najabat Khan never returned to Ghourghusti. His home in Ghourghusti to this day is still occupied by his descendant familymembers (i.e those kin that remained in Ghourghusti). The home has had many visitors from the Punjab, particularly Kunjpur where the descendants of Najabat Khan would come and visit and marvel at the similarity of the occupants to the description of Najabat Khan that they have been told about by their forefathers.Nawab Najabat Khan's descendants in Kunjpur became part of the social elite during the 19th and early 20th century. He was a modest man, and had good qualities such as honesty, bravery and piety. His characteristics are more akin to his descendants in ghourghusti, who are completely unaware of this great man's accomplishments, than his descendants in Kunjpar, who can now be found in cities such as Lahore and Karachi. Nawab Najabat Khan is from the Salarkhel tribe(nowadays pronounced as Sarkhel, which stem from the Yousafzai tribe.=================================some pashtoon villages Sheenkay, jalala,Mian derai,waisa,nar topa, malao,tajik, damaan,parmalee,barazai, ghor ghushtee,khalo, kaman parhttp://ghorghushti.netfirms.com/Ghourghushti.htm
__________________The Truth Only Hurts; It's The Lies That Kill."
I want to know the difference between chach pathans and pathans in peshawar, yousafzai.You all living in chach area might know that in ghourgushti mostly pathans dont marry their daughters outside their tribe, can we chachi pathans marry yousafzai??-----------------------------------------------------there is no such thing as a chachi pathan.......chac is an area and yusufzai is a tribe...i would say most of the afghan origin people in chach are yusufzai......the people of chach do not think low of the people across the river, although the people across the river might look down upon hindko speakers as they associate hindko with non-afghan origin people. hindko speakers in peshawar city rarely have any afghan blood in them and trace their roots to kashmir, punjab or are locals.i know of many pakhtun and hindko speaking afghan origin people in chach who have married from sawabi. peshawar is quite far from us and many of my villagers would think getting married into shadi khan which is abot 10 km away as too far. there is also cultural dfferences between chach people and sarhad people.....as most chach afghan origin people do not speak Pakhtu anymore they have little links with Pakhtun culture....the media and influence they use will come from Punjab or India - the songs they play, music they listen to etc etc etc.its not ghurghushti that peop[le just do this....its almost every pakisatni village....lol....people from ghurghushti will get marred into sheenka, barazai, pabuto, malakmala, natopa, hazro etc as i have known also they will marry from the ghazi area too....but generaly marrying out is rare for most pakistanis
The difference Dear Friendsi wanna give the answer of one friend she says that why Ghour Ghoushti pathan not married there daughter in out side the tribe and also diffrient between Peshawar pathans and Chach pathan according to my knowladge every PASHTO speeking is not pathan the are from diffrint tribs not pathan in peshawar basicaly live pathan they are technical person so we say in URDU pesha war i mean do any specilest in there work like Mochi Tharkan Lohar many other they speek pashtoo so we say pathan and orignal pathan of peshawar are DalaZaik trib and chach pathan come from Afghanistan the not come from Peshawar most of chach pathan from Ghazni and other area of Afghanistan and chach pathan not like give there daughter to other trib except pathan coz they say we r pathan and also i give u the information about the word PAKHTONi axplain this in pashtooP - path ( To give respect to othere )KH - Khigira ( to give the protection to othere who come in there protection)T - Toora . ( Do some extra ordinari work like in speed"N- Nighyalay ( who give the life on land "country" Petriot ".may be i am not fully explain this is any friend know please explain fullyi thing all my friend know well about pathan of chach and peshawar next time i give u the all detail of chach and sarounding area.
Language change in Cahch from Pashtu to Hindko the question is why do so many chach people marry into Hindko families.Until maybe a 100 years ago there were so many Pashtuns in Chach bt now there are not even a 1/3 left. Where did they all go?The one way I think they all disappeared was through inter-marriage.....large portions of Barazo, Ghurghshto, Malak Mala and so many other villages were Pashtun but now there is 0 left....where did they all go.........The non-pathans and the Pakhtuns must have inter-married......to bring Hindko into a Pashtun locality............Fact 1. Pabuto - the village between Malak Mala and Natopa is more or less Pashtun 95%. The few who speak Hindko are not of Afghan origin and ae labelled by the Pashtuns generally as low class or "Kami". These are not my views bt the views our peopel held. Pabutowal people do not intermarry with these and have retained their Pashtu.
Fact 2. Looking at Sheenka and Natopa which have large numbers of both Pasht and Hindko speakers. The language which is grwoing and spreading is Hindko at the expense of Pashtu. Pashtu the native language of the Afghans/pathans is losing out slowly in these 2 villages. How is this happening? Through inter-marriage wth Hindko speakers. So a lot fo Chachies will now have mixed blood. The numer of hindko speakers must have grown so high tha Pasht must have become no longer needed as a language of communication. language spreads quickest through marriage - the number of one parent pashtun and one parenst hindko speaker families I know from Chach are quite high - one thing i notice about the kids is that they will speak hindko more.
Language change in Cahch from Pashtu to Hindko With respect, your question: "the question is why do so many chach people marry into Hindko families" seems to me to be nonsensical, and the 'facts' that you have stated are not exactly facts, they are your theories.Chach is an area, whose inhabitants are many, including Pathans, Kashimiris, Punjabis, Gujjars, and who speak various mother tongues. I have not come across any literature which suggests that the original language of this area, which formed Gandhara, was Pushto. On the contrary, ancient text states that the people of Gandhara spoke Hindko. It is not clear, if it is the same Hindko that many people in Chach speak today. However, it is true to say that many originally Pushto speaking Pathans nowadays speak Hindko. From my experience, i do not believe this is due to inter-marriages, it is just due to social change. There are various factors which neccesitate social change, e.g. education, local government, local market forces.A number of texts and folklore suggests that Ghourghusti was originally inhabited by two Afghan clans, the descendants of whom still live in Ghourghushti. There is no evidence to suggest that this is true for the rest of Chach.-------------------------------------------
economics does play a role in language cange for sure......but the fact is many people must have inter-married....Hindko took a place in the houses of Afghans .
Language change in Cahch from Pashtu to Hindko A statement may only be deemed 'fact' if you have evidence to prove it. There are many Pathans who live in Ghourghushti, who have only married within their own clan. Pushto was quite prominent in Ghourghushti three or four generations ago, ask your own elders, if you are from Ghourghushti. The language became less fashionable due to societal change, there are so many Pathan clans in Ghourghushti these days, whose members no longer speak Pushto, there may have been some inter-marriage, but that is very rare, and is not the main reason why Pushto is not spoken as much in Ghourghushti.
Language change in Cahch from Pashtu to Hindko so what are you saying - the people suddenly left pashtu?i met many elders from ghurghshti malak mala who claim they speak pashtu.....but they dont......they lost it before that...language change must have happened when teh kids started aspeaking hindko at home....how did t ecome th majority language
very informative post .hey guys why dont we start new thread for Pashtoons in Attock & Mianwali? plz give your suggestion.
Welldone Guys ! now we have one thread dedicated to our pashtoon brothers and sisters living in attock and mainwali...Nazia..Aemal khan..Dawezay..khanjee now come forword with more information regarding this area...Blive me there was a time when khan e shaheed khan Abdula samad khan achakzai used to visit other parts of pashtoon land then ppl used to call him balochi khan and wonder how a baloch could speak that pure pashto...it wasn't thier fault it was just coz we are divided and ppl have less information about geoghraphy of pashtoon land..so,now a days we are living in world of internet and we must collect and provide every possible information to those pashtoons who still dont know about thier land's geoghraphy and tribes residing there.....i would be happy if someone type for any information regarding pashto and pashtoon in yahoo and google and it would lead them to our forum and work of our respected member's.Thank you.
PASHTUNS & SUICIDE TERRORISM
( Postings dated August 18,2008, from Khyberwatch. Names edited by me )
The lethal combination of extremist Islam and Pashto
SALAMONA TERRORISM HAS BEEN CONCENTRATED IN PASHTUN AREAS OF PAKISTAN AND AFGHANISTAN ,BESIDES TERRORISM IN IRAQ, SRILANKA ,COLOMBIA AND FEW OTHER PLACES IN THE WORLD , PASHTUN AREAS PRESENT THE WORST SCENE , IN AFGHANISTAN 100%SUICiDES BOMBERS AND FIGHTERS ARE PASHTUNS ,IN PAKISTAN ALMOST 80 % AND MAJORITY OF THEM ARE YOUNG PASHTUN BOYS AND NOW GIRLS TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!WHY THIS IS SO ????? I THINK BECAUSE OF THE LETHAL COMBINATION OF PASHTO AND WAHABI DEOBANDI EXTREMIST ISLAM ,,,,,TWO FIRES HAVE BEEN MERGED INTO A GIGANTIC FLAME PASHTUN BEING SINCERE , SIMPLE INDEPENDENT MINDED PEOPLE AND WAHABI TEACHINGS OF THE PROMULGATION OF SHARIA WITHOUT STATE MAKES A VERY DANGERIOUS MIXTURE AND THREAT TOBOTH PAKISTAN,AFGHANISTAN AND THE WORLD AT LARGE WHAT DOYOU THINK ........DOYOU AGREE ????? WHY YOU AGREE ??IF NOT WHY NOT
No it is manipulated by Paki military. Pakhtoons are not suicide bombers rather suicide bombers are Paki/Panjabi imports(Arab),Pashtoon can fight but can not sucide.It will be hipocracy to camouflage Islam, of course it is terrorist. Wahabi/dubandi,barailwi,shia,suni,ismaili,qadiani ...all are from self contradictory confused origins. God would never divide human being.Islam (terrorism) idealogy is brought by Americans/Arab/Panjos and imposed on Pakhtoons. For Panjos Islam (terrorism) is business, For Arabs it is global influence and Arab nationalism.Eitherway It is crystal clear Pakhtoons and Baloch have nofuture in Panjabistan.
__________________سر د ي دە وندر دە غلامي نە را بهر کړ ه ته لګ حر کت وە کړە پە ووم تار تړلي شو ي يي
Quote:
IN AFGHANISTAN 100%SUICiDES BOMBERS AND FIGHTERS ARE PASHTUNS ,IN PAKISTAN ALMOST 80 % AND MAJORITY OF THEM ARE YOUNG PASHTUN BOYS AND NOW GIRLS TOO!!!!!!!!!!!! What data or sources support this assertion? This is important because many enemies of Pukhtoons are ardently working to defame Pukhtoons by calling them terrorist.
aimal, the reality has a different scream...the ones who create and finanse terrorists and terrorism are PAKIS...100%...there is no doubt. Recently many punjabis (also some pashtuns who were manipulated by fake silly mullas with the help of ISI) have been captured by afghan forces and they have said that ISI is their leader. Pakistan keeps spreading terroism even from its embassy in bara pukhtunkhwa.
__________________راشي راواړوي زما سترګي د يار د سترګو پە ننني جنګ کښي د
No it is manipulated by Paki military. Pakhtoons are not suicide bombers rather suicide bombers are Paki/Panjabi imports(Arab),Pashtoon can fight but can not sucide.It will be hipocracy to camouflage Islam, of course it is terrorist. Wahabi/dubandi,barailwi,shia,suni,ismaili,qadiani ...all are from self contradictory confused origins. God would never divide human being.Islam (terrorism) idealogy is brought by Americans/Arab/Panjos and imposed on Pakhtoons. For Panjos Islam (terrorism) is business, For Arabs it is global influence and Arab nationalism.Eitherway It is crystal clear Pakhtoons and Baloch have nofuture in Panjabistan.Islam and terrorism are two different words. Islam means "peace", not terrorism.
salamuna yaw zal byafriends terrorism is a multidiemnsional phenomenon ,,,,,,,,,,,whatever I said that the lethal combiantion of pashto and extremist islam is the major cause of terrorism ,,not the only cause ,,,,,,,,,pak army , intelligence agencies , new world order, new great game, poverty, ignorance , illiteracy, misunderstanding of religious teachings , ethnicity, separatism, nationalism, sense of deprivation, aggrievation, oppression ,economic or cultural disadventage, non democracy, wrong globalization ,inferiorirty complex, etc can be other reasons. for me in our context pashto(as a code of life or pashtunwali)+extremist islam are the main reason of terrorism , suicide bombings etc. why???????? because its happening there , in pashtun areas physically practically no where else ,,,,,,i personally know that these are pashtuns who explode themselves , very few from other races in pakistan and afghanistan ,,in iraq yes they are arabs etc , in srilanka tamils . you might heard the story that one judge arrested the man who was robbed instead of arresting the thief ,,,because the man provided the opportunity of theft to the thief ,,,,,,,,this is we pashtuns who let others to play with us ,we are suscitible ,,,,,,the fault lies with us that arabs and americans and panjabis etc play with us ..why we let them to do so ...why they dont do it with others why with us only ,,,,,,,,,,the data taken in my first post is estimates not exact and based on my personal research we have to dismantle the lethal combination of extremist islam and pashto ,,,,,,,,,otherwise pashtuns will suffer and will be victimized
Nature abhors a vacuum.(Francois Rabelas)
ما پۀ ډيلی هم بادشاهی کړې دهزما دَ تورې شړنګ ؛ منې او کۀ نَه
چې ستا کوڅه پرې ګل ورينه شولهزما دَ وينې رنګ ؛ منې او کۀ نَه
( Ajmal Mansoor)
The lethal combination of extremist Islam and Pashto
SALAMONA TERRORISM HAS BEEN CONCENTRATED IN PASHTUN AREAS OF PAKISTAN AND AFGHANISTAN ,BESIDES TERRORISM IN IRAQ, SRILANKA ,COLOMBIA AND FEW OTHER PLACES IN THE WORLD , PASHTUN AREAS PRESENT THE WORST SCENE , IN AFGHANISTAN 100%SUICiDES BOMBERS AND FIGHTERS ARE PASHTUNS ,IN PAKISTAN ALMOST 80 % AND MAJORITY OF THEM ARE YOUNG PASHTUN BOYS AND NOW GIRLS TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!WHY THIS IS SO ????? I THINK BECAUSE OF THE LETHAL COMBINATION OF PASHTO AND WAHABI DEOBANDI EXTREMIST ISLAM ,,,,,TWO FIRES HAVE BEEN MERGED INTO A GIGANTIC FLAME PASHTUN BEING SINCERE , SIMPLE INDEPENDENT MINDED PEOPLE AND WAHABI TEACHINGS OF THE PROMULGATION OF SHARIA WITHOUT STATE MAKES A VERY DANGERIOUS MIXTURE AND THREAT TOBOTH PAKISTAN,AFGHANISTAN AND THE WORLD AT LARGE WHAT DOYOU THINK ........DOYOU AGREE ????? WHY YOU AGREE ??IF NOT WHY NOT
No it is manipulated by Paki military. Pakhtoons are not suicide bombers rather suicide bombers are Paki/Panjabi imports(Arab),Pashtoon can fight but can not sucide.It will be hipocracy to camouflage Islam, of course it is terrorist. Wahabi/dubandi,barailwi,shia,suni,ismaili,qadiani ...all are from self contradictory confused origins. God would never divide human being.Islam (terrorism) idealogy is brought by Americans/Arab/Panjos and imposed on Pakhtoons. For Panjos Islam (terrorism) is business, For Arabs it is global influence and Arab nationalism.Eitherway It is crystal clear Pakhtoons and Baloch have nofuture in Panjabistan.
__________________سر د ي دە وندر دە غلامي نە را بهر کړ ه ته لګ حر کت وە کړە پە ووم تار تړلي شو ي يي
Quote:
IN AFGHANISTAN 100%SUICiDES BOMBERS AND FIGHTERS ARE PASHTUNS ,IN PAKISTAN ALMOST 80 % AND MAJORITY OF THEM ARE YOUNG PASHTUN BOYS AND NOW GIRLS TOO!!!!!!!!!!!! What data or sources support this assertion? This is important because many enemies of Pukhtoons are ardently working to defame Pukhtoons by calling them terrorist.
aimal, the reality has a different scream...the ones who create and finanse terrorists and terrorism are PAKIS...100%...there is no doubt. Recently many punjabis (also some pashtuns who were manipulated by fake silly mullas with the help of ISI) have been captured by afghan forces and they have said that ISI is their leader. Pakistan keeps spreading terroism even from its embassy in bara pukhtunkhwa.
__________________راشي راواړوي زما سترګي د يار د سترګو پە ننني جنګ کښي د
No it is manipulated by Paki military. Pakhtoons are not suicide bombers rather suicide bombers are Paki/Panjabi imports(Arab),Pashtoon can fight but can not sucide.It will be hipocracy to camouflage Islam, of course it is terrorist. Wahabi/dubandi,barailwi,shia,suni,ismaili,qadiani ...all are from self contradictory confused origins. God would never divide human being.Islam (terrorism) idealogy is brought by Americans/Arab/Panjos and imposed on Pakhtoons. For Panjos Islam (terrorism) is business, For Arabs it is global influence and Arab nationalism.Eitherway It is crystal clear Pakhtoons and Baloch have nofuture in Panjabistan.Islam and terrorism are two different words. Islam means "peace", not terrorism.
salamuna yaw zal byafriends terrorism is a multidiemnsional phenomenon ,,,,,,,,,,,whatever I said that the lethal combiantion of pashto and extremist islam is the major cause of terrorism ,,not the only cause ,,,,,,,,,pak army , intelligence agencies , new world order, new great game, poverty, ignorance , illiteracy, misunderstanding of religious teachings , ethnicity, separatism, nationalism, sense of deprivation, aggrievation, oppression ,economic or cultural disadventage, non democracy, wrong globalization ,inferiorirty complex, etc can be other reasons. for me in our context pashto(as a code of life or pashtunwali)+extremist islam are the main reason of terrorism , suicide bombings etc. why???????? because its happening there , in pashtun areas physically practically no where else ,,,,,,i personally know that these are pashtuns who explode themselves , very few from other races in pakistan and afghanistan ,,in iraq yes they are arabs etc , in srilanka tamils . you might heard the story that one judge arrested the man who was robbed instead of arresting the thief ,,,because the man provided the opportunity of theft to the thief ,,,,,,,,this is we pashtuns who let others to play with us ,we are suscitible ,,,,,,the fault lies with us that arabs and americans and panjabis etc play with us ..why we let them to do so ...why they dont do it with others why with us only ,,,,,,,,,,the data taken in my first post is estimates not exact and based on my personal research we have to dismantle the lethal combination of extremist islam and pashto ,,,,,,,,,otherwise pashtuns will suffer and will be victimized
Nature abhors a vacuum.(Francois Rabelas)
ما پۀ ډيلی هم بادشاهی کړې دهزما دَ تورې شړنګ ؛ منې او کۀ نَه
چې ستا کوڅه پرې ګل ورينه شولهزما دَ وينې رنګ ؛ منې او کۀ نَه
( Ajmal Mansoor)
21 KILLED AS LASHKAR,POLICE FIGHT TALIBAN IN BUNER
( post dated 7-4-2009) from www.khyber.org )
BUNER: Three police officials, two Lashkar (militia) men and sixteen militants were killed in overnight clash between Taliban and Qaumi Lashkar in Buner district, police and residents said on Tuesday.The fierce fighting erupted on Monday night when the Qaumi Lashkar and local police force made efforts to enter the Gokand valley via Rajagaly Kandow from Pir Baba side to flush out Taliban militants who had sneaked in to the district on Saturday from neighbouring Swat. The militants had earlier been asked to leave but had refused and took positions in the Gokand valley. The local jirga elders and district administration officials held several rounds of talks with the Taliban through a reconciliatory committee which included leaders of Tehrik Nefaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi (TNSM) in a bid to convince them to leave the area with an offer of safe passage. But the militant commander was of the view that Tehrik Taliban high command had ordered their Tashkeel (stay) in the area and they would leave after holding a peace march and visiting the families of six killed Taliban in Shalbandi.Sources told Dawn that Taliban militants had dispatched sixteen bodies and shifted thirteen wounded colleagues to Swat via Kalil Kandow early on Tuesday morning after the shootout. However, militants and their local supporters were tightlipped about the casualties on their side. Following the battle, the Taliban took possession of the bodies of two Lashkar men and three police constables and even opened fire on Lashkar men when they tried to rescue the bodies early on Tuesday morning. Malakand commissioner Mohammad Javed Khan, Taliban commander Mehmood Khan, TNSM vice chief Maulana Mohammad Alam, district chief Maulana Salar and others visited Dara Gokand on Tuesday. They held several rounds of talks with the Taliban commander Rizwan Bacha of Puechar Swat. The dialogue continued till Tuesday evening and the Taliban commander allowed the handover of the bodies of the Qaumi Lashkar men and police personnel to a third party. The bodies of the police personnel were dispatched to their hometowns after funeral prayers at Police Line Buner. Sources said the Taliban set on fire seven houses of an influential member of the Qaumi Lashkar in Barwazee area and a petrol pump in Barikot, Swat district, on Tuesday. Tense calm prevailed in Gokand valley and rest of the district as influential people who have affiliation with Qaumi Lashkar have shifted their families from Sultanwas village to safer places in fear of Taliban reprisal.Sources close to the Taliban said the militants were in no mood to leave the area. They have reportedly established their headquarters in Buner district and were bent on holding peace march in the district and to monitor the affairs in accordance with the Nizam-i –Adl Regulation. The reconciliatory committee has succeeded in cooling down the situation but both sides have taken positions and final showdown is expected any time as reinforcement and heavy weaponry have been shifted to Taliban from Swat on Monday night. The Taliban have claimed consolidated their position in whole of Dara Gokand, advanced to Kalabat in Batai Dara and near occupying Bagra post, a few kilometers from Pir Baba Bazaar. Sources said Taliban have now kept their eyes on the Sultanwas area and it would be next target of militants if it consolidated its position in the area.
BUNER: Three police officials, two Lashkar (militia) men and sixteen militants were killed in overnight clash between Taliban and Qaumi Lashkar in Buner district, police and residents said on Tuesday.The fierce fighting erupted on Monday night when the Qaumi Lashkar and local police force made efforts to enter the Gokand valley via Rajagaly Kandow from Pir Baba side to flush out Taliban militants who had sneaked in to the district on Saturday from neighbouring Swat. The militants had earlier been asked to leave but had refused and took positions in the Gokand valley. The local jirga elders and district administration officials held several rounds of talks with the Taliban through a reconciliatory committee which included leaders of Tehrik Nefaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi (TNSM) in a bid to convince them to leave the area with an offer of safe passage. But the militant commander was of the view that Tehrik Taliban high command had ordered their Tashkeel (stay) in the area and they would leave after holding a peace march and visiting the families of six killed Taliban in Shalbandi.Sources told Dawn that Taliban militants had dispatched sixteen bodies and shifted thirteen wounded colleagues to Swat via Kalil Kandow early on Tuesday morning after the shootout. However, militants and their local supporters were tightlipped about the casualties on their side. Following the battle, the Taliban took possession of the bodies of two Lashkar men and three police constables and even opened fire on Lashkar men when they tried to rescue the bodies early on Tuesday morning. Malakand commissioner Mohammad Javed Khan, Taliban commander Mehmood Khan, TNSM vice chief Maulana Mohammad Alam, district chief Maulana Salar and others visited Dara Gokand on Tuesday. They held several rounds of talks with the Taliban commander Rizwan Bacha of Puechar Swat. The dialogue continued till Tuesday evening and the Taliban commander allowed the handover of the bodies of the Qaumi Lashkar men and police personnel to a third party. The bodies of the police personnel were dispatched to their hometowns after funeral prayers at Police Line Buner. Sources said the Taliban set on fire seven houses of an influential member of the Qaumi Lashkar in Barwazee area and a petrol pump in Barikot, Swat district, on Tuesday. Tense calm prevailed in Gokand valley and rest of the district as influential people who have affiliation with Qaumi Lashkar have shifted their families from Sultanwas village to safer places in fear of Taliban reprisal.Sources close to the Taliban said the militants were in no mood to leave the area. They have reportedly established their headquarters in Buner district and were bent on holding peace march in the district and to monitor the affairs in accordance with the Nizam-i –Adl Regulation. The reconciliatory committee has succeeded in cooling down the situation but both sides have taken positions and final showdown is expected any time as reinforcement and heavy weaponry have been shifted to Taliban from Swat on Monday night. The Taliban have claimed consolidated their position in whole of Dara Gokand, advanced to Kalabat in Batai Dara and near occupying Bagra post, a few kilometers from Pir Baba Bazaar. Sources said Taliban have now kept their eyes on the Sultanwas area and it would be next target of militants if it consolidated its position in the area.
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