Karachi carnage, RAW suspect

By S M Hali

KARACHI incident of 13 May in which 45 innocent Pakistanis (belonging to Ismaili Sect) have been brutally killed has been condemned by all and sundry. Unfortunately, it appears to be the machination of the Indian spy agency RAW, which has been working full time to destabilize Pakistan as well as create disturbances to sabotage the Pak – China economic corridor (CPEC) by indicating to the Chinese that if Pakistan government is not able to provide security to its citizens, how can it protect CPEC. Prior to this incident, Sabeen Mehmood was also killed by RAW to drive a wedge between Balochistan and rest of Pakistan.

Unfortunately, a progressive group in Pakistan is trying to belie our foreign office’s claim that RAW is actively involved in subversive activities in Pakistan. Some pseudo intellectuals would like to sacrifice Pakistan’s security at the altar of human rights. They are demanding that the Foreign Office promise of sharing proof of RAW’s subversive activities in Pakistan with India be made public. They have been holding seminars, writing columns and raising slogans in the name of good practice.
My learned friends have been quoting the example of the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), the Karachi University (KU), which were discouraged from holding discussions titled ‘Baloch missing persons and the role of state and society’. The event was a commemorative service for the fallen civil rights activist Sabeen Mahmud who was murdered right after hosting a panel discussion on Balochistan’s plight at her Karachi café, The Second Floor (T2F), on April 24, 2015.
At Karachi, when the event was cancelled by the University authorities to maintain the sanctity and sensitivity of the subject, the organizers held the event outside the premises of the University and clandestinely brought in Baloch human rights campaigner Mama Qadeer Baloch to speak on the issue. 

It is being alleged that freedom of speech is being curbed while the free voices are being gagged. It should be understood that Pakistan is passing through very trying times and the very survival of the nation is at stake. If an organization, which is responsible and does not utter a single word contrary to diplomatic nuances, claims that Indian Spy Agency RAW is behind the trouble in Pakistan, it should neither be doubted nor challenged. If the Indian External Affairs Ministry were to challenge the statements of its Pakistani counterparts, it would be understandable for they are the root of the problem. For bona-fide Pakistanis to raise a hue and cry on the subject is questionable. Perhaps such conscientious objectors are not fully cognizant of the gravity of the situation in Balochistan. Security forces, residents of Balochistan, with a different ethnic origin e.g. from Punjab or Karachi are being made to disappear by the scores and the culpable parties are insurgents or those agents of the enemy, who are not fighting for any human rights but are mercenaries or miscreants. Has there been
The Prime Minister of Pakistan flew to Kabul with his team of foreign office and defence advisors, comprising the Advisor on national Security, the Army Chief and the Director General of ISI. Reportedly, before the departure for Kabul high level team, went into a huddle at the PM House, where they discussed threadbare the modus operandi of the visit and talks. High on their agenda was the involvement of RAW in launching anti Pakistan surreptitious operations form Afghanistan into Balochistan, Karachi and rest of Pakistan. One-on-One discussions between heads of states especially of a sensitive nature as discussed above do not reach the Press. This scribe was not privy to the discussion either but has a fair idea of the gist of the matter discussed.
True that Balochistan has been neglected and denied its rights but for the past many years, Pakistan Armed Forces and the Government have bent backward to launch development projects, recruit Baloch youth into the Armed Forces and bureaucracy and uplift the downtrodden province. Many Baloch youth have been misled and recruited by enemies of the state to carry out operations against their own province. 

There are always two sides of an argument. If the government of Pakistan is providing opportunities to the misled youth to lay down their arms and join the mainstream, perhaps their grievances can also be resolved amicably. 

Instead of condemning the armed forces of Pakistan or the law enforcement agencies and blaming them of committing ignoble deeds, it would be prudent to look at the whole picture and not get carried away by occidental vogues of freedom of speech. After all, in the garb of freedom of speech, caricatures of the Holy Prophet (MBUH) and cartoon competitions are also being launched, but all sane minds are critical of such atrocious activities. 

Similarly, in Pakistan, we need to be patient and let the Foreign Office, the Ministry of Interior and Law Enforcing Agencies conduct their operations as they are all collectively fighting the “Battle for Pakistan”. 

If they fail, what to talk of freedom of speech, we will lose our very independence and freedom and become serfs and minions to those who want to subjugate us and use our own brethren against us. Freedom of speech is a favourable ideal but its pursuit sometimes gets glossed over by furtive deeds. 

No one has counted the bodies of the security and the non Balochi people found in mass graves, massacred by those who believe decapitation of humans is justified in the way of demanding their rights. Let good sense prevail. 

Swat operation 2009

By Muhammad Jamil

FOR years, Mullah Fazlullah had a free hand to indoctrinate the people of Swat, and he carried out his campaign through illegal FM radio. The then NWFP government, instead of putting up a brave face, had buckled under his pressure to enforce his version of sharea, which is contrary to the understanding of great majority of the Muslims. Political leadership was also found wanting when Charsadda was attacked by the thugs, and leader of the ANP Asfandyar Wali left his abode to find a safe haven in the President House in Islamabad. In view of the critical situation obtaining in Swat due to Mullah Fazlullah’s vile acts, civil and military leadership had decided to conduct military operation in Swat. On 16th May 2009, operation in Swat was initiated, and within months paradise was regained.

Militants had been destroying schools especially girls schools, shrines, video shops and barbers’ shops. In view of continuous propaganda launched by Mullah Fazlullah, and barbarities perpetrated by his thugs, people were scared rather traumatized. They, therefore, asked the then government to enforce sharea so that their ordeal and suffering could end. Chief of the defunct Tehrik Nifaz Shariat-e-Muhammadi (TSNM) Maulana Sufi Muhammad had handed over the list of his demands to the government representatives and was waiting for the reply. Earlier ANP government had given draft Sharea law for Malakand Division to Maulana Sufi Muhammad who had suggested some amendments to it. While talking to media men, he had assured that TSNM would take upon itself the responsibility to restore peace in Swat, Bajaur and other districts of Malakand division. Perhaps, it was strategy to deal with the government to get their demands accepted, or Mullah Fazlullah did not listen to his father-in-law Sufi Muhammad, which had been once acknowledged by himself. Therefore, it was of no use to negotiate with him for restoring peace in Swat. In fact, after 26th November Mumbai terror attacks, the US and the West have been pressurizing Pakistan government that it should take stern action against militants. Hence; any agreement with the militants at that point in time would have been considered as an act of ‘provocation’ by the international community. Secondly, sovereignty is never divisible; you can’t have sharea in Malakand division or Swat, tribal law for Balochistan and 1973 Constitution for the rest of the country. Any amendment can be made by the majority of assembly members. 

Anyhow, Government of Pakistan and the armed forces had to make a choice vis-à-vis put the country at stake by not taking any action or take military action to get rid of the terrorists. Apart from decimating infrastructure and network of the militants, the military also had to make arrangement for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) that had left their abodes on their instructions. In other words, they had helped the army by responding to their call to facilitate it so that it could flush out the terrorists from the area. Of course, accommodating such a large number of IDPs was a challenge for the government; and despite the best efforts of the government people did face difficulties. Anyhow, they and their coming generations would later live without trepidation and fear.
To destroy the internal enemies is not difficult for the Pakistan armed forces but because of the divided opinion of political and some religious parties the action was somewhat delayed. Secondly, the govt in its earnest had accepted the peace agreement between the NWFP government and Tehrik Nifiz-e-Shariat Muhammadi; and it wanted to give them some time. The president had approved the Nizam-i-Adl but leadership of the TNSM and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) did not fulfill their part of agreement i.e. laying down arms. It was therefore decided by the government to launch military operation to stem their tide. It was an open secret that the TTP was offering $300 per person to recruit to bring the people on their side, in addition to using the name of Islam.

Defence experts and analysts say that difficult terrain, porous border and friendly population that provide safe hideouts to the militants are the ingredients for the success of guerilla warfare. And TTP operatives had all of these advantages. Moreover, the TTP leadership was using religion to motivate and indoctrinate the people. Some knowledgeable persons and political analysts had been pointing out that India, US and Israel and Afghanistan had coalesced to destabilize Pakistan. Even Pakistan government functionaries hinted that foreign hands were behind the terrorists’ attacks in Pakistan. In this backdrop, it was not an easy task to dismantle the infrastructure and fortifications of the militants. However, Pakistan has proved the skeptics wrong by giving practical demonstration of its ability, capability and willingness to accept the challenge posed by the terrorists. 

In a short span of time, they did more than what the US, NATO and Afghan forces put together could not do in Afghanistan. After having made tremendous gains by flushing out militants from Dir, Buner and Swat, Pakistan Army had moved into Waziristan to destroy Taliban’s infrastructure there. The question then was being asked by critics and analysts as to what took Pakistan so long to decide and to move. The army struck Swat and Waziristan when Indians thought that their proxies were safe and had an upper hand. The Delhi- sponsored TTP overplayed their hand, and tried to move into Buner. This was not acceptable to Army Brass who had given Baitullah Mehsud enough rope to hang himself with.

The statement of Sufi Muhammad denigrating the constitution, parliament and judiciary exposed their real motives; and his live interview was the last straw that broke the camel’s back. According to the government there was incontrovertible evidence that India was involved in inciting and supporting nationalists in Balochistan and also in Malakand Division. Baitullah Mehsud, India and the US seemed to have common objective to destabilize Pakistan, but all for different reasons. The former wished to have control over FATA and then extending it to settled areas of NWFP. India wanted Pakistan to forget about Kashmir and other issues; and the US wanted to prove its point that militants could one day take over Islamabad and nukes could land in their hands. 

Afghanistan back in focus

By Khalid Iqbal

Flurry of activities about Afghanistan over the last two weeks have, once again, brought this country under international focus. Former President Asif Zardari led his party delegation to Kabul, Commander United States Forces in Afghanistan General John F Campbell called on Army Chief, General Raheel Sharif, President Ashraf Ghani undertook his visit to India; and there was a semblance of contacts between the Kabul government and Taliban in Doha, facilitated by a Canadian entity Pugwash. Officials from the US, China and Pakistan also attended the talks, with Pakistan officially announcing support for the peace talks. It was the third time the Taliban have sat with the representatives of Afghan government, earlier meetings were held in in France and Japan. However have been no formal talks between the two sides; at least there is no such acknowledgement from either side.

Delegation led by former president Zardari was part of outreach programme initiated by President Ashraf Ghani to reach out to Pakistan’s political leadership for consultation and for mobilizing their support for Afghan peace process. There is a bipartisan consensus among the political leadership of Pakistan for contributing towards peace and stability in Afghanistan; and point is home to all that apart from the Afghan people, it is the people of Pakistan who are to gain maximum benefits from a robust and sustainable peace in Afghanistan. Zardari Delegation met with the Afghan President and Chief Executive. Leadership discussed bilateral relations, regional situation and the need for enhanced economic cooperation. Terming terrorism as the common enemy of Pakistan and Afghanistan, Zaradri called for effective cooperation between the two neighbours. “The current environment requires new decisions. Pakistan, Afghanistan and the whole region face serious threats and these threats need new cooperation,” Dr Abdullah said. Zardari hailed the formation of unity government in Kabul. Welcoming the visit of the opposition leaders to Kabul, Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson described the visit as a “good omen,” adding that the government encourages political contacts between the two countries since they promote bilateral ties.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif discussed Pak-Afghan border coordination and the overall security situation in the region with General Campbell. Border management is the mother of most of the issues regarding Pakistan-Afghanistan relations. Pakistan has since long been proposing installation of biometric system on formal crossing points between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Bigger side of the issue is informal crossing points. While official crossing points are two, the informal crossings are numerous. Easement rights make the issue still more complicated. While such rights are the entitlement of the people residing within eight kilometers of the Pak-Afghan border, ways and means are not available to ensure that such rights are not misused by other people. 

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have become relatively better after a regime change in Afghanisan—though the spoilers are at work. As of now, intelligence sharing and coordinated efforts along both sides of the border are high on the agenda of both sides to counter terrorism. In April, Afghan army chief General Sher Muhammad Karimi was the first Afghan army chief to speak as chief guest at the Pakistan Military Academy Kakul, where Afghan army cadets also receive training.
Afghan President’s visit to India reaffirmed that the new Afghan government is seriously pursuing its policy of re-balancing with respect to its relations with India and Pakistan, and one sided anti-Pakistan rhetoric of Karzai era may be over, at least for the time being. Ghani has made rapprochement with Pakistan a key policy since being elected as Afghanistan’s president. Despite facing criticism at home for his efforts, he defended this policy while addressing an audience in New York during his visit to the United States. “I’m cautiously optimistic that we’ve begun a process of fundamental transformation,” he told the Council on Foreign Relations in response to a question about Afghan-Pakistani ties. On its part, Pakistan has made continuous efforts for facilitation of intra-Afghan peace process and smooth transit trade with Afghanistan. Effort is also being made for development of Web Based One Customs System which would help in bringing transparency in the system and enable the Afghan importers and Customs authorities in both countries to trace the cargo en-route to Afghanistan. “Pakistan wants to expect Afghanistan to be open as far as their access to Central Asia is concerned and it’s very natural for Afghanistan to expect from our Pakistani neighbours to open up,” Dr Abdullah said, while speaking to CNN-IBN. Afghanistan needs to appreciate Pakistan’s limitations with regard to extending such facilities to an out rightly hostile country who’s meddling in internal affairs of Pakistan is well known to the Afghan side. Keeping in view peculiar relations with India, Pakistan should not be expected to extend the Afghan transit trade beyond Pakistan-India borders on Wagah-Atari route; however, to facilitate Afghan people, Pakistan has permitted India to carry out trade via Karachi port. 

And in Doha, two days of talks between Taliban representatives and Afghan politicians ended without any concrete development. Qatar’s official news agency described the meeting as ‘reconciliation’ talks; while the Taliban termed them as ‘research talks’ in which each delegate participated in individual capacity and presented views. Pakistan has invested heavily in Afghan peace process and is keen to see forward movement in the process. Nevertheless, there is huge gap between the points of view of the two sides. Afghan government as well as the Taliban continue to articulate their preconditions which should actually be the end objectives of the talks. Pakistan supports peaceful, stable Afghanistan; Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif places great emphasis on strong, stable and cooperative ties with Afghanistan under his vision for a peaceful and prosperous neighborhood. 

Doha talks coincided with the new fighting season in Afghanistan. Apparently a disagreement over the presence of US troops in the country was reinforced during these talks. Head of the eight-member Taliban delegation, Sher Muhammad Abbas Stanikzai, read out a written statement at the conference. The statement said that Afghanistan could not have an independent government in the presence of foreign forces. Taliban side said the Afghan government had asked them to stop fighting and obey the Afghan constitution, but this was a non-starter since US troops are still present in Afghanistan. The Afghan government claimed that only foreign trainers were left, who would leave if the Taliban stopped fighting. Terming the UN sanctions on their leaders as “cruel”, the Taliban said such sanctions and decision were “hurdles in the way of the peace process.” The Taliban also dispelled the impression of exporting their ideology to other countries and said “Afghans have not been involved in terrorism against any country or the people but others have attacked their homeland.” A 20-member delegation from Afghan government, including members of the High Peace Council, attended the conference. A two-member team of Hizb-e-Islami Afghanistan of Gulbaden Hekmatyar, the second largest resistance group after the Taliban, was also part of the Qatar talks. This was a significant development given the Taliban’s refusal to join the intra-Afghan dialogue.

Asked about any progress on Pakistan’s peace efforts in Afghanistan, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry said: “We do not want to make comments in public but the people involved in the process are working hard and with responsibility…There is a need to push the reconciliation process between the Taliban and the Afghan administration.” 

For now, Afghan peace process seems to be moving in right direction, though at snails speed. A glaring discrepancy is absence of a credible guarantor to the final agreement. The UN Secretary General may like to induct P-5 in this role. The process would pick up pace as and Taliban are made stakeholders through power sharing; until then it will be akin to one step forward and two backwards. 

The Fallen Heroes of July 13th, 1931

Sohail Parwaz
 
Unfortunately the disunity of Muslim Ummah has remained me of few lines from a famous German poem, through which the German intellectuals were condemned and criticised for their silence and cowardice. It aptly fits on the Muslim Block today, which is divided all along thus could never keep itself as a united block to show strength or display their worth. The poem says;
First they came for the Communists,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Communist.
Then they came for the Socialists,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Socialist.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
and by that time there was no one
left to speak up for me.
The Muslim block is finally at a crossroad, where it has completely gone astray and doesn’t find a way out. The Muslim Ummah has not only lost its objective but has lost its distinctiveness, guts, moral fiber and faith (Emaan) as well. The British member Parliament George Galloway, sometime ago bashed the Muslim leadership of the world for their indifferent approach and criminal silence over ruthless killings in Gaza strip by the brutal Israelis. He openly said, “I address the Arab and Muslim leaders sincerely with the question. Have you no sense of shame? Judge yourselves before you are judged”. He never hesitated to condemn, the Indian atrocities in the blood bathed valley of Kashmir, in past, as well. Although both the issues have centuries old historic background, nevertheless, in near future the both were founded with hardly six months difference; the announced siege of the Kashmir valley took place on 26 October 1947 while Israel was founded hardly 200 days later on 14 May 1948. Hence I always call them ‘Twin Mayhem’.
For Gaza, still there are people who raise their voice but ironically for the children of lesser god, mostly the world is dead and mum. Hence it provides me a reason to shed few tears for the burning valley where the inopportune Kashmiris are facing the atrocities at the Indian goons, no less bad than what the Palestinian brethren are facing at the hands of inhuman Israelis in Gaza. The plight of inopportune Kashmiris is a never ending saga. Like 26^thOctober and 5^th February there are many other dates also associated to the Kashmir freedom movement. One more historical day was 13 July 1931, a day that was not only a mile stone but a turning point in the history of Kashmir. That was the day when the Kashmiris bluntly spelled their hate and revulsion against tyranny and oppression.
The deliberate efforts were made to minimize the Kashmir issue’s gravity as some ‘internal matter’ or some bilateral matter, while the history suggests that the issue existed even before India and Pakistan were founded as independent and separate nations. However, through a systematic and deliberate planning the Kashmir issue is being shoved in the dusty draws. The basic issue was the freedom and Kashmiris’ right of self-determination, which was molded with the passage of time as an unfinished business of partition.
As aforesaid that the dilemma of Kashmiris is a anthology of dates while 13th July is just another important date in the resistance of Kashmir. It is by no means the date when resistance started in Kashmir. There have been incidents of equal importance before this date like the deal between the East India Company and Maharaja Ghulab Singh, merely for rupees seventy-five lacs in 1846.  Hence, July 13^th, 2031 was by no way the start of people’s movement against Dogra aristocracy and oppression as some historians seem to have chosen this date to mark it so. However, it was certainly the turning point in freedom movement.
It was the Maharaja and his forces’ highhandedness that forced the people to turn against them in 1865. The Kashmiris, mostly the Muslims were marginalized and persecuted. Severe taxes; almost 300% was imposed on the Kashmiri working classes which was hundred percent Muslims, and these taxes ended pushing the commoners to scarcity and poverty. Among other oppressive tactics, ruining of Shawl industry was one, which the weavers, having no other option available were ultimately compelled to close but were not allowed to, by the State. Those who tried to flee the trade were heavily fined or sentenced the imprisonments. The struggle didn’t die during all that time.
However, sixty-six years later, 13th July 1931 had its own significance as it announced another start of a prevalent movement against the Dogra aristocracy. The things started with the address of an unknown and non-political figure Abdul Qadir to the protesters who gathered at the central mosque in Srinagar against the Dogra rule, on June 25^th. His speech drew huge support from the public who had been subjected to centuries of tyrannical and primitive domination. Abdul Qadir was arrested immediately by Dogra soldiers, and was tried at the Srinagar Central Jail on 13th July. When common Kashmiris gathered to protest against his prosecution, they were fired upon by Dogra forces killing a large number of people, some claim 21, others 22 and few believes that the martyrs were 23, however through cyber research an authentic list of 28 people is found where their names have also been mentioned. Such brutal action by the Dogra forces was repeated across Srinagar, coming down heavily against other protests across the city and painting the city with blood. The incident shook the whole State and the traffic from Srinagar to Rawalpindi and to Jammu was halted from 13th to 26th July. That’s why the martyrs’ day is remembered every year, in the memory of those fallen heroes of July 13th, 1931.
The same prejudiced West that shows concern for Arab Spring and lost sleep for people’s rights in Libya and Syria is ironically seen indifferent to the miseries of the Palestinians and the Kashmir quandary. It’s a point of great concern that due to the atrocities by Indian security forces from January 1989 till mid June 2014, around 94,038 innocent Kashmiris have been killed and that excludes custodian killing which comes around 7,023. During this period approximately 126,209 arrests have been made while 22,778 women have been widowed and 107,469 children have been orphaned. The most heinous crime is of gang-raping which the inhuman Indian soldiers, shamelessly committed, thus raped and molested 10,120 women.
In July 2011, British parliamentarian George Galloway, the veteran campaigner on Kashmir, while addressing a seminar at the UN in Geneva had said that Kashmiris simply want plebiscite which was promised to them by the UN and former prime minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru. He pointed out to the world that due to a crime committed by the British empire the sufferings of the Kashmiris were greater than the Palestinians and some 80,000 had died in more than 20 years of freedom struggle, uncountable numbers had been imprisoned, exiled, wounded and maimed, while the rape was used as a tool of occupation. Mr. Galloway stated in unambiguous words that Kashmir was never the part of India.
Dr. Subramanian Swami of BJP has recently said in a television interview that the only solution to the Kashmir problem is a decisive war against Pakistan and latter must be nuked if India is interested in a peaceful Subcontinent. It reflects the mindset of Indian leadership and their interest for the peace but still if someone is interested in presenting the other cheek to the Indian hardliners then he is certainly living in a fools’ paradise. Forlornly, despite a lapse of 66 years, Kashmiris are still struggling and sacrificing to achieve their alienable right under UN resolutions for the plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir. What the world needs to understand is that the global village will always remain restive if the flashpoint Kashmir remains unresolved and is not handled seriously.

The Economic Corridor: A Hurdle For the ‘Enemies’ – II

Aasef Chauhdry
 
While terror-acts still keep on going in Balochistan, but without grasping reality, and speaking in the tone of external entities, some politicians, human rights activists and media persons of Pakistan have been propagating against Pak Army, Frontier Constabulary (FC), country’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Military Intelligence (MI) including other law-enforcing agencies regarding subversive acts in the province. It seems ridiculous when some of them allegedly say that security agencies are behind terrorist activities in Balochistan.
It is mentionable that India, the US and Israel have been internationalizing the Balochistan issue in accordance with their secret designs. In this respect, in connivance with the Baloch separatist leaders who have taken refuge in Switzerland, Sweden, US and London, these foreign elements use media, various NGOs and human rights organizations for false propaganda against Pakistan’s security forces and ISI in relation to extrajudicial killings, mutilated bodies and the missing persons.
It is notable that Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) is also in collusion with some US Congressmen to get foreign support so as to animate the scheme of separatism in Balochistan. For the purpose, BLA and the Baloch feudal lord, Khan of Kalat had planned to take the issue of Balochistan to International Court of Justice (ICJ) and expected that India would pay $2.4 million lawyers’ fee to contest their case in ICJ. As Indian support did not get materialized, BLA and Khan of Kalat went over to US leaders to press forward their case. In February 8, 2012, three Republican Congressmen including Dana Rohrabacher, Louie Gohmert and Steve King tabled a bill before US Congress. Although the US Administration quickly distanced itself from Congressional hearing by Rohrabacher and Peters’ testimony, yet US denial does not augur well with ground reality, as American think tanks, NGOs and websites go on instigating the separatist elements in Baluchistan.
As regards the deteriorating situation of Balochistan and the missing persons, everyone knows the foreign-backed separatist groups such as the BLA, Baloch Liberation Front (BLF), Baloch Republican Army (BRA) and their affiliated outfits including another group, Jundollah (God’s soldiers) which have been fighting for secession of the province get logistic support from American CIA and Indian RAW—these miscreants kidnapped and killed many innocent people and the security personnel in the province. They also massacred many persons through suicide attacks, bomb blasts, targeted killings and sectarian violence. Therefore, they are responsible for dumped bodies and extrajudicial killings in the province. On a number of occasions, these militant outfits claimed responsibility for their subversive acts.
The government of Pakistan traced the roots long ago and then formally demanded the government of Afghanistan to eliminate the training camps of Indian spy agency, RAW, operational in the landlocked country, stating that they are involved in destabilizing Balochistan in specific and Pakistan in general. As per the statement by the defense minister, it has been confirmed that some of the Baloch leaders used Indian passports. Banned organisations including the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) and Balochistan Republican Army (BRA) were directly funded by RAW, which had established training camps in Kabul, Kandahar and Nimroz. Pakistani officials are of the view that it has been made clear to the Afghan government that Pakistan is ready for a joint operation and cooperation to eliminate these training camps. They have said that as long as RAW is active in Afghanistan, Balochistan will not become stable.
If the situation mentioned above is critically analysed then it’s not very difficult to understand that why Braham Dagh Bugti addressed a so called German Chapter of the BRP’s press conference to highlight human rights situation in Balochistan and has criticized the CPEC and Gwadar port projects while calling for a UN-sponsored referendum in Balochistan to “decide its future”. The truth is that the drama is over. The naissance of economic corridor will not only bring prosperity to the Baloch people but will prove to be a death warrant for the ages old obsolete and unjust ‘Sardari System’ of Balochistan.

The Economic Corridor: A Hurdle for the ‘Enemies’ – I

Aasef Chauhdry 

Approximately about four years back, an article under the title ‘A Discreet Conflict’ written by one Matt McCullough was published in an online journal ‘The Majallah’. It would have been comparatively a sensible article, written by any western writer, had few queries been answered logically. For example, without having any love lost for the armed forces and much talked ISI, one is always astonished that why only these two organisations which are supposed to look after the state’s interest are always blamed and targeted and why not the discreet stakeholders like the Americans, Russians, Indians and some of the European countries aren’t blamed, who have a visible nefarious agenda? The American, Russian and above all the Indians interest and concern in the region are well known especially when the then American ambassador visited Quetta unannounced. So, why to blame these two forces without any concrete proof and not to doubt even those who were and who are manipulating the game? Very strangely, on 14 August 2011, the Independence Day was celebrated by handful insurgents as Black Day and so called Baloch rebels happily killed their countrymen Punjabis and trusted friend China’s technical experts, while the Americans and the other western high profile dignitaries were roaming freely in the province and were not touched even?

Amazingly the nationalists display anger, for the deprivation, against the Punjabis and the armed forces who are the major contributors for the development in the province but those Sardars who sucked the Poor’s blood and kept them uneducated for decades, are still regarded as heroes? Can anyone deny that the Army has constructed the maximum roads, schools and hospitals in the Province? Will any Sardar claim that the light and gas in the province is his achievement? Fully agreed that there is 30 percent unemployment and 75 percent illiteracy but do the Nationalists have some character and morality to admit that this all is because of their Sardars, like Bugti, Mari and Mengal? No, they will not because these Sardars with the help of their Western Masters are pulling the strings of these puppets popularly known as The Nationalists.

As the writer aptly said that, “the Balochistan is important to US interests beyond pumping gas and blocking Iran and China from doing the same”, so very simple and easy to understand that who is calling the shots in Balochistan? Now when the drama of Balochistan liberation is seeing its drop scene, the cunning stakeholders are surfacing with the real motives.

The real motive is to prevent the founding of China-Pakistan Economic Cor­­ridor (CPEC). The enemies are again awakening and have started giving jolts to their puppets. Nawabzada Braham Dagh Bugti, the separatist leader of the outlawed Baloch Republican Party (BRP), has criticised the China-Pakistan Economic Cor­­ridor (CPEC) and Gwadar port projects and called for a UN-sponsored referendum in Balochistan to decide its future. Braham Dagh, now living lavishly in Europe while posing as in self-imposed exile, said that the Baloch did not accept Chinese intervention and its ‘designs’ to exploit the land and resources of Balochistan without their consent. He was addressing through Skype a conference of his party in Frankfurt. The conference was organised by the German chapter of the BRP to highlight human rights situation in Balochistan. The party’s spokesman, Sher Mohammad Bugti, said in a statement in Frankfurt that the conference was attended by leaders and workers from different parts of Europe and German politicians, businessmen and human rights activists. He alleged that military equipment and funds obtai­ned by Pakistan from the US and other western countries for combating terrorists and extremist groups were being used also against the democratic and political struggle of the Baloch people.

Everyone knows about the significance of a conference that is held through Skype or other such social media means. The people of Balochistan know very well about the character of these so called leaders who spent their summers in Swiss resorts and winters on Hawaiian beach. None of them has ever picked the courage to come back and fight beside those innocent people whom they are befooling since long. Those who have a cause; whether right or wrong don’t care and lead their followers from front. What a funny liberation moment is this which is being fought through internet.  This is the only reason that the people have realised and have refused to become puppets anymore. Even a layman can conveniently understand that how productive this economic corridor is for Balochistan’s prosperity and how useful it would be for the Baloch who are still living in the Stone Age through the kind courtesy of their cunning Sardars. Those who were blindly following these so called leaders; the foreign agents have started lying down their arms and are being welcomed by the authorities who have promised their economic and financial rehabilitation.

Every Day is Martyrs’ Day for Kashmiris

By Sajjad Shaukat

The Martyrs’ Day, known as Youme Shuhada-e-Kashmir is observed on July 13 every year on both sides of the Line of Control and all over the world by the Kashmiris to pay homage to 22 Kashmiris who were martyred in 1931 to free Kashmir from the brutalities of despotic Dogra rulers. The day is the milestone in the history of Kashmiri struggle against foreign occupation.

However, the history of Dogra rule (1846-1947) in Kashmir is replete with tyrannous treatment, meted out to the Kashmiri Muslims by Dogra forces. Under the Dogra rule, they were leading so miserable life that it was difficult to differentiate them from beasts. Slave labour, heavy taxes, capital punishment for cow slaughter, and living under constant terror was order of the day.

In this regard, Yousaf Saraf in his book, “Kashmiris Fight for Freedom” calls it “free forced labour” and “instead of donkeys and horses, Kashmiri Muslims were used for transportation of goods across the far-flung areas.” In this context, while describing the pathetic picture of the Kashmiris, in his book, “The India We Served”, Sir Walter Lawrence writes, “Army was employed in forcing the villagers to plough and sow, and worse still, the soldiers came at harvest time and when the share of the state had been seized” and “there was very little grain to tide the unfortunate peasants over the cruel winter.”

On April 19, 1931, the ban of Eid Khutba (Sermon) ignited widespread demonstrations in the Jummu city for a number of days. It was followed by desecration of the Holy Quran at the hands of Dogra forces, which resulted into outrage among the Muslims throughout the state. In Srinagar, people gathered in Jamia Masjid to denounce this blasphemy. One such get-together was held in Khankah-e-Muella Srinagar, which was addressed by prominent Kashmiris. When the meeting was concluded, a youth, Abdul Qadeer, pointing his finger to the Maharaja’s palace, raised slogans “destroy its every brick.” With the accusation of sedition, he was arrested forthwith. Abdul Qadir was to be tried in the court, but due to large public resentment, the court was shifted to Central Jail Srinagar.

On July 12, 1931, in response to the shifting of court, intense public protests were held throughout the city. The next day, on July 13, 1931, thousands of people thronged the Central Jail Srinagar to witness the in-camera trial of Abdul Qadeer. As the time for obligatory prayer approached, a young Kashmiri stood for Azan. The Dogra Governor, Ray Zada Tartilok Chand ordered soldiers to open fire at him. When he got martyred, another young man took his place and started Azan. He was also shot dead. In this way, 22 Kashmiris embraced martyrdom in their efforts to complete the Azan. The people carried the dead and paraded through the streets of Srinagar, chanting slogans against Dogra brutalities. Complete strike was observed in the city, which was followed by weeklong mourning. This incident shook the whole state and the traffic from Srinagar to Rawalpindi and Srinagar to Jammu came to halt from July 13 to 26, 1931. The 22 martyrs are buried in Martyrs’ Graveyard at Khawaja Bazar, Srinagar.

Consequent upon these brutal killings, the Kashmiri leadership realized the need to form a political party, Muslim Conference (MC) with a view to waging struggle for their freedom. Later, in 1934, state’s first elections were held and MC won 10 out of 21 seats, and after two years in 1936, it succeeded in getting 19 out of 21 seats. Indian Congress was upset with this situation and tried to create division in the ranks of Kashmiri leadership. Afterwards, on July 19, 1947, MC passed a resolution to merge Kashmir with Pakistan, considering the geographical proximity—majority of Muslim population (77%), language and cultural relations of Jammu and Kashmir.

Ironically, despite a lapse of 66 years, Kashmiris are still struggling and sacrificing to achieve their alienable right under the UN resolutions for the plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir. Kashmir Valley is one of the most heavily militarized regions in the world with Indian 7 million armed security forces which are perpetrating various forms of state terrorism on the innocent Kashmiris. Since 1989, a deliberate campaign by the Indian army and paramilitary forces against the Kashmiris has been manifested in brutal tactics such as crackdowns, curfews, illegal detentions, massacre, targeted killings, sieges, burning the houses, torture, disappearances, rape, breaking the legs, molestation of Muslim women and killing of persons through fake encounter.

According to a report on human rights violations in the Indian Occupied Kashmir, since 1989, there have been deaths of 1,00000 innocent Kashmiris, 7,023 custodial killings, 1,22,771 arrests, 1,05,996 destruction of houses or buildings, 22,776 women widowed, 1,07,466 children orphaned and 10,086 women gang-raped/molested. Indian brutal securities forces have continue these atrocities.

Besides Human Rights Watch, in its various reports, Amnesty International has also pointed out grave human rights violations in the Indian controlled Kashmir, indicating, “The Muslim majority population in the Kashmir Valley suffers from the repressive tactics of the security forces. Under the Jammu and Kashmir Disturbed Areas Act, and the Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act and Public Safety Act, security forces personnel have extraordinary powers to shoot suspected persons.”

In its report on July 2, 2015, the Amnesty International has highlighted extrajudicial killings of the innocent persons at the hands of Indian security forces in the Indian Held Kashmir. The report points out, “Tens of thousands of security forces are deployed in Indian-administered Kashmir…the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) allows troops to shoot to kill suspected militants or arrest them without a warrant…not a single member of the armed forces has been tried in a civilian court for violating human rights in Kashmir…this lack of accountability has in turn facilitated other serious abuses…India has martyred one 100,000 people. More than 8,000 disappeared (while) in the custody of army and state police.”

In this respect, European Union passed a resolution on May 11, 2011 about human rights abuses committed by Indian forces in the Indian held Kashmir.

Particularly, in 2008, a rights group reported unnamed graves in various regions of the Indian occupied Kashmir. In this context, in August, 2011, Indian Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) officially acknowledged in its report that innocent civilians killed in the two-decade conflict have been buried in unmarked graves. Notably, foreign sources and human rights organizations including Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) have disclosed that unnamed graves include thousands of persons, killed by the Indian forces in the fake encounters including those who were tortured to death by Indian secret agency RAW.

In its report China’s leading News Agency Xinhua has unearthed more gruesome details on world-stunning unmarked graves in Poonch of the Indian occupied Kashmir. The report revealed the statement of Sofi Aziz Joo, caretaker of a graveyard as saying, “Police and Army used to bring those bodies and direct me to bury them. The bodies were usually bullet-ridden, mutilated, faces disfigured and sometimes without limbs and heads.”

It seems that non-condemnation of these Indian massive human rights violations and non-interference for the settlement of this issue by the so-called civilized international community, especially the US have further encouraged New Delhi to keep on going with its state terrorism on the armless Kashmiri masses. Ignorance of the issue by them involves the risk of nuclear war between Pakistan and India.

Indian authorities are not willing to talk with Kashmiri people on political grounds. New Delhi reached to a conclusion that only bullet is the right way of dealing with Kashmiris, demanding their right of self-determination. Surprisingly, Indian successive governments are trying to ignore the dynamics of the freedom movement of Kashmiris for the sake of their alien rule.

It is notable that dialogue between India and Pakistan took place on a number of occasions, but produced no outcome, prolonging the agony of the subjugated people of the occupied Kashmir due to Indian intransigence.

Nevertheless, observance of Kashmiris’ freedom struggle during the Martyrs’ Day every year is reaffirmation of the fact that Kashmiris will continue to fight against Indian illicit occupation. In this context, Youme Shuhada-e-Kashmir is an ideal day for Kashmiris to seek inspiration to take their war of liberation to its logical end. At this time of distress, the people of Pakistan’s side are sharing the grief of Kashmiri freedom lovers. Pakistan also observes Youme Shudaha-e-Kashmir on July 13, launching a protest against the oppressive polices of Indian occupation, which have continued against the hapless Kashmiris.

Nonetheless, on July 13, all over the world, Kashmiris renew their pledge to continue the ongoing war of liberation for the accomplishment of their right of self-determination and for the independence of Kashmir from the despotic Indian rulers who continue state terrorism in the Indian-controlled Kashmir like the Dogra rulers. In these terms, every day is Martyrs’ Day for the Kashmiris.

Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power

Email: sajjad_logic@yahoo.com