The Human Rights Crisis in Northwest Pakistan

Fazal ur Rehman Afridi

The recently unveiled report titled “As If Hell Fell On Me”, by Amnesty International (AI), depict a horrifically dismal picture of the Human rights situation in Northwest of Pakistan, with particular emphasis on atrocities committed by the security forces of Pakistan and Taliban. The report is a red-card by Amnesty handed over to Pakistan- playing foul in the field of Human Rights. Focusing mainly on the deteriorating Human Rights situation in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Amnesty was having no choice but to declare FATA to be a Human Rights Free Zone. Keeping in view the stature of Amnesty as defender of the Human Rights on International level, this report can work as an eye opener for the Western World, which is hesitant to declare Northwest of Pakistan a war zone mainly due to political hypocrisy and vested interest. The report is not complete and comprehensive partly due to the fact that the representatives of Amnesty International were not allowed to enter FATA to directly meet, talk, investigate and interrogate the people and the security forces: to assess the situation on the ground objectively by itself.

The current sporadic and continuous low intensity fighting in FATA and Northwest of Pakistan represent a war theater. A war zone far more dangerous and bloodier than Afghanistan and Iraq resulting in dozens of casualties on daily basis. The astronomical human and material cost of this ongoing strife has pushed Pakistan hard enough to overtake Afghanistan and Iraq. Mass graves discovered at different locations in Swat as confirmed by HRCP, AI and HRW: reminds of the Serb genocide of 1995 in the city of Srebrenica in Bosnia & Herzegovina. Many more undiscovered Mass-graves are waiting to be unearthed, if and when International Human Rights Organizations will be allowed to enter FATA.

The magnitude and scale of torture, killing and forced disappearances by Military Establishment of Pakistan dwarfs the Chilean Dictator, General Augusto Pinochet. The Supreme Court of Pakistan is powerless, as its orders to produce missing persons before the court for trial are thrown into dustbin by Military Establishment.

The situation is pathetically dismal in areas of Freedom of expression and liberty of the Press. Pakistan holds the unenviable top position in the world with the highest number of journalists killed so far this year. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and FATA are lawless with complete break-down of Law & order. Government security agencies and Taliban show scant respect for the rule of law and supremacy of the constitution.

A brief description of Human Rights violations by Taliban and the governemt of Pakistan (Military) are enumerated by Amnesty International as under:

TALIBAN ATROCITIES:

1. Many of the Taleban’s acts constitute crimes under international law. They are also crimes under Pakistan’s law but in the absence of suitable judicial structures and the Pakistan government’s inability or lack of will to protect the local population from such crimes, these crimes have been committed with impunity”. The Pakistan-based Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), and the International Institute for Strategic Studies, have both estimated more than 11,000 Casualties in 2009 only in North-West of Pakistan.

2. In 2008 and 2009, Amnesty International documented 114 cases of attacks by the Taleban against locally prominent persons, including government officials, tribal leaders allied with the government, Journalists, aid workers and human rights activists. These attacks resulted in at least 256 deaths of civilians belonging to the aforementioned groups.

3. Taliban have imposed a strict social codes on civilians, forcing men to wear long Beards, wear caps, perform prayers and women to wear full veils or burqas. These and other actions are abuses of a whole range of human rights of local residents, including to life, to liberty and security of the person, to non-discrimination, freedom of expression, religion, association and movement, and the prohibition of torture and ill-treatment.

4. The Taleban have systematically abused the right to life, and to freedom from arbitrary detention, torture, gender, religious, and ethnic discrimination, and the right to free expression—among other internationally recognized human rights”, the report says.

HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS COMMITTED BY PAKISTANI GOVERNMENT (MILITARY):

1. Pakistan has deployed tanks, artillery, jet fighters and bombers, helicopter gunships, and thousands of regular military troops to FATA for the first time in the history of Pakistan. The research conduct by Amnesty International shows that the Pakistani military has not taken sufficient care to minimize the risk to civilians, often resorting to indiscriminate or disproportionate force in its operations. Pakistani government forces have detained hundreds, if not thousands, of FATA residents on suspicion of cooperating with the Pakistani Taleban.

2. Cedible media reports suggest that some 2,500 people were in detention in the first half of 2010…the numbers subjected to enforced disappearances could be much higher. These detainees are not held under any clear legal framework under Pakistan’s law, the report confirms. Hundreds of thousands of FATA’s nearly four million residents have fled the increasing brutality of the Pakistani Taleban and of the government’s military response.

3. Amnesty International has documented multiple instances of the military blocking members of the Mehsud tribe from using major roads to flee the conflict zone during its military operation of Rah-e-Nijat in South Waziristan.

These violations presented by Amnesty International is just like scratching the surface. Now, I would like to see as to which International mechanism exists, through which the Taliban and Military commanders who committed and ordered these abuses and brutalities to be brought to justice at an appropriate time. The following International Criminal, Human Rights and Humanitarians laws and other UN conventions have been violated:

Under international criminal law (ICL), individuals may be held criminally responsible for certain violations of international human rights law (IHRL), such as torture and enforced disappearance, for crimes against humanity and genocide, and for serious violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), such as war crimes. International human rights law applies both in peacetime and during armed conflict and is legally binding on states and has implications for non-state actors.

International humanitarian law (IHL) also known as the law of armed conflict, is binding on all parties to an armed conflict (regardless of whether the conflict is international or non-international), including non-state armed groups.

The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), though not itself a binding treaty, articulates some of the most basic rights that all UN member states pledge to promote and protect pursuant to the Charter of the United Nations. A number of the UDHR provisions, including the prohibition on discrimination and the right to equality before the law, prohibition on torture and other ill-treatment, and the right to fair trial by an independent and impartial tribunal are violated by the government of Pakistan.

Under the Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) , Pakistan is required to ensure that women enjoy equal rights and access as are provided to men in a range of fields such as holding public office, education, employment, health care, other areas of economic and social life CEDAW requires Pakistan to accord to women equality with men before the law, including a legal capacity in civil matters identical to that of men and the same opportunities to exercise that capacity, and equal treatment in all stages of procedure in courts and tribunals. The draconian black law of Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) imposed on FATA residents clearly violets CEDAW and UDHR as most of its articles particularly Clauses 21, 22, 40 FCR are barbaric medieval-aged interpretation of laws. Under the clause of collective responsibility, tribesmen are arrested and sentenced some times for 14 years without trial in the courts of Pakistan for the crimes they have not committed. A women can be imprisoned without any trial before any court of law, without a right to appeal: if her husband or father-in-law accuse her of extra-marital relationship. Hundreds of children are languishing in prisons for the crimes they have not committed under 40 FCR in contravention to the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The Constitution of Pakistan of 1973 explicitly excludes FATA from the legal, judicial and parliamentary system of Pakistan, including barring residents from full representation in parliament and bringing appeals to a higher courts of Pakistan. One does not understand as to how a state can maintain its membership of UN when its laws and Constitution clearly violate all International Human Rights instruments, treaties, laws and conventions.

“Finally, it is worth recalling that members of the Pakistan government or army and the insurgency movements may be subject to criminal prosecutions under international criminal law, in relation to war crimes, crimes against humanity, or other crimes under international law” Amnesty International confirms.

This statement of Amnesty International which clearly put the responsibility on the government of Pakistan or Army and the Taliban should be taken seriously by US, EU and relevant institutions like International Court of Justice (ICJ) to take measures to bring the culprits to justice, otherwise the world will witness a genocide in comparable in the history of Mankind.

I fully appreciate the efforts of Amnesty International for documenting this report with razor-beam focus on violations of IHRL, IHL, UDHR, CEDAW, CRC and the relevant Geneva conventions in Northwest of Pakistan, particularly FATA.

But, inspite of dozens of reports and mountains of information piled up by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Human Rights Commission of Pakistan: analysis by think-tanks like Rand and Council for Foreign Relations: the protests, condemnations and reports filed by Press freedom organization like Reporters without Borders(RSF), International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and World Association for Newspapers (WAN): Annual Human Rights reports both by US and European governments, expressing concern over Human Rights abuses both by the State of Pakistan and Taliban in FATA and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: no Inquiry under an International Inquiry Commission (my proposal) has been conducted to verify and ascertain the factual situation on the ground which is far more dangerous than reported. A full-fledge war is going on in the Northern Part of Pakistan but still the Western countries are reluctant to declare it a war zone. Northwest of Pakistan needs to be declared a Safe Area under International protection, in order to protect the Pashtun race from ongoing Genocide by Punjabi Military Establishment.

The human rights abuses and violation of IHRL and IHL documented in this report is just a tip of an iceberg. Despite the fact that this effort of Amnesty International is a bold step in the right direction but the international community cannot relieve itself of its main responsibility to make the government of Pakistan accountable for the human right abuses that are taking place under the nose of the military establishment or to put it more precisely, with the active connivance or orders of the higher Command of the Military.

The merciless killing of innocent Pashtun Nation by the Pakistani Military will continue until the International Community act with resolute commitment taking tough measures to bring the higher command of Military to justice by invoking the relevant articles of the IHRL, IHL and Geneva Convention of 1949.

We cannot wait to see the situation convert into just like the tragedy of the Genocide of Srebrenica, Bosnia & Herzegovina or worst in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA. Unconfirmed reports suggests that more civilians have been killed in violation of International Humanitarian law than one can imagine. It needs to stopped immediately, otherwise the resultant balkanization of Pakistan will be more tormenting and ferocious than one can imagine leaving the un-healing scars of war and destruction dividing Pashtuns and Punjabi communities of Pakistan on blood lines. Again, I would also like to remind the International Court of Justice to take notice of the War Crimes committed by the government of Pakistan and Taliban to bring the culprits to justice.

PAK-US STRATEGIC DIALOGUE- A PASHTUN PERSPECTIVE

The hollow claims of Pakistan commitment to peace in Afghanistan have been exposed by the statement of the former UN special representative to Afghanistan Mr. Kai Eide that the resent arrest of high profile Talibans leadership by Pakistani authorities, have jeopardized the process of secret peace talks with moderate Talibans. Mr. Karzai was also infuriated by these arrests though not expressing it publically. This mis-adventure of Pakistan indicate the real villainous intentions of Pakistan Military Establishment for elusive peace in Afghanistan.
International community should be well aware of the fact that Pakistan support only those Talibans who do not want the peaceful settlement of Afghan imbroglio. Pakistani Military Establishment was protecting those hardline Talibans who were killing US and Allied forces in Afghanistan. These arrests have made it clear that the root cause of the Afghan problem lie in Pakistan. Ironically, the billions of dollars that US is pouring into the pockets of Pakistani Generals are used to finance, train and equip those Talibans who are involved in killing the same Americans. It seems illogical and bizarre that the American tax payer money is spent on killing the American soldiers.

Pakistani Military establishment who is historically obsessed with the word STRATEGIC is currently involved in Strategic dialogue with US. A high level delegation of military-cum-civilian leadership is in Washington to find ways and means how to sell their fellow countrymen to US on prices higher than General Musharraf did. Pakistani have not forgotten the legends like Strategic depth of Afghanistan, the Strategic Retreat of Kargil, the Strategic defeat of 1971 and the Strategic wholesale bazar of General Musharaf. I do not know out-come of this strategic dialogue. But, one thing is clear that Pakistanis will face further humiliation, further terrorism, further selling of their daughters and sons, further burden of debt , further anarchy and further filling of pockets of Army Generals. People will forget General Musharafs retail-sale, when they will hear the stories of General Kayanis wholesale offers to US .

This time around, Pakistan has a new product to offer. Huge amounts are at stake as a very large number of pro-Pakistan Talibans are on Public Auction in Washington. Time will tell as to which group among Haqani Network, Quetta Shura or Gulbadin Hikmatyar will get the highest bid price. Musharraf used to sell individual, General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani is going a step further by selling larger groups. But, even at this stage Pakistani Military Establishment is clever enough to sell some expired products which are of no use to Pakistan. At this stage Americans should show their wisdom by demanding the real Talibans. Clean-shaved Punjabi uniformed Generals are the real Talibans, who are the root cause of all the troubles in the region. Besides these Generals, the Punjabi turbaned and bearded Talibans are also a threat to the regional peace. Durable peace in the region cannot be achieved until or unliess the Punjabi Talibans are eliminated. And these Punjabi Talibans are not located in North-West of Pakistan or Afganistan, rather they are hiding in cities like Faisalabad, Muridke, Lahore, , Dera Ghazi Khan, Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur, Multan, and Karachi. I would advise the Military Establishment to include in the offer the Punjabi Talibans also. Surely they will get the highest price from Americans.

Pakistan can achieve nothing from this strategic dialogue. This is just a ploy to deceive the public through good stories, kind words and smiles from US politicians. Both countries have a long history of mistrust. Strategic dialogue takes place and can be successful when the two negotiating countries share the same priorities and same vision of the world. Both these important elements do not exist when it comes to Pakistan and USA. Pakistan has achieved nothing except a promise of Up gradation of 3 power plants. Pakistani pro-military media has blown it out of proportion as if something really important is taking palce.. For how long Pak Military Establishment will hypocritically hide the facts and deceive the public. Why the public is not taken into confidence on the demands by the US to attack those Talibans which were considered friends by military. Americans should know well that they can never succeed in eliminating the menace of terrorism in the region until or unless Pakistani Military openly condemn terrorism and start a hot pursuit of Terrorists. Another important factor which makes this strategic dialogue a doomed to fail exercise is the exclusion of Pashtuns from this dialogue. How can this dialogue succeed when the main party to the problem of terrorism has been excluded? Pashtuns, who are directly affected by Terrorism, facing and fighting this threat on daily basis is not considered by Pakistan to be represented in these talks. This shows the hypocrisy and the mal- intentions of Military Establishment towards Pashtuns who have been victims of genocide and terrorism. The success of strategic dialogue will remain an illusion until or unless the main stakeholder Pashtuns are not heard.

My personal opinion is that Pashtuns have realized that their real enemy is Pakistani Military. Mullah Abdul Gahni Birader who was negotiating secretly with UN is a testimony to the fact that Pashtuns do not trust Pak Military Establishment anymore. They want to talk directly with US and Afghan government to resolve the issue. Talibans have realized that they have been used as fodder in this war by Pakistan to protect the Punjabi and Wahabi interests. That is why some Talibans elements in Pakistan have turned against Pakistan and are involved in killing Pakistani military, secret agencies and police. Talibans must realize that they are fightin neither Jihad nor a holy war. Instead of fighting the war of Wahabism for Saudis and their Pakistani mercenaries, they should stop violence and start dialogue with the US and Afghan government directly. No body will stop them from practicing their religion. Rather than fighting a proxy war for Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, they should try to learn what their real roots are. They should return to their roots, culture and tradition. If Saudis and Pakistanis have so much love for Islam and Jihad, then they should fight it from their land. If they are really interested in Jihad then thousands of American forces are present in Saudi Arabia. Pakistan is also hosting US and NATO forces in its territory, providing them military basis,ports, human intelligence and all logistical support. These two countries which are a part of every problem in global terrorism, are fighting that war in other countries of the world including Afghanistan and Pashtun part of Pakistan, spelling the blood of other nations particularly Pashtuns. All the Nationalists, secular and educated Pashtuns headed by Awami National Party (ANP) have expressed the same views in a recently held Grand Jirga in Peshawar in which it was clearly identified that the two key causes of terrorism are: strategic depth policy of the military establishment of Pakistan; and the Arab expansionism embodied by al Qaeda under the garb of global Islam.

On the other hand Pakistan is not interested in rooting out terrorism, as terrorism can be eliminated by weakening the Motivation Power of the Terrorist Organizations. This can be done by providing real education rather than Wahhabis education of hatred. Education systems (curriculum & literature) of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are just spreading hatred against other nations and religions like Hindus, Jews, Shias, Ahamadis and Christians. Through economic development, creation of Jobs, rule of law and supremacy of the constitution and good governance we can direct the energies of our youth for peace, stability, tolerance and love. Pakistan has failed in all these areas. Rather the money received from International Community is used piling up of more weapons. The bellies of some Generals are getting bigger and fatter then ever. While watching the distruction of recent Mingora blast, I was shocked to see a picture of a small boy dead on a garbage dump. A small boy who was supposed to be at school, was at the garbage dump , earning livelihood for his family. This poor boy was not spared even at a garbage dump to earn his livelihood. Talibans are offering handsome amounts to such young and poor Pakistanis to become bombers rather than good educated citizens of the country. This real example shows the failure of the Pakistani government which is creating an environment where only terrorists can flourish. Talibans are just a link otherwise the real motivational force for terrorism is Pakistani Military Establishment, which is not interested in the economic and financial betterment of its people.

The recent hue and cry by pro-military media on Kerry-Lugar Bill was not due to the fact that Pakistani Nation was insulted. Military felt insulted when the US made a deal with civilian government according to which the money was to be used for social and economic development rather than going into the pockets of Generals. As the Military Establishment could not double-time the US this time, they made it a matter of honor. Another irritant was the US commitment to civilian rule and democracy, directly in conflict with Military Establishment, the real ruler of Pakistan right from its creation. Military is selling the citizens of Pakistan to US with the sole purpose of earning money, that is not considered dishonorable and humiliating but when the civilians institutions are supported by US, it becomes a matter of honor.

To expose the double-timing of the Pakistani Military Establishment I would like to present one example of Military operations conducted by Pak Military to which I am a personal witness. Recently, Pakistan Military started a military operation against Talibans in F.R Kohat and F.R Peshawar. All the entry and exit were cordoned of by the military to these areas. Tthe people of Jawaki F.R Kohat area are witness to the fact that Talibans fighters were given a safe-exit by the military. These Talibans entered and dispersed in settled areas of Kohat city through adjoining Bazid Khel Area without any trouble and even stayed for one night or two in Bazid Khel.

I have personally seen military helicopters supplying logistics to these Taliban terrorizing, abducting and killing local civilians in F.R Kohat and Peshawar. It is impossible to live, train and attack without the help of military in these inaccessible hilly areas. Similar, things were repeated in South Waziristan, Swat and Bajour. The main victims of the aerial bombardment and artillery shelling were innocent civilians rather than Taliban who are considered to be a STRATEGIC ASSET.

Another story which shows the real motivational force in flourishing terrorism for which military is responsible. In a small village of Jawaki Babu Khel F.R. Kohat only one person named as Murad Khan was working as informer to Talibans. Before the military operation, he took hostage all the male members of that ill-fated village. Even male children were taken hostage by this Taliban informer. He told his fellow villagers that Military will kill them all on the charges of helping Talibans. Military has done it already in other such cases, so due to fear of being killed by military they all left the village, despite the fact that these poor villagers did not help Talibans. So, now all the women in that village of Babu Khel are all alone and not a single male member of a village is there to provide them food and protection. I am sure that the military would have killed those innocent villagers if they would have stayed, as we have been witness to many such abductions, tortures and killings by military. Ironically the same military gave a safe- passage to real Talibans. It means that government is involved in motivating civilians to join hands with terrorists or be prepared to be killed either by Talibans or military. There are hundred of examples of past military operations in which military killed innocent civilians. Taliban also killed innocent civilians on the charges of helping military. In both the cases innocent civilians are the victims.

At the end I would like to comment on the explanations given by my Pashtun brother and Journalist, Salim Safis to his Punjabi counterparts, where he seems to be apologetic about his language and culture. I would like to make it absolutely clear that as Pashtuns we are proud of our language and culture. If some Punjabis are afraid of our language and culture, they should consult a psychiatric. We are not against any language and culture, but we are proud of our heritage be it our language, culture or traditions.

PAK-US STRATEGIC DIALOGUE- A PASHTUN PERSPECTIVE

The hollow claims of Pakistan commitment to peace in Afghanistan have been exposed by the statement of the former UN special representative to Afghanistan Mr. Kai Eide that the resent arrest of high profile Talibans leadership by Pakistani authorities, have jeopardized the process of secret peace talks with moderate Talibans. Mr. Karzai was also infuriated by these arrests though not expressing it publically. This mis-adventure of Pakistan indicate the real villainous intentions of Pakistan Military Establishment for elusive peace in Afghanistan.
International community should be well aware of the fact that Pakistan support only those Talibans who do not want the peaceful settlement of Afghan imbroglio. Pakistani Military Establishment was protecting those hardline Talibans who were killing US and Allied forces in Afghanistan. These arrests have made it clear that the root cause of the Afghan problem lie in Pakistan. Ironically, the billions of dollars that US is pouring into the pockets of Pakistani Generals are used to finance, train and equip those Talibans who are involved in killing the same Americans. It seems illogical and bizarre that the American tax payer money is spent on killing the American soldiers.

Pakistani Military establishment who is historically obsessed with the word STRATEGIC is currently involved in Strategic dialogue with US. A high level delegation of military-cum-civilian leadership is in Washington to find ways and means how to sell their fellow countrymen to US on prices higher than General Musharraf did. Pakistani have not forgotten the legends like Strategic depth of Afghanistan, the Strategic Retreat of Kargil, the Strategic defeat of 1971 and the Strategic wholesale bazar of General Musharaf. I do not know out-come of this strategic dialogue. But, one thing is clear that Pakistanis will face further humiliation, further terrorism, further selling of their daughters and sons, further burden of debt , further anarchy and further filling of pockets of Army Generals. People will forget General Musharafs retail-sale, when they will hear the stories of General Kayanis wholesale offers to US .

This time around, Pakistan has a new product to offer. Huge amounts are at stake as a very large number of pro-Pakistan Talibans are on Public Auction in Washington. Time will tell as to which group among Haqani Network, Quetta Shura or Gulbadin Hikmatyar will get the highest bid price. Musharraf used to sell individual, General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani is going a step further by selling larger groups. But, even at this stage Pakistani Military Establishment is clever enough to sell some expired products which are of no use to Pakistan. At this stage Americans should show their wisdom by demanding the real Talibans. Clean-shaved Punjabi uniformed Generals are the real Talibans, who are the root cause of all the troubles in the region. Besides these Generals, the Punjabi turbaned and bearded Talibans are also a threat to the regional peace. Durable peace in the region cannot be achieved until or unliess the Punjabi Talibans are eliminated. And these Punjabi Talibans are not located in North-West of Pakistan or Afganistan, rather they are hiding in cities like Faisalabad, Muridke, Lahore, , Dera Ghazi Khan, Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur, Multan, and Karachi. I would advise the Military Establishment to include in the offer the Punjabi Talibans also. Surely they will get the highest price from Americans.

Pakistan can achieve nothing from this strategic dialogue. This is just a ploy to deceive the public through good stories, kind words and smiles from US politicians. Both countries have a long history of mistrust. Strategic dialogue takes place and can be successful when the two negotiating countries share the same priorities and same vision of the world. Both these important elements do not exist when it comes to Pakistan and USA. Pakistan has achieved nothing except a promise of Up gradation of 3 power plants. Pakistani pro-military media has blown it out of proportion as if something really important is taking palce.. For how long Pak Military Establishment will hypocritically hide the facts and deceive the public. Why the public is not taken into confidence on the demands by the US to attack those Talibans which were considered friends by military. Americans should know well that they can never succeed in eliminating the menace of terrorism in the region until or unless Pakistani Military openly condemn terrorism and start a hot pursuit of Terrorists. Another important factor which makes this strategic dialogue a doomed to fail exercise is the exclusion of Pashtuns from this dialogue. How can this dialogue succeed when the main party to the problem of terrorism has been excluded? Pashtuns, who are directly affected by Terrorism, facing and fighting this threat on daily basis is not considered by Pakistan to be represented in these talks. This shows the hypocrisy and the mal- intentions of Military Establishment towards Pashtuns who have been victims of genocide and terrorism. The success of strategic dialogue will remain an illusion until or unless the main stakeholder Pashtuns are not heard.

My personal opinion is that Pashtuns have realized that their real enemy is Pakistani Military. Mullah Abdul Gahni Birader who was negotiating secretly with UN is a testimony to the fact that Pashtuns do not trust Pak Military Establishment anymore. They want to talk directly with US and Afghan government to resolve the issue. Talibans have realized that they have been used as fodder in this war by Pakistan to protect the Punjabi and Wahabi interests. That is why some Talibans elements in Pakistan have turned against Pakistan and are involved in killing Pakistani military, secret agencies and police. Talibans must realize that they are fightin neither Jihad nor a holy war. Instead of fighting the war of Wahabism for Saudis and their Pakistani mercenaries, they should stop violence and start dialogue with the US and Afghan government directly. No body will stop them from practicing their religion. Rather than fighting a proxy war for Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, they should try to learn what their real roots are. They should return to their roots, culture and tradition. If Saudis and Pakistanis have so much love for Islam and Jihad, then they should fight it from their land. If they are really interested in Jihad then thousands of American forces are present in Saudi Arabia. Pakistan is also hosting US and NATO forces in its territory, providing them military basis,ports, human intelligence and all logistical support. These two countries which are a part of every problem in global terrorism, are fighting that war in other countries of the world including Afghanistan and Pashtun part of Pakistan, spelling the blood of other nations particularly Pashtuns. All the Nationalists, secular and educated Pashtuns headed by Awami National Party (ANP) have expressed the same views in a recently held Grand Jirga in Peshawar in which it was clearly identified that the two key causes of terrorism are: strategic depth policy of the military establishment of Pakistan; and the Arab expansionism embodied by al Qaeda under the garb of global Islam.

On the other hand Pakistan is not interested in rooting out terrorism, as terrorism can be eliminated by weakening the Motivation Power of the Terrorist Organizations. This can be done by providing real education rather than Wahhabis education of hatred. Education systems (curriculum & literature) of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are just spreading hatred against other nations and religions like Hindus, Jews, Shias, Ahamadis and Christians. Through economic development, creation of Jobs, rule of law and supremacy of the constitution and good governance we can direct the energies of our youth for peace, stability, tolerance and love. Pakistan has failed in all these areas. Rather the money received from International Community is used piling up of more weapons. The bellies of some Generals are getting bigger and fatter then ever. While watching the distruction of recent Mingora blast, I was shocked to see a picture of a small boy dead on a garbage dump. A small boy who was supposed to be at school, was at the garbage dump , earning livelihood for his family. This poor boy was not spared even at a garbage dump to earn his livelihood. Talibans are offering handsome amounts to such young and poor Pakistanis to become bombers rather than good educated citizens of the country. This real example shows the failure of the Pakistani government which is creating an environment where only terrorists can flourish. Talibans are just a link otherwise the real motivational force for terrorism is Pakistani Military Establishment, which is not interested in the economic and financial betterment of its people.

The recent hue and cry by pro-military media on Kerry-Lugar Bill was not due to the fact that Pakistani Nation was insulted. Military felt insulted when the US made a deal with civilian government according to which the money was to be used for social and economic development rather than going into the pockets of Generals. As the Military Establishment could not double-time the US this time, they made it a matter of honor. Another irritant was the US commitment to civilian rule and democracy, directly in conflict with Military Establishment, the real ruler of Pakistan right from its creation. Military is selling the citizens of Pakistan to US with the sole purpose of earning money, that is not considered dishonorable and humiliating but when the civilians institutions are supported by US, it becomes a matter of honor.

To expose the double-timing of the Pakistani Military Establishment I would like to present one example of Military operations conducted by Pak Military to which I am a personal witness. Recently, Pakistan Military started a military operation against Talibans in F.R Kohat and F.R Peshawar. All the entry and exit were cordoned of by the military to these areas. Tthe people of Jawaki F.R Kohat area are witness to the fact that Talibans fighters were given a safe-exit by the military. These Talibans entered and dispersed in settled areas of Kohat city through adjoining Bazid Khel Area without any trouble and even stayed for one night or two in Bazid Khel.

I have personally seen military helicopters supplying logistics to these Taliban terrorizing, abducting and killing local civilians in F.R Kohat and Peshawar. It is impossible to live, train and attack without the help of military in these inaccessible hilly areas. Similar, things were repeated in South Waziristan, Swat and Bajour. The main victims of the aerial bombardment and artillery shelling were innocent civilians rather than Taliban who are considered to be a STRATEGIC ASSET.

Another story which shows the real motivational force in flourishing terrorism for which military is responsible. In a small village of Jawaki Babu Khel F.R. Kohat only one person named as Murad Khan was working as informer to Talibans. Before the military operation, he took hostage all the male members of that ill-fated village. Even male children were taken hostage by this Taliban informer. He told his fellow villagers that Military will kill them all on the charges of helping Talibans. Military has done it already in other such cases, so due to fear of being killed by military they all left the village, despite the fact that these poor villagers did not help Talibans. So, now all the women in that village of Babu Khel are all alone and not a single male member of a village is there to provide them food and protection. I am sure that the military would have killed those innocent villagers if they would have stayed, as we have been witness to many such abductions, tortures and killings by military. Ironically the same military gave a safe- passage to real Talibans. It means that government is involved in motivating civilians to join hands with terrorists or be prepared to be killed either by Talibans or military. There are hundred of examples of past military operations in which military killed innocent civilians. Taliban also killed innocent civilians on the charges of helping military. In both the cases innocent civilians are the victims.

At the end I would like to comment on the explanations given by my Pashtun brother and Journalist, Salim Safis to his Punjabi counterparts, where he seems to be apologetic about his language and culture. I would like to make it absolutely clear that as Pashtuns we are proud of our language and culture. If some Punjabis are afraid of our language and culture, they should consult a psychiatric. We are not against any language and culture, but we are proud of our heritage be it our language, culture or traditions.

AFRIDIS MAY BE OF JEWISH ORIGIN

Talibans of Jewish Descent? Experts are Checking


by Hillel Fendel
Follow Israel news on and .


(IsraelNN.com) Experts at the National Institute of Immunohaematology in Mumbai, India believe a large group of Taliban Muslims might be descended of the lost Ten Tribes of Israel – and an Israeli rabbinical expert agrees.

Israel’s government is partially funding a genetic study to establish if there is any proof of the link, bringing an Indian expert in DNA profiling and population genetics to the Technion in Haifa. The expert, Shahnaz Ali, will be supervised by Israeli genetic research expert Prof. Karl Skorecki.

Rabbi Eliyahu Avichayil, who has dedicated his life to seeking out descendants of the Ten Tribes and bringing them to Israel, says he does not need or trust genetic testing for this purpose: “Rashi’s explanation to Jeremiah 31, 20 implies that the way to identify the Ten Lost Tribes will be via the Jewish customs that they maintain – and in this case, there are many of them.”

Rabbi Avichayil says that the Jewish-like customs that have been found among the Pathans - many of whom are now of the Taliban tribe - include sidelocks, ritual circumcision at eight days, cities of refuge for accidental killers, four-cornered garments, ritual immersion for women, and more. They also practice levirate marriage - not according to Moslem custom, which allows for various relatives of the deceased to marry a widow, whether or not she has children, but rather closer to Jewish custom, in that only brothers can marry only childless-widows.

The very name of the Afridi tribe, of which many members belong to the Taliban, indicates its origin from the Israelite Tribe of Ephraim, Rabbi Avichayil says. “The Pathans, 22 million strong, include not only the Afridic tribe, some 7.5 million people, but also the Rabanis, the Gadis, the Asheris, etc. – indications that many of them are of the Ten Tribes.”

Asked if we now have to consider the possibility of absorbing millions of Moslems from the east, including Talibanis, Rabbi Avichayil said, “I originally thought that it would be sufficient to merely have a small representation of each tribe, and then the Messiah could take care of the rest. But I was then encouraged by the Lubavitcher Rebbe to continue bringing more and more – but some basic conditions must still be met, such as good absorption arrangements – not as there were with the Ethiopians – and of course a willingness on their part. I met with some Afridi members in Washington, and they were very enthusiastic about what I was saying. If I saw that some of them were interested in converting and living a Jewish lifestyle, I would immediately do what I could to help them come here.”

Regarding Al Qaeda terrorist leader and mass murderer Osama Bin Laden, Rabbi Avichayil said, "No need for concern; he's not from these tribes, but rather hails from Yemen and Saudi Arabia."

Pashtun clue to lost tribes of Israel

Guardian.co.uk

Pashtun clue to lost tribes of Israel

Genetic study sets out to uncover if there is a 2,700-year-old link to
Afghanistan and Pakistan

Rory McCarthy, Jerusalem
The Observer, Sunday 17 January 2010

Israel is to fund a rare genetic study to determine whether there is a link between the lost tribes of Israel and the Pashtuns of Afghanistan and northern Pakistan.

Historical and anecdotal evidence strongly suggests a connection, but definitive scientific proof has never been found. Some leading Israeli anthropologists believe that, of all the many groups in the world who claim a connection to the 10 lost tribes, the Pashtuns, or Pathans, have the most compelling case. Paradoxically it is from the Pashtuns that the ultra-conservative Islamic Taliban movement in Afghanistan emerged. Pashtuns themselves sometimes talk of their Israelite connection, but show few signs of sympathy with, or any wish to migrate to, the modern Israeli state.

Now an Indian researcher has collected blood samples from members of the Afridi tribe of Pashtuns who today live in Malihabad, near Lucknow, in northern India. Shahnaz Ali, from the National Institute of Immuno­haematology in Mumbai, is to spend several months studying her findings at Technion, the Israel Institute of Technology, in Haifa. A previous genetic study in the same area did not provide proof one way or the other.

The Assyrians conquered the kingdom of Israel some 2,730 years ago, scattering 10 of the 12 tribes into exile, supposedly beyond the mythical Sambation river. The two remaining tribes, Benjamin and Judah, became the modern-day Jewish people, according to Jewish history, and the search for the lost tribes has continued ever since. Some have claimed to have found traces of them in modern day China, Burma, Nigeria, Central Asia, Ethiopia and even in the West.

But it is believed that the tribes were dispersed in an area around modern-day northern Iraq and Afghanistan, which makes the Pashtun connection the strongest.

"Of all the groups, there is more convincing evidence about the Pathans than anybody else, but the Pathans are the ones who would reject Israel most ferociously. That is the sweet irony," said Shalva Weil, an anthropologist and senior researcher at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

The Pashtuns have a proud oral history that talks of descending from the Israelites.

Their tribal groupings have similar names, including Yusufzai, which means sons of Joseph; and Afridi, thought by some to come from Ephraim. Some customs and practices are said to be similar to Jewish traditions: lighting candles on the sabbath, refraining from eating certain foods, using a canopy during a wedding ceremony and some similarities in garments.

Weil cautioned, however, that this is not proof of any genetic connection. DNA might be able to determine which area of the world the Pashtuns originated from, but it is not at all certain that it could identify a specific genetic link to the Jewish people.

So far Shahnaz Ali has been cautious. "The theory has been a matter of curiosity since long ago, and now I hope a scientific analysis will provide us with some answers about the Israelite origin of Afridi Pathans. We still don't know what the truth is, but efforts will certainly give us a direction," she told the Times of India last year.

Some are more certain, among them Navras Aafreedi, an academic at Luck now University, himself a Pashtun from the Afridi tribe. His family trace their roots back to Pathans from the Khyber Agency of what is today north-west Pakistan, but he believes they stretch back further to the tribe of Ephraim.

"Pathans, or Pashtuns, are the only people in the world whose probable descent from the lost tribes of Israel finds mention in a number of texts from the 10th century to the present day, written by Jewish, Christian and Muslim scholars alike, both religious as well as secularists," Aafreedi said.

The implications of any find are uncertain. Other groups that claim ­Israelite descent, including those known as the Bnei Menashe in India and some in Ethiopia, have migrated to Israel. That is unlikely with the Pashtuns.

But Weil said the work was absorbing, well beyond questions of immigration. "I find a myth that has been so persistent for so long, for 2,000 years, really fascinating," she said.

PASHTUN NEO-NATIONALISM AND DIVIDED PAKISTAN ARMY

The recent waves of suicide bombings targeting mostly the army installations in the most sensitive areas like Lahore Cantonment and Model Town, striking first at an office of FIA involved in Anti-terrorism intelligence and investigation killing 50 people and injuring dozens and in second 2 suicide bombers striking the heart of military in Lahore on March 12, 2010, killing at least 57 persons, most of them army personnel, and injuring 136 others. In between these two attacks, Mingora the capital of Swat was again struck by terrorist killing 15 people and injuring a couple of dozens. Seven small intensity explosions have been reported from different parts of Lahore resulting in minor injuries since. I do not know why the Army cannot read the writing on the wall.
By carrying out such suicide attacks against military installations in Punjab and other parts of Pakistan. Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan TTP and its Punjabi affiliates like banned Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami have succeeded in creating a divide between the Punjabi officer class and their Punjabi and Pashtun soldiers, weakening their loyalty to the officers. Regarding Frontier Corps (FC), the Pashtuns soldiers have deserted in big numbers in protest against the Punjabi officers actions against civilian Pashtuns. It represent East-Pakistan like situation before the break-up of Pakistan in 1971. As the low-ranking soldiers have been indoctrinated into jihadist ideology by Pakistan Army , now it is very difficult for them to come to terms with the fast changing loyalties of Pakistan military Establishment for the sake earning money from USA.

In my previous articles I have been pointing time and again to the fact that antagonizing Pashtuns by indiscriminately bombing and shelling them will result in dire consequences for the other dominant ethnic groups in the country or even a rebellion against the state of Pakistan will start. This is what is happening now. I have been crying time and again to inform our haughty military elite that America is 11000 miles away from Pashtuns but Punjab is just at our doorstep. If the present trend of genocide of Pashtun continue, the war theatre will soon be shifted from Pashtun areas to Punjab and Karachi. Exactly the same is happening.
Now, time has come when the defenders of Pakistan (Pakistan Army), who claim every now and then that they have conquered South Waziristan, Bajor, Khyber and Kohat (by hoisting Pakistani flag on these territories for the first time in the history of Pakistan), cannot protect themselves in the urban centers of Pakistan like Punjab. Rather than blaming themselves for what they have sown in the tribal areas , they will have to reap, they are blaming the civilian leadership for shortcomings and lapses of security. If Pakistan Army is not capable of defending itself against the terrorists or rather neo-nationalists Pashtuns then how can our poor police protect them.

The military Establishment should think a bit for a while as if the present targeting of the Army convoys and military installations is not the revenge attacks of dignified Pashtuns nationalists whose honor has been trampled by Pakistan Military rather than Talibans. In Pakistani war theatre, the addition of this new neo-nationalist Pashtuns insurgency cannot be ignored, which is solely based on a well know Pashtun tradition, BADAL (revenge).

Qazi Hussain Ahmad in his recent article published in the Jhang newspaper, has rightly described the Pashtun traditions of Pashtunwali and Badal (REVENVGE), by giving two famous examples from Pashtun history. But ironically , we learn from history that we never learn from history.

Gahzi Nadir Khan, the father of famous and longest serving King Zahir Shah of Afghanistan, was killed by an ordinary young students of Hubaibiya College in Kabul in front of heavy security. The reason was that the security forces of the king dis-honored his mother and he was determined to take revenge for that.

Pashtuns go to any length in defense of their women folk and their history is replete with many daring examples. Ajab Khan Afridi, was made a legend, when he lifted Miss Ellis the daughter of British Deputy Commissioner to revenge the dis-honoring of his family. In March 1923, the Frontier Constabulary, with the help of regular British troops, raided Ajab Khan's village in Dara Adam Khel. The troops searched his house and according to certain reports women were subjected to search and insult. He succeeded in lifting Miss Ellis from her house despite heavy security and the dangerous Alsatians dogs guarding the fortress like house. But as a real Afridi Pashtun and a MAN OF HONOR, he did not dis-respected her. Rather he treated her with such respect and honor that still she remember him for his courage, bravely and respect for women.

I personally encountered a young student studying in a college in Rawalpindi, who was abandoning his studies and leaving for his village in Waziristan to take revenge of his killed brother who was killed in a military operation. When asked how he will recognize who killed his brother, does he know his enemy, he flatly replied that army killed his brother and he is going to take revenge from Pakistan Army.

I really doubt that Pakistani army knows about the traditions of Pashtuns and they know about the future consequences. It is clear like a day light that in all the recently conducted suicide attacks or targeted killing Army is the main target. What ever explanation presented, the reality is that some Pashtuns are taking the revenge for dis-honoring the Pashtun mothers sisters and wives.

I totally agree with Nazir Naji that Pashtun nationalist sentiments are on rise and in near future the Pashtuns are expected to raise arms against Pakistani state. I would like to add that neo-nationalist Pashtuns have already started a fight for their independence.

Second, nothing has been done to rehabilitate the refugees in Swat. Not a single house, hospital, school and other infra-structure has been re-built to provide relief to the people of Swat. nothing is done to provide shelter and food to the more than one million FATA refugees that are stranded in different parts of Pakistan. Even other international organization like International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) and UN have been barred from helping the FATA refugees. The results will be very dangerous for this negligence of Pakistani state particularly Pakistan Army, which is specialist in destruction, which can abduct, torture and kill the people which can only destroy the properties but cannot rehabilitate the civilians.

Tallat Hussain asserts in his 12 March live discussion on AJJ news that the bombs that exploded in Lahore on the night of 12 March were fire crackers. While reporting from an area where Pakistani military is involved in the so-called war on terror, it is naïve to here from him that it is not possible for army to conduct operations against Terrorists in Urban centers like Lahore, Faisalabad and Karachi. I would like to ask him a simple question, on what logic the military operation in Swat was started? If Swat is not a settled urban area? Why, long range artillery, helicopter gunships and bomber jets were used against innocent civilians in Swat?

For him it is normal to violate all international norms and conventions at one area because that is inhabited by another race like Pashtuns but when it comes to the urban centers where Punjabis live it becomes the responsibility of the civilian institutions like police to conduct operations. Why these double standards are adopted for Pashtuns?

At the end, the suggestion of Mr. Salim Safi for ANP leadership to make a deal with PML (N) on the issue of the change of the name of PAKHTUNKHWA with the construction of Kalabagh Dam is really stupid, damaging for Pashtun interests and unacceptable. Times have come for independence of Pashtun nation rather than bargaining for pity thing like the change of the name of their land. Only a Pashtun out of mind, can present such suggestion to inundate its whole populations for the interests of Punjab, who is bent upon torturing and killing innocent Pashtuns and supporting Talibans. Bye the way, will he explain as to what benefits Pashtun will receive by the construction of Kalabagh Dam?? Does he know the extent of damage that its construction will bring on the families living for centuries, the whole infra-structure and ancient cites which are an ancient heritage of Pashtuns?

PAKISTAN-STATE SPONSORED TORTURE AND TERRORISM

PAKISTANI POLICE BEATING AND TORTURING YOUNG BOYS JUST LIKE TALIBANS OF SWAT
I was appalled to see the brutality of Punjab Police denuding, lashing and torturing 7 persons including boys as young as 14 years old in broad day light in front of cameras in Chiniot District. The scene of this brutality reminds me of Talibans of Swat when they were beating a young women in front of a crowed. The only difference between the two scenes was that at Swat the Talibans were wearing ordinary clothes and turbans on their heads while in Chiniot, the Punjabi Talibans were in the Police Uniforms. The Punjabi Police Talibans were even more brutal than Swati Talibans. The lashing was even harsher and was conducted professionally to exert maximum pain on the victims.

The whole Pakistani nation rose against the torture of a women by Talibans fanatics in Swat last year and rightly so. Pak Army took the role of Muhammed Bin Qasim and saved the Swati people from the brutalities of Talibans. I do not know what happened with that poor girl who was the victim of Taliban brutality. We do not know whether she was provided justice or not? We do not know whether the Talib who was lashing the women is punished for that crime? No such thing has happened. Of course, on contrary the Pakistani army killed more civilians in that operation Rah-e-Nijat or Rah-e-Rast in South Waziristan which is proved beyond doubt by the un-earthing of mass graves and the dead bodies of innocent people appearing now and then in different parts of the country speak volumes of the atrocities committed by rogue Pak Army. More than 3 million people from Swat and adjoining areas were made refugees in their own country. The homes, schools, hospitals and all infra-structure was destroyed not by Talibans but Pakistan Army. Still people are waiting for restoration of basic services but uniformed fanatics who are expert in destruction are not capable enough to provide the poor Swati some kind of relief. But the naive people of Swat supported it as lesser evil than the bigger one.

Is it not a right time for the nation of the Pak to raise voice against these uniformed police Talibans and take them to justice. This type of torture is customary in Punjab and it has been happening with impunity since the so-called independence of Pakistan in 1947. I personally believe that Punjab is completely Talibanised. Punjabi Talibans whether in police or army uniforms are involved in abductions, tortures and killings of civilians. The time is ripe for another military operation in Punjab with the name RAH-E-HAQ. This name should not be mis-interpreted with Zia- ul-Haq. But one way or another he was responsible for the Talibanisation of Pakistan. I do not know who is capable to conduct this operation RAH-E-HAQ? Only Judiciary seems to be in the right position to start this operation and it has already played its first round in which it was forced to take a strategic retreat in 2007 when the famous Commando General Pervez Musharaf wrapped up the whole judiciary and imposed a unique Emergency on its own government. Judiciary under the leadership of Chaudri Iftikhar Ahmad had to go to the court of general public to return to its present position of strength and esteem. I hope all the so-called Human Rights groups and organisations will support Supreme court to take sue moto action against these rogue elements in police, army and other institutions of civil bureaucracy. If at this critical moment the Judiciary of Pakistan failed, then United States and its Allies in Afghanistan will have every right to come to the resuce of the people of Pakistan from these fanatics in Uniforms.

The reason for the removal of the Judges last time was also due to the INTERVENTION OF THE JUDICIARY IN THE MISSING PERSONS CASE for which by and large the military was and is responsible and even now the military establishment is trying to malign the image of the judiciary in a co-ordinated manner through journalists on the pay-rolls of military establishment. Even today Pak Military Establishment is planning to wrap up the judiciary to stop it from the present judicial activism which is expected to be turning towards military generals whether retired or in-service in the near future.

I have simple question, is there any plan under consideration to launch a military operation on the same pattern and scale against these Punjabi Talibans whether in ordinary traditional clothes and turbans in MURIDKEY and southern Punjab or in unifroms in police stations and army barracks. While the Talibans in Swat or FATA are a problem , the clean-shaved Talibans in Pak military uniforms are the source of the problem and if West is interested to root-out the source of terrorism and extremism in Pakistan and Afghanistan, they should look towards Punjab rather than wasting time in Swat or FATA. All the patrons and leaders of Talibans are in Punjab.

THE MYTH OF STRATEGIC DEPTH: PAKISTAN MILITARY ESTABLISHMENT IN REAL TROUBLE NOW

The recent statement by the former Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan Mullah Abdus Salam Zaeef that Pakistan should not be included in the Afghan reconciliation talks because it is not trustworthy. He observed that including Pakistan into talks will complicate the process. He advised Pakistan to bring order to its own house first and then mingle into the affairs of Afghanistan. This means that even Talibans are realising that enough is enough and they will not be used any more by the Pakistan Army a proxy to promote the medieval Wahabist Ideology of Saudi Arabia.
It is a first slap on the face of the Pakistan Military Establishment (PME), which has been involved in Afghanistan for the last 4 decades using Pashtuns first against the Former USSR and after 9/11 the same army took U-Turn not only turning its back to Talibans but working as a proxy just for money to kill innocent Pashtuns in Afghanistan, FATA and N-WFP. Now, what this hypocrat Pak military leadership think about its so-called strategic depth or rather Stretegic Escape for which hundreds of thousands of innocent during Pashtuns have been killed after the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan and now in the War against terrorism. Have they achieved that so-called strategic depth? Still Pakistan believe that it is a trustworthy party in the war on terrorism? The Talibans, ISIs buddies and proxies who provided substance to the so-called myth of strategic depth have also turned against Pakistan. Pakistan is virtually out of the Afghan Peace Process. Amost all the parties to the conflict including Northern Alliance, Talibans, President Karzai, USA, Iran and Russia simply do not trust Pakistan as a reliable party. Pakistan has been playing double game with all these important actors at the Afghan war stage for its pity vested interest jeopardizing the peace of this war ravaged region.
By the way, who can trust an army whose former Chief, General Pervez Musharaf openly declares in his book that he has been selling Pakistanis for dollars to CIA. Pakistan played double games both with Pashtuns and USA & NATO forces in Afghanistan. All military operations since 2004 in FATA and then in Swat 2009 have not Witnessed a single Taliban leader either killed or arrested. Rather, Talibans have been informed in advance to vacate the areas before these so-called operations and then started killing innocent civilians pashtuns by airiel bombardment of fighters, gunship helicopters and long range artillery in clear violation of the Geneva Convention.
I do not know how can General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani can dare to tell Journalists at NATO Headquarters in Brussels that Pakistan Army is not playing a double game with US and NATO forces in Afghanistan and it is ready to provide training to Afghan Police and Army. It is proved beyond doubt that the Pakistan Army and its affiliated secret service ISI has been passing on information received from USA to Talibans to protect them from US attacks. Similarly, Talibans have also been trained to protect themselves from new advanced war technologies and develop counter-attack strategies and tactics to inflict maximum damage on US and NATO forces in Afghanistan. The present re-resurgence of Talibans in Afghanistan would not have been possible without the support of Pakistan Army and its secret service ISI, which is providing training, logistics, finances and sanctuaries to Talibans. It is well-known fact that ISI is enlisting the services of retired army offices to work under the garb of social work for certain days in months to provide training to Talibans and actively help Talibans conduct attacks on Allied forces in Afghanistan. Such operations are kept secret even from the families of those officers enlisted for these operations. Due to the same reason, distrust seems to prevail between Pakistan and India in the resumption of Dialogue to resolve the the 63 years old conflicts between the two nuclear armed neighbours. In a response to Prime Minister Yousof Raza Gilanis demand for information exchange between India and Pakistan on militants involved in terrorist activities, an Indian Political analyst made a very interesting observation which says, " Pakistan would want India to share actionable intelligence with Pakistan, which they can pass on to their terror tanzims (organisations)! Something the ISI did with information shared by the CIA on the South Waziristan militants"
The generals are harping the tune of being trustworthy but in reality their claims are exposed to both friends and foes. On the other hand, Karachi has exploded as I have been predicting for quite some time. The game of blood-litting has started first with the explosion at the Karbala procession of Shia and then the blood-bath of target killing of Pashtuns and again two planted bomb explosions, one at the Chehlem of Shia procession and the other at the Jinnah Hospital Karachi where the victims fo the first blast were treated. Such atrocities are not witnessed even in War Zones in the world where hospitals are targeted in such a shameless manner. The Troika of ISI, Talibans and MQM have again started killing innocent Pashtuns in Karachi. MQM in its effort to prove to USA that it is the sole-power at Karachi to deal with, is involved in heinous crimes against humanity in cohute with secret military agencies of Pakistan to marginalise pashtuns socially. economically and politically. It should be an eye opener for those pashtuns who are being used by Pakistan Military Establishment (PME) in Afghanistan to further its interests. Pak military establishment is not interested in resolving the problems of Pashtuns rather it is playing a dirty game by supporting ethnic Pashtun Talibans at one front in Afghanistan and killing them at another at Karachi by actively supporting a gang of criminals and thugs with a political label called MQM.
The involvement of Pakistan Army in Drugs-smuggling and distribution to run its secret operations, selling nuclear secrets to Libya and Iran, earning huge commissions on controversial arms-deals and killing innocent French Engineers at Karachi in 2002 when they could not receive the promised kick-backs, are few examples which depict the real face of this rogue army. This Sacred Cow (ARMY) is responsible for the drug-addiction of 6 millions Pakistanis as the same army smuggled and distributed drugs in the streets of Pakistan to earn money for its so-called secret operations. The Washington Post published the story of renowned Pakistani Journalist Kamran Khan according to which in 1991, Nawaz Sharif ( then Prime Minister) was presented a foolproof plan to generate money by dealing in drugs by General Aslam Beg (then Army Chief) along with Major-General Asad Durrani, chief of the ISI.. They asked for his permission to associate themselves with the drug trade, assuring him of full secrecy and no chance of any trail leading back to them. Nawaz remarked that on hearing this he felt the roof had caved in on him. He told them he could have nothing to do with such a plan and refused to give his approval. Drug money was and is used by ISI to finance not only the Afghanistan war, but also the proxy war against India in Punjab and Kashmir. The former Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) was the ISI's main international financial vehicle to launder drug money. According to report of the United Nations Drug Control Programme the ISI annually makes around $ 2.5 billion through this source. Besides it is involved in printing of fake currency notes through the National Jehad Council at its printing press at Muzaffarabad in so-called Azad Kashmir.
Former President of Pakistan General Zia-ul Haq was also implied in the drug trade. In 1985, a Norwegian government investigation led to the arrest of a Pakistani drug dealer who was President Zia’s personal finance manager. When arrested, his briefcase contained Zia’s personal banking records. Similarly, his close friend and then Governor of N-WFP was considered to be the Drug King of the area, earning billions of dollars in drug money until killed cold-blood close to his house despite huge security. It is believed that ISI was involved in his killing, fearing that he may disclose the facts of ISI dirty drug business.
The kidnapping and subsequent killing of Wall Street Journal Journalist Daniel Pearl was also organised by the groups trained, financed and supported by ISI. Pakistani police named a banned Islamic group, the Jaish-e- Mohamed (the Army of Mohamed), for the killing, an organisation set up by the ISI to fight in Kashmir and now involved in jihadi operations Afghanistan along with Talibans. One simply does not understand the logic behind PME philosophy of using unfair, criminal and un-ethical means to promote a so-called Holly Cause of Islamic values. The discrepencies in policy options by considering the same thing good for Afghanistan and bad for Pakistan. Strategic Depth or strategic strength is achieved by winning hearts and minds of the people, by cultivating enduring relationships based on strong foundations rather than imposing wars on other nations and groups. If you achieve such strategic depth by means of war then you will have to maintain it by war and war is never the solution. The problem with Pakistan is that Civilian political leadership has never been given power to make Internal and External policies. PME always used civilian leadership to further its own interests. Foreign Affairs, defence and security have been no-go-areas for them. Now, with the independence of media and judiciary, politicians have started complaining about their problems which handicapped them in resolving the internal and external problems. Three senators of Pakistan including a Federal Minister have openly admitted that they are not consulted in any issues related to military operations in different areas of FATA and managing the foreign affairs of Pakistan. MNAs, Senators,ministers, even the President and Prime Minister are not taken into confidence on these military operations and evolution of foreign affairs. If military seems to be winning, it is applauded. When there are failures civilian leadership is blamed. The time has come now that we have to accept the truth that military minds can only think wars, Pakistan need civilian leadership to think peace.