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Conspiracy of Silence by Rohail Butt

Pakistanis have been screwed and then re-screwed many times since their independence; sometimes in the name of democracy and sometimes in the fight for democracy, sometimes in the name of Jihad and then sometimes in the name of religion and then sometimes in the name of greater national interest and so on, but the sheep like people have always maintained a criminal silence over the high-handedness handed over to them by the civilian and military dictators, and after suffering through one dictator, Pakistanis wait for the next one, and the whole process gets restarted all over, just to repeat it self once again.

This vicious cycle is going on and on and there is no apparent stoppage to that. In order to escape the blame, the people open half eye from their slumber and meekly utter that it’s all the conspiracy from the West and behind West it’s the Israel, and then they go back to their oblivion and apathy. The truth is that the biggest conspiracy is hatched, weaved, maintained, groomed, cultivated and flourished and even implemented by all of us. We are the conspirator against us, and the biggest conspiracy is to maintain this conspiracy of silence.

It’s true that the nations become successful due to powerful leadership, but the followers of the leaders have to be equally up to the mark, and the top notch true leaders only emerge from the able followers. They have stopped coming from the Mars. We lashed and thrashed at the military dictator Musharraf and talked fervently and feverishly about the supremacy of parliament and the collective wisdom, but now as Musharraf has gone and we have got civilian setup, once again we have a civilian dictator on our heads, and we are hating him with full might and waiting for another dictator while suffering in silence.

It’s us who are at fault.

By Saleem Khan

On one side, military is snatching lands from poor farmers at very low rate for building Military empire and on other hand, the same military Generals are using it for their housing societies and paying as bribe. One reason for the anger of Balochis is also the same, when our last President announced Cantonment in Gawadar, regardless of fact that Pakistan don’t need cantonment in an area where there is no external threat. Every body knows that what is the reason of building cantonment at lucrative places of Pakistan. Supreme court remarks against such steps are now an open secret for Pakistanis.

Anyway, please read the report pasted below for your information and discussion. Now a days Army is trying to build confidence so they get an other chance after few years to come back in government. We have to realise that no body is there to work for common man. We have to select right people for right positions.

Report from The News: The mystery behind General Pervez Musharraf’s success in convincing Maulana Fazlur Rehman of the JUI in 2004 not to oppose his uniform has been partially solved — the general had doled out hundreds of acres of military land worth millions of rupees to the near and dear ones of the Maulana.

Documents of these land allotments obtained by The News explain why the Muttahida Majlis Amal (MMA) always remained a friendly opposition to General Pervez Musharraf, bailed him out at critical times and why its JUI-led provincial government was able to complete a five-year term in the NWFP.

The scale of the buyout price of the JUI, which has now been confirmed, is massive in terms of state land and money paid to the JUI leaders and their relatives.

It is not clear whether the Pakistan Army could actually cancel these allotments of its lands to relatives of a politician even if it wanted to.

Musharraf’s dubious promise of taking off his uniform by December 2004 was first quietly accepted by the MMA and then when he went back on his promise the JUI-led MMA never created any problem, except for low-level noises made off and on for public consumption.

This was done all because JUI’s Maulana Fazlur Rehman had been allotted hundreds of acres of state land, mostly in the name of his relatives, staff and employees. Documents of these allotted lands, now in the possession of The News, reveal the blatant corruption of the JUI leaders, who use Islam to fool the people but never stop from compromising themselves and their principles for material and monetary gains.

The ousted dictator is now known to have secretly allotted 1,200 Kanals of military land in D I Khan to his opposition leader in the last National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rehman and his chief minister in the NWFP Akram Khan Durrani in 2004.

Though the military land was transferred in the names of those who are either closely related to these two JUI-F leaders or are their relatives, the Revenue Department in DI Khan confirmed that both these leaders had at least 600 Kanals each in their personal possession.

A senior member Board of Revenue in the Frontier government was also allotted 400 Kanals of the same land for his role in this highly controversial allotment from the land earmarked for soldiers, who are given this land for their services and in line with the policy derived by the GHQ.

The allotment letters, relating to 1200 Kanals, were issued by the Army’s General Headquarters Adjutant General (Welfare and Rehabilitation Directorate), Rawalpindi under the signatures of Lt-Col Muhammad Zafar on behalf of the adjutant general and countersigned by Brigadier DWR-I Zafar Iqbal Shah on Oct 23rd 2004 — a little over two months prior to the deadline set for Musharraf’s stepping down as Army chief.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman could not be reached for comments despite all efforts. However, his party spokesman categorically said that there was no truth in this and that it was a vilification campaign launched against the party and its leader.

The spokesman said that the land was neither allotted in the name of the two leaders nor in the names of their close associates or relatives.

Former JUI chief minister Akram Khan Durrani, however, admitted that some of his close associates/relatives were allotted lands but he said he had nothing to do with those.

But the documents, available with The News, confirm that six men connected with Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Akram Durrani were allotted 200 Kanals each whereas a senior Revenue officer, serving in DI Khan, also acknowledged that the said land was actually in the possession of these two leaders.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s main ally in the MMA at that time Qazi Hussain Ahmad of the Jamaat-e-Islami, when approached, said that he and his party did not have the hint of this wheeling and dealing.

The documents show that whole of this land was allotted in Rakh Ghass, Tehsil and district Dera Imail Khan where the provincial government had allotted almost 136,000 Kanals of land to the Pakistan Army for its scheme under which the officers and JCOs and their families are allotted agriculture land of different sizes on the basis of their performance, seniority, sacrifice etc under a well determined formula.

Adjutant General’s Branch, W&R Directorate, in its six separate letters dated Oct 23, 2004 and clearly tagged as “restricted”, allotted 200 Kanals of agriculture land in Rakh Ghass D I Khan to each of the following beneficiaries:

1. Abrar Ahmad Khan son of Muhammad Ismail Khan, street 41 Sector I-9/4 Jamia Masjid Farooq-e-Azam, Islamabad.

Generally known as Mufti Abrar, this allottee is the personal assistant of Maulana Fazlur Rehman. He has been allotted land in Khasra No 717, 716 and 715, the document shows;

2. Sharifullah son of Mr Rahmatullah, Mohallah Mehmood Khel, village Abdul Khel, district D I Khan. He is attached with the brother of the Maulana, Maulana Lutfur Rehman, and is considered as their family member. He has been allotted land in Khasra No 718, 719 and 720;

3. Muhammad Ramzan son of Mr Feroz Khan, Mohallah Mehmood Khel, village Abdul Khel district D I Khan. He is closely related to Sharifullah and is also close with the Maulanas. He was allotted land in Khasras No 715 and 714;

4. Ibrar Ali Shah son of Asghar Ali Shah, Mewa Khel, Fazal Haq Malwana, Bannu. He is cousin of Durrani, who admitted the same and asserted that his father is a retired soldier so the son got the land. He was allotted land in Khasra No 718, 719 and 720;

5. Muhammad Ashraf Ali Khan son of Muhammad Shahzad Khan, village Khutti, Tehsil and dist D I Khan. He is included in the personal staff of Maulana Fazlís brother Maulana Lutfur Rehman. He was allotted land in Khasra No 717, 716 and 715; and

6. Muhammad Shahzad Khan son of Alam Sher Khan, Hibak Sharzah Khan P/O Sikandar Khel Bannu. He is the uncle of Durrani as admitted by the former chief minister. Durrani said that his uncle was a retired soldier so was given land by the GHQ. Shahzad Khan was allotted land in Khasra No 715 and 714.

Following these allotment letters issued by the GHQ, the land was formally transferred by the concerned Revenue officer to the above mentioned on 26 January, 2005.

After the issuance of the allotment letters, the provincial government referred the case of Reayat Khan, the then senior member Board of Revenue, to the GHQ for the allotment of 400 Kanals of land in the same Moza for the officer, who had reportedly played an important role in getting 1200 Kanals transferred in favour of the men of JUI-Fís top leaders.

Though Maulana Fazlur Rehman was not accessible, party spokesman Maulana Amjad told this correspondent that this was all disinformation and aimed at maligning the name of the Maulana. He said that neither the land was transferred to the two top JUI leaders nor to any of their front men. Maulana Amjad said that they did not believe in the politics of opportunism.

Akram Durrani clarified that the land was actually allocated to the Pakistan Army before he took over as the chief minister of the province. He said that during his rule, he tried his level best to get the decision reversed but in vain. He denied that the land allotted in 2004 to his close men belonged to him.

He argued that his uncle was allotted plot because he was a retired soldier whereas his other relative was gifted 200 Kanals because his father was in the Army.

“I have nothing to do with all this,” he said. Durrani, when asked about Maulana, said that he would not respond on behalf of his party head.

The former chief minister of the Frontier province suggested to this correspondent that the media should focus on what is going on in Islamabad. When asked if he was the beneficiary of the four Agro-plots that the CDA was recently pressurized to allot, he said that it was just media gossip.

A senior district Revenue official, serving in the D I Khan, however, said that the land in question was in possession of the Maulana and Durrani. He said he did not know under what law the then Army chief had made this allotment because such a military land was only allotted to army officers and NCOs or to the families of the martyred.

Source: Ansar Abbasi (Hundreds of acres of Army land given as bribe to JUI)

’کارگل پلان بینظیر کو بھی دیا گیا تھا‘

 شہزاد ملک
بی بی سی اردو ڈاٹ کام، اسلام آباد

سابق فوجی افسران نے کہا ہے کہ کارگل آپریشن پہلی مرتبہ پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی کے سابقہ دور حکومت میں اُس وقت کے آرمی چیف جہانگیر کرامت نے وزیراعظم بےنظیر بھٹو کو بھی پیش کیا تھا جس کو رد کر دیا گیا۔

سنیچر کے روز راولپنڈی میں ایکس سروس مین سوسائٹی کے ارکان نے ایک پریس کانفرنس سے خطاب کرتے ہوئے سوسائٹی کے کنوینر بریگیڈئر ریٹائرڈ محمود حسین نے کہا کہ جس وقت کارگل آپریشن کا پلان بے نظیر بھٹو کو پیش کیا گیا تو اُس وقت کے آرمی چیف جنرل ریٹایئرڈ جہانگیر کرامت جنرل پرویز مشرف کو بھی اپنے ساتھ لے گئے تھے۔

انہوں نے کہا کہ سابق وزیراعظم بےنظیر بھٹو اور اُس وقت کے وزیر داخلہ میجر جنرل ریٹائرڈ نصیر اللہ بابر نےاس کی شدید مخالفت کی اور کہا کہ یہ منصوبہ قابل عمل نہیں ہے۔

انہوں نے کہا کہ صدر جنرل ریٹائرڈ پرویز مشرف نے جب کارگل آپریشن شروع کیا تو اس دوران نہ ہی فضائیہ اور نہ ہی بحریہ کے سربراہوں کو اعتماد میں لیا گیا۔

لیفٹیننٹ جنرل ریٹائرڈ سلیم حیدر نے جو اُس وقت راولپنڈی کے کور کمانڈر تھے، کہا کہ جب کارگل آپریشن کے بارے میں بریفنگ دی جا رہی تھی تو اُس وقت تو کور کمانڈروں نے بات نہیں کی۔

انہوں نے کہا کہ انہوں نے اُس وقت کے آرمی چیف جنرل پرویز مشرف سے ملاقات کرکے انہیں بتایا کہ یہ منصوبہ قابل عمل نہیں ہے۔ سیلم حیدر نے کہا کہ جنرل ریٹائرڈ پرویز مشرف کی رائے سے اختلاف کے بعد اُن کو تبدیل کرکے کور کمانڈر منگلا بنا دیا گیا جبکہ اُن کی جگہ لیفٹیننٹ جنرل ریٹائرڈ محمود کو راولپنڈی کے کور کمانڈر بنا دیا گیا۔
 

انہوں نے کہا کہ اگر بھارت میں کارگل آپریشن کے بارے میں کمیشن تشکیل دیا جا سکتا ہے تو پاکستان میں کیوں نہیں۔

بریگیڈئیر ریٹائرڈ محمد عربی خان نے کہا کہ اُن کا تعلق بھی انتیسویں پی ایم اے لانگ کورس سے ہے اور پرویز مشرف کا تعلق بھی اس کورس سے ہے۔

انہوں نے کہا کہ جنرل ریٹائرڈ پرویز مشرف سائنس کا طالبعلم تھا اور اُنہیں کیا معلوم کہ اکانومی کیا ہوتی ہے۔ انہوں نے کہا کہ لوگ ہمیں طعنے دیتے ہیں کہ اُن کا بیچ میٹ کیا کر رہا ہے۔

عربی خان نے کہا کہ وہ فوجی فاؤنڈیشن میں ملازمت کرتے تھے لیکن جب پرویز مشرف آرمی چیف بنے تو انہوں نے اپنی نوکری پر جانا چھوڑ دیا۔ لیفٹیننٹ جنرل ریٹائرڈ صلاح الدین ترمزی نے کہا کہ وہ گزشتہ چھ سال سے صدر جنرل ریٹائرڈ پرویز مشرف کے خلاف برسرپیکار ہیں۔

انہوں نے کہا کہ جنرل ریٹائرڈ پرویز مشرف ایک غیر آئینی صدر ہیں اور انہیں نہ تو عوام اور نہ ہی سیاسی جماعتیں صدر ماننے کو تیار ہیں۔

انہوں نے کہا کہ انہوں نے دو مرتبہ انتخابات میں کامیابی حاصل کی تھی لیکن پرویز مشرف نے پی سی او کے تحت معرض وجود میں آنے والی سپریم کورٹ کے چیف جسٹس اور اٹارنی جنرل کی مدد سے اُن کی کامیابیوں کو ناکامیوں میں تبدیل کر دیا۔
 

ایک سوال کے جواب میں سوسائیٹی کے کنوینئر نے کہا کہ فوجی افسران دوران ملازمت بھی اپنے تحفظات کا اظہار کرتے رہے ہیں۔ انہوں نے کہا کہ سابق ملٹری ڈکٹیٹر جنرل ضیاء الحق نے جب مارشل لاء لگایا تھا تو اُس وقت کے چیف آف جنرل سٹاف لیفٹیننٹ جنرل عبداللہ نے اس کی مخالفت کی تو جنرل ضیاء الحق نے انہیں فوری طور پر تبدیل کرکے کے ایم عارف کو فور سٹار جنرل بنا دیا جنہوں نے کبھی بھی کوئی کور کمانڈ نہیں کی۔

انہوں نے کہا کہ ایکس سروس مین وکلاء کے لانگ مارچ میں بھی شرکت کریں گے اور وہ وکلاء کی تحریک کو کامیاب بنائیں گے۔

اس سے پہلے ایکس سروس مین سوسائیٹی کا اجلاس ہوا جس میں کہا گیا کہ جنرل ریٹائرڈ پرویز مشرف آئینی صدر نہیں ہے اور اُن کے ٹرائل کے لیے ایک جوڈیشل کمیشن بنایا جائے اور اُن سے کارگل آپریشن اور وزیرستان میں ہونی والی بمباری کا حساب لیا جائے جس میں سینکٹروں بےگناہ افراد ہلاک کر دیے گئے۔ اجلاس میں مطالبہ کیا گیا کہ سابق وزیر اعظم شوکت عزیز کو وطن واپس آکر اپنی اقتصادی پالیسیوں کا دفاع کرنا چاہیے۔ اجلاس میں شمالی وزیر ستان اور سوات میں حکومت کی طرف سے امن معاہدے کی حمایت کی گئی۔

http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/pakistan/story/2008/06/080607_ex-servicemen_presser_fz.shtml

ھم ملک بچانے نکلے ھیں آو ھمارے ساتھ چلو

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To condemn the unconstitutional deposition of Judges and manipulation to Judiciary by the tyrant and for an effort towards the restoration and reinstatement of Judges to the state of November 2nd, 2007 June 12th and onwards shall be observer as the ‘Long March’ towads Islamabad from all over Pakistan.

The Civil Societies of Pakistan, especially the youth/students, are requested to participate passionately by joining the hundreds of thousands of our patriot brothers & sisters at Constitution Avenue, Islamabad.

“We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean, but (what we do NOT see is that the) ocean would be less because of the missing drops!” [Mother Teresa]

Let’s do a bit in “Long March” realizing every bit counts! Let us show a bit more respect to the manifesto we did a bit for and got heard aloud. Should we stand as strong and tall as on March 23rd, 1940, the Reinstatement of the Honorable Judges, Empowerment and Independence of esteemed Judiciary and Restoration of the Constitution would very soon inshaAllah be a dream come true!

Let’s make our existence as a civilized nation count! Let’s stand strong and united that we ARE for together we stood tall in 1947 and history witness August the 14th now and forever…

Should you require assistance or information regarding how to assemble your friends/group, kindly feel free to contact. You can do it either by replying/commenting to this post (from the bottom of this post) or from feedback page.

Long Live Brotherhood, Love Live Pakistan!!!

Sincerely;

YOU and I

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“The unbelievers, they are guides of one another. Unless you do this[1], there will be persecution in the land and great corruption.” [Al-Quran: 8:73]

[1] - “Like the unbelievers (kafir/kuffar) are guides & supporters (meant ‘inheritors’ herein) of one another, if and until you (believers) would not be the guides & supporters to one another (among believers themselves) on the basis of your (believers’) creed, there would be persecution and great corruption in the land (referred to ‘country and/or state’ herein).

- This explanation has been taken and translated from the transliteration of the meaning of Holy Quran of Chapter 08 Verse 73.

June 02, 2008

Abbas Athar

Daily Express

http://www.express.com.pk/epaper/Article.aspx?newsID=1100417932&Date=20080602&Issue=NP_LHE

Ex-Generals Demand Open Trial Of Musharraf

By Asad Muhammad Khan

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, 1 June 2008 (The Post) - The [Pakistan] Ex- Servicemen Society, a group of retired Army generals and some former Army chiefs, has demanded an open trial of [Traitor] Pervez Musharraf under Article 6 of the Constitution and announced that they would join the long march if he (illegal president) did not resign before June 10, 2008.

The Article 6 was added into the Constitution upon recommendation of one of the Members of Justice Hamood-ur-Rehman Commission, Justice Yaqoob Ali, according to which the abrogator of the Constitution must be tried for high treason and sentenced to death.

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Ex-Servicemen Want Musharraf To Step Down

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, 31 May 2008 (The News): Ex-Servicemen have demanded that [Tyrant] Pervez Musharraf must quit office immediately so that people themselves could choose their [new] President.

Addressing the meeting of Ex-Servicemen Society, its representatives demanded [Dictator] that Musharraf must step down by June 10 [2008] and also announced joining the lawyers’ movement with its 250,000 members.

They said that [Killer] Musharraf be tried under Article 6 of the Constitution.

“If [illegal] President Musharraf fails to resign by June 10, [2008], about 250,000 members of the Society will also take part in the long march to be arranged by lawyers community,” they warned. The movement will continue till the restoration of judiciary to the November 2, 2007 position, they added.

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Ex-Servicemen Society Calls for Impeachment of [illegal] President Musharraf, Vacation of Army House by him

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan, 31 May 2008 (OINN) - Ex-Servicemen Society has called for immediate vacation of Army House by [Criminal] Pervez Musharraf, his trail and impeachment, and restoration of November 2 judiciary.

Former chief of ISI, Lt. Gen. (retd.) Asad Durrani, Lt. Gen. (retd.) Hamid Gul and others said this while talking to the journalists after Ex-Service Society meeting here Saturday. The meeting was held at the residence of Brig. (retd.) Mian Mehmood. Gen. (retd.) [Mirza] Aslam Beg, Lt. Gen. (retd.) Hamid Gul, Lt. Gen. (retd.) Jamshed Gulzar Kiani and others attended the meeting.

Addressing the press conference, former ISI chief Lt. Gen. (retd.) Asad Durrani said [unlawful] president Musharraf had shed [Army] uniform, therefore, he should immediate vacate Army House as it is only meant for Army Chief while the conspiracies being hatched in Army House are creating wrong impression about Army.

An independent judicial commission be set up to review all the steps taken by [Tyrant] Musharraf from Kargil War to other incidents. Action should be taken against him over all the wrong steps taken by him, he demanded. He said renowned nuclear scientist Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan be released immediately and all the restrictions imposed on him be lifted.

Responding to a question, he said new government should take up the matter of missing persons seriously and take concrete steps for their recovery.

The mandate given by the people to new government on February 18 [2008] is not being acknowledged, he regretted.

To another question, he claimed Ex-Servicemen Society is being backed by 250,000 ex-servicemen. “Our society will participate in the ongoing movement of legal fraternity for restoration of [all illegally] deposed judges,” he announced.

Responding to a question, he said former prime minister Shaukat Aziz be brought back to Pakistan and he be held accountable for the economic crisis the country is passing through.

He warned if [Dictator] Musharraf [Parliament or Supreme Court] did not repeal [Article] 58-2-b, then severe reaction would come.

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[Pakistan Army Lt. General] Ali Kuli Khan Joins Anti-Musharraf Movement

By Rauf Klasra

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, 1 June 2008 (The News) - Retired military generals, who have become active against [Traitor] Pervez Musharraf, have vowed to work for the restoration of an independent judiciary even if Musharraf quits power.

In a strongly-worded message to the political forces on Saturday, they said Musharraf must be held accountable for his misdeeds. The retired Army officers, who met at the residence of Brig. (retd.) Mian Mohammad Mahmud, resolved that they would continue to play their role in the Society, which wanted the return of [unlawfully] deposed [Pakistan Supreme Court] Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

The presence of Lt. Gen. (retd.) Ali Quli Khan, who was supposed to become the Army Chief instead of General Pervez Musharraf but fell victim to palace intrigues, in the meeting was specially noticed. [PML-N Chief Muhammad] Nawaz [Sharif] always regretted his decision for giving weight to the advice against Ali Kuli Khan.

The other prominent participants of the meeting were Lt. Gen. (retd.) Asad Durrani, Lt. Gen. (retd.) Salahuddin Tirimzi, Lt. Gen. (retd.) Hameed Gul, Lt. Gen. (retd.) Abdul Qayyum, Lt. Gen. (retd.) Jamshed Kiyani, Maj-Gen. (retd.) Shafeeq Ahmed, Maj-Gen. (retd.) M. Arshad Malik, Maj-Gen. (retd.) Hidayat Niazi, Maj-Gen. (retd.) MA Zuberi, Brig. (retd.) Khadim Hussain, Brig. (retd.) Mian Mehmood, Brig. (retd.) Taj, Brig. (retd.) Abdus Salam Akhtar, Brig. (retd.) Arbi Khan, Lt. Col. (retd.) Dalel and Capt. (retd.) Zaheer uddin Baber.

Briefing the media, Brig. (retd.) Salam Akthar said the meeting worked out a plan for participation in the long march, being organised by the lawyers’ community on June 10 [2008]. The ex-servicemen have volunteered to mobilise maximum number of retired Army men for this event. “The gravity of the situation is such that we can no longer remain spectators and have to play the part required at this critical juncture,” an appeal sent out to the ex-servicemen says.

The group, however, clarified that ex-servicemen are not part of any political group. “We are playing our role in the best national interest. Being part of the civil society, we are deeply concerned with the crises, which Pakistan is facing currently as a result of the unconstitutional and illegal acts of Pervez Musharraf on Nov. 3, [2007]” Brig. Salam said.

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Ex-Generals Demand Trial Of Musharraf

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, 25 May 2008 (Khaleej Times) - The Society for Ex-Servicemen in its meeting attended by former services chifes, retired
generals and other senior [military] officers yesterday called for formation of a judicial council to investigate [Devil] Pervez Musharraf’s conduct as Army Chief and [illegal] president since 1998.

Lt. Gen. (retd) Asad Durrani, former ISI chief, talking to reporters after the meeting said the commission should probe events including Kargil war, military operations in Balochistan, Waziristan, Swat and Lal Masjid [Mosque], May 12 carnage in Karachi and the terrorist attacks on return of Benazir Bhutto and her assassination.

Musharraf’s role in all these happenings should be investigated to determine culpability.

Durrani said the meeting demanded that Musharraf must vacate the Army House in order to dispel the impression that the Army is backing his manipulations and intrigues against the new democratic order.

In a related development, the PML-N also released a chargesheet for Musharraf’s impeachment. These include subversion of Constitution, Kargil War, military operation, purge of judiciary and involvement in terrorist acts in Karachi and Islamabad.

– http://forum.atimes.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11875

– PW: http://www.PakistanWeekly.com

– DW: http://www.DictatorshipWatch.com

– AHRC: http://pakistan.ahrchk.net

Survey shows 75 percent Pakistanis want Musharraf out

Mon Feb 11, 2008 5:50am EST
By Simon Cameron-Moore

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Seventy-five percent of Pakistanis want President Pervez Musharraf to quit, according to a survey released by the U.S.-based International Republican Institute on Monday.

Released a week before Pakistan votes in an election that could precipitate U.S. ally Musharraf’s downfall if it returns a hostile parliament, the IRI survey also said Musharraf’s job approval rating had dropped to a new low of 15 percent.

Another opinion poll, published by Gallup Pakistan, put the number of people who thought Musharraf should resign at 81 percent, but the number of people surveyed was far fewer than IRI.

Another opinion poll, published by Gallup Pakistan, put the number of people who thought Musharraf should resign at 81 percent, but the number of people surveyed was far fewer than IRI.

The assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto on December 27, according to IRI, “greatly impacted the political landscape”.

It said her Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was “benefiting from both a wave of sympathy as well as a backlash against the government”.

Conducted in late January, the IRI survey showed 50 percent of respondents said they would vote for the PPP, while 22 percent favored the party of Nawaz Sharif, the prime minister Musharraf ousted in a 1999 coup, and only 14 percent backed the Pakistan Muslim League, which has provided Musharraf’s political prop.

The West, and neighboring countries are increasingly uneasy at the prospect of instability in a nuclear-armed Muslim state, that is fighting militants linked to the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

Only 33 percent of respondents to the IRI survey supported the Pakistan army “fighting extremists in North West Frontier Province and the tribal areas”.

Just nine percent thought Pakistan should be cooperating with the United States in the war on terrorism, though 65 percent recognized that Taliban and al Qaeda’s operations in the country were of serious concern.

LOST CREDIBILITY

The government and the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency have both made a Pakistani Taliban commander linked to al Qaeda the prime suspect in Bhutto’s killing, but the survey showed only 13 percent of respondents blamed al Qaeda.

Sixty-two percent said the government was responsible, according to IRI.

“This indicates a collapse in the government’s credibility among its citizens,” IRI said.

Pakistan will hold polls for the National Assembly and provincial assemblies on February 18, and, while it is not a presidential election, a hostile parliament could seek Musharraf’s impeachment.

Opponents say the way Musharraf secured a second term from the outgoing parliament was unconstitutional. He declared emergency rule on November 3 in order to replace Supreme Court judges who might have annulled his re-election by the old assemblies.

IRI said that whatever goodwill Musharraf retrieved by ending emergency rule in mid-December, quitting as army chief and declaring parliamentary elections, was lost in the wake of Bhutto’s assassination, a deteriorating security situation, and a worsening economy.

Nearly 77 percent of respondents said economic issues –inflation, unemployment, poverty and development– would be the main factors determining how they would vote. Inflation was the top issue for 55 percent.

Asked if there was one leader who was the best person to handle the country’s problems only eight percent named Musharraf, 15 points less than IRI’s last survey taken in late November.

(Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)

http://www.iri.org/newsarchive/2008/2008-02-11-News-Reuters-Pakistan.asp

Daily Jinnah Karachi, August 1, 2007 and Daily Ummat, August 1, 2007

The following two reports from two different Urdu dailies in Paksitan report that the flies sitting on coffins of the victims of lal Masjid massacre were also dying. The government authorities said that the flies died becuause of the chemicals used over the dead bodies. Yesterday when some relatives retrived coffins of their loved ones to move to their respective areas, they found thousands of dead dlies inside the graves and on the coffins. The bodies were burnt and disfigured. Relatives of the victims invited media reporters present on the occasion to witness it for themselves. It was reported the flies were still dying after a few minutes of sitting on the coffins. Moreover, bodies in the coffins were almost melted with some water and blood stll visible.

اسلام آباد( خبر نگار) سانحہ لال مسجد، جامعہ حفصہ ميں شہيد ہونيوالے افراد کی لاشوں کو ٹھکانے لگانے يا ان کو مارنے کيلئے فاسفورس کيميکل کے استعمال کا انکشاف ہوا ہے جس سے قبرستان ميں تابوتوں سے جلی اور گلی ہوئی لاشيں دیکھی گئی ہيں تابوتوں اور قبروں کے اندر بيٹھنے والی مکھيوں کو مرے ہوئے اور بيٹھنے پر مر جاتے ہوئے ديکھا گيا ہے حکومتی ذمہ داران کا موقف ہے کہ لاشوں کو محفوظ اور بدبو سے بچانے کيلئے جو کيميکل استعمال کيا گيا ہے اس سے مکھياں مری ہيں گزشتہ روز جب اسلام آباد انتظاميہ سانحہ لال مسجد، جامعہ حفصہ کے شکار طلباء ، افراد کی لاشيں H-11 قبرستان سے نکالی جا رہی تھیں تو لاشيں جلی ہوئی اور گلی ہوئی تھیں ان تابوتوں کے اندر اور قبروں ميں ہزاروں مکھياں مری ہوئی تھیں لاشوں کے ورثاء نے موجود ميڈيا کو يہ صورتحال دکھائی اور حکومت پر الزام لگايا کہ اس نے لال مسجد اور جامعہ حفصہ کے اندر فاسفورس بم استعمال کئے ہيں۔ انہوں نے بتايا کہ جو مکھياں اب بھی ادھر بيٹھ رہی ہيں وہ تھوڑی دير بعد مر جاتی ہيں ان کا الزام تھا کہ پھر لاشوں کو ناقابل شناخت بنانے اور گوشت کو گلنے کيلئے کوئی کيميکل استعمال کيا گيا ہے ورثاء نے چيف جسٹس آف پاکستان سے اس کا نوٹس لينے کی اپيل کی۔ جب موقع پر موجود حکومتی ذمہ داران سے پوچھا گیا تو انہوں نے کہا کہ ان کا اندازہ ہے کہ لاشوں کو بدبو اور محفوظ کرنے کيلئے کوئی کيميکل استعمال کيا گيا ہو گا جس سے مکھياں مر رہی ہيں۔ جب ميڈيا نے خود قبروں کے اندر تہہ ميں ديکھا تو وہاں مکھيوں کے مرنے کی تہہ ديکھی جا سکتی تھی۔ دريں اثناء اسلام آباد انتظاميہ نے سانحہ لال مسجد و جامعہ حفصہ ميں شہيد ہونيوالے سات افراد کی لاشيں ان کے ورثاء کے حوالے کر دی ہيں جو وہ اپنے اپنے علاقوں ميں لے گئے ہيں يا انہوں نے H-11 قبرستان ميں ہی قبر ميں رہنے دينے کو ترجيح دی ہے گزشتہ روز رحمن علی ايبٹ آباد، عبداللہ شہزاد چارسدہ، عبدالرحمن راولپنڈی، مصباح اللہ چارسدہ، امين اللہ صوابی کی لاشيں ان کے ورثاء کے حوالے کر دی گئی ہيں ان کے ورثاء نے متذکرہ بالا لاشيں وصول کر لی ہيں ان ميں يار بادشاہ اور جمیل بادشاہ جن کا تعلق مہمند ايجنسی سے ہے بھی شامل ہيں۔ ايبٹ آباد سے تعلق رکھنے والے محمد زاہد کی قبر کو اس کے ورثاء نے نہيں کھلوايا بلکہ قبر پر اکتفا کرکے اسے ادھر ہی رہنے دیا ہے جبکہ متذکرہ بالا باقی لاشوں کے ورثاء نے ناقابل شناخت لاشوں کو حکومتی يقين دہانی کہ انہی کے پياروں کی لاشيں ہيں پر وصول کر ليا ہے۔ جبکہ لال مسجد کے معزول خطيب مولانا عبدالعزيز کے عزيزوں مولانا انعام اللہ اور عطاء محمد کی ميتيں ناقابل شناخت اور گوشت کے لوتھڑوں کی وجہ سے ان کے ورثاء نے لاشيں وصول کرنے سے انکار کر دیا ہے اور کہا ہے کہ حکومت کے ڈی اين اے رپورٹ پر انہيں اعتماد نہيں آزادانہ ڈی اين اے ٹيسٹ کيلئے وہ سپريم کورٹ سے رجوع کريں گے۔ مولانا عبدالعزيز اور علامہ عبدالرشيد غازی کے ماموں زاد عطاء محمد اور پھوپھی زاد مولانا انعام اللہ کی قبريں کھودی گئیں تو ان کے عزيزوں عثمان مزاری اور ديگر موجود تھے مولانا انعام اللہ کی مبينہ قبر ميں تابوت ميں گوشت کے تين ٹکڑے الگ الگ پڑے تھے تابوت ميں کم از کم تين انچ تک پانی کھڑا تھا جس ميں خون بھی ملا ہوا نظر آرہا تھا چہرے يا کسی جگہ سے اس کی شناخت ممکن نہ تھی اس پر ورثاء نے کہا کہ يہ ان کے عزيز کی لاش نہيں ہے ان کی اطلاع کے مطابق وہ زندہ گرفتار ہوئے تھے ان کو غلط لاش دے کر خاموش کروایا جا رہا ہے اس لئے ہم يہ لاش نہيں ليں گے اسی طرح عطاء محمد کی قبر کھودی گئی تو اس تابوت ميں ايک سر، ايک بازو اور گوشت کے کچھ ٹکڑے تھے وہ لاش ورثاء نے وصول کرنے سے انکار کر ديا۔ اس کے بعد دونوں لاشيں انہی قبروں ميں دفن کر دی گئیں۔

~*~*~*~*~*

Daily Ummat, August 1, 2007 Report below.

Teh following report repeats the same facts with a bit more details about each grave and the content there in. In some coffins there were three bodies. some bodies were burt, others had melted. Some graves had dead flies, others had not.

There continues to be a strong debate on how Musharraf should have handled this situation, but what surprises me is the inhumanity of this attack, dexterity of the assault should have meant targeted exchange of fire maybe an occasional rubber bullet to pacify the milder militants, but the indiscriminate use of chemical weapons, by the National Army against its own people. Is jaw dropping serious, its akin to the mass murder which happened in Karachi on May 12th when the Army headed off to the barracks leaving the city at the hands of ruthless killers for six hours..

Chemical Weapons used on Lal Masjid

Posted at Teeth Maestro: On 12th July, AAJ Tv boradcasted a program of Live with Talat in which Talat Hussain visited Jamia Hafsa. While touring the bullet ridden compound a number of military personal hovered around, at a certain point Talat Hussain asked an accompanying Army personal about all the evidence of smoke around the area asking, “Why is there so much smoke?”, the solider replied “WP”, Talat put another question “Please explain WP?”, the solider answered “White Phosphorus.”

White Phosphorus is a flare / smoke producing incendiary weapon which is also used as an offensive Anti-Personnel flame compound capable of causing serious burns or death. White phosphorus weapons are controversial today because of its potential use against humans, for whom one-tenth of a gram is a deadly dose and according to the Geneva Convention which was later amended by the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons signed into effect in 1997, expressively prohibits the use against civilians. White Phosphorus weapons have been used in the recent past by Israel in Lebanon and US and UK in Iraq, but probably the first time ever by a an army against its own people

Article 1 of Protocol III of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (Wikipedia) defines an incendiary weapon as ‘any weapon or munition which is primarily designed to set fire to objects or to cause burn injury to persons through the action of flame, heat, or combination thereof, produced by a chemical reaction of a substance delivered on the target’. The same protocol also prohibits the use of incendiary weapons against civilians or in civilian areas. However, the use against military targets outside civilian areas is not explicitly banned by any treaty.

There continues to be a strong debate on how Musharraf should have handled this situation, but what surprises me is the inhumanity of this attack, dexterity of the assault should have meant targeted exchange of fire maybe an occasional rubber bullet to pacify the milder militants, but the indiscriminate use of chemical weapons, by the National Army against its own people. Is jaw dropping serious, its akin to the mass murder which happened in Karachi on May 12th when the Army headed off to the barracks leaving the city at the hands of ruthless killers for six hours..

To understand the gravity of the situation one has only to look at these two images of burnt bodies the sight is excruciatingly painful, when the Americans used White Phosphorous on the victims in Fallujah back in April 2004.

If you look at the top most image which appeared in Dawn on 13th July (link) one sees the classic signs of a high intensity flame, which reached astounding temperatures to melt the steel framework of ceiling fans, one must also noted that the public was not shown the remains of numerous people killed in the disaster and quickly buried them in concealed wooden coffins the next day.

I am shocked and stunned at what has just happened, it should be enough for the world to wake up and ask for an unconditional removal of the dictator

http://www.dictatorshipwatch.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=949&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

Daily Jang

July 25, 2007

The following article from Daily Jang, July 25, 2007 explains how the military regime deliberately took provocative actions over a period of more than six months and in the process didn’t allow any solution even if everyone on the ground agreed upon certain issues. The write up summarises all the available evidence that leads to the conclusion that Musharraf regime took all the steps it could to make the massacre inevitable

-

The following is an in depth interview conducted by the highly respected Dr. Sahid Masood at the Lal masjid, with both the female students and the late Abdul Rashid Ghazi. Masood was fired from the ARY channel(thanks to “pressure” from Musharraf’s goons) and moved to GEO TV. Contrary to popular misinformation, this affair started after 7/7 when Musharraf ordered a raid on the masjid(at the “request” of the British government to crack down on madrassas) in which commandos fired upon and severely beat the female students(who consequently retaliated in the second raid with batons and ejected the thugs). I’ve provided a short summary for each video segment(if any of you tech wizards can add subtitles, I’ll do a full translation).

Comments: Interestingly everything is on the public record; all interview; all eye witness accounts from before and after the Lal Masjid massacre and authentic press and electronic media reports which can prove beyond any reasonable doubt that Lal Masjid massacre was planned and conducted by the military regime. Nevertheless the press and political leadership are totally silent as if nothing has happend. No one is asking for bringing the culprits to justice.

Monday, July 23, 2007

Lal Masjid massacre Part 2 : The Women of Lal Masjid

The following is an in depth interview conducted by the highly respected Dr.Shahid Masood at the Lal masjid, with both the female students and the late Abdul Rashid Ghazi. This interview is from March of this year on the “Meray Mutabiq” program( urdu for “in my opinion”). Masood was fired from the ARY channel(thanks to “pressure” from Musharraf’s goons) and moved to GEO TV. Contrary to popular misinformation, this affair started after 7/7 when Musharraf ordered a raid on the masjid(at the “request” of the British government to crack down on madrassas) in which commandos fired upon and severely beat the female students(who consequently retaliated in the second raid with batons and ejected the thugs). I’ve provided a short summary for each video segment(if any of you tech wizards can add subtitles, I’ll do a full translation)

Introductory segment. Dr. Masood raises the question of how far can people in civil society go before breaking the law. Ghazi explains that there is no law and order in Pakistan and that his students only took action(against the brothel) after all other options were exhausted. Masood asks Ghazi if he will forcibly enforce public morality, to which Ghazi responds this is an entirely different matter where criminal activity was taking place out in the open, with the authorities sitting on their hands despite repeated complaints. Hence the citizens arrest, detainment, and subsequent closure of the brothel with the departure of its madame from the area.One of the ladies asks where is the law, and how its the duty of individuals in society to make corrections with their hands, citing Hadith. Some statements in english here. An explanation of why the sisters started to use batons in self-defense after repeated raids and physical assaults. Ghazi dismisses the accusation of “talibization” as a smear tactic propagated in the western press, especially after 7/7. We also learn that 6500 students are enrolled at the masjid. Concluding segment. More details of how rangers beat woman during the initial raid. Ghazi states that any assault would be “a great mishap.”

Video:

A memorable interview of Martyred Maulana Abul-Rasheed Ghazi with CNN followed by Sir. Aetzaz Ahsan’s interview…

Link to the file above…