Recent Appearances...

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Hello !
Recent Appearances...

Zubair Ahmed	Zubair Ahmed	Lashkar-i-Jhangvi	India-Pakistan	20030913
	Zubair Ahmed	al-Qaeda	Afghanistan/South Asia	20050830
Zubair Ahmed Gondal	Zubair Ahmed Gondal	Islami Jamiat Talba Pakistan	Afghanistan/South Asia	20040517	Link

Afghanistan

The Territory of the Jihadists: Who Are the Foreign Fighters of ISIS in Afghanistan?

2023-08-13

[8am] Based on the findings of the Hasht-e Subh Daily, IS-K in Afghanistan has not only recruited local fighters but has also added a significant number of imported muscle to its ranks. Paks have consistently been considered primary leaders of IS-K and currently hold notable roles in the council of the group, which is the decision-making body for IS-K, evaluating and finalizing the leader’s decisions. Despite some Pak IS-K commanders being killed in Afghanistan, certain Paks still operate as nominal leaders in some provinces, including Kunar and Laghman
...Afghan province with a population of about 445,600, which is multi-ethnic and mostly a rural society. During the invasions of Alexander the Great, the area was known as Lampaka, wich is apparently Olde Macedonian for Laghman.The city of Mihtarlam serves as the bucolic capital of the province. The population is half Pashtun, the remainder Tadjik and Pashai. It had a repution for great wealth until it was conquered in the tenth century by Abu Mansur Sabuktigin.

He conquered it and set fire to the places in its vicinity which were inhabited by infidels, and demolishing the idol-temples, he established Islam in them, He marched and captured other cities and killed the polluted wretches, destroying the idolatrous and gratifying the Musulmans. After wounding and killing beyond all measure, his hands and those of his friends became cold in counting the value of the plundered property.

After that it was mostly notable for the production of dirt, rocks, and holy men...
Recently, Uzbek fighters from the Jundallah
..."Soldiers of God," a name used by ~~two~~ multiple separate terror outfits, one active in Iran and the other in Pakistain. Both are Sunni organizations that target Shiites. The Pak version has close relations with al-Qaeda and the Pak Talibs and is probably a false nose and mustache for Lashkar-e-Jhangvi...
group have joined IS-K. After the liquidation of their leader by the Taliban
Taliban

...Arabic for students...
, these Uzbek holy warriors, with around two thousand fighters, pledged allegiance to ISIS and joined its Khorasan branch to seek Dire Revenge against the Taliban.

Meanwhile,
...back at the shootout, Butch clutched at his other shoulder......
ISIS-Khorasan (IS-K) has escalated efforts to attract Pak and Uzbek fighters. The leadership of this branch of ISIS continues to strive towards enlisting dissatisfied Uzbek fighters from the Taliban. Notably, with the presence of these fighters, ISIS activities have expanded across Central Asia, resulting in rocket attacks on other countries.

The ISIS group launched its branch’s activities in Afghanistan and the region under the name "ISIS-Khorasan (IS-K)" for the first time in 2015. The geographical scope envisioned by ISIS for its Khorasan region included parts of Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistain. However,
some people are alive only because it's illegal to kill them...
the activities of this group have expanded since then, extending its attacks to Central Asia. The latest United Nations
...an organization which on balance has done more bad than good, with the good not done well and the bad done thoroughly...
statistics indicate that the ISIS-Khorasan (IS-K) branch currently has between four to six thousand fighters in Afghanistan.

Noted.

Previous reports suggested that considering the geographic scope of ISIS-Khorasan (IS-K), most of its members are Afghan nationals and hold key positions within the group.

However,
some people are alive only because it's illegal to kill them...
findings of the Hasht-e Subh Daily indicate that a significant portion of ISIS-Khorasan (IS-K) is composed of foreign jihadists; individuals who, due to dissatisfaction with other jihadist groups, including the Afghan Taliban and Tahrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP), have pledged allegiance to ISIS. Some members of al-Qaeda also have connections with ISIS, and given the presence of both groups in Afghanistan, it’s possible that they might have dual affiliations.

Why not? The leadership of the Haqqani faction of the Afghan Taliban also have places on the Al Qaeda table of organization.

But the question remains: which specific groups’ fighters are currently part of ISIS-Khorasan (IS-K), and what role do they play in expanding the group’s operational reach?

PAKS: FROM FOUNDING IS-K TO ACTIVE ROLE IN LAJNA COUNCIL
Despite the presence of Afghan fighters within IS-K, the branch was initially founded by dissident Pak Taliban members on Afghan soil. Hafiz Saeed
...founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba and its false-mustache offshoot Jamaat-ud-Dawa. The United Nations declared the JuD a terrorist organization in 2008 and Hafiz Saeed a terrorist as its leader. Hafiz, JuD and LeT are wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Pak intel apparatus, so that amounted to squat. He is periodically placed under house arrest so it looks like the govt is doing something. Once the heat is off they let him go....
Orakzai, a former Pak Taliban commander, pledged allegiance to ISIS in October 2014 due to dissatisfaction with both the Afghan and Pak Taliban. He served as the leader of IS-K for about one and a half years until he was killed by U.S. forces in August 2016. After a year of leadership by Abdul Hasib Pashtun-infested Logari, the leadership of ISIS-Khorasan (IS-K) (IS-K) once again shifted to Pak fighters. At that time, Abdullah Orakzai, also known as Aslam Farooqi, assumed this responsibility in April 2017 until he was eventually detained and imprisoned by authorities of the former government in the year 2020.

Since then, some dissident Pak Taliban fighters have remained part of ISIS-Khorasan (IS-K) and have played crucial roles as commanders in the current IS-K conflict. Even some of the "amirs" or (leaders) of IS-K in Afghanistan are Pak fighters. For example, Qari Faateh, who operated as the nominal amir of IS-K in Kunar province
... which is right down the road from Chitral. Kunar is Haqqani country.....
, was announced to have been killed by the Taliban in Kabul in February of this year. At that time, Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban front man, stated that Qari Faateh was the head of intelligence and operations for IS-K, and the Taliban accused him of orchestrating attacks on mosques and diplomatic sites.

Continuing, in early June of this year, the Taliban announced the killing of an ISIS commander named Tarab Bajauri in the province of Laghman. This Pak commander was operating as the "amir" (leader) of the IS-K branch in Laghman province and was considered one of the individuals who joined ISIS alongside Hafiz Saeed Orakzai. Bajauri had a long military background and was among those responsible for ISIS’s significant influence in Kunar province. The Taliban regarded him as a key member of the ISIS-Khorasan (IS-K) in Afghanistan. Such stances by the Taliban indicate that Pak fighters are significant pillars of IS-K and actively operate within Afghanistan under Taliban control.

Currently, Asadullah Orakzai is another prominent Pak commander of ISIS-Khorasan (IS-K). He operates as the amir of ISIS in Laghman province and is also a member of the Lajna Council. According to the Hasht-e Subh Daily’s findings, this council holds the leadership responsibility for ISIS-Khorasan (IS-K) and decides on the group’s activities in the "Khorasan region." Most of the IS-K commanders, especially the Pak ones who are currently active members of ISIS, are actively involved in the Lajna Council. Qari Faateh, who was also a member of this council, participated in making decisions for the future of IS-K. Additionally, Saifullah Orakzai, another prominent commander of IS-K, is a member of this council.

In this way, the findings indicate that Pak fighters are active members of the ISIS-Khorasan (IS-K) operating in Afghanistan. They have experience in leading the ISIS-Khorasan (IS-K) on two occasions and are currently serving as commanders in provinces as well as engaging in military and intelligence activities.

According to additional information, ISIS-Khorasan (IS-K) is vigorously striving to increase its Pak fighters. This branch of ISIS has included the issue of recruiting Pak fighters as part of its future plans. In this process, individuals dissatisfied with their activities alongside the Tahrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) are being targeted for recruitment by ISIS to expand its activities in eastern Afghanistan and certain areas of Pakistain. It’s noteworthy that most Pak members of the ISIS-Khorasan (IS-K) have joined the group due to dissatisfaction with their previous affiliations, and given the extent of this dissatisfaction, the increase in the number of Pak fighters for ISIS is probable.

JUNDALLAH UZBEK JIHADISTS AND THEIR INVOLVEMENT WITH IS-K
The findings indicate that members of the Uzbek group Jundallah have also joined IS-Khorasan (IS-K) in the northern regions of Afghanistan. According to the information, currently, except for a small fraction of the group, most of the Uzbek commanders and fighters have become part of IS-Khorasan (IS-K). ISIS has incorporated a segment of the Jundallah group, consisting of Uzbek fighters in northern Afghanistan, into its ranks. Consequently, Mullah Saad, an Uzbek national, has assumed leadership of this group within IS-Khorasan (IS-K), and Uzbek holy warrior Osama Ghazi serves as his deputy. In addition to these two leaders from the Jundallah group, around two thousand fighters from this group and thousands of their supporters in Takhar, Kunduz, Badakhshan, and Faryab provinces have also become part of IS-Khorasan (IS-K).

This significant shift occurred as Uzbek fighters in Jundallah grew disillusioned with the Taliban regime. According to the Hasht-e Subh Daily’s findings, the Uzbek holy warriors played a major role in the Taliban’s takeover in the north of Afghanistan. However,
some people are alive only because it's illegal to kill them...
following the Taliban’s return, Jundallah’s leadership and members faced hostility from them. The Taliban resorted to assassinations of some Jundallah leaders to control the group. Notably, Uzbek migrant Osman Ghazi, who entered Afghanistan with five thousand of his Uzbek followers during Baranuddin Rabbani’s rule, later joined Jundallah at the request of Abdul Malik Rigi, a Jundallah member. Rigi, who operated in Iran, was executed after being arrested by the Islamic Theocratic Republic of Iran.

After the first fall of the Taliban regime, Ghazi went to Pakistain to lead his group’s terrorist attacks alongside the Afghan Taliban against the previous government. Following orders from Mullah Mohammed Omar, the founder of the Taliban, Ghazi returned with hundreds of his followers to the province of Zabul and, in 2016, made an informal allegiance to ISIS during a consultation with some Taliban leaders. This move seemingly served as part of the plan to eliminate him, as shortly after, Ghazi became the target of an ambush by Taliban commanders and was killed in Zabul province along with his wife and several children.

Based on the findings of the Hasht-e Subh Daily, this action led Osama Ghazi, his son, and 150 other Jundallah members from Zabul province, where his father was present, to go to the provinces of Kandahar and Badakhshan and then leave those areas too. However,
some people are alive only because it's illegal to kill them...
he waited for Dire Revenge from the Taliban until, following the Taliban’s resurgence, he and all members of his group joined ISIS. It should be noted that ISIS has utilized Jundallah members in expanding its activities in Central Asia. For instance, a member of this group, who previously operated under Salahuddin Ayubi’s command in Faryab province, launched a rocket attack on the soil of Uzbekistan.

On the other hand, IS-K’s efforts to gain the allegiance of Salahuddin Ayubi, a commander of Uzbek origin and dissatisfied with the Taliban, have intensified. He has close relations with the northern hard boyz and appears to be able to establish connections with other gangs in Tajikistan and other northern regions of the country. Moreover, ISIS, pursuing its plans for expanding activities in Central Asia, seeks to establish further communication with Uzbekistan fighters. This endeavor highlights the group’s intention to engage with some commanders and fighters of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.

Meanwhile,
...back at the shootout, Butch clutched at his other shoulder......
based on available information, ISIS has previously designated a commander for Tajikistan as well. It is worth recalling that, in addition to Khorasan, the group is also seriously focused on the Indian subcontinent. According to the findings, in mid-2022, the leadership of ISIS instructed its members in the "Province of Hind" to intensify their activities in India and Pakistain. Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, the then-leader of ISIS in Iraq and Syria, had urged Sheikh Zubair Ahmed, the ISIS governor in India, to bring about positive changes in that geography. Subsequently, Sheikh Zubair Ahmed decided to activate his media unit and conduct activities through Telegram, following the same directive.

The Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
of Iraq and Syria, known as ISIS, was originally formed in the late 20th century under the name "Jamāʿat al-Tawḥīd wal-Jihād." It merged with al-Qaeda in 2004 but adopted the name "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" in 2013. In 2014, ISIS declared a caliphate, with Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as its first recognized leader. Currently, besides Iraq and some Arab countries, ISIS also operates extensively in Afghanistan. These activities have intensified after the return of the Taliban to power, and they encompass attacks on diplomatic sites and rocket attacks on countries in Central Asia. With recent changes in ISIS and the joining of imported muscle to its Khorasan branch, it appears that the group has significant plans for further infiltration into the "Wilayah of Khorasan." Previously, information indicated that IS-K was seeking to seize control of Kunar Province
...one of the four N2KL provinces (Nangarhar, Nuristan, Kunar and Laghman). N2KL is the designation used by US and Coalition Forces for the rugged and very violent region opposite Pakistain's Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Northwest Frontier Province. Kunar is the center of the N2KL region. Its population is 95% Pashtun. It is adjacent to Bajaur Agency..
, a move that has been delayed after the assessment by its Lajna Council.

Link

India-Pakistan

4 Kashmiris among 5 with links to Islamic State arrested: DGP Gujarat

2023-06-11

[GreaterKashmir
...a disputed territory lying between India and Pakistain. After partition, the Paks grabbed half of it and call it Azad (Free) Kashmir. The remainder they refer to as "Indian Occupied Kashmir". They have fought four wars with India over it, the score currently 4-0 in New Delhi's favor. After 72 years of this nonsense, India cut the Gordian knot in 2019, removing the area's special status, breaking off Ladakh as a separate state, and allowing people from other areas to settle (or in the case of the Pandits, to resettle) there....
] The Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of the Gujarat
...where rioting seems to be a traditional passtime...
Police have arrested five persons including a woman from Porbandar with alleged links to proscribed international terror outfit the Islamic State

...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
- Khorasan Province (ISKP) an affiliate of the Islamic State.

Gujarat Police said on Saturday that the arrests were made as part of a special operation and raids were still underway.

Addressing a news conference here, Director General of Police (DGP) Gujarat Vikas Sahay said that the officials of the ATS of the Gujarat Police had received information that three of the forces of Evil linked to the ISKP were planning to leave India via Gujarat.

"It is a banned terrorist organization, Islamic State - Khorasan Province. Three forces of Evil affiliated with this organization were planning to leave from Porbandar via the waterway," the DGP said.

"This information was received by the ATS of Gujarat Police. The information was properly processed and further developed," the Police official said.

"Acting on the tip-off, a team of Gujarat ATS early morning of June 9, set up a watch at Porbandar railway station and identified the three youth and held them and questioned them," the DGP said. "The three arrested from Porbandar were identified as Ubaid Nasir Mir, Hanan Hayat Shawl, and Muhammad Hajim Shah, all natives of Srinagar."

Srinagar is the summer capitol of Kashmir, and just chock full of jihadi groups sponsored, controlled by, or otherwise connected to Pakistan’s ISI. Though ISIS-K is supposed to be independent of all that.

He said that based on questioning the detained trio, two more people also linked to the ISK were held.

They have been identified as Zubair Ahmed Munshi from Srinagar and one woman, Sumerabanu Mohammad Hanif Malek, who is a resident of Surat city.

Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi said that five suspected forces of Evil were arrested and congratulated the Gujarat Police ATS and Surat Crime Branch for the arrests.

"Gujarat Police have been thwarting terror plots and it will continue to do so in the coming days. Gujarat Police will take forward the zero tolerance policy of the Centre as put forth by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Five suspected persons have been arrested, one is from Surat," Sanghvi said.

One India adds:

"The three men were planning to use a fishing boat from Porbandar to cross the International Maritime Boundary Line and reach Afghanistan via Iran
Iran

...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate ~~Jews~~ ~~Zionists~~ Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
and join ISKP," Sahay told news hounds.

During preliminary interrogation, they revealed that they were trained and radicalised by a handler identified as Abu Hamza.

Link

India-Pakistan

6 security men martyred in Balochistan terror incidents

2022-12-26

[Dawn] Militant shot dead in Zhob; cops among several injured in Quetta attacks.

Six security personnel, including a captain, embraced martyrdom while at least 17 people suffered injuries in different incidents of terrorism across Balochistan
...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it...
on Sunday.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), a clearance operation was underway in Kahan after an bomb targeted security forces.

The military’s media wing said that an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) went off close to the leading party of the security forces. Captain Fahad, Lance Naik Imtiaz and sepoys Asghar, Mehran and Shamoon were martyred in the blast.

The statement further said that the sanitisation operation continued in the area to apprehend the suspects involved in the attack.

In another statement, the ISPR said that an operation against Lions of Islam in the Sambaza area of Zhob left one security man martyred. One terrorist was killed, while two personnel were maimed.

ISPR said the forces had started an operation in Sambaza on the basis of intelligence reports to deny Lions of Islam the use of suspected routes to move across the "Pakistain-Afghanistan border
...also known as Pashtunistan, home of ignorance, poverty, and automatic weapons...
to sneak into KP along the interprovincial boundary and target citizens and security forces".

A group of the murderous Moslems was intercepted in the early hours of Sunday, it said, adding, "during the establishing of blocking positions to deny them escape routes, murderous Moslems opened fire on the security forces".

As a result of a shootout, one terrorist was killed while Sepoy Haq Nawaz embraced martyrdom and two other soldiers got injured.

"The murderous Moslems were supported by their controllers from across the border as well through firing," the statement added.

ATTACKS IN QUETTA, HUB, KALAT
More than one dozen people, including three coppers, were maimed in different attacks in the capital of Balochistan
...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it...
. In a grenade attack on Sabzal Road on the outskirts of Quetta, at least four people, including two teenage girls, were maimed.

The maimed were identified as Muhammad Qayyum, 25; Zubair Ahmed, 25; Kaynat Bibi, 17; and Bibi Ewa, 13. They were moved to Civil Hospital.

Police said that the grenade blast took place near Amir Dasti cop shoppe. Officials said that unknown people hurled the grenade and escaped. Police added that an improvised bomb recovered from the area was defused.

In a grenade attack on a police check-post in Satellite Town, at least eight people, including three police officials, received injuries.

"We have received 12 injured [including four injured in the Sabzal Road attack] who had been hurt due to splinters of the hand grenades," Dr Wasim Baig, front man of the Provincial Sandeman Civil Hospital told Dawn.

Another attack in Quetta targeted an FC post on Sariab Road. Police said unknown motorcyclists hurled a grenade that went kaboom! some distance from the check post. "No casualty was reported in the blast," they added.

Meanwhile,
...back at the buffalo wallow, Yellow Wolf clutched at his chest and fell from his horse...
in Hub, a kaboom in the evening injured three persons. Police said the bomb went off outside the Saddar cop shoppe in Hub.

"We are investigating the blast," Dostain Dashti, SSP Hub told Dawn. He added the nature of the blast could not be ascertained. The injured were shifted to Jam Ghulam Qadir Memorial Hospital.

In Khuzdar, a police vehicle came under a grenade attack in the heart of the town. The police vehicle was damaged but fortunately, there were no casualties, Fahad Khosa, SSP Khuzdar said.

In Kalat and Turbat, security forces were attacked in separate incidents. However,
by candlelight every wench is handsome...
no loss of life or injuries were reported as a result of these attacks.

An earlier Dawn article adds details:

A blurb from the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the operation was underway since Saturday when the IED went kaboom! close to the leading party.

"Resultantly, Captain Fahad along with four other brave sons of soil, Lance Naik Imtiaz, Sepoy Asghar, Sepoy Mehran and Sepoy Shamoon, have embraced martyrdom, laying their lives in defence of the motherland against an externally perpetrated threat of terrorism," the blurb reads.

The responsibility for the attack was claimed by the banned murderous Moslem Balochistan
...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it...
Liberation Army (BLA) group. The BLA is a rebel group operating against the Pak state in Balochistan. BLA’s stated aim is complete independence for Balochistan.

Earlier in the day, the ISPR said a terrorist was killed and a soldier martyred during an exchange of fire between holy warriors and security forces in an intelligence-based operation in the Sambaza area of Balochistan’s Zhob district.

According to a statement issued by the ISPR on Sunday morning, the operation, launched on the basis of "credible information", was continuing for the last 96 hours.

The objective was to "deny holy warriors the use of few suspected routes to move across the Pakistain-Afghanistan border
...also known as Pashtunistan, home of ignorance, poverty, and automatic weapons...
to sneak into KP (Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa) along the interprovincial boundary and target citizens and security forces", the ISPR added.

As a result of the continuous surveillance and sanitation of the area, a group of holy warriors was intercepted in the early hours of Sunday, the ISPR said, adding that "during the establishment of blocking positions to deny the holy warriors escape routes, the holy warriors opened fire on the security forces".

In the ensuing exchange of fire, a terrorist was killed while Sepoy Haq Nawaz was martyred. Two soldiers sustained were maimed in the shootout, the ISPR statement said.

It added that the holy warriors were supported by their controllers from across the border as well through firing.

Link

Africa Horn

Sudan Prosecutes Former Regime Officials on Corruption, Murder Charges

2021-03-17

[ENGLISH.AAWSAT] The Sudanese Public Prosecution announced it was taking legal action against a new group of former officials of ousted President Omar al-Bashir

...Former President-for-Life of Sudan He came to power in 1989 when he, as a brigadier in the Sudanese army, led a group of officers in a bloodless military coup that ousted the government of Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi and eventually appointed himself head cheese. He fell out with his Islamic mentor, Hasan al-Turabi, tried to impose shariah on the Christian and animist south, resulting in its secessesion, and attempted to Arabize Darfur by unleashing the barbaric Janjaweed on it. Sudan's potential prosperity has been pissed away in warfare that has left as many as 400,000 people dead and 2.5 million displaced. Hee was overthrown by popular consent in 2019. Omar has been indicted for genocide by the International Criminal Court but nothing is expected to come of it...
's regime on charges of murder, corruption and torture.

The Public Prosecution referred five cases of murder during protests in Atbara city to the judiciary, which will set date for the trials.

It also completed its investigations into an incident where a detainee was tortured to death by the Rapid Support Forces in December. The report will be referred to the judiciary within days.

Attorney General, Tajelsir El Hibir, received the forensic reports on the autopsy of exhumed bodies of the Kajbar Dam deaders, and the incident was documented as a criminal association and premeditated murder.

The Kajbar Dam events date back to 2007 when members of the security forces of the former regime rubbed out four people during a peaceful march denouncing the construction of the dam, which was threatening to inundate their areas.

Former finance ministers, Ali Mahmoud Abdel-Rasoul and al-Zubair Ahmed al-Hassan, who was the Secretary-General of the Islamic Movement, among others, are facing corruption charges relating to their selling of the state's River Transport Authority, according to the prosecution's statement.

The prosecution also charged ministers Awad Ahmed al-Jaz and Abdel Halim al-Mutafi along with others with corruption charges in the case of the Mashkour Sugar Company. Former governor, al-Haji Atta al-Mannan was also indicted in corruption charges in the case of the AlNile Bank.

The Prosecution's office of Crimes Against the State and Counterterrorism issued 34 reports against former officials for using foreign currencies outside the banking system, and their involvement in counterfeiting networks.

Since the toppling of Bashir and the establishment of the transitional government, the Prosecution has been working on several cases and reports to hold the regime accountable for its crimes.

The ousted president was convicted of corruption, and his comrades are under trial for plotting the 1989 coup that overthrew the elected democratic government led by the late Prime Minister al-Sadiq al-Mahdi.

Link

India-Pakistan

Discontent as raids on seminaries continue

2015-08-09

[DAWN] MULTAN: The Wifaqul Madaris Al-Arabia demanded that the search operation against seminaries be stopped immediately.

At a presser here on Friday, Wifaqul Madaris Al-Arabia South Punjab
1.) Little Orphan Annie's bodyguard
2.) A province of Pakistain ruled by one of the Sharif brothers
3.) A province of India. It is majority (60 percent) Sikh and Hindoo (37 percent), which means it has relatively few Moslem riots....
Secretary Maulana Zubair Ahmed Siddiqi said the joint operations of security forces had been going on for two days and hundreds of seminaries had been searched across the province.

"Offices, hostels and even kitchens have been searched by police. Harassment is being created among the teachers and students," he said. He said seminaries were being defamed as part of an international conspiracy.

"No weapon has been recovered from seminaries during the search operation nor was any illegal activity reported," he said. He said the government should now clear that the seminaries had nothing to do with terrorism, sectarianism and illegal activities besides taking action against the 'officials' who submitted false reports about the seminaries, while media trail of seminaries also should be stopped.

He said action against the seminaries of any particular sect was discrimination and it would further pave the way for fanaticism and sectarianism. He said action should be taken without discrimination.

He said the administrations of some districts were promoting sectarianism by including peaceful and non-sectarian personalities in the Fourth Schedule to keep them away from the administrative affairs of the seminaries. He said the Wifaqul Madaris was ready to solve any issue with the government.

Meanwhile,
...back at the hanging, Butch continued with his last words, trying not to repeat himself too often......
the Counter-Terrorism Department, police and intelligence officials continued their search operations on Friday. The search operation was conducted in Cantonment, Qutabpur, Muzaffarabad, Mumtazabad, Soraj Miani, Shah Shams, Qadirpuran, Makhdoom Rasheed, Basti Malook, Jalalpur city and Shujaabad. Multan City Police Officer Azhar Ikram led the search operation.

According to the official handout, police conducted raids on 16 seminaries of different sects and jugged
Book 'im, Mahmoud!
15 suspects besides recovering computers and other material.

Link

Bangladesh

Five to die for JU Zubair murder

2015-02-09

[Dhaka Tribune] A Dhaka court yesterday handed down the death penalty for five expelled activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League
... the student wing of the Bangla Awami League ...
's Jahangirnagar University unit and awarded six life imprisonment for the killing, three years ago, of batch mate Zubair Ahmed, an honours final year student of the English department.

Judge ABM Nizamul Haque of the Speedy Trial Tribunal 4 also acquitted two other accused ‐ Md Nazmul Hussain Plabon of the public administration department and Md Mahmudul Hasan Masud of history ‐ as the allegations against them were not proved beyond doubt. They were released from jail.

During the delivery of the sentences, the convicts in the dock burst into tears. They were all students of the 2007-08 session (37th batch).

The five death row convicts, now absconding, are Khandaker Ashikul Islam alias Ashik, Rashedul Islam Raju, Khan Mohammad Rois alias Sohan and Zahid Hasan of the zoology department and Mahabub Akram of the government and politics department.

The lifers are Ishtiaque Mehboob Aroop of the philosophy department, Nazmus Sakib Tapu of biochemistry and molecular biology, Md Kamruzzaman Shohag of philosophy, Abhinandan Kundu Ovi of statistics, Md Mazharul Islam and Shafiul Alam Shetu. They were also fined Tk20,000 each, and, in failure to pay the amount, would have to serve one more year in jail.

Of the convicts, six are on the run. On February 23 last year, Ashik, Rois, Aroop and Akram fled the court while two others ‐ Raju and Zahid ‐ remained absent from their court appearances since January 23 the same year.

After pronouncing the short verdict, the court yesterday issued arrest warrants against all of the runaways.

The same court on December 18, 2013 sentenced eight Chhatra League activists of Jagannath University to death and 13 others life terms in prison for killing Bishwajit Das, an Old Dhaka tailor, near the Judge's Court on December 9, 2012.

Zubair, also a former Chhatra League activist, departed this vale of tears on January 9, 2012 at a hospital in the city. He was beaten and stabbed indiscriminately the previous afternoon on the campus by the convicts and their aides.

The killers took him to Enam Medical College Hospital in Savar and left him there with severe injuries.

Following the incident, university authorities filed a murder case with Ashulia police naming three of the accused ‐ Ashik, Raju and Rois. On January 30 the same year, seven of the accused were expelled from the university for life, while six others were suspended for two years after the authorities found their direct involvement in the murder. The university authorities then asked Ashulia police to add the names of 10 others in the case.

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India-Pakistan

Pervez Musharraf attack case: Ex-PAF technician hanged

2015-01-10

[DAWN] A former Pakistain Air Force (PAF) chief technician Khalid Mehmood, convicted in the

Pervez Perv Musharraf
... former dictator of Pakistain, who was less dictatorial and corrupt than any Pak civilian government to date ...
attack case, has been executed in the Central Jail Adiala, DawnNews reported Friday night.

Khalid Mehmood, along with four others, was awarded the death sentence on October 3, 2005 by the Field General Court Martial under the Army Act for his involvement in an liquidation attempt on Gen (Retd) Pervez Musharraf on December 14, 2003 in Rawalpindi.

He belonged to Chak No 372 cop shoppe of Dunyapur in the Lodhran district with the present address of Lava, near high school Talagang, Chakwal.

Mehmood was shifted to Adiala Jail on October 27, 2010.

Strict security measures had been taken before his execution. Army and Rangers personnel were deployed in and outside the Adiala jail. Besides this, aerial surveillance of the area was also carried out.

As many as 27 family members of Khalid Mehmood met him before his execution.

So far four convicts in the case: Niaz Muhammad, Karamdeen, Nawazish and Khalid Mehmood have been hanged, while another Adnan Rasheed has been on the run since an attack on Bannu jail.

This was the eighth execution since the prime minister lifted a moratorium on executions of death row prisoners in the country.

Earlier Dr Usman, the criminal mastermind of the attack on the Pakistain Army headquarters in 2009, Arshad Mehmood, Zubair Ahmed, Rasheed Qureshi, Ghulam Sarwar Bhatti, Russian citizen Akhlaque Ahmed and Niaz Muhammad were executed in relations with the liquidation attempt on Musharraf.

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India-Pakistan

Four more terrorists hanged in Faisalabad

2014-12-22

FAISALABAD/ISLAMABAD: Another four terrorists – Ghulam Sarwar Bhatti, Zubair Ahmed, Rasheed Qureshi and a Russian citizen Akhlaq Ahmed alias Roosi – who were awarded death penalty for carrying out attack on former military ruler Pervez Musharraf were hanged to death at District Jail on Sunday.

All four terrorists were shifted to the death cell of District Jail Faisalabad late on Saturday from Central Jail Faisalabad under tight security arrangements made by police, Rangers and army, the jail authorities said. Family members of all the four death-row convicts were allowed to have final meetings with them. Earlier, one convict of this case, Arshad Mehrban, was also hanged to death in the District Jail Faisalabad on Friday night along with another terrorist of GHQ attack, Aqeel Ahmad alias Dr Usman. After execution, the bodies of Zubair Ahmad, Ghulam Sarwar Bhatti, Rasheed Qureshi and Akhlaq Ahmad were handed over to their heirs.

The convicts were said to be frightened and seeking mercy from the jail staff. While recording their will, they said that they were feeling guilty and were repenting their crimes, and advised their companions not to kill any Muslim. They were frightened and shivering when while approaching the gallows. The advised the Taliban not to target children and women. The prisoners had to be shifted to the district jail under strict security measures because the lever which is used to open the trapdoor to carryout hangings was not present in the Central Jail.

Family members of the death-row prisoners were allowed to meet them for the last time prior to the hanging. Security was tightened in the city to avoid any untoward incident. Additional contingents of security personnel were deployed while containers and barricades were placed on the routes leading to the district jail. Meanwhile, preparations were underway in Lahore for the execution of four death row prisoners in Kot Lakhpat Central Jail. The executions are expected to be carried out within the next 24-36 hours. All routes leading to the jail were sealed with the deployment of military personnel and installation of cell phone jammers around the jail premises. Another 17 prisoners are likely to be hanged throughout country during this week.

In Sukkur, authorities called in the relatives of two terrorists, belonging to the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi who had been sentenced to death 10 years ago in a sectarian killing case, to hold a final meeting on Monday. An anti terrorism court on Friday had issued black warrants for Attaullah alias Qasim and Mohammad Azam alias Sharif who had been given death sentence by an antiterrorism court in July 2004.

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India-Pakistan

Dr Usman, Arshad Mehmood executed in Faisalabad

2014-12-19

[DAWN] Aqeel alias Dr Usman and Arshad Mehmood have been executed in Faisalabad on Friday night, in the first capital punishment carried out in the country since Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif lifted the moratorium on the death penalty, sources said.

Usman a former soldier of the army’s medical corps, was executed in relation to an attack on the headquarters of the Pakistan Army in 2009 in Rawalpindi. Arshad Mehmood, was executed for an assassination attempt on former military ruler, General (retd.) Pervez Musharraf.

Security had been tightened at Faisalabad's central and district prisons ahead of the executions.

The black warrant for Dr Usman was signed by Army Chief General Raheel Sharif late on Thursday night.

The prime minister had lifted the moratorium a day after terrorists attacked Peshawar's Army Public School, killing 141 people, most of them children.

Eleven soldiers had lost their lives in the Oct 10, 2009 attack when 10 heavily armed militants wearing suicide vests stormed the army's General Headquarter (GHQ) holding off commandos for hours.

Dr Usman, who was caught injured during the Oct 10 raid on the army headquarters by militants, was sentenced to death in 2011 by a military court which had awarded prison terms to others in the GHQ attack case.

A retired soldier, Imran Siddiq, was awarded life imprisonment in the case at the time whereas three civilians — Khaliqur Rehman, Mohammad Usman and Wajid Mehmood — were given life terms while two others, Mohammad Adnan and Tahir Shafiq (both civilians), were given eight and seven years jail sentence respectively.

Apart from Dr Usman, who was caught during the attack, other serviceman and five civilians were found guilty of abetment.

Their trial by the military court, which was headed by a brigadier, had lasted over five months and had taken place at an undisclosed location.

Mehmood, who was a trooper, was among the five sentenced to be hanged for their role in an Al Qaeda-inspired assassination attempt on Musharraf’s life in late 2003.

Musharraf, who was in power at the time, narrowly escaped the bid when two suicide car bombers rammed his motorcade on Dec 25, 2003, in Rawalpindi. Fifteen people were killed in that attack.

It was the second attempt on Musharraf’s life that month, and several soldiers, air force personnel and militants were arrested after the two attacks.

Mehmood and civilians Zubair Ahmed, Rashid Bhatti, Rashid Qureshi, Ghulam Sarwar and Akhlaque Ahmed were convicted in the case.

Link

India-Pakistan

Four shot dead in 'encounters'

2014-05-30

[DAWN] KARACHI: Four suspects were bumped off in as many encounters with law-enforcement agencies during targeted operations in the old city areas on Wednesday, officials said.

The Rangers and police acting on information

*ring ring* "Sgt. Faisel? Mahmoud the Weasel here. I have information. Listen closely, I will say this only once."

conducted a targeted operation

They put Xs on their backs?

in the Kalakot area

I guess they don't have upazilas in the former West Pakistan...

and killed three suspects in a shootout, said SSP City Sheraz Nazeer. The three encounters took place at the areas near Cheel Chowk and Gabol Park, he added.

Chowks and parks? How un-proletarian. Ah, the decadent times we live in, when even the criminals are bourgeois.

The officer said that the dear departed were identified as Arif alias Patni, 40, Zubair Ahmed alias Bhaya, 34, and Waheed Hussain alias Appu, 32. He said that the three gangsters were wanted in criminal cases.

On twelve systems no less.

Kalakot SHO Haji Sanaullah said Arif belonged to the Umer Katchhi gang, Zubair to the Mullah Nisar gang and Waheed to the Taju gang.

A multi-gang encounter? Golly!

Earlier, police potted a suspect, Faisal,

Not our beloved police sergeant, one hopes.

associated with the Uzair Baloch gang in the Mithadar area, police said.

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Bangladesh

Four accused in Zubair murder case escape from dock

2014-02-24

[Dhaka Tribune] The four accused in the Zubair murder case escaped yesterday from the dock shortly after a Dhaka court cancelled their bail and ordered that they be sent to prison.

The escapees are Khandaker Ashikul Islam, alias Ashik, Khan Mohammad Rais, Ishtiaq Mehbub Arup and Mahabub Akram -- all are students of Jahangirnagar University and Chhatra League
... the student wing of the Bangla Awami League ...
activists.

Earlier, they obtained a conditional bail from the High Court.

Speedy Trial Tribunal 4 Judge ABM Nizamul Haque recorded 12th prosecution witness Humayun Kabir, then sub-inspector of Gulshan cop shoppe, who conducted the inquest report of the victim, gave deposition and was cross-examined by the defence counsel.

In addition to the four, the court also issued arrest warrants for the two other accused, who were not presented before the court yesterday, and set February 27 for the prosecution witness.

It asked the authorities concerned to send the arrest warrants to Ashulia and local cop shoppes of the accused.

The tribunal cancelled their bail under section 497 (5) of CrPC.

The six accused were alleged to have threatened Zubair's friends who came to observe the trial procedure at the court and assaulted them physically on January 19.

On the day, one of Zubair's friends Nazmul Islam filed a general diary with Kotwali cop shoppe accusing the six.

According to the general diary, the attackers including Khandaker Ashikul Islam Ashik threatened Nazmul with saying: "You are conducting your movement very well, but remember if we are not hanged, a further murder will take place."

On January 23, Public Prosecutor SM Rafiqul Islam applied for cancellation of the bail granted to the six.

Two other accused -- Rashedul Islam and Jahidul Islam -- of the murder case have been absent from their court appearance since January 23, said Defence counsel Jakir Hossain Mollah.

The counsel said the duo might have fled the country.

On January 27 police submitted the investigation report to the court in connection with the GD filed by Nazmul, a student of Jahangirnagar University.

In the report, investigation officer Md Rafiqul Islam, sub-inspector of Kotwali cop shoppe, mentioned that he found the allegations against the six were true.

On February 6, the court issued show cause notice to the six accused asking why their bail should not be cancelled since they threatened the victims' friends and disobeyed the bail condition.

On February 12, the defence counsels on behalf of the four escapees accused of murder submitted written apologies to the court for their action.

About the incident of escaping from the court, Public Prosecutor SM Rafiqul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune the court police hardly took any steps to increase police presence on the court premises yesterday.

"No police were deployed on the court premises, so when the accused heard the bail cancellation order, they bravely ran away from there," he added.

Asked about the escape, Deputy Inspector General SM Mahfuzul Haque Nuruzzaman of Dhaka range told the Dhaka Tribune the four escapees were not under police custody.

The court did not inform police they would be presented before the court yesterday, he added.

Zubair's brother Abdullaha-Al-Mamun said he was afraid because the accused had beat feet from the court.

He said it proved that the accused were cold-blooded murderers and that was why they could run out of the court in broad daylight.

On September 8, 2013, the court framed charges against a total of 13 university students accused in the Zubair murder case.

According to the case statement, honour's final year student Zubair Ahmed of JU English Department departed this vale of tears on January 9, 2012.

Zubair was severely beaten on the campus by activists of a rival faction of Chhatra League, the pro-Awami League students' wing.

JU Deputy Registrar Hamidur Rahman filed the case with Ashulia cop shoppe.

On April 8, 2012, Meer Shain Shah Pervez, the then sub-inspector and also investigation officer of the case, submitted the charge sheet accusing 13 students.

Link

India-Pakistan

PPP activist, policeman among nine killed across city

2012-10-12

[Dawn]

At least six persons, including a policeman and a Pakistain People's Party (PPP) activist, were rubbed out in different parts of the city on Thursday that also witnessed roadside dumping of at least three bodies, officials said.

The policeman was bumped off in North Nazimabad while he was riding home, situated in Orangi Town, after duty hours, officials said.

He was hit by two bullets in the head and was struck down in his prime.

"Thirty-four-year-old constable Murshid Alam was intercepted by four men riding two

cycle of violences near Qalandria Chowk," said Shahrah-e-Noor Jehan SHO Inspector Raja Tariq while quoting eyewitness accounts. "The attackers used 9mm pistol and sped away after firing at the police official. His body has been handed over to the family after medico-legal formalities at the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital."

He said the victim was posted at the Khawaja Ajmair Nagri police headquarters. "The murder seemed to be part of the ongoing wave of coppers's killing," he said. He was the 64th police official killed in the city this year.

Earlier, a PPP worker was killed in a targeted attack near a roadside tea stall in North Nazimabad, police said.

Mohamamd Saleem Lasi, in his late 20s, was having tea with his elder brother and nephew on the greenbelt area between two roads in block L when three gunnies riding a motorbike pulled up there and fired at him, the police added.

"He was hit by three bullets each in the chest, shoulder and abdomen and was struck down in his prime," said an official at the Taimuria cop shoppe.

"He was an area resident and had come there with his elder brother and nephew during scheduled load-shedding hours in the area. The murder seemed to be politically motivated."

Bloody Karachi
...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It may be the largest city in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous...
PPP central president Sohail Abidi condemned the incident and said the victim was an active party worker, associated with the PS-101 of the party organizational structure.

"At a time when the PPP leadership both in the province and national level is making efforts for reviving peace mainly in Bloody Karachi the myrmidons are targeting PPP workers just to provoke the ruling party and exploit the vulnerable situation," he said.

ANP man hurt, passerby killed
In Gulshan-e-Iqbal, a senior Awami National Party (ANP) worker was maimed and a passerby was killed in a drive-by shooting, police said.

The police added that four men riding two motorbikes fired shots at 40-year-old Shah Kalam while he was stepping out of his apartment building on Abul Hasan Ispahani Road.

"The firing left him badly maimed and also hit the passerby, Mohammad Rafiq," said Sachal SHO Azhar Ali Iqbal.

Both were shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, where Rafiq died during treatment, the police said.

The SHO believed that it was a targeted attack. "Shah Kalam was the target in the attack carried out with 9mm and 30-bore pistols," he said.

Three bodies found
The bodies of two friends who went missing a couple of days back were spotted along the Lyari
...one of the eighteen constituent towns of the city of Karachi. It is the smallest town by area in the city but also the most densely populated. Lyari has few schools, substandard hospitals, a poor water system, limited infrastructure, and broken roads. It is a stronghold of ruling Pakistan Peoples Party. Ubiquitous gang activity and a thriving narcotics industry make Lyari one of the most disturbed places in Karachi, which is really saying a lot....
River in the early hours of Wednesday, the police said.

Both victims, 31-year-old Ali Mustafa and 33-year-old Abdul Samad, were residents of Kharadar, the officials added.

Ali Mustafa was found rubbed out in the Miran Naka area along the Lyari River, said an official at the Shershah cop shoppe.

The body was shifted to the Civil Hospital Bloody Karachi.

Shortly afterwards, another body stuffed in a gunny bag was found on a road leading to Miran Naka within the remit of the Site-B cop shoppe.

The victim was later identified as Abdul Samad. He was stabbed with his throat slit, said an official at the SITE-B cop shoppe.

"We have reason to believe that the two friends were kidnapped and killed by the same group that abandoned their bodies some distance apart."

As the two bodies reached their residences, tension gripped the old city areas that caused markets closure. Another young man was found rubbed out near Hawkesbay, police said.

"With the help of an identity card found in his pocket, the victim was identified as 27-year-old Abdul Waleed, a resident of Turbat," said Mauripur SHO Inspector Shafiq Tanoli.

But the police remained clueless about the motive for the murder. "It's not yet clear as to why he was killed and who was behind the incident," the inspector said.

The body was shifted to the Edhi morgue after medico-legal formalities.

The police said they were tracing his family.

Man killed in Napier
In Napier, a gun attack on a roadside tea stall left one man dead and five others maimed, police said.

An official at the Napier cop shoppe said that Pervez Shabbir, 30, was killed when gunnies riding a motorbike opened fire on the tea stall.

"In the firing, Mohammad Sohail, Karam Ali, Amir Aslam, Zubair Ahmed and Atif Rauf were maimed. All of them were rushed to the Civil Hospital Bloody Karachi where they were being provided treatment," the official said.

Trader rubbed out in Malir
A 40-year-old hosiery shop owner was rubbed out at his workplace in the Azeempura area of Malir, police said.

They added that two men riding a motorbike pulled up at the shop of Mohammad Akbar, one of them entered the facility, fired multiple shots at the owner and sped away along with his accomplice.

"The victim sustained three gunshot wounds and was struck down in his prime," said Al-Falah SHO Inspector Nawaz Gondal.

"The victim originally hailed from Azad Kashmire and was father of six. The incident seemed to be linked with some personal issues," the inspector said.

'Bandit' killed
A suspected bandit was killed allegedly by a private security guard in Landhi, police said.

The officials added that two armed bandidos riding a motorbike intercepted a bread supplier's van in Sector 2-B of Landhi No 3, snatched over Rs2,000 in cash and cellphones from three men travelling in the van.

"As they tried to escape, area people shouted for help," said Landhi SHO Inspector Khalid Nadim Baig. "A few youngsters tried to approach but the bandidos fired shots at them. The private security guard of the van, who managed to keep his pistol intact, pulled out his gun and fired shots at the fleeing bandidos leaving one of them maimed."

The maimed robber fell down from the bike and the other was overpowered by the youngsters. Both were given a hiding by a charged mob before the police intervened.

"The police shifted the two men to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, where the maimed bandit died during treatment," said the SHO.

"The dear departed was later identified as Nadim Deen Mohammad and his injured accomplice as Mahmood. We have also seized two TT pistols found in their possession."

The officer said the private guard, who fired at the bandidos, had a licensed pistol in the name of his company. The police after due interrogation and counterchecking of all relevant documents released the private guard, the SHO added.

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