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India-Pakistan

Sufi Mohammad loses support in Malakand

2018-07-23

[DAWN] Maulana Sufi Mohammad of the banned Tehrik Nifaz Shariat-e-Mohammadi had once many supporters and sympathisers in native land but that is no more the case. Unlike the past when the radical holy man declared Western democracy un-Islamic, the people of Malakand division are actively campaigning for their favourite election candidates. Read: The nine lives of Sufi Mohammad

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India-Pakistan

Islam prohibits waging war against Pakistan Army: Sufi Mohammad

2018-01-20

[GEO.TV] Islam prohibits waging war against the Pakistain Army or killing any person who recites the Kalima, Maulana Sufi Mohammad, the leader of the banned Tehrik Nifaz-e-Shariat Mohammadi (TNSM ...Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (Movement for the Enforcement of Islamic Law) is a Pak militant group whose objective is to enforce their definition of Sharia law in Pakistain whether anybody wants it or not. It was founded by Sufi Muhammad in 1992, and was banned by President Musharraf in January, 2002 after Sufi dispatched several thousand yokels to Afghanistan to fight the infidel and ended up with most of them killed or captured and held for ransom. In 2007 TNSM took over Swat, which shows how well the banning worked. TNSM is the Pony League of Islamic militancy.. ), said on Friday, days after his release from an eight-year-long incarceration. In an interview to a private news channel, the ailing 93-year-old holy man said the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban ...the Pashtun equivalent of men... Pakistain (TTP) possess all signs of being apostates (Khawarij) and that the only punishment TTP chief Mullah Fazlullah ...son-in-law of holy man Sufi Mohammad. Known as Mullah FM, Fazlullah had the habit of grabbing his FM mike when the mood struck him and bellowing forth sermons. Sufi suckered the Pak govt into imposing Shariah on the Swat Valley and then stepped aside whilst Fazlullah and his Talibs imposed a reign of terror on the populace like they hadn't seen before, at least not for a thousand years or so. For some reason the Pak intel services were never able to locate his transmitter, much less bomb it. After ruling the place like a conquered province for a year or so, Fazlullah's Talibs began gobbling up more territory as they pushed toward Islamabad, at which point as a matter of self-preservation the Mighty Pak Army threw them out and chased them into Afghanistan... deserves is the death penalty . He also said that the country would have been divided if it was not for the Pakistain Army, whose soldiers are like Mujahideen (holy warriors). Earlier this month, the Beautiful Downtown Peshawar ...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire. High Court accepted Sufi Mohammad's bail plea and after his lawyer pleaded for his release as he had served a long time in prison despite his old age and deteriorating health condition. This was his first interview to the media after his release. Sufi Mohammad is the father-in-law of Mullah Fazlullah, the runaway head of the banned TTP who has waged war against Pakistain and is the country's most-wanted terrorist. Further criticizing the activities of the TTP, Sufi Mohammad said that it is strictly prohibited in Islam to kill women and kiddies, and that those responsible for the massacre of children at the Army Public School in Peshawar were worse than infidels. He also regretted the 2012 terrorist attack on Pak Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousufzai, saying she was a child and should not have been attacked, and added that he is not opposed to education of children. The TSNM chief also added that he had raised awareness in writing regarding permission for children's education. Mohammad, who belongs to Maidan in Lower Dir district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, is facing trial in at least two cases registered in Swat ...a valley and an administrative district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistain, located 99 mi from Islamabad. It is inhabited mostly by Pashto speakers. The place has gone steadily downhill since the days when Babe Ruth was the Sultan of Swat... district including one in 2009 and another in 1995. He has been accused of committing sedition, waging war against Pakistain, and several other offences, and has previously termed the government, the Constitution of Pakistain, and the judicial system un-Islamic. In the first case, the TNSM chief was charged under Sections 120-B (hatching criminal conspiracy), 121-A (waging war against Pakistain), 124-A (sedition), 148 and 149 (rioting) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Pakistain Penal Code. The other case was registered at Swat's Kabal Police Station in June 1995 when Maulana Sufi Muhammad and his supporters tried to impose 'Shariah' in Malakand division with force. He was charged under Sections 121 and 121-A (war against Pakistain), 324 (attempted murder), 341 (wrongful restraint), and 353 (obstructing public servant) of the IPC. Previously, the holy man was incarcerated Drop the rod and step away witcher hands up! on November 20, 2001 in Kurram Agency ...home of an intricately interconnected web of poverty, ignorance, and religious fanaticism, where the laws of cause and effect are assumed to be suspended, conveniently located adjacent to Tora Bora... when he was returning from Afghanistan where he had gone along with thousands of his supporters to wage war against US forces. He was released in April 2008 when the ANP-led provincial government entered into a peace deal with the TNSM in which the latter disassociated itself from attacks on security forces and government installations and promised to help it in restoring the writ of the state there. However, a hangover is the wrath of grapes... Sufi Mohammad was arrested again after failure of the peace deal and the launching of the military operation in Malakand division. The government also restored the old cases against him and his followers. His lawyer, Fida Gul, says that apart from the two cases, his counsel has already been acquitted or granted bail in 11 cases previously filed against him.

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India-Pakistan

Sufi, TNSM workers indicted in terrorism case

2015-02-09

[DAWN] A local anti-terrorism court on Saturday indicted the banned Tehrik Nifaz-e-Shariah Mohammadi's chief, Maulana Sufi Mohammad, along with his two sons and several associates for inciting hatred against the government and staging an illegal sit-in in Timergara area of Lower Dir six years ago. The accused pleaded not guilty "Wudn't me." in the case and decided to stand trial. Judge Abdur Rauf Khan, who has been conducting the trial inside the Beautiful Downtown Peshawar ...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province), administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire. Central Prison for security reasons, fixed Feb 21 for the next hearing and summoned prosecution witnesses on that date. Adil Majeed, lawyer for the accused, insisted his clients were innocent and would face trial. In Oct 2008, Maulana Sufi Mohammad and TNSM ...Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (Movement for the Enforcement of Islamic Law) is a Pak militant group whose objective is to enforce their definition of Sharia law in Pakistain whether anybody wants it or not. It was founded by Sufi Muhammad in 1992, and was banned by President Musharraf in January, 2002 after Sufi dispatched several thousand yokels to Afghanistan to fight the infidel and ended up with most of them killed or captured and held for ransom. In 2007 TNSM took over Swat, which shows how well the banning worked. TNSM is the Pony League of Islamic militancy.. activists staged a sit-in at the Rest House Ground in Timergara for several days. During that sit-in, they delivered speeches against the government. After the final stage of military operation against gunnies was launched in May 2009, an FIR was also registered against Maulana Sufi and several TNSM members for the sit-in. The police charged the accused under Section 153-A of Pakistain Penal Code, which deals with promotion of hatred among people, and Section 11-F (3) of Anti-Terrorism Act, which deals with activities of an outlawed outfit. TNSM was banned in 2002 and therefore, holding such activities was a crime under the law. During the 2009 sit-in, the prime accused Maulana Sufi Mohammad declared that the protest would continue until enforcement of Shariah in Malakand region. He also allegedly termed the country's Constitution and laws un-Islamic. Until now, Maulana Sufi Mohammad and several of his associates have been acquitted by the anti-terrorism court in 10 cases of terrorism. Now, trial into only three cases, including the one in question, is underway. Meanwhile, ...back at the bunker, his Excellency called a hurried meeting of his closest advisors. It was to be his last. They discussed the officers's efficiency rating system... the court also adjourned the hearing into another case charging Maulana Sufi with sedition and waging war against the country. As some witnesses did not turn up, the court fixed Feb 21 for the next hearing. In that case, Maulana Sufi was charged with delivering a speech in Feb 2009 at Grassy Ground in Swat. The prosecution alleged that in that speech, he had tried to instigate the people for waging a war against the country and also brought in contempt the federal and provincial governments as well as the Constitution.

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India-Pakistan

ATC indicts Sufi Mohammad in sedition case

2015-02-08

[DAWN] An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Beautiful Downtown Peshawar ...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province), administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire. on Saturday indicted chief of the banned Tehrik Nifaz-e-Shariah Mohammadi (TNSM ...Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (Movement for the Enforcement of Islamic Law) is a Pak militant group whose objective is to enforce their definition of Sharia law in Pakistain whether anybody wants it or not. It was founded by Sufi Muhammad in 1992, and was banned by President Musharraf in January, 2002 after Sufi dispatched several thousand yokels to Afghanistan to fight the infidel and ended up with most of them killed or captured and held for ransom. In 2007 TNSM took over Swat, which shows how well the banning worked. TNSM is the Pony League of Islamic militancy.. ) Maulana Sufi Mohammad for sedition over a speech at Grassy Ground Swat ...a valley and an administrative district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistain, located 99 mi from Islamabad. It is inhabited mostly by Pashto speakers. The place has gone steadily downhill since the days when Babe Ruth was the Sultan of Swat... in Feb 2009 when the government had made a deal with him for restoration of peace in Malakand region. The hearing of the case was held in Peshawar's Central Jail. During the hearing, the court charged the TNSM chief for treason over his speech against democracy and state at Grassy Ground in Swat where he had termed democracy and the then-government as un-Islamic and unconstitutional. Sufi Mohammad is the father-in-law of outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban chief Mullah Fazlullah ...son-in-law of holy man Sufi Mohammad. Known as Mullah FM, Fazlullah had the habit of grabbing his FM mike when the mood struck him and bellowing forth sermons. Sufi suckered the Pak govt into imposing Shariah on the Swat Valley and then stepped aside whilst Fazlullah and his Talibs imposed a reign of terror on the populace like they hadn't seen before, at least not for a thousand years or so. For some reason the Pak intel services were never able to locate his transmitter, much less bomb it. After ruling the place like a conquered province for a year or so, Fazlullah's Talibs began gobbling up more territory as they pushed toward Islamabad, at which point as a matter of self-preservation the Mighty Pak Army threw them out and chased them into Afghanistan... . Last year in November, an ATC in Peshawar had acquitted Sufi Mohammad and around 30 of his associates in two terrorism cases. However, nothing needs reforming like other people's bad habits... he continued to be behind bars for facing two more cases -- one of which is the sedition case in which he was indicted today.

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India-Pakistan

After jihad: Abandoned ...

2014-08-04

[DAWN] Bin Yameen will turn 19 this year, but he often wonders what his father, Baligh Jan, looks like now. His father would have been 48 this year; Jan was a labourer, who left home for jihad in Afghanistan on the directions of Tehrik-e-Nifazi-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM ...Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (Movement for the Enforcement of Islamic Law) is a Pak militant group whose objective is to enforce their definition of Sharia law in Pakistain whether anybody wants it or not. It was founded by Sufi Muhammad in 1992, and was banned by President Musharraf in January, 2002 after Sufi dispatched several thousand yokels to Afghanistan to fight the infidel and ended up with most of them killed or captured and held for ransom. In 2007 TNSM took over Swat, which shows how well the banning worked. TNSM is the Pony League of Islamic militancy.. ) chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad. "I often try to remember my father's face but it is difficult for me to visualise him, because I was just four years old at that time," says Bin Yameen. A resident of Barawal Bandi village in the Upper Dir district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa ... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central... , Bin Yameen laments that his family was unable to stop his father from leaving for Afghanistan along with the other villagers. He was adamant about supporting the Afghan Taliban in their fight against American forces. "We are five sisters and three brothers. Four of my sisters are elder to me," says Bin Yameen. "It was difficult for my mother to meet the family's monthly expenses after my father left for the war in Afghanistan." According to locals of various districts in Malakand division, over 10,000 people aged between 30 and 55 left for Afghanistan in 2001 to fight the US forces, on the directions of Maulana Sufi Mohammad. His organization, TNSM, was banned in 2002 by former President General (retired) Pervez Perv Musharraf ... former dictator of Pakistain, who was less dictatorial and corrupt than any Pak civilian government to date ... . Not many of Sufi's jihadis returned home, not many have any traceable whereabouts either. Over time, Bin Yameen's devastated family came to terms with their loss. The young mother focused all her energies on raising her children, while Bin Yameen's uncle took on the financial responsibility of providing for the family. And yet, a great burden was also placed on Bin Yameen's young shoulders. "In the mornings, I study; I am enrolled in class IX at the Government High School Chukyatan, which is some 4km away from my village. After school, I work in the vegetable market," explains Bin Yameen. When asked how he manages balancing studies and work, he says that it is difficult but he has no option. "My mother successfully arranged the marriages of four of my sisters, but I am still responsible for providing for my mother, two younger brothers and one more sister." Bin Yameen takes his younger brother, 16-year-old Ameenullah, to work as well — the family supplements its income in any way they can. But unlike Bin Yameen, Ameenullah neither has a fleeting memory of his father nor has he ever seen a picture of him over the last 14 years. "I was two years old when he left," says Ameenullah. Their family attempted to search for Baligh Jan in Kabul, but all efforts came to naught. "When my uncle visited Kabul to search for my father, all he returned with was an assurance by Red Thingy officials that they will try to locate him in Afghan prisons," says Bin Yameen. "Our mother has become mentally ill because of the continuous tension." Meanwhile, ...back at the chili cook-off, Chuck and Manuel's rivalry was entering a new and more dangerous phase... Ameenullah always feels his father's absence on occasions such as Eid or "when the fair comes to our village." In Qader Kalay village of Upper Dir, 64-year-old Safia Bibi saw her son leave for Afghanistan in 2001 and her husband die soon after. She now works as domestic help in the homes of the rich. "My 30-year-old son, Badshah Zada, worked as a labourer before leaving for Afghanistan. I advised him to cancel his plans but he refused; he was enamoured by jihad," says Safia Bibi. Badshah Zada left his wife and two children in the care of his aging parents. After his father's demise, his mother assumed the role of sole breadwinner of the household. "I wish my son had refused to follow the rhetoric and directions of Sufi Mohammad," she says wistfully. Unlike blue-collar Badshah Zada, 30-year-old Mohammad Mursaleen Khan was teaching at a local seminary in his native Qader Kalay. Like Badshah Zada, he also left for jihad. His 62-year-old father, Mohammedan Khan, is forced to work as a security guard of a school in Upper Dir city to meet the family's monthly expenses. "Why would I be forced to work in this age if my son had not followed the directions of the TNSM chief?" he asks. Twenty-eight-year-old Abdullah Jan works in Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... as a labourer; he was forced to abandon higher education after his 50-year-old father, Barkat Jan, left their Kater village home in October 2001 — also for jihad in Afghanistan. "My father was a farmer," says Abdullah Jan. "Of course, we depended on him to meet our monthly expenses. I failed to complete my higher studies due to the monetary problems of my family after he left us." In Dogdara village of Upper Dir, 38-year-old Muftahuddin's cousin, 38-year-old Javed Khan, returned home after two-and-a-half-years since leaving in September 2001. His family paid Rs400,000 to Afghan officials for his safe return from jail in Jalalabad, or so they claim. They were one of the lucky ones. But it is not just jihadis inspired and prepared by TNSM that are languishing in Afghan jails. Former Interior Minister Aftab Khan Sherpao ...Pak dynastic politician, head of his own branch of the Pakistan Peoples Party and former interior minister under Pervez Musharraf. Sharpao began the usual military career, rising to the rank of major, but when his elder brother was bumped off in 1975 he took up the political mantle. Aftab's family (known as the Khans of Sherpao) is a prominent and influential family in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The family belongs to the Mohammadzai tribe which has for long been a dominant tribe amongst the Pukhtuns... says it is difficult for him to give an exact number of Pak prisoners in Afghanistan, but the figure could be in the hundreds. "I discussed the issue of Pak prisoners with my Afghan counterparts on behalf of the Pak government but I did not get a positive response from Afghan authorities," he says. But even Sherpao is aware of the reports that the families of many Pak prisoners paid money to Afghan landlords and jail officials to secure the release of their loved ones after 2001. Sahibzada Tariqullah, Member of the National Assembly from Upper Dir, agrees. He explains that thousands of Paks were either killed, imprisoned or went missing in Afghanistan during the war in 2001. Hundreds returned home with the support of the Red Thingy but there are reports of many more still languishing in Afghan prisons. According to an official of the ministry of Foreign Affairs, it is difficult for the Pak missions to have an update on detained Pak nationals languishing in Afghan prisons due to the law and order situation there, as well as the existence of 'private' prisons run by the National Directorate of Security (NDS) in Afghanistan. The officials claimed that over 185 Pak prisoners are currently being incarcerated in Afghan jails — 106 in Pul-e-Charkhi Jail in Kabul; 46 in Sarpoza Jail in Kandahar; 26 in Jalalabad; and the remaining in Helmand ...an Afghan province populated mostly by Pashtuns, adjacent to Injun country in Pak Balochistan... , Herat ...a venerable old Persian-speaking city in western Afghanistan, populated mostly by Tadjiks, which is why it's not as blood-soaked as areas controlled by Pashtuns... and Mazar Sharif. "Back in 2001, the government did not prepare any lists of such Paks because it was trying to stop them from crossing the border in the first place," says Brigadier (retired.) Mahmood Shah, who served as the secretary of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) between 2003 and 2005. He pins the blame on Sufi Mohammad for the killings and missing of thousands of Paks while their families are compelled to survive in difficult circumstances. "Although Sufi Mohammad is responsible for the crises, but under the Geneva Convention it was the responsibility of the Afghan government to provide complete details about the POWs," argues I.A. Rehman, director of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistain (HRCP). "If Pak prisoners are still being held in Afghanistan, it is contrary to all norms of humanity as well as in direct contravention of the Geneva Convention," adds Rehman. Foreign Office Spokeswoman Tasneem Aslam meanwhile told Dawn that the Pakistain Embassy in Afghanistan is in process of securing the release of Pak prisoners. She claims that Pakistain and Afghanistan had already agreed to form a joint commission on prisoners in 2011, with Pakistain pushing for early activation of this mechanism. As long drawn and extended as governmental procedures are, equally short and swift was Sufi Mohammad's message and the speed at which it was consumed. Latifullah, a 55-year-old local school teacher of Government High School Jan Bati, Lower Dir, recalls that people from different towns and villages of Malakand division left their homes to support the Taliban regime back in 2001. Latifullah describes that most jihad volunteers belonged to the Matta area of district Swat, the Maidan area of Lower Dir, the Dir Kohistan ...a backwoods district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa distinguished by being even more rustic than is the norm among the local Pashtuns.... area of district Upper Dir, Butkhela area of Malakand district, Aman Dara area of district Shangla and Alpori area of district Buner. Then there were others from Punjab, Mohmand Agency ... Named for the Mohmand clan of the Sarban Pahstuns, a truculent, quarrelsome lot. In Pakistain, the Mohmands infest their eponymous Agency, metastasizing as far as the plains of Peshawar, Charsadda, and Mardan. Mohmands are also scattered throughout Pakistan in urban areas including Karachi, Lahore, and Quetta. In Afghanistan they are mainly found in Nangarhar and Kunar... and Bajaur Agency, aka Turban Central ...Smallest of the agencies in FATA. The Agency administration is located in Khar. Bajaur is inhabited almost exclusively by Tarkani Pashtuns, which are divided into multiple bickering subtribes. Its 52 km border border with Afghanistan's Kunar Province makes it of strategic importance to Pakistain's strategic depth... . A former member of TNSM, speaking to Dawn on condition of anonymity, narrates that Maulana Sufi Mohammad gathered all volunteers in the areas of Timergara and Bajaur for registration. "We just prepared the lists of the people by including their names and their areas; most people were farmers, labourers and unemployed. They left for the Afghan province of Kunar through the Ghakhi Pass, near the Laghari area in Bajaur Agency," he claims. Caught between the two is Bin Yameen, who has an agonising 'last wish': "I wish I can see my father in my lifetime; I am hopeful he will return one day." Will these families ever get closure?

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India-Pakistan

Transfer of Sufi Mohammad case: Court turns down KP govt's request

2012-12-02

[Dawn] The Beautiful Downtown Peshawar ...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province), administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire. High Court on Friday dismissed a provincial government petition for the transfer of the trial of a terrorism case against Tehrik Nifaz-e-Shariah Mohammadi chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad to Peshawar from Lower Dir. The government had sought the case's transfer citing Sufi Mohammad's poor health and the delicate security situation as reasons. Chief Justice Dost Mohammad Khan observed that if Sufi Mohammad had been facing problems during his travel from Peshawar, where he had been imprisoned, to Lower Dir, then he should himself contact the court for the transfer of his case. The case in which Maulana Sufi is facing trial before an anti-terrorism court in Dir was registered on Feb 12, 2009, under sections 7 and 11-F3 of Anti-Terrorism Act. The local police had charged him with soliciting support for his defunct organization, arranging its meetings, and criticising and instigating the people against the Constitution and institutions of Pakistain. Deputy Advocate General Rafiq Khan appeared for the government and said Sufi Mohammad wad enjugged Drop the gat, Rocky, or you're a dead 'un! at Peshawar Central Prison, where a judge of the Anti-Terrorism Court, Swat, had been trying him in several cases. He said Maulana Sufi was an old man and had been facing urination problem and therefore, police had been facing difficulties in transporting him to Lower Dir and bringing him back. Mr Rafiq said the government had several security concerns regarding Sufi Mohammad and it would be appropriate that he should not be moved out of the prison. The chief justice observed that if Maulana Sufi was facing health problems, then he should have filed the petition for the transfer of the case instead of the state.

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India-Pakistan

Lover Close aide of Sufi Mohammad killed in Dir

2012-07-02

[Dawn] A close aide of jailed TNSM leader Maulana Sufi Mohammad was killed when unknown armed persons opened fire on him at Bandai, Maidan, on Friday night, residents and police told Dawn. They said that the victim, Maulana Ghayasuddin Khan, was going to a nearby mosque to offer Isha prayer when armed men attacked and killed him on the spot. Maulana Ghayas was the son of Khan of Bandai, Maidan, Abdul Wahid Khan and a close aide of Maulana Sufi Mohammad, chief of Tanzeem Nifaz Shariat-i-Muhammadi (TNSM). In 2009, he was kidnapped by Maidan-based Taliban, but later released him unconditionally. The Maidan police have arrested one Mohibullah in the case after private sniffer dogs entered his house at Bandai on Saturday.

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India-Pakistan

Sufi indicted in 17-year-old case

2012-05-09

[Dawn] An anti-terrorism court here on Monday indicted the imprisoned chief of proscribed Tehrik Nifaz Shariat-e-Muhammadi (TNSM), ...Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (Movement for the Enforcement of Islamic Law) is a Pak cut-thoat group whose objective is to enforce their definition of Sharia law in Pakistain whether anybody wants it or not. It was founded by Sufi Muhammad in 1992, and was banned by President Musharraf in January, 2002 after Sufi dispatched several thousand yokels to Afghanistan to fight the infidel and ended up with most of them killed or captured and held for ransom. In 2007 TNSM took over Swat, which shows how well the banning worked. TNSM is the Pony League of Islamic militancy.. Maulana Sufi Mohammad, and 19 others in an over 17-year old case of attacking a cop shoppe and making some coppers hostage. Maulana Sufi and other accused persons, mostly belonging to TNSM, pleaded not guilty "Wudn't me." to the charge and decided to stand trial following which the court fixed May 15 for the next hearing and also summoned the prosecution witnesses. Due to security reasons the judge of the anti-terrorism court Swat, Asim Imam, has been conducting trials against Maulana Sufi Mohammad and dozens of other members of TNSM inside the Beautiful Downtown Peshawar Central Prison in around 10 terrorism-related cases mostly registered in 1994-95. In the instant case the prosecution alleged that the activists of TNSM headed by Maulana Sufi Mohammad had stage a demonstration in 1995 demanding enforcement of Islamic Shariah in Malakand region. It is alleged that when coppers tried to disperse them the accused attacked the concerned Khwazakhela cop shoppe and also took away some coppers. It is added that the accused had kept the coppers in wrongful confinement and had set them free later on. An FIR was registered against the accused at Khwazakhela cop shoppe under section 365 (kidnapping), section 342 (wrongful confinement), section 121A (conspiracy to wage war against Pakistain) and section 120B (punishment for criminal conspiracy) of Pakistain Penal Code and the anti-terrorism law. Few months ago the same court had framed charges against Maulana Sufi Mohammad and several others over the murder of an MPA of Pakistain People's Party, Badiuzzaman Khan. The MPA hailed from Shangla, adjacent to Swat, and was killed on Nov 3, 1994, in the jurisdiction of Mingora cop shoppe. While during the last decade Maulana Sufi had mostly remained imprisoned the successive governments did not conduct trials against him in several old cases and even in one of the cases he was shown as proclaimed offender. Initially, he was tossed in the clink Drop the rosco and step away witcher hands up! in Kurrum Agency in Dec 2001 on his return to Pakistain from Afghanistan where he had gone heading around 10,000 persons to fight the American forces there. He was tried and sentenced under several sections of Pakistain Penal Code and Frontier Crimes Regulation by the concerned political agent. When the present Awami National Party's government came to power in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa ... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central... , he was released under an agreement on April 21, 2008. Later, another agreement was inked between TNSM and provincial government in Feb 2009 but it failed in restoration of peace in Malakand Division. After launching of a military operation in Malakand Division, Maulana Sufi Mohammad was again tossed in the clink Drop the rosco and step away witcher hands up! on July 26, 2009, from Sethi Town, Peshawar, along with his three sons. He has been in jail since then.

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India-Pakistan

Sufi indicted in MPA murder case

2011-11-23

[Dawn] An anti-terrorism court here on Monday indicted the imprisoned chief of proscribed Tehrik Nifaz Shariat-i-Muhammadi (TNSM), ...Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (Movement for the Enforcement of Islamic Law) is a Pak krazed killer group whose objective is to enforce their definition of Sharia law in Pakistain whether anybody wants it or not. It was founded by Sufi Muhammad in 1992, and was banned by President Musharraf in January, 2002 after Sufi dispatched several thousand yokels to Afghanistan to fight the infidel and ended up with most of them killed or captured and held for ransom. In 2007 TNSM took over Swat, which shows how well the banning worked. TNSM is the Pony League of Islamic militancy.. Maulana Sufi Mohammad, and several others for the murder of an MPA of Pakistain People`s Party in 1994.Maulana Sufi Mohammad and other accused persons pleaded not guilty "Wudn't me." to the offence and decided to stand trial following which the court fixed Dec 12 for the next hearing and also summoned the prosecution witnesses. Due to security concerns the judge of anti-terrorism court, Swat, Asim Imam, has been conducting proceedings against Maulana Sufi Mohammad and others inside the Beautiful Downtown Peshawar Central Prison in several cases mostly pertaining to 1994-95. The MPA, Badiuzzaman Khan, hailing from Shangla, was killed on Nov 3, 1994, in the jurisdiction of Mingora cop shoppe. The dear departed was going to Buner to attend a party meeting when TNSM members allegedly stopped him near Odigram in Mingora and asked him to remove the party flag from his vehicle. At that time the activists of TNSM had occupied several government installations in Swat. He allegedly refused to follow their directives and was taken to Abasin Hotel in Mingora. Negotiations were in progress at the hotel when a person fired at the MPA which resulted in his death. Interestingly, Maulana Sufi had mostly remained behind bars during the last decade but the successive governments did not try him in several cases. Initially, he was set to sit in solemn silence in a dull, dark dock, in a pestilential prison with a life-long lock in Kurram Agency ...home of an intricately interconnected web of poverty, ignorance, and religious fanaticism, where the laws of cause and effect are assumed to be suspended, conveniently located adjacent to Tora Bora... in Dec 2001 on his returning back to Pakistain from Afghanistan where he had gone to fight the American forces.

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India-Pakistan

Non-appearance in Sufi Mohammad cases Arrest warrants issued for witnesses

2011-05-18

[Dawn] An anti-terrorism court here on Monday issued non-bailable arrest warrants of 15 prosecution witnesses, mostly coppers, as they did not turn up in eight cases against chief of Tehrik Nifaz Shariat-i-Muhammadi (TNSM), ...Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (Movement for the Enforcement of Islamic Law) is a Pak turban group whose objective is to enforce their definition of Sharia law in Pakistain whether anybody wants it or not. It was founded by Sufi Muhammad in 1992, and was banned by President Musharraf in January, 2002 after Sufi dispatched several thousand yokels to Afghanistan to fight the infidel and ended up with most of them killed or captured and held for ransom. In 2007 TNSM took over Swat, which shows how well the banning worked. TNSM is the Pony League of Islamic militancy.. Maulana Sufi Muhammad and several others. "Youse got nuttin' on me, coppers! Da witnesses is all dead!" It is learnt that the court presided over by Asim Imam, a judge of the ATC at Swat, also ordered to attach salaries of the serving coppers for their failure to appear as witnesses. The court fixed May 23 for the next hearing. Due to security reasons, the judge has been conducting trial in different cases against Maulana Sufi Mohammad and scores of his associates inside the Beautiful Downtown Peshawar Central Prison. These cases were mostly registered in cop shoppes of Swat ...a valley and an administrative district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistain, located 99 mi from Islamabad. It is inhabited mostly by Pashto speakers. The place has gone steadily downhill since the days when Babe Ruth was the Sultan of Swat... and Lower Dir districts over 15 years ago. Advocate Adil Majeed appeared for Maulana Sufi Mohammad, who had earlier declined to engage a counsel following which the court ordered that counsel should be arranged for him on state expense. It is learnt that at the very outset of the proceedings, the court was informed that the prosecution witnesses including DSP Sanober Khan, sub-inspector Sher Gul, Alamzeb Khan and others did not turn up. The court took exception to it and issued their arrest warrants. The court was informed that some of these witnesses had already been retired from police service. Meanwhile, ...back at the Hubba Hubba Club, Nunzio had his hands full of angry bleached blonde... in a bail petition of a senior member of TNSM, Maulana Khalid, the court ordered production of his medical report. The petitioner has requested for on bail on medical grounds as he claimed to be suffering from different ailments. These cases were mostly registered under section 302 (murder), 120-A (criminal conspiracy), 120-B (punishment for criminal conspiracy), 186 (obstructing public servant from doing his job) and some other sections of Pakistain Penal Code. Some of these cases were registered in 1994 when the tehrik had stepped up its movement for the enforcement of Sharia in Malakand Division. During the same period thousands of activists had blocked the Peshawar-Swat highway at Malakand Top for several days. Later, its armed supporters had occupied several government installations in Swat. To dislodge them from those installations the then government of Pakistain People`s Party had launched an operation. One of the cases was registered at Mingora cop shoppe pertaining to the killing of PPP MPA Badiuz Zaman at a hotel in Swat allegedly by TNSM activists.

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India-Pakistan

Detention of Sufi extended for one month

2009-09-20

[The News (Pak) Top Stories] The district administration on Saturday extended the detention of the chief of banned Tanzim Nifaz Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM) Maulana Sufi Mohammad for another 30 days. "As the detention of Maulana Sufi Mohammad was going to expire during the Eidul Fitr holidays, we have extended his detention for another 30 days," Peshawar District Coordination Officer (DCO) Sahibzada Mohammad Anis told The News. Maulana Sufi Mohammad was arrested, along with his three sons, Rizwanullah, Ziaullah and Hayatullah, from their rented house in Sethi Town on July 22. After detaining Sufi Mohammad from Peshawar, a case was registered against him under different sections at Saidu Sharif Police Station. At least 16 cases against the TNSM chief are also lodged at Dir and Swat Police Stations, which the government had promised to withdraw but are yet to be withdrawn formally.

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India-Pakistan

PHC orders release of Maulana Sufi's sons

2009-08-27

[Dawn] The Peshawar High Court (PHC) granting bail to three sons of Sufi Mohammad, chief of the banned outfit Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM), has ordered their release. Sufi Mohammad's sons, including Rizwanullah, Hayatullah and Ziaullah, filed a petition against their illegal detention and the PHC approved their petition. Sufi's sons were taken into custody by security forces on July 27 under 3MPO. A bench of the Peshawar High Court, consisting of Justice Ejaz Afzal, declared the arrest of Sufi sons under 3 MPO as unconstitutional. On Tuesday Peshawar High Court reserved its judgment in a writ petition filed by three sons of TNSM Chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad, challenging their detention under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance (MPO). The petitioners, Ziaullah, Rizwanullah and Hayatullah, along with Sufi Mohammad, were arrested from their residence in Sethi Town here on July 26 by law-enforcement agencies under Section 3 of MPO on the orders of Peshawar DCO Sahibzada Anees. The petitioners' counsel Mohammad Atlas Khan contended that they were innocent and the administration had no grounds to detain them under the MPO. He claimed that the impugned order of the DCO was illegal and unconstitutional, adding the petitioners were law-abiding citizens and there was no threat to public order from them.

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