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Maulvi Abdul Aziz	Maulvi Abdul Aziz	Yargulkhel Wazir	Afghanistan/South Asia				20040608	Link
	Maulvi Abdul Aziz	Taliban	Afghanistan/South Asia				20050619

India-Pakistan

Let off the hook: Maulvi Aziz acquitted

2013-09-26

[Dawn] THE state's complacency when it comes to battling militancy and extremism on the legal front is well known. When gunnies know they'll be able to work the system in such a way that they can evade justice, they will only be further emboldened. Speaking of extremism, 2007's Lal Masjid stand-off was a major turning point in this country's history, when the bad boy threat confronting Pakistain was fully exposed. However, there is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened... one of the major architects of the fiasco, Maulvi Abdul Aziz, chief holy man of Lal Masjid, has been cleared in all cases, with the last acquittal coming on Monday. Since 2001 the preacher had faced numerous charges, with cases of murder, kidnapping and abduction filed in 2007. It should be remembered that the Lal Masjid holy mans, led by Abdul Aziz, were running a fiefdom within Islamabad, complete with 'Sharia courts' and roving bands of stick-wielding madressah student-enforcers. They had raided massage parlours and threatened shopkeepers in the federal capital, while in the build-up to the mosque stand-off law enforcement personnel were also killed and kidnapped. Yet the acquittals came about because the state failed to ensure protection for the witnesses; 60 turned hostile. When there's no testimony, how can a case be built, especially when witnesses are intimidated by Death Eaters? The operation to retake the mosque was indeed botched by the Musharraf regime. But that is a different debate; the Lal Masjid holy mans' activities before and during the stand-off were crimes against the state, hence these crimes and the handling of the crisis should not be bundled together. The state must consider what sort of message such acquittals send. It appears that the government is indicating that it is OK to set up a parallel justice system, indulge in criminality and militancy and get away with it.

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India-Pakistan

Lal Masjid probe

2012-12-07

[Dawn] APPARENTLY not satisfied with the Islamabad police's investigation of the 2007 Lal Masjid stand-off, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the formation of a one-man commission to probe the episode, in response to complaints filed by the heirs of those missing since the operation. A police official told the court that nearly all the 103 'missing' persons had been killed and that the majority of them comprised militants; only 16 people remained unidentified. The official also denied that any women students of Jamia Hafsa, the women's seminary attached to Lal Masjid, were killed in the operation. While this gory episode must be investigated, the probe should cover all aspects -- the details of the dead and missing as well as the events that led to the battle between the state and the militants holed up inside the mosque. There is no doubt that brute force was used to crush the militants, and one indication of this is that there were no survivors after the operation. Why was this level of force necessary? Was it intentional? On the other hand, the Lal Masjid forces, led by Abdul Rashid Ghazi, who was killed in the hostilities, had rebelled against the Pakistani state. Before the stand-off began in July 2007 a Sharia 'court' had been set up in the mosque while the Jamia Hafsa students launched a violent campaign of intimidation in the capital to enforce their rigid brand of religion. The Lal Masjid elements had also occupied government buildings and attacked security men and had openly displayed sophisticated weapons before the assault. So while the commission needs to look into how many people were killed and who gave the orders for the crackdown, it must also examine how a mosque was turned into a militant hub in the heart of Islamabad, and how the security establishment failed to detect the stockpiling of heavy weapons in its backyard. In short, along with the government's handling of the episode, the Lal Masjid phenomenon itself must also be examined. Knowing the names and identities of the dead is important. Maulvi Abdul Aziz, Lal Masjid's head cleric, and others have been claiming that 'hundreds', mostly women, were killed in the assault. An investigation would go a long way in clarifying matters. The commission should also investigate if women were used as human shields by militants. As for the argument that the state defiled a mosque, it should be recalled that similar action was taken by the Saudi government, with sanction from the ulema, in 1979 when zealots stormed the Grand Mosque of Makkah -- Islam's holiest site.

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India-Pakistan

Baitullah launches parallel justice system for Mehsuds

2008-08-17

The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud has divided the areas inhabited by the Mehsud tribe in the South Waziristan Agency into four administrative units and constituted committees of the Taliban commanders to settle disputes and issues of tribesmen. In a statement issued on Saturday, the TTP media wing said Mohammad Raees would head the four Taliban committees. The committees would cover the four units where Mehsud tribe lives. These are Barwand, Srarogha, Makeen and Saam. A four-member committee included Maulvi Azmatullan, Maulvi Abdul Aziz, Maulvi Nasruddin and Maulvi Rasul Din (all TTP commanders) would supervise the Barwand unit comprising Chagmalai, Jetrai, Tangai and Khasura areas. The second committee comprises Maulvi Ikramullah, Maulvi Rizwanullah, Maulvi Faiz Mohammad and Maulvi Abdus Salam, who would listen to people's complaints in Spinkai Raghzai, Deela, Wocha Khawra, Janata and Shikari areas. Similarly, the Makeen unit comprises Shaktoi, Dutoi, Zangara, Qalandar and Lowara areas and the committee members nominated for these places are Aleem Khan, Mazloom Yar Sahib, Maulvi Zar Jan and Maulvi Bilal. Likewise, the areas included in the Saam unit are Kaniguram, Badaber, Mashta and Mani Toi and the committee had Maulvi Khair Muhammad, Maulvi Abdul Wahab, Miraj Khan from Ladha and Sherabat Khan.

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Afghanistan/South Asia

Pakistani tribesmen vow to oust US from region

2005-06-19

Whatever. ISLAMABAD - Thousands of Pakistani tribesmen on Saturday vowed to fight US forces as they marked the first death anniversary of a slain militant leader in a tribal region near Afghanistan. Witnesses said up to 3,000 people, some brandishing assault rifles and some masked, turned up in the remote district of Azam Warsak, in South Waziristan tribal region, to offer prayers at the grave of militant leader Nek Mohammad. I really don't care how much they miss him, just as long as he stays dead. Mohammad, a former Taleban commander, was killed in June last year after leading a bloody resistance to the Pakistan army's largest-ever offensive to drive-out Al Qaeda linked militants in South Waziristan. Pakistan's military said it killed the militant. "We will complete the mission of our commander Nek Mohammad and we will continue our jihad (holy war) against the US forces in the region," militant leader Maulvi Abdul Aziz told the gathering amid shouts of "Allah-o-Akbar". "Hey Maulvi, how'd ya like to end up like Nek?" "Um, perhaps I could learn to drive a taxi in Houston."

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Afghanistan/South Asia

North Waziristan a greater challenge than South Waziristan

2005-05-17

North Waziristan is a more serious challenge to the military in flushing out remnants of Al Qaeda and the Taliban than neighbouring South Waziristan, officials and tribal elders told Daily Times on Monday. Speaking on condition of anonymity, officials said that North Waziristan was a stronger base for militants due to the presence of a large number of seminaries and because around 70 percent of the local population supported jihadi elements. "It [North Waziristan] is a totally different case as far as the war on terror in the tribal belt is concerned," they said. Since early 2005, the military has carried out a number of search operations, and killed and arrested a number of foreign militants and their local facilitators in North Waziristan after bringing the situation in South Waziristan comparatively under control. "The next six months in South Waziristan are critical for the government. If we cannot build on successes that the army achieved in the last quarter of 2004 then all the efforts will go waste," the officials said. The situation in South Waziristan appeared stable but the agency had frequent law and order problems, they said. The officials also feared that if the government did not investigate the "missing millions" distributed among former colleagues of killed militant Nek Muhammad immediately, the militants would resume their activities. The government paid Rs 50 million to five key militants of Nek Muhammad's group — Haji Muhammad Sharif, Maulvi Abbas, Javed Karmazkhel, Haji Muhammad Omar and Maulvi Abdul Aziz — to pay back loans they had taken from Al Qaeda during their association.

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Afghanistan/South Asia

Pakistan bribed militants into surrendering

2005-02-09

Rats. Now I need to take another shower. I'm starting to look like a very large prune... The government paid huge amounts of money to four of the five most-wanted militants in South Waziristan, who surrendered and signed peace deals with the authorities in November last year , to enable them to repay the debt they claimed they owed to Al Qaeda, sources told Dawn. Payments were made as part of a package after the militants insisted that they needed to pay back a huge sum they had taken from Al Qaeda in their fight against Pakistani forces. The sources said the payments were made from the secret service fund (SS Fund) and the four militant commanders were summoned to Peshawar for the purpose. Two of them, Haji Sharif and Maulvi Abbas, received Rs15 million each, while Maulvi Javed Karmazkhel and Haji Mohammad Omar were each paid Rs1 million. Maulvi Abdul Aziz, the fifth militant leader, who also signed the peace deal, was not part of the package and, therefore, did not get any amount. However, the sources said that Maulvi Aziz was now angry for being ignored and was reportedly pressing the other four militants to give him his share. The payments to the Ahmadzai-Wazir tribal militants were made last month, while Haji Sharif received his share on Feb 4, the sources said. "There were stacks of millions of notes of Rs1,000 denomination and these men walked away literally with a bagful of money," the sources added. No receipts were given or signatures obtained as the payment was made from the SS Fund. It could not be confirmed whether the four militants really owed the money to Al Qaeda as they had claimed or pocketed the amount themselves. Corps Commander of Peshawar, Lt-Gen Safdar Hussain, confirmed that the militants had initially sought Rs170 million to return the amount borrowed from Al Qaeda. "At the start of negotiations, they asked for Rs170 million but later they reduced the figure to Rs50 million," the corps commander said while talking to a group of journalists. "Since the deal involved money and I did not want to become part of it, I said the matter should be dealt with by NWFP Governor Iftikhar Hussain Shah. And I don't know what happened afterwards," he added.

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Afghanistan/South Asia

Waziri militants agree to peace pact

2004-11-12

Five Wazir militants accused by the government of sheltering foreign terrorists in South Waziristan Agency agreed on Thursday to a "peace agreement" with the government to shun terrorism and pledged "allegiance to the state", a government negotiator told Daily Times. Militants loyal to former Taliban commander Nek Muhammad made the deal after their tribes assured guarantees on their behalf. "We have reached an agreement with the wanted men," chief government negotiator Col (r) Inamullah Wazir said, adding, "There is a truce now." The deal was made with militants Maulvi Abdul Aziz, Haji Muhammad Omar, Muhammad Sharif, Muhammad Javed and Maulvi Abbas, said Col (r) Wazir, who spent more than a month negotiating the deal. The tribes that the wanted men belonged to, namely Yargulkhel, Utmankhel and Kakakhel would keep a Rs1 million written surety bond with the government for each militant, he added. "The agreement with the wanted men is in written form," Col (r) Wazir said, refusing to give details of the agreement's terms and conditions. "I hope the terms will be disclosed in a few days," he added. The agreement was made hours after security forces arrested four militants in the Dilla Kula area, ISPR chief Maj Gen Shaukat Sultan told Daily Times. "One of them is wounded. We also seized weapons and the vehicle they were trying to escape in," he added. A military source said the identity of the four militants was not yet known. "We haven't yet identified their nationality," he added.

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Afghanistan/South Asia

Pakistan to Free 250 Tribesmen

2004-11-12

Five soldiers and two tribesmen were wounded in clashes between the army and militants in different parts of South Waziristan yesterday as authorities decided to release some 250 tribesmen and Afghan refugees arrested during the past few months in Wana and Shakai areas on suspicion they were involved in militant activities. Oh, that's comforting, isn't it? Official sources said orders for the release of 10 prisoners were issued on Wednesday. A Mahsud tribesman and an Ahmadzai Wazir elder were also freed while eight Afghan refugees held in the Dera Ismail Khan prison would be released today. Sources said the government was close to reaching a peace agreement with a group of militants loyal to Nek Muhammad. "We will sign an agreement with tribesmen loyal to Nek Muhammad within two days," said retired Col. Inamullah Wazir, who led the government side in talks. Tribal sources said talks were being held with militant leaders Maulvi Muhammad Abbas, Muhammad Javed, Maulvi Abdul Aziz, Haji Muhammad Umar and Muhammad Sharif at a secret location.

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Afghanistan/South Asia

Govt and Nek militants near a deal

2004-11-11

The government is just days away from reaching a peace agreement with a group of militants loyal to Nek Muhammad, the chief government negotiator claimed on Wednesday. "We have made a breakthrough," said Colonel (r) Inamullah Wazir of talks with the tribesmen loyal to Nek Muhammad, a former Taliban commander killed by an army missile in June. "Within a day or two, we will reach agreement with the militants," he added. However, he declined to give details of the agreement. "It's too early to say," he said. "We are just waiting for the tribes' guarantees on behalf of the militants." He said NWFP Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah was personally involved in the negotiations and fully supported them. Tribal sources said that talks were being held with militant leaders Maulvi Muhammad Abbas, Muhammad Javed, Maulvi Abdul Aziz and brothers Haji Muhammad Umar and Muhammad Sharif at a secret location. The militant leaders declared war on the government after their boss Nek Muhammad was killed in a precision-guided missile attack in Wana in June this year, less than two months after the controversial Shakai deal of April 24. The sources said the talks had been underway for a month. Waziri cleric Maulana Noor Muhammad, who has influence among the Nek group militants, was facilitating the talks behind the scenes. The cleric enjoys close contact with Governor Shah and is a political rival of Maulana Abdul Malick, a Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal MNA.

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Afghanistan/South Asia

Two more Wana tribes sign accord against aliens

2004-09-04

Two more Ahmadzai Wazir sub-tribes have inked an agreement with the political administration binding them against providing sanctuary to aliens and for supporting the government in its drive to flush out Qaeda and other anti-state elements from the South Waziristan Agency. Both the Khujalkhel and the Ghulamkhel sub-tribes deposited 32 AK-47 rifles with the administration as guarantees to abide by the agreement. Most tribes in the agency have reached similar agreements with the government, raising hopes the situation will get better. However, the Yargulkhel sub-tribe, to which a number of wanted individuals belong, has yet to arrive such an agreement. Tribals Maulvi Sharif, Maulvi Abdul Aziz and Noor Islam are wanted by the government in various terror-related cases. A local community representative said that agreements with the tribes should encourage the government to lift the economic sanctions imposed on the agency.

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Afghanistan/South Asia

Yargulkhels asked to surrender Nek and group within 24 hours

2004-06-08

South Waziristan Agency’s political administration on Tuesday asked the Yargulkhel sub-tribe to produce four men including Nek Muhammad within 24 hours or face punishment as the house-to-house search for foreign militants entered the second day in Shakai without any results. Nek Muhammad and his group were earlier wanted by the government but later pardoned under the Shakai deal with the military on April 24. The notice to the Yargulkhels did not state the charges on which the government had asked for the surrender of Nek Muhammad, Haji Sharif, Maulvi Noor Islam and Maulvi Abdul Aziz. However, it did not ask the sub-tribe to produce Maulvi Abbas, also a Nek Muhammad supporter. Punishment included the demolition of shops and other commercial interests belonging to the Yargulkhels, which were excluded from the Ahmedzai Wazir-led tribal lashkar (army) that continued searching houses suspected of sheltering foreign militants in Shakai. The political administration’s notice stated, “The four men should be surrendered to the authorities unconditionally and within 24 hours.” The demand for Nek and his group’s surrender surprised many people but analysts said the move was aimed at clearing a way for “serious action” against the Yargulkhels for expressing their inability to take on the foreign militants. Tuesday’s notice signalled the end of the short-lived deal that both sides had hailed, but which had changed little in South Waziristan Agency. Meanwhile, the search for foreign militants in Shakai produced what the government wanted, “tangible results”. A tribal elder who returned from Shakai told Daily Times that dozens of houses of the Khunyakhel sub-tribe were searched but no foreign militants were found. A tribal journalist who had also returned from Shakai said the lashkar faced resistance for the first time when the Sperkai sub-tribe told a jirga on Tuesday that it would decide whether or not to let the lashkar demolish two of its (Sperkai sub-tribe) houses that were suspected of sheltering foreign militants.

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Afghanistan/South Asia

Pakistan to Give Amnesty to 5 Tribesmen

2004-04-24

Pakistan has agreed to an amnesty for five renegade tribesmen accused of sheltering al-Qaida fugitives in return for their promise not to work against Pakistan's interests, a lawmaker said Friday. Looks like a total cave-in to me... Addressing a gathering of tribesmen in Wana, a town near the Afghan border, Maulana Abdul Malik, a member of Parliament's lower house, said the pardon for the five men would be announced by government and military officials on Saturday. The men were to formally surrender on Saturday at a jirga, or tribal council, in the village of Shakai, 15 miles north of Wana, he said. "They will announce that they will not work against Pakistan, and in return, they will be given amnesty by the government," said Malik, a lawmaker for a hardline religious coalition that has opposed the military's deployment in the region. He would not give any other details. Didn't have to. Eventually we'll end up having to go in and clean the bastards out... On Thursday, Brig. Mahmood Shah, chief of security for Pakistan tribal regions, said the men agreed to surrender after meeting with Malik and another lawmaker this week. He said the tribesmen would have to guarantee that they will not allow foreign terrorists to use their territory to enter Afghanistan, where al-Qaida and Taliban rebels often launch attacks against the U.S.-backed government and U.S. forces. He could not immediately be reached for comment Friday. The five powerful tribesmen, whose surrender has been sought by the government for months, are Naik Mohammed, Noor Islam, Maulvi Abbas Khan, Maulvi Abdul Aziz and Sharif Khan.

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