Warning: Undefined array key "rbname" in /data/rantburg.com/www/rantburg/pgrecentorg.php on line 14
Hello !

Malik Faiz Muhammad Khan

Malik Faiz Muhammad Khan

Jamiat-e-Islami

India-Pakistan

20030524

India-Pakistan

Senate throws out bill seeking public hanging of rape convicts

2024-02-20

[GEO.TV] Senate rejected a bill seeking to publicly execute those convicted of rape with a majority vote on Monday, with parliamentarians strongly opposing the idea as a "counter-effective measure in deterring sexual crimes". The upper house of parliament rejected the move to amend the Pakistain Penal Code,1860, and Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, through the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill 2023 with a 24:14 vote. The bill presented by Jamaat-e-Islami ...The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independent branch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores... ’s (JI) Senator Mushtaq Ahmed was supported by Senators Mehr Taj Roghani, Kamran Murtaza, Maulana Faiz Muhammad, Hafiz Abdul Kareem, Kamal Ali Agha, Abdul Qadir, and others. The senators who had voted against the bill called for improved prosecutions, investigations for combating sexual crimes, and a better jail environment to ensure that such heinous crimes are averted in the future. Defending his proposal after it had been defeated, JI’s Mushtaq said the senators did not talk about the "basic issue" and noted that the politicians spoke about "brutality" becoming rife due to public executions, but it’s already rife. "I want to halt brutality through public executions. Did the motorway rape case woman and Zainab have no respect? [How] does a rapist have respect?" he wondered, claiming that publicly hanging such criminals would act as a "deterrence". Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam ...the political wing of the Pak Taliban... -Fazl’s (JUI-F) Faiz Muhammad, backing Mushtaq, said that culprits who commit such heinous crimes should be hanged publicly. Voicing concerns, Pakistain Peoples Party’s (PPP) Senator Sherry Rehman strongly opposed the proposal, calling it a counter-effective measure in deterring sexual crimes, and urged improved prosecutions and investigations to address the matter. Speaking during the session of the Senate, she said: "The Peoples Party has always had a principled stance against the death penalty , whether public or private." "While the PPP staunchly condemns rape as a heinous and grave crime, calling for the death penalty or public executions, as seen in various countries, have not proven to be effective in deterring sexual crimes. We must prioritise enhancing prosecutions and investigations rather than resorting to barbarism and violence within society."

Link

India-Pakistan

Elderly woman among two wounded as protestors, police clash in Umerkot

2019-06-10

[DAWN] PPP Chairperson Bilawal Baby Bhutto Zardari ...Pak dynastic politician, son of Benazir Bhutto and grandon of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. As far as is known, Bilawal has no particular talents other than being pretty and being able to memorize political slogans, but he had the good luck to be born into the right family and he hasn't been assassinated yet... on Sunday took notice of the alleged "police brutality" in Umerkot against protestors from the Kolhi community. According to a statement by the party, the PPP chairperson has demanded the provision of speedy justice to the affected members of the Hindu community through an impartial inquiry and has called for action to be taken against police officials involved in the alleged torture. "To protest is the right of every Pak," said Bilawal, according to the statement. According to local reports, members of the Kolhi community living in the Fazal Chopan village had staged a sit-in at Allah Wala Chowk against the alleged atrocities of the influential Chopan family, who own the village. The protest was led by Haryan, Popat and Rukhma Kohli, along with others who carried banners and placards and rolled their eyes, jumped up and down, and hollered poorly rhymed slogans real loud against the village owners, including Shah Nawaz, Haji and Allah Dad Chopan. The protestors from the Hindu community alleged that the village owners had demanded that they "be presented maiden of tender yearss" and ordered the residents to vacate the village upon failing to do so. The protesters further alleged that on their refusal to comply, they were beaten up. According to the protesters, as the sit-in continued, a contingent of Umerkot police, led by Station House Officer (SHO) Syed Atif Shah, reached the site and tried to disperse the protesters, which led to a tussle between the two sides. The protesters then reportedly pelted a police van with stones, breaking its windowpane. In response, the police baton-charged the crowd, injuring two people, including an elderly woman who received a blow on her forehead and fainted. Five people were also picked up by police but were released after the police party came under attack, said the protestors. The protestors demanded that the police register a case against the influential landlords who had harassed them as well as the coppers who had subjected the community members to a baton charge. Faiz Muhammad Chopan, an owner of the village, refuted the allegations levelled by the Kolhi community, calling them "baseless". He invited a partial inquiry to "unveil the entire cooked and planned story". He alleged that political opponents have used one of the village families for their gains, adding that 200 households of Kolhi community have been settled in the village for decades. He further alleged that it was only a single family from his village which took part in the protest, whereas others had been "supplied" from Khipro city of the Sanghar district.

Link

India-Pakistan

Teenage girl goes 'missing' from police custody in Umerkot

2018-04-26

[DAWN] A teenage girl from district Umerkot in Sindh has reportedly 'disappeared' after allegedly being taken into police custody and handed over to a landlord, the girl's family claims. According to police, a week ago on April 18, SHO Khushbakht of Umerkot women cop shoppe, reportedly raided the girl's house in Hashim Palli village and placed in durance vile Maw! They're comin' to get me, Maw! five persons including three women over charges of involvement in child marriage. Among those taken into custody was the 13-year-old girl ‐ who was found wearing a bridal dress ‐ to verify the case. However, man does not live by words alone, despite the fact that sometimes he has to eat them... the girl's family says she has since gone missing without a trace since then. Meanwhile, ...back at the dirigible, Jack stuck the cigar in his mouth, stepped onto the gantry, and asked Got a light, Mac? Von Schtinken stopped short, lowering the dagger and trying to control his features. If you light that thing, Herr Armschtröng, he pointed out, his voice tense, we all die!... Sindh Inspector General (IG) has taken notice of the incident, and a committee has been formed to recover the girl and uncover the truth. The committee comprises of DIG Mazhar Sheikh, SIP Khalil Kunbhar, and Lady SHO Khushbakht. Meanwhile, ...back at the dirigible, Jack stuck the cigar in his mouth, stepped onto the gantry, and asked Got a light, Mac? Von Schtinken stopped short, lowering the dagger and trying to control his features. If you light that thing, Herr Armschtröng, he pointed out, his voice tense, we all die!... the girl's parents have levelled allegations against police, saying that the girl was taken away under the false pretence of raiding a child marriage. They allege that police took her away at the instigation of local influentials having malicious intent. The missing girl's family has accused police of handing over the girl to influential landlords Faiz Muhammad Palli, and Saifullah Palli, who, according to them, often abduct newly-wedded girls in connivance with the police.

Link

India-Pakistan

Girl married off in vani to avenge couple’s marriage

2017-07-29

[DAWN] A 10-year-old girl was married off to a 17-year-old boy on Wednesday to avenge the court marriage of a couple in Darkhan locality of Karor tehsil. Karor police have started the paperwork but haven't done much else and placed in durance vile Please don't kill me! nikah khwan Hafiz Atique Usmani, witness Bilal Ahmed and a panchayat member Jehangir. Last week, girl ’R’ of Darkhan had contracted court marriage with ’U’ of Daphi locality. Afzal, father of the girl, asked for a panchayat. Councillor Ghulam Husain called a panchayat at the outhouse of landlord Muhammad Asif. The local jury arranged marriage of 10-year-old sister of ’U’ with 17-year-old brother of the girl ’R’. Police have started the paperwork but haven't done much else under section 292, 310a, 506 of PPC against nikah khwan Atique, councillor Ghulam Husain, landlord Asif and five others. Investigation Officer SI Faiz Muhammad told Dawn that police had arrested the nikah khwan, witness Bilal Ahmed and panchayat member Jehangir. The ’vani’ girl, ’S’, appeared in the court of local magistrate and recorded her statement under section 164. She told the court that she contracted marriage on her free will and police were allegedly harassing her family. SI Faiz said landlord Asif and councillor Ghulam Husain had got pre-arrest bail from the court while raids were on for the arrest of others.

Link

India-Pakistan

Taliban madrassah agreed to reforms in return for Rs300m: Imran Khan

2016-06-25

[DAWN] Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf ...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations.... (PTI) chairman Imran Khan ... aka Taliban Khan, who who convinced himself that playing cricket qualified him to lead a nuclear-armed nation with severe personality problems... on Friday said Darul Uloom Haqqania ...an Islamic seminary located in Akora Khattak, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The seminary propagates the Deobandi trend of Sunni Islam and is headed by Maulana Samiul Haq, known as the Godfather of the Taliban. It has been dubbed The University of Jihad due to the methods and content of instruction along with the future occupations of its alumni.... agreed to implement reforms in return for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa ... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central... (KP) government's budget allocation of Rs300 million for the religious seminary. The seminary is located in Nowshera district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and currently run by Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam ...the political wing of the Pak Taliban... -Sami chief Maulana Samiul Haq ...the Godfather of the Taliban, leader of his own faction of the JUI. Known as Mullah Sandwich for his habit of having two young boys at a time... . It has faced several controversies in the past as its students Abdullah alias Saddam Nadir alias Qari Ismail, Rasheed alias Turabi and Faiz Muhammad have been accused of involvement in the murder of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto ... 11th Prime Minister of Pakistain in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996. She was the daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, founder of the Pakistain People's Party, who was murdered at the instigation of General Ayub Khan. She was murdered in her turn by person or persons unknown while campaigning in late 2007. Suspects include, to note just a few, Baitullah Mehsud, General Pervez Musharraf, the ISI, al-Qaeda in Pakistain, and her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, who shows remarkably little curiosity about who done her in... . The seminary is also said to be the alma mater of many prominent Afghan Taliban leaders. "Musharraf received billions from the west for madressah reform and even Maulana Samiul Haq was approached but he rejected the grant, now they are ready for reforms as they trust PTI's government," Imran Khan told journalists during a presser in Islamabad. Imran added that progressive reforms are being implemented to better integrate seminary students in to the mainstream, and said those opposing such moves know "little of Pak society." "Are millions of students studying in these seminaries terrorists?" The PTI chief further added he has asked the KP government to conduct a presser to better explain the grant. Related: Imran defends KP govt's Rs300m grant for Darul Uloom Haqqania When asked if he will visit PM when he returns to Pakistain, as the PM visited him when he fell from the container, the PTI chief stated he has sent flowers to the PM and would have visited him "if he were treated in a Pak hospital."

Link

India-Pakistan

Qazi Qassem's Top 20 Most Wanted in Punjab

2015-03-13

[DAWN] 1 Name: Mati-ur-Rehman Other name(s): Samad, Ustaad Talha Head money: Rs10,000,000 Major crime(s): Involved in suicide Attack on then Prime Minister of Pakistan Shaukat Aziz, Civil Lines Karachi bomb blast. Affiliated with: Sipah-i-Sahaba/Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (SSP/LJ), Jaish-i-Muhammad (JM) 2 Name: Mansoor Other name(s): Ibrahim, Chotta Ibrahim, Hasaan Head money: Rs5,000,000 Major crime(s): Involved in suicide Attack on then President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf Affiliated with: Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ), Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) 3 Name: Qari Ehsan ul Haq Other name(s): Basit, Ustaad Huzaifa Head money: Rs5,000,000 Major crime(s): Involved in suicide Attack on then President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf Affiliated with: Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ) 4 Name: Rana Muhammad Afzal Other name(s): Fazal Ullah, Noor Khan Head money: Rs5,000,000 Major crime(s): Attack on Saddar Kabirwala district, Khanewal, 2005 Affiliated with: Jaish-i-Muhammad (JM) [Masoor Azhar Group], Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) 5 Name: Qari Obaidullah Other name(s): Qari Imran, Hakeem Nasir, Abdul Rahim, Qari Sahib Head money: Rs5,000,000 Major crime(s): Various attacks in Mianwali, Multan, DG Khan and Faisalabad Affiliated with: Ameer Lashkar-i-Khurasan, Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) 6 Name: Muhammad Hammad Akbar Khan Other name(s): Ilyas Moavia Head money: Rs2,000,000 Major crime(s): Involved in suicide attack on PTS Sargodha/PAF bus Sargodha in 2007 Affiliated with: Jaish-i-Muhammad (JM), Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) 7 Name: Muhammad Tayyab Other name(s): Baba Ji Head money: Rs2,000,000 Major crime(s): Involved in suicide attack on PTS Sargodha/PAF bus Sargodha in 2007 Affiliated with: Jaish-i-Muhammad (JM) 8 Name: Faiz Muhammad Other name(s): Kaskat, Qasim Head money: Rs2,000,000 Major crime(s): Involved in suicide attack on Benazir Bhutto, Rawalpindi in 2007 Affiliated with: Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), BM 9 Name: Ikram Ullah Other name(s): None Head money: Rs2,000,000 Major crime(s): Involved in suicide attack on Benazir Bhutto, Rawalpindi in 2007 Affiliated with: Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), BM 10 Name: Qari Muhammad Yasin Other name(s): Osama, Aslam, Hakeem, Sangarbar, Ustad Mushtaq, Sabir, Arif Khan Head money: Rs2,000,000 Major crime(s): Various attacks in Rawalpindi, Attock and Lahore Affiliated with: Sipah-i-Sahaba/Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (SSP/LJ) 11 Name: Noor-ul-Ameen Other name(s): Khalid Pathan Head money: Rs1,000,000 Major crime(s): Attack A-R Bazar, Rawalpindi in 2004 Affiliated with: Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ) 12 Name: Abdul Hameed Watto Other name(s): Watto, Abu Tariq Head money: Rs1,000,000 Major crime(s): Involved in suicide attack on GPO Chowk and Naval War College Lahore Affiliated with: Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), BM 13 Name: Bilal aka Abdul Rahim Head money: Rs1,000,000 Major crime(s): Various attacks in Sargodha Affiliated with: Jaish-i-Muhammad (JM) 14 Name: Muhammad Zubair Other name(s): Mugheera, Farooq Head money: Rs2,500,000 Major crime(s): Involved in ISI Qasim Bela, Multan Affiliated with: Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ)/Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) 15 Name: Muhammad Majid Other name(s): Abdul Majid Head money: Rs500,000 Major crime(s): Attack in Rahim Yar Khan Affiliated with: Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ) 16 Name: Abdul Waqar Other name(s): Waqar Azeem Head money: Rs200,000 Major crime(s): Two attacks in Vehari Affiliated with: Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ) 17 Name: Ahmed aka Shareef aka Ayaz Punjabi Major crime(s): Two attacks on Sakhi Sarwar district, DG Khan Affiliated with: Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) 18 Name: Zara Ali aka Naeemullah Major crime(s): Two attacks on Sakhi Sarwar district, DG Khan Affiliated with: Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) 19 Name: Ayub aka Saifullah Major crime(s): Two attacks on Sakhi Sarwar district, DG Khan Affiliated with: Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) 20 Name: Ijaz Ahmed Major crime(s): Attack on Cantt, Multan Affiliated with: Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) [Qari Obaidullah Group]

Link

India-Pakistan

PTI activists search trucks for Nato supplies

2013-11-25

[Dawn] Club-wielding brownshirts activists from Imran Khan ... aka Taliban Khan, who ain't the brightest knife in the national drawer... 's political party forcibly searched trucks for NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Originally it was a mutual defense pact directed against an expansionist Soviet Union. In later years it evolved into a mechanism for picking the American pocket while criticizing the cut of the American pants... supplies in northwest Pakistain on Sunday in protest at deadly US drone strikes. Around 100 workers from the former cricket star's Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaaf (PTI) party set up checkpoints in the northwestern city of 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 a main road leading to Afghanistan. They stopped trucks and hauled drivers from their cabs to check their paperwork, following a call by Khan at a rally on Saturday to block supplies to NATO forces in Afghanistan in protest at the drone attacks. The activists, carrying the PTI's green and red flag, broke open truck containers to check their contents, an AFP news hound at the scene said. The PTI heads the government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa ... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central... province, of which Peshawar is the capital. But authority for the highways lies with the federal government, which has so far made no move to block NATO supplies. Muhammad Faisal, a senior police official, said the PTI activists' actions were illegal but he was powerless to act. "The protesters are doing unlawful acts by checking documents and screening goods, they don't have authority," he told AFP. "But we can't take action against them because we have no instructions from the government. If the government orders us, we will stop this illegal activity." PTI activist Asghar Khalil told AFP they were heeding their leader's call to action and would not stop until Washington promised to end drone strikes. Khan has long opposed the US campaign of drone attacks targeting Taliban and Al-Qaeda forces of Evil in Pakistain's tribal areas. He has intensified his rhetoric since a US drone strike killed Pak Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud on November 1. Khan says that attack was a deliberate attempt by Washington to sabotage efforts towards peace talks with the krazed killers, who have killed thousands in a six-year campaign of violence. "They are doing unlawful acts. They broke the sealing of my container and forcibly examined the goods," Faiz Muhammad Khan, a truck driver transporting sanitary items to Afghanistan, told AFP. "If they want to block supplies for NATO forces, they should stop it in Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... or at the border." Later in the day, one of Khan's allies, the right wing Jamaat-e-Islami ...The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independent branch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores... party, led thousands in a protest against drone attacks and the NATO supply line in the southern port city of Karachi, where the shipments originate. Pakistain is a key transit route for the US-led mission in landlocked Afghanistan, particularly as NATO forces prepare to withdraw by the end of next year. NATO supplies were suspended on Saturday because of a major PTI rally, which was held on the route used by the trucks. The drone strikes are deeply unpopular in Pakistain. Islamabad publicly condemns them as counter-productive and a violation of illusory sovereignty, although previous governments have given their tacit support to them. The US regards the strikes as a highly effective tool in the fight against militancy.

Link

India-Pakistan

The Story Of Lyari: A history of the gang wars in Karachi's oldest town

2012-05-05

Because they've been busy in Lyari recently. 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.... is one of the oldest towns in 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... , with a population of over one million. According to Yahya Baloch, a teacher of history, Lyari was first called Dirbo, but later renamed Kolachi-jo-Goth after a fisherwoman who settled in the town. "It was inhabited mainly by fishermen of Baloch descent." Eventually, the bed of the Lyari River was reclaimed for housing. On the other side of the Lyari River, "Khadda" had already been built to accommodate fisherman who were removed from Machi Meanee in 1870. Gang wars In 1964, Dad Muhammad, also known as Dadal, formed a gang with his brother Sheru, who worked at Rex Cinema, and began to illegally sell Hashish. Dad Muhammad was the father of Rehman Baloch, now known as Rehman Dakait. Together, Dadal and Sheru took on the biggest drug peddler in Bloody Karachi, known as Kala Nag. Nag was later killed in a police encounter. Nag's son Fazlu (or Kala Nag II) and Iqbal Dakait aka Babu competed with rival Haji Lal Mohammad aka Lalu, who was Rehman Dakait's godfather. In the 1990s, Rehman consolidated his power in Bloody Karachi with the support of PPP-backed Khaled Shahanshah and others. In the mid-1990s, Rehman Dakait kidnapped Saleem Memon, a trader from the Kharadar area, for ransom. Lalu asked Rehman to release the man for free, but secretly took the ransom himself. Ties between the two men broke down after that. Later, Lalu's son Arshad Pappu kidnapped businessman Faiz Muhammad - who was Rehman's cousin - and killed him. Faiz's son Uzair Baloch eventually became Rehman Baloch's successor. Uzair now heads the controversial People's Amn Committee (PAC) in Lyari, Lalu operates from Dubai, and his son Arshad Pappu was recently released by the police. Both the groups claim links with the Pakistain People's Party. "The People's Amn Committee or Lyari Amn Committee had traditionally been backed by the PPP. The Sindhi elements in the party wanted to increase its influence in Bloody Karachi," a source in the party said. "The idea backfired." People's Amn Committee "We formed the PAC in 2008, when I came back from jail," Uzair Baloch said. "There was a feeling in Lyari that there is no one to look after us and that we had been deprived of our rights. It is more or less a pressure group working for the betterment of Lyari." Uzair said the group included health, legal aid and education committees that helped the people of Lyari. "It also promotes peace between various communities. Our members include people from all sects, religions and ethnicities." Uzair said his father and uncle Rehman Baloch were PPP supporters, and so was the rest of Lyari. "We were the foot soldiers of the Bhuttos and of President Asif Ali President Ten Percent Zardari ... sticky-fingered husband of the late Benazir Bhutto ... ," he said. "But the PPP has betrayed us." He criticised the party for the recent law-enforcement operation in Lyari. "We did whatever the party asked us to do, including taking on the MQM. And now they have unleashed the police on us." Uzair's rivals, Haji Lalu and his son Arshad Pappu, are said to have been backed by the MQM. He said Arshad had threatened in a phone call that he would arrive on a Sindh Police vehicle and occupy his house. "We feel betrayed," he said. "First they killed Rehman Baloch, and now they will kill me." Law-enforcement operation The ongoing law-enforcement operation in Lyari has been sanctioned by the top authorities in the PPP and a close relative of President Zardari is monitoring it personally. Nabeel Gabol, the People's Party MNA from Lyari, recently survived an liquidation attempt after he was banned by the PAC from entering the city. Former Sindh home minister Manzoor Wasan was recently sacked for being too close to allied parties. He declined to comment on the operation, but added, "I tried my best for things to go back to normal." More than 20 people have been killed in the operation so far, eight of them coppers. The operation is now in its final stages and Uzair Baloch, Zafar Baloch and Shahid Baloch are among primary targets. Arshad Papu has meanwhile set up offices in Lyari. Bloody Karachi police chief Akhtar Husain Ghorchani denied that police were using or siding with rival gangsters in Lyari. A source in the police said intelligence and law-enforcement agencies had already initiated another wider operation. "We have picked up criminals and hit mans from the MQM, PPP, ANP and Sunni Tehrik ...formed in Karachi in 1992 under by Muhammad Saleem Qadri. It quickly fell to trading fisticuffs and liquidations with the MQM and the Sipah-e-Sahaba, with at least a half dozen of its major leaders rubbed out. Sunni Tehreek arose to become the primary opposition to the Deobandi Binori Mosque, headed by Nizamuddin Shamzai, who was eventually bumped off by person or persons unknown. ST's current leadership has heavily criticized the Deobandi Jihadi leaders, accusing them of being sponsored by Indian Intelligence agencies as well as involvement in terrorist activities... ."

Link

India-Pakistan

Over 900 Khyber families cleared for Jalozai shelter

2011-10-31

[Dawn] The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has cleared more than 900 families from Khyber Agency for shelter at Jalozai camp, Nowshera after finding them genuinely displaced from the restive area owing to the ongoing military crackdown on bad boys. Officials at the camp say arrangements are being made to take in the cleared families besides providing them with food, foreseeing arrival of thousands of more people from Khyber agency, including women and kiddies, who had to flee their houses for life. "Some 300 families have already been issued tents, while more are being pitched to accommodate more than 600 more families, who have been formally declared displaced after verification of particulars," Faiz Muhammad, chief coordinator (IDPs), PDMA told Dawn on Saturday. PDMA has been busy with the IDPs` verification exercise since the last week after more than 3,500 families from Khyber agency formally sought the status of being displaced. The subsequent heavy workload forced the authority into stopping registration of more families for Jalozai camp on last Tuesday to focus on verification of the particulars of those whose data was collected. The move distressed families desperately awaiting entry to the camp for shelter and food. Mr Faiz said particulars of 2,253 families belonging to Malik Din Khel and Sipah tribes would be subjected to particular verification, leaving the remaining applicants unattended since they belonged to other tribes of the agency. He said there was no change in the Khyber agency administration`s policy of not granting the IDP status to rustics belonging to Sturikhel, Shaluber, Qamberkhel and Aka Khel tribes for being unaffected by the ongoing military operation against bad boys.The PDMA official said the administration of Jalozai camp assisted by the UN humanitarian assistance agencies was making arrangements to allot tents and issue food handouts to all newly-registered displaced families from Khyber agency. He said all 900 new displaced families could not be provided with tents at once because the camp administration was still busy pitching new tents for them. "The camp administration is not short of tents or food supplies. People need to understand that it takes time to arrange shelter and food for thousands of new IDPs," Mr Faiz said, adding that the authority couldn`t plan its activities well as `everything (military operation) happened quite suddenly.` According to him, the number of Khyber agency rustics declared IDPs comes to around 6,000 as a tribal family normally has five to seven members. The PDMA official said UNHCR had deputed four teams to the camp for setting up the tents, adding that it took around an hour to pitch a tent. "The pitching of tents for newcomers is likely to take time before their allotment," he said when asked about slow pace of issuance of shelter to new IDPs.

Link

India-Pakistan

Kazmi comes up with novel defence: Haj fiasco

2010-12-08

[Dawn] The Monday hearing of a suo motu case about the mishandling of Haj affairs was widely expected to be a stormy one, but no one had possibly foreseen Religious Affairs Minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi coming up with quite an 'honest' statement and a novel defence, claiming that corruption in Haj arrangements this year was far less than in previous years. "Even if there is corruption, it is far less this year than what had been committed previously," Mr Kazmi said before a special bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and comprising Justice Javed Iqbal, Justice Tassadduq Hussain Jillani, Justice Raja Fayyaz Ahmed, Justice Ghulam Rabbani and Justice Khalilurur Rehman Ramday. The court had taken notice of media reports, an appeal filed by Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro, a parliamentary committee member who recently visited Soddy Arabia and accused officials of the Haj Directorate of being involved in corrupt practices, complaints sent by three members of the National Assembly and two of the Senate, a letter sent to the chief justice by Saudi Prince Bandar Bin Khalid Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud alleging embezzlement and a number of applications received by Justice Ramday in person during the performance of Haj from pilgrims narrating their ordeal and complaining about corruption and mismanagement. The bench expressed disappointment over the explanation given by Religious Affairs Secretary Agha Sarwar Qazilbash who on a number of occasions had admitted instances of corruption in the hiring of accommodation for pilgrims and stated that he had invited trouble for himself. The chief justice even raised questions about the justification for his continuing to hold the job. The court grilled the secretary for the pathetic treatment meted out to pilgrims by the ministry. The bench was informed by Establishment Secretary Khushnood Lashari that the appointment of Director General of Haj Rao Shakeel Ahmed, who is under detention, had been approved by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani knowing well that he was facing two corruption references in accountability courts and his name had been removed from the exit control list on a mere SMS (short message service) from Interior Minister Rehman Malik. The term 'Rehmani Haj' because of which the PIA had to pay a penalty of Rs9 million to the Saudi authorities and the role of Bahria Town chairman Malik Riaz also came up when the religious affairs secretary claimed that those who had performed Haj as guests of the interior minister were financed by the Bahria Town. The secretary, however, denied that PIA had to bear the brunt of the Rehmani Haj as compensation. "If Riaz Malik is so rich then why is he not paying taxes?" asked the chief justice. He recalled that the apex court was seized with a number of cases against him. MNAs Bilal Yasin and Pirzada Syed Ahmed Imran and Senators Dr Khalid Soomro and Saleh Shah, members of the parliament's standing committee on religious affairs who had visited Soddy Arabia much before the Haj and compiled a report highlighting instances of corruption, also appeared before the bench. They said in their report that Ahmad Faiz Muhammad Shafi, a Pak national who was involved in controversies and allegedly facing criminal charges, had been employed by the ministry's building department to hire accommodation for pilgrims on the recommendations of religious affairs minister who had even proposed to issue an official passport to him. They requested the court to give exemplary punishment to people involved in the scandal. However, The infamous However... Bilal Yasin said he had no evidence to prove the allegations levelled by some people against the prime minister. The bench was also not happy with the performance of the Federal Investigation Agency whose Director General Waseem Ahmed did not bother to appear before it and sent a subordinate. The court asked why had Rao Shakil been made a scapegoat and why was only he facing the inquiry when a committee was responsible for poor accommodation acquired for pilgrims. The court ordered the religious affairs secretary not to leave the country without first seeking permission from the prime minister and asked him to consider returning 700 Saudi riyals each to some 22,000 pilgrims who faced hardship in Mina and were forced to stay in places without the facilities of running water, toilet and electricity and without arrangements for food and transport. The secretary will also ensure effecting notices issued by the court to some 600 private tour operators for Dec 9. He was also asked to produce the list of buildings acquired for the pilgrims and the Saudi policy on Haj. Interior Secretary Qamar Zaman was ordered to again place the name of Rao Shakil on the ECL. Minister Kazmi replied in the affirmative when asked if Pakistain's Ambassador to Soddy Arabia Umar Ali Sherdil had any animosity towards him. The ambassador has blamed the minister and others for the pathetic Haj managements. The court asked Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq to check whether the ambassador could attend the next hearing. The minister also criticised the media for levelling allegations against him without any substance or evidence. He said he would submit a proper reply to the court. NAB's additional prosecutor general submitted reports on details of corruption charges against Rao Shakil.

Link

India-Pakistan

3 officials killed in Dera Murad Jamali attack

2010-04-26

QUETTA: Unidentified men attacked a checkpost near Rabi Canal in Dera Murad Jamali on Sunday and killed three officials on duty. Police sources said the men seized the weapons of the police officials after killing them. The officials were manning the checkpost when they came under the targeted attack. They were identified as Head Constable Faiz Muhammad and constables Rashid Ali and Mohammad Siddiq. The bodies were handed over to their relatives for burial after autopsy. The Baloch Republican Army (BRA) claimed the responsibility for the attack. Police has registered a case and investigations are underway.

Link

India-Pakistan

Punjab declares Rs7m head money on 10 terrorists

2009-06-09

[Geo News] The Punjab has declared fixed Rs7 million as head money for the arrest of 10 most wanted terrorists, found to be extensively engaged in terrorist activities in the country. The list of the terrorists have been handed to the law enforcing agencies. The government of Punjab while issuing the lists of ten most wanted terrorists, has fixed cash awards of millions of rupees on their head, dead or alive. It is said that these terrorists were engaged with assisting suicide bombers, helping them in identification of their targets. While issuing the details about the names of terrorists and cash awards, Punjab government fixed head money over Akram Ullah, Abdullah alias Saddam, Abdul Rehman alias Nauman both resident of Akora Khattak, Muhammad Tayyab resident of Sargodha, Nafees ur Rehman resident of Rawalpindi at Rs2 million each. The head money over Saeed resident of Sargodha and Imran Khalil Ur Rehman and Abdul Hameed Wattoo of Sheikhapura has been fixed at Rs1 million each. Similarly, the head money over Faiz Muhammad of Akora Khattak and Haroon alias Ilyas has been fixed at Rs2 million, each.

Link

Warning: Undefined property: stdClass::$T in /data/rantburg.com/www/rantburg/pgrecentorg.php on line 132
-12 More