DAILY KAHERI DIGEST JUNE 6, 2007

JOKES OF THE DAY



RETIREMENT AGE IN THE COMING BUDGET AS RECOMMENDED BY THE SECURITY COUNCIL

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As a result of the increase in the salaries in the coming Budget for the Govt. employees, we are pleased to chalk out the following procedure of retirement for the Govt. employees:-



Under the new plan, older employees will be asked to accept early retirement, thus permitting the retention of younger people who represent our future plans.Therefore, a programme to phase out older personnel by the end of the current fiscal year, via retirement, will be placed in effect immediately. The programme will be known as R.A.P.E. (Retire Aged Personnel Early).



Employees who are R.A.P.E.D. will be given the opportunity to look for other employment outside the company. Provided they are being R.A.P.E.D., they can request a review of the employment records before actual retirement takes place. This phase of the operation will be called S.C.R.E.W. (Survey of Capabilities of retired Early Workers).



All employees who have been R.A.P.E.D. or S.C.R.E.W.E.D. may file an appeal with upper management. This will be called S.H.A.F.T. (Study by Higher Authority Following Termination).



Under the terms of the new policies, employees may be R.A.P.E.D. once, S.C.R.E.W.E.D. twice, but may be S.H.A.F.T.E.D. as many times as the GOVT deems appropriate.



If any employee follows the above procedure, he or she will be entitled to get H.E.R.P.E.S. (Half Earnings for Retired Personnel's Early Severance). As H.E.R.P.E.S. is considered a benefit plan. any employee who has received H.E.R.P.E.S. will no longer be R.A.P.E.D. or S.C.R.E.W.E.D. by the GOVT.

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NEW POLITICAL TERMINOLOGY FOR THE POLITICIANS



After screwing the private channels the Govt. has has directed all the politicians to use the following terminology about man and woman in their speaches so that the enemies may not take advantages of their innocent wordings they are using currently.

In a press comference the information minister declared categorically .



We all know how literally impossible it is to not offend SOMEONE these days, everyone is just SO FUCKING TOUCHY... So this guide will help the politicians how to speak about the ministers in a POLITICALLY CORRECT way...



HOW TO SPEAK ABOUT FEMALE MINISTER AND BE POLITICALLY CORRECT



She is not a BABE or a CHICK; she is a BREASTED Pakistani.She is not a SCREAMER or MOANER; she is VOCALLY APPRECIATIVE.She is not EASY; she is HORIZONTALLY ACCESSIBLE.She is not DUMB; she is a DETOUR OFF THE INFORMATION UPERHIGHWAY.



She has not BEEN AROUND; she is a PREVIOUSLY ENJOYED COMPANION.She is not an AIR HEAD; she is REALITY IMPAIRED.She does not get DRUNK or TIPSY; she gets CHEMICALLY INCONVENIENCED.She is not HORNY; she is SEXUALLY FOCUSED.She does not have BREAST IMPLANTS; she is MEDICALLY NHANCED.She does not NAG YOU; she becomes ORALLY REPETITIVE.She is not a SLUT; she is SEXUALLY EXTROVERTED.She is not a TWO BIT WHORE; she is a LOW COST PROVIDER.



HOW TO SPEAK ABOUT MALE MINISTER AND BE POLITICALLY CORRECT



He does not have a BEER GUT; he has developed a LIQUID GRAIN STORAGE FACILITY.He is not a BAD DANCER; he is OVERLY CAUCASIAN.He does not GET LOST ALL THE TIME; he INVESTIGATES ALTERNATIVE DESTINATIONS.He is not BALDING; he is in FOLLICLE REGRESSION.He is not a CRADLE ROBBER; he prefers GENERATIONAL DIFFERENTIAL RELATIONSHIPS.He does not get FALLING-DOWN DRUNK; he becomes ACCIDENTALLY HORIZONTAL.He does not act like a TOTAL ASS; he develops a case of RECTAL-CRANIAL INVERSION.He is not a MALE CHAUVINIST PIG; he has SWINE EMPATHY.He is not afraid of COMMITMENT; he is MONOGAMOUSLY CHALLENGED.He is not QUIET; he is a CONVERSATIONAL MINIMALIST.He is not STUPID; he suffers from MINIMAL CRANIAL DEVELOPMENT.He is not SHORT; he is ANATOMICALLY COMPACT.He does not CONSTANTLY TALK ABOUT CARS; he has a VEHICULAR ADDICTION.He is not UNSOPHISTICATED; he is SOCIALLY MALFORMED.He does not EAT LIKE A PIG; he suffers from REVERSE BULIMIA.He does not HOG THE BLANKETS; he is THERMALLY UNAPPRECIATIVE.He doesn't have a DIRTY MIND; he has INTROSPECTIVE PORNOGRAPHIC MOMENTS.

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CLINTON MEETS CANADIAN PM IN EMERGENCY



President Bill Clinton called Jean Chretien with a pressing emergency:

"Our largest condom factory has exploded!" the American President cried, "My people's favorite form of birth control! This is a true disaster!"

"Bill, da Canajian pipple would be 'appy to do anyt'ing wit'in der power to 'elp you," replied the Prime Minister.

"I do need your help," said Clinton. "Could you possibly send us 1,000,000 condoms ASAP to tide us over?"

"Certainement! I will get on hit right haway." said Jean.



"Oh, and one more small favor, please?" said President Bill.

"Oui?"

"Could the condoms be red, white and blue, and at least 10" long and 4" in diameter?" asked Clinton.

"No prob'lem," replied the Prime Minister, and with that, Chretien hung up and called the president of Trojan.

"I need a favor. You got to make 1,000,000 condoms right haway, an sen'em to Hamerica."

"Consider it done," said the President of Trojan.

"Great! Now listen mon ami. Dey haf to be bleu, blanc 'n rouge in color; hat least 10 hinches long, and 4 hinches in dia' meter."

"That's easily done. Anything else?"

"Yes," said the Prime Minister, "an print on dem MADE IN CANADA, size: MEDIUM."

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NEW TERMINOLOGY...2



As President is very enthsiastic in solving the old prolems like Kahmir and Palestine on new ground reallities he has defined some words in the same way and has ordered to use them in daily use:-



Word Definitions.

Atom Bomb : An invention to end all inventions.



Boss : Someone who is early when you are late and late when you are early.



Cigarette : A pinch of tobacco rolled in paper with fire at one end and a fool on the other.



Conference : The confusion of one man multiplied by the number present.



Compromise : The art of dividing a cake in such a way that everybody believes he got the biggest piece.



Conference Room : A place where everybody talks, nobody listens and everybody disagrees later on.



Classic : A book which people praise, but do not read.



Criminal : A guy no different from the rest....except that he got caught.



Committee : Individuals who can do nothing individually and sit to decide that nothing can be done together.



Diplomat : A person who tells you to go to hell in such a way that You actually look forward to the trip.



Etc. : A sign to make others believe that you know more than you actually do.



Experience : The name men give to their mistakes.



Father : A banker provided by nature.



Lecture: An art of transferring information from the notes of the lecturer to the notes of the students without passing through "the minds of either"



Miser : A person who lives poor so that he can die rich.



Office : A place where you can relax after your strenuous home life.



Opportunist : A person who starts taking a bath if he accidentally falls into a river.



Optimist : A person who while falling from Eiffel tower says midway "See I am not injured yet."



Politician : One who shakes your hand before elections and your confidence after.



Philosopher : A fool who torments himself during life, to be spoken of when dead.Smile : A curve that can set a lot of things straight.Tears : The hydraulic force by which masculine will-power is defeated by feminine water power.Yawn : The only time some married men ever get to open their mouth.

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THE NEWS INTERNATIONAL

US pushing Pakistan on democracy, says BushPRAGUE: US President George W Bush said on Tuesday that the US was using its influence to push partners such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to take further freedom-promoting steps.“These .....more

US Congress concerned over unrest in PakistanISLAMABAD: The US Congress has written to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice about the deteriorating state of affairs in Pakistan as a result of dismissal of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry......more

Countrywide rallies against media curbsISLAMABAD: Lawyers, journalists, international human rights and media organisations and opposition leaders on Tuesday slammed the curbs imposed on the electronic media by President Gen Pervez Musharra.....more

SHC moved against amended Pemra ordinanceKARACHI: A constitutional petition was filed in the Sindh High Court (SHC), questioning the promulgation of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Ordinance, 2007, by President.....more

Counsel urges full court to provisionally restore CJISLAMABAD: Abdul Mujeeb Pirzada, senior advocate and MNA, who appeared in person to defend Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, requested the 13-member full court of the Supreme Court on Tuesday .....more
Lawyers warn officials of Rs 200m civil suitsISLAMABAD: Lawyers of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Tuesday warned the government officials including of Pemra of civil suits worth Rs200 million each for implementing the agenda of the .....more
NWFP director information shot dead in PeshawarPESHAWAR: Top spokesman for the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal government in the NWFP, Information Director Syed Mehdi Hussain, was shot dead by unidentified gunman here on Tuesday morning. The officer le.....more
250 booked for protesting media curbsISLAMABAD: The Islamabad police have booked journalists, politicians and lawyers who held a torch-bearing demonstration to protest against the restrictions imposed on the electronic media by promulgat.....more
Cabinet bypassed on Pemra ordinanceISLAMABAD: The president promulgated the Pemra ordinance Monday in violation of the rules of business, which were protected by the Constitution. Dubbed as a black law, obviously introduced to gag the.....more
Crackdown on TV channelsLONDON: The British media on Tuesday strongly criticised a massive crackdown on popular Pakistani television channels, including Geo, saying that it has established that General Musharraf has become a.....more
‘Kashmir risks return to all-out violence’HELD SRINAGAR: APHC chief Mirwaiz Umar Farooq accused New Delhi on Tuesday of only using peace talks with Pakistan to buy time to crush Kashmiri Militants. “The time is ripe to resolve the dispute ov.....more
Decisive struggle against rulers urgedQUETTA: Awami National Party chief Asfandyar Wali has asked the opposition parties to wage decisive struggle against the present rulers. The ANP chief said he feared if the same was not done right no.....more
Shaukat rejects third-party role on Pak-Afghan issuesKABUL: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Tuesday ruled out any third-party mediation between Pakistan and Afghanistan for resolving bilateral issues. "We are sovereign countries and do not need any exte.....more
Pakistan will overcome current problems: IranTEHRAN: Saying that an independent, stable and powerful Pakistan was in the interest of the region, President Mahmud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday expressed confidence that Iran’s neighbouring Islamic countr.....more
Owners oppose channels closure without show cause noticesISLAMABAD: A meeting between the Ministry for Information and Broadcasting and Private Broadcast Channels Association (PBA) on Tuesday discussed the recent developments in government-media relations. .....more
Ruling PML leaders shocked over moves against mediaISLAMABAD: Although there is no mention of the media or its freedom in the ruling Pakistan Muslim League manifesto, many leaders of the party have been taken aback by the recent moves aimed at gagging.....more
Heavy subsidy likely to lower ghee pricesISLAMABAD: Keeping in view the steep surge in the prices of ghee and edible oil in the wake of a massive hike in the prices of palm oil in the international market, the government is seriously conside.....more
Contempt plea against SCBA president re-filed in SCISLAMABAD: A petition, seeking contempt of court proceedings against President Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Munir A Malik and Hafiz Abdur Rehman, former president, Lahore High Court, for 'poli.....more
Musharraf to hold parleys with treasury MPs todayISLAMABAD: President Pervez Musharraf is scheduled to hold an interactive session with the treasury lawmakers here today (Wednesday) and discuss with them the prevailing judicial crisis, the upcoming .....more
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Ruling PML leaders shocked over moves against media


By Mumtaz AlviISLAMABAD: Although there is no mention of the media or its freedom in the ruling Pakistan Muslim League manifesto, many leaders of the party have been taken aback by the recent moves aimed at gagging the media.Insiders told The News here on Tuesday that the recent actions against the electronic media shocked many key leaders of the PML, who advocated a via media to resolve the “standoff”. They did not hesitate to insist that why for a possible misconduct by one, two or three channels, all the channels be put under an unnecessary check, which could cost the party dearly in the coming weeks and months.What one finds by going through the PML manifesto is a two-liner that a special television channel would be set up to cover parliamentary proceedings live. PML President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain had called for shooting those who would heap criticism on the armed forces or any other state institution.For the media, the PML leaders also had a word of advice. They argued that by conducting surveys, television channels could have also given the rulers options to handle the judicial crisis and the scale, and level of its coverage. But these channels, they charged, focused mainly on projection of the crisis.Background interviews with a few of them revealed that as the rulers grossly mishandled the issue of presidential reference against Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, they also were at fault in 'handling' the media. Some of them talked to this correspondent but on condition of anonymity.A prominent PML leader maintained that what required at this crucial juncture was to show flexibility through interaction with media for their reformation if it was needed. "Instead of convincing each other through interaction with the media, which path we have embarked upon," was a terse reaction by one of the founding fathers of the PML-Quaid-e-Azam. He parried a question, as to why the party faced a sharp difference of opinion, when there was not a single word in its detailed and carefully worded manifesto, adding that the party simply could not afford a paradigm shift in the government's media policy.The PML leader promised that he would push for a detailed section about the media in the manifesto prior to the forthcoming elections. Another senior PML leader was of the view that still it was time to adopt a damage control approach, engaging media representatives in parleys to draft a mutually agreed “code of conduct”.
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EUOROPEAN SOCIETY

1/"An Iowa woman was charged with killing her newborn daughter by tossing her down a hotel trash chute from the seventh floor, police said."
Read article...
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2/
"Police are searching for a naked peeping Tom seen prowling in only a ski mask, but they say people don’t take him seriously enough to report him."
Read article

3/
'At first, Jiang Musheng did not dare to eat a live, wriggling frog, but after seeing Yang Dingcai swallow one, he ate two without a thought,' the paper said.
Read article


Date Rape
It's not looking good: American standards dictating what passes for beauty in a prospective mate have reached their lowest point in decades. In December of 2005, the NPD Group, a marketing and information aggregation service reported that 76% percent of surveyed Americans confirmed that being overweight is not only completely acceptable, but downright sexy as well.
Meanwhile, pale doughy clumps of trashy amateur "models" with droopy ice cream cone tits bark themselves hoarse from the pages of pornographic web sites. Every available square inch of formerly-fuckable female real estate seems overinked with hideous clip art more closely resembling a random smattering of haphazardly-affixed Chiquita banana stickers than the agenda of a kick-ass alternative rock star. The only individuals more battered, chapped and molestered than today's women are the men. Unable to grow into their own wispy moustaches, they live among five or six roommates in cramped, unhygienic apartments which serve only to lampoon their fading dreams of one day attending Burning Man on the moon. Straight and gay alike! Since when did it become okay for homosexualistic twentysomethings to leave their big-ass balls unshaved and grow out scruffy, uneven sideburns? Everyone in town is ugly and gross, expectations for beauty and brains have been completely exhausted by an ever more diverse and accepting amalgamation of hideous culture, which means there's never been a better time in American history for the average shitheel schmuckleberry to go out there and just get laid.
But it's important to recognize an unseen portion of this population: those individuals among us who cannot -- for whatever reason -- establish a situation where relaxed nudity and subsequent intercourse occur naturally and without force. The mentally retarded, the handicapped, those incapable of delivering easy-breezy pick up lines on cue, people who are too shy or inexperienced to meet women, and angry shell-shocked Bible Belt veterans returning home from the war in Iraq, to name just a few. All these people have a right to know exactly what their dating options are, and what exactly they've been missing.
If rape is traditionally about power, then date rape is all about sex -- the sooner the better please, and not so much with the chitty-chatter. Date rape in America raises a number of ethical questions. Since it's technically a "date," are you still obligated to pay for dinner when the intercourse is guaranteed? It's a thorny issue. Historically, women have stopped date rape dead its tracks simply by uttering the magical three-letter code word known as "yes".
Let's go back in time. Two noteworthy instances in our nation's very own Holy Bible cite perhaps the earliest cultural attitudes toward date rape. In Genesis 39:15, Joseph (of Technicolor Dreamcoat fame) is sent to prison on a false charge of attempted rape brought about by Potiphar's wife:
She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. Then she told him this story: "That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house."
In Genesis 9:20-27, Noah (as in Noah's Ark) gets drunk, passes out, and is sexually molested by his son Ham:
Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father's nakedness and told his two brothers outside. But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father's nakedness. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father's nakedness. When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, he said, "Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers."
Date rape's come a long way, baby. In A Natural History of Rape: Biological Bases of Sexual Coercion first published by MIT in 2000, scientist Randy Thornhill and anthropologist Craig T. Palmer elocuted a case for rape as a logical extension of human evolution. The impulse to rape remains a fixed part of the male mental psyche, strong enough to survive for thousands of years despite strong social sanctions and legal penalties. The paper first challenges the notion that "rape isn't about sex," by reminding readers that working, functional boners must be present for forced sex to occur. They observe that rape is a "symptom of an unhealthy society in which men fear and disrespect women". Maybe once their editor changes fear to dislike, it'll be off to the Pulitzers!
Thornhill and Palmer based a portion of their rape studies on the scorpion fly. Male flies are equipped with a hooked appendage which serves a singular purpose: it seizes firmly around the female's forewings to prevent her escape during involuntary mating. This sharp raping clamp is Plan B -- a backup strategy easily employed in case the female rejects courting bribes like smaller dead insects.
These days, reverse clamping technology promoting an anti-rape agenda is being pioneered in South Africa, where close to 50,000 rapes -- date and otherwise -- are reported each year. In 2005, inventor Sonette Ehlers unveiled the Rapex condom, which women can conceal snugly in their vaginas (or rear ends) as they might a tampon (or butt plug). The device, made of 100% latex, is designed to pierce and snap around curious, intrusive penises with an battery of sharp, hook-like barbs.
When the device takes hold, the rapist "will obviously be too pre-occupied," Ehlers told a group of reporters near Cape Town. "I promise you he is going to be too sore. He will go straight to hospital."
In fact, the array of spears can only be removed from the penis through immediate surgery, effectively alerting hospital staff and police to the rapist's crime.
Critics of the Rapex condom insist the device is medieval and barbaric, and only increases the chance of violence against women. If a rape victim is cloaked with such a device, and she does mousetrap-clamp a midnight attacker -- he's likely to grow twice as enraged and deliver an extra bonus beating to the woman who wears it.
"This is not about vengeance," the inventor stated in a press conference. "The deed, that is what I hate." Yes gentlemen, sometimes there are teeth down there.
Let's not forget that there might be legitimate, real world reasons why you've got no game with the ladies. If you're physically handicapped, largely immobile or otherwise unable to overpower a female attendant due to a lack of upper body strength, date rape drugs might be just your ticket up the flagpole and down a back alley. Today, the three most popular date rape drugs are GHB, Rohypnol, and Ketamine.
Fun Fact! GHB, a.k.a. gamma-hydroxybutyrate is a Schedule I drug under the U.S. Department of Justice Controlled Substances Act. There are a total of five Schedules (classifications) of drugs, which means GHB exists in the "most aggressively prosecuted" category, best defined by three criteria: (1) it has a high potential for abuse, (2) there is no associated medical purpose for it to exist, and (3) there are commonly agreed upon health risks. Schedule I drugs are therefore not wholly unlike every snack food, cola beverage and leisure product ever manufactured anywhere in the world since the beginning of time.
For the most part, GHB serves as a sedative -- a powerful depressant to a gal's central nervous system. In controlled doses, it can even be effective as a general anesthetic. But try telling that to federal, state, and local law enforcement personnel in every region of the United States, who recognize GHB as the substance most commonly used in drug-facilitated sexual assaults. Like freshly squirted ejaculate, GHB tastes kinda salty, so it's best served secretively mixed into your victim's strawberry blended margarita. There, it can be rapidly absorbed and metabolized into her luscious circulatory and nervous systems. Who among us is the most likely to slip GHB into your beverage? According to statistics: white frat boys.
Rohypnol (flunitrazepam benzodiazepine) is like an Italian mobster who encourages you to "forget about it". Manufactured primarily by the Hoffman-LaRoche pharmaceutical firm (ostensibly for the short-term treatment of sleeping disorders), it really is the Holy Grail of date rape vehicles -- the much sought-after roofie. It's tasteless, odorless, and quick to dissolve. Correct doses of the drug can result in more unaccounted-for lost time than a poking, probing UFO abduction. Widely available in Europe, Mexico and Colombia, roofies can be mixed with a drink, snorted, or injected. Hey gals: anyone wanna sign up for a backpacking tour of Central America? Seriously, let's all go together, my treat.
The street value of a single roofie (according to the White House) is less than five dollars. These days, it's important to combine roofies with juice, fruit punch or a multi-colored tropical drink capable of concealing the blue dye commonly associated with the drug. It serves as an immediate remedy for depression or anxiety, and produces a stimulating high within the first fifteen to twenty minutes of ingestion. What follows is a reduction in responsiveness, a lack of psychomotor performance and very relaxed muscles. Let's lower those swinging arms, ladies. Lower. Lower. Down they go. Unclench those fists and be a lover, not a fighter. How ya doin' there. Good girl.
Ketamine hydrochloride -- perhaps the most special of K's -- is a Schedule III dissociative psychedelic used by veterinarians as an injective intramuscular anesthetic. Ketamine is able to block nerve paths without restricting one's ability to circulate blood or breathe properly. First synthesized by the American Parke Davis Lab in 1962 as an alternative to PCP, the patent rights to Ketamine are actually held by the country of Belgium. As it spread across Europe and throughout the world, it quickly gained a reputation as a knock-em-out courtship drug, and was made illegal in the United States in August of 1999. Interestingly enough, weak doses of Ketamine are still widely available in topical lotions for use with chronic pain.
If ordering "roofies" off the Internet strikes you as distasteful or complicated, or date rape pills are difficult to come by in your social circle, consider instead cheaper over-the-counter alternatives like wine coolers or spirited spritzers. Alcohol is universally agreed upon by pharmacists and frat boys alike as the number one date rape tool ever manufactured.
Booze, in all its many forms, performs three basic tasks essential to the big score: it decreases a woman's ability to think clearly, it reduces her ability to make good judgments, and it drastically limits her ability to protect her chastity. Most importantly, in large doses it can cause black-outs and memory loss, two key ingredients to a successful date rape. Perhaps the Internet poetess known only as ~MKP~ said it best in her impassioned libretto I Thought Not Me:
Rape on a dateI thought not meIt just wasn'tA possibilityI gave my keys awayFor I drank too much that day!
Why, she could have been serenading nineteen year old Nicholas Lumley of Brevard County, Florida. He's the enterprising nineteen year old who, in January of 2005, managed to get a fifteen-year-old so intoxicated she rendered herself unconscious several times in a row. Once she was properly drunk and date-rapeable, three of his friends watched and videotaped a number of naked, sexual to-dos between her and the assailant. And she never would have found out, had he not sidled up next to her and said, "You know, I had sex with you and I videotaped it." D'oh! And what's the deal with all these date rape allegations coming out of Florida? I'm talking to you, William Kennedy Smith, Norwegian rocker Roger Tiegs, and Marlins baseball player Ramon Castro! No wonder Miami Beach is such a great place to retire.
Maybe next time, Lumley's victims will think twice about setting their alcoholic beverages down directly on the counter top without using a coaster. Seriously! The Drink Safe Sales company, under the guidance of Dr. Brian Glover (actually a dentist who dabbles in chemistry) has invented the Personal Date Rape Drug Testing Kit.
This portable pocketbook laboratory is cleverly disguised as a rectangular cardboard coaster, about the size of a credit card. Embedded are space-age chemical test strips which react with a visible color change whenever they come into contact with an alcoholic drink spiked with date rape drugs. If they turn dark blue, congratulations! You're about to be date raped.
And hey now: is date rape something you might want your corporation inexorably associated with? Using the Drink Safe Sales Quark Xpress printing template, you can order custom-made Date Rape Coasters with your own company logo and personal message. Minimum order: 10,000 units at fifty cents apiece.
So whether you're raping a date for the very first time -- or just on a date getting date raped for the very first time -- try not to ruin it for the rest of us by confessing to your youthful indiscretions. Come on, America: get out there and buy that special someone a drink. You'll be glad you did. Surely there must be one woman at a tavern near you who's so ugly and bored that she's slipping herself roofies, but you'll never know if you're too scared to leave your computer.
Pornopolis Rotten Faces of Death Famous Nudes

OH MY NEWS DOT COM(11.3.2007)
MQM 12TH MAY MISHAP IN KARACHI
THE JUDICIOUS CRISIS DEEPENS



The judicial crisis in Pakistan deepened Saturday as the legal community unanimously stood against a presidential reference, displaying marvelous unity in favor of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, who was suspended on Friday by President Pervez Musharraf.Major opposition political parties also stood in favor of the chief justice.High profile lawyer representative bodies announced a program of rallies and boycotts of court proceedings.



Conservative Qazi Hussain Ahmad and liberal exiled Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif rejected the president's reference against chief justice and planned to convene an all-party conference on Monday in Islamabad.Ahmad invited all political leaders to attend the conference for a united action against the government. Ahmad will lead a rally toward parliament to display unity with the judiciary."The presidential reference against the chief justice of Pakistan was a joke on the nation. General Musharraf indulged the nation and country in the deep and worst crisis only to fulfill his lust of power," he commented.



Ahmad said that Pakistanis should challenge General Musharraf for his illegal and unconstitutional actions."The presidential reference was a military coup against the judiciary," Qazi added.



The antigovernment movement was gaining momentum rapidly and scattered opposition parties were coming closer to challenging the president's attempt to create a non-functioning chief justice through a constitutional reference.Political activities were in full swing in Islamabad, the capital, making Saturday a hectic day for journalists, lawyers, law enforcers and high profile government officials.



Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, a member of parliament who belongs to the Muslim League faction of exiled Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, addressed the emergency by holding a press conference at the Moorish-style complex where parliamentarians reside.Both leaders have claimed that the reference against the chief judge undermines the future of the country.



They claimed that government stooges and police guards have made hostages of the chief justice and his entire family."Officials trespassed the house of chief justice, snatched all mobile phones and cut off land lines to bar them any contact with outside world," Chaudhry claimed.Cellphone UpdateNisar Ali Khan disclosed that the daughter of the chief justice had informed his daughter of the situation inside the official residence via cellphone text messaging. She had successfully hidden her cellphone when officials first searched the residence.The girls are classmates and close friends.



The chief justice's daughter said that the family was being confined to a single room. Intelligence officials occupied other portions of the house.Khan said his daughter, in turn, had informed the family of the chief justice of the severe reaction of the nation against the presidential reference.



Sharif and Imran Khan both said that corruption was no problem for the president as he had done this kind of thing before. Most of the ministers assigned important portfolios when General Musharraf and the military first took over the country had been arrested and sent to jail on corruption charges.Nisar Ali Khan said that General Musharraf had insulted the judiciary by taking the chief justice hostage.Bar Membership TerminatedThe Punjab bar council strongly reacted against the controversial presidential reference and terminated the membership of Advocate Naeem Bokhari with immediate effect.



Bokhari is the author of an open letter to the chief justice that is considered the basic document in the presidential reference.The highest representative bodies of the legal community, the Supreme Court bar association and the Punjab bar council, jointly announced the boycott of all court proceedings beginning on Monday.Senior lawyers appreciated that the chief justice had refused to resign.



Lawyers announced that they would rally at the Supreme Judicial Council session on Tuesday.Supreme Court Judge Barred From Visiting Chief JusticeJustice Raja Fayaz Ahmad of the Supreme Court was not permitted to meet the chief justice.



Munir A. Malik, of the Pakistan bar council was also bared from meeting with Justice Chaudhry.Prime Minister Speaks on Judicial CrisisPrime Minister Shaukat Aziz argued that the action against the chief justice was in accordance with the law and constitution of Pakistan."The presidential reference against Justice Chaudhry was filed according to article 209 of the constitution," he said.Nephew of Chief Justice Narrates Untold StoryAmir Rana, the nephew of the chief justice, told BBCurdu.com that President Musharraf tried to bargain with Justice Chaudhry, but when Chaudhry refused, he was suspended and taken hostage by army commandos.Rana claimed that the chief justice told him on the phone that General Musharraf tried his best to convince him to stop hearing the case about missing people but that he refused.



The issue of missing people is the greatest human tragedy of modern times in Pakistan. The target of Pakistani intelligence agencies, they were disappeared due to their alleged links and contacts with extremist organizations.Argument of Chief SpokesmanInformation Minister Muhammad Ali Durrani reiterated that the presidential reference against the chief justice was constitutional and that the government was following the law.



"All protective arrangements around the official residence of Justice Chaudhry were requested by the chief justice himself," Durrani told OMNI. He said the chief justice was not a hostage at all.Executive Officer of Supreme Court TransferredThe registrar of the Supreme Court, who acts as the executive officer, was also transferred with immediate effect. All old judges of the Supreme Court were dissolved and their list of cases cancelled.After midnight, it was announced that new Supreme Court judges were constituted and a new list of trial cases was released.

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Intrerview

GENERAL HAMID GUL

"Military as an institution is not collectively responsible for wrong doings of General Musharraf, they are hostage of strict discipline only," General Gul argued while defending the army of Pakistan.A defense-strategist turned right-wing intellectual and defense analyst, General Hameed Gul is the torchbearer and vocal supporter of the Pan-Islamist revival movement. He advocates for the unity of Muslim countries and the establishment of an economic bloc like the European Union.When the present judicial crisis started, General Gul automatically activated to protect the judiciary. Once he said: "After retirement I only changed my uniform but I never took off my military boots."A fierce opponent and critic of the policies of General Musharraf, General Gul Hameed was the man who led the great secret war against communism and the Soviet red army in Afghanistan as the head of Inter services intelligence (ISI). He organized the resistance movement in the battlefields of Afghanistan and pushed back and ultimately defeated communism.So the soldier is again in the battlefield in a different way, to defend the judiciary against the excesses of a serving general.

I interviewed him and asked the question about the role of army in the ongoing judicial crisis. "We have come to show solidarity, not so much with the chief justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry as with the independence of judiciary in Pakistan. At this particular time when Pakistan is being subjected to all kind of external pressure from America, Afghanistan...and Iranian situation is evolving, to render Pakistan so unstable by hitting at the roots of our judiciary and the fundamental rights of the people of Pakistan."

"The nation has been shattered to its roots and country has been rendered unstable eternally and that is what is totally wrong. As a defense analyst I believe at this critical juncture of history we need stability rather than instability."Role of Army as an Institution in the Present Judicial Crisis "Pakistan Army as an institution is not responsible. They are the victims of the discipline because they are bound by the shackles of discipline. Now if this situation is going to continue then I am afraid that the stress will stretched too far and too much."

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WIDESPREAD SUPPORT FOR CHIEF JUSTICE



Pakistan's financial capital Karachi was in the eye of the storm on March 14, as the center of gravity of the protest movement against President Musharraf shifted away from the historic city of Lahore.



Karachi, a coastal city, is considered the nerve center for all economic activities, and is the provincial capital of Sindh province.March 14 was the fourth consecutive day of the lawyers' protest movement over the controversial suspension and mistreatment of the country's top judge. An angry mob of lawyers burst into the empty provincial assembly building and symbolically occupied it for hours.Televised video clips and a particularly a picture printed in the conservative Daily Nation of the humiliation of Justice Chaudhry during his "long march" towards the Supreme Court added more fuel to the burning fire.Lawyers were furious over the insulting comments made by Sindh Chief Minister Dr. Arbab Rahim against Justice Chaudhry. Rahim is considered a staunch supporter of President Musharraf, and is openly supporting the most hated action of the uniformed general against the top judge of the country.Courts were closed all over the country. Black flags were hoisted on court buildings and bar rooms.

Rallies, processions and violence have become the daily routine. On condition of anonymity a senior bureaucrat told OhmyNews:"The insults against the top judge at the hands of undercover military commandos has had a deep impact in the heart of every citizen."



He added that his wife wept after seeing the chief justice being insulted on television. "She is a housewife, who couldn't even recognize the chief justice before March 13, but now Justice Chaudhry has become an icon of courage. Now for the first time she is urging me to apply for early retirement," he added."The unwanted humiliation of the top judge of the country has touched the heart of an entire nation, the majority of the 116 million people felt personally insulted," a psychiatrist told OhmyNews.Visible Cracks in CabinetOnly two or three ministers are trying to defend the president and his action against Justice Chaudhry in a cabinet of more than 80 ministers and deputy ministers.



Some usually outspoken ministers clearly detached themselves from the ongoing judicial crisis and became neutral; that's not common in our political history.Dr. Sher Afghan, surgeon turned constitutional expert and minister for parliamentary affairs daringly choose to clarify his position that he is not a party and he has respect for the judiciary.Naeem Bokhari mentioned in his controversial open letter that Justice Chaudhry changed the verbally announced decision in a case of Dr. Sher Afghan.Ruling party president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain preferred to go abroad instead of staying here to face the music at the climax of the judicial crisis.



After landing at JFK airport New York he told reporters that the present judicial crisis is a power tussle between the judiciary and the army. "I have no role in this big game so I came here to take rest and medication."Later on his statement was contradicted but the facts are facts that are never changed.Muthida Quami Movement (MQM), party of Urdu speaking immigrants from India, is a major ally of the ruling coalition. They are silent and neutral, watching the momentum of the movement against Musharraf.MQM has critical role in southern Sindh province, where it has a lion's share in provincial government. The president has to appoint their governor and all-important ministerial portfolios in the Sindh provincial cabinet.On March 14, the chief minister told MQM that he could dissolve the provincial assembly.



Actually this was a way of telling MQM not to go against the president during the judicial crisis.An already volatile Balochistan province observed a complete strike and shut down on Wednesday. The political spectrum of Pakistan is very complicated. Outsiders can't understand easily the political groupings and alliances. Conservative Mullahs (Religious priests) are the partners in provincial government. After the killing of Baloch chieftain Akbar Bugti the people of Balochistan are angry, and bomb blasts, mortar firing, pipelines blasts are order of the day.After the dismissal of Justice Chaudhry, the situation worsened. Balochistan is the home province of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.



Prime Minister Called BackPrime Minister Shaukat Aziz has no role in the ongoing-judicial crisis. He is only a puppet in the hands of General Musharraf. But widening cracks within the cabinet forced the general to call him back from Uzbekistan, where the prime minister went to spend two days on a leisure trip. He is now in town.Unexpectedly, the sacked minister of information, now railway minister, Sheikh Rashid also criticized the insulting behavior of officials towards the chief justice of Pakistan."I am a political worker, I know how badly affected the people of my constituency are by this sad incident, the manhandling of Justice Chaudhry by police and undercover secret agents, shame on us," he said while he was hurriedly addressing a press conference Wednesday evening.Rashid claimed that the top judge tried to paralyze the government by summoning high profile officials to the court.



He added that Chaudry's activism for the common people proved fatal, but that all this could not justify what the government did to him and his family.He said that detention of the entire family of chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was unfair. "I can't understand the logic behind it. Why are school-going innocent children not allowed to attend classes? How could any sane person think to deprive even a common man from medicine or a doctor? Unfortunately all this has happened to the chief justice of Pakistan, the guarantor to provide justice to every Pakistani," he said."What a shameful scene. The whole world has seen the chief justice knocking on the closed door of his own court for justice, and he had to wait for 15 minutes in the din."



Geo and ARY one world, the premier satellite channels, immediately telecast the sensitive portions of the speech, but then the shadows became active and the sensitive parts of his press conference were censored in the print media.First Drop of RainThere are strong rumors that some judges of the Supreme Court are going to resign in protest, but nothing has happened to date. But a relatively junior law officer, Saeed Khurshid Ahmad, a civil judge, resigned. He belongs to the remote southern district of Bahawalpur. Mystery of Rana Bhagwan DasMost senior judge of the Supreme Court, Rana Bhagwan Das, was on leave outside the country when the reference against the top judge was filed. In his absence the next "available" most senior judge had to take the oath as acting chief justice of Pakistan.Belonging to a Hindu minority, Justice Rana became important due to his seniority.



If he comes back during the proceedings, the composition of the supreme judiciary will be changed. There are strong rumors that he came back from India but disappeared because he doesn't want to be party to the judicial crisis. He is retiring in the coming December.The great conspiracy theorists of the capital are narrating another sensational rumor about his return. They allege that he landed at Karachi Airport amid tight security on Wednesday night, and was escorted to the lounge and then abducted by secret agents and confined at an undisclosed location.



I contacted Idrees Bukhtair, chief reporter of monthly Herald and bureau chief of BBC Urdu service in the wee hours of the night about the confirmation of Rana Bhagwan Das's arrival at Karachi."We are tracing the whereabouts of Rana Bhagwan Das, and checked the data of all flights landed from Delhi, but can't find him."He said that the high security alert that night was only due to the arrival of the chief secretary of the executive and the inspector general of the police. Even Rana Bhagwan Das's wife knows nothing about his return schedule. He is on leave until March 23.Supreme Court Engages in Damage ControlActing Chief Justice Javed Iqbal summoned the capital's police officers who manhandled the Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and his family during their historic walk to the Supreme Court on March 13.



Acting Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Javed Iqbal ordered police officers to furnish a detailed reply on the matter of the manhandling of the chief justice and his family."Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry is our responsibility and a full fledged inquiry will be conducted against the officials who have manhandled and misbehaved with him," he announced. "When Justice Rana Bhagwan Das returns every step will be taken according to the constitution and law," he added. Justice Iqbal disclosed that Justice Rana Bhagwan Das could not be contacted because his mobile phone was switched off.Catch 22 for President MusharrafNo top lawyer is ready to plead on the behalf of the presidential action against the chief justice that began the whole affair. Naeem Bokhari, author of the controversial open letter that led to the action, has disappeared from the scene.



His cell phone is switched off.Prominent lawyer and respected intellectual Fakhur-ud-Din G Ibrahim wept during a television talk show. An otherwise composed former justice Fakhur-ud-Din G Ibrahim, in an emotionally charged voice, said that he will challenge this reference at all costs, and that it is the ultimate disgrace of the judiciary.Senior lawyer S.M Zafar also refused to fight the case.The chief law officer of the government, Attorney General Makhdoom Ali Khan, reportedly showed his inability to represent the president in the Supreme Judicial Council.It was disclosed by the law community that his father Justice Fazl-e-Ghani Khan also resigned after a reference was filed against him in the 1960s.Syed Sharif-ud-Din Pirzada, is a sort of constitutional magician of the country, who has managed to be center-stage of almost all the legal and constitutional crises in the past.Legal advisor of President Musharraf and ambassador at large, Mr. Pirzada declared the action against Justice Chaudhry, illegal, untimely and unconstitutional.Out of Court SettlementThe president is now trying an out of court settlement with the chief justice of Pakistan. However, Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry flatly declined the "kind offer.""He was offered to go on long leave abroad for the time being but he was not ready to buy this magic formula," said an insider, confirming the new development.



ProtestsParents and class fellows of the detained children of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry are showing solidarity with their innocent class fellows in a parade.
¡ã School children wait for permission to begin the meeting
¨Ï2007 Aslam Khan
¡ã School boys hold banner and chant for the chief justice
¨Ï2007 Aslam Khan
When I was concluding this article, I received an SMS from a friend saying: "Peaceful protest against state-terrorism against the judiciary on Friday, 16 March 2.00pm, Supreme Court building, to be joined by doctors, engineers, teachers, writers, professionals and civil society organizations. Please assemble near covered market.



"It's time to act and bring nation out of khaki (brown uniform of Pakistan) slavery. Come on, come all."It's time to act. How I can sit at home to save myself from intimidation and torture?I must go to the Supreme Court to pay my duty, my friends, my country, my Supreme Court is calling me.My laptop is wet with my tears. Pray for empty handed people, those who are ready to face the wrath of the general. GOD bless us my nation and Pakistan. UPDATE: Pakistan Crackdown: Mass ArrestsAfter filing this story I received more information.I have just heard reports that police unleashed a crackdown in Lahore and the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.



Dozens of members of parliament and representatives of the legal community along with many political workers were arrested.Leaders of conservative Jamaat e Islami, liberal faction of exiled Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and active leaders of the legal community were the main targets.It has been reported that in the wee hours of Friday 3.25 am, local time operations were underway and many leaders and workers were arrested at the time of the filing of this report.



The Islamabad administration has denied giving permission for prayers to be said outside the Supreme Court.Minister of Information Muhammad Ali Durrani said that the ministry would facilitate the journalists in their reporting of the presidential reference. But no one may be allowed to show their muscle power near the Supreme Court building, he reiteratedThe Supreme Judicial council will start its hearing on Friday, 3.00 pm at the Supreme Court building.UPDATE: The President SpeaksPresident Musharraf promised that he would obey the decision of the Supreme Judicial Council.



He was speaking in public in the industrial city of central Punjab province, Gujranwala, on Thursday March 15."My mouth is stitched and I can't say even single word about reference against chief justice, it will be sub judice," he concluded."If I did not respect the judiciary, the reference against the chief justice would not be under trial in the Supreme Court Judicial Council."

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LAWERS CHANTED SLOGANS AGAINST THE PRESIDENT


Lawyers observed a countrywide strike and a total boycott of court proceedings on Monday throughout Pakistan.The majority of lawyers displayed black strips on their arms and burnt effigies of General Musharraf.High profile representative bodies of the legal community appealed for the strike in protest of the treatment of the chief judge and his family. The strike went very well; lawyers marched for the independence of the judiciary, displaying solidarity with the detained top judge of the court. Islamabad was relatively peaceful, but Lahore was very violent. Lawyers fought a furious pitched battle with Punjab police. More than two dozens lawyers were injured including Sardar Latif Khosa, prominent lawyer turned politician, who was badly injured on his head.



He is a member of the upper house (Senate) of the bicameral parliament of the country."Blood was pouring from his head, he was stood against the worst kind of beaten charge but he never turned his back," said Aamir Jalil Siddiqi, who narrated down the telephone the lawyers' street battle on Lahore's historic Mall road. Senator Khosa was leading the charged procession towards the Punjab Assembly building, the police tried to block the way with barbed wire barriers and consequently the lawyers scuffled with police officers.



The police arrested more than a dozen lawyers but they were released after some time, an agreement was made between lawyers and government of Punjab officials.Bar associations started canceling the basic membership of lawyers who publicly supported the president's actions towards the chief judge. From the Supreme CourtSome supporters of the government appeared in court no 1 of the supreme court, where the acting chief justice was hearing the cases.



When the court adjourned for tea break, lawyers gathered outside the court room and chanted slogans of shame, shame at ruling party supporters.Wasim Sajjad was the main target. He is leader of the house in the upper house of the bicameral parliament and also former senate chairman of Pakistan.Observing the rowdy scene and listening to the furious slogans, unnerved acting chief justice Javed Iqbal. He postponed the hearing of all undergoing trial cases for an indefinite period.
n Islamabad an All Parties Conference was hurriedly called. The chance to meet with cricketer turned politician Imran Khan, former spymaster, retired head of Pakistan's premier intelligence agency ISI, General Hammed Gul, and some colleagues was the main attraction for me when I decided to visit the residence of conservative Qazi Hussain Ahmad.
The residence of Qazi Hussain Ahmad was full of opposition leaders, and the car porch was jam packed with media men. Satellite television channels are a relatively new phenomenon in Pakistan. But electronic gadgets and its operators dominate every scene of public life.



The cameras were ready for shooting, different kinds of lights were blinking, and they were preparing the joint communique of the APC. "You have to wait with friends only 15 minutes," Shahid Shamshi informed me.After some time leaders poured outside main building and sat down to deliver the makeshift stage of briefing.



More than two-dozen opposition leaders were gathered there, Imran Khan, general Hammed Gul, Mulana Fazal Ur Rehman, and Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan were the prominent figures, dominating the scene.Liaqat Bloch read out the joint communique in Urdu, that was interrupted by other leaders, who fed in their inputs to fortify the statement.General Musharraf was criticized and his action against Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was condemned. Suddenly it was announced that all leaders were going to visit the detained top judge at his residence.A senior retired politician and some judges of the highest court had already visited him on Sunday.



But still it was great value to get the chance to meet or visit the top judge."This general bow our head down internationally for sacking and detaining the top judge of the country and his family," an emotionally charged Imran Khan told OMNI.Suddenly Nisar Ali Khan appeared on the scene, he pointed out another side of the human tragedy that the family of justice Chaudhry have to face. Khan disclosed that the school-going daughter and son of the chief justice weren't permitted to go school, and they were deprived of permission to get tuition in their home. The six-year-old son of the judge suffer from pollen allergy, he is not well but the doctor was not allowed to see him, he alleged.



It was Nisar Ali Khan, who informed the world of the situation inside the besieged house on Sunday.The daughter of Justice Chaudhry is a friend of his daughter. She informed her through short messaging system (SMS) of the horrible ordeal of detained family."He is searching the missing persons, but now he became himself with his family a missing judge," Imran Khan pointed out while referring to a controversial ongoing trial case in his court."I will go on foot to defend myself to Supreme Court building," Chaudhry informed senior politician Asghar Khan.My request for more information was politely declined by Nisar Ali Khan, who said, "these things became irrelevant now, momentum of unfolding events is very fast," go ahead please.Our convoy left for the residence of Justice Chaudhry but we were interrupted at a junction of the ministers colony, the complex of modern villas, where the majority of cabinet lived. There were barriers, the road was closed, and there was a heavy contingent of police with all weapons. They had basically erected a human shield to stop our convey proceeding further towards the justices colony, where the top judge of the country was under house arrest.
The police form a human shield
¨Qazi Hussain Ahmad, Imran Khan and other leaders disembarked from vehicles, now we were on foot. As we approached the barriers a police officer said that no one could meet detained justice without prior permission of the senior people behind the scenes. As the mob tried to advance, they were pushed back, and then a scuffle started. Lawyers and young political workers chanted slogans against President Musharraf.
¡
Opposition parties were targeting the president and trying to single him out. He was the target of all abuses.When a youngster tried to fire a volley of slogans against Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz the majority of leaders and workers abruptly started laughing. "He is an innocent creature do'¡¯t abuse him," a prominent lawyer from Hafiz Abdur Rehman Ansari commented.Technically, the prime minister advised the president to file a reference against the chief justice, but it is an open secret that the prime minister has nothing to do with this crisis.Military: Hostage of Discipline"Military as an institution is not collectively responsible for wrong doings of General Musharraf, they are hostage of strict discipline only," General Gul argued.



A fierce opponent and critic of the policies of General Musharraf, General Gul was the man who led the great secret war against communism and the Soviet red army in Afghanistan as the head of Inter services intelligence (ISI), who organized the resistance movement in the battlefields of Afghanistan and pushed back and ultimately defeated communism.After some time the mob was dispersed and we returned to normality.Role of Electronic Media and Government StrategySatellite television channels have totally changed the political spectrum of the country. Live talk shows and footage of events are adding fuel to the already high flames of fire.



The government could not twist the arms of the electronic media successfully. In the wee hours of Monday night on behalf of the supreme judicial council, the Supreme Court of Pakistan issued a strict warning to all stakeholders and segments of society including politicians. Officials had to refrain from commenting on controversial reference against top judge because it is now under trial and is therefore sub judice. However, it has been promised that the people will be informed about day to day proceedings because it is their constitutional right, and the judiciary has sworn to protect the constitutional rights of the people of Pakistan.



Text of Press Release"The Supreme Judicial Council has viewed with serious concern the spate of news items, comments, views and statements appearing in the print and electronic media since reference to the Council of the case of Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, which is a highly sensitive, constitutional and legal matter."The Council Members have also noted that the leaders of various political parties, senior government functionaries, members of the legal fraternity and Bar Councils have been both directly and indirectly voicing their views on the subject which is sub judice."The Judiciary of Pakistan and all members of the Supreme Judicial council are committed to upholding the freedom of press and information and the right of every citizen of the state of Pakistan to be kept informed of the proceedings of the Reference through the media. In this regard, an appropriate mechanism is being put in place so that the people are kept informed and updated of the day-to-day proceedings."Keeping in view the intricate legal and constitutional nature of the matter and the sworn duty of the Council for the dispensation of justice, all members of the Supreme Judicial Council are unanimous in their decision to advise all sections of the society, including government functionaries to refrain from any comments on the reference.



The Supreme Judicial Council would also like to advise the print and electronic media not to resort to either publishing or airing any comments on the subject Reference, which could be viewed as prejudicial to the proceedings before the Council."Breaking NewsAs I finished writing this a friend told me on the phone that fierce clashes started outside Supreme Court building, where the first session of Supreme Judicial Council was about to start after 1.30 pm.Now I have to leave to get firsthand information. Bye, pray for me, my colleagues and for Pakistan.
2007/03/13 ¿ÀÈÄ 3:51© 2007 Ohmynews
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DAILY TIMES

Musharraf gags media


* PEMRA allowed to seal channels, suspend licences, make new rules without informing parliament



* Council of Complaints withdrawn



* Fine for violation of rules increased tenfold

By Zulfiqar Ghuman

ISLAMABAD: President General Pervez Musharraf on Monday introduced amendments to the Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) Ordinance, 2002, putting new restrictions on electronic media.The amendments, made through an ordinance, empower PEMRA to seize the broadcast or distribution service equipment of channels, seal their offices, and suspend their licences if they operate illegally or violate PEMRA rules. Sub-section 2 of Section 30 has been withdrawn, under which complaints against broadcasters were referred to a Council of Complaints, which decided what action PEMRA should take against the violators.Under a new Section 39a, the PEMRA authorities have been authorised to make new regulations without informing parliament. The ordinance raises possible fines for violations from Rs 1 million to Rs 10 million. It also brings Internet Protocol TV, radio and mobile TV under PEMRA regulations.



The definition of frequency has also been changed in the rules encompassing the frequency of electromagnetic waves measured in hertz and used for transmission.The owners of private TV channels have also been bracketed along with operators to bring them under the PEMRA laws. The new ordinance is called the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Ordinance, 2007, and comes into force throughout Pakistan at once.

Agencies add: Some regulations on who is allowed to be licensed to broadcast in Pakistan have been extended to cover “any foreign non-governmental organisation”, reported the BBC. “This ordinance gives more power for the PEMRA to implement its rules and take actions against violators,” Law Secretary Mansoor Ahmed told Reuters. Mohsin Raza, director of news for the ARY One World channel, said suspension was a serious threat because of the disruption to vital advertising revenue. Raza told AP, “This is the worst tool the government is preparing.”

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Editorial:

Gagging the media will hurt Musharraf
The government moved on Sunday to block the transmission of two TV channels in major cities of the country. But the Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) said it had nothing to do with the action. However, the government’s hand was shown by the prime minister, Mr Shaukat Aziz, in Islamabad who said that criticising the Pakistan army would not be allowed or tolerated since the army was the “real asset of the nation”.



He added that statements against the army were “tantamount to conspiracy against Pakistan”. The prime minister also defended the action of Pemra — which Pemra had denied — by saying that Pemra had defined the law and proper code of conduct for the media. He kept praising the army, referring selectively to its service to the people, especially its rescue operations during the October 8 earthquake in Azad Kashmir.



It was clear that, despite Pemra’s denials, Mr Aziz had got Pemra to clamp down on the media in order to control damage to his government in the wake of recent developments in the country: “Anything that comes under the code of conduct will be dealt with accordingly”, he said. The prime minister also boasted that his government had granted permission to over 50 channels to relay with total freedom in Pakistan.



Clearly, now he had decided to curtail this freedom, not through formal notification but by getting the executive to pressure the cable operators through the Cable Operators Association of Pakistan (CAP) to take GEO and Aaj TV off their network. The consequence is that Pakistani viewers at home and abroad are outraged with the government.



They also see it as proof that the government is weakening and panicking by the day.The latest news is that President Musharraf has promulgated an ordinance empowering Pemra to seize and shut down transmitting facilities.The freedom that President Pervez Musharraf had allowed the media in Pakistan was not an act of generosity because the free media were originally instrumental in building up his image as a liberal leader with new ideas.



His popularity at the gallup surveys was as high as 80 percent at one time because of his projection through the privately-owned channels. It is only in contrast to the earlier rulers — who committed political suicide by blocking free channels, and by literally squatting on the state-owned TV — that President Musharraf’s treatment of the media was appreciated.It is the fallout from the presidential blunder of firing the chief justice of Pakistan that has shaken the government and undermined its confidence vis-à-vis the media.



Earlier, one must point out that on most channels, some of them interactive, the government was broadly winning the argument against the opposition. Because of freedom of discussion the population was learning to appreciate the economic aspects of running the state and their primacy over many political matters. But now, by closing down the channels and issuing warnings to others, the government has deprived itself of the right to defend itself. It wants to rely on fear as an instrument of damage-control which strategy has always redounded to the detriment of every government in Pakistan.



The government has been of the view that the media have been unfair and biased in their coverage of events before and after May 12. It thinks that the coverage of the movements of the chief justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has politicised a constitutional matter that is under the scrutiny of the Supreme Court. But we must recall that the government has approached the Supreme Court against the coverage given to the speeches made at a lawyers’ seminar in Islamabad that allegedly brought the judiciary and the army in “disrepute”. A bench of the Supreme Court is also hearing a case of state intimidation of the media.



Given this situation, it would have been advisable for the government to let the court decide about the fairness of the media coverage. One is almost certain that the court would have found professional errors in the media coverage and ordered the channels to correct themselves.There is evidence that intimidation works only marginally.



But the damage done by this bout of panic on the part of the government is great and may become decisive if the government doesn’t relent. The first effect of the gag is that the government-opposition war of words, unfolding on the channels for the last several years, has ceased and the government is no longer contesting the argument. The opposition is projecting this clampdown as an internal realisation in the ruling PML that it is losing the battle for the hearts and minds of the people.



An entire business community whose success is owed to President Musharraf’s correct handling of the economy has been left high and dry. Their confidence has been delivered its first shock and will go if the government does not realise that rolling back media freedom is hurting its legitimacy. President Musharraf’s legacy is that of freedom of expression; without it he is just another military dictator faced with downfall.



If he “loses” the media, as is now bound to happen in reaction to his repression, he will not be able ever to regain legitimacy for ruling Pakistan regardless of who allies with him or not. Bad advice is being compounded by worst advice.



*Second Editorial:

UK should hear Imran Khan’s case against Altaf Hussain



The Tehreek Insaf leader, Mr Imran Khan, has gone to London to get the British courts to indict Mr Altaf Hussain of the Mutahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) on terrorism charges and extradite him to Pakistan where he faces multiple charges of grave crimes. Mr Khan has been angered by the way his partymen were fired upon and wounded in Karachi on May 12 and are since being threatened with death allegedly by MQM cadres. Appearing on TV in Lahore, Mr Khan explained his position and defended his reputation against the self-defeating scurrilous campaign of personal slurs unleashed in Karachi.Mr Khan thinks he might have enough proof against Mr Hussain to get the British courts to send him back to Pakistan. He also wants the Labour government to disclose Mr Hussain’s income. We have no idea what kind of damning evidence he has against his tormentor, but things have changed a lot in the United Kingdom since he last won his case in the courts there. No matter how fascistic and terroristic the MQM may allegedly be in the eyes of Pakistanis, the West sees it as the only “secular” party in Pakistan whose “anti-terrorist” credentials were apparently established when on 26 September 2001 — 15 days after the 9/11 incident in the United States — the MQM held a mass rally of 200,000 in Liaquatabad, Karachi, offering sympathy to the United States. On the other hand, Mr Khan’s anti-US/UK stance on the post-9/11 Pakistan policy is well known.



Therefore the British home secretary will find it difficult to ignore these facts while considering the case.Nonetheless. Mr Khan’s stand is both right and courageous.



The MQM’s threatening and violent methods have long gone unchallenged.Mr Altaf Hussain is a British citizen and should be subject to Britain’s anti-terrorist laws against exporting violence and strife. The UK government should restrain him from fomenting violence in Pakistan if it wants to be seen as a morally upright and fair regime. *

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PAKISTAN THINK TANK


A Political Murder in Pakistan:

Is President Musharraf turning into Pinochet?
This is first time in the history of Pakistan that a blatant murder of a civil servant has taken place. Mr.Hammad was an Associate of Chief Justice Chaudhry.



He was being pressurred to be a witness against Justice Chaudhry; when he refused he paid with his life. Lest not forget that the last political murder of Mr.Ahmad Raza Qusuri's father resulted in the hanging of Mr. Bhutto for being culpable. Have the dogs of MQM let loose in Islamabad? Is Mr.Musharraf turning into a Pinochet? Is Pakistan turning into Argentina? We already have our "Missing or disappeared Pakistanis," for whom Mr. Musharraf has no explanation.



Are Pakistani mother going to march every Friday in memory of their Missing Loved Ones? What does Mr.Musharraf know about this murder and is he culpable? These are the question he needs to answer! Pakistani expatriates must speak out and ask the tough questions which the muzzled press in Pakistan cannot ask! (Aey Tahiray lahooti, Us Rizq sey Mauth Achi Jis Riz Sey Aatey Ho Parwaaz mey Kotahee.)The Pathans of Karachi are still seething over the genocidal massacres at the hands of the murderers and terrorists of MQM. The Godfather of MQM has strong armed both GEO, ARY, and AAJ into submission. Karachi is a divided city. Sindh is being governed by a known absconder and killer. Mr. Musharraf let loose the killers of MQM for 3 hours to go on rampage and kill Pathans and Punjabis; while the security forces watched from the sidelines. The bullets flying into AAJ TVs offices were watched by the whole nation. Pakistan does not need a ruler with blood on his hands.



This has never happened in its history. Truth and Justice will prevail and Mr.Musharraf will have to answer for these crimes in a court of law, most likely headed by Chief Justice Chaudhry! What goes around comes around and the MQM murderers of Paktoons and Punjabis will not go unpunished. The sad part is that MQM, the demonic organization has tainted all the Muhajirs with its genocidal activities. Where is the justice and fair play of the British, who have given sanctuary to Altaf Hussain, the Osama Bin Ladin of Karachi Massacres? Shame on you!
Mike Bax
From The Sunday Times (London)
May 20, 2007

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Hitman’s bullet widows British ‘princess’
Dean Nelson, Islamabad
SHABANA HAMMAD left Britain six years ago to live “like a princess” in Pakistan. She had servants, chauffeurs, a government house in one of Islamabad’s exclusive gated enclaves and a high-flying husband with a reputation for being one of the country’s most honest officials.
Last week the dream was shattered when her husband answered a knock on the door and was shot dead in front of her, apparently by a professional hitman.
In an interview with The Sunday Times at the family home, Shabana, 30, explained that she had left Rochdale, Greater Man-chester, six years ago to marry.
She planned to start a family and build an idyllic life with her husband Syed Hammad Amjad Raza, 36, a senior civil servant working for Iftikhar Chaudhry, the now suspended chief justice.
“I led the life of a princess in this country,” she said. “When I went back to the UK people would ask if it was difficult. But we had countless servants, drivers, a government house. Now everyone is calling me to say they’re sorry and all the judges are crying.”
Shabana believes her husband was murdered because of his support for the chief justice, who is engaged in a power struggle with President Pervez Musharraf. She now fears for her family’s safety and has asked the British high commission in Islamabad for help.
According to Hammad’s friends and colleagues in the Supreme Court, he had been under intense pressure from the government’s feared intelligence service to provide evidence against his boss. The government has promised a thorough investigation, but claims Hammad was shot during a robbery, even though nothing was stolen.
“He was loving, brave and brilliant but he kept his office in his office and never talked about his work,” his widow recalled. “He was kind to his servants and treated their children well. Now everyone in Pakistan is crying for him.” She and Hammad had originally set up home together in Baluchistan province, where Chaudhry was chief justice. When he was appointed chief justice for Pakistan in 2005, they and their three children, a daughter aged five and two sons, aged four and 11 months, followed him to Islamabad.
They moved into their new house in a guarded compound for elite civil servants four months ago and she felt secure there. Her husband’s job brought them status and she was proud when a photograph of him welcoming Cherie Blair to the Supreme Court appeared in the newspapers last year.
Shabana and her husband were getting ready for morning prayers last Monday when they heard a loud knock. It was 4.10am and Hammad hurried to the door to stop the noise waking his elderly father.
Four men were standing on the step. As Shabana watched, one of them simply shot her husband in the head. “It was the way he was shot. He didn’t resist. They didn’t ask for anything. It was a single shot in the head and only a professional person can do that, someone trained,” said Professor Syed Mohammad Hayat, Shabana’s father.
Aitzaz Ahsan, the chief justice’s lawyer, said Hammad was one of a number of Chaudhry’s staff who had been questioned by the intelligence services after their boss was suspended and accused of misconduct and misuse of power. He claimed Hammad had been pressured to give a statement implicating Chaudhry.
“Hammad was subjected to the third degree because he was a staff officer and any statement he might have made about corruption would have carried enormous weight – he was a highly respected, elite civil servant,” said Ahsan. He added that his evidence could have exposed the government’s brutality and damaged its case against the chief justice.
Since his suspension two months ago the chief justice has become a focal point for opposition to Musharraf and his following has rattled the government.
The president’s decision to suspend him was widely seen as a political move to oust an independent-minded judge who could have been an obstacle to Musharraf’s plans to gerrymander a second term before elections expected in November.
Last weekend a mass rally to welcome the chief justice to Karachi ended in a bloodbath that left up to 50 dead in a struggle between the opposition and parties loyal to the government.
As police stood by, gunmen loyal to Musharraf’s local coalition partners surrounded the High Court and a television station and fired at lawyers and journalists inside. Bodies were left in the street because ambulances could not get past government roadblocks. One doctor told how police officers refused to intervene when a gunman forced his way into his surgery to “finish off” a wounded opponent.
Shabana is determined that her husband’s killers must be found. “We want justice to be done. These people should be brought to book. We want to know the truth and only that will satisfy me,” she said.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Pakistan Think Tank Organization (PTT) or its members.
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“Who Is Responsible for the Tragedy of 12th May?”

To the Editor:

Re “Who Is Responsible for the Tragedy of 12th May?” (Opinion/Letters page, May 28):
http://www.pakistanlink.com/Opinion/2007/May07/25/01.HTM

In his letter, Altaf Hussain attempted to whitewash his and his parties role in the May 12 Karachi-violence which claimed over 40 lives. He closed his letter with the following words,”Your exiled Pakistani brother, Altaf Hussain”. And with these words he unraveled the aura of his honesty and trustworthiness.

Mr. Hussain might be under the un-explainable impression that somehow he was exiled by someone or some government, but nothing could be further from the truth. In early 1992, Mr. Hussain left Pakistan for Britain with his own freewill and under the pretext of medical treatment. Unlike, Nawaz Sharif, the ex-Prime Minister, who was sent into exile by President Musharraf, no one/no government has ever sent Mr. Hussain into exile. If anything, it was he who chose to live in self-exile by accepting the British citizenship.

If this man can not be trusted with such trivial information, then how can we trust his strange explanations of events that took place in Karachi on May 12, and his wild claims of “secretly hidden terrorists“?

Mr. Hussain needs to grasp the reality, that in this day and age of digital-cameras and Internet portals like YouTube, one cannot misconstrue the truth and get away with it. The truth is all over the Internet for everybody to see. He needs to understand that his obsolete propaganda tactics do not work anymore.

Sincerely,

Adnan Gill
Los Angeles
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PAKISTAN: Journalists get death threats from MQM
PAKISTAN: Journalists get death threats
Two of the three targeted journalists were on a list of journalists threatened by the Mohajir Rabita Council for their coverage of political violence
DawnTuesday, May 29, 2007
Karachi --- In what appears to be a direct death threat, bullets were found on Tuesday night in the cars of three senior journalists parked outside the Karachi Press Club.
The cars belonged to secretary-general of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists Mazhar Abbas, Zarar Khan and photojournalist Asif Hussain. When the journalists opened their vehicles, each of them found a bullet wrapped in a brown paper envelope.
It may be pointed out that names of Mazhar Abbas and Zarar Khan had appeared in a statement of the Mohajir Rabita Council in which they were described as anti-Mohajir chauvanists.
The journalists immediately informed Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan and IG Police Azhar A. Farooqi. An FIR was lodged with the police.
The Karachi Union of Journalists has strongly condemned death threats to the journalists and demanded that the culprits be brought to justice. It also demanded that the organisations whose names have appeared in this connection must publicly denounce and disassociate itself from such terrorist activities.
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Pakistans Shame: How Gen.Musharraf humiliated and intimidated the Supreme Court Justice.
Pakistan’s Suspended Justice Tells of Facing Down Musharraf

Published: May 30, 2007
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, May 29 — Pakistan’s suspended chief justice, challenging his dismissal, said in an affidavit on Tuesday that he had been detained for several hours on March 9 and pressed to resign by the president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, as well as senior military and intelligence officials.
The affidavit was the first detailed account of the meeting, which took place at the Army House in the garrison city of Rawalpindi and led to the suspension of the chief justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.
The document was filed with the Supreme Court and provided to journalists by Mr. Chaudhry’s lawyer, Aitzaz Ahsan.
Mr. Chaudhry’s refusal to accept his dismissal has set off a political crisis for General Musharraf, who has tried to play down the significance of the March 9 encounter. The chief justice’s dismissal has added to growing calls for change after seven and a half years of military rule by the general, who seized power in a coup. The account given Tuesday added to his embarrassment.
The government gave no immediate response. It had insisted that Mr. Chaudhry was suspended because it was examining complaints against him of misconduct. The chief justice was not shy to take on cases challenging the government, and his supporters have criticized the suspension as an attack on the independence of the judiciary.
Mr. Chaudhry, who faces charges of misconduct and nepotism before a five-judge inquiry panel, the Supreme Judicial Council, has denied the allegations and is challenging the charges in the Supreme Court.
After completing his arguments before the Supreme Court on Tuesday, Mr. Ahsan told the presiding justice, Khalilur Rahman Ramday, that he had filed the affidavit. Mr. Ramday replied, “You should not have done that.”
Mr. Chaudhry’s lawyers argued that the president and military chiefs did not have the power under the Constitution to remove a chief justice and that Mr. Chaudhry’s tenure should run until 2011.
In the first week of May, the Supreme Court suspended the proceedings of the inquiry panel and ordered a hearing before the court’s full 13-member bench on Mr. Chaudhry’s petition challenging the inquiry panel’s authority and impartiality. It is unclear when the Supreme Court will rule on the issue. Lawyers say the hearings may go on for months.
At stake is not only Mr. Chaudhry’s future, but also that of General Musharraf, since the president is likely to face several legal challenges in the Supreme Court this year as he seeks re-election while continuing to hold the title of army chief of staff.
In the affidavit, Mr. Chaudhry said he arrived about 11:30 a.m. at the military headquarters in Rawalpindi for a planned meeting with the president. General Musharraf met Mr. Chaudhry wearing military fatigues and told him that he had received a complaint against him by a judge from a provincial high court. Mr. Chaudhry said the allegations were baseless.
General Musharraf then told Mr. Chaudhry that there were a few more complaints and directed his staff to summon Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, who came into the room.
The most important military and intelligence chiefs in the country also entered the room: Lt. Gen. Ashfaq Pervaiz Kiyani, the director general of Inter-Services Intelligence; Maj. Gen. Nadeem Ijaz, the director general of Military Intelligence and a close relative of General Musharraf; Aijaz Shah, a retired brigadier who is director general of the Intelligence Bureau; and Hamid Javed, a retired lieutenant general who is the president’s chief of staff.
General Musharraf questioned why the chief justice drove a Mercedes and said there had been complaints that he had interfered in proceedings in a second provincial high court, according to the affidavit.
The president insisted that Mr. Chaudhry resign and said that if he did, he would “accommodate him,” according to the affidavit. Mr. Chaudhry “finally and more resolutely” said he would not resign and would face any charges against him, since he was innocent, the affidavit said.
“I have not violated any code of conduct or any law, rule or regulation; I believe that I am myself the guardian of law,” he is quoted in the document as saying to the president. “I strongly believe in God, who will help me.”
General Musharraf stood up angrily and left the room along with his staff and Prime Minister Aziz, according to the affidavit. General Musharraf said the intelligence chiefs would show him the evidence gathered against him.
Mr. Chaudhry was detained for the next four hours, but “not a single piece of evidence was shown,” the affidavit said. The intelligence chiefs, except Mr. Shah of the Intelligence Bureau, insisted that Mr. Chaudhry resign, it said.
The president said in a recent television interview that he usually dressed in uniform and that day had been no different. He denied that he had called the meeting to remove the chief justice from his post, and said the chief justice had requested the meeting.
General Musharraf said he had brought up the complaints about the chief justice’s conduct only because they had recently been brought to his attention.
There was no reaction from the government on the affidavit on Tuesday. The prime minister has declined to comment because the case was under consideration by the court. Information Minister Muhammad Ali Durrani said that for the same reason, all cabinet ministers were under strict instruction not to comment. The chief military spokesman could not be reached.
Mr. Chaudhry said that in the subsequent hours he was not allowed to leave. His movements inside the room were monitored by a closed-circuit camera. After 5 p.m., General Ijaz, the head of Military Intelligence, told Mr. Chaudhry that he could go home.
“This is a bad day — now you are taking a separate way,” General Ijaz said, according to the affidavit. It said Mr. Chaudhry had been further informed that he was restrained from working as a justice of the Supreme Court or as chief justice of Pakistan.
He was allowed to go two minutes after a new acting chief justice, Javed Iqbal, was sworn in, said Muneer Malik, president of the Supreme Court bar association, who is acting as one of Mr. Chaudhry defense lawyers.
When the chief justice went out to his car, he noticed that the flag and emblem had been removed and his escort was missing. His driver was crying, Mr. Malik said. The military blocked the way to his office at the Supreme Court and ordered them to go to his home. He was then detained under house arrest for the next few days, the affidavit said.


PAKISTAN: CHIEF JUSTICE SAYS HEADS OF INTELLIGENCE SERVICES ASKED HIM TO QUIT

Islamabad, 30 May (AKI/DAWN) - The suspended chief justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, has for the first time recounted his version of the events of 9 March at the president’s camp office in Rawalpindi, when president Pervez Musharraf suspended him on charges that he had misused his authority. He said in an affidavit to the Supreme Court that top intelligence officials had constantly pressured him into resigning, and after keeping him confined at the office for over five hours, he was allowed to leave in a flagless car. "I was informed that I have been restrained from acting as the chief justice," he said. The "non-functional" chief justice informed the full-bench of the Supreme Court that is hearing the identical petitions against the presidential reference, that since the action of March 9, he had remained a victim of intrusive and not-so-intrusive intelligence and police operations.Chaudhry said his entire house had been bugged, all his activities were being monitored, and "everything and everyone" in and around his residence was being watched through a listening post set up at the nearby Sindh House.He did not say in the affidavit if he had been summoned to the Army House by Musharraf or whether he had made a request to meet the president.“When I reached the Army House, President Musharraf, wearing military uniform, told him he had received a complaint against him from a judge of the Peshawar High Court," he said. "I replied that it was not based on facts as my case was decided by a two-member bench and that attempts are being made to maliciously involve the other members of the Bench as well."Chaudhry said that after this, the president said there were a few more complaints as well, directing his staff to call the "other persons".The "other persons" entered the room immediately. They were: Prime Minster Shaukat Aziz, the Directors General of Military Intelligence (MI), Director General of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), Director General Intelligence Bureau (IB), Chief of Staff (COS) and another official. All officials (except the IB chief and the COS) were in uniform.He said Gen Musharraf started reading notes from bits of paper. There was no single consolidated document containing charges against him. Most of the allegations had been taken from the contents of a 'notorious letter' written by Naeem Bukhari.Chaudhry said he dismissed the accusations as being baseless, having been engineered to defame him and the judiciary.He said Musharraf insisted on his resignation. The president also said that if he agreed to resign, he would 'accommodate' him.In case of refusal, Gen Musharraf warned him, he would have to face a reference. “I replied: 'I will not resign and would face any reference since I am innocent; I have not violated any code of conduct or any law, rule or regulation. I believe that I am the guardian of law. I strongly believe in God.'" He said the reply angered the president. He left the room in haste along with his military secretary, COS and the prime minister, saying that others would show evidence to him.“The meeting lasted about 30 minutes. The chiefs of the MI, ISI and IB stayed back, but they too did not show him me a single piece of evidence.”In fact, Chaudhry said, no official, except the ISI chief, had any documents with them. The officials, however, alleged that Chaudhry had used his influence to get his son admitted in Bolan Medical College, Quetta, when he was serving as a judge of the Baluchistan High Court. The ISI and MI heads persisted in their demand for resignation, the CJ said. “I refused, saying that the demand has a collateral purpose.”“I was kept there absolutely against my will till 5pm. I was stopped there on one pretext or the other and at one stage was told the president will once again see me. “After 5pm, the MI chief told me `This is a bad day. Now you are taking a separate way and you are informed that you have been restrained from working as a judge of the Supreme Court or the Chief Justice of Pakistan’.”Chaudhry further said when he came out of the room, he was stunned to find that the national flag and the insignia of office were no longer there on his car.“My staff officer later informed me Justice Javed Iqbal has taken oath as Acting Chief Justice and it has been shown on TV. My driver said he had been instructed not to drive the Chief Justice to the Supreme Court.”Chaudhry said while on the way home, he asked the driver to take him to the Supreme Court, but an army official stopped his car near the Sports Complex from proceeding further.In the meantime, a Superintendent of Police (SP), Tariq Masood Yasin, appeared. “He (SP Tariq) ordered the driver to come out of the car so that he (SP) could drive. He also asked his gunman to come out of the car.“I intervened, telling the SP `okay, I will not go to the Supreme Court, but my chauffeur will drive the car and my gunman will escort me home. Only then, did the SP allow the chauffeur to take the steering.”Chaudhry said he reached home at 5.45pm and was shocked to see policemen and agency officials all over the place. "My phones had already been disconnected, cellphones, TV, cables and DSL had been jammed or disconnected," he said. He said that he and his family were completely cut off for several days from the outside world.He said by 9 pm, all official vehicles in his use, including a Mercedes, had been taken away by means of a lifter. One of the vehicles was returned to him later in the night, but without the key.The next day (March 10), the chief justice recalled, he received a 'notice' from the Supreme Judicial Council informing him hereby he came to know that a Reference (No.43/2007) had been filed by the president before the Judicial Council - a team of judges who were to hear his case.There was also a copy of the Order passed by the Council restraining him to function as a Judge of the Supreme Court or Chief Justice of Pakistan.Justice Chaudhry said it was also surprising for him to note that the reference came up for hearing on March 9, 2007 after 6 pm in haste. Two members of the Council as was evident from news published in an Urdu daily on March 10, 2007, had been flown to Islamabad in special flights, from Lahore and Karachi simply to participate in a meeting of the Council. In fact, no meeting had been called by the Secretary of the council. No one had issued either agenda for the meeting or notice thereof.He said the council, rather than merely scrutinizing the material, if at all and serving notice on him, went ahead and passed an order very detrimental to his interests as well as the interests of the institution. He said he was restrained from performing his duties as a judge of the Supreme Court or as Chief Justice of Pakistan.He said that he had been detained along with his family members including his child of seven years from the evening of March 9, 2007 till March 13. He said the Supreme Court staff attached to him was reportedly missing and had been kept at an unknown place. An attempt was being made to fabricate the evidence through them by coercive means against him. Even other employees working at his residence were taken and made to appear before some agency officials. They were released after 2-3 days. He said his chamber was sealed and certain files laying there were removed and some of them had been handed over to the ISI under the supervision of the newly appointed Registrar. He said such an act was contrary to all norms and practices of the judiciary and being the CJP, he was entitled to occupy his chamber along with his staff.He said on account of the deployment of heavy contingents, no one was allowed to meet him freely, in as much as his colleagues were not allowed access to meet him. Even a retired judge of the Apex Court Mr Justice (R) Munir A Sheikh was not allowed to meet him. He said he was not the only one to suffer. Even his children were not allowed to go to school, college and university. He said he and his family members were deprived of basic amenities of life, including medicines and doctors, etc. He said even when ordered by the council, he was deprived of the assistance of his counsel to seek legal assistance regarding legal and factual issues involved in the reference.He said he and his family have been made to go through a lot of mental, physical and emotional agony, torture and embarrassment and words could never be enough to properly and adequately express that.He said all these tactics were used to pressurise him to resign from the office of the Chief Justice of Pakistan. But after March 13, 2007 when he succeeded in establishing at least some contact with his lawyers team during a brief appearance before the council and after March 16, 2007, the on going pressure to 'resign the office' was released to some extent.He said he believed that his entire house has been bugged and that he was under surveillance. He said his children were so scared that they could not go to school or university. "As a result, one of my daughters failed to appear in her exams (1st year, Federal Board) whereas my other daughter who is a student of Bahria university is not being allowed to take her examination (1st semester) due to lack of attendance in internal studies. My younger son is also not in a position to attend his school because of circumstances through which I am passing".Though the affidavit did not say the Chief Justice was summoned to the Army House, the lead counsel for the Chief Justice, Aitzaz Ahsan, who concluded his arguments challenging the reference against CJ, before a 13 member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Khalilur Rahman Ramday said he had evidence that the Chief Justice was summoned to the Army House. He said he will prove that the respondent side was telling lies before the Court. He said Musharraf must be sued in court as an essential party in the case.Justice Faqir Muhammad Khokar asked how can a referring authority be made a party in the case. Aitzaz Ahsan replied that he should acted like a post office as a referring authority, but he summoned the chief justice, pressurised him to resign and punished him for the refusal by filing a reference against him before the Judicial Council with malafide intention.He said under Islamic jurisprudence also, the rulers were answerable to the courts. He cited various judgments passed by superior courts in Pakistan as well as India to build his argument that the immunity to the president under Article 248 against judicial proceedings would not apply in this case and it was open for judicial review by the court.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Pakistan Think Tank Organization (PTT) or its members.

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Chaudhry warns against Musharraf
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistan's suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry warned against centralized power in a thinly disguised criticism of President Pervez Musharraf, without ever mentioning him by name.
In a nationally televised address at a judiciary seminar Saturday, Chaudhry told the thousands of lawyers gathered, along with several diplomats, "The determination of the people cannot be resisted for long."
"Centralization of power in one person or institution is dangerous," he added.
Thousands of supporters rallied with anti-Musharraf slogans outside the court where the seminar, entitled "Separation of Power and Independence of Judiciary," was held. A large television set up on the street televised Chaudhry's speech.
The speech came as Imran Khan, a popular opposition politician and key Chaudhry supporter, was banned by the Sindh province home ministry from entering Karachi, the province capital, a government official told CNN.
Musharraf removed Chaudhry from his post as Pakistan's top judge on March 9, accusing him of misusing his powers. The dismissal initially sparked widespread, largely peaceful demonstrations by the country's attorneys and those who believe Musharraf abused his authority.
However, nearly two weeks ago, clashes between government supporters and Chaudhry supporters killed 49 people in the southern port city of Karachi. (Full story)
The country's Supreme Court has yet to make a ruling on Chaudhry's dismissal and has put tight restrictions on Pakistan's media in their reporting about the case.
Musharraf has said that he will respect the court's decision.
Musharraf appointed Chaudhry to the court in 2005, but the judge fell from favor after exercising independence from the government in a number of cases involving the disappearance of terrorist suspects and human rights activists.
U.S. officials have not weighed in on the matter; Musharraf is a key U.S. ally in the war on terrorism.
Musharraf is a Pakistani army general who seized power and declared himself president in 1999 after former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif tried to dismiss him as head of armed forces.
Musharraf's critics accuse him of removing Chaudhry in an effort to intimidate the judiciary ahead of crucial elections and a vote in parliament to extend his rule later this year.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Pakistan Think Tank Organization (PTT) or its members.

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Khaki legitimacy
The general educated the heretics in a recent interview in an interview with a local news channel by revealing that national consensus meant majority support which he enjoyed in the country, and that his regime was neither afflicted by a crisis of legitimacy nor did he wish to give up public service to enjoy the virtues of superannuated life anytime soon. The general further reiterated that he had a constitutional right to (i) double-hat the office of the army chief and the president, and (ii) get re-elected by the present assemblies. The interviewer's suggestion that his power and influence might spring from his khaki and not his personal stature almost broke his heart. But then we all know that the general is a strong man.In ignoring the abating patience and excoriating cries of Pakistan's ordinary folk, is the Musharraf regime guilty of incompetence, bad judgment, a disconnect from reality or simply pursuing a deliberate self-serving agenda? There are many reasons why the general should contain his zeal to serve the people of Pakistan and actually call it quits. First of all, can the Constitution of Pakistan really allow the army chief to be the head of the state? Would such permission not annihilate the elementary principles of common sense and justice that underwrite the constitutional scheme of checks and balances between state institutions in any democracy?Further, does it not defy logic that a parliament elected for five years should be able to impose a president on the entire country for ten years? Would that not enable one parliament to bind a successor parliament in an impermissible manner? After all a president cannot simply be replaced if he loses a vote of confidence in the successor parliament. He can only be impeached for mental incapacity, violating the constitution or gross misconduct. Yet, if the constitution allows one parliament to choose a president for two terms, is such law not fundamentally flawed?The Musharraf regime coerced the Supreme Court into authorising him to change the constitution single-handedly. And the Supreme Court obliged by giving the general an absolute power to rewrite the constitution that wasn't the court's to give in the first place. The apex court is a creature of the constitution and only has the authority to interpret the fundamental law. The allowance to molest the constitution at will and the general's abuse of such extra-constitutional right with impunity has created this anomalous situation where the general can site clauses from the constitution that seem to suggest that it is only right for him to be re-elected by our current debating house. Such a strict textual interpretation of the constitution can only be undertaken in total disregard of its elementary principles as well as our mangled constitutional history that has brought us to this sorry state.Second, the general introduced a controversial amendment to Pakistani law barring a prime minister from serving a third term in office. The law was allegedly focused on excluding Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif from returning to the office of prime minister. The Musharraf regime however argued that this was a good law for it would encourage the evolution of new leadership and bring in energetic people with fresh ideas. This is sound logic. Pakistan lacks an institutional mechanism to discover and groom leaders. Thus legal reform that forces political parties and political processes to disengage from idol-worship and indulge in succession planning is certainly welcome.But why does this principle and philosophy not apply to the general? What moral authority does he have to force out other hackneyed politicians when his political agenda is no larger than perpetuating himself in power? The general had set out in 1999 to bless Pakistan with 'true democracy'. Has he not failed by his own standards when after eight long years of his revolutionary democracy, a free and fair election threatens to return the conventional democracy of PPP and PML-N? And now when the general appeals to the masses for yet another term in office to complete his 'mission', is one blameworthy for cynically assuming that his assimilation of most reviled political traits is almost complete?Third, (and at the peril of venturing further into the cuckoo land) whatever happened to the concept of self-accountability? Can the general seriously not hear the chorus of grumble all around Pakistan and realise that those coarsely lionising his rule are actually his political dependents? Is the glitter and clatter of power really so blinding and deafening that nothing short of grinding social upheaval will indicate the need for an exit strategy? It is clear that since March 9th the Musharraf regime has been consumed by efforts aimed on self-preservation. And unfortunately in view of current public sentiment it can safely be prophesised that the general will remain a liability for any regime that he heads.Why should this state of national disarray and discontent be regarded as a personal challenge by the general to be fought valiantly as a soldier? Are there no lessons in the example of Tony Blair? By the general's logic, Blair could continue to enjoy the 'national consensus' in his favour as he actually had two more years of elected mandate. But he had become an embattled prime minister due to popular discontent over the Iraq war and a liability for his Labour party. Thus Blair decided to bow out prematurely in recognition of public opinion and to prevent his party from being wrecked in the next general election. Will such rational or charitable thought remain alien to Pakistan's political culture? Will no one ever give up public office of his/her own free as a measure of self-reprisal?The social and political movement being witnessed today in Pakistan is not due to the charisma of our political leaders, but despite them. It is as much in support of independence of judiciary as it is against the omnipotent khaki rule. Success of the lawyer movement has the potential of diminishing the gulf between the theory and practice of the rule of law in Pakistan. If taken to its logical end with mass public support it would not only free the judiciary from the shackles of the executive but also consign military's role in Pakistani politics to history. It would be a serious disservice to the principle underlying this movement as well as the public confidence reposed in it, if it is used to contrive new deals and bale-out plans that will bring more of the same political culture that stands rejected by the people.Pakistan does not need any more bale-out plans authored by the logic of expediency. The end of the Musharraf regime will not be a harbinger of hope if it is not in accordance with the law and the constitution. If the eagerness for change results in extra-constitutional arrangements between the military and political elites, we will have learnt nothing from history. The question of who will replace the Musharraf regime need not be answered by citing a name. Let us live in the world of ideas for a bit. Let this military regime be replaced with a tolerant democratic government, which comprises people who have a vision, integrity and a belief in practicing principles. This popular social movement will not have served its cause if it doesn't also end the political careers of people who are responsible for making the concept of politics synonymous with unscrupulousness, sycophancy and corruption.The writer is a lawyer based in Islamabad. He is a Rhodes Scholar and has an LL.M from Harvard Law School.
AJURIS, Advocates & Corporate Counsel 51-A, St # 63, F-8/4 Islamabad (Work)

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FACTSHEET ON MQM
There is a Gujarati saying that when one falls out of favor with luck, one may ride on a camel and be still bitten by a dog. The Mohajir Qaumi Movement faces a similar situation. It can change as many faces as it likes: from All Pakistan Mohajir Students Organization to MQM, from Haqp Parast (worshippers of truth) to Mohajir Rights Front, from Mohajir Tiger Force to MQM international wing, from Muthaidda Qaumi Movement to Rabita Committee; but it cannot help its luck. It is what it is _____ a destructive instrument in the hands of its highly whimsical supreme, the one and only Altaf Hussain.
So it is a duty of government to tell the people what MQM stands for, whether it is a political group or a gang of terrorists, who are these deserting rats, what do they want, how do they treat places like Kashmir, Pakistan and Karachi, why do they kill, why do they promise to send dead bodies, who do they serve by heightening linguistic feelings, why do they hit transformers and leave people to roast in heat, why do they burn transport, why do they target personnel of law enforcing agencies why do they torture common people, why do they pump bullets into public servants, why have their bullets torn away life from SHOs Bahadur Ali and Imdad Khatian, DSP Bashir Ahmed Noorani (from Sukkur), five relatives of DSP Nisar Khwaja, DSP Tanoli, SDM Mohammad Nawaz Khushk, Journalist Mohammad Salahuddin, Azim Ahmad Tariq, Zohair Akram Nadeem Pir Pagaro’s son-in-law, Salim Malik, KESC Chairman Malik Shahid Hamid??? And how finally a renowned scholar, Chairman Hamdard Foundation and Ex-governor Sindh Hakim Mohammad Saeed?
The government of the federation is under obligation to explain also to the people who robbed their laughter, who turned the cosmopolitan of Karachi city, its citizens, its hospitals, parks, roads and avenues, its storage houses, police stations and assembly houses into exclusive property; who tempted the citizens to sell off all means of recreation and buy guards with the money; who were the people who never started a single development project in Karachi but did every thing to destroy the KM.C by controlling it during 1987-92 and the provincial government by controlling it during 1990-92?
Government is also called upon to explain the lack of round of MQM, and the role different personalities played in its origin, what factors were responsible for the creation of a client class of industrialists and business men which paid protection money, and was physically forced to pay it in the event of a refusal.
Then there is a need to explain why this party (MQM) tends to dishonour the modesty of the womenfolk on popular level, what conspiracy led to the slaughter of Pathans although the bus that crushed Bushra Zaidi to death was not driven by a Phatan and how one after the other – from Nahid Butt to Shazia to Farzana Sultan to Rais Fatima to Semi Zarrin etc etc. – the women have in succession been disgraced in what look like nothing but petty political gimmicks? Why the MQM works against everything that pertains to Pakistan, the two-nation theory, its geographical and constitutional unity, the democracy and the peoples will? Why they collaborate with people like the late G.M. Sayed to up apart the multi-ethnic and cosmopolitan fabric of Karachi first and the whole nation of late.
The people would also like the government to explore the historical fact as to why an anti-democracy force and its adherents abhor the men of letters? The men who have undertaken to defend their country with their blood, the Pakistani Army.
But all this will require a review of the thoughts propagated by Hitler 65 years ago and of resemblance’s Altaf Hussain has with that Nazi leader.
Terrorism in Karachi on Hitler’s Footsteps Antii-State activites of MQM Anti media activites of MQM Indian connection of MQM Ecnomical damage in form of MQM's forced strikes Unwrapping the rape dramas
Terrorism in Karachi on Hitler’s Footsteps
Just as the world knows all about the nuclear holocaust which destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki, so does it know about Hitler’s cruelty which left an entire nation paralyzed and divided. So when government says that the Karachi problem is the problem of the whole country, and that we are fighting the battle for Pakistan in Karachi, they seek to explain the simple logic that the wiles of Fascist Hitler brought destruction not only on the German nation, but resulted in the killing of 55 million people all over the world. Just as MQM has wrought havoc on not only the people of Karachi but the nation at large.
Now we would take the opportunity to see it is really in bad taste to compare Altaf Hussain with Hitler, as some self-preferred terrorists feel. This would depend on the extent to which Altaf Hussain has followed the fascist declarations canonized by Hitler while founding his party.
Hitler’s autobiography, "Mein Kampf" was translated in Urdu by Maulvi Ibrahim Ali Chishti and printed by Lahore’s Lion Press in two volumes (1950 and 1955). In his foreword, the Maulvi stated three distinguishing features of the system which Hitler evolved: use of terrorism to achieve ones’ aims, preference of racism over nationalism as the basic political creed, and use of people’s power to gain political ascendancy and then discard them. Hitler-power was achieved when they announced the Nazi party’s manifesto at a public meeting in 1920. The main features of this manifesto which are given in the following, reflect on his personality and bent of mind more vividly than any other historical document.
These are
Nation’s destinies are charted by the minority, not the majority,
Intellectuals are misguided individuals, suffering from scientific indigestion.
Democracy brings anarchy and chaos.
Our creed is true, and only this creed is true.
Destruction fuelled by violent demagoguery is necessary.
The leader requires disciples who oppress others while pretending to protect them from oppression ,
Illiterates and naïve youngsters are more suitable for the movement
The disciple should be trained to act, not ask questions
We are not the slaves of public opinion, but its leaders
Newspapers should not be allowed to ride popular will
Reject everything that the opponents utter
Minimum writing, maximum speaking
Street trouble is the life blood of the movement
Public demonstrations should not be peaceful
Deserters should face death
Kill big traitors before small ones
Divide and rule
A constitution cannot correct political weaknesses
Use force in preaching
80 million Germans ought to grow to 250 million in 100 years
12,000 traitors should be put to sword
We invite everyone here to go over these points and take out those, which haven’t used by Altaf Hussain and his party in their operations at one time or another. Go briefly over the points once again. The negatives for a terrorist include democracy knowledge and learning, newspapers, children,; public debate and peaceful activity. The positives are illiteracy, blind following, the infallible saint, lawlessness, street trouble, minority decisions, rejection of the opposition, and increase in population.
The conspiracy to spread terrorism in Karachi is a pure Hitlerian strategy which consists in occupying whatever belongs to the people, and then repeatedly dispel the impression that such an occupation has taken place; keep repeating that we are on the side of justice, and that the rest of the world consists of liars; and that so-and-so is opposed to our ideas because he is the enemy of our people. MQM ostensibly seeks to be a civil rights movement, but it conveniently ignores that a civil rights movement needs be civil first.
Review the performance of Karachi Municipal Corporation when MQM was in did in power, especially in the light of this strategy to have an inkling of what is this all about. For five years during 1987-92, MQM wielded total control over the billions of rupees of corporations’ funds. But what was the result? Nothing but more destruction. And it couldn’t be otherwise, because if people’s problems have been solved, who will come to listen to fire-spitting orator dilating on then put theme of deprivation and helplessness.
The largest agency of urban development put at their disposal for five long years, and all we got in return was the same chain of accusations, complaints of repression, of powerlessness, of being cheated; appeals to the people to use in revolt, listen to no one but the MQM as these Chaudhries, Waderas and Sardars were out to fleece every penny of what Appealing to the Army for Justice while attacking the same institution belonged to Karachi’s people.
While the civic problems went from bad to worse the "nation" was being fed on slogans like "death to Quaid’s traitors "homeland or coffin", "freedom or death". And just as the civic authority dissolved into a party fief meant for fund raising and ceremonial purposes, the specter of the leader rose as a symbol of Pirdom, sacrosanct and therefore in fallible, at the same time attacking every national institution, every sense of hope creaking at the hinges from internal tension, the party split into two in June 1992, one group identified as MQM Haqiqi and the other called MQM/Haqprast and now Muthaidda. Later a third group emerged under the leadership of the former party chairman, Azim Ahmed Tariq, and a former member of the party’s central cabinet, S.M. Tariq. Both Muthaidda activists subsequently assassinated these leaders and their murder blamed on official agencies.
The first to fall was Azim Ahmed Tariq who was eliminated by the terrorists of Altaf who were directly received order from their master through phone calls. But Muthaidda ostensibly mourned his death and held various official agencies as responsible for it. But confusion subsided when the former chief minister of Sindh, Muzaffar Hussain Shah, declared on the floor of Sindh Assembly, Azim Tariq was killed by Hashamuz Zafar and Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui both activists of Muthaidda
S.M. Tariq's murder came in the immediate aftermath of the arrest of Hashamuz Zafar by the law enforcing agencies. He was a close aide of Azim Tariq, and a potential witness in his murder case. Muthaidda again held the agencies responsible for the murder, and mourned his death amidst touching statements. During 1992-98 almost 450 central leaders and supporter of MQM (H) were killed and eliminated by the terrorists of Altaf Hussain including Mansoor Ahmed Khan (Deputy General Secretary of MQM (H), Sardar Ahmed (Finance Secretary of MQM (H) Rehan Umar Farooqi (Ex Member National Assembly) and many others.
The target killing; process of elimination of political rivals is still going on by the terrorists of MQM. This again reminds one of a Penguin books publication titled " Hitler's Englishman" written by Francis Selwyn .He writes in his book that "just as the Mongols and the Asiatic pirates considered raping women as morality, robbing as the part of civilization and manslaughter as a favorite pastime, so did Hitler" and now we say so did Altaf Hussain as he is a true disciple of Hitler the cruelest manifestation of evil in this century.
But no one can hide facts and that what is the real nature of these barefooted gun-totting terrorists? What ingredients are the made up of? What soil went into the making of such a beastly spate of fascism, which has eclipsed Karachi's sun in the wink of an eye?
Everyone knows that Altaf Hussain has shown himself to be an extremely impulsive man who can alter a "principled" stand sooner than one can say Jack Robinson, and often for no obvious reason, unless one takes into account his well known tendency for terrorism as a tool of political black mail. A look at the composition of his dialogue team over the last many years demonstrates this fact. Just because many of the members of this team could not contrive excuses for terrorism on the dialogue table, they were frequently discarded in favour of others. And saw the replacement of M.A. Jalil with Dr Farooq Sattar, followed by Senator Ashtiaq Azhar and more recently Ajmal Dehlavi and company. The same goes for MQM's assembly members, who are changed every time the elections are held so that they wouldn't take roots among the masses and carve out an exclusive niche for their own leadership. ANTI-STATE ACTIVITES OF MQM:
MQM killed thousands of innocent persons including government functionaries. Its first major situational action against political rivals comes in Pakistan Steel Mills in 1990 when a number of men kidnapped from there. These men were taken to torture cells in Landhi and Korangi. Since them, torture and murder of army officers, navy functionaries and a whole range of other professional and non-professional men and women has become a routine. Hundreds and thousands of innocent citizens were eliminated by the terrorists of MQM affair in Karachi. Among them are eminent citizens, politicians and law-enforcing personal, high government officials, writers like Salahuddin and finally the former Governor of Sindh, internationally renowned scholar and social worker Hakim Saeed.
The method is simple. Terrorists chose a government servant and mark his residence. They watch his movements and his routines. Then, when orders are issued to "resurrect the movement and do his case", the main is whisked away from a convenient spot. The kidnapped is invariably tortured, then killed and his body stuffed in a gunny bag to the dumped on a street in the quite of the night. The movement of Haqparasti (truth worship) is thus kept alive. In 1995 alone, 120 public functionaries were killed in this manner by MQM terrorists.
The question is, if MQM has not been engaged in killing government officials, policemen and members of other ethno-linguistic groups, what has it been doing all these years? A group which is armed to it tee hand given to a foreign induced philosophy of separatism cannot do much else. The whole country knows that it started the gory tradition of killing innocent, unarmed civilians in a bid to cause a wedge in the nation.
The people of Pakistan want MQM to renounce its anti-state operations, but it is understandably a hard thing for the group to do. Its personality and holding power depend on men like Farooq Dada, Asif Zaidi, Ali Mota and the like. Regrettably these men can in one lifetime kill 60 to 65 government officials for the sake of Muthhida glory, but they cannot turn it into a formation fit for human politics.
The whole world knows that Altaf during a telephonic address instigated his audience to chant the slogan "aadha tumhara aadha hamara" (half & Sindh for you, half for us) and this slogan obviously reminds us about another slogan which was raised some quarter century ago" Udhr Tum Ider Hum" and the horrible consequences it bought in a form of Dahka Fall. At the end of the meeting a prayer was held which said, "makes us the sons of our soil, O Lord," then there is Rana Safder Ali Khan’s threat in the Sindh Assembly, "we will demand the deployment of UN troops in Sindh", or Ajmal Dehlavi’s threat, "give us our rights otherwise India, or some other country may intervene." One also has not forgotten the "break Pakistan" slogan raised by mourners during a funeral procession in February 1994.
MQM's strategy to effect a division of Sindh is reflected in its efforts to point all the parties active in Sindh politics as Sindh parties with support base in rural Sindh only, and itself as the sole spokesman of urban Sindh is aimed at boosting its claim for a greater share of power on the one hand, and playing up the non-representation of this population on the other coming to Sindh's Mohajir; population, it used to be estimated by MQM at around a few million in 1986. In 1990, Azim Tariq put it at 10 million. In a petition filed by MQM in the Supreme Court in Jan 1995 - it was mentioned as 15 million. Seven months later in September 95 they said it had become 22 million, growing at a preposterous rate of one million heads every month.
MQM understands one thing. There is no urban - rural dichotomy when it comes to rights, and there are no set formulae - Rights are where the need is. Had it been for geographical area, Tharparker and Dadu would be getting the most funds in Sindh and Baluchistan would be claiming a lions share in the federal pool. Had the criterion been the population Punjab would today be far more developed than Karachi. In Sindh, Karachi with its 10 million population would be receiving much less compared to rural Sindh where a greater majority of people lives. But this is not the case.
In Karachi 10% of the people of Pakistan have 70% of its wealth. Total population of Pakistan is 130 million and the; population of Karachi which is even less than 10% of total population have 70% of country's wealth, and yet Altaf Hussain claims that they are being discriminated against. The truth is that Altaf wants all this wealth for himself. He publicly ordered Mohajirs not to pay taxes as these taxes are used to develop poorer areas of Pakistan. And then he; professes to be the protector of the federation. Altaf knows this and wants to separate so that he has it all to himself.
In spite of the fact that Karachi remains the most prosperous city of Pakistan, offering unequaled facilities of urban livelihood, the best industrial infrastructure and the highest rate of employment, a major share of Sindh's development funds continues to go into the city because its growing size makes the upgradation of its infrastructure imperative. RS 121 billion have been earmarked as the Karachi package for various schemes in this regard. This is much more than what is getting in to rural areas. .
The urban - rural dichotomy is just an force put up to fuel hatred and MQM falls for it as any fascist organisation would fall for it is a dependable tool of scaring people into subjection. INDIAN CONNECTION OF MQM:
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2000/20000623/world.htm#4
The government has repeatedly called upon Muthaidda to close its training camps in India and call back Javed Langhra and others to the country. Altaf and his party responded that leveling such an allegation against a party was not only a crime, it was violate of the security of the country.
According to Altaf and his Muthaidda there are no training camps in India but Javed Langrha lives there because it is a democratic country. It also says that thousands of other workers went abroad to escape persecution. It does not say how many, but if we take it at 20,000 who paid for their fare? They must have spent well over a billion rupees.
But here money is not the issue (Altaf's Muthaidda was a multi billion-rupee organisation, having robbed with total impunity the richest city of Pakistan for more than a decade. The issue is, did thousands really leave the country in 1992? All we have heard so far is a few names: Altaf Hussain, his 12 body guards, Salim Shahzad, Anwar Khan, Javed Langrha Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Ishratul Ebad and about hundred others. There may be hundred more phony asylum seekers in the west, using MQM's cover. To say that they are in thousands is to say that there are 22 million Mohajirs in Sindh. It is Master Goebbles at his dirty work again.
The government has repeatedly referred to training camps in India on the basis of two known factors. Firstly, the types of weapons - Klashnikovs, rocket launchers and hand grenades that are used by MQM terrorists are in use in three zones of this region; Tamil Nadu, Karachi and Afghanistan. All the three zones are divided between different gangsters and warlords, who are spilling blood to strengthen the irrespective bargaining positions. Secondly, enough circumstantial evidence exists to suggest that MQM is doing India an overt favour by harming the cause of Pakistan on every possible platform.
Since 1990, every year Karachi has religiously plunged into an orgy of death and violence at or about February 5, the day that the government of Pakistan observes as the annual black day for Kashmir. MQM's; peak violent action has also coincided with other Kashmir related issues, such as the official Pakistani protest over the burning of Charar Sharif or during the earlier hold out at Dargah Hazrat Bal. Towing this; policy, MQM has brought the issue of Karachi at par with that of Kashmir in the international media. Although the issue of Kashmir involves a deeper sense of loss, strongly rooted in the valley's historical consciousness, tying it up with a predominantly criminalised Karachi has nevertheless been a victory of sorts for India.
Moreover, Javed Langhra's access to the personal company of Indian minister of interior and other high-ranking officials is a matter of concern for the government of Pakistan. Not very long ago, the former Indian: Prime Minster, V.P. Singh, had stated that India could not keep quiet over the situation in Karachi any longer. Altaf Hussain's appeals to Indian Muslims to hold protest rallies against Pakistan, are also fresh in our memory. Then there is the incident of(UNHRC) Geneva Conference in which MQM's New York based leader Anwar Khan, delivered a speech and took sides, with the Indian delegation against Pakistan. Altaf Hussain himself ridiculed the two- nation theory and spoke derisively about Pakistan Army in an interview with the Indian fortnightly magazine, India Today.
He has frequently been clamoring to the world opinion leaders to forget about Bosnia and Kashmir, and to watch Karachi instead. In the back ground of all these facts, the extra coverage which MQM gets at the Indian radio and TV media is a further source of concern to the Pakistani government. Apart from enlisting India's support, Altaf has repeatedly sold Karachi to the west as another Hong Kong - all that needs be done is repeat of history when the Hong Kong was taken away by the British.
Muhttida's coordination committee is ever willing to shoot arrows in the dark, but it cannot be expected to offer comments on ground realities. Nor does it have the courage to convince Altaf Hussain that there is only one way out of this situation: end of terrorism and an inclination towards Islamabad rather the new Delhi.
Altaf Hussain was also asked by the government to condemn Indian excesses against Kashmiris, desist from portraying Karachi (which is a part of Pakistan). At par with Kashmir in international circles and stop its activities in Karachi and abroad which are aimed at diverting the world's attention from Kashmir.
Altaf Hussain established its Indian connection probably a little before 1990. According to some observers, previously this connection worked through the mediation of G.M. Syed's workers. But direct contacts were established once Altaf (because of criminal charges, which he refuses, to face) departed from Pakistan and took permanent abode in London.
A little before the army operation of June 92 Javed Largrha and his comrades slipped into India and, in connivance with the Indian authorities, started training camps for subversive activities inside Pakistan. Some Muthaidda activists who were later arrested - among them Naahid Butt's phony brother, Khalid Taqqi - have narrated before the Islamabad press their tour to India in the company of Langrha.
The government of Pakistan has a real cause of concern here. Langrah is a fugitive from the law. His stay in India makes him susceptible to Indian pressure to work against Pakistan. India competes with Pakistan in the international market for textile, leather goods, rice cotton and other commodities. Obviously the Indians will not get on Pakistani ships to destroy their consignment.
They will rather avail the services of Pakistan's gun totting "political" activists to cripple its economy. It is not surprising, therefore, that Altaf Hussain continues to dish out strike calls in protest over the arrest or killing of criminals who have each killed anything from 20 to 50 persons in a brief career of between two to four years. The economic fallout of these strikes inevitably goes to favour India.
The first time Altaf's Muthidda stayed away from the government's annual, February 5 Kashmir Day protest was in 1990. The Kashmiri intifada was a year old then, and the Indian government was already feeling the heat. Relief came from Muthidda on February 6 and 7, when unprecedented violence started in Karachi and continued for several days. Since then the 5th of February has occurred many times, but not a single occasion has seen Altaf's Muthidda joining the anti-India protest over human rights violations in Kashmir. If anything, it has punished the protesters on each occasion by resorting to terrorist attacks in Karachi and Hhyderabad. For example in such an attack in Liaquatabad killed 10 camp followers of Harkat-ul-Ansaar, a Kashmiri organisation. A pro- Altaf morning newspaper and another sympathetic eveninger put headlines that read, "5 die in Kashmir, 10 in Karachi".
Such comparisons are the core of Altaf Hussain's present propaganda technique, and the newspapers that are promoting this propaganda have been eliciting Altaf's Muthidda armed support against two rival newspapers of Karachi.
During the 47th UN Conference which was held at Geneva MQM circulated to the delegates two specially prepared booklets; a 91-page book titled "Pakistan: where the State Kills", and the 64-page "Pakistan" A Terrorist State". The concluding lines of the first booklet read,"there is no doubts whatsoever that Mohajirs in Pakistan are subject to the same atrocities as the people in Bosnia, Kashmir and Rwanda". The second booklet uses excerpts from domestic and foreign material to prove that Pakistan is involved in lawlessness in Kashmir on the one hand, and serves as a base for Islamic terrorists on the other.
During this conference, MQM Anwar Khan interrupted the speech of Pakistani delegate with disgust, which not even enemies' display at such civilized forum.
During 1996 and 1997 the terrorist of MQM somehow again managed to enter in the Palle, the UN headquarter in Geneva, Switzerland and distributed various booklets and pamphlets, against Pakistan. Although during this period, the political wing was part of the Sindh Government. During March 1998 the same people of Muthidda namely Anwar, Arif Ajakiya with the support help and connivance of anti Pakistan NGOs and Indian organizations not only distributed books, but confronted with Pakistani official delegation, Mr. Nehal Hashmi and other peace loving NGOs, who were supporting a peaceful and just cause.
Since early 90, the International headquarter of MQM based in London is attending various international conferences to cover-up their unlawful terrorist activities and acts nationally and internationally.
During early 90s, many foreign national including US embassy officials were killed in Karachi by the terrorists of Altaf Hussain. This leads to create uncertainty and to pass message internationally that Karachi is not a save and secured city for any foreign, national investors. ANTI MEDIA ACTIVITES OF MQM:
Altaf and his MQM were asked by the government to renounce its policy of press censorship, and publicly declare that it will not use threats and direct or indirect pressure to influence the print media.
Altaf's MQM is perhaps the first "political " party in the world which clamped an across the board censorship on newspapers and kept breathing down the editor neck for more than four years. Hitler had said, "newspapers should not be allowed to ride popular will". Altaf and MQM followed this dictum to a tee. The code of censorship, which MQM designed under the able guidance of Altaf Hussain for the newspapers of Karachi, was impeccably complete. "Important" news items and photographs, their size, length and their exact placement on specified pages (mostly front page) was dictated to the city's newsrooms from Nine Zero. Anything, which Altaf did not want published, could not see the light of the day.
MQM's terrorism against the press took its early shape in 1985. By 1987 it had gradually made its presence felt in the newsrooms. Any departure from Nine - Zero's guidelines brought down the Pir's wrath on the reporter, the sub-editor, the editor, the publisher the owner - anyone in any way connected with the production of that particular section of the newspaper. Inadvertent violations sent shivers through the entire newspaper establishment.
Daily Jang, being the largest circulated newspaper of the country, tried to break the shackles in earlier days of the Pir (Altaf Hussain) and he threatened that paper "one paper is becoming a party against "Mohajirs", it should take warning (daily Amn April 6, 1987). The Pir's disciples ultimately in Hyderabad lit up 30,000 copies of the paper on June 21, 1987. Thousands of copies more were burnt in Karachi. On June 24, Jang columnist, Nizam Siddiqui, wrote, "Altaf Hussain demands that Jang should; publish his statements and photographs in places proposed by him, and that his opponents views should not be brought into print. No political party or leader has made such a demand in 47 years."
Altaf's reactions have always been aggressive and devoid of any regard for ethics. Ask about who persecuted Maulana Salahuddin, editor weekly Takbir, burnt his house, burnt Takbir copies, tried to prevent Takbirs'; publication from Karachi, and when the Maulana refused to budge, killed him? And every one will say MQM.
An evening newspaper brought out a supplement on the assassination of some opponent of MQM, in which it called him a "Shaheed". The paper had to suspend its publication for several days, and the editor attended hearings at Nine-zero day in and day out. He was finally given the license to live, but on a price. Until today, this evening newspaper is acting as an official spokesman of MQM.
On November 14, 1988, Altaf served another warning to daily Jang. "If Jang does not change its attitude by 16 November, we will put an end to lit forever" (daily Savera, Karachi).
On March 8, 1989, Jang failed to cover May or Dr Farooq Sattar's wedding to the satisfaction of Altaf Hussain. He said, "this has been a source of grief, to us. We will observe a taken boycott of Jang on March 10". Azim Tariq said, "we appeal to hawkers not to lift Jang on March 10th. And we are telling them in advance" (daily Amn, March 8, 1989).
On the orders of Altaf Hussain and Azim Tariq (the same Azim Tariq which was lately killed on the directives of Altaf Hussain), MQM workers in Hyderabad burnt hundreds of thousands of copies of dailies Jang, Dawn, The News, Jasarat, Star, monthly Herald and weekly Takbir between March 10 and March 20, 1991. Journalists in Islamabad boycotted the parliament in protest over these incidents.
Weekly Takbir's offices were ransacked and set on fire on March 22, 1991. The FIR lodged with he Arambagh police station said, "this incident is part of Altaf Hussain and Azim Tariq's campaign to terrorize Takbir and its editor". In the Liaquatabad public meeting, Azim Tariq reiterated Altaf Hussain's directives that "Takbir" would not be allowed to circulate anywhere in Karachi (weekly Takbir, April 4, 1991).
Talking to the journalists in hospital (Abbasi Shaheed) on March 10 Altaf Hussain said, "Dawn is hatching conspiracies against MQM. Herald spits; poison against us. Takbir is an agent publication of the Jews. People reserve the right to make newspapers accountable. If the accountability begins, you shouldn't start your press freedom lamentations."
Sarwat editor of Takbir, was harassed and threatened by hooligans at her residence on March 13. The following day, newspaper hawkers and agents were deprived of their copies and beaten up in several parts of the city. On March15, Azim Tariq said, "Herald and Takbir will not sell in this city now. This is the people's decision" (daily Amn). Altaf Hussain seconded this on March 16: "from today onwards, people will not read Takbir and Herald, which comes out of the Dawn building. This is our right". He further said, "any newspaper that does not give us proper coverage, will not run." (Daily Qaumi Akhbar). BBC's reporter in Karachi Zafar Abbas, was attacked on March 19.
Journalists held a protest meeting at Karachi Press Club and decided to boycott MQM's programs. On March 20, Altaf Hussain announced his boycott of Dawn, Herald, Star and Takbir.
Altaf Hussain and his MQM cannot bear criticism and difference of opinion and that’s why each and every paper if writes even a single word against Altaf or MQM gets punishment. Amount of punishment depends upon the nature of crime. And these punishments can vary from the burning of newspaper copies to the murder of editors. But the irony of situation is that besides doing these heinous, crimes against media and media MQM cries hoarse for its own freedom of expression. ECNOMICAL DAMAGE IN FORM OF MQM's FORCED STRIKES:
It is not easy to quantify the damage done by terrorism, blood looting, firing, arson, and riots, strikers and torture spread over these ten, twelve years. The cost paid by Karachiites in terms of deaths, damage to property, anxiety, extortion and hunger is far greater then the cozy Pirji of London can imagine.
In these years more than 5000 persons fell to terrorist bullets in Karachi and Hyderabad, while more than 1000 others were wounded. Property set on fire on otherwise destroyed included 475 vehicles, 20 banks, 102 houses, 95 shops, two telephone exchanges, 20 offices of different political parties, 12 petrol pumps, 2 factories, one office each of Wapda and social security, two post offices and 4 police stations.
The successive years saw the terrorists upgrade their weaponry from simple revolvers to Klashnikov assault rifles and rocket launchers. Terrorists used their war machine to strike at the national interests of Pakistan one the one hand, and use cellular telephone and pager facilities to organize raids against government officials and political rivals on the other. 360 policemen were killed during these years.
MQM insists that its strikes are peaceful. But the facts speak other wise, In a total 38 strike calls spread over these years, MQM prevented Rs 30 billion worth of business transactions from taking place. Hundreds of thousands of people had to do without postal and other communication facilities. Given these facts, it is a wonder how "educated men" like Ishtiaq Azhar and Dr Farooq Sattar can insist that strikes do no harm to Karachiites.
BHATTA (A forced tax)
Since 1988 the terrorist of Altaf Hussain introduced a new method to collect tax from the common, ordinary citizen which called Tanzimee Chanda, later on the method of collection was divided in various forms one is monthly tax from each and every shop and house. Another forced tax called "Saman Kiya Tayyar Hai" which used for the purchasing of arms and ammunition to protect themselves, later on almost every shopkeeper, industrialists, businessmen and investors was compelled by the terrorist of Altaf and his Muthidda either to pay the weekly tax or shut down and closed their business and commercial activities. If someone refuse to pay either he eliminated physically or his business forced to close by the terrorists.
Resultantly hundred's of businessmen shifted their business from Karachi to other part of Pakistan. According to a report pudlished in a news daily "MQM's monthly income, which it earned through Bhattaism before the imposition of the Governor Rule in Sindh, was Rs. 600 million. Never a single penny was spent on the economic and social betterment of Karachi people. In fact this money was use to arm the youths of Karachi with weapons rather than education the business and trade in Karachi almost rewind due to this forced tax and robbery.
SKIN COLLECTION: (Another way of collecting money for criminal activities)
Since last 10 years, the skin of sacrificed animals during Eid-ul-Azha the terrorists of Altaf use to snatch from each and every house of Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpur Khas, Sukkur on gunpoint. If any body hesitated to hand over the skin, the terrorist open fire on them.
Even internationally renowned Abdus Sattar Edhi, social worker was victim of the same. In year 1993 the terrorist of Altaf Hussain attacked on the loaded trucks of Abdus Sattar Edhi, carrying skins of the scarified animals were forcibly snatched by the Altaf Hussain's terrorists. The same has been reported by the BBC, national and international media. And the money they get from selling these skins is getting use in buying destruction for the innocent people of Karachi. Unwrapping the rape dramas
MQM was asked to give up the policy of using women to incite violence. MQM denies this, of course, but evidence exists to show that cases of gang rape were cooked up either to helped it steer through a tight sot, or put the government on the defensive.
MQM origins are tied with the famous name of Bushra Zaidi, a Sir Syed College girl who made Altaf Hussain's career by dying in a road accident in 1985. Since then, a woman has always figured in the evolving strategy of Altaf Hussain to build an empire on terrorism. Nahid Butt, Shazia, Seema Zarrin and others. All these women were portrayed as victims of sexual assault. Not one of them ever comes to fit the merits of the case.
Take Shazia for example, the sister of India based Javed Langrha. She had a tiff with the family, and went to her grandmother's house without telling anyone. She stayed there for two days. MQM was quick to react. Shooting in the dark, they cooked up a story that the personnel of Rangers had carried her away. Hearing the scandal, Shazia returned home and told the truth. Milk was separated from water.
CASE OF NAHID BUTT
Nahid Butt's name figured at a time when hostilities in Kashmir had temporarily heightened. She was used to put across the message that Butt (a Kashmiri tribe) women were as exposed to rape in Karachi as in Kashmir. Khalid, MQM activist who was claimed to be Nahid's brother, turned out to be her lover. Khalid alias Taqqi alias Mamoo was a resident of Lines Area.
Presently he is charged with 10 cases of murder and is in official custody. MQM attempted to portray him as a Kashmiri sympathizer of the party who resided in New Karachi. An army officer was accused of raping Nahid. The army plunged into action and investigated the case. As it turned out, Nahid was not a Butt, but was painted as such for political reasons. Moreover, Khalid was not her brother, but one of her lovers. She was found carrying contraceptives on her, and admitted that she entertained MQM boys off and on.
FARZANA SULTAN "RAPE" CASE
A case in point is that of Farzana Sultan, the young sister of MQM activist, Shahid Feroz. Although the poor girl was subjected to this unwarranted ignominy for the sake of a lie, 30 people died as Altaf Hussain called a strike in reaction.
On its part MQM sensationalized the drama by inviting suitors for the `raped` girl. For several days, the local press carried Nine-Zero's press releases counting the names of the suitors who had volunteered to take in the daughter of the nation. It also gave a call for protest strike, in which 30 persons died in the name of Farzana Sultan. Altaf Hussain's ego further inflated by an inch.
MQM has time and again used women folk to incite violence and disturbances in the city. A case in point is that of Farzana Sultan, the younger sister of MQM's activist Shahid Feroze. It was alleged by MQM that on June 20, 1995, a fifty (50) years old PPP Councilor Naeem Qureshi along with seven (07) others, including his alleged son Bhoora had subjected Farzana Sultan to gang rape.
On the evening of June 22, 1995, some MQM's leader arrived at Karachi Press Club at 09.00 p.m. along with Mr. Shoaib Bukhari, MPA and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in Sindh Assembly, to address Press Conference. The Press Conference was video taped and also transmitted through mobile phone to London for the consumption of Mr. Altaf Hussain. In the Press Conference the above allegation of gang rape were repeated.
On the same day, Mr. Shoaib Bukhari lodged a FIR with area Police Station, wherein the allegations of gang rape were repeated. However, the name of PPP Councilor was conspicuously not included by Mr. Shoaib Bukhari. It is worth mentioning that Mr. Naeem Qureshi the PPP Councilor did not have any son by the name of Bhoora.
Mr. Altaf Hussain and other leaders of MQM sensationalized the alleged incident and called for strike in protest in the city. Colossal damage was caused to public and private properties and about 30 innocent people were killed by MQM wherein 94 police and private vehicles were set on fire. The hooligans of Altaf Hussain for couple of days disturbed the city. In the process the poor girl Farzana Sultan was subjected to all kind of adverse publicity.
The Government, immediately taking cognizance, of the allegation leveled by MQM, ordered the medical examination of the girl, which was carried out and the report was immediately made public. Mr. Altaf Hussain and other leaders of MQM disputed the findings contained in the medical report " that no marks of violence were found on the person of the alleged victim nor there was any medical evidence of the alleged gang rape or rape. " The Government immediately offered that the doctors of the choice of the parents of Farzana Sultan and MQM from Pakistan or abroad might be examined the alleged victim.
REPORT OF AGHA KHAN UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL
On June 26, 1995, Agha Khan University Hospital Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology Faculty, including Professor and Assistant Professor examined the alleged victim of gang rape Miss Farzana Sultan. The report of Agha Khan University Hospital concluded, "the clinical findings in this case suggest minor injury to the posterior area of the fourchetta, which is almost healed, although still sore to the patient. The findings are consistent with the conclusion that the patient has had sexual intercourse in the recent past".
Subsequently, the follow-up medical report in the case of the alleged victim was issued by the Agha Khan University Hospital on July 02, 19956. In the follow-up report it was further concluded, "besides shows inflammatory exudate with metaplastic cells and gram negative intracellular diplococci, confirmed by culture to be Neisseria Gonococci. The infection is confirmed to be sensitive to Penicillin, Erythromycin, Cefotaxim and tetracycline".
Based upon the above findings it was advised by the Consultant Physician that Miss Farzana Sultan should pursue appropriate follow-up and treatment without delay.
From the above medical findings it was quit clear that the alleged victim Farzana Sultan was not subjected to the alleged gang rape or rape as was insinuated by Mr. Altaf Hussain and other leaders of MQM. Be that as it may, owing to the said allegation of gang rape and subsequent call of strike and agitation given Mr. Altaf Hussain from London and other leaders of MQM from Karachi resulted in 30 innocent people being killed and damage to private and public properties besides disrupting the city life and causing trouble in the city.
The Findings of:
The State Department of USA in the case of Farzana Sultan
The State Department of USA, recently, issued its Human Rights Report regarding Pakistan, wherein inter-alia about this incident of alleged gang rape of Farzana Sultan, the report contains a finding "although the MQM/A consistently claims that its activists are innocent, unarmed victims of ethnic violence, disinterested observers believe that cells of armed MQM/A activists are responsible for a considerable amount of Karachi's violence and crime. This includes extortion of large sums of money from Mohajir businessmen as well as others.
In an apparent attempt to inflame public opinion and destabilize the situation in Karachi, MQM/A leader Altaf Hussain the alleged gang rape of an MQM/A supporter (while in custody) to call for three " days of mourning" in Karachi June 24-26. At least 67 people died in strike-related violence during the protest. Medical reports on the alleged victim, however, did not substantiate the charges of gang rape. The MQM/A enforced numerous other strike calls with violence, resulting in the deaths of law enforcement personnel and civilian bystanders."
It is the standard practice of Mr. Altaf Hussain and MQM to concoct and fabricate false allegation and create a issue out of non-issue and exploit it to the hilt through the medium of aggressive propaganda and rhetoric and then malign the Government and give calls for so called protest strike. Invariably in all such cases strikes have been enforced through intimidation, resorting to indiscriminate firing and burning of public and private transport. In the case of Farzana Sultan, it has been established by independent findings of Agha Khan University Hospital, which also substantiates the findings of the Government doctor that no rape or gang rape was committed and the allegation was concocted.
It is well known and talks of town that terrorists of MQM used to enter enforceable in the houses of helpless people and commit rape with the women to terrorize the family and to blackmail. Being an Islamic and eastern traditions most of the families hesitate to lodge complaints against them. Because of the fear, disgrace, and defamation in the society, the helpless women can only pray to the Almighty for help and justice, besides looking forward towards the International community and to come forward and to obtain support from the lawful authorities to eliminates and arrest such type of heinous acts of the MQM.
The so-called Naheed Butt and Farzana Sultana rape case is just a tool for negative propaganda. At present no one knows that whereabouts of Naheed Butt and Farzana Sultan and many others. Such cases were only used for negative propaganda. The women of Karachi appeal to the authorities and international community to come forward and protect our honour and dignity as she also equally entitled for all kind of protection being a human being.
It is apprehend that there is likelihood that " evil mind of Altaf Hussain will create new rape dramas to save their dirty face from locally, national and international community and to cover-up their terrorist and un-human activities from the eyes of law and peace loving people."
http://www.fas.org/irp/world/para/docs/mqm_factsheet.htm
MQM leader debunks two-nation theory
LONDON, June 22 (PTI) — The MQM has said that present-day Pakistan has belied the vision of its founders as it faces an uncertain future and is on the verge of a catastrophe.
"What could be the future of a country, which has already been disintegrated, and the remainder is on the verge of catastrophe," MQM chief Altaf Hussain told a delegation when asked "what is the future of Pakistan".
The two-nation theory propounded by Mohammad Ali Jinnah to form Pakistan has been "proved to be wrong", he said, adding that the theory was raised to deceive 100 million Muslims of the sub-continent.
"History has proved the two-nation theory wrong," an MQM press note quoted Mr Hussain as telling the delegation of professors and intellectuals of history and international affairs from the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent yesterday.
"The Pakistan created under the leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah was dismembered in 1971. East Bengal, the majority province that supported the creation of Pakistan based on the two-nation theory separated itself in 1971, proving that the concept of two-nation theory was a farce.
"The people of Bengal (former East Pakistan) had cast their 100 per cent votes on the slogan of the two-nation theory for the creation of Pakistan. By carving an independent country, the people of East Bengal redeemed themselves of the blunder they committed in pursuing the two-nation theory," Mr Hussain said.
"If we analyse the history of the Pakistan movement, it emanated that virtually all the Muslim majority provinces of the present day Pakistan had opposed the creation of Pakistan.
"Only the province of Sindh with the majority of one vote supported the creation of Pakistan. The people of Muslim majority province of East Bengal, which had supported the two-nation theory, however, created their own independent state in 1971" Mr Hussain said.
But all those who supported the concept of the two-nation theory and Pakistan have been labelled as "traitors" in Pakistan, he rued.
"Fazl-e-Haq, the lion of Bengal who presented the Pakistan resolution, was labelled a traitor, the Sindhis were labelled as traitors, the Balochs were labelled as traitors, and now the Mohajirs have also been labelled as traitors", he said.
The MQM leader said "the plight of the stranded Pakistanis in the 66 Red Cross camps in Bangladesh for the past 29 years is sufficient proof to render the two-nation theory wrong".
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2000/20000623/world.htm

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Pakistani president seeks to drown mounting opposition in blood
Karachi, a city of 10 million and Pakistan’s commercial hub, was convulsed by gun-battles Saturday, as Pakistan’s US-backed military strongman, President Pervez Musharraf, resorted to deadly violence in a bid to quash the growing popular challenge to his rule.
According to press reports, at least 36 people were killed and more than 140 injured when thugs allied with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), a pro-Musharraf party, attacked crowds gathering to show support for the country’s “suspended” Chief Justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.
In March, Musharraf moved to have Chaudhry stripped of his post as head of Pakistan’s Supreme Court on trumped-up corruption charges. Chaudhry, like the rest of Pakistan’s top judges, has a long record of giving a judicial fig-leaf to Musharraf’s anti-democratic and unconstitutional actions, including the 1999 coup in which he seized power. But Chaudhry recently issued a number of rulings, including striking down the privatization of Pakistan Steel Mills, that cut across the government’s agenda and caused Musharraf to conclude he could not rely on Chaudhry to provide a judicial blessing for his stage-managed “re-election” as president later this fall.
On the evening of Friday, May 11, the MQM blockaded the main arteries into Karachi with trucks, buses, and containers. The next morning thousands of MQM activists armed with sticks roamed Karachi’s streets warning lawyers, who had invited Chaudhry to address the Sindh High Court Bar Association, and opposition activists, who were intending to greet the suspended chief justice, to stay in their homes.
But with all the major opposition parties—including the Pakistan People’s Party, the Pakistan Muslim League, the Awami National Party and the six-member alliance of Islamic fundamentalist parties (the MMA)—endorsing the call to greet Chaudhry, thousands took to the streets in defiance of the MQM threats and a massive mobilization of security forces.
An AP reporter says he saw MQM supporters firing at crowds of protesters from buildings in Karachi’s Golden Town district and some among the anti-Musharraf demonstrators firing back. A second major clash, including an exchange of gunfire and the setting ablaze of buses and motor vehicles, occurred at Malir Hal, where Musharraf opponents came face to face with those on the way to an MQM-counter rally.
Although the authorities had mobilized some 16,000 security personnel, they did nothing to stop the MQM attacks. Some newspapers are reporting that the security personnel were specifically ordered not to intervene. A low-ranking policeman told the Daily Times, “There were some orders and our weapons were taken from us. It was as if we were put here just to watch.”
Over the past two months security forces have repeatedly roughed up journalists covering protests against Musharraf’s attempt to oust Chaudhry. On Saturday, MQM thugs assumed this role. The private Aaj television channel showed pictures of its office under fire. Journalist Talat Hussain told BBC, “We are under attack. We have seen no security force. No one has come to help us.”
As intended, the violence forced Chaudhry to abandon his plan to speak before the Sindh High Court Bar Association. After waiting in an airport lounge for nine hours, he returned to Islamabad.
The MQM’s counter-rally, however, went ahead unimpeded.
The MQM, which has a long history of political violence, claims to represent the mohajirs, Urdu-speakers who moved to Pakistan from north India when the subcontinent was divided on communal lines in 1947-48. It controls Karachi’s city government and is part of pro-Musharraf coalition governments nationally and in Sindh, the southern province of which Karachi is the capital.
By contracting out the bloody suppression of Saturday’s protest in Karachi to the MQM, Musharraf hopes to be able to deny responsibility and avoid bringing further public opprobrium on the military.
But this is a transparent ruse.
Speaking from behind a massive bullet-proof enclosure to a government rally in Islamabad Saturday evening, Musharraf laid full blame for the bloody events in Karachi on the opposition, while holding up the MQM’s rally as evidence of the popular support for this regime.
Musharraf claimed to be shocked and grieved by the numbers of dead and wounded, then proclaimed, “But what has happened today in Karachi is because of the chief justice who went there ignoring the advice of the government over the issue.”
The president, who doubles as head of Pakistan’s armed forces, then made a thinly-veiled threat of further violence, saying that the gun-battles in Karachi were the result of the obstinacy of the opposition. “If they think they are powerful, then they should know that the people’s power is with us.”
Musharraf also made an appeal to Pakistan’s lawyers, who have spearheaded the protests over Chaudhry’s suspension. In a reference to the government’s recent reversal of its opposition to the suspended chief justice’s demand that the Supreme Court as a whole hear the corruption allegations against him, Musharraf declared, “Now that the full court will be deciding the issue, the lawyers’ fraternity should stop protesting and stop playing into the hands of some disgruntled and unwise people.”
Musharraf’s speech was also significant in that he confirmed that he intends to have the legislators now sitting in Pakistan’s provincial and national assemblies re-elect him to a five year-term this fall, even though these legislators were chosen in an election in 2002 that was manipulated by the military. Such a procedure is in flagrant violation of the constitution as is Musharraf’s continuing to serve as both president and Chief of Pakistan’s Armed Services.
Musharraf said, “After a few months, I will be contesting for the second term in office and then [i.e. after he has been returned as president] the elections of the national and provincial assemblies will be held.”
Musharraf denied press reports that he will soon declare a state of emergency, claiming that the people are with him. But on Sunday, Interior Secretary Syed Kamal Shah was reported to have said that the government has authorized paramilitary troops to shoot anyone involved in serious violence. The Sindh government, meanwhile, has invoked an old British colonial statute, Section 144, to ban all political gatherings.
Washington has said nothing about last weekend’s violence in Karachi. But in recent weeks, top Bush administration officials have voiced strong support for Musharraf and lauded him as a staunch US ally in the “war on terror” and a democrat.
The strength of the protests against Musharraf’s attempt to sack the chief justice took the opposition by surprise. While the opposition parties have for years been promising to mount a “final struggle” against the Musharraf regime, they all in fact have an ambivalent relationship with Musharraf and Pakistan’s military. The opposition parties are terrified that a confrontation with Musharraf could provide an opening for the entry of Pakistan’s toiling masses into political struggle.
The MMA remains the government of North West Frontier Province and in a coalition government with the pro-Musharraf PML (Q) in Baluchsitan. Benazir Bhutto, the PPP’s leader for life, has recently publicly admitted that she is involved in backroom talks with the government aimed at reaching an accommodation with the Musharraf. As part of these maneuvers, the PPP leadership had been holding meetings with International Republican Institute, an arm of the US Republican Party.
Vilani Peiris, is a South Asia analyst at WSWS.
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Famous Quotes: 'Uniform is my second skin,' says Musharraf
Islamabad, May 23: The growing demand for separating the two offices of President and Chief of Army Staff notwithstanding, Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf has said that he loves to be an army man and cannot shed his uniform.
Terming the military uniform as his second skin, Musharraf said in an interview to the BBC Urdu service that the army had to takeover the government due to the politicians' inability to run the country properly. "When politicians do not know how to run the country's affairs, the army has no choice, but to step in and put things right," Musharraf said, adding that the army has strengthened Pakistan. He was quoted as saying by the Daily Times that though he believed in democracy and wanted to take the opposition along on all issues, rival political parties were propagating a negative image of the armed forces. On being asked about the prevailing judicial crisis in the country following the March 9 suspension of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Musharraf said he was waiting for the full court's verdict. He did not comment when asked if he would fulfil his "moral responsibility" if the verdict was in Chaudhry's favour.

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Threats alleged in Pakistan judge case
ISLAMABAD -- People linked to a legal case involving Pakistan's suspended chief justice are being threatened and intimidated, with one already shot dead and one detained, the judge's main lawyer said Wednesday. Aitzaz Ahsan, the head counsel for Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, also said that lawyers and witnesses in the case were under "enormous pressure from the government," although he did not directly blame it for the incidents. Interior minister Aftab Sherpao said that the allegations were a "figment of their imagination." Military ruler President Pervez Musharraf removed the independent-minded Chaudhry on misconduct charges March 9. The move, which sparked violence that has left 40 people dead, triggered the most serious political crisis of his eight-year rule. "We are under enormous pressure from the government. One witness has been murdered and another has been picked up," Ahsan told Pakistan's supreme court in Islamabad. The supreme court is hearing an appeal by Chaudhry against his suspension and also against Musharraf's referral of the misconduct allegations to a panel of senior judges, called the Supreme Judicial Council. Outside court, Ahsan gave further details of alleged intimidation. "The lawyers are being threatened, my phones are being tapped, one witness has been killed, another has been lifted, I am getting threatening messages," he said when asked to comment on his statements in court. Supreme court deputy registrar Syed Hamad Raza, who was brought to the court by Chaudhry in 2005 and served as his personal assistant, was killed by gunmen at dawn May 10. Police are still investigating the case but his brother and widow have claimed that he was assassinated because of his ties to the chief justice. Ahsan said that the detained witness was the deputy inspector general of police in southern Sindh province, who was arrested last week and whose name was reportedly in the summary of charges against Chaudhry. The policeman's wife filed a petition in the court Tuesday saying that his detention was illegal and asking for him to be released. Sherpao, the interior minister, denied all the claims. "There is no pressure on the lawyers by the government in any manner," he said. He said that he had "nothing to do" with the policeman's case, and added that he could not comment on Raza's death as the supreme court itself was supervising the investigation. The judge's team began their case Wednesday after the government completed its arguments against Chaudhry's legal petition. Ahsan also complained that Musharraf kept making pronouncements on the case while the chief justice "is not opening his mouth." Opponents say that Musharraf, a general who seized power in a 1999 coup, wants to weaken the courts and make it easier for him to stay on as army chief past this year's deadline set by the constitution.
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Executive Security and Situation Report & Threat Analysis: After the 12th --- The end game begins ???
The present government of President Musharraf and his allies has now entered into their decisive phase where the moment of truth may just be around the corner. All the signs are that now they are panicking and would resort to more and more desperate measures to recover the fast loosing credibility and moral authority which is beginning to affect their hold on power.
Two blunders on two different dates have almost destroyed the government.
March 9th when President Musharraf sent the judicial reference against the Chief Justice on the advice of his Prime Minister and ruling coalition.
May 12th, when the federal government gave a free hand to the MQM to crush the resistance of the Chief justice and the political parties and the bloodbath took place on streets of Karachi.
The events of these two dates have changed Pakistani politics and security profile radically. In the next 3 months, the fate of President Musharraf, his government and allies would be sealed – for good or worse. If they can ride this tsunami somehow, they will live. Else they drown within this year. But one thing is obvious – it is not opposition which has created such dangerous situation for President Musharraf. It is his allies, advisors and government. Since he is in no mood of replacing them nor he is willing to make any retreat by accepting his errors and is insisting upon supporting the same corrupt and incompetent team which has landed him into this mess, it seems clear that he is continuing to dig despite being in a deep hole.
Before we move on to this week’s analysis, we would like to refer back previous analysis as the events which took place on May 12th were in the making even before the March 9th reference. Last week on May 13th, after the day of infamy in Karachi, we had written that:
“But this strong arm tactics have also done severe damage to MQM itself. They may have been able to shoot down the opposition rally this time, but now their relations with following powerful players have become irrevocably bad and MQM has been fully exposed in national and international media and political circles. They are now virtually isolated in national politics having made enemies with all the quarters. It is now obvious that rise and fall and the destiny of MQM is tied with President Musharraf”.

For the last 20 years, MQM chief Altaf Hussein had been building his empire and the fiefdom for the ultimate objective of becoming the Prime Minister of the country or running the province of Sindh independently under increased provincial autonomy leading to full autonomy to self determination!. A British think tank has done a fascinating analysis on MQM and Altaf Hussein which gives insight into their politics and ambitions which have a lot to do with what happened on May 12th and would also be directing their actions in future too.

http://spaces.brad.ac.uk:8080/download/attachments/748/Brief11finalised1.pdf

Exactly one year ago on in our Sit-rep May 4, 2006, we had done a detailed profiling on MQM which seemed very harsh to few reader back then. We would like to repeat it here to refresh our memories and this background makes it easy for us to understand their May 12th actions and future course.
We had written on May 14th, 2006:

1. It is the general perception amongst all religious, political and nationalist parties that MQM is a terrorist, fascist and militant mafia gang run by Don, who is being patronized by India and have closest ties with sub-nationalist militant groups like BLA. Benazir slaughtered them, Nawaz kept them in their limits but Musharraf gave them unprecedented power, authority and clout that now Altaf Hussein is openly talking about his options as future President or Prime Minister of the country.

2. MQM is most staunch enemy of all major development projects which President Musharraf wants to launch in the country including Kalabagh Dam and Baluchistan mega projects.

3. MQM is also a strongly anti-army and anti-Punjab group and demands major constitutional changes for greater provincial freedom just on the lines of Akbar Bugti and other sub-nationalists. The central theme of its ideology is based on hate for the federation and establishment and Pakistan army.

4. Extremely close to India. Altaf Hussein gets VVIP treatment in India and also follows the same line as Indian foreign office on partition of India, creation of Pakistan and two nation’s theory. It is also said that he is directly funded by Indian establishment.

5. Their leader, Altaf Hussein, uneducated, uncouth man, a demagogue and full of hate, who once joined army as ordinary Sepoy but was shunted out on medical grounds. All his team consists of those members who are accused to have dozens of cases of serious offensives including murders, kidnappings and extortions on them. He himself lives in UK, has British passport and cannot come for fear of his life at the hands of rival factions.

6. From the governor to the sweeper on the Karachi streets, MQM has now risen to unprecedented powers in its 30 years history. There is a lot of blood on MQM’s hands and even now it is feared that millions are being siphoned by the party for rainy days and to support their future plans in the country. MQM now plans to take part in the elections at the national levels with Altaf Hussein expressing his desires to become future king maker in the country.

7. The biggest weakness of MQM is that it is an isolated gang in the country, with no respect within political and religious parties. They are seen as terrorists and their leadership is seriously tainted with serious crimes. They are youth who have started as street gangs and now have risen to become unchallenged rulers in Sindh but they remain hated even by their own ranks due to their iron hand tactics and elimination of dissenting voices. That is why factions have been created within them and their leader stays out for fear of his life for his sins in the city.

With this background, it is very understandable to see why they did what they did on May 12th. But this time, they over stepped the red line and took on every segment of political, judicial and civil society in one massive show of brute State and street force against dissent. Despite their power, MQM is not in a position to take head-on collision with the entire country and the civil society. The resulting backlash from NWFP and Baluchistan assemblies, Pashtuns, PPP, MMA, PML (N), Imran Khan and other smaller and regional parties have shocked and surprised the MQM. The international outcry especially in British Media was also massive even dragging the British government into the whole bloody affair. In Karachi and in Pakistan, dozens of MQM offices were burnt, their workers from other provinces resigned in numbers under protest and MQM had to make panicked retreats in haste on all counts. For the first time in their history, the apologized to media!
All the work they had done in the last three decades is now threatened with total destruction due to actions of one single day – May 12th. Today, there is total and complete panic in MQM ranks and they are desperately sending SOS to President Musharraf but even he is not in a position to help them anymore. This is making MQM very angry with the government too. The opposition parties have seen and singled out the person of President Musharraf and the party of MQM for all their anger and frustration against the government. They know that if they can break MQM, President Musharraf will be fully and totally isolated in Sindh where PPP and MMA are waiting at the wings to fill the vacuum.
The following mix of news gives only a glimpse of pressure on Altaf Hussein and MQM and shows their level of panic now. It was unthinkable for any Police, media, political party or group to say a word against MQM before May 12th due to fear of their street power. But May 12th changed that all. This has stunned MQM.

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MQM shuts offices, sets up camps
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By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, May 13: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement has closed down its offices across the country for an indefinite period and set up two camps for workers and sympathisers forced to leave their homes in the suburban areas following armed attacks.

http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=local3.htm&date=20070514
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Case against govt, MQM
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By A Reporter
KARACHI, May 19: A case against the Sindh government and leaders of the MQM was registered here on Saturday at a police station in compliance with a court order with regard to May 12 mayhem.

Police, which earlier refused to lodge the case on May 16, were compelled to register an FIR (53/07) at the City Courts police station following the court order....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top5.htm&date=20070520
Altaf Hussein who lives in London is now seeing his party falling apart. An urgent and desperate conference was called.
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MQM leaders summoned to London office
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By Our Staff Reporter KARACHI, May 18: Stung by criticism over the May 12 bloodshed in the city, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief summoned the Sindh governor, the Karachi nazim, a couple of parliamentarians and members of the coordination committee to London for an important meeting. The Karachi-based MQM leaders left for the British capital on Friday....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=local4.htm&date=20070519

The real threat to the party is that opposition is announcing plans to register cases against their leader in British courts. That would be an added disaster if that happens. The British media and the British government have now been forced into this affair due to presence of Altaf in London and his holding of British passport.
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Case to be filed against Altaf: Imran
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ISLAMABAD, May 19: Chairman of the Tehrik-i-Insaf Imran Khan has said that a legal team is being constituted to file a case against MQM leader Altaf Hussain in London for killing innocent people. Addressing a function organised by the Islamabad Bar Association, Imran Khan termed MQM a terrorist organisation and said it had never been a political party but was a group of ‘goondas’ prospering under the patronage of a dictator....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top6.htm&date=20070520
----------------------------------------------------------------British media extensively covers carnage
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By Our Special Correspondent
LONDON, May 13: The British media on Sunday extensively covered Saturday’s carnage in Karachi with The Sunday Telegraph reporting that gunmen on motorcycles were pumping bullets into crowds demonstrating against Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf, while police stood by and watched.

The report said the ensuing challenge by lawyers and opposition parties to Gen Musharraf's eight-year rule had left the president -- a key Western ally in the "war on terror" -- desperately clinging to power....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=nat13.htm&date=20070514
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UK media raises question about Altaf running Karachi affairs
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By M. Ziauddin LONDON, May 14: The British media is wondering why Mr Altaf Hussain, a British citizen is being allowed by the UK government to run Karachi affairs, and that too through violent means.
“He has no plans to return to Pakistan,” said Daily Telegraph on Monday in a piece titled ‘Running Karachi from London’....

http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=nat3.htm&date=20070515
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UK condemns violence in Karachi
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By M. Ziauddin LONDON, May 18: “We condemn the violence in Karachi over the weekend and urge restraint on all parties,” a British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) spokesman said here on Friday. He was commenting on the recent violence in Karachi and “the position of Altaf Hussain.”...
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top17.htm&date=20070519
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UK students’ move against ‘hate preachers
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By M. Ziauddin LONDON, May 19: About 25 Pakistani students studying at top UK institutions and a couple of finance and media professionals have said they plan to lobby the UK government to dissuade British citizens from fomenting and inciting trouble back home by making hate speeches over the telephone.
They met at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) here on Friday night to discuss the deteriorating political and law and order situation back home in the wake of May 12 Karachi carnage....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top12.htm&date=20070520
With such intense pressure on MQM from domestic political and civil circles, national ad international media as well as from British government, President Musharraf is feeling threatened too and is now trying to come out all guns blazing trying to protect his allies in Sindh. This effort is going to damage President Musharraf even more as now MQM stands isolated both nationally and internationally and have been fully exposed. President Musharraf is betting on the wrong horse at the wrong time as usual.
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One-sided story of CJ issue being reported: Musharraf lashes out at media
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ISLAMABAD, May 18: President General Pervez Musharraf on Friday warned against giving ethnic colour to May 12 incidents and said he will abide by the Constitution on the issue of re-election. In an interview with Aaj television aired on Friday night, President Musharraf said: “I will not violate the Constitution of Pakistan.”...
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bindina.pl?file=top5.htm&date=20070519
But now, even the chief patrons of President Musharraf have seen his vulnerability within the civil society and want him to call it a day decisively – at least his uniform.
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US supports Musharraf, but tells him to resolve uniform issue
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By Our Correspondent
WASHINGTON, May 17: In an interview in which he expressed strong support for President Pervez Musharraf, US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher also urged the general to fulfil his promise to settle the dispute over his uniform by the end of this year.
“This is an issue the president himself has said will be resolved this year. And we take him at his words,” said Mr Boucher, who heads the South and Central Asian Bureau at the State Department....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=nat7.htm&date=20070518
So, what next from here?? One can be sure of the following:
The next 3 months would be most confused and chaotic in national politics with political parties, judiciary, Bar, Chief Justice, ruling party, President, MQM and Media -- all would be at each others throats with often bloody showdowns especially in Karachi.
President Musharraf will do all what he can to get a re-election from the same assemblies in September but will face stiff resistance from opposition. The chances of any re-conciliation between Musharraf and PPP are now extremely slim after May 12th. President Musharraf is expected to make more political blunders as pressure grows from opposition. Pressure on President Musharraf will grow from all international allies to take his uniform off but the opposition will want his total removal from power and not just uniform.
Opposition parties will maintain pressure on President Musharraf and MQM in all national and international affairs. There is a real chance that Altaf Hussein may be summoned by a British court and asked to explain his role in Karachi carnage. He may even get a conviction if opposition is able to bring about enough proof.
As the pressure would grow on MQM, relations between MQM and President Musharraf would also sour and Altaf would blame the General for ditching in times of crisis. MQM could part ways from the General and announce support for Lawyers and Chief justice!! But the damage is severe and the Bar and judiciary will not buy this trick. Right now MQM is desperate to avoid any clash in Karachi and to appear as the “good guys” but as the pressure grows on MQM or Altaf is summoned in British court, the MQM would again resort to its street power for security and protection.
All opposition parties, especially PPP, MMA and ANP would try to initiate troubles with MQM under the cover of protests over May12th. With the sympathy vote in favor of the opposition and MQM under pressure at the moment, the opportunity would not be missed by the opposition to make inroads into MQM turf. This would generate more tension and more frictions. First such call is given for May 25-26-27 in Karachi by Pashtun alliance under ANP.
There is also a real chance that President Musharraf is forced to impose emergency or military rule, cancel the elections and again try to get a firm grip on power if the present crisis gets out of hand. The move will be met with strong international and national resistance and would isolate him further in all arenas even provoking mass protests or civil disobedience movement if opposition is able to exploit the moment properly.
We do not see any chance that President Musharraf will get a smooth sailing re-election from same assemblies, elections would be held in time and PML (Q) would secure a majority with MQM as allies to form the next government! The scenario is too fantastic to be true under present environment but the government and the President continue to pretend that this is what will happen in coming months. We doubt it seriously. They will be lucky if they survive till October unless some major miracle happens like US approving President’s Musharraf military rule and uniform under some covert deal to “do more” on what US wants him to deliver and he is not able to do as yet. But that may solve President’s international problems for some time but his domestic issues would remain same – serious and threatening. The political opposition is still disunited and confused and that is the only factor which is giving some support to President Musharraf and his allies internally

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Details of MQM Atrocities
1986 1987 198819891990 19911992199319941995 19961997 1998
Yearwise detail of MQM's atrocities
MQM came into being on March 18, 1984 from "All Pakistan Mohajir Students Organisation" (APMSO) but politically it got activated in 1986.
And from that year politics and history of Karachi took a bloody turn. The year wise details about the regime of terror which started in 1986, and about the story of horror, and blood and tears which still continues unfortunately, and also of the wicked leader "Quaid-e-Tahreek" of the same party who changed thousand faces all these years, and of the handful of elements who for their own interests used cheap tactics and created disturbance and violence in Karachi, and of some bigots, liars and traitors who used Mohajir community of Karachi as a pressure group to fulfill their ill goals all these years are as follows: 1986
MQM's first-ever public meeting at Karachi's Nishtar park on August 8, 1986, was marked by heavy aerial firing from the; pistols and rifles which the party activists were carrying on them. On that day, windowpanes of a traffic police kiosk opposite Quaid-e-Azam's mausoleum were broken, and stones were pelted on petrol pump near Gurumandir. Addressing the rally, Altaf Hussain said: "Karachi is no more mini-Pakistan. We will accept help no matter where it comes from, from east or west, north or south" (dailies Jang, Jasarat and other newspapers of August 9, 1986).
Two months later, on October 25, 1986, while addressing a press conference at Hyderabad Press Club, Altaf Hussain told the Mohajir youth to "collect arms. If our rights are not given to us, we will use every kind of force". On October 31, while addressing a public meeting at Hyderabad's Pakka Qila, he said: "At first we fought for freedom. Now that we have freedom, we are searching for a country" (daily Amn, Nov 1, 1986). Riots broke out in Karachi the same evening. Twelve persons were killed, 25 wagons, autorickshaws and motorbikes were set on fire, and four houses and eight shops were torched.
Riots spread to Hyderabad where seven persons were shot dead in two days. Curfew was clamped in both cities to contain violence, and Altaf Hussain alongwith ten others was arrested by he police on November 2 for attempt to murder and rioting. Nine other MQM activists were also taken into custody and firearms recovered from their possession, whereas 63 persons from other parties to the rioting were arrested from Sohrab Goth area. On November 3, ten persons were killed in hand-grenade attacks in Orangi Town area while six others died in street trouble, brining the week's death toll in Karachi to 52.
On November 18, armed MQM activists fired in the air to disrupt a cricket match in Hyderabad's Niaz Stadium. On November 21, at the end of a one-day cricket match between Pakistan and West Indies, armed MQM activists blocked all roads leading to Karachi's National Stadium. 30 persons received bullet wounds in indiscriminate firing in the Liaquatabad. Teen Hatti, Gulbahar, Orangi, Sabzi Mandi, Nazimabad and other areas of the city. A bank was burnt in Liaquatabad, while a bus was put on fire on Shahrah-e-Quaideen. One November 22, three buses and an oil tanker were burnt in Landhi, while a branch of the National Bank was ransacked and torched in Liaquatabad.
Another government bus and a minibus were burnt in Malir and Old Numaish, and several buses were pelted with stones on November 23. On November 24, 11 vehicles were burnt down in New Karachi, Federal B' Area, Paposhnagar, Gulbahar and Nasirabad. On November 28, armed clashes between MQM activists and the police took place in Hyderabad during which five bank branches were damaged and one bus put on fire.
MQM announced a strike in Karachi on December 9 and asked its followers to remain peaceful. The 'peaceful' strike led to the burning of 11 vehicles and seven bank branches. One youngster was killed, and nearly 40 wounded in indiscriminate firing. Demonstrators pelted stones on the police and a bomb was blasted near Liaquatabad police station. The police became helpless against protesters" (daily Amn). On December 14, MQM's secretary general Dr Imran Farooq stated that the situation could be brought under control only if Altaf Hussain and his companions were freed.
That night, 50 persons lost lives during ghastly manslaughter in Orangi Town. The army was called in and curfew clamped. According to newspapers, the entire Ghetto Township had passed into the hands of a group of klashnikov-weilding youngsters. 70 more persons were killed on December 15.
According to available statistics, as many as 173 persons were sacrificed on the alter of MQM struggle for rights, while 10 banks, 75 vehicles 24 houses and 20 shops were burnt during the last 153 days of 1986. The battle for Karachi's so-called rights had begun. On December 20, MQM Chairman Azim Ahmad Tariq demanded justice for Mohajirs, and advised President Zia-ul Haq to issue arms licenses to Mohajirs. After this, we will neither invite the police or the administration to defend us, nor criticize the government on this score" (daily Jang Karachi). 1987
With the onset of 1987, lawlessness in Karachi caused curfew for a record number of days. This was also the year when MQM's anti-press traits began to shape up. The coming days were to expose some of the most fundamental contradictions inherent in the party's structure and philosophy.
It was on January 31, when Altaf Hussain made the first most controversial public statement of his career. Addressing a series of welcome receptions in Liaquatabad on that day, he told his audience. "Mohajirs will have no god use for their VCRs, color televisions and other luxuries because these things cannot defend us. They will have to arrange for their own security" (daily Jang, Feb 1, 1987).
On February 1, in the central committee meeting of Awami National Party at Lahore that was presided by Khan Abdul Wali Khan, a resolution was passed stating that Sindh's Mohajirs were a part of the larger Sindhi nationality, and that there was no such thing as a Mohajir nationality. ANP was later to become one of MQM's most trusted allies in national politics.
On February 19, Altaf Hussain addressed another rally at Burns Road in Karachi. As the party activists started shooting their guns in the air, Altaf Hussain stopped them, saying "save your ammunition". The audience raised hands to give Altaf the permission to meet anyone, including G.M. Syed. During his address, Altaf said that Sindh could not bear any more population. "There are also Lahore and Faisalabad in the way. These too are Pakistani cities".
On February 20 and 21, 16 persons were wounded and one Suzuki van, four motorbikes and a KTC bus were put on fire during rioting in Liaquatabad, Shershah, Federal B' Area and Sabzi Mandi. Young boys in Liaquatabad pelted stones at the police the whole day.
On April 5, at the book launching ceremony of Shakil Ahmad Zia, Altaf made a hard hitting speech against Punjab, the Punjabis and the army. "You used force, and the result was that the country broke into two History offers no example of such a large number of troops laying down arms. For those who want to send us back to India, let me say that we will not go alone. The whole Pakistan will go to India". During the same address he issued his first threat to the press. One newspaper is becoming a party against Mohajirs. It should take warning" (daily Amn. April 6, 1987).
On May 21, a young man was killed when riots broke out in Malir and Khokhrapar in protest over the arrest of some MQM workers. Six vehicles were also burnt in the area.
In an interview with daily Nawa-e-Waqt's Irashad Ahmad Arif, published on May 25, 1987, Altaf Hussain said: "Urdu language is Punjab's problem, not ours. We have never demanded that it should be made the national language".
On June 11, while addressing the foundation day celebrations of All-Pakistan Mohajir Students Organisation (APMSO), he demanded that Mohajirs be issued with arms licenses. He said the religious parties did nothing for the Mohajir Shaheeds but when a Punjabi died everyone from top issued statements of condemnation to bottom. He also said that anyone who met the Muslim Leaguers or was hand in glove with the government ministers had no place in MQM ranks (daily Amn, June 12, 1987).
On June 21, MQM chairman, Azim Ahmad Tariq, stated that the anti-Mohajir policy of daily Jang would be fully resisted. He announced Jang's boycott, and asked people not to read it. The same evening, dozen-armed persons attacked Jang's bureau in Hyderabad and put the premises on fire.
From July 22 to August 30, clashes between MQM and a rival group called Punjabi-Pukhtoon Ittehad (PPI) caused the death of 22 persons, while 300 were wounded. Five policemen also died in riots, while 38 were wounded. Seven KTC buses and a local train also became targets of terrorism. Clashes between the two rival groups had first broken out in April, but arrests on both sides had caused the trouble to temporarily subside.
On August 4, during an address to MQM's general workers' meeting, Altaf Hussain said that the days of the power of the army and the police were numbered. These forces have been bullying us in our airfields, police stations, neighborhoods and streets. They have put the entire Pakistan in their pockets". He further said on August 14, MQM would announce that mini-Pakistan is not Karachi, but Lahore. "Throw open the gates of Lahore to Afghan refugees on that day, and let them do what they please" (daily Amn, August 5, 1987).
On August 9, the campaign to collect sacrificial hides began in Karachi and Azim Tariq, in a statement, alleged that the Jamaat workers robbed MQM volunteers of their hides at gunpoint. He condemned this act, and issued a warning to Jamaat. On August 21, Altaf Hussain told a meeting at New Karachi that the problems could no longer be solved without rendering sacrifices, and asked people willing to make sacrifices to give their names. Addressing the Mohajir police trainees, he said that if they are forced to quit their job, they should break the legs of their instructor. A time will come when our people will be sitting in police stations he said.
On August 26, bloody-armed clashes between two groups in Shah Faisal Colony led to the death of nine persons. 80 persons were injured. Eight platoons of police, riding in 32 mobile vans, were present at the scene but could not bring hostilities to an end. Riots also broke out in Hyderabad on August 27. Curfew was clamped which continued unbroken for twelve days, until 4 p.m. on September 7. On August 28, chairman Jiye Sindh Mahaz (JSM), Abdul Wahid Aresar, expressed support for the "suppressed" Mohajirs, saying that the army, the police and Punjabi settlers had attacked the Mohajirs as if they were a conquered people (daily Amn, August 29, 1987).
The government of Sindh on August 28 issued orders for the arrest of all those involved in rioting. PPI's Malik Ghulam Sarwar Awan, Mir Hazar Khan and 160 others were arrested, but Altaf Hussain was not found at his residence.
In the interest of peace, the government made a goodwill gesture by dropping criminal charges against all concerned, but it was not destined to work.
On August 30, Altaf Hussain courted arrest. On September 29, a spokesman of MQM said that the party considered Khanabdul Wali Khan and Abdul Ghaffar Khan as the true representatives of the Pukhtoons. He also expressed optimism about the party's ongoing talks with the PPI.
On October 8, G.M. Syed told journalists in Matli that the time had come for a union between the Sindhis and Mohajirs. We have recognized our common enemy, he said.
On October 31, MQM announced a strike to commemorate last year's killings at Sohrab Goth. During the strike, indiscriminate firing led to the killing of two persons. 85 others were injured while six vehicles, seven shopsand two banks were put on fire. A telephone exchange was burnt in Orangi. Three women, a girl and a man were injured in roadside firing in Liaquatabad and a petrol bomb in Pak Colony injured two police constables. Riots in Kotri and Hyderabad resulted in injuries to DSP and SSP Hyderabad, while offices of the Muslim League and Wapda, a post office, an office of social security, four bank branches and 17 vehicles were set on fire. 1988
Rioting, arson and murder continued into January 1998, ten months before the restoration of democracy in the country. On January 10, stabbing incidents and acts of terrorism in Golimar, Liaquatabad, New Karachi Shah Faisal Colony, Banaras, tin Hatti, Chand Bibi Road and Rizvia Society led to the killing of five persons, and the injuring of several pedestrians including three journalists. 13 vehicles were also set on fire. The army was called in to control the situation. On January 18, four persons were killed in bloody clashes between MQM and PPI activists. Moreover, 37 houses and shops of the area were put on fire in petrol bomb attacks. Curfew was clamped to disengage the warring factions.
Nine persons were killed and 60 hurt in riots that engulfed Nazimabad, Liaquatabad and Sohrab Goth on February 4. The property put on fire included 28 houses, several shops, two factories, a petrol pump and several vehicles. Six more people were killed, and two vehicles burnt, in Liaquatabad, Pak Colony and Gulbahar areas on February 8. Curfew continued in different areas of the city. In a statement on February 21, Altaf Hussain said that Jamaat-e-Islami was another name for the drug mafia and the police. He called Jamaat's Prof. Ghafoor a liar, and accused him of towing Jamaat's "traditional" policy of hypocrisy (daily Amn, Feb 22, 1988).
On March 1, the driver of an oil tanker lost control when he came under attack of rioters in Liaquatabad, the vehicle breaking into a house and killing four inmates. This incident was followed by violent protest in which rioters injured 12 policemen including SDM and DSP Liaquatabad. Nine police vans, a minibus and an autorickshaw were damaged. Four more vehicles were put on fire. On March 3, curfew was clamped in Liaquatabad to prevent further trouble. On March 13, in his address to the Karachi bar, Altaf Hussain advised Punjabis and Pukhtoons to go back to their own provinces and demand jobs from their governments.
On April 6, an attempt by the MQM to rename Haider Chowk (named after great nationalist leader, Comrade Haider Bux Jatoi) as Mohajir Chowk created tension in Hyderabad.
On April 30, an accident between a motorbike and a Suzuki van led to incidents of stabbing and firing in Orangi in which four persons were killed.
10 injured a bank branch and several shops burnt. The trouble spread, and by May 9, 31persons had fallen to death in factional fights in Orangi, Nishtar Road, Lighthouse, Pak Colony, Khwaja Ajmer Nagri, Nazimabad and elsewhere.
On May 11, the incidents of stabbing rickshaw drivers in the curfew hit areas started. Six rickshaw drivers were seriously injured. On May 23, MQM activists hiding in Jutland Lines and Shah Faisal colony started attacking policemen and magistrates in order to harass them.
On June 18, riots broke out in Hyderabad in which six persons died and 12 vehicles were destroyed. Two more persons died on the following day inspite of the imposition of curfew.
July 17, in the riots following attack on Mayor Hyderabad. Aftab Shaikh, eight persons were killed and much damage done to property. The bodies of the victims were sent to Sindh interior. On July 21, women activists of MQM stormed the Latifabad police Station and freed 18 arrested persons. G.M. Syed told newsmen on July 22 that both the government and Altaf Hussain were responsible for the deteriorating law and order situation. Altaf Hussain had become arrogant, inflated, he said. On the following day, altaf Hussain called on Syed at Haider Manzil and the two leaders made and remove misunderstandings.
On August 30, MQM activists pumped bullets into a Karachi University student, Aamir Salim, killing him instantly. On September 3, APMSO activists launched attacks on members of other student bodies as well as on lecturers in various city colleges, injuring dozens of them. These attacks were supervised by five councilors of the municipality. On September 30, the worst carnage of Hyderabad's history took place in which more than 150 persons, including Urdu speaking, Gujratis, Sindhis and Memons were killed.
On the following day, i.e. on October 1, terrorists in an early morning operation in Karachi's suburban areas of Landhi, Malir, Shah Faisal Colony, Model Colony, Gulbahar, Orangi Town and Pak Colony herded out of their houses and shot dead at least 90 Sindhi persons. Chief of Mohajir Ittehad Tehrik (MIT), Dr Salim Haider, in a statement said that MQM had given nothing to the people but dead bodies.
On November 10, a representative meeting of the political parties of Karachi condemned MQM's terrorism, and in this regard a memorandum for Commissioner Karachi was signed by PPP's Amir Haider Kazmi, ANP's Amin Khatak, PDP's Mushtaq Mirza, JUI's Qari Sher Afzal and others. Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani stated that MQM wanted to win elections by terrorizing the people, "but we will not bow before anyone". 1989
This was the year when incidents of firing by masked assailants increased, differences within the MQM came to surface, and thousands of copies of Urdu daily Jang were burnt by MQM activists during a boycott of that newspaper.
The rioting that marred the last days of 1988 continued into the New Year with the death of a man on January 1, 1989. This led to the arrest of 72 PPI activists, and cases were registered against one MNA and two MPAs of MQM for inciting trouble. January 24 and 26, MQM forced the closure of all markets and bazaars in Sukkur. On January 30, armed bands of MQM activists took control of the NED Engineering University. On January, curfew was clamped in some parts of the Karachi port following the murder of a taxi driver in the area.
On February 23, arsonists torched the offices of the vice chancellor of Karachi University. After day long rioting, the university was closed indefinitely.
On March 10, a 16-year-old person died and about twelve others were hurt as a result of indiscriminate firing by terrorists on innocent pedestrians. On the same day MQM announced its boycott of Jang newspaper.
On March 11, four dead bodies were recovered from Model Colony area. On March 12, curfew was imposed in Shah Faisal Colony following the death of a 12-year-old child. 13 persons were inured in terrorist firing on March 13. On March 14, two dead bodies were recovered in the wake of ongoing trouble in Shah Faisal colony and Saudabad. Masked gunmen struck on March 18, killing 10 persons and wounding 15 as they went on a killing spree in Malir and Khokhrapar areas. On March 22, MQM members together with G.M. Syed's son, Imdad Mohammad Shah, staged a protest walkout from Sindh Assembly. On March 26, MQM announced that it would back the IJI for the repatriation of Biharis from Bangladesh.
On April 1, three people died in firing by masked gunmen in Shah Faisal Colony. Student trouble started in the two medical colleges of the city and 10 students were kidnapped from Karachi University. On April 6, 10 persons were killed and 40 others wounded in incidents of firing in Hyderabad. The trouble was controlled by imposition of curfew. While death and destruction reigned in Karachi and Hyderabad. Curfew was also imposed in Nawabshah following the death of five persons in linguistic riots.
Three MQM ministers filed their resignations on May 1, but the government as a goodwill gesture rejected these. On May 3, the MQM activists broke up a rally of JUP in Gulbahar at which Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani was the chief guest. On May 7, a government contractor was killed in Ranchore Line. On May 9, doctors lodged their protest over the activities of armed MQM activists inside Civil Hospital Karachi. In Sukkur, 20 shops were burnt down in linguistic riots. Medical examinations were postponed on May 18 following an armed clash of APMSO with Sindhi students.
MQM announced its campaign of voluntary arrests to protest against the government on May 26. Talks between the chief minister Punjab, Mian Nawaz Sharif, and Altaf Hussain for political co-operation were held on May 30. On June 1, three federal ministers held an emergent round of talks with the MQM in order to save the Karachi accord.
On June 14, a group of armed students stormed the university offices and held the vice chancellor and 20 staff members' hostage for eight hours.
Three Peoples Students Federation (PSF) workers were killed on July 8. Between July 16 and 23, widespread trouble in Hyderabad led to the death of 10 persons. Curfew was imposed in the city.
On August 13, following the killing of seven persons in firing by masked gunmen, certain areas of Karachi were again brought under curfew. Armed persons also gunned down 11 more persons died in riots on August 19, a police constable was gunned down.
Between September 17 and 19, at least nine people were killed and 24 injured in riots in Hyderabad. On September 21, a student was killed and three others injured in firing in Karachi's S.M. Science College. In Model Colony, day long rioting and running gunbattles led to the imposition of curfew. In a report submitted on September 22, the then DIG Karachi, Afzal Shigri, said that MQM was not a political organization, but a terrorist one.
Altaf met President Ghulam Ishaq Khan at Karachi's State guesthouse on October 13. On the same day, two police inspectors were gunned down by terrorists in the city. On October 23, MQM unilaterally pulled out of Karachi accord.
Violence hit Karachi and Hyderabad on November 6, in which four persons were killed. The then chief of army staff, Mirza Aslam Beg, expressed hope on November 7 that soon a broad based government would be established in the country. Rangers were called to Soldier Bazaar on November 9 following the death of one person in firing. On November 21, a man was killed in Baldia town.
On December 2 an armed clash between students of Dow Medical College resulted in injuries to 12 students. Meanwhile, five days of rioting in Hyderabad between December 12 and 25 resulted in the death of 21 persons. Five persons died in Karachi on December 20. Two more persons were killed in Karachi on December 21, while two students were killed on December 22. 1990
This was the year when MQM played horrible role by unleashing a reign of terror and blood letting in Karachi and Hyderabad, it set example of the extent to which it could go to impose a minority view on the majority.
400 persons were eliminated in the first six months of 1990, and many more were kidnapped and made hostage. The months of February and May saw the most killings, with MQM terrorists going on a killing spree to punish political dissent. And the time came when Karachiites were to be confined behind huge gates of steel obtained from the bounty of Pakistan Steel Mills which passed into MQM's effective control.
On January 3, 1990, ANP and MQM reached an agreement to work jointly for "peace" in Sindh. Between January 30 and February 3, 18 persons died in Hyderabad riots. The Government of Pakistan observed February 5 as solidarity day with the Kashmiris, and rallies were held all over the country. In the evening, masked gunmen killed two persons and kidnapped eight others in an obvious bid to counter Pakistan's Kashmir cause. MQM announced strike for February 7 and on February 6 the worst trouble of the year started. 64 persons were killed between February 6 and 9.
Karachi University opened on March 31, after a 51-day closure. Altaf Hussain started his famous fast unto death on April 7, which he was to end 150 hours later without achieving his aims. On April 12, MQM rejected a government offer to hold peace talks. In acts of terrorism in Hyderabad on April 17, 23, 29 and 30, 11 people fell to their death.
On May 3, India rejected a Pakistani offer for talks. On May 9 and 10, 16 persons were killed in Malir. In Hyderabad, 25 persons were killed on May 15, 17 and 19. Following the death of 80 more persons in Karachi and Hyderabad on May 26 and 27, curfew was clamped. One of the victims in Karachi was Senator Mohsin Siddiqui, who was killed for resisting paying protection money. 28 more persons were killed on May 28, while 20 persons were killed on May 29. On May 30 and 31, 73 persons were killed.
President Ghulam Ishaq Khan proposed the holding of an all-parties conference on Sindh situation on June 6. MQM did not participate in this conference. By June 3, the number of deaths caused by terrorist attacks rose to 150.
On July 1, Gen. Beg said that the army could restore peace in Sindh in a short time. On July 13, 45 persons were killed in a bomb blast in Hyderabad.
Pakistan Steel Mills also passed into a state of unprecedented anarchy. MQM was once again accused of carrying out acts of mass murder through its terrorist wing called Black tigers. The kidnapped workers and officers of Pakistan Steel could only be released after the intervention of commander 5-Corps, Gen. Asif Nawaz.
On August 22, acts of firing on MQM reception camps all over the city resulted in the killing of 27 persons. 55 persons were injured in these attacks.
After a brief lull, masked gunmen reappeared on the streets of Karachi and Hyderabad, killing three and six persons respectively on September 8. Two more persons died in Hyderabad on September 10. There was heavy firing in the city on that day, and a petrol pump and a government office were set on fire. On September 17, Hamid Imtiaz Hanif, son of the State Bank governor, was kidnapped.
On October 19, the cloth merchants of Mahboob Market in Karachi's Saddar area paid dearly for removing the flag of a linguistic party from the top of the building. 82 shops in the market were gutted in a huge fire.
The type of political and social tendencies, which MQM displayed during 1990, was in no way suitable to the national interests of Pakistan. It not only antagonized other communities, but also persecuted those Urdu speaking people who either opposed it actively, or were simply not interested in its politics. It embarked on the mission of creating a state within the state.
The fact that MQM resorted to terrorism as a means of achieving anti-state objectives is clear to everyone who saw it grow from rags to riches in a short span of five years. It is not a mere coincidence that:
MQM was a regular party to all the incidents of blood letting that took place in Karachi and Hyderabad since 1986
Nowhere was the Urdu speaking population found involved as a community in racial killings, which remained the exclusive handiwork of its armed workers
All the Urdu speaking, Punjabi, Pukhtoon, Sindhi and Baloch victims of terrorism in Sindh were killed because of their race.
Five years of MQM also showed it to be a party, which avoided solutions to people's problems as a consistent strategy of heightening alienation. MQM's attacks on Pakistan's integrity, and the kind of violent reactions it displayed to every move the Pakistani government made over the Kashmir problem inevitably put this party in an unpatriotic frame, out to carry India's cause through the heart of Pakistan.
MQM's most favorite pill for its voters is the rhetoric that it wants to eliminate Waderas and feudal lords from Pakistani politics.
On December 9, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced in Sanghar a grant of Rs 10 billion for Sindh. On December 11, in MQM's Liaquatabad rally, he announced Rs 7 billion for Karachi. N December 17, the Jam-MQM government terminated the services of 32 assistant commissioners and 18 DSPs. 1991
Having settled in the corridors of power, MQM caused to set in the worst period of tyranny and persecution in the history of Sindh. It persecuted the press, destroyed political rivals with impunity, and organized a huge force of extortionists to discipline people and raise funds for the party. Dividing between them the affairs of urban and rural Sindh, Altaf Hussain ran the province of Sindh according to the menial whims and wildest fancies.
This was also the year when for the first time dissent within the MQM grew open and strong. Afaq Ahmad and his friends were declared traitors and their sentence specified. The slogan "Quaid's traitor deserves death" became the graffiti of every wall and the banner of every apartment house. MQM's death squads were pulled back from the fronts against other races and turned against their own people.
Altaf Hussain's own nerves creaked under the threat of dissent, and he left Nine-Zero to take refuge in Abbasi Shaheed hospital on the ruse of a bad kidney. Security matters were taken back from the increasingly suspect party organization and placed in the care of more loyal APMSO. As the crisis grew, so did the need to enhance personal charisma. This was when the stories of miracles in Saudi Arabia got currency, and the "saint" leader's images, complete with the mustaches and dark sunglasses, started appearing on tree leaves and mosque tiles.
To convince the Punjabis of the spellbinding power of the Pir over his followers, a group of 37 MQM MNAs and MPAs was dispatched to Lahore Press Club to read before the journalists a written oath of allegiance. The test, which was not allowed to be circulated in Karachi, repeatedly referred to the "blind faith" of individual members in the leadership of Altaf Hussain.
The press conference was held on July 25, a day after Lahore high court ordered the release of Afaq Ahmad and others. The press conference went on for two and a half hours, and all this while a telephone was available to Altaf Hussain in Abbasi Shaheed Hospital to hear the proceedings live (dailies Jang and Nawa-I-Waqt Lahaore, July 26, 1991). All the 37 members individually read their oaths before the newsmen. Dr Farooq Sattar said, "if I commit treachery against the Qauid, I will have denied my paternity". Wasim Ahmad said, "if I go against the Qauid. I may not be of my mother" (daily Nawa-I-Waqt Lahroe, July 26, 1991).
When the newsmen objected that they could not sit through the statements, which were more or less alike, some MQM members retorted by saying, "once we get a foothold in Lahore, then you will sit and listen, like they do in Karachi". This led to a number of journalists walking out of the press conference in protest.
Late in the evening of July 27, Pir Pagara's sin-in-law, Salim Malik, was assassinated while returning from Gadani. The poor man died because the assassins thought it was Afaq Ahmad and his friends entering into Karachi from Balochistan. Two days later, the police for the murder arrested MQM terrorist, Iqbal Chand.
1991 was, therefore, the year in which it became clear that MQM would not change its character, no matter who ruled the country. It showed itself to be a pressure group, which used Mohajirs to blackmail governments for attaining individual objectives and eliminating opponents. It launches bloody movements against governments, which wouldn't pay it any attention, and keeps on tenterhooks those which are willing to get cozy.
MQM's bully also took Karachi's press to task. When the press started reporting even half-truths about MQM, the gunmen went into action. Known journalist Maulana Salahuddin's house was set on fire long before he was finally assassinated. Daily Dawn, eveninger "Star" and monthly "Herald" were prevented from distribution. Copies of dailies" Jang" and "The News" were burnt in thousands, and MQM chairman, Azim Tariq, openly threatened journalists when he said in a public meeting that they should "keep their Ka'aba in the right direction". Zafar Abbas, Kamran Khan, Nafisa Hoodbhai and other journalists were attacked.
During this year, when MQM was in power and had its ministers both in Islamabad and In Sindh, 27 police officers that refused to sidestep the law were murdered. They included inspector Mohammad Usman, inspector Malik Ehsan, Kazim Soomro etc.
This year the MQM fought its political rivals on two fronts. One was opened against Islami Jamiatut-Talaba (IJT) and the other against the dissenters within its ranks. On both fronts, the "enemies" were either jailed or dismissed as dacoits and got killed.
On January 3, the Jam-MQM cabinet decided to set up four special courts in Sindh. Following the death of Shaukat Shah and ahead of the senate elections on January 11.
On February 20, MQM's 28 MPA's expressed their confidence in altaf Hussain's leadership by submitting their resignations to chairman Azim Ahmad Tariq. On February 21, the federal government indefinitely postponed the holding of population census.
On March 3, dissent within the MQM surfaced when the party expelled its provincial minister, Badar Iqbal on charges of financial embezzlement. Daily Dawn was warned to mend its ways and not to publish the statements of MQM's opponents. On March 19, MQM's armed hooligan robbed 21,000 copies of the newspaper. On March 21, in protest over MQM's excesses against hawkers, daily Dawn suspended its publication.
On April 30, the two Japanese students who had been kidnapped for ransom 45 days ago recovered. On July 17, MQM dissented Afaq Ahmad, Aamir Khan, Naim Akhtar, Iqbal Qureshi, Mohammad ounus and Naim Hashmat were arrested in Lahore. On September 29, journalists all over the country observed black day to protest over MQM attacks on newsmen. On October 1, terrorists bombed the house of known journalist, Mohammad Salahuddin, and put on fire. On October 11, the kidnapped Chinese engineers were recovered. On October 16, MQM's Tariq Javed was appointed the acting chief minister of the province following Jam Sadiq's departure to London for treatment is returned in November.
On December 31, Altaf Hussain spent his last day in Pakistan. On an early morning flight on January 1, 1992, he left for England never to come back.
Since Altaf Hussain's arrival in England, he is operating his terrorist organization from London under the coverage of Muthaidda Qaumi Movement.
1992
Criminal activities by MQM, the outrages of its extortionists called the "Bhatta Mafia", unabashed blackmailing of the trading and business community, relentless subversion of the law, and the growing incidence of deaths in the city's torture cells forced the Nawaz Sharif government to order a military operation against "dacoits and terrorists" in Sindh. Sindh government endorsed this operation, but MQM leaders Azim Tariq, Salim Shahzad and Dr Imran Farooq objected to the word "terrorists" as one of the targets of this operation, demanding that it should be repealed.
The operation was launched on May 28, 1992, and soon afterwards MQM severed all ties with the masses, going underground to start building its anti-state fighting force. In the meantime, the government filed cases of murder, kidnapping and larceny against Altaf Hussain on six different occasions. In view of the seriousness of the situation, Altaf Hussain, who was already residing in London, applied for political asylum in the USA, but the request was turned down.
Soon the "non-political, unarmed" crusaders of five years ago had turned into a band of hooligans who were armed to their teeth, sniffing into every nook and corner of this huge metropolis in search of dissent and opposition. Their exploits became more than evident when following the onset of army operation, daily Dawn's Ghulam Hasnain picked a dusty piece of human nose from one of MQM's erstwhile torture cells in Landhi. So that's what they had been up to, chopping off noses and ears, and then hanging the victims or putting them before the firing squads.
On December 15, 1995, an increasingly worried Altaf Hussain announced to quit politics. "I am retiring from politics today, it has given me much pain", he said. But as the underground fighting network began to shape up, Altaf was back on the scene, and his deputy Javed Langrha was already shouting directives to party activists from across the border in New Delhi.
The fighting force that was put together in the back alleys of Karachi was based on a working system of logistics, communications and publicity, including regular and cellular telephone links between Karachi, London, Africa and Delhi, and the services of some capitalists, some city hospitals, some telephone department personnel, some loyalists in the city police and some journalists of local morning and evening newspapers. This force showed some speed by using the local police to abort the actions of operation personnel, but the more it stayed underground, the freer the Karachi press got. When Nawaz Sharif government registered criminal cases against Altaf and his cohorts, and relatives of the victims of MQM's torture cells took out processions, MQM- (A) found itself isolated on the political scene.
During its stay in Karachi, the army not only recovered a considerable number of firearms during siege and search operations, it also saved a number of victims from dying in MQM's torture cells in Landhi and Lines Area. No innocent person was either jailed or otherwise persecuted during the entire army operation, and this is why MQM has not been able to build a case of human rights violations against the army, although it tried its level best to give the army a bad name.
MQM had two good reasons to defame the army: first, its favorite army chief, General Mirza Aslam Beg, who was at the center of MQM's grand designs to capture absolute power in the country, was no more in the saddle, having failed to convince the political leadership to give him an extension, and second, MQM's attacks on the army gave a cushion to Delhi based Javed Langrha in winning Indians' backing. The year 1992 brought a quick downfall to MQM, which had attained the glory just as quickly.
On February 13, 1992, when MQM was still in power in Karachi although its leader was settling down for an indefinite stay in London, Shujaat, the cousin of Line Area's Haqiqi leader Mansoor Chacha, was killed. Another person, Mohammad Asif, was injured in the same area when miscreants fired on Rangers. On February 24, Jamaat-e-Islami's senator, Prof Khurshid Ahmad, stated that had forcefully induced 6,000 men in Pakistan Steel Mills. Nusrat Mirza, a leader of Mohajir Rabita Council, said if way was paved for Altaf Hussain's return to the country, there would be more bloodshed in Karachi.
Two police personnel were killed in Nazimabad on March 23. On April 21, a Haqiqi activist, Sami, was killed in Liaquatabad. On May 5, a Karachi industrialist, Azhar Iqbal, was killed. On May 9, five persons were killed in a Hyderabad hospital. On May 17, Aga Khan Foundation's Ashiq Ali Hirji was kidnapped. His fate is yet to be known.
On May 19, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif held parleys with the new chief minister of Sindh, Muzaffar Hussain Shah, and the Corps commander Karachi, on how to control the situation in the province. Later the same evening, the Prime Minister met with Altaf Hussain during a brief stopover in London. On June 4, the army came into Sindh. On June 19, to preempt possible clashes between the two MQM groups, army came into Karachi and imposed curfew. The entire MQM leadership went underground.
On June 22, cases were filed against 13 persons including Altaf Hussain. On June 24, the army opened for general public a huge torture cell in Landhi. The same day the Karachi administration asked the people to demolish iron gates erected by MQM all over the city. On June 27, MQM revoked its agreement with the Nawaz Sharif government. On June 29, MQM members resigned their seats in the national and Sindh assemblies. On July 13, 12 MQM MPAs said they had submitted resignations under duress. On July 19, Sindh chief minister in an announcement dissociated from MQM. He told a press conference that Altaf would be arrested and put on trial.
On September 8, police inspector Bahadur Ali arrested two MQM terrorists, Khalid and Asif Lala. They admitted to have assassinated the provincial election commissioner's son and councilor Anwaar Ahmad.
On November 7, MQM's union chief in Pakistan Steel, Khalid Murtaza, was arrested on the charges of illegal confinement of some persons the previous year. Ashfaq Chief, a notorious assassin who was also arrested alongwith Murtaza, said, "I considered MQM to be the party of the oppressed, but I was made to do bad jobs. I repent".
On November 27, MQM chairman Azim Tariq surfaced from underground. He said "Altaf Hussain may disown me, he may call me a traitor, it is up to him, but God damn it, he has turned Karachi into a pond of blood" (Dailies Qaumi Akhbar, and Nawa-e-Waqt Lahore). 1993
On December 15, Altaf Hussain announced his retirement from politics. On December 24, a spokesman of the army said that action against terrorists had been completed. But the year 1993 furnished further proof of Altaf Hussain's slippery cunning. He was not to renounce politics, nor allow the army to return to barracks without any damage. Lost pirdom had to be regained, more so when all it required was to draw more blood - and more publicity. Once he had taken pride in Azim Tariq, now he wanted him eliminated. He experimented with Rabita Committee to run party affairs, and brought up Senator Ishtiaq Azhar (who is back in the background).
Elections were once again held in 1993, this time under the supervision of Moeen Qureshi's caretaker government. Altaf Hussain boycotted the elections, then he participated in it, so that he missed the national assembly polls, but relented in time for elections to Sindh assembly. The early days of 1993 had proved beyond doubt that MQM politics consisted in rioting, terrorism and eliminating political dissenter, and that the only concern of the party remained the individual interests of its leaders. Renouncing politics, and then revoking the renunciation, was both dictated by personal interests. It also became increasingly clear during this year that Altaf Hussain will not return to the country.
Attention was drawn to this following Murtaza Bhutto's return to the country after 16 years of exile. Many people thought Altaf, too, should make a comeback, but Altaf only contented himself with asking people in his telephonic addresses whether he should come back. Towards the end of 1993, MQM began to move its fighting network against the government and still continues on that path. Meanwhile, whatever little politics its leaders in Karachi are playing is meant to save there own skin; if they withdraw the drill machine of one terrorist or another might turn them cold.
Four basic features marked MQM activities during 1993:
They failed to gain the advantage for an Urdu speaking individual or community
They failed to promote trust and understanding with other parties
They failed to show MQM as an organized and active political opposition
They failed to promote democratic values.
On the contrary, the group used its leverage to restore peace in Karachi to demand particular ministerial portfolios, other concessions and the withdrawal of criminal cases against some of its leaders. The idea was to return to the era of mass plunder by the likes of M.A. Jalil and Ishratul Ebad. MQM is trained in using terrorism and destruction as its only political weapons, and which had no respect for civilized, enlightened politics.
On February 10, 1993, 13 persons were killed in a bomb attack in Kotri. On February 12, Azim Tariq excused himself from joining forces with Haqiqi. On March 12, Altaf Hussain revoked his decision to renounce politics, and announced that since Azim Tariq had breached his confidence, he was handing the party to the care of the Rabita Committee.
On March 14, DIG Jails was killed in a parcel bomb attack. On March 18, Azim Tariq courted arrest. Two days later he was released on bail. On May 1, he was assassinated by terrorists led by Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Hashamuz Zafar (Khalid is presently living with Altaf Hussain in London). On May 4, Tareq Javed was elected the new chairman of the party. On September 18, Haqiqi called a citywide strike. On October 1, MQM announced its decision to boycott elections. Altaf Hussain reiterated this position on October 4. On October 7, the group reversed its decision and announced that it will participate in the provincial polls.
On October 25, the new chief minister of Sindh, Syed Abdullah ordered to create the new district of Malir in Karachi division. Altaf Hussain used this decision as a plank to shape his new fighting strategy against democracy. True to his Hitlerian elements, Altaf was once again flexing muscles to bring terrorism in Karachi. 1994
MQM spent Rs 30 million of its ill-earned money on more or less fifty telephonic addresses made by Altaf Hussain from London during 1994. Since MQM never encouraged questions, no one among Altaf's telephonic audience had the thought or the courage to ask where this money came from, or to what end was it being used? It was being used to sow the seeds of separatism in people's minds.
The spell of the telephonic addresses was carried to the public at large during the funeral procession of Tanvir Ahmad, an MQM activist killed in an encounter with the police. The mourners chanted the slogans of "break Pakistan", which were shown to the world by India's ZeeTV on February 20, 1994. Earlier, newspapers had reported another slogan gaining currency among the party rank and file: Formula for peace in Sindh, "half for you, half for us".
On February 11, 1994, while addressing on phone the party workers in Azizabad, Altaf Hussain had said that the establishment of Malir district was a sign of slavery for Mohajirs, and that Mohajirs would rather die than being enslaved. We cannot live in this kind of Sindh", he further said. On February 18 Altaf telephonically addressed sympathizers in Karachi's Hasrat Mohani Hall. He asked them, "how long will you wait, how will you live"? The audience responded, "half for you, half for us". The boycott of daily Jang was announced in this meeting and it was decided that hawkers would not be permitted to distribute Jang the next morning.
On March 3, MQM MPA Arif Siddiqui tried to attack MQM's estranged member, Shamim Ahmad, inside the assembly building. Local bodies' minister, Nadir Magsi, prevented the attack by coming in the way. The scheming MQM's members later tactfully drew his armed guards into an ugly conflict. Although Nadir Magsi tried his utmost to avoid scandalous fallout, defending an overtly offensive Arif Siddiqui against his own guards, MQM had succeeded in creating an issue (The Frontier Post Lahore, March 4, 1994).
MQM activists burnt three vehicles in protest over this incident, and killed two persons in Liaquatabad where an Eid bazaar was in progress. Four persons were wounded in that attack. Life was disrupted in Karachi. Three days later, an MQM death squad, headed by Kamran Jaffery, put five Rangers and police officials, including a captain of Pakistan Army, against the wall in Baldia town and pumped hundreds of bullets into them. The group later shamelessly denied any involvement in this incident. In order to boost its strength, MQM called a strike on March 27 in which tree persons were killed and 17 vehicles burnt.
On April 13, on a telephonic address to audience in Azizabad's Khurshid Begum Complex, Altaf Hussain said, "If Sindh is divided, we won't be responsible for it". He further said: "Friends. Listen to me carefully. Those of you who were given receipts for contributions should deposit the sums with sector incharge. If the sector people are listening let them send it to me in London. Some sectors haven't sent me their zakat and fitra deposits. If you don't send it, you won't get new receipts. Understand? For God's sake expedite the transfer of money, these contributions are the secret of our success. And listen, help the circulation of daily "Amn". Read every word of the statements published in this newspaper. And one more thing, our comrades are in jails. Send contributions for them too. I want to help them.
On April 26, MQM launched is campaign to offer voluntary arrests, but it fizzled out in three days. On April 29, two persons were killed during a clash between the police and MQM activists. Many policemen were wounded in the clash. During yet another telephonic address, the Pir who cast his spell from across seven seas was saying, "carry your excesses to the limit. But Mohajirs will not break. Sindh will break".
Up to May 4, six people died in rioting in Gulbahar, Nazimabad and elsewhere in the city. On May 26, MQM staged a demonstration in Washington.
On June 11, MQM restarted firing in the city. Three persons were killed in Landhi on June 12. On June 20 a local court issued un-bailable warrants of arrest against Altaf Hussain and others in the murder case of Senator Mohsin Siddiqui. On June 28, MQM operatives killed SHO Bahadur Ali alongwith six other policemen.
In July, attacks on mosques and Imambargahs in Karachi started taking place. On July 13, six persons were killed in an attack on a bus. On July 24, four persons, including a cop and an Edhi Trust volunteer, were killed in an attack on Imambargah Kashmiri. MQM Haqiqi's finance secretary, Sardar Ahmad, was killed on August 8. In reaction to this, trouble broke out in Karachi Central and East in which two persons were killed and nine vehicles put on fire. Factional clashes led to three more deaths on August 11. On August 17, unidentified assailants killed notorious terrorist, Ashraf Langrha. On August 18, six dead bodies, stuffed in gunny bags, were recovered form different parts of the city.
On September 10, Altaf Hussain sated that "Mohajirs want their geographical boundaries to be determined" (Qaumi Akhbar). On September 17, eight, persons died in incidents of indiscriminate firing in different parts of Karachi. On September 26, three persons were arrested and 49 weapons recovered during an operation in Lines Area. 320 weapons were recovered during a search operation in Korangi.
On October 1, in an interview with the Voice of America, Altaf Hussain said: "Although we have only invited suggestions on a separate province, a new province will be in the interest of the country" (daily Amn, Oct 2, 1994). In another statement the following day, Altaf said that the creation of a new province would result in everyone getting his due rights.
On November 11, firing in Gujjar Nala, Abbasi Shaheed and Gulbahar areas led to the killing of eight persons, including an officer of Pakistan Air Force. On November 19, continuing violence in Liaquatabad and Korangi resulted in the death of 12 persons, including a police constable. 21 persons were injured. Police and army vehicles also came under attack.
In December 1994, 49 persons were killed, including 10 police officials. Police paid a heavy price for fighting terrorism in Karachi in 1994. 70 policemen were killed during this year, which also saw the death of six Rangers and four army personnel. Government officials remained the targets of terrorist, and it was a harassed and demoralized police force that took over after the army pulled out on November 30, 1994. 1995.
But while a new official strategy was soon to lift the police's morale and place it on a higher ground against a weakening terrorist outfit, the latter diversified its targets in order to preserve its leftover strength. This augured ill for those laborers who had come to Karachi from such far-flung areas as Hazara, Faisalabad and Khushab to earn a living. They became the targets of a new look strategy of terrorism in 1995.
Apart from this, Karachiites also saw the worst form of religious fanaticism emerge on Karachi's political scene, and then die its own death, in 1995. Hundreds of people died in terrorist attacks in the first ten months of this year.
As many as 433 persons died in the first three months of 1995 alone. The victims included 234 nonpartisans, 56 TNFJ activists, 49 Haqiqi activists, 38 activists of Sipah-e-Sahaba, 28 activists of MQM and 28 Rangers and police personnel.
The holy month of Ramzan in 1995 began with the killing of three persons including two women. On February 4, 11 persons were killed in terrorist attacks in Gulberg, Hyderabad Colony and Gulshan-e-Iqbal. On February 5, the government Pakistan observed a solidarity day with the Kashmiris, and rallies were held all over the country to back the Kashmiris' cause. But MQM refused to take part in it. On the contrary, it embarked on a retaliatory campaign, leading to the death of 20 persons in different acts of terrorism in the city.
The dead included 11 workers of the Harkatul Ansaar organisation who were manning a Kashmir day camp in Liaquatabad. Six persons were killed on February 7, three persons died in factional fighting on February 10, and two persons were killed on February 11. On February 13, masked gunmen shot dead 11 persons, including five children. Five persons, including a Haqiqi activist, were killed on February 15, while three persons were shot dead near Nazimabad's Gol Market on February 16. On February 17, three persons including an MQM activist were killed. On February 18, 10 persons, including four Shia brothers, were killed. On February 19, three persons were killed, including a sub-editor of weekly Jhalak magazine.
Seven persons were killed on February 20,three on February 21, five on February 22,and three on February 23. Senator, Shafqat Mahmood, in a statement condemned MQM leader Anwar Khan's close working with the Indian delegation during Geneva conference, and called upon the MQM either to disown Anwar Khan or admit to its links with the Indian government. Seven persons were killed on February 24. 25 more were killed on February 25, including 20 worshippers in a city Imambargah. Four persons were killed on February 27. ON February 28, president of Mehran Bank, Younus Habib, was sentenced to 17 years' imprisonment for embezzling more than two billion rupees, including Rs 140 million, which he had paid to Mirza Aslam Beg.
On March 1, Altaf Hussain vowed that he would never allow Karachi to become a city of Punjab. He said that bad days were yet in store for the city. On this day, two PSF workers were killed. On March 2 (the eve of Eidul Fitr), seven persons were killed PECH Society. On Eid day, two Haqiqi activists were shot dead in the Jamshed Quarters area. The next day an MQM activist was killed. Nine persons were killed on March 5, including a Rangers sleuth, three police officials and five Haqiqi activists. On March 6, four persons were killed including a police constable. Two police officials were among the six persons killed on March 7.
On March 8, terrorists killed seven persons including two officials of US consulate. Ten persons were killed on March 9. On March 10, the black Friday, 21 people were killed, including eight children who died in a bomb blast near Malir's Hussainia mosque. Four persons were killed on March 11. On March 12, MQM activists' raid on Haqiqi's Pak Colony office resulted in the death 12 persons. Four more persons were killed on March 13. Three persons died on March 17, five on March 18 and two on March 19. Two persons were killed on March 20, and three including a cop, were killed on March 21. The same day the government announced to launch action against terrorists in Karachi. Sindh government held an all parties' conference for the restoration of peace in Karachi, but MQM refused to attend. Two persons were killed on March 26, two on March 27, and three on March 28.
In the month of April, 88 persons were killed in terrorist attacks, factional fighting and police encounters. The victims included 26 nonpartisans, 21 personnel of law enforcing agencies, 13 activists of MQM, 13 Haqiqi activists, 11 activists of Sipah-e-Mohammad, four activists of Sipah-e-Sahaba and one PPP activist.
Clashes between the two MQM groups intensified during April. The April 24 police actin against MQM to vacate its occupation of Mir Garden in Hyderabad prompted the group to intensify its action against the government officials as well. Rocket launchers came in use for the first time in these months, and government properties as well as Rangers check posts were targeted with these heavy weapons.
Altaf Hussain in a statement said that constitution be amended to pave the way for his party's demands. MQM terrorist, Zahid Andha, was arrested on April 8. He was responsible for burning a Blue Lines coach, and with it seven passengers, near Al-Karam square in Liaquatabad. On April 18, terrorists killed eight persons in North Nazamabad, including four Haqiqi activists. On April 25, 15 private and government vehicles were set on fire in Hyderabad. On April 27, 16 vehicles, a post office and a pumping station were burnt in Hyderabad. On April 29, terrorists raided a Rangers checkpoint, the Rangers' camp and a police station, killing one police ASI.
In May 1995, 35 personnel of law enforcing agencies were killed. Other victims of terrorism included 72 nonpartisans, 16 activists of MQM 7 Haqiqi activists and four activists of PPP. Most victims were kidnapped, tortured, killed, and their bodies dumped in various parts of the city. These incidents started in May, and continued into July, 289. Of these, 434 were nonpartisans. 52 members of the law enforcing agencies, 29 activists of MQM, 19 Haqiqi activists.
35 persons were killed and 89 vehicles burnt during the first five days of June. Pushto speaking people suffered the most losses in terms of property. They protested, and MQM had to issue a statement from London telling his activists not to burn transport, but to continue with the strikes. This was a most significant statement. Altaf ordered an end to the burning of transport. If his activists were not involved in arson, as his party leaders have been asserting time and again, he would have no need to issue such a directive.
On May 5, the US consulate announced that in future it would issue visas from Lahore. The reason cited for this decision was terrorism in Karachi. On the Eidul Azha day (May 10), terrorists attacked Shah Faisal police station, killing one police constable. Seven persons, including Rangers personnel, were killed on May 12. On May 14, Pakistan announced that it would observe a black day on May 19 in protest over the desecration of Charar Sharif shrine in Kashmir. On the eve of the black day, on May 18, terrorists in citywide attacks killed 15 persons, including a Rangers officer. Also, arsonists put on fire five vehicles and a saving center. On May 19, MQM remained quite. It called a mourning day on May 22. Acts of terrorism on the eve of the day led to the killing of five persons and the burning of several vehicles. On the day itself, terrorists killed 23 persons, including 4 policemen, Rangers personnel and a PPP activist.
In the month of June, MQM embarked on a strategy to ignite linguistic riots all over Sindh. Though the strategy failed to pay dividends, many Karachi based persons with families in the interior Sindh or elsewhere in the country lost their lives in the process. In this connection, a group of MQM terrorists raided the KDA registration office in Liaquatabad's Supermarket area. 10 Sindhi-speaking officials were isolated from the rest of the staff, and shot dead. MQM terrorists Rehan Kana and Saeed Cheetah were involved in this operation. The story was almost entirely told by a local evening paper, Awam, on that day, but complete details came to light after the arrest of Saeed Cheetah and his subsequent narrative before the press in Islamabad.
The Supermarket incident blew up in the face of MQM. The party stood exposed and a feeling of resentment was unmistakably rising among the people. MQM countered this by hitting at a tender spot of people's psyche. It engineered the dishonoring of women in a series of incidents to appease public opinion. The first to suffer this ignominy was Farzana Sultan. MQM alleged that more than men raped her on June 22. Medical reports drawn by both the Sindh government and the Aga Khan hospital.
These reports are attached in end of this report. However, negated MQM version. But this did not stop MQM from calling for day of mourning with its concomitant loss of human life and property. A close associate of late Azim Tariq and a potential witness of his murder case, S.M. Tariq, was killed during this unrest MQM promptly laid the blame on official agencies. On June 25, the government was served a 48-hour notice to arrest the molesters of Farzana and the killers of S.M. Tariq. On June 26, Rabita Committee announced a weekly strike on Fridays and Saturdays with the express purpose of crippling the country economically.
Between January and June 1995, police killed 57 terrorists and arrested 319 others in 143 encounters. On June 1, bomb blasts took place in Sindh Assembly and Lyari area. Rocket attacks were launched against the police in Orangi. On June 2, terrorists hit and blasted several electric transformers in Karachi Central, besides setting 25 vehicles on fire. 38 more vehicles were burnt on June 3. On June 4, 10 persons were killed and 20 vehicles set on fire. Life in Karachi Central came to a standstill, and daily wage earners girded their loins to face another spell of starvation. On June 5, seven persons were killed and 17 vehicles burnt. Ten persons, including five policemen, were killed on June 10. A child was killed in an RPG attack in Clifton area on June 11.
Nine persons were killed, including two policemen. On June 15, 24 persons were killed, including the 10 Sindhis who were lined up and shot in the KDA registration office located at 3rd floor of Super market in Liaquatabad. RPGs again figured on June 21. Ten persons were killed. On June 22, Farzana Sultan was brought to Karachi Press Club at 9:30 p.m. for a press conference. On June 24, terrorists burnt four bogies of Chanab Express, and robbed the weapons they were carrying for Rangers in Karachi. 30 persons were killed and 23 vehicles burnt on June 25.
Law enforcing agencies came into action in July. Government issued orders that terrorist control over some government property and a number of private houses in Korangi area be vacated. On July 5,6, 13 and 24, the police engaged terrorists in encounters, killing 10 and arresting 6. Property and arms recovered from these terrorists included 11 stolen vehicles and two motorbikes, two wireless sets, a klashnikov, a rocket launcher, four rifles, two pistols, a repeater gun and 559 rounds of ammunition. An operation of the same nature was conducted in Orangi on July 2, 5, and 23 in which 55 criminals, including 31 Bengalis, were arrested.
MQM called violent strikes on June 30, July 1, 7, 8 and 9. On July 1, 19 persons including a police ASI were killed, while 17 more persons died on July 2, including a Rangers officer and a police constable. Six persons were killed on July 3, and six more were killed on July 4, including a woman and a cop. 11 persons died on July 5, eight on July 6, 11 on July 7, 13 on July 8, 10 on July 9, six on July 10. On July 1, 16 persons including two PPP activists, two cops, a doctor and a woman were killed. On July 12, six persons including a police ASI were killed. On July 13, 12 persons were killed including a police ASI. Four persons were killed on July 14, 10 including a PTV employee were killed on July 15, while eight persons including an army lance naik, a PPP activist and the crime reporter of daily Sang-e-Meel were killed on July 16.
On July 29, terrorists shot and killed the son of a local PML (Nawaz) leader who had in a TV appearance appreciated the Rangers' action against terrorists in Orangi. On August 2, the dreaded MQM terrorist, Farooq Dada (whom Altaf Hussain insisted on calling Farooq Patni), was killed in police encounter alongwith comrades Ghaffar Mada, Javed Michael and Babar Deputy. Police in 15 murder cases wanted Dada, which in the local Karachi slang means a bully.
In retaliation, the MQM terrorist killed 24 persons, including SDM Nawaz Khushk, on August 3. On August 6, another front ranking MQM terrorist, Fahim commando, was arrested alongwith three other terrorists. Commando was wanted in murder cases of sub-inspector Bahadur Ali, Haqiqi leader Mansoor Chacha, MQM leader S.M. Tariq two DSPs and one Ds Ranger. On August 15, another MQM terrorist, Tariq Commando, was arrested. Sindh chief minister, in a statement, termed as "sick" the terrorists who were dumping dead bodies in gunny bags.
During the month of August, MQM lost most of its topnotch terrorists either through voluntary surrender, arrest during police raids, or death in encounters with the police. MQM another morning call for August 23, in which four persons were killed and 18 vehicles set on fire. Shopkeepers pulled down shutters fearing violence, but the wheel did not jam. On August 24, 11 persons died in acts of terrorism. The victim included four residents of Jacobabad. On August 26, eight persons were brought together in a Moosa Colony house, and killed.
On September 1, MQM again fell back on the use of women to give the administration a bad name. This time a woman activist of the party, Seema Zarrin, was presented to the people as a victim of police excesses. Using this as an issue MQM called for another strike on September 4, in which five persons were killed and 12 vehicles burnt. On September 6, Karachiites celebrated the defense day with unusual enthusiasm, but MQM did not participate in these celebrations. On September 7, its terrorists struck, killing 11 persons. Another protest day was called by MQM on September 10 in which four persons, including a constable, were killed. 18 vehicles were also set ablaze. The same day, Sindh chief minister displayed a poster in the assembly, which was used by MQM in its international campaign against Pakistan.
The poster sported slogans against Pak Army. On September 16, eight persons were killed including three traffic cops, while six persons were shot dead on September 17. On September 18, five MQM terrorists were arrested following an encounter with the police. These terrorists were responsible for the Moosa Colony manslaughter. On September 20, seven persons were killed and 12 vehicles burnt to set the pace for another strike on September 21. Six more persons were killed and four vehicles torched on the day of the strike.
While MQM was still successful in paralyzing life in the city by calling frequent strikes, the backbone of its terrorist wing had been broken. Fear of terrorism remained a real one, yet some measure of confidence was being restored among the people about the ability of the government to contain MQM excesses. It was becoming increasingly clear that through frequent strike calls, common people were being made to suffer for terrorists every single one of whom had his hands stained in the blood of at least 10, and in some cases as many as 40 innocent people. 1996
On 3rd Jan, MQM called for strike in which three innocent citizens were killed and numerous vehicles were set ablaze in Karachi. (Pakistan Observer 4-1-96)
MQM gave new conditions for talks to federal government on the same day. (The Muslim 4-1-96).
On 4th Jan, MQM team including Senator Ishtiaq Azaar and Kahlid Bokhari met the U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Mr. Johan Rolzeman and gave him the exaggerated view of situation in Karachi. Talking to newsmen senator said
"Today's meeting with US acting ambassador was beginning of was campaign and MQM - A leaders would continue meeting foreign ambassadors in Islamabad to put pressure on Pakistan". (The Muslim 5-1-96).
Altaf Hussain in January 1996 gave an interview to "Frontline" from London to Anjali Moday Altaf again threatened in his usual manner and said, "If anything happens, the MQM will not be responsible; "
On 17th Jan, the federal government approved MQM's, another request and granted Rs. 5 lakh for the Hasrat Mohanni Memorial library and Hall trust. It was a gesture of goodwill from the government to MQM to change its nature. (The News 15-1-96).
On the same day, rockets were fired at MQM (H) headquarters in Landhi and Haqiqi's Chief Afaq Ahmed Khan accused the MQM-A and its militants of the attack and alleged that it was carried out on the orders of self-exiled chief Altaf Hussain. (Dawn 18-1-96).
Ajmal Dehlvi came back Pakistan on 18 Jan after fifteen days visit to London.
On 29th Jan, MQM (A) demanded reconstitution of the negotiating team of the Government.
On 1st Feb, MQM, terrorist claimed the responsibility of killing at least one person personally and scores of others in collaboration with other activists on behest of Altaf Hussain. (Pakistan Observer, The Muslim, Pakistan Times 2- 2-96).
On the same day four MQM activists were arrested in Saudi Arabia who were working there. (The Muslim 2-2- 1996).
The very same day Ajmal Dehlvi warns government that MQM will disrupt world cup matches. (Frontier Post Peshawar/The Muslim Islamabad 3-2-96).
On 12th Feb Mr. Zubair Akram Nadeem (MNA & the member of the government negotiating team who was lately killed by the terrorists of same party) held talks with Ajmal Dehlavi
On 15th Feb, ex-MNA and prominent leader of MQM Kunwar Khalid Younus took another dramatic move. He was brought to the STA court situated next door to the U.S. Consulate. He sought to the policeman permission to the library and surrendered himself to consulate of seeking political asylum but US Consul-General Karachi handed over Kunwar Khalid to the SSP south. (The Nation, Pakistan Times, Nawa-e-Waqt 16-2-96).
On the same day, Syed Yareed Shahadat alias Shoaib, an MQM activists involved in the murders of at least twenty persons including the murder of Ehsan Ali Shah, brother of ex-chief minister Sindh.
Giving the details of murder of Ehsan Ali Shah he said "Nazimuddin, sector incharge of Federal B Area informed that he had got instructions from London (Altaf Hussain) to kill Ehsan Ali Shah."(The Muslim, Pakistan Times, Nawa-I-Waqt, Pakistan Observer 16-2-96).
On 19th Feb, a petition was filed in the Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi bench for the release of Dr. Mohd Moin who was arrested in Saudi Arabia and handed over to Islamabad by Jeddah. (The Muslim 20 -2-96)
On 28th Feb 1996, 3 MQM workers confessed plan to kill religious leaders with the assistance of a sectarian group along with numerous murders and dacoities. (The Nation 29-2-96)
On 29th Feb a terrorist belonging to MQM (A) confessed that he along with other MQM (A) terrorists had been setting vehicles on fire, attacking police pickets and public and private properties on the directives issued by "nine-zero" the central headquarter of MQM (A) in Karachi, while the nine-zero used to receive such directives from Pir Sahib (Altaf Hussain) in London. (Frontier Post, Peshawar 1-3-96)
European parliament passed a joint resolution in 15th Feb which exclusively blamed MQM's two factions for the "human rights abuses and violence" in the urban centers of Sindh, especially in Karachi and Hyderabad. (The Nation 3-3-96).
On 5th March, 2 kidnapped persons were recovered from the custody of MQM men.( Pakistan Times 6-3-96)
On the same day government agreed to order a judicial inquiry into the charges leveled by MQM. (Dawn 6-3-96)
Visa sections of American Embassies discouraged the visa applications forwarded by MQM's workers (Jang 12-3-96)
On 25th March, Lahore police officially announced the arrest of 8-member gang of terrorists. The gang was said to be involved in 300 murders and several dacoities in Karachi and Lahore. The member of gang confessed the plan to sabotage the Cricket World Cup final "though they could not act upon it due to strict security measures". (The Nation, Islamabad 26-3-96).
On 27th March another MQM activist Aleem-uddin confessed 14 murders in a press conference which he did on the directives from Altaf Hussain (Nawa-I-Waqt Rawalpindi 28-3-96)
Shamim Ahmed (the Sindh health minister of that time) announced another faction of MQM, Which one is a true representative of Mohajir God knows. (The News Rawalpindi 2-4-96)
On 3rd April MQM Indian connections were once again exposed when in a seminar organized by Delhi based NGO Mohd Aris, MQM's representative "exactly playing at his master's voice went on to venom spitting spree against Pakistan, at the behest of Indian mentors. (Pakistan Times Islamabad 4-4-96)
"Pakistan Times" wrote that the singular objective of this seminar was to down play the liberation struggle in Held Kashmir.
On 9th April, four MQM terrorists were arrested in Multan, who were involved in 13 cases of murder, six cases of abduction murder and several other crimes. Those arrested admitted that they were very close to the MQM high command and involved in subversive activities, murders, arson, looting and abductions.( The Nation Islamabad Jang - Rawalpindi 10-4-96)
On 10th April another MQM terrorist Nadeem Chita got arrested from Azizabad Karachi. His name was included in the list of 39 most wanted criminals. His arrest carried the reward of Rs one million.(Pakistan Observer Islamabad 1-4-96)
On 12th April a delegation of MQM went to Geneva to attend the session of the United Nations Human Rights Commission to propagate the violations of human rights in Pakistan.
Asked by the BBC about their activities the delegation leader Mohammad Anwar said, "We have three books. The Title of one "genocide of Mohajirs" the second is "Death Warrant", and third book is a catalogue.
He added "these three books we are distributing here and we are also lobbying. There is a representation of about 152 countries at the UNIRC and we have so for contacted more than 100 countries". (Pakistan Observer Islamabad 13-4-96)
On 15th April MQM (A) unit chief held and arms recovered from him. (Pakistan Times Islamabad 16-4--96)
On 17th April a rally was held in London to press the demand for deportation of MQM-A leader Altaf Hussain. (The News Rawalpindi 18-4-96i)
During the same month once again MQM (A) used Indian-sponsored NGOs to defame Pakistan at International level. (Pakistan Times Islamabad 18-4-96)
On 7th May, ex-councilors of MQM got arrested alongwith 6 other terrorists of MQM (A). Councilors were involved in more than 25 cases of kidnapping, murder and terrorism. (Pakistan Times Islamabad 8-5-96)
On 10th May, Sindh government spokesman strongly condemned the MQM's strike on killing of terrorists and said it clearly shows the open support and patronage of terrorists by MQM (A). (Pakistan Times 11-5-96)
This strike which was called to mourn the death of five terrorists was failed to draw much response. 4 vehicles were set on fire. (Pakistan Times, Islamabad 13-5-96)
On 17th May, FIA stopped Javed Langhra's (an MQM terrorists in India) family from leaving for India because they failed to produce the necessary documents. (The Nation Islamabad, Pakistan Observer, Jang 18-5-96)
On 21st May 1996 a report was published in "The Nation" in which Khalid Qayum explained that the MQM delegation at the H.R.C. session in Geneva was conducted by two persons Ashoke Bhan and Pandita, both having "affiliation" with RAW. (The Nation 21-5-96)
On 27th May five MQM terrorists got arrested and an LMG with 250 rounds, two 7 MM rifles, five T.T. pistols and hundreds of rounds were recovered from them. (The Nation Islamabad 28-5-96)
Two MQM terrorists were arrested on I June and arms and ammunition were recovered from them including a light machine-gun along with stand and 400 rounds, 10 motor bombs, three complete rocket propelled grenade (RPG). 7 shells and 100 rounds of klashnikov from a store. (The News Rawalpindi 2-6-96)
On 9th June, 2 more terrorists of MQM (A) were arrested and two TT pistols with bullets were recovered from their possession. (Pakistan Times, Pakistan Observer 10-6-96).
On 16th June Karachi police arrested Azhar Sayyan and Naseem Pajama wanted terrorists of MQM along with two kaloshnikovs, four magazines and 42 rounds. Azhar was wanted in more than 50 cases and police in 27 cases wanted Naseem. (Pakistan Observer Islamabad 17-6-96)
On 25th June, 3 more MQM terrorists were arrested by Karachi police in two different raids and a T.T. pistol and a repeater were recovered from their possession. (The Muslim 26-6-96)
On 8th July police arrested three MQM- (A) terrorist recovered two TT pistols and a kaloshnikov from their possession. These terrorists were involved in different murder cases also. (The News, 9-7-96)
On 16th July Korangi police after an encounter arrested Amjad Chitta a notorious criminal belongs from MQM - (A) with a 30-bore pistol with four rounds. (Pakistan Observer, 17 -7-96)
On 21st August Hafiz Osama Qadri former MPA and an active member of MQM - (A) was arrested Government had announced Rs. 10 lakh. Reward on his arrest. He was nominated in more than 50 cases of murders and other crimes including attack on the house of Editor Takbeer, late Salahuddin. (The News 22-8-96)
On 26th August The Brigade police arrested 3 MQM activists involved in murder, attempted murder, robbery and to her heinous crimes. Police also recovered four Kaloshanikovs, two repeaters, one short gun and a 7MM rifle from their possessions. (The News 27-8-96)
On 1st September former MPA of MQM-A Hifiz Osama Qadri who was arrested on the charges of heinous crimes denied the allegations that he was being tortured during interrogations before the press. (The News Rawalpindi 2-9-96)
On 11th Sept a lady MPA of MQM-A Feroza Begum defected from this party and joined Sindh Cabinet and said that she was underground but she thought it better to come out and work to save her life (Pakistan Observer, The Muslim Islamabad, Dawn, Nawa-e-Waqt 12-9-96)
On 1st October 1996 The CIA and District Central Police arrested nine more activists of MQM- (A) from different areas of Karachi, recovered four hand grenades, one klashnikov and two TT pistols, one revolver and 1500 KK rounds from them. (Pakistan Observer 2-10-96)
On 5th October, Over two dozen MQM activists arrested in different encounter from different places. These persons were wanted in different cases of murder and dacoity. Arms were recovered from them. (The Nation Islamabad 6-10-96)
On 10th October four MQM - (A) men were arrested. Two of them Nadeem alias Bangali, and Yousaf alias Bal were close associates of Javed Langra (terrorist of MQM -A working with RAW). A klashnikov rifle and a TT pistol were recovered from them. (The News 11-10-96)
The United States Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) refused granting asylum to three frontline MQM (A) men including party's senior Vice Chairman Saleem Shahzad.( The News 22-12-96) 1997
On 3rd Jan, in an article in "the News" an independent news daily of our country Javed Soomro an eminent written wrote
"At the initial stage of its formation, the MQM, by virtue of being a party with massive support in the cities, came to be known as a party of the middle class.
At the ideological and practical level, the MQM, however undertook the policies and practices which were contrary to the characteristics of a middle-class party."
He further added "All over the world middle class parties have traditionally aligned themselves with democratic and progressive forces and had advocated grand alliances with suppressed classes and nationalities. MQM contrary to all these recognized characteristics, never ever attempted to provide leadership to the vast majority of suppressed rural population". (The News 3-1-97)
On 18th Jan, the government of Sindh ordered release of two MQM senators Aftab Ahmed Shaikh and Mrs. Nasreen Jalil on parole. (Dawn, The Muslim 9-1-97 )
Political relief to MQM-A of contesting elections was given and release of its leaders on parole is one of a goodwill gesture in this regard. (Pakistan Observer 20-1-97)
It is ironical that MQM demanded disarmament of all political groups.(The Muslim, 20-1-97)
On 19th Jan, Dr Farooq Sattar got released on parole. (The News, 20-1-97)
On 20th Jan, MQM's National Assembly candidate from Rahim Yar Khan Javed Mazari was arrested along with one MQM worker. (The Muslim 21-1-97)
The election campaign of same MQM who not only a week before demanded to disarm all the political groups in Karachi, took bloody turn as both factions of MQM resorted to violence against each other. Many people were shot dead and both factions blamed each other for shooting and killing people. (Pakistan Observer 26-1-97)
On one hand MQM-A put the allegation of worst rigging in Karachi during elections (The Muslim)
On the other hand on the base of same election results they started trying for Chief Minister slot in Sindh. (The News 18-2 97).
On 12th April, three MQM (H) workers killed and one injured in different incidents of terrorism by the rival faction MQM (A). (The News Rawalpindi 13-4-97)
On 14th April, Karachi once again apprehended by a bitter faction fighting between two MQM factions. (Frontier Post Peshawar 15-4-97)
On 16th April, two MQM (H) activists killed by MQM (A) activists. (The News, Rawalpindi 16-4-97)
On 2nd May, over 500 MQM (H) activist rounded up. (The Nation Islamabad 3-5-97).
On 4th May, 70 more Haqiqi activists arrested. ( Nation Islamabad 5-5-97).
On 17th May 1997 Akhtar Payams wrote in an article " MQM must acknowledge realities" in DAWN in which he said,
"Fantasies have no place in politics. Daydreams may sustain some individuals for some time, but they cannot be converted into hard realities. The remaining of the MQM cannot work wonders".
On 23rd May, PML (N) MNAs from Sindh showed the signs of unrest on the" aggressive attitude" of MQM who was also the coalition partners of PML at that time. (The News, Rawalpindi 24 -4- 97)
On 10th June, 12 people killed in a wave of violence in Karachi- MQM (A) blamed for it. (The Muslim Islamabad 11-6-97).
On 17th June 1997 Altaf asks workers to close down all its liaison offices. (The Nation, Islamabad 18-6-97).
On the same day four persons shot dead in Karachi and both factions of MQM blamed each other as usual for it. (N.Waqt, Rawalpindi 18-6-97).
On 18th June, Government once again invited MQM for talks, as it believes in negotiations and non-violence. (Dawn, Karachi 19-6-97).
On 18th June, MQM wants army to replace rangers and now the same MQM criticizing rangers. (19-6-97 The Muslim Islamabad).
On 21st June, MQM asked its MNA, Kanwar Khalid to explain the statement in which he called for the deployment of troops in Karachi. (22-6-97 The News Rawalpindi).
According to an MQM press release faxed from London dated May 28th, Altaf Hussain told a party rally in Birmingham hat the MQM was neither against the army nor against any nationality of Pakistan. (24-6-97 The News, Rawalpindi).
On 29th June, one MQM (H) activist arrested on the charges of attacking MQM-A office. The Muslim Islamabad 30-6-97).
On 6th July four persons including a bridegroom killed in violence in Karachi and once again MQM (A) held responsible for it.( The Muslim, Islamabad 7-6-97).
On 8th July, PM urges MQM to increase cooperation with government once again.
On 9th July, three MQM workers arrested on Pak-Afghan border. (Jang, Rawalpindi 10-7-97).
MQM decided to oppose the anti-terrorist laws proposed by government, which wants to enforce in a bid to weed out terrorism from the country, reported B.B.C. (Nation, Islamabad 17-7-97).
Altaf Hussain summoned top MQM leadership to London for some "crucial decisions". (Pakistan Observer Islamabad 23-7-97).
In its editorial The Muslim Islamabad wrote on July 24 "After investigations stretching over many days, intelligence agencies have held the MQM (A) responsible for the murder of the KESE, Shahid Hamid, his bodyguard a driver."
On 26th July, MQM changed its face and name once again and this time renamed as (Muhttaida Qaumi Movement". (The Nation/The Muslim, Islamabad 27-7-97).
Aziz Bughio wrote in his article "what if name changed!" that change in the name is not a very optimistic thing "Unless the MQM charges its designs and approach to politics" (The Muslim, Islamabad, 3-8-97)
This all turned out to be very true. On 5th August, MQM (H) activists looked for DSP's murder. (The News, Rawalpindi 6-8-97).
On 14th August, MQM rejected bill on terrorism. (Dawn, Karachi 5-8-97)
MQM's armed terrorists kidnapped the workers of Jamaat Islami and left near graveyard after threatening and torturing them. (Jasarat Karachi, 2-9-97).
On 7th September, Syed Ishtiq Azhar, Convenor, coordination committee been renamed from part convenership on serious violations of party disciplines. (The Muslim, Islamabad 8-9-97)
"The News" wrote on 9th September "Ishtiaq forced to resign for links with MQM-H" (The News, Rawalpindi 9-9-97).
On 10th September, 20 MQM Haqiqi activists arrested. (The Muslim Islamabad 11-9-97)
Ishtiaq reactivates Mohajir Rabita Council, which was merged, with the Altaf led MQM way back in 1991. (The News, Rawalpindi 12-9-97).
On 14th September, Ishtiaq Azhar alleged that he was forcibly removed from the party position because he had been opposing extortion in the name of the party. (Dawn, Karachi 15-9-97)
MQM (H) asked British government to oust Altaf Hussain alias Adolf Hitler from London. (The Nation, Islamabad 28-9- 97).
On 2nd October, MQM faction pitched battles, in which three killed, 6 vehicles set ablaze. (Frontier Post, Peshawar 3-10-97).
MQM feared Haqiqi attacks on Liaquatabad. (Dawn, Karachi 4-10-97)
On 8th October 1997 MQM-A demanded the arrest of MQM (Haqiqi) official Tehseen Zafar who had been sent by his party to open an office in London, they also called him drug smuggler. The MPAs of MQM (A) in the statement said that MQM (H) was terrorizing the residents of Landhi, Korangi, Malir and Shah Fairal colony. (Dawn 9-10-97)
On 12th October Afaq Ahmed of MQM (Haqiqi) demanded re-elections on MQM seats and said that Mohajir had rejected MQM (A) and its leader Altaf Hussain altogether. (N.Waqt, 13-10-97)
On 23rd October, Chief Organizer MQM Nizamuddin in his two-page letter to British Prime Minister Tony Blair appealed to him to take action against MQM chief Altaf Hussain who was collecting money from people in the name of the poor and needy violating the charity regulations. This is to be noted that this Mr. Nizamuddin was the personal bodyguard of Altaf Hussain when he was in Pakistan. (The Nation, 24-10-97) 1998
The Nation "in its Editorial note of 10th Jan 1998 while discussing the "No Go Areas" of MQM has said, "No Go Areas was a peculiar self-defence concept to begin with but in the polarised city of Karachi this was perhaps the only way for the two rival of MQM factions from continuing to kill each other."
On Jan 10th three persons including one woman were killed while five others injured in indiscriminate firing in MQM factions clash. (The Muslim, The Nation11-1-98)
On 16th Jan. 1998 Birg. A.R. Siddiqi published a news analysis about the clashes between rival MQM groups, in which he said, serial shoot-outs and armed encounters between the workers of the mainstream (Muthaidda) and breakaway (Mohajir) MQM have made a virtual hostage of public peace in the city's predominantly Mohajir district East - and elsewhere in the Mohajir areas. Hardly a day passes without the bad news of bloody clash amanating from there.
On 10th Jan, a wayside shoot-out at the AP - Karam Square in central District claimed three killed and several wounded - all unwary commuters. The next day - Sunday 11 Jan, saw a macabre reply claiming another three killed and an equal number wounded at the Korangi Sunday Bazar."
He further said "The tit-for-tat clashes are assuming almost the dimension of tribal blood feud and vendettas.(The Nation 16 -1-98).
On 17thJan Mohajir Qaumi Movement claimed that Muthaidda's so called missing activists were staying in various countries under fake names and that name of these activists will be released to the press.
It also said "disappearance of the Muthaidda's 28 activists is nothing but a mere drama."(Frontier Post Peshawar 18-1-98).
On 1st Feb, 2 MQM (H) men were shot dead in Karachi and Muthaidda denied the charges of involvement as usual.(The News, Rawalpindi 2-2-98).
On 7th Feb Both factions of MQM exchanged fire for almost an hour in which one person was killed.(Nawa-I-Waqt,Rawalpindi 8-1-98).
On 8th, August Dr Saghir Anasari MQM's MPA narrowly escaped when fire opened by Haqiqi terrorists but one of MQM worker Mohammed Salim sustained bullet injuries.(The Muslim, Islamabad 9-8-98)
On 13th August two MQM (Haqiqi) men were gunned down in Shah Fiasal Colony of district-East in Karachi. Syed Hodi Abbas Rizvi alias Ansar Rizvi and his neighbor Syed Athar Ali Zaidi(The Nation, Islamabad 14-8-98).
On 14 August The Peshawar Police arrested an Afghan refugee from Karachi - bound Khushal Express train at Cantonment Railway station and recovered cache of sophisticated arms from his possession that he was taking to deliver to one of the MQM factions in Karachi Police recovered two heavy boxes from the possession of the accused and during search found them full of sophisticated weapons and ammunition including 10 kalashnikovs, five 30 - bore pistols, nine hand grenades, nine buses along with 10 detonators, spare magazines and 2,500 rounds of 7.62 caliber and 30 bore.(The News Rawalpindi, 15-8- 98).
On 15th August on Muhttida's call for strike 35 shapes, 50 vehicles put on fire, and seven persons including a policeman killed and nine injured.(The Nation, Islamabad 16-8-98).
MQM quits Sindh coalition (The News, Rawalpindi 27-8-98).
On August 27th MQM infighting claims more lives. Over 60 activists arrested. (The Muslim, Islamabad 28-8-98).
On 17th Oct renowned scholar and social worker ex-governor Sindh Hakim Mohd Saeed assassinated by MQM's terrorists and on 31st Oct governor's rule was imposed in Sindh. Since then many MQM's terrorists are arrested and crime rate has declined sharply.
http://www.fas.org/irp/world/para/docs/yearwise_detail_mqm.htm
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Arrest & Arms recovery from MQM workers during December 1998 to February 1999

Dec 9, 1998 Seven hardcore terrorists, including a bodyguard of Altaf Hussain and the killers of Azim Ahmed Tariq arrested on December 09, 1998 from different parts of Karachi.(Frontier Post ).
Dec 10, 1998 As many as 10 alleged terrorists and extortionists belonging to both factions of MQM rounded up with arms and ammunition in Karachi. (Nation Dec 11, 1998).
Dec 11, 1998 Police arrested a most wanted terrorist of MQM, Saulat Mirza, immediately after his arrival from Bangkok at Karachi airport.(Nation). Saulat Mirza has said, Altaf Hussain has directed his workers in Belgium, S. Africa and India to reach Karachi. (Asas).
The accused Saulat Mirza has confessed that Altaf Hussain and his political secretary Nusrat Nadeem have been giving directives for carrying out disruptive activities and killing of innocent citizens. Mirza, arrested on his arrival Karachi from Thailand, was suspected on involvement in the murder of two US diplomats and four American oil company workers.
DIG Police Karachi Qureshi said that during initial interrogation accused Saulat Mirza confessed killing retired Major Shahnawaz Toor, who was incharge of the American Drug Enforcement Agency in Pakistan. He stated that the accused had also owned killing of KESC managing director Shahid Hamid, SDM Nawaz Khushk, a DSR of Rangers, several police officials, a lance naik of army, and five relatives of SP Khawaja Nisar. DIG Qureshi said that the accused has also admitted killing an office bearer of PPP, Nasir Guddu. He said that an information was received that some terrorists were fleeing the country while some were coming back.
DIG Qureshi said that on receipt of this information surveillance was mounted on the arrival and departure lounges of the Karachi Airport. He said that Saulat Mirza was arrested when he returned to Karachi from Bangkok. Qureshi maintained that accused Saulat Mirza has a background of international terrorism. Saulat Mirza, who was present at the press briefing, confessed the criminal activities carried out by him and his accomplices. He said that Major ( R ) Shahnawaz Toor who was incharge of the American Drug Enforcement agency in Pakistan, was eliminated because he was "prying." Saulat Mirza said that later he came to know that Toor's killing was ordered by the MQM leadership to spoil Pakistan's relationship with America. This was also aimed at causing economic difficulties for Pakistan so that the country could be harmed. On the killing of KESC MD Shahid Hamid, he said that the deceased had served in the IMF and was arranging loans for Pakistan and for this reason he was eliminated.
Saulat Mirza also spoke about his visits abroad and said that there are some 80 to 100 MQM boys in South Africa. He said that MQM leader Safdar Baqri went to South Africa from the US and said that he had instructions that work is to be done for the party. Baqri stated that some boys would have to go to get commando training there for carrying out disruptive activities Karachi, Saulat added. He said that many of the boys went to India and some are still there and getting training in terrorist activities. He disclosed that India was using Altaf Hussain and the MQM and it wants to break Pakistan. Saulat said that he returned to Karachi in March 98 and immediately went into hiding. On October 30 he went to Bangkok. He said he was given the task of killing the foreigners, Hussain Haqqani, Ejaz Shafi and Haleem Siddiqui. Saulat said when he was coming out of the Karachi Airport he was nabbed by the police at the taxi stand. He admitted that he had committed crimes, which are not pardonable.
Saulat said that he believed that Dr Imran Farooq was also killed by MQM partymen and added that Altaf Hussain did not tolerate any criticism and whosoever did so, was eliminated. Saulat also feared danger to the life of Dr Farooq Sattar. Accused Aslam Shaikh alias Aslam Chor (thief), who was arrested by the police from Nazimabad area, was also presented before the press. He said that in 1995 his younger brother Anwar Shaikh was killed in a rocket attack on Garden police station. Accused Aslam admitted that he was involved in attacks on police mobiles he said that in 1997 Shoaib Bukhari and Zulfiqar Haider had directed him to 'clean' SHO Aslam Hayat. He said that his conscience was pricking him and added that he was giving the statement without any pressure. DIG Qureshi said that the accused have given the statements after a few hours of interrogation. The police will also check its record, he added. (News Dec 12, 1998)
Dec 13, 1998 Another accused in Hakim Said murder case and an alleged assassin of Zuhair Akram Nadim arrested in two raids conducted by Surjani Town police and CIA Sadar respectively. Two more alleged accomplices were also arrested on being pointed by Asim, reportedly an accused in the Hakim Said murder case on a tip off police cordoned off some parts of Sector L-1 in Surjani Town of District West from where Asim was arrested. Korangi police arrested Zubair alias Landhi Wala, who according to polices has confessed his involvement in the killing saying that Asim was the first to open fire at Hakim Said from a KK rifle. On the information given by Asim raids conducted in Yousuf Goth, Surjani and Sher Shah areas. Shujauddin alias Shujoo and Habib Ullah arrested.
The main accused in Hakim Saeed case are Zulfiqar Haider, MQM MPA, Naushad alias Major Dandy, Shakir alias Langra. Zubair alias Landhi Wala, Asim, Ajzaz alias Wazir, Asif and Amirullah have been arrested. One person suspected to be Wahab Bandhani, who claims to be Hanif Kabarhi also arrested.
A CIA team raided a house in Sector 11 H, North Karachi from where Majid alias Mullah (also known as Sir) was arrested. He confessed to have killed Zuhkar Akram Nadim as well as PPP councillor and three Muslim Leaguers during interrogation, SSP CIA, Manzoor Mughal disclosed that in July 1998, terrorists belonging to Altaf Group met in Unit 77 Orangi Town where they finalised plans of assassinating Zuhair Akram Nadim' 'on July 1998, they gunned him down in Orangi when he was visiting an under construction building there. Earlier, they targeted three Muslim Leaguers near Fauji Hotel also. In May 1995 they killed Salahuddin alias Saloo, PPP Advisory Councillor and in September they killed Shahid alias Sarphata, a member of PMRC. Another alleged terrorist of MQM Aslam alias Chapta reported to be a close associate of most wanted Ajmal Pahari was arrested in Jalalabad. SHO Gulbahar Mohammad Aslam told that on a tip off, they raided a hideout located behind Subhan Bakery in Jalalabad where terrorists were hiding. The terrorists opened fire at police but retaliatory firing by police force them to flee. However, one of them, Aslam Chapta was arrested. One Kalashinkov, one 7 mm rifle, two repeaters and 3 TT pistols were recovered. Police said that Aslam Chapta was a member of Unit 18 and also was an honorary member of 'Moazzazin' committee.
SHO Gulbahar claimed that during interrogation, Aslam told them that they were planning to get back the hold of Khajji Ground area of the orders of MQM chief Altaf Hussain. He confessed Ajmal Pahari Group was involved in the killing go Zuhair Akram Nadim, Zahiruddin Babar (Jama' at-I-Islami), three Muslim Leaguers and others. The SHO further claimed that Aslam told them that Altaf Hussain always issue orders through his Secretary, Nadim Nusrat who asked Shoaib Bukhari, MQM MPA, to convey the orders to them. He also confessed to have assaulted two women whom they killed after gang rape and threw their bodies in Manghopier area.(Nation Dec 14,1998).
Dec 15, 1998 The arms used by terrorists to murder Hakim Mohammad Said recovered from a nullah near Burns Road on the pointation of an arrest accused namely Nadeem Mota, Korangi police have arrested three alleged terrorists said to be close associate of Aijaz alias Kala Munna named in over 200 heinous cases. A team of Rangers in Korangi recovered a considerable quantity of arms and ammunition. The enquiry officer of Hakim Mohammad Said case, SP Agha Mohammad Tahir ordered a raid when Nadim Mota during interrogation told the arms dumped near nullah behind Sindh secretariat. The arms seized from there included four Kalashinkovs, three TT pistols, one mauser and 300 bullets of KK rifle and pistols.(Nation Dec 16, 1998).
Dec 16, 1998 The dangerous criminal Aslam Jhapata confessed the murder of 20 people including a councillor of Jammt -e-Islami and Zohar Akram an ex MNA. According to the detail Aslam Jhapata was arrested on the 11th of December and was an active member of Mutthtida. During investigation he told the joint interrogation team that he join MQM in 1990 and when Karachi operation started in 1992 he went underground. In 1995 Pir pur police on the charges of keeping illegal weapons arrested him. In 1997 he came out from the jail and started participating in criminal activities of MQM once again.
Aslam told the investigators that in July 1998 Wasiah Jaleel called him along with Ajmal Phari, Dilwar, Jhangir Saeed to nine zero and ordered them to kill Zohair Akram. After receiving these orders they killed Zohair Akram in Orangi Town. He confessed that on the instruction of MPA Mohiuddin an sector incharge Ishtiaq, so he with the help of Zafar Nadeem Lamba and Akram Dahari Walla kidnapped five persons of Sindhi, Punjabi and Phattan nationality from different area of Orangi Town and killed them with Kalashinkov at Ghaziabad Orangi Town. On 16th June 1998 Wasiah Jaleel called Aslam Ali along with his helper at nine zero and ordered them to killed the ex councillor of Jammat-e-Islami Zaheerudin Babar. According to the report prepared by Sindh government a large number terrorist which were arrested by police after the impositions of Governors rule in Karachi has admitted that they got the training of terrorism for India.
Dec 18, 1998 Hazara Police arrested a dreaded terrorist and dacoit Raai Khan s/o Fazal Dad of MQM wanted by Karachi Police from a village of Havelian. Accused Raai Khan was also member of the gang, which murdered Hakeem Said. He was involved in several other incidents of murder and dacoity. He had committed a dacoity in Maleer Karachi in which Rs Eleven lakh were looted.(News Dec 19, 1998).
Dec 25, 1998 A prosecution witness in Hakim Said murder case on December 24, 1998 identified Amirullah Sheikh and Zubair, two activists of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), as the main accused involved in the killing. (News Dec 24, 1998).
Several MQM activists rounded up during siege of Korangi and its surrounding localities by law enforcement agencies. Zaman Town Police raided an abandoned house in Nasir Colony and arrested Imran alias 'Chauntees' and Imran alias Mani, both MQM activists, allegedly involved in various cases of heinous crimes. Gulbahar Police arrested Tanveer alias Chachoo and Mohammed Nasir and recovered two rifles from their possession.
The two MQM activists wanted in dozens of murder attempted murder, dacoity and kidnapping cases. The same police also arrested Tanveer, Nasir and Irfan, allegedly involved in disposing of the bodies of persons murdered at Khajji Ground. Three TT pistols also recovered from them. They admitted to disposing off 40 dead bodies. Sharifabad Police arrested Fahim alias Baryaniwala, wanted in certain criminal cases and recovered a TT pistol from him. Khawaja Ajmer Nagri Police arrested Afzal Lamba with a pistol. Afzal was wanted in four murder and firing incidents. Liaquatabad Police arrested Shakeel with a revolver.
CIA Sadar arrested Naseerullah and Khawaja Amir with two TT pistols. Mominabad Police arrested Abdul Salam and Waseem Ahmed allegedly involved in murder and kidnapping cases and recovered two pistols. Ranger and Karachi police also arrested 10 terrorist including 8 MQM activists.
A team a rangers succeeded to arrest Syed Tariq Mustafa (Arif Burger) a close companion of Ajmal Phari in a raid in Orangi town. During investigation Tariq Mustafa revealed that on the doubt of disclosing information he cut the throat of a person with the help of his friend Ehtasham in Orangi town sector 7-E lane no 6. After this he washed his hair and showed it to every one in the area so that people learn some lesson from it. Tariq Mustafa also admitted conferred to involve in some other heinous crimes including the murder of 5-labours in Ghaziabad sector 11 1/2, and of firing rocket on Sindh Secretariat. He also admitted the murder of different people in Khajji ground. Nazimabad police arrested Yousaf Chandio (Arif Dhobbi) in a raid on Paposhnagar.(NNI/Nation Dec 26,1998).
Dec 27, 1998 Rafi, alias Bubbly is an activist of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement,on December 16, 1997 lifted a Suzuki car from House No 5 near Chandni Chowk and on the very next day abducted a first year student Ambreen from Royal Coaching Centre in Sharifabad police limits for rape and ransom. Later, he rang the parents of the abducted and asked them to manage Rs. 500,000 as ransom. The parents of that girl contacted the police and lodged a FIR into the abduction and rape of their daughter. On December 27, 1997 Bubbly was arrested by the police. (News).
Dec 28, 1998 As many as 27 accused including two Unit Incharge of the MQM were arrested as police also seized arms during their drive against criminals and 'terrorists'. SHO, Gulbahar-led police team cordoned off Muslim Centre. During houses' search, they arrested Mohammad Irfan, Incharge Unit 189, and Qaisar Abbas of MQM. Police seized TT pistols from them. (Nation Dec 29,1998).
Dec 30, 1998 New Karachi Police, after a brief encounter, arrested seven Muttahida activists involved in criminal activities and recovered arms from them.(Nation Dec 31,1998).
Dec 31, 1998 Four terrorists belonging to the MQM `confessed` the planning of assassination of the then Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in Johannesburg during her visit to South Africa. "We also planned to create Sunni and Ismaili riots in Karachi", they further said. They were produced before reporters at Central Police Office during a Press briefing held by DIG Karachi. The DIG said that their confession proved that they wanted only to bring a bad name to Pakistan world-wide and to weaken Pakistan Surjani Town police arrested Nadim alias Civic, Irfan alias Imran, Mirza Wasee Baig and Babar Anis and recovered from their possession 3 KK including a snatched official KK rifle, two seven mm rifles, seven pistols, two revolvers, one mauser and 400 rounds.
The accused told the police that Altaf Hussain MQM chief and his Secretary Nadeem Nusrat ordered them in 1996 through Qamar Ghalib and Hamad Jilani in South Africa to kill Benazir Bhutto. But Benazir did not visit Johannesburg hence the planning failed, they said. They said since Ismailis contributed a lot to strengthen the country's economy. Hence we were ordered to kill Maulvi Akbar, who had embraced Sunni faith. This was aimed at pitting sunnis and Ismailis against each other, they said. In South Africa Qamar Ghalib and Homad Jilani extort bhatta from Memons and other traders who belong to Pakistan. One Fardia is the agent who arranges visas for visits of MQM activists from India and other countries to South Africa", they revealed. Nadim alias Civic said that more than 250 MQM activists named in heinous cases were in South Africa. (Nation Jan1,1999).
Jan 01, 1999 Anti-Terrorists Wing nabbed Iqbal from North Karachi who was reported to be the brother of Mustafa Ganja, an activist of Muttahida and was nominated in several FIRs. (Nation Jan 2,1999).
Jan 6, 1999 Karachi Pirabad Police arrested a most wanted MQM terrorist Nadeem Commando alias Street fighter from Bokhari Colony. During investigations, Nadeem Commando confessed to be involved in several under case. He is suspected to be involved in murder of an Army Police and several police personnel. (Nawa-e-Waqt Jan 7, 1999).
Jan 7, 1999 Eight Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) activists arrested from different areas in Karachi during search operations and arms and ammunition recovered from them. According to the detailsMohammed Asif was arrested in Nazimabad area with a pistol. He revealed that he injected poison to the hospitalised activists injured in encounters with police. Risala police arrested Ahmed Din and Akhlaq Ahmed with two pistols. Nabi Bux police wanted Akhlaq in a murder case. Mochko police arrested a truck driver Ali Mohammed and recovered two pistols and 200 rounds of klashnikov from the truck. He allegedly worked for MQM and had brought the ammunition from Balochistan. Khokhrapar police arrested Waseem Tariq, wanted in 13 cases of murder, firing, arson and police encounter. Garden police arrested Shahid alias TT from the area with a TT pistol and 100 rounds. Landhi police arrested Kashif Langra with a pistol wanted in murder and dacoity cases. (NNI/News Jan 8, 1999).
Jan 10, 1999 The Karachi police arrested six alleged workers of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) after an encounter in district Central's Liaquatabad area in which a police informer was killed. The police also recovered huge quantity of arms after a raid on the hideout of the alleged terrorists near Arshi Chowk at Qasimabad area in Liaquatabad.(News).
Another alleged terrorist of MQM arrested on the pointation of the terrorists whom police had arrested from katchi abadi of Qasimabad (Liaquatabad). Two KK rifles were also seized when CIA raided a hideout in Malir. Official sources reported that CIA with two Kalashnikovs from Malir 15 arrested Iqbal. He told the police that he was present during a heated discussion between Tariq Chamber and MQM chief Altaf Hussain followed by Altaf's orders of his killing complied with instantly by him with the help of another accomplice Zubair.(Nation Jan 11, 1999).
Jan 11, 1999 More than a dozen Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) activists, including a unit in-charge involved in murder and other criminal activities, arrested from Karachi. Arms and ammunition in huge quantities also recovered from them.
According to the details Abdus Salam alias Chingari allegedly responsible for killing of an ASI, a head constable and a constable in Ibrahim Haideri area last year along with his accomplices, arrested in Karachi. A TT pistol was also recovered from his possession. In raids and search operations in various parts of Liaquatabad five more suspects arrested for the incidents in which SHO Liaquatabad's brother-in-law was killed. The five persons picked up during raids in Azam Nagar, Sindhi Hotel and Peeli Kothi. Gulbahar police arrested Amjad Idrees, a joint unit in-charge of MQM, from Nazimabad and recovered a Kalashnikove from him. The accused was wanted in a number of murders firing and kidnapping cases. Surjani Town police on pointation of an under custody prisoner arrested two terrorists recovering two 7 mm rifles from an under construction building of the area with 100 rounds. Al Falah police arrested Saqib Hussain with a pistol. Aziz Bhatti police arrested Mohammed Sajid and Rehan in Gulshan and recovered two pistols from them.
Liaquatabad police arrested Haider Raza in murder and attempt the murder cases and recovered a pistol from him. Four persons including fake police sub inspector in uniform arrested from Landhi while they were collecting "bhatta" from shopkeepers. The accused, were identified as Ashraf alias Kala, who was the ringleader and was in uniform of police sub inspector, Mohammed Yousuf, Shahid and Zahid. Police also recovered four pistols from their possession.(NNI/News Jan 12,1999).
Jan 15, 1999 Police have arrested several activists of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) allegedly involved in terrorist and criminal activities in siege and search operations.According to the details three MQM activists were arrested after an exchange of fire from Khajji Ground in Nazimabad. They were identified as Saeed Nizami, Saleem and Aqeel. Two klashnikovs, eight revolvers and 200 rounds were also recovered from them. Police claimed that Saeed is involved in murder of three policemen and five other persons of the area. In Joharabad, three MQM activists were arrested after a brief encounter when they fired upon police from an abandoned house. They were identified as Mohammad Ali, Arman and Saleem. One 22 rifle and two TT pistols were recovered from them.The arrested persons were wanted in several criminal cases. Korangi Police arrested an activist Qurban Ali and recovered two rifles and several rounds from him. Zaman Town Police, arrested Mohammad Javed with a TT pistol. He was wanted in a number of murder, firing and arson cases.(Nation Jan 161999).
Jan 17, 1999 Police arrested four persons involved in forcibly collecting Bhata from the shopkeepers of Rainbow Center.(Nation Jan 18,1999).
Jan 22, 1999 An MQM (Altaf) MPA Afzal Anwar and a unit incharge of Mutahida Qaumi Movement Mohammad Hashim were arrested in connection with 1997 murder case of a PPP activist and his son. A police party, headed by the SHO Gulbahar, raided the house of Afzal Anwar and took away the MPA. The MPA was involved in the murder of Naeem Hasni, PPP President, district Central, Karachi and his son in 1997.
Gulishtan-e-Jauhar police arrested a Unit Incharge MQM Mohammad Hashim alias Khalid alias Hasho from a flat. He is involved in same murder case. He was also involved in ten murders and several criminal cases. The Rangers also arrested an accused Naeem Thalaywala from Liaquatabad who is involved in the murder of three army men. Afzal Anwar is the third MPA of Mutahida Qaumi Movement who was arrested as in the month of October last Shoaib Bokhari and Wakil Ahmad were arrested from Nine Zero. During the interrogation, Naeem told that the others involved in the killings are Farooq, Saghir Mota, sector incharge Shabbir Qasai, Akram Kana, Nadeem Marble-wala, Habib Safdar, Abrar, Rashid, Javed Kala, Amir and Asif.
More MQM activists allegedly involved in terrorists and criminal activities also arrested with arms and ammunition from different areas of the city. New Karachi police arrested Shahid Charibi after a shootout and recovered two 7mm rifles, a single barrel shot gun and a repeater from the spot. Afalah police arrested Shabbir Ahmed alias Farhan and recovered a G-3 rifle snatched from an official from him. Saudabad police arrested Maqbool Ahmed and Amir Raza from the area. He is involved in murder and arson cases. Two pistols were also recovered from him. Saeedabad police arrested Abdul Jabbar with a pistol. Ibrahim Haideri police arrested Suleman and recovered a rifle from him. Khwaja Ajmer Nagri police arrested Azizur Rehman with a TT pistol. New Karachi police arrested Mohammed Imran with a pistol from the area.(Nation Jan 23, 1999).
Jan 24, 1999 A considerable quantity of arms and ammunition recovered by police on the pointation of arrested terrorists of MQM. According to the details Khalid alias Pawwa, a former unit incharge was arrested in Azizabad by SHO-led police party. On his pointation, police recovered one 22 rifle, one 222 rifles, one repeater gun and over 400 bullets buried in Yasinabad graveyard. On pointation of Akram Rajput, an arm depot was raided near a mosque (Bahare Madina) in Liaquatabad from where a china rifle, a 7mm rifle, TT pistols, mauser, carbine, two 222 rifles one kk rifle and 15 shells anti-tank fuse.(Nation Jan 25, 1999).
Jan 27, 1999 The killings of hundreds of Karachiites was ordered by MQM Chief Altaf Hussain, the two-under arrest MQM terrorists disclosed as the Karachi police officially declared the arrest of the two RAW-trained terrorists and their four accomplices.
Altaf Hussain has been personally giving me orders to kill, said 25-year-old Muhammad Nadeem, an under-matriculate involved in the killings of 203 persons in Kalashinkov attacks and bomb blasts, during SSP Lahore's press conference conducted prior to any identification parade of the accused, or their statement in judicial custody.
The city police chief, Ahmad Raza Tahir said that Muhammad Nadeem and his accomplice Muhammad Sarwar had killed over 200 persons including 67 in four bomb blasts, 25 in Kalashinkov attack on a passenger bus, the murder of MNA Azeem Ahmad Tariq, 10 by using head-torture clips and 84 in pillion-riding attacks. They had also kidnapped two Koreans, two Chinese and two Iranian-nationals and the government had to pay ransom for their release. They had also packed 12 bodies in sacks and stolen Rs 55 million from a Hyderabad bank by exploding its strong room door through a blast.
One of the terrorists, Muhammad Nadeem told reporters, he joined MQM in 1987 through Javaid Langra, got fire-arms training in Rajasthan, India, and how and his accomplices acted on the "direct orders" of MQM Chief, Altaf Hussain. "During the three-month training, the Indian Army had kept us in separate camps," he said, and recalled having seen between 500 and 600 MQM trainees at the Indian camps." In charge of so-called Shurfa committee and 12 sectors, the accused said he was 15 when he first committed a crime. "Since then, I never looked back," he said, adding that the money they looted was handed over to the Nine-Zero authorities. "I have met Altaf Hussain on a number of occasions in the presence of the Taj group members and was ordered to kill MNA Azeem Ahmad Tariq. I, along with my accomplices Imamud Din, Rashid Kala, Nasir Chingari and Taj had sprayed Kalashinkov bullets on a passenger bus which had left 17 dead," he said. About the bodies found I sacks, he said these were the members of the MQM and killed by MQM, "They had either refused to carry out any more terrorists act or had simply switched over to the other group," He said while explaining how the Altaf Hussain-led MQM had killed several persons and their family members for "disobeying".(Nation Jan 28,1999)
Liaquatabad police arrested two MQM workers Shafique and Arshad Kan Katta who are involved in the murder of two armymen. A Kalashinkov and T.T Pistal were recovered from their procession. These accused belong to A.S.I Naushad and Wahab Budhani group who are involved in the murder of Hakim Saeed, during investigations accused told the police that they killed two armymen on the directives of Tanzeem (MQM) and throw their bodies in Liaquatabad graveyard.(Nawa-I-Waqt Jan 28,1999)
January 31, 1999
A torture cell was unearthed by Liaquatabad police while four more terrorists including a close associate of Javed alias Langra were among those arrested on 31st Jan.
Ranger's team conducted raids in different parts of Karachi. In their raid in New Karachi, they held Ikramuddin alias Mama Bhola who is also a close associate of Javed alias Langra.
In Orangi Town of District West, Nadeem alias Pappar was reportedly arrested by Rangers. Two others viz Syed Abid Rizvi, incharge unit 180 and Muhammad Aslam were arrested from Allama Iqbal town. Arms were also recovered from them.
In Qasimabad of Liaquatabad, SHO Sarwar Commando-led police party raided a house on a tip-off where they demolished a picket established by terrorists. Police claimed that a major torture cell was being run in that building and that three armymen could also have been killed there.
In Liaquatabad No. 8, a hideout was raided where some materials used in torture also seized. Police raided the house of Rehan alias Kana in search of his brother Talha .
During their drive against anti-social elements, police rounded up some 37 accused. Police also disclosed the procedure used by MQM to send its activists abroad. The expenses were borne by its social welfare body Khidmat-I-Khalaq Foundation.The foundation also helped Zulfiqar Haider, member Sindh Assembly and main accused in Hakim Said murder case in leaving the country through Pak-Iran border on November 9, 1998 and paid cheques to Polani Travelling Agency in Karachi.
Two accused Tehseen Siddiqui and Abid involved in sending abroad the criminal activists of MQM were arrested by the police in this regard and police siezed fake visas of South Africa and other countries, identity cards, and fake passport from their possession. (Nation) February 01, 1999.
February 2, 1999
Police and CIA raided different areas in Karachi and arrested 10 terrorists. 6 out of them belong to Muttahida. Police also recovered arms from their procession. According to the details CIA Malir arrested accused Fiaz Ahmed of Muttahida, who told the police during interrogation that he committed different crimes on the directives from Nine Zero.
He killed two people on the orders of unit Incharge Kalia and raped 10 women. Brigade police arrested Ikram who was wanted in different cases and recovered a pistol from him. Nazimabad police recovered a pistol from Mohammad Anwar while Sharifabad police arrested Kamran and recovered a pistol from him.
Ibrahim police also arrested Fahim Waseem and Mohammad Akram who are involved in the cases of murder, kidnapping and attempt of murder. CIA police recovered pistol from Usman, Malir City Police recovered rifle from Ijaz Ahmed, CIA Malir recovered mouser from Fiaz Ahmed and recovered pistol from Kazim Qureshi who was arrested from Liaqatabad. (Nawa-e-Waqt). February 3, 1999.
February 3, 1999
32 accused including two terrorists of MQM were rounded up as police and Rangers continued their campaign against terrorists and criminals.
Anti-Terrorists Wing (ATW) of Karachi Police had cordoned off Jamshed Quarter No. 2 near Bijli Ground in search of some wanted terrorists when they were fired upon by somebody. After a brief encounter, ATW team arrested one Salim alias Ghanoo and seized a Kalashinkov from his possession.
Chief of ATW team Raja Umer Khitab said Salim was wanted in 35 cases. Rangers and police raided the house of Shami Dacoit in Hasrat Mohani Colony of Pak Colony, District West. Zahid alias Kalia was also held. (Nation). February 4, 1999.
February 8, 1999
Ranger's spokesman said that the 51 Wing of Bhittai Rangers apprehended
two terrorists of MQM identified as Imran alias Super and Salimuddin alias Gullo.
They were held from Korangi No. 4. They were involved in various cases of murder including killing of a student Humayoon and "Ajji" of rival Haqiqi faction of MQM in Sector F.SDM of the area was also present during the raid.(Nation). February 9, 1999.
February 10, 1999
Pakistan Rangers have arrested an alleged hardened killer, Atiq alias Atoo, who is also nominated in the Hakim Said murder case.
According to a press release of Rangers, the accused is allegedly involved in over two dozen cases of murder, including killing of two Pakistan Air Force personnel, two police constables, one Qoumi Razadar and a woman.(News/APP). February 11, 1999.
February 11, 1999
Shakil Ahmed Kanpoori, member MQM organising Committee arrested by CIA Karachi Inspector, Javed Anjum, on January 12 from Islamabad, Shakil Ahmed is involved in over 60 crimes of a heinous nature Another 12 arrested terrorists were also present at this occasion.
They were: Arif Ahmed, Mohsin Shah, Kalim alias Jugno, Shahzad alias Ludan, Aurengzeb, Khalid Mehmood, Akhlaq alias Khalo, Salim Siddiquee, Shanawaz, Muhammad Ayub, Aziz-ur-Rehman and Sajjad.
Two klashnikovs, 10 pistols, a revolver, a stolen car and two motorcycles were recovered from these accused have confessed to murder more than 60 persons collecting Rs. 2 million through extortion, attacking mobiles of police and Rangers, setting on fire a passenger train in Orangi Town, torturing 50 persons to death at a Nazim Abad torture cell and getting released 25 terrorists through forged documents.
In his confessional statement, Shakil said Altaf Hussain wanted division of Pakistan into nine regions including a state for Mohajirs comprising Karachi, Hyderabad and Mirpur Khas. He said initially the proposed state was named as Jinnahpur but when the intelligence agencies came to know about it, the proposed state was then renamed as Mohajiristan. He said Altaf Hussain would head that state.
He said everything had been chalked out on papers with regard to that proposed independent state. Anis Advocate Anis Ahmed Qaimkhani, Naseem Jalil, Aftab Sheikh Liaquat Ali, Dr Farooq Sittar, Zulfiqar Haider and Wasay Jalil were involved in that planning, Shakil said these people believed that their plan would be executed in the year 2000. Nation
Paramilitary forces conducted an operation in Darra Adamkhel in a hunt for the MQM terrorists. Eight locals suspected to have assisted Karachi-based Muttahida Qaumi Movement in gun running and violence in the Pakistan's port city and about 15 workers from the factories manufacturing guns were apprehended.
Intelligence agencies had credible tips about the presence of terrorists in the area. Four vehicles, lifted or snatched from Karachi were recovered during the operation. Those arrested include Haji Fazal and Haji Khan Mohammad Din, who have been providing arms and ammunitions to Altaf Hussain'. Authorities had information about the presence of six MQM men with Haji Fazal while some hand grenades were recovered from Mohammad Din's place. Two vehicles were recovered from Haji Fazal's place.(Nation).
According to WWI, CIA Jamshed quarters arrested MQM's terrorists Mohammad Shakeel alias "chikna" who had opened fire on Columbian Experts, arms were also recovered from him.(Nawa-e-Waqt). February 12, 1999.
February 14, 1999
An alleged MQM terrorist was arrested by the personnel of an intelligence agency in D.I Khan, police said. Maqsood, the alleged MQM terrorist was picked up from a city locality.
He was working as a labourer here for long time but was wanted by Karachi police in several
cases of heinous crimes. (News). February 15, 1999.
February 15, 1999
Police arrested nine Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) activists allegedly involved in murder and other criminal activities and recovered arms and ammunition from them. The New Karachi Police during patrolling intercepted an MQM activist Asif with a stolen car and TT pistol. During a search, the police recovered a card of Muslim Students Federation and Shabab Milli from his possession.
He was wanted in a number of criminal cases. The Soldier Bazar police arrested Mohammad Zaman and Mohammad Yousaf for their involvement in murder and arson cases. The Model Colony Police arrested Shahid alias Natha and Arshad Ali from Mehran depot and also recovered two TT pistols from their possession. The Mominabad police arrested Waseem alias Langara with a pistol. He was involved in murder and dacoity cases.
http://www.fas.org/irp/world/para/docs/mqm-factsheet.htm
In New Karachi, police arrested Amir and Asif Kala driving a Car # Q-2386 and recovered 2 TT pistols from them. According to police both of them are Muttihada’s workers and involved in terrorist activities.(Nawa-e-Waqt). February 16, 1999.
February 16, 1999
Three wanted activists of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) were reportedly apprehended by the Anti-terrorists wing personnel on their arrival in Karachi from Colombo by a PIA flight. They were identified as Mohammed Anwar, Abdul Rasheed and Izharul Hasan.
They were nabbed because of information received by ATW about their return to Karachi. They had fled to Colombo after governor's rule was imposed in Sindh.(APP/News). February 17, 1999.
February 17, 1999
Lahore Cantt circle police arrested an MQM terrorist Abdul involved in murder of 12 persons and other terrorist activities. Abdul Rauf alias Rufa alias Ali alias Shah, was arrested along with his sister-in-law Shaheen Kausar alias Shaheena alias Naz. Police after wards arrested their two allies Ameer Afsar and Fiazi Zaidi from Karachi on the information provided by them.
Police also recovered illegal arms from Ameer Afsar and Fiazi Zaidi. ASP Cantt Qazi Jamshad disclosed these details on 17 February in Lahore. He said that accused at interrogation centre North Nazimabad killed 9 persons including a rebelled MQM Sector Incharge on Independence Day in 1998.
ASP further told that the accused also killed K.M.C's engineer Shaan Zaidi and killed two persons in Imambargah Khar with firing. Accused killed Mohammad Khan and Ishmael Khan opponent of a drug baron in Quetta and took Rs 4 lakhs from the baron for the killings.
Accused is also involved in 8 bank dacoities and more than dozen other crimes. The sister-in-law of Rauf, Shaheen Kausar is also involved in various crimes. (Nawa-e-Waqt) February 18, 1999.
February 21, 1999
Jamal Sultan, Incharge, Society Sector of MQM was arrested from his house in Block II, PECHS in a raid conducted by CIA Central. One Kalashinkov and two Pajero jeeps were recovered from his house.
Azizabad police in several raids arrested the owners of some travel agencies on being pointed out by three MQM men who were arrested on February 20, 1999. (Nation).
Three alleged terrorists of MQM arrested by Anti-Dacoit and Robbery Cell (ADRC) in a raid in Muslimabad of Malir CityDSP of ADRC told in a briefing.Akbar Ali alias Babar Kashi, Nadeem alias Sri Devi and Mehmood Ahmed were arrested from behind the petrol pump in a raid and one carbine, two revolvers, 16 rounds were seized from their possession.They were named in seven cases registered by Saudabad police and Alfalah police. They are allegedly involved in burning ofbuses firing on police and transport (Nation) February 22, 1999.
February 22, 1999
CIA Malir arrested unit incharge of MQM Orangi Town, Shamim Pervaiz and his accomplice Naushad Alam. Two AK-47assault rifles were also recovered from them.
They were allegedly wanted in a number of cases, including seven murders, CIA East arrested Mohammad Nazir and Alamwith two Ttpistolsfrom Korangi area for involvement in murder and arson cases. (The News/NNI).February 23, 1999.
February 25, 1999
Liaquatabad police and FIA in a joint raid at Jinnah Terminal, arrested a Sector Incharge of MQM trying to flee to Male in Air Lanka flight at 3 am on February 25, 1999 while a Unit Incharge of MQM (H) and seven other MQM activists were also held and four suspects were taken into custody as police claimed to have arrested 55 accused. Six pistols, two revolvers, one repeater and a dagger was also seized from their possession. Iftekhar Ahmed Khan, a Sector Incharge of Sharifabad was arrested while trying to flee to Male as he was to board the flight UL-184 of Air Lanka. His name was place on Exit Control List as he was named in killings and murder attempts. From his possession, a Press card was also seized. (Nation) February 26, 1999
February 26, 1999
Karachi police arrested four persons included Muttahida workers in raids in different areas of Karachi. Arms were also recovered from them. According the detail, Manghoo Peer Police arrested Kamran Billa an ally of Farooq Dada, a dangerous terrorist who was killed in police encounter and recovered a stengun from him. Accused Kamran is involved in the killings of several government officials and different incidents of firing and murder. (N.Waqt).
Rangers arrested one dangerous terrorist of Muttahida Qaumi Movement who was involved in killing of several persons including a police constable (Nation) February 27, 1999
February 27, 1999
The Karachi police arrested a notorious terrorist Syed Fida Hussain Shah, at Regal Chowk Saddar.
The accused was wanted by Baldia police in different cases of terrorist activities and arms smuggling. According to CIA, the accused was being interrogated at South CIA Center.(Nation/PPI).
An alleged terrorist of MQM Shakeel Shah was arrested by Havelian Police after prolonged exchange of fire. Shakeel Shah was wanted by Sindh Police in numerous heinous criminal acts. During the Police operation, Mian Raza, DSP Havelian, was also injured. Sindh Police had provided a list of terrorists to Hazara Police. On a tip off received by the Police, under the supervision of DSP Mian Raza, a Police party besieged the house of one Mustafa Shah, paternal uncle of Shakeel, and ordered the accused to come out.
In reply, the accused started firing on the Police which was responded by the Police personnel. Finally, the police arrested Shakeel. Police recovered one pistol, one repeater 12-bore, a Kalashinkov, three magazines and numerous cartridges from the accused. During the initial investigations, the terrorists confessed his involvement in several criminal cases. (Nation). February 28, 1999
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The day of infamy -- when Karachi burned!


It was a day of infamy in Karachi. It was a recreation in Karachi of present day ruthless urban warfare of Baghdad. Unofficial figures give over 35 dead, over 100 wounded by gunshots, about 70 vehicles torched and a day of rioting, looting, plunder and gang warfare. Incredibly, not a single arrest!!!!

We had expected this. A day earlier, we had sent the following situation alert to our patrons:

“Threat level is level 3 at the moment in Karachi but could rapidly rise to level 4 if a clash takes place. Unfortunately, as we write, the city of Karachi is heading for a massive showdown tomorrow on 12th May. The two opposing camps are:

1. MQM and ruling PML (Q) and Police on one side.

2. PPP, MMA, Sunni tehreek, Chief Justice, Lawyers and Punjab / Pashtun alliance on another.

Both sides are powerful and ready for a violent clash. So far we see no interference from federal government to avoid any such clash and neither side is showing signs of backing down.

We had previously written extensively that MQM will fight tooth and nail to protect its interests and power in Karachi and now they have decided to come out in the open in full force using State power and street gangs to muzzle the opposition, Chief justice and lawyers as well as media.

The ruling PML(Q) which is opposed to PPP is allowing MQM to use their street power and the authority in the government to crush the CJ and lawyers rebellion and the attempt by the political opposition to cash in on the opportunity”.

It is time that we do a serious philosophical assessment of the events of the day which are going to change the direction of politics in this country from now on. Why did it happen? who is responsible? What will be the cost? these questions beg answers.

The game plan of President Musharraf and ruling PML(Q) was to use the mighty arm of MQM as their bull-terriers to crush and humiliate once and for all the “rebellion” of Chief Justice and the attempts by the political opposition (PPP, PML (Nawaz), and MMA) to rally their cadre into a powerful alliance against the government.

MQM, in their typical brute and Mafia styled manners, went for an over kill and a ruthless job they did at it. The entire city was sealed, roads were blocked, thousands of workers of opposition arrested, high court was besieged, lawyers were beaten into pulp and even judges of High court were insulted and stopped from going to work. The processions of lawyers and political parties moving towards airport to receive the Chief justice was attacked and dispersed with many killed and wounded. Chief justice was not allowed out of airport. Finally media showing the live covering of the events was attacked and silenced. Police and rangers were under direct orders not to interfere while gun totting gangs ruled the streets crushing all opposition with bloody iron fist tactics. Result was rather pleasing to President Musharraf and his allies, who celebrated their own “victory” in Islamabad in a massive show of force with -- dances and drum beats -- against the Chief justice and opposition parties. With another rally in Karachi by MQM and total crushing of opposition rally in Karachi, the government and the MQM camp feels they have won the war and those dead in the day of rioting are the “martyrs for democracy” as President Musharraf called them!!.

Without any bias, it was a stunning display of brute State terrorism, something one would not associate with President Musharraf normally. In our assessment, the biggest loser was President Musharraf himself, who lost his entire moral and political credibility within civil society, international observers and private media who are already stunned and up in arms at what they saw and the indifference of the federal government towards the whole bloody affair in Karachi. While Karachi was burning, the ruling party was arranging a festive rally for the President in Islamabad with dancing groups and beating of drums!

President Musharraf have now irrevocably aligned himself with ruling PML (Q) and MQM with battle stations manned for a decisive war with Chief justice and all opposition parties. The display of State terror was so blatant that even the international HR bodies were also quick to react and gave a damning verdict against the government and President Musharraf.

_________________________

Pakistan government fomented violence: HRW
_________________________

ISLAMABAD, May 12 (AFP) - The Pakistani government deliberately stoked the political violence in Karachi which left 15 people (23 according to latest reports) dead ahead of a rally by the country's suspended chief justice, Human Rights Watch said Saturday. The New York-based watchdog said the federal government and the government of Sindh province had failed to ensure security for its citizens while police were “silent spectators” to the bloodshed.

“The prevention of a peaceful reception for the chief justice by Musharraf's supporters demonstrates the military government's intolerance for civil society actions and has triggered widespread violence and death,” said Ali Dayan Hasan, Human Rights Watch's South Asia researcher. “The sequence of events leading up to this violence, including statements from the provincial authorities and the arrest of hundreds of opposition activists ... indicates that the government, acting through its coalition partners, has deliberately sought to foment violence in Karachi.” Hasan said it was a “dark day for civil and political liberties in Pakistan.”

http://www.dawn.com.pk/2007/05/12/welcome.htm



We have said earlier also that by sending the reference against the Chief Justice, President Musharraf had committed the biggest political and legal blunder of his tenure. He has chosen to take the course of head-on collision with the Superior Judiciary, the Chief justice and the Bar. Bad move to say the least.

The subsequent reaction from the lawyers and the pouncing of the entire political opposition on the opportunity had certainly rattled the ruling party and the President. Chief justice had been touring the country and addressing the Bar and the judiciary but was also seen as a rallying point by the opposition which did try to mobilize the masses for their own cause. While the Chaudreys of Punjab could not afford to appear as “undemocratic” and brute on their own turf in Punjab, they were indeed rattled by the unexpected developments. One option available to the government to check this political tsunami was to impose the State of emergency which gives some fantastic powers to the government and allows the election to be postponed. No less than Prime Minister was tasked to send a warning to the opposition and the Chief Justice.

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Talk of emergency at PM’s press conference
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By Ahmed Hassan
ISLAMABAD, May 6: Declining to rule out chances of imposition of emergency in the country, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said here on Sunday that the Constitution allowed the option but its use depended on conditions and circumstances as laid down in the book.

Speaking at a news conference at the Prime Minister’s House, he said the government had volunteered its machinery to facilitate the caravan of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry to travel to Lahore by road, adding that had it been perturbed by the event it would not have done so....

http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top2.htm&date=20070507


Only a couple of days earlier, a veteran politician sympathetic slightly critical to President Musharraf had forewarned of the similar game plan. His reference to the political party “buying arms” is towards MQM.

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Pagara sees martial law after rally on 12th
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By Habib Khan Ghori
KARACHI, May 10: Pakistan Muslim League (Functional) chief Pir Pagara said on Thursday that if the May 12 rally saw an outbreak of violence and bloodshed, the ruling establishment would lose no time in declaring martial law.

Speaking at a press conference at Kingri House, he said the political party that had in the past advised its supporters to sell off their TV sets and buy arms would be totally responsible for any untoward incident that might occur during the rallies on Saturday....

http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=local4.htm&date=20070511
For the last seven years, President Musharraf has been presenting himself as a democrat. His version of democracy while he remained also the army chief was also accepted by the US because he was useful to them. Now US have a change of heart and have increased pressure on him to bring “true democracy”. His intention was to ward off the US pressure by taking a fresh vote of confidence from the present assemblies to get another term in the office till 2012. But his miscalculation over the Chief justice issue has now risked all his plans while his own vulnerability has become more exposed to the US. Reports like the following have now become a routine publications increasing pressure on him.

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‘Musharraf’s efforts backfiring’
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By Anwar Iqbal
,WASHINGTON, May 6: The recent events in Pakistan are having an impact on how the US views the government in Islamabad but policy-makers in Washington believe that it is still the army that calls the shots, says a commentary in an academic publication.

http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top14.htm&date=20070507


With the pressure increasing upon him to take the uniform off and his desires to get a re-election from the same assemblies, the Chief Justice crisis proved simple top much to bear almost snapping his nerves. He had blundered to a limit where his own government was threatened.

President Musharraf had to find an exit strategy fast. On April 15th, 2007, we had given our following assessment of the available options to the President to come out of the judicial mess.

“In our assessment, there are only two viable options left which may have to be deployed in quick time without wasting any more time and to diffuse the opposition and lawyers’ protests.

The government may initiate talks with the suspended CJ and redress his grievance with dignity and honor and withdraw the reference against him. He is feeling very high nowadays and full of confidence and feels that he can take on a uniformed President. His defiant intentions and actions of trying to defend himself have and would seriously damage not just the institutions of Military and Judiciary but also the person of CJ and President. President Musharraf would be a very wise man if he reach out to the suspended CJ and offer an apology to settle the matter for larger national good and his own survival.

Alternatively, the President can withdraw the reference without any pre-conditions or deal with the suspended CJ and offer unconditional apology to him for misunderstanding and abuse. In that case, he will definitely have to sack the PM or his closest advisors to show his sincerity and to silence his critics. This would catch the opposition protests off guard and would dissipate the present protests and would also bring back the status quo which was there before the CJ was suspended. It would demand, though, that President Musharraf appoint a new PM if not sack the entire government to form a caretaker government.

We agree that these two exit options would not be pleasant for the President nor for his PM and advisors whose heads could be rolled in case these are deployed. This would seriously jeopardize Shaukat Aziz’s game of selling off all remaining national assets in “indecent haste” as per suspended CJ verdict in Steel Mills case.

It will also bring the government under more pressure over missing persons case. President Musharraf is ambitious to seek a re-election in uniform. We are not sure how much ambitious he is and how far he is willing to go for this desire. His burning desire for a long term survival may cause his short term doom. It is a delicate and zero margin for error call which only he can make till he has time and option to do it. If he misses the bus, then others will make calls for him as it happened with Ayub Khan in late 60’s whom General Musharraf idealize in many ways”


Even the Chief Justice knew about this weakness and dilemma of the President and wanted to offer an exit strategy to the General based on above options which we had given. The CJ’s lawyer this time made a dramatic public offer which he had been doing secretly since the reference was filed.
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Musharraf-CJ co-existence possible, says Aitzaz
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By Ashraf Mumtaz
LAHORE, May 9: It may be possible for Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry to coexist with President General Pervez Musharraf if the latter withdraws the reference against the judge.

However, the situation will be quite different if Justice Chaudhry is reinstated as a result of the ongoing legal battle in the Supreme Court or under street pressure that is mounting by the day, the CJP’s counsel Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan says.

http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=nat1.htm&date=20070510


But the hawks around the President – the PM and the Chaudhry’s – shot down any suggestions which could lead to a reconciliation with the Chief Justice. With collision course already set, now they had to find someone who could muzzle the dissenting voice of Chief Justice and the opposition,. MQM was the ideal candidate for the dirty job. There are reasons for that too.

MQM is staunch enemy of PPP which is trying to regroup under the banner of Chief justice Crisis and is a direct contender to MQM in Sindh.

MQM is also staunch opponent of Nawaz Shareef who is planning to come back to increase pressure on General Musharraf after the judicial crisis. That had to be stopped as well.

MQM is also ruthlessly opposed to religious alliance MMA which are also supporting the CJ.

MQM also wanted to save its government which was coming under threat if the President dissolved the assemblies or imposed the Martial law under pressure from the opposition over the crisis. MQM had to give him a helping hand now to save their own power.

They had the gangs and the guns to do the cleaning, which they did ruthlessly in Karachi on May 12th.

MQM took the assignment with full nod of the federal government and was given a free hand to deal with the situation with the guarantee that law enforcement agencies will not interfere and MQM workers will not be arrested. Following news items supports our argument about the fears in the minds of MQM regarding threats to the government, their animosity with religious parties and the fear of return of NS.

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Altaf warns against plot to topple government
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LONDON, May 8: Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain has said that if conspiracies are hatched to end the present elected government, all workers and supporters of the MQM will stand to defend democracy.

http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=nat3.htm&date=20070509


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Nawaz hopeful of early return
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LONDON, May 9: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif said on Wednesday he and PPP leader Benazir Bhutto had ruled out any deal with President Gen Pervez Musharraf.

Mr Shraif, who has long said he plans to return to Pakistan, said current events in the country might speed his homecoming.....

http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top10.htm&date=20070510


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MQM subverting struggle for independence of judiciary, says Qazi
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By Amanullah Kasi
QUETTA, May 11: People will overcome MQM’s arm-twisting tactics to accord a warm reception to Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry in Karachi on Saturday, despite the MQM’s strong-arm tactics to sabotage the struggle for judiciary’s independence, according to Chief of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal Qazi Hussain Ahmed.

Dubbing the Muttahida Qaumi Movement an organisation of terrorists, Qazi Hussain said that MQM activists could not compete with people who were supporting the Chief Justice, upholding the supremacy of the constitution and the rule of law....

http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=nat13.htm&date=20070512
But this strong arm tactics have also done severe damage to MQM itself. They may have been able to shoot down the opposition rally this time, but now their relations with following powerful players have become irrevocably bad. They are now virtually isolated in national politics.

The superior Judiciary and the Chief Justice.

Lawyers and the Bar councils.

The media which was attacked by MQM especially the AAj TV which remained under virtual siege for six hours with direct gunfire for showing live footage of the MQM men. Though media is very scared of MQM and is still reluctant to take them on, the loyalties of the media are now with CJ fully.

The religious parties and the MMA.

The ethnic groups in Karachi like Punjabi / Pashtuns.

People party PPP

PML (N) Nawaz Shareef.

ARD and other Sindhi groups.

It is now obvious that rise and fall and the destiny of MQM is tied with President Musharraf. Their terms with PML (Q) and Chaudreys of Punjab are also tense though this time they have come together temporarily for a common cause of survival. Despite having street power and clout in Karachi and Sindh, they cannot survive on their own if they do not have the powerful backing of President Musharraf. Since the military in general hates them and they hate the army too, their survival is tied to only one man – the President. Now in a marriage of convenience, MQM have done President Musharraf a “favor” by beating the hell out of opposition, media, judiciary and the lawyers.

But now they are sitting with fingers crossed that President Musharraf survive for another term because all can change radically if the Supreme Court reinstates the Chief Justice and pulls a fast one on President Musharraf. With hearing of the case from 14th May on daily basis, it is not going to take very long for the Supreme Court to decide about the verdict. If the Chief Justice is re-instated or the Supreme Court takes the President to task on some other critical issue, then one can be sure that another major legal and political disaster awaits President Musharraf and his allies including MQM. Now there is blood feud between the MQM and the Chief Justice. Altaf and his MQM would now need to watch their back even more.

The reverberations of May 12th would be felt now all over the country especially in Karachi as well as in national assembly and superior courts. With judges, media, civil society and political opposition fuming over the events, we can be sure that it is not over yet and more battles will be fought in streets and in court rooms. It seems now that it is the beginning of the end for the government. Karachi on May 12th would prove to be their waterloo..

Z.Hamid is a Defence Analyst from Islamabad.
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PPP-Musharraf deal
This is not about whether there is or there is not a deal between Benazir Bhutto and General Pervez Musharraf. One merely assumes, for comment making that there is a deal. It is still possible that it is not yet finalized. But there cannot be so much smoke without some fire.
The first question is: who needs a deal most? Many assert that it is Benazir Bhutto who is desperate for a deal with Musharraf. The reasons for this are well-known: She is anxious that corruption cases against her in the Swiss court should not be pursued, the sentence pronounced on her in absentia should not be implemented and she should be allowed to return to participate in politics and run the election campaign of Pakistan Peoples Party. If she succeeds she would possibly inherit the Prime Ministerial office, if her showing in the election is as good as supposed.
From another viewpoint, it is Musharraf who happens to be in trouble and needs substantial political help in his present predicament. What is the predicament? It is the Judicial Crisis he created by taking the ham-handed actions against the Chief Justice of Pakistan on March 9 and keeping him incommunicado for a week after staging a well-organised police attack on the TV channel, GEO, under the very nose of the Information Minister Muhammad Ali Durrani, if not under his direction. Legal fraternity’s agitation seems to have become a self-accelerating one that after two months still looks likely to grow, especially as opposition parties are sure to intensify their role. True, President Musharraf is lucky that the opposition parties are so badly divided and that the largest mainstream party, the PPP, is ready to serve office under the uniformed President and the deformed Constitution as it stands now. This master statute subordinates the whole elected system to the pleasure of the President (Musharraf). Even otherwise any ruler would be happy to receive additional political support that PPP appears to be promising.

The real question is what will the deal do? Quite a few assessments have been made: The first is that it is unlikely to stop the slide in President’s popularity; incumbency factor is gaining momentum. Then, it cannot resolve the Judicial Crisis one way or the other. And this Judicial Crisis is the immediate problem for Musharraf. True, PPP’s accession to the Musharraf camp would strengthen his resolve and the likelihood of his election going smoothly through the existing Assemblies, as their swan song, will increase. The thought recurs: the dynamics of legal fraternity’s agitation and its inherent possibilities will not be affected by Benazir’s strengthening the military controlled regime. This action would be seen by most as a betrayal of the people’s trust. People see PPP’s place to be in the ranks of opposition to what is a military regime.
There are larger issues regarding the country’s place in the world. Pakistan is a non-Nato ally of the US in the War against Islamic Terrorism. But its relations with US, Nato, and Hamid Karzai alike are increasingly fraught. Western allies do not appear to trust Musharraf: They see him as half hearted in countering Taliban, though his zeal in eliminating al-Qaeda militants continues to be praised. The relations with America have always been a keystone of Pakistan’s foreign policy, although there is some recent propaganda that Pakistan can very well do without American aid and if America is disillusioned with Musharraf regime, let it withhold the aid if it wants to. Dr. Ishrat Hussain, who has been entrusted with this job, may be right; one agrees with him that it is quite feasible for Pakistan to do without the American aid that comes with so many strings attached.

But one cannot help commenting that Pakistan has always found the aid to have strings attached and had always gone along as much as it could in the past, including recent past. But now that a unilateral break from the other side looms, this kind of propaganda may be making a virtue of necessity. The fact is, and let no politically aware person should ignore it, that the kind of American aid is and the way it is disbursed has been a Manna for Pakistan’s elite classes. Much of the aid ends up with these social and economic elites – and it hardly ever percolates down. Even the Americans know it.
Which is why the Yanks are so confident that stoppage of this aid would hurt Pakistani elites hard who are so used to soft living. But this is something that PPP has to worry because she may be joining a ship that is adrift and risks sinking. On her part, she is the staunchest pro-American politician in Pakistan and she should know what she is doing by joining Musharraf: Americans may or may not like to bolster the military regime. But it is quite possible that injection of PPP into a seriously amended Musharraf system might make the latter more acceptable to the Americans in the short run: She can be trusted more than Musharraf.
The fact that BB would be discrediting herself by joining the Musharraf regime when it is at its weakest is a matter about which she should be the best judge: Whether her political stature will go up or down is what she has to examine. But, more than that, PPP would be dealt a heavy blow by this betrayal of the ordinary worker who has been brought up on a rhetoric of democracy and opposition to dictatorship. The party will gradually lose its ability to pull votes on a big scale. Before long, it might cease to be the largest party. Indeed the chances in the 2007 election, if held, are not likely to improve by this action.

It will strengthen military’s power immensely by showing that even at such a dark hour when the army-controlled regime run by its top general, is at its weakest and faces an uncertain future, a politician with a reputation to guard is ready to climb the General’s rickety bandwagon. True, Benazir has served office under military’s guidance before. That is not be something new for her. She will probably do what may be even more dangerous for democracy.
By deserting the opposition ranks in today’s conditions, she will be leaving the field to MMA and PML(N), both of which have used ambiguous Islamic rhetoric, former substantially than the latter’s rather vacuous slogans. If the agitation of the lawyers and an anti-dictatorship campaign by the opposition parties go ahead simultaneously, the ultimate beneficiary would be MMA. Remember the 1977 agitation: it was originally about holding another and fairer election. But before long the religious parties, by their stronger vocal chords, made the whole agitation morph into the demand for Nizam-e-Mustafa. That can happen again. The process of Talibanization of Pakistan is likely to accelerate.
Finally a word about the deal’s possible terms: PPP loyalists still believe that BB cannot accept this Musharraf Constitution and the President in uniform being elected by outgoing Assemblies or another 2002-like election. She will insist on scrapping the Article 58 (2) (b). Musharraf can be ready to accept such terms, would he have done what they did on March 9 in the Army House? He seems still determined to implement his known programme. The only likely deal is for BB to cooperate with Q League and MQM.

Mr.M.B.Naqvi is a senior journalist and provides a depth of vision on Pakistani politics and the geostrategic environment. He writes for major newspapers like The News.
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Stop the SJC Farce and Reinstate the Supreme Court Chief Justice
Dear President Musharraf: We, the majority of Pakistanis have supported you because of your visionary and dynamic policies in the area of Women's Rights, Economic Reforms, Enlightened Moderation and Freedom of the Press. However, we are deeply disappointed that you have shown a lack of tolerance for dissent. You dismissed Mr. Jamali for exercising an independent attitude. You crushed Mr. Bugti for speaking up for the rights of Balochis as citizens of Pakistan. Your government has jailed Mr. Javaid Hashmi for his right to challenge the military rule. Your government has been culpable in the cases of the "Missing Pakistanis." You have falsely accused them of of joining terrorist group, without providing any proof. When the Supreme Court of Pakistan took notice of the "Missing Pakistanis," you, on the advice of the perennial guru of dictators, Mr.Shariffudin Pirzada brought trumped up charges of misconduct against the Chief Justice. Now you smugly invoke your desire to follow the constitutional course for the resolution of your arbitrary act of declaring the Supreme Court Chief Justice "non-functional," a term which has no precedence in judicial history of Pakistan or any other nation. This is an arbitrary misuse of political power, gained through an extrajudicial act of usurption. No President in the history of true democracy in the world, has ever usurped the highest judicial authority. Your arbitrary malfeasance extends beyond judiciary to other spheres of governance. Unfortunately, you appear to have isolated yourself. You are surrounded by sycophants and "chamchas," some of whom were imported from abroad, at the behest of your son and his cronies. Provincial governments, with the exception of NWFP and Balochistan, are dominated by heriditary feudals or branded criminals. There are known criminals in the Sindh provincial government. They have kept the whole city of Karachi hostage to their fearsome terror. The Governor of Sindh is an known absconder. You have retained him to get the support of MQM. For political expediency, you have not raised a finger against MQM. You have legitimized a known terrorist organization. The United Kingdom has asked Pakistan to hand over British citizens in Pakistan, who have been accused of terrorism in Britain. But, you have never made any efforts to get the extradition of Mr.Altaf Hussain, the leader of MQM, an organization with roots in terrorism and murder in Karachi. In order to foment trouble in Pakistan in the future, the British government is conveniently, providing sanctuary to Mr.Altaf Hussain, the "Osama bin Ladin of Karachi." But, this is to be understood from the hypocritical British, who self righteously complain, as to why the Islamic World detests them? Their self righteous indignation mocks all norms of fairness and justice and confirms them to be a nation of hypocrites. A reputable U.S. security organization has also published a list of terrorist acts committed by MQM (http://www.fas.org/irp/world/para/docs/yearwise_detail_mqm.htm). How can you act against other terrorists, when you have ministers from MQM in your government? In your view, does political expediency supersede moral integrity?
When you took over, you were a beacon of hope for the Pakistani masses. You had promised to pull the nation from the shackles of abject poverty by good governance. However nothing has changed for the majority of Pakistanis continue to struggle in the clutches of abject poverty. Despite the $13 Bn in foreign exchange reserves, no dent has been made in alleviating the misery of Pakistani poor. I suggest you face reality by visiting the jhugghis of waste scavengers living in the middle of a sewage dump in Lahore's Budha Darya area. General Sahib, it will give you a dose of reality of how poor Pakistanis live. Sir, they live among flies, sewage, trash, and quadrillions of bacteria and viruses. Hepatitis C, AID, Tuberculosis, and Malnutrition is their lot. Their Kafkaesque existence is fit for no man or beast. There are numerous areas in all the four provinces of Pakistan which mirror the sewage dwellings of Budha Darya. Without any ray of hope, these places are a fertile ground for breeding terrorists and suicide bombers. The hope for a better life than the life of unemployment, muck, and sewage, even after death keeps these people going. Sir, lets put our house in order, then say that our poor are better off than those of India. India is is nothing but a rot of islands of garish wealth interpersed with massive landscape of sewers, cow dung, and monkey droppings. They espouse the ancient cult of pantheistic idolatory, worshipping, cows, rats, snakes, elephants, monkeys. and above all human penises, which even forms part of their name; there is no dearth of shivalingam, kundalingam and a myriad of others. Lets not look at the sewer next door, lets clean-up our own act. Pakistan has been hijacked by the chaudharis of Panjab, the goons of Sindh, the fat cats of Baluchistan, and the talibanized mullas of frontier. In Pakistan, how can you justify the bullet proof Mercedes for VIPs at costs greater than $100,000, when the common man cannot afford to buy a "roti" and "daal," for less than 50 cents?
Our criticiism is meant to give you a reality check and shock you out of your inebriated euphoria of unbridled power over the lives of 160 million struggling human beings. Islamabad, our elitist capital with its wide boulevards, weekend farmhouses (including your own), and socalled decadent life style has no resemblance to the fetid environments, where the rest of 160 million Pakistanis live. Islamabad is a segregated ghetto of opulence infested by the corrupt, the debased, the parasitic bureaucrats, the political whores of the rich and famous. It mocks at the abject poverty of Pakistani masses, for whom the dung heaps of Budha Darya are the norm.
You may think we are affiliated with a political party or ideology and are out to denigrate your efforts at improving the image of Pakistan. No Sir, we are among those who send their hard earned dollars to support the $13 billion foreign exchange reserves. We love Pakistan and would die for it. We want Pakistan to flourish and go to greater heights, but only after meeting the economic and social needs of all Pakistanis; and by restoring their honor, dignity, and human rights. The glitter of power has blinded you to the problems of common Pakistanis. You have truly let us down by joining the ranks of those who have exploited this nation for sixty years. You have sold your morality at the altar of power and even stooped to bring back the looters of Pakistan; Benazir and her wicked consort. This woman is very much like you; who bartered the interests of Pakistan to the West, and has the gall to comeback and exploit the poor of Pakistan; with her vitriolic and sugar coated venomous rhetoric.
We want you to wake up from the fantasy world built around you by the toadies, sycophants, and expatriate carpetbagger opportunists like Nasim Ashraf, who came with a missionary zeal to solve the human development problems of Pakistan, but ended up running the Pakistan Cricket Board and its charity mujras. Yes, you have even destroyed the last past time of Pakistani masses, by giving the reigns of cricket to a power hungry, silver tongued Lothario, Nasim Ashraf. Even, after the death of Bob Woolmer, you continue to support him and other opportunists. Islamabad is teeming with expatriate toadies, who having failed in the West, have come back to destroy what is left of Pakistan. They have launched an epidemic of corruption and have begun with a vengence, a campaign to rob and steal the nation through nepotism and powerful contacts.
Our education system is being eroded by a fat cat serminizing sycophant, a has been chemistry professor, who has no vision about improving education standards of the nation, which have ebbed to the lowest level, it has ever been. His political acumen, family connections, rudimentary research experience done several years ago, along with a gift for gab has made him the czar of higher education in the country. His budget of billions of dollars is not going to raise the standard of science and technology in the nation. The millions being spent on education, we will find as history tells us in lining the pockets of this educational mafia. There is no accountability of how Pakistan's education budget is being spent. Your personal honesty is no guarantee for the honesty of such advisors.
How hopelessly mistaken we were about you! You were the dream merchant, who would rid Pakistan from the svengali grip of the invincible Islamabad bureaucrats, the feudal families of Legharis, Chaudharis, Mazaris, Tareens, the Ghumans, the political Mullahs, the Pirzadas and Nawabzadas, and the caste based biradaris of other feudal vampires. These carrions have gorged the wealth of Pakistan and become billionaires. Their bastardized progeny, speak a pseudo-anglicized version of semi-Urdu. They flaunt their bodies on mod and grung fashion cat walks. They drink to their death in illicit bars, fornicate their brains out, and dope themselves on smuggled heroin from Afghanistan. They consider Pakistani culture as non-chic and live a pseudo-westernized existence. Their extravagant life styles are supported by indulgent, "maammies," and "daddies," whose wealth is obtained through corruption and other dubious means. These corrupt parasites on Pakistan have metatisized since 1947 and infected every institution of Pakistan. The poor and middle class Pakistanis are on the verge of economic extinction from the cancerous materialism, rampant inflation and endemic corruption of of feudals-bureaucrats-military nexus. These leeches on Pakistani masses have formed symbiotic networks to self-perpetuate their ill-gotten wealth and criminal enterprises through networks of marriage alliances. In Pakistan, the demonic cadres of the feudals-bureaucrat-military elitist have their tentacles choking the nation from prospering. The boundaries of power are strong and well defined and the tired and huddled masses are kept well segregated by them. In Pakistan the seeds of a pre-revolutionary era are begining to sprout. The social, economic, and political conditions mirror those of the pre-French Revolution era. The common man is at a breaking point. The cost of basic life's like necessities food, shelter, clothing, health care, and basic education have sky rocketed. Pakistan has been hijacked by its bureaucrats and landed elite. The Legharis, the Tareens and the Jadoons ride around in their ill-gotten pajeros and humvees. Their children dot the landscape of elite universities in the West. They obnoxiously splurge on the wealth stolen from the Pakistani masses. After Ayub Khan, our nation has been a victim of persistent dictatorial abuse. Today, waiting in the wings are the fattened religious bulls. The opportunist mullahs are sharpening their knives and spreading nihilistic philosophies besmirching the fair name of Islam. They are nurtured by the millions piped from Arabia or UAE, who support their sectarian proxy wars against Iran. Pakistan has become a proxy battlefield for Iran, Israel, Afghanistan, S.Arabia, UAE, India, Russia and the West. The latter thinks that all 150 million Pakistanis are terrorists or sympathizers. The average open-hearted Pakistani is humiliated and demonized at entry ports of nearly every nation on the globe. Their green passport is a guarantee for harassment and denigration by poorly paid and minimally educated passport control officers around the world. A Pakistani doctor with an FACP, carrying a Pakistani or even a U.S. or British passport is treated lower than a garbage man from India or Europe, when passing through Western entry ports.
Fanatics of every ilk are bombing our cities due to your penchant to fight other peoples battles in the heartland of the NWFP and Baluchistan. Our tribals, who were always the most loyal to the nation are bombed by their own army. Our poor, unemployed and indigent youth are turning to dark and evil doctrines, which have no semblance to our magnificient al-Islam, the religion of peace and submission. The battles you have taken to fight do not make Pakistan or the West any more secure. Despite the great losses of our armed forces (over 800 killed in battles against the demons of al-Qaeda) in the desolate mountains on the western front, the suspicions of West about our intentions and sincerity of resolve in fighting terrorism grow unabated. Even the ingrate Afghans (for whom every Pakistani made sacrifices of food, shelter, clothing, and dignity) are paying us back by bombing our cities and turining our uneducated youths into subversives and making us enemies abroad. General Sahib, you were supposedly our liberator from this plethora of problems, but you have deeply disappointed us. General Sahib, understand this: even if all the Pakistanis died in battles against the terrorists, it would still not appease the West. Their hatred is based on their historical anger germinated during the crusades. Pakistanis have been making sacrifices for the West, since the downing of the U-2 Plane. The reward for such sacrifices? A virulent image promoted by the racist western media painting imaginary scenarios of nuclear holocausts against Israel, India, the U.S. by rogue elements of Pakistan's Armed Forces. These are the same Armed Forces, who die everyday fighting the ever elusive demons of Al-Qaeda and Taliban. These are the same soldiers, who have handed over Khalid Sheikh, Ramzi Yusuf, Al-Libbi, and 700 others for interment in the West. What has Pakistan Armed Forces received in return, two old F-16s to assuage Pakistani public anger. India in turn for exporting mangoes and siding with the Soviets during the Cold War is getting cutting edge nuclear technology, and a promise of F-16 and F-18. The Democrats are sharpening their long knives to cut-off current rudimentary military sales to Pakistan. Pressler Amendment is alive and well. This is in return for over 800 precious lives of Pakistan's soldiers, who fought to keep the West and Israel safe from the real or imaginary terroristic demons. We are fed up with the lack of reciprocity from the Western public. Citizens of Western nations treat their loyal fellow citizens of Pakistani background with suspicion and distrust. No Pakistani was ever involved in 9/11, but several thousands were deported. Is this the reward, you have gotten us for the sacrifices Pakistan and its armed forces have made, as West's allies in the War on Terror? Although our brothers in the Pakistan Armed Forces die for the West every day, our beloved Pakistan is kept under the Sword of Democles of being declared a 'terrorist nation' by the legislative bodies of Western nations. The reality is that we will never win the hearts and minds of the West, no matter what we do. So quit sending our brave soldiers to fight and die for other people's causes. Defend Pakistan and fight the battle for its security and democratic institutions, like its Legislature and Judiciary. Stop the hoodlum Chaudhari brothers from attacking peacefully demonstrating lawyers. Get rid of the "dunngur (bovine animal)," Wasi Zafar, as a Law Minister. He foams filth from his mouth and needs anger management classes. His exploits of misusing his office and beating up waiters have become world renowned. Stop listening to the democracy killer and friend of dictators, Shariffuddin Pirzada. Get rid of the army of ministers in training created as political pay-offs for "Political Daddies," like Leghari, Khar, Tareens, and a host of other feudals.
When you came to power, you mesmerized us. You were the great commando, who would beat the demons of feudalism, religious ignorance, intolerance, poverty, illiteracy, poor sanitation, corruption, and a host of other evils. You were our "Bahadur Sipah Salar," but you betrayed us by cavorting and uniting with the feudals (the Chaudhary brothers and the Leghari clan are good examples) and bureaucrats (like the indestructible, octagenarian, and destroyer of Pakistans political system, the ubiquitous Mr. Pirzada). You were the last hope for the tired and huddled masses of suffering Pakistanis.
Yes, General Sahib, we were the last hold-out--your genuine supporters, who rationalized all your inept and myopic actions in governing Pakistan. Now, you have even lost our support. The last group of your true friends and admirers is leaving to shed tears at the misfortune of a potentially great nation. Alas, Pakistan's greatness has never been given a chance to flourish. We have been awakened from slumber and found that we bet on the wrong horse. We are ashamed of you but proud of our nation. It has produced brave and gallant men such as Justice Iftikhar Chaudhary. He has stood up against the feudalistic thiefs, who wanted to pawn our only steel mill at bargain basement prices. His suo moto notices challenged your legitimacy. His inquiry into the "disappeared Pakistanis" is a challenge to state sponsored lawlessness. Justice Chaudhry has blazed a trail of meritorious judicial conduct in an endemically corrupt judiciary. Yes, General Sahib, unlike you, he is a commando of concience, his weapon is "Adl," which also happens to be an attribute of Almighty Allah, the "Al-Adl."
You also have become arrogant; absolute power has corrupted you absolutely. Takabur or arrogance has taken away all semblance of humility. You have begun to believe that you are greater than your own shadow. You are repeatedly using the term "I" in a Louis XIV type context. You are addicted to the ostentatious pomp and show of a self-imposed potentate. You claim to be an enlightened moderate of Islam. It would be worthwhile, if you practiced what you preach. A good start would be the emulation of the life style of beacons of Islamic moderation. People like Hazrat Umar (pbuh), who during his Caliphate, lived in abject poverty and servitude. He made sure that even the poorest citizen of his state was fully clothed, housed, and fed, His subjects had the power to challenge the Caliphs edicts. Not only that but his subjects also had the courage and freedom to rebuke him. The fountainhead of Islam, our beloved Prophet (PBUH) had holes in his clothing. He wore a tattered patchwork blanket, during the near freezing desert nights, and slept on a bed of palm fronds. If he was alive today, he would be shocked to see the obnoxious opulence displayed by the multitude of potentates and viceroys of Pakistan. These denizens have the gall to fly our sacred flag, which truly belongs to those Pakistanis, who have neither rights or receive social justice. Your army of 70 federal ministers, represent the evil cabal of powerful feudals and parasitic bureaucrats. Can one of the poorest countries in the world afford such ostentatious materialism as their's? We are also ashamed of Mr. Shaukat Aziz and Mr. Kasur. Even though they knew full well that your act of absolutism and usurping of Article 209 of the Constitution, resulting in the removal of Chief Justice was against the law and the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, they stood by and did not stop you from taking such a disastrous decision. You cannot preserve power by destroying the pillars of power, which are the articles of Pakistan's Constitution. General Sahib, it is still not too late to redeem yourself--reinstate the Honorable Chief Justice of Pakistan. Get rid of the Kangaroo Court of the Supreme Judicial Council. Apologize to the officers of the court, our great lawyers, who have shed their blood and dignity to protect the independence of the judiciary. You have made a mistake, as we all do. Admit it, make amends and move on. Pakistanis are a forgiving and magnanimous people. They will give you another chance. Otherwise, take a lesson from the story of Thomas Becket, this act of yours may be more costly to your legitimacy as the ruler of Pakistan. Pakistanis are not vindictive, we quickly forgive and forget, as you are one of us you should know better. However, history is an unforgiving judge and if you do not stop this travesty, you will be judged very harshly by history, as it has been in the case of Saddam, Zia-ul-Haq, and Pinochet . . . and a host of other major and minor pharoahs.
Sincerely,
Mike Bax
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Law minister couldn’t help abusing on VoA


By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Federal Law Minister Wasi Zafar repeatedly hurled naked abuse in a live Voice of America (VoA) radio discussion on chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry's deposition, which was heard worldwide on Monday night.There were three participants in the telephonic discussion — Wasi Zafar, constitutional expert Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan and Ansar Abbasi, Editor Investigations, The News, Islamabad.Ansar joined the talk a bit late and said he fears to say anything because of Wasi Zafar's peculiar temperament and track record. As he uttered these remarks, the law minister came in and said whoever gives him a "big arm", he would do the same to his family.As Wasi Zafar heard Ansar joining the programme, he lost his cool and started hurling abuse. He was angered because of a story headlined "Law minister facing long arm of the law" that Ansar had filed and was published in The News on August 13, 2005. It said the prime minister and Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain would decide the fate of the law minister for his son's thrashing of a PIA passenger in his presence at the Karachi airport.Earlier in the programme, Aitzaz Ahsan had also threatened to break off due to the foul language of the law minister. But he was persuaded by the host to continue. Ansar regretted the repetition of the abuse by Wasi Zafar and said the world was listening to the kind of language the minister was using.A caller from Pishin, Naeem Taseer, also wondered what question should be asked from this kind of a minister. Later, Wasi Zafar vehemently denied on Geo that he hurled any abuse on the VoA programme. However, the audio played by the TV network gave a lie to his assertion.The minister again poured his anger on Ansar, saying he was corrupt and a blackmailer, who gets money for his stories. In the same programme, Ansar said there was a serious problem in the minister's personality. He said the high-ups should take notice of such buffoons who are bringing a bad name to Pakistan.The other day, the Jaranwala Bar Association cancelled Wasi Zafar's basic membership and recommended to the Pakistan Bar Council that his licence should be revoked. Wasi Zafar earned notoriety when he threatened a chairman of the Capital Development Authority, who had refused to give a concession to him regarding an industrial plot. He and his sons had also thrashed a person at the Karachi airport in 2005, who objected to the minister's sons jumping the queue. Later, he slapped a waiter of a five-star hotel in Islamabad over a trivial matter.
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10 Questions: What about Pakistan?



10 Questions: What About Pakistan?
by Michael Krepon

March 5, 2007

http://www.stimson.org/pub.cfm?id=401


Katie Couric of the CBS Evening News: We began the week with Pakistan in the news—and I thought it would be good to end the week explaining a bit more about why. It's a country whose leader, General Pervez Musharraf, plays a unique role in supporting America's war on terror. He's a critical—but very difficult—ally, buffeted by opposing pressures from his domestic population and from the Bush administration. For insights into this powerhouse of South Asia, we turned to Michael Krepon, a Pakistan specialist and co-founder of the Henry L. Stimson Center in Washington. 1. Vice President Cheney made an unannounced visit to Pakistan this week, along with the deputy director of the CIA, reportedly to push the Pakistanis to crack down harder against terrorists along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. What should they be doing that they're not now doing? America's leverage isn't great here, because Pakistan has put more troops into this fight, and has taken more casualties, than have NATO forces across the border in Afghanistan. The threat of tough sanctions has been used before, and has led to two previous divorces, the last being in 1989, after Pakistan helped boot the Soviet Union out of Afghanistan. (The issue back then was Pakistan's nuclear program). A third divorce could be a tipping point for Pakistan's future. President Musharraf knows all this, of course. He wants to maintain his ties with the United States, but he can't be seen as taking dictation from the White House. My sense is that the Government of Pakistan will take some overt actions to assuage US concerns, such as setting up more border posts and increasing the activity level of its troops in this area. I also expect Pakistan to privately increase and improve intelligence cooperation with the United States. 2. President Musharraf made a deal that gave border area tribes more autonomy. Is that helping the al-Qaeda comeback we're seeing in that area? The border agreement with the tribal chiefs, or "malliks," hasn't been that successful. According to the heads of US intelligence agencies, troubling border crossings have increased three-fold since the deal was struck. But some sort of a deal with tribal elders was necessary as a "Plan B," because "Plan A"—the Pakistan military's strong-arm tactics—was very counterproductive. The Government of Pakistan is not ready to junk Plan B, since it feels that the agreement can be improved, and because it needs the support of local chiefs. But Islamabad recognizes that some local chiefs have lost ground to hotheaded religious leaders in some parts of the tribal lands. My hunch is that the Government of Pakistan will come up with a "Plan C" that includes elements of both previous plans. But the jury is certainly out whether Plan C will be successful. 3. How popular is Musharraf domestically? Do Pakistanis embrace the brand of "enlightened moderation" he's selling? Musharraf has been in power since 1999, and that's a long time. Not surprisingly, his popularity is down, and his writ in the tribal lands, while greater than his predecessors, is very limited. His "enlightened moderation" message is exactly right for Pakistan and for the Islamic world, but this message has been tarnished because he insists on keeping the two most popular leaders of the two biggest political parties – Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif – in exile. These leaders come from parties that do not primarily define themselves in religious terms. To hold onto power, Musharraf has instead entered into a shaky alliance with leaders of several smaller religious parties. They, too, are now distancing themselves from him. 4. Musharraf came to power in a military coup, overthrowing a democratic government. Why did that happen, and how stable is his government? Musharraf as Army Chief was the prime mover of a very risky and unwise military campaign to seize the heights across the Kashmir divide in 1999. The Prime Minister at that time, Nawaz Sharif, was given sketchy briefings about the plan, and gave his consent without asking hard questions of wishing to hear unwelcome answers. This limited war plan, following on the heels of Indian and Pakistani nuclear tests, was implemented in the Himalayan heights above an Indian town named Kargil. It turned the international community strongly against Pakistan, which in turn, mandated an embarrassing retreat. Somebody had to take the fall for this mess, and that somebody was the Prime Minister, who completely lost the support of the Army's senior ranks. Musharraf has subsequently worn two hats – that of the Army Chief (his real source of power) and that of the President. He has three primary things going for himself politically at this point:.(1) He has placed economic development ahead of the Kashmir dispute, which is now closer to a settlement than ever before (but far from easy). Peace with India is popular within Pakistan. (2) Musharraf's political opposition is having a hard time coalescing, at least for now. And (3) Musharraf has had the strong support of the Bush administration. This third leg of the stool may be getting shaky. 5. Anti-American sentiment runs strong in Pakistan. Why is the United States so unpopular there? If we feel exasperated with Pakistan, just image how much the Government of Pakistan and its people feel exasperated with the United States. The Iraq war is widely viewed in Pakistan as an anti-Muslim campaign, and President Bush and Vice President Cheney are far less popular than Osama bin Laden. Now many Pakistanis are wondering whether they will be set up as the "fall guy" for America's difficulties along the Afghan border, and they fear that the administration's moves vis a vis Iran are the prelude to military strikes against another Islamic neighbor. There is virtual unanimity within Pakistan that US air strikes against Iran would be extremely unwise, and that such strikes could destabilize Pakistan. 6. 96% of Pakistanis are Muslim. Is there real concern that Pakistan--and its nuclear weapons--could fall into the hands of an extreme Islamist leadership? What could the US do then? If the Chinese government could maintain control of its nuclear weapons during the Cultural Revolution, Pakistan's military can also maintain close watch and control over its nuclear crown jewels. Of course, nothing in life can be as certain as death – there are very few taxes in Pakistan – but I believe the odds are still heavily in favor of the military maintaining strict command and control. The wild card here is if the Army splits – not whether the mullahs make a successful revolution. Pakistan has not been a revolutionary state to date, and the mullahs have not made deep inroads in the political life of the country. 7. You've spoken regularly to the Pakistani ambassador--as recently as this week. Does he feel impossibly squeezed by both the United States and and domestic politics? The Pakistani Ambassador, Mahmud Durrani, is an optimist as well as a problem solver. Pakistan is fortunate to have him in Washington. He is well placed to serve as an intermediary and to try to suggest improvements to Pakistan's counterterrorism strategy and tactics. 8. Why are Pakistan and India such rivals, and what is the state of their relationship now? How does that affect American interests in the region? The situation in Kashmir – a diverse and troubled state the size of West Virginia that has been heavily contested – has never been more promising. This "good news" story is the result of many factors: battle fatigue among Kashmiris; far-sighted initiatives by both the Indian and Pakistani governments, such as allowing trade and transit across the Kashmir divide; the primacy of economics in today's international relations and the drag of continuing to support jihadi groups after 9/11. For all of these reasons and more, India and Pakistan are within shouting distance of agreeing to the key elements that would govern a settlement. But domestic political opposition in one or both countries could torpedo a settlement. 9. How well has the Bush administration handled its relationship with Pakistan? As well as might be expected. Pakistan is a pivotal state: if it goes south, the repercussions would be severe. If, on the other hand, Musharraf and his main rivals can agree on basic policies that would reinforce Pakistan's ambition to be a moderate, progressive Islamic state, this would be huge. One of the difficulties that this and previous administrations face in their South Asian diplomacy is that strong-armed US tactics will backfire in both countries – except if there is a severe crisis. So the best US diplomacy in this region tends to be quiet, not public. This, of course, is easier said than done: If quiet messages go unheeded, then Washington feels that it must up the ante. The recent public statements by America's civilian and military intelligence leaders about Pakistan being a sanctuary for al Qaeda and Taliban terrorists are a clear shot across the bow. 10. What would surprise people about Pakistan? That most of its people reject militant, extremist Islam, and that the country is more stable than most of us think. But this is most definitely not an endorsement for unwise US policies in the region. Every country, including Pakistan, can have a boiling point.

This article was originally published on March 2, 2007 by the CBS Evening News.
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