Pakistan’s social media activists must beware of informers and impostors

The following warning notice has been published by a leading Shia activist forum (Karbal-e-Quetta) to warn Shia and other human rights activists to be mindful of impostors (terrorists and agency plants) who are reportedly monitoring internet to identify and potentially harm social media activists. While the aim of some of such impostors could be to monitor your activities or moderate the intensity of activism by counter-measures, others may have more vicious agenda to cause physical harm to

We condemn brutal murder of seven non-Baloch labourers in Turbat

The attack left five workers on the spot, while two others failed to recover from their injuries and passed away in Turbat Hospital. (Photo: Dawn)

At least seven non-Baloch labourers, mainly from Sindh and FATA, were killed on 14 February 2012 in a targeted attack in Turbat, Balochistan. Another two labourers were injured. According to news reports, the banned Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) has claimed responsibility for the attack. Labourers were engaged in construction

Sangat Sana Baloch’s murder: We have lost count – by Mir Sohaib Mengal

It was July 2010. I was in Karachi back then for my CA. One day I received a text on my mobile phone from a Baloch friend that bullet-riddled body of missing Faizullah Baloch has been found. We couldn’t believe it. Abduction by intelligence agencies was a daily routine in Balochistan. But we

Graphic details of murder of Brahumdagh Bugti’s sister and niece on 31 Jan 2012

Brahamdagh Bugti’s sister, and Mehran Baluch’s sister-in-law Zamur Bugti (34), and 13-year old daughter, Jaana Domki were visiting the house of Zamur’s maternal uncle after attending a wedding ceremony of a cousin at Carlton Hotel in D.H.A, Karachi. They were accompanied by their driver (Barkat Baloch) and a helper’s 12 year old daughter. They were travelling in a black Toyota sedan (Registration: ANR-353). The car also had an MPA Balochistan plate on it.

Between 1 and 1:30 AM on the 31st of January, shortly after leaving the uncle’s house, a

What is the difference between Ajmal Pahari and Farogh Naseem?

Both Farogh Naseem and Ajmal Pahari work for MQM and are loyalist to Altaf Hussain.

MQM’s lawyer Farogh Naseem scolded by SCP on presenting one-sided argument

According to his official profile, “Barrister Dr. Mohammad Farogh Naseem is a leading constitutional lawyer

26 target killers shook Karachi: Pulse Exclusive Report

As, once the city of lights, Karachi continues to bleed, a joint interrogation team (JIT) set up by the federal and Sindh governments to interrogate the accused arrested on the charge of being involved in targeted killings in Karachi, has

MQM gives the Political Actors ventilator – by Ahmed Iqbalabadi

During the last one and half years, the MQM’s role has been nothing less than an enigma. They are part and parcel of the power structure of the country. They have federal ministries albeit not as many as they would have liked. They have a significant share of the power in Sindh with the incumbent governor probably the longest serving governor of any province in the country. They had the city government under their control while currently majority of the administrators in various towns are backed by them. They also have enjoyed unhindered access to the President.

In the process of reconciliation started by the late MBB and continued by President Zardari, a number of efforts have been made to appease the MQM. The thinking was clear: living in the same province, PPP and MQM were natural allies! Beginning with a visit to graveyard of MQM activists, President Zardari did what MBB may not have done. The first one and half years of the coalition with the MQM was smooth but then problems began to arise with the dissolution of the Local Bodies in Sindh. Off course, MQM’s control over the urban centers is exercised through control of the local governments and the dissolution of the same became an ego issue. Along with the dissolution started a wave of crime spree that not many have been able to pin down: target killing.  Who is behind these target killings is a million dollar question, but what is important is the people of Karachi and Pakistan are suffering. Killing of a few people shutters down the city. MQM can pinpoint the perpetrators as Pakhtoons backed mafias or Baloch gangsters, whereas the  other parties can point that to MQM goons for the killings, but  isn’t it possible that splinter groups within the MQM have been challenging the party bosses? Imran Farooq’s killing in the middle of a safe area of London and an earlier speculation that MQM may consider moving their central secretariat to Dubai can be considered harbingers  of internal MQM problems.

What the MQM has been able to do very well to ensure their control and divert attention to its internal issues, it has tried to become a popular party supporting what the mindless media is trying to do. Firstly was the matter of NRO, where the MQM chief asked the President to consider giving sacrifice and then MQM’s open opposition to the RGST. On both the matters, the political actors of Pakistan nee Kamran Khan, Shaheen Sehbai, Ansar Abbasi, Shahid Masood, Tariq Butt, Saaleh Zafir, Talat Hussain et al had been praying that the MQM leaves the coalition and somehow the PPP government is shown the door. Off course, then they can always say, “We told you so!” and prove to the world that “We are king-breakers, if not king-makers”.

MQM has announced that it is resigning from its two federal cabinet positions and may decide soon on the provincial government. One thing they have said is that they will still sit on the treasury benches. The decision was probably good than bad. There was another important piece of news that was a major reprieve for the government where the IMF has extended the Standby Agreement with Pakistan for nine months. Why this is significant: RGST will not be implemented in a haphazard way, allowing the government to take all stakeholders on board. The government has been trying to use a parliamentary mean of doing the same as reported by noted business reporter, Khurram Hussain. He says that during Nawaz Sharif’s second tenure,  

“In December 1998, President Rafiq Tarrar signed an ordinance raising the sales tax rate from 12.5 per cent to 15 per cent. The signature came a week after the government had been handed a laundry list of upfront actions required by the IMF board to extend a new loan to Pakistan.”

 

And continues in the same article that in the first year of Musharraf’s rule

“In the last week of May (2000), a tax survey had begun with the aim of distributing something like a million and a half forms in 13 cities across the country. Thousands of tax officials started canvassing homes, shops, businesses, industries and even schools. Accompanied by uniformed soldiers, they went door to door demanding information on the source and quantity of income, work address, number of members of the household, utility bills, and so on. Within days the ‘documentation drive’ as it was called, sparked a countrywide strike. On June 1 (2000), the first tear gas canisters were fired. Traders had taken out a small procession of a couple of hundred people in Multan that marched in the streets and chanted slogans against taxes and military rule. Rallies were banned in those days and the police baton-charged them, tear-gassed them, and took around 50 protestors into custody.”

 

Are we seeing any presidential orders? Are we seeing forcible registrations accompanied by military men? How much more accommodating as well as inclusive the PPP government can get?

I think all the political actors wanted the IMF to say bye-bye to Pakistan for their inability to impose the RGST. Their hope and game plan was: if the government imposes RGST, there will be protests, there will be strikes and the economy will be crippled or if the government didn’t impose the RGST, the IMF will exit and the PPP government will fail. It was an envisaged win-win for them. What they didn’t realize was that the effort of the government to bring in reforms in tax collection as well as making the necessary public opinion through parliament will be given a lot of weight. Now the government has at least nine months to bring all stakeholders on board as well bring things in order.

In his “report” of today, Ansar Abbasi has used the words that “MQM puts Gilani government on ventilator”.  I personally think it is not the government that has been put on ventilator, it’s rather the commentators, analysts and political actors who have been given a new lease of life by giving them a ventilator in times of loadshedding! Off course, now they can come on TV and talk about virtues of MQM and JUI and how they can assist the people of Pakistan by leaving this government and send it packing. 2011 will have a great beginning.

Muhammad Khan Sasoli, yet another victim of the messy war between Pakistan military and Baloch nationalists

Khuzdar (Balochistan Point): December 15, The President of Khuzdar press club and senior journalist belonging to daily Zamna Quetta, Royal TV, news agency INP, Dawnnews Tv ,Muhammad khan Sasoli gunned down today.

Muhammad khan Sasoli was on his way back home after doing his routine professional assignments left Khuzdar Press Club for his home situated in Labour Colony on his vehicle at 7.30pm. When he reached in front of his house two unknown motorcyclists wearing masks opened indiscriminate fire on him. He received four bullet wounds in his head, chest and died on the spot. The assailants later fled from the scene. No group has accepted responsibility for the murder. (Source)

خضدار پریس کلب کے صدر کا قتل

محمد خان ساسولی کو کافی عرصے سے دھمکیاں مل رہی تھیں

بلوچستان کے ضلع خضدار میں نامعلوم مسلح افراد نے فائرنگ کر کے خضدار پریس کلب کے صدر محمد خان ساسولی کو ہلاک کر دیا ہے۔

اس واقعہ کے خلاف مختلف سیاسی جماعتوں نے بدھ کو خضدار میں شٹر ڈاؤن ہڑتال کرنے کا اعلان کیا ہے۔

کوئٹہ سے بی بی سی کے نامہ نگارایوب ترین کے مطابق محمد خان ساسولی کو منگل کی شام اس وقت نامعلوم مسلح افراد نے گولی مار کر ہلاک کیا جب وہ ورکرزکالونی میں واقع اپنےگھر کے گیٹ پر پہنچے تھے۔

خضدار پریس کلب کے نائب صدر ریاض مینگل نے بی بی سی کو بتایا کہ محمد خان ساسولی جیسے ہی گھر پہنچے تو ان پر ایک موٹرسائیکل پر سوار دو نامعلوم افراد نے فائرنگ کر دی۔ ان کا کہنا تھا کہ محمد ساسولی کوبدھ کو خضدار سے پچیس کلومیٹر دور واقع ان کے آبائی گاؤں پشک میں سپردِ خاک کیا جائے گا۔

ریاض مینگل کے بقول سیاسی اور سماجی حلقوں میں محمد خان ساسولی کا احترام ان کی غیر جانبدارانہ رپورٹنگ کی وجہ سے کیا جاتا تھا اور وہ بلاامتیاز تمام طبقوں کے لیے کام کرتے تھے۔

اس واقعہ کے خلاف بلوچستان نیشنل پارٹی، نیشنل پارٹی، انجمن تاجران اور دیگر تنظیموں نے شدید رد عمل کا اظہار کرتے ہوئے بدھ خضدار میں مکمل شٹر ڈاؤن ہڑتال کرنے کا اعلان کیا ہے۔

ریاض مینگل کے مطابق محمد خان ساسولی کو کافی عرصے سے مختلف گروہوں کی جانب سے دھمکیاں دی جا رہی تھیں۔ ان کے مطابق بلوچ مسلح دفاع نامی تنظیم کی جانب سے ایک پمفلٹ بھی تقسیم ہوا تھا جس میں کہا گیا تھا کہ خضدار کے صحافی بی ایس او اور بی این پی کے جلسوں کی رپورٹنگ نہ کریں۔

خیال رہے کہ چھ ماہ قبل میں خضدار میں ہی ایک اور صحافی فیض ساسولی بعض نامعلوم افراد کی فائرنگ سے ہلاک ہوئے تھے اور بعد میں بلوچ لبریشن آرمی نے اس کی ذمہ داری قبول کی تھی

Nationalist, sectarian and militant networks are killing teachers in Balochistan – HRW Report

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Nationalist, sectarian and militant networks are killing teachers, damaging education and limiting development in Balochistan, a US-based rights group said Monday.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said at least 22 teachers and other education professionals were killed by suspected militants between January 2008 and October 2010 in the province of Balochistan.

Since 2008, more than 200 teachers have transferred to either Quetta, or have moved out of the province. Nearly another 200 are in the process of transferring, the group said.

Balochistan has, this year, seen a surge in separatist violence, sectarian attacks and killings blamed on the Taliban or other militant groups.

“To educate or to seek education in Balochistan today means risking your life and your family’s,” said Ali Dayan Hasan, senior South Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch.

“By perpetrating such atrocities, Baloch nationalists are harming Balochistan’s development instead of advancing it,” he added.

Killing teachers, harming students and targeting schools “only increase Baluchistan’s problems and deprive its youth of the benefits of education,” said HRW in its new 40-page report documenting dozens of attacks.

“Fearing for their safety, many teachers have sought transfers, further burdening what is already the worst educational system in Pakistan in terms of education opportunities and outcomes,” the report said.

The education sector has been targeted disproportionately because militants view them as representatives of the Pakistani state and symbols of perceived Punjabi military oppression, HRW said.

In ethnic Baloch areas, schools are often understaffed, so any further loss of teachers severely jeopardises children’s chances of an education.

HRW also said that many teachers who stay on the job complain about being so preoccupied by security that their teaching has been adversely affected.

In October, Amnesty International called on Pakistan to investigate the alleged torture and killing of more than 40 Baloch political leaders and activists against a backdrop of Pakistani military activities in the province.

Source: Express Tribune