In the 1990 elections Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif knowing or unknowingly awarded party tickets to people who were associated with drug mafia. As result some drug traffickers entered Pakistan’s national and provincial assemblies. Mr. Sharif not only introduced horse-trading in 1989, he also brought drug mafia to politics.

In 1989, Mothermma Benazir Bhutto’s government had announced a war on drug mafia. At that time, I was working at the Narcotics Control Division in Islamabad and we had arrested big drag lords such as Mirza Iqbal Baig, Anwar Khattak and many others. The PPP government’s campaign against drug mafia caused fear among powerful circles that were connected with narcotics business.

General Aslam Bag, General Hamid Gul and the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) operatives, who had connections with drug mafia since the days of General Zia’s Afghan Jihad, did everything to remove Benazir Bhutto’s government. Drug money was allegedly used to back the 1989 No-Confidence Motion against Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s government.

After the failure of the No-Confidence Motion, drug barons continued their support to Benazir’s opposition. Eventually, on 6 August 1990, generals succeeded in removing the Benazir government on a false charge sheet. The caretaker government of Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi organized general elections on 24 October 1990 in which Nawaz Sharif’s led Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI) won a two third majority with the full backing of the military and ISI.

Three weeks after the 1990 elections, I was sitting at the office of a colleague who was a Deputy Inspector General of Police but was heading our intelligence unit. He had a file on his table and he told me that the file contained information about the drug mafia members who had been elected to the Parliament. He was upset that the drug control agency was asked not to take any action against the drug traffickers who were elected to the Parliament in the 1990 elections.

The next morning, my assistant brought a pile of files and as I looked through the papers, I found a file that was marked ‘confidential’. Out of curiosity, I opened the file and started reading it. The file contained explosive information that was gathered by the intelligence branch of the Narcotics Control Division. It listed names of 12 newly elected members of the national and provincial assemblies who were actively involved in narcotics business. Most of them belonged to the IJI and some were close associates of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and even had drug warrants outstanding against them. Two narcotics traffickers from tribal areas were also elected to the National Assembly in 1990. It was for the first time that drug traffickers had reached to the Pakistani Parliament, thanks to Nawaz Sharif and the ISI.

The file also contained names of another 300 people connected to drug business. The file belonged to our intelligence department but had turned on my table by a mistake. I sent back the file to the intelligence department but after learning that the drug mafia had reached in our Parliament and that our department couldn’t do anything about it. I decided to resign.

That evening, I went to the MNA hostel where Benazir Bhutto was staying as the new opposition leader. On that day, her spouse Asif Ali Zardari was also brought from jail to attend the assembly session. Asif had won a national assembly seat in the 1990 elections while he was in jail.

I wanted to meet Benazir but she was busy due to Asif’s arrival. She sent a senior PPP leader to meet me. I told him what I had found, he went back to Benazir and informed her about the nature of information that I wanted to share with her. She directed the PPP leader to take me to Farooq Leghari (who became the President of Pakistan in 1993) and discuss with him the matter carefully.

We went to Mr. Leghari’s home in Islamabad where the PPP leader introduced me to Mr. Leghari and gave him Benazir’s message. I sat with Mr. Leghari and slowly told him that it was bad for democracy and Pakistan that narcotics dealers had reached to the Parliament. Mr. Leghari became excited. He said that he would make the information public about the IJI involvement in narcotics business.

While sitting at Farooq Leghari’s home, I had a bad feeling about the man. I found him rude and arrogant. Mr. Leghari treated his servants badly as if they were not human beings. He was an artificial man and had fake manners.

After an hour’s discussion, it was decided that the next day Mr. Leghari would give a press conference and I would sit next to him and would announce resignation from my job at the Narcotics Control Division in the national interest and to expose criminals.

I returned home and with the help of some friends invited members of the national and international press to the next day’s press conference.

The following day, government agencies were alert and security agents had surrounded the guesthouse in F8 Islamabad where the press conference was to be held. I received several threatening messages including one which said that my ministry would file a criminal case if I provided official secrets to the media and public.

By 3:00PM a number of journalists had arrived at the guesthouse and were asking me about the nature and content of the press conference. I was deflecting their questions by saying please wait for Mr. Leghari. We waited for about an hour but Mr. Leghari never came and I had to cancel the press conference.

I was very offended and nervous. Once the journalists had left, I learnt that Mr. Leghari was at Air Marshal Asghar Khan’s house attending a People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA) meeting. I went to Asghar Khan’s house along with my journalist friend Mohammed Ismail. We met Mr. Leghari and asked him why he didn’t come to the press conference?

“Don’t worry, we will defend you on the floor of the National Assembly but we can’t do more than that”, he said to me in a very cold and indifferent way.
I was very disappointed by his response and cursed Mr. Leghari in front of people present and left the venue.

In the very early hours of the following morning, someone knocked at my home door. It was a senior ISI officer. The ISI colonel who came to my home in the darkness knew me for sometime. He was friendly and asked me to accompany him. A black car with tinted glass windows was waiting for us. The 20-minute journey ended in a fortified office. I was offered a coffee and then a polite demand for the file began. I was told that my name was on the Prime Minister’s table and that I was in the ISI custody while the matter was under investigation.

My ordeal that had started in the winter of 1990 ended in the spring of 1991 when I was allowed to leave Islamabad on the condition—never to come back…! Of course, I violated the ban.

Shiraz Paracha is a journalist and analyst. He can be reached at: shiraz_paracha@hotmail.com

 

Over 200 polio cases were officially reported during 2011, and this year in 2012, it is going to be even worse despite some precautionary measures are being taken. There are so many factors contributing towards the rise in polio cases in Pakistan, for example widespread corruption on the organisational level, poor planning, lack of public awareness campaigns, religious mindset, illiteracy, etc. I was surprised to find that among all these factors, the religious mindset is topping the list to hamper the polio eradication programme. Various research groups of epidemiologists believe that religious opposition by Muslim fundamentalists is a major factor in the failure of immunisation programmes against polio in Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The religious conflict in the tribal areas of Pakistan is one of the biggest hindrances towards effective polio vaccinations. Epidemiologists have detected transmission of wild poliovirus from polio-endemic districts in Afghanistan, most of which are located in the southern region of the country bordering Pakistan. This transmission has resulted in new cases of polio in previously polio-free districts. The local Taliban have issued ‘fatwas’ (religious edicts) denouncing vaccination as an American ploy to sterilize Muslims. Another common superstition spread by extremists is that vaccination is an attempt to avert the will of Allah. The Taliban have assassinated vaccination officials, including Abdul Ghani Marwat, who was the head of the government’s vaccination campaign in Bajaur Agency in the Pakistani tribal areas. It deeply troubles me to inform that over the past year, several kidnappings and beatings of vaccinators have been reported.

This is the picture depicted by various research groups of epidemiologists that why Pakistan is safe heavens for polio virus, it is not wrong to say that more or less same factors are also responsible for making Pakistan’s tribal areas safe heavens for Al-Qaeda and Taliban terrorists.

Now come to another part of this sorry saga. Some sections of Pakistani media are propagating baseless rumors that CIA fake polio vaccination campaign is the sole cause of spreading polio in country. Interestingly, none other than Pakistani media highlighted and spread false rumors about  CIA polio vaccination campaign and in this way it created panic in Pakistan. Story is very simple, An brave civilian named Dr. Shakil Afridi booked on treason charges for allegedly fake polio vaccination campaign to find hideouts of world’s most deadliest terrorist OBL. He was arrested on may 22, 2011, exactly twenty days after OBL killing by American Navy SEALs.

Since OBL killing on may 2, 2011, there were unending widespread rumors been propagated by media that Dr. Shakil Afridi had conducted fake Oral Polio Vaccination(OPV) to take DNA samples to hit his specific target that was OBL. These false rumors made negative impact on polio eradication program in Pakistan. Since may, 2011 to date around 200 cases have been reported in country. People of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other parts of the country refused to administer drops to their children after these reports.

Allegations of fake polio vaccination; are no more than an illusion, because this myth is far from scientific basis. WHO’s special envoy on global polio eradication and primary healthcare, Dr Hussain A. Gezari
is of the view that alleged fake immunisation conducted by Dr Shakil Afridi had nothing to do with polio campaigns as DNA cannot be collected orally.

Let me make it clear that Dr. Shakil Afridi had conducted actual vaccination campaign. He served the nation. Some sections of society and media was deliberately highlighting this issue to hamper polio vaccination campaign. They were not serving the nation they were playing their negative role. Infact they were accomplice to crime in spreading polio virus and polio cases in Pakistan. It is surprising to me that those forces, who were playing thier nefarious role in spreading polio virus in our country, they have gone scot free. And prisoner of conscience ‘Dr. Shakil Afridi’ is under cunstody of secret agencies on account for helping to trace whereabouts of OBL. as far as (OPV) oral polio vaccination is concerned, DNA samples cannot be collected, He might have conducted some sort of another immunization campaign in which injectables are used. Whatsoever it was, but Dr. Shakil Afridi did great job for humanity. He is brave and courageous man who put his life in danger to capture world’s number one terrorist OBL.

His services rendered for humanity will be remembered forever.

I would like to suggest to the democratic government that Dr. Shakil afridi should be released and there should be praise for him for his great work, because some sections media and society have exaggerated this baseless issue and now it is proving to hamper polio eradicating program in Pakistan. Government needs to declare Dr. Shakil Afridi as ‘prisoner of conscience’ without any delay to end this controversy, a stigma attached with Polio vaccination campaign. Civilian government must not accept pressure of  military establishment over this issue.

Bus kar dein, General sahib!

Related posts: Good riddance, General Pasha!

Mehran Gate reveals ISI’s dirty role in Pakistani politics – by Saleem Safi and Hasan Nisar

بس کریں جنرل صاحب بس

۱۵ مارچ ۲۰۱۲ء کو ہمارے سپہ سالارِ اعظم(بقول ہمارے منصفِ اعظم) نے نہایت شفقت فرمائی اور قوم کو چند نصیحتوں سے فیض یاب فرمایااور کچھ حقائق بھی بیان فرمائے۔ ان کی گفتگو کا لُبِ لباب یہ تھا

قومی اداروں کے کردار پر تنقید نہیں ہونی چاہئے۔ ان اداروں کو بننے میں سالوں کی محنت لگتی ہے۔دوسرے ملکوں میں خفیہ ایجنسیوں کے کردار پر اتنی شدت سے تنقید نہیں کی جاتی جتنی پاکستان میں ہوتی ہے۔انہوں نے موساد، را اور سی آئی اے کی مثالیں دیں۔ ایسی تنقید سے فوج کا مورال گرتا ہے۔ ہمارے جوان منفی ۲۰ سینٹی گریڈ پر خدمات انجام دے رہے ہیں۔

مہران بنک کیس کے حوالے سے انہوں نے فرمایا کہ یہ تاریخ سے لڑنے کے مترادف ہے۔ انہوں نے مزید فرمایا “ہمیں ماضی سے سیکھنا چاہئے ، حال میں زندہ رہنا چاہئے اور مستقبل پر نظر رکھنی چاہئے”۔

فوج کی سرگرمیوں نے بلوچستان کے لوگوں کا معیار زندگی بہتر بنایا ہے۔ایک رپورٹ کے مطابق بلوچستان میں غائب افراد کی تعداد صرف 47 ہے۔

جنرل صاحب سے نہایت مودبانہ طور پر کچھ گزارشات ہیں۔ امید ہے ناگوار نہیں گزریں گی۔

قومی اداروں کی تعمیر
جناب جنرل صاحب گزارش یہ ہے کہ آپ نے بجا فرمایا کہ ادارے سالوں کی محنت سے بنتے ہیں۔ مگر آپ یہ بھول جاتے ہیں کہ صرف ایک ادارہ ملک چلانے کے لئے کافی نہیں ہوتا۔ پارلیمنٹ بھی ایک ادارہ ہے، عدلیہ بھی ایک ادارہ ہے۔ ہمیں ان اداروں کو بھی بنانا ہے۔ پارلیمنٹ آئی ایس آئی سے ہزار گنا زیادہ اہم ادارہ ہے۔ اگر آپ کا ادارہ مہربانی فرمائے تو ہم ان اداروں کو بھی بنا لیں۔ اگر آپ کی آئی ایس آئی ذرا شفقت فرمائے اور میمو گیٹ جیسے تماشے کھیلنا بند کردے تو عین نوازش ہوگی۔

قومی اداروں پر تنقید
جو ادارہ اپنے کام کے علاوہ دنیاء کا ہر کام کر رہا ہو اُس پر تنقید نہ ہو تو اور کیا ہو۔ جو ادارہ گالف کلب، کھاد، بنک، شادی ہال اور سامان کی ترسیل جیسے کام تو کرے مگر چند دہشت گرد گروہوں کو قابو کرنے میں ناکام ہو جائے اس کو جھک جھک کر سلام کیسے کیا جائے۔ جس ادارے کو اپنی ہی ٹریننگ اکیڈمی کے پاس ایک قلعہ نما مکان میں رہنے والے دنیا کے سب سے زیادہ مطلوب فرد کا پتہ نہ ہو اُسے ۲۱ توپوں کی سلامی کیسے دی جائے؟جس ادارے کے اپنے ہیڈ کوارٹر پر دہشت گرد حملے کریں اور پھر بھی وہ ان دہشت گردوں کو قومی اثاثہ قرار دے اس ادارے کو گلے لگا کر چومنے کی ہمت کون کرے۔ موساد، را اور سی آئی اے پر یقیناً اتنی تنقید نہیں ہوتی اور اُن کے کردار پر کھلے عام میڈیا میں بحث نہیں کی جاتی مگر وہ عام معاملات میں ٹانگ بھی تو نہیں اڑاتے۔ اگر آپ کا ادارہ میرے ووٹ چوری کرے، میرے لئے لیڈر منتخب کرے توپھر بھی میں اُس کے معاملات پر بحث بھی نہ کروں۔

اداروں کا مورال
رہی بات مورال کی تو حضور دیگر اداروں کا مورال بھی ملحوظ رکھا کریں نا۔ کیا مورال صرف فوج کا ہوتا ہے۔ جب آپ لوگ ہمارے سفیر پر منصور اعجاز جیسے جانوروں کا غول چھوڑ دیتے ہیں تو ہمارے تمام سفارت کاروں کو مورال نہیں گرتا۔ ویسے یہ بھی اپنی جگہ ایک دلچسپ بات ہے کہ مجرم کو سزا دینے سے ایک ادارے کا مورال ہی گر جاتا ہے۔ ہم بد بخت سولین سمجھتے تھے کہ مجرم کو سزا ملنے سے قانون پر عمل کرنے والے شہریوں کا مورال بلند ہو جاتا ہے اور دوسرے مجرموں کا مورال گر جاتا ہے۔ اب اس سےزیادہ ہم کچھ نہیں کہتے کہ ایسا نہ ہوغائب افراد کی تعداد اڑتالیس ہو جائے۔

منفی ۲۰ سنٹی گریڈ
یہ بجا ہے کہ ہمارے جوان منفی ۲۰ سنٹی گریڈ پر خدمات سر انجام دیتے ہیں۔ ہمیں اُن جوانوں پر فخر ہے۔ مگر اُن کی قربانیوں کے بدلے میں ہمارے ٹیکسوں سےبنے گالف کورس میں گالف کھیلنے والے جرنیلوں کو کیوں کرمعاف کردیں۔ یہ بھی مت بھولیں کہ سیاچن کے میدانِ جنگ میں تبدیل ہونے کے پیچھے بھی آپ جرنیلوں کی نااہلی تھی جس کی وجہ سے ہمارے جوانوں کو اتنی شدید سردی میں خدمات انجام دینا پڑرہی ہیں۔ اگر ضیاع الحق کے دور میں ہماری فوج اپنی پیشہ وارانہ ذمہ داریاں چھوڑ کر حکمرانی کے شوق پورا کرنے میں نہ لگی ہوتی تو سیاچن میدان جنگ بننے سے بچ سکتا تھا۔ آپ کے بزرگ جنرل ضیاع الحق نے فرمایا تھا کہ سیاچن میں تو گھاس بھی نہیں اُگتی۔ اب اُسی مقام پر ہمارے جوانوں کو ڈیوٹی دینا پڑتی ہے۔

تاریخ سے لڑنا
حضور تاریخ سے کون لڑ سکتا ہے۔ مگر کیا آپ یہ فرما رہے ہیں کہ گناہ پرانا ہو جائے تو گناہ نہیں رہتا؟ جرم کئے دس بیس سال گزر جائیں تو مجرم کو اکیس توپوں کی سلامی دینی چاہئے؟ اگر ایسا ہی ہے تو برائے مہربانی چیپ جسٹس صاحب کو بھی حکمت کے اس موتی سے نواز دیجئے جو گزشتہ تین چار برس سے صدر صاحب کے خلاف ایک پندرہ سال پرانا مقدمہ کھلوانے پر بضد ہیں۔ اوہو…معاف کیجئے گا میں بھول گیا تھا کہ صدر صاحب تو بلڈی سولین ہیں۔ یہ اصول اُن پر لاگو نہیں ہوتا۔ یہ تو جنرل اسلم بیگ کے لئے ہے نا۔ سوری سر۔۔۔

ماضی سے سبق سیکھنا
رہی بات ماضی سے سبق سیکھنے کی۔ عالی جاہ، جب ایوب خان اور یحیٰی خان کے لگ بھگ ۱۳ سالہ دور کے بعد مشرقی پاکستان سے ہاتھ دھوچکے تھے تو ۱۹۷۷ اور ۱۹۹۹ کا پنگا کیوں لیا۔ چلیں یہ بھی ماضی کا قصہ سمجھ کو چھوڑ دیتے ہیں۔ مگر آج تو باز آجائیں نا۔ اب تو آپ جیسا دانش ور آرمی کا چیف ہے (ویسے تو ہر چیف ہی اپنے آپ کو دانشور سمجھتا ہے)۔ مگر حالات و واقعات یہ نہیں بتاتے کہ ماضی سے سبق سیکھ لیا گیا ہے۔ اوہ…سوری… میں بلڈی سولین پھر غلطی کر گیا۔ یہ نصیحت تو سولین کے لئے ہے نا… جرنیلوں کے لئے تو نہیں۔ سوری…بس کیا کروں…ہم کم بخت سولین کبھی سدھر نہیں سکتے۔

بلوچستان کے لوگوں کا معیارِ زندگی
بلوچستان کے لوگ بھی نا۔ پاک فوج نے اُن کا معیارِ زندگی اتنا بلند کر دیا ہے کہ وہ اونچے اونچے پہاڑوں پر رہنے لگے ہیں۔ نیچے ہی نہیں آتے۔ نیچے صرف اُن کی مسخ شدہ لاشیں ہی آتی ہیں۔ ویسے جناب عالی..!یہ تو بتائیے کہ فوجی سرگرمیوں کے نتیجے میں عوام کا معیار زندگی کیسے بلند ہوتا ہے۔ کیا چھاؤنیاں بنانے کو ترقیاتی کام سمجھنا چاہئیے۔ پھر تو کیوں نا ہم دفاعی بجٹ کو بھی ترقیاتی بجٹ کا حصہ قرار دے دیں۔ سارے پاکستان کے عوام کا معیارِ زندگی ایک دم سے بہت بلند ہو جائے گا۔ ویسےترقیاتی بجٹ میں اچانک اتنا بڑا اضافہ شاید عوام سے ہضم نہ ہو پائے۔ایک چھوٹی سی بات اور…ہم بد بخت سولین سمجھتے تھے کہ لوگوں کا معیار زندگی بلند کرنا فوج کا کام نہیں ہوتا۔ فوج کا کام ہوتا ہے ملک کا دفاع کرنا۔ ایک بار پھر سوری سر…

غائب کئے گئے افراد
غائب افراد بھی صرف سینتالیس ہیں۔ ہمیں شکر ادا کرنا چاہئیے کہ ہمارے ملک میں غائب کئے گئے افراد کی تعداد اتنی کم ہے۔ سنتالیس افراد کا غائب ہونا تو کوئی تشویش ناک بات نہیں۔ ہمیں چاہئیے کہ یہ احتجاج وغیرہ چھوڑ کر اپنے اپنے کاموں میں لگ جائیں۔ ان سینتالیس افراد کی مسخ شدہ لاشیں بھی جلد ہی مل جائیں گی۔ تب اُٹھا کر دفنا دیں گے۔ پہلے سے کیا چیخم دھاڑ کرنا۔

بڑی مہربانی جنرل صاحب

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Related post: Stop it, General Kayani – by Lala Jie

Lieutenant-General Ahmad Shuja Pasha (born 18 March 1952), the current Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan’s premier intelligence service since October 2008 is due to retire on 18 March 2012. He will be replaced by Lieutenant General Zaheerul Islam.

General Pasha was due to reach the age of superannuation on 18 March 2010, but having received two extensions, his tenure was extended until 18 March 2012. He was recently named as one of the 100 most influential people by Time Magazine.

Prior to his appointment as ISI chief, Pasha served as the Director General of Military Operations from April 2006 to October 2008 at the Army headquarters overseeing all military engagements in Waziristan, Swat and other tribal areas.

He is the main mind behind the good Taliban-bad Taliban theory, the creation of the Difa-e-Pakistan Council, Imran Khan’s PTI tsunami, and the reinforcing of contacts between Pakistan army and Jihadi-sectarian groups (Taliban, Sipah-e-Sahaba, Jamaat-ud-Dawa, Jaish-e-Muhammad etc).

During his tenure as ISI chief, from October 2008 to March 2013, General Pasha proved himself as an incompetent officer. Thousands of Shia Muslims, Sunni Barelvi Muslims, Pashtuns and Balochs have been killed during his tenure, many of them by various assets and Jihadi-sectarian proxies of the ISI (extremist Deobandi Taliban, ASWJ-SSP, Jundullah). Dozens of Ahmadis and Christians were killed in the same period. Osamab bin Laden was hiding in an ISI-safe house in tenure in the garrison town of Abbottabad. Mumbari attack was his first gift to the international community. Pasha also kept influencing police officers and judiciary in various provinces and areas of Pakistan in order to to ensure safe release of Taliban and SSP-ASWJ terrorists arrested by the police. He is the same man who unsuccessfully tried to topple the elected government by hatching the memogate conspiracy with Mansoor Ijaz. He was also involved in the JuD-LeT’s attack on Mumbai in 2008.

Here’s a damning article on General Pasha by Hamid Mir. Of course Hamid Mir is paying back to Pasha because it was ISI which released secret tapes of Hamid Mir’s conversation with a Punjabi Taliban a few years ago. Hamid Mir himself is an MI loyalist thus the element of professional jealousy should also be kept in mind. (Of course, Mir will not write any such column against the commander of MI or the COAS because that would mean a violation of the chain of command.) Yet, it is hard to disagree with Mir’s views and analysis of Pasha’s performance.

الوداع جنرل پاشا

قلم کمان …حامد میر

اُس نے اپنے ناتمام ایجنڈے کو تمام کرنے کی ہر ممکن کوشش کی۔ وہ اپنے اس ناتمام ایجنڈے کو تمام کرنا قومی مفاد کا اہم ترین تقاضا سمجھتا تھا۔ وہ قومی مفاد کے نام پر ہر جائز و ناجائز راستہ بھی اختیار کرتا رہا لیکن ناکام رہا۔ ناکامی کی وجہ یہ تھی کہ وہ جس آئین سے وفاداری کا حلف اٹھا کر آیا تھا اُسی آئین کو اپنے راستے کی سب سے بڑی دیوار سمجھتا رہا۔ وہ ایک سرکاری افسر تھا لیکن قومی مفاد کے نام پر ایک سیاسی ایجنڈے پر عمل پیرا تھا۔ قومی مفاد کے نام پر اُس نے ہمیشہ زبان سے کچھ اور دل سے کچھ اور کہا۔ قول و فعل کے اس تضاد کو آج کے زمانے میں ڈبل گیم کہا جاتا ہے لیکن وہ پوری دیانت داری سے اس ڈبل گیم میں مصروف رہا۔ اُس کا خیال تھا کہ پاکستان کو پارلیمانی جمہوریت نہیں بلکہ صرف اور صرف صدارتی جمہوریت بچا سکتی ہے حالانکہ پاکستان کو دولخت کرنے کی بنیادیں جنرل ایوب خان کی صدارتی جمہوریت نے فراہم کی تھیں لیکن وہ جنرل ایوب خان کا پرستار تھا۔ ایوب خانی جمہوریت کے حق میں اُس نے کئی صحافیوں کے سامنے دلائل دیئے اور اپنا یہ مشہور جملہ بار بار دہرایا کہ …“کیا آپ کے اور ہمارے بچوں پر بلاول، حمزہ اور مونس الٰہی حکومت کریں گے کیا ہمارے بچوں کو بھی وہی حکمران ملیں گے جو ہمیں ملے؟“… کچھ صحافی فوری طور پر قوم کے درد میں ڈوبے ہوئے اس سوال پر زور زور سے اثبات میں سر ہلانے لگتے لیکن کچھ صحافی سوچتے کہ یہ کیسا شخص ہے جو بار بار بلاول کے باپ کی حکومت سے اپنی مدت ملازمت میں توسیع حاصل کرتا ہے اور بلاول کو کوستا بھی ہے؟ ہمیشہ یہی کہتا ہے کہ مجھے مدت ملازمت میں توسیع نہیں چاہئے لیکن جب بھی ملازمت کی مدت ختم ہونے پر آتی ہے ایک اور توسیع کی کوشش شروع کر دیتا ہے؟

جی ہاں! اس محترم شخصیت کا نام لیفٹیننٹ جنرل احمدشجاع پاشا ہے جنہیں آئی ایس آئی کے سربراہ کی حیثیت سے مدت ملازمت میں تیسری توسیع نہیں ملی اور ان کا ایجنڈا ناتمام رہ گیا۔ جنرل پاشا دراصل ایک فرد نہیں بلکہ ایک سوچ کی نمائندگی کر رہے تھے۔ پچھلے چند دنوں سے قومی مفادات کے کچھ خود ساختہ ترجمان بار بار یہ خبریں شائع کر رہے تھے کہ جنرل پاشا کو اُن کی مدت ملازمت میں تیسری توسیع مل جائے گی کیونکہ آرمی چیف جنرل کیانی کے علاوہ امریکی حکومت بھی اُن کی توسیع کے حق میں ہے۔ چند ہفتے قبل تھائی لینڈ اور برطانیہ میں امریکی سی آئی اے کے سربراہ جنرل ڈیوڈ پیٹریاس کے ساتھ جنرل پاشا نے دو خاموش ملاقاتیں کیں اور انہیں یقین دلا دیا کہ بہت جلد نیٹو کی سپلائی لائن بحال ہو جائے گی لیکن پاکستان میں وہ یہ تاثر دے رہے تھے کہ امریکا اُنہیں اپنا بہت بڑا دشمن سمجھتا ہے۔ جیسے ہی وزیر اعظم نے اُن کی جگہ جنرل ظہیر الاسلام کو آئی ایس آئی کا نیا سربراہ مقرر کیا تو خبر شائع کرائی گئی کہ جنرل پاشا نے بار بار درخواست کے باوجود تیسری مرتبہ توسیع لینے سے انکار کر دیا۔ یہ وہ رویہ ہے جو ایک مخصوص سوچ کا عکاس ہے۔ یہ سوچ سال ہا سال سے نہ صرف اپنے آپ کو بلکہ قوم کو بھی دھوکہ دے رہی ہے۔ یہ سوچ اداروں کے استحکام کے نام پر چند افراد کے مفادات کا تحفظ کرتی ہے لیکن پورے ادارے کی بدنامی کا باعث بنتی ہے۔ یاد کیجئے ! 1971ء میں ہم مشرقی پاکستان میں بھارت سے شکست کھا رہے تھے لیکن مغربی پاکستان میں قوم کے ساتھ جھوٹ بولا جا رہا تھا۔ 1977ء میں جنرل ضیاء الحق 90دن میں الیکشن کرانے کا وعدہ کر کے آئے اور گیارہ سال تک صدر بن کر بیٹھے رہے۔ جب اُن کے دور حکومت میں بھارت نے سیاچن پر قبضہ کر لیا تو فرمایا کہ وہاں تو گھاس بھی نہیں اُگتی۔ 1999ء میں جنرل پرویز مشرف نے اقتدار پر قبضہ کر لیا کیونکہ وزیر اعظم نواز شریف کارگل آپریشن سے ناراض تھے۔ وزیر اعظم کو بتایا گیا کہ کارگل میں کشمیری مجاہدین جہاد کر رہے ہیں لیکن وہاں سے پاکستانی فوج کے افسران اور جوانوں کی لاشیں آرہی تھیں۔ وزیر اعظم نے پوچھا کہ یہ سب کیا ہے تو ان کی چھٹی ہو گئی۔ یہی سوچ تھی جس نے گیارہ ستمبر 2001ء کے بعد قومی مفاد کے نام پر پاکستان کے فوجی اڈے امریکا کے حوالے کر دیئے اور قوم کو اندھیرے میں رکھا۔ امریکی ڈرون طیارے پاکستان کے فوجی اڈوں سے پرواز کر کے پاکستان میں بمباری کرتے رہے اور ہم بے خبر رہے کیونکہ ہمیں بے خبر رکھنا قومی مفاد کا تقاضا تھا۔ بہت کم لوگ جانتے ہیں کہ ایک برطانوی فوجی افسر میجر جنرل رابرٹ کاؤتھم 1950ء سے 1959ء تک آئی ایس آئی کے سربراہ رہے۔ اُنہی کے دور میں فوج نے سیاست میں مداخلت شروع کی اور پہلا مارشل لاء بھی لگایا۔ آج تک کوئی دوسرا شخص نو سال تک آئی ایس آئی کا سربراہ نہیں رہا۔ اس شخص نے جنرل ایوب خان کو یہ سکھایا کہ فیصلہ ہمیشہ خود کرو لیکن فیصلے کے اعلان کو قومی مفاد کا تقاضا قرار دیدو لہٰذا آج تک یہی ہوتا آ رہا ہے۔ پاکستان کے قومی مفاد پر میجر جنرل رابرٹ کاؤتھم کی سوچ سوار ہے، جو بھی اس سوچ پر تنقید کرتا ہے، غدار قرار پاتا ہے۔

جنرل پاشا آئی ایس آئی سے رخصت ہو رہے ہیں لیکن کیا میجر جنرل رابرٹ کاؤتھم کی سوچ بھی کبھی رخصت ہو گی یا نہیں؟ جنرل پاشا کا دور پے در پے ناکامیوں کا دور تھا لیکن سیاسی حکومت نے اُنہیں اپنے مفادات کے تحفظ کے لئے دو بار توسیع دی۔ مجھے یاد ہے کہ نومبر 2008ء میں ممبئی حملوں کے فوراً بعد ایک بریفنگ میں جنرل پاشا نے بیت اللہ محسود اور مولانا فضل اللہ کو پاکستان کا اثاثہ قرار دیا لیکن 3مارچ 2009ء کو لاہور میں سری لنکا کی کرکٹ ٹیم پر حملہ ہوا تو یہ عسکریت پسند ہمارے دشمن قرار پائے۔ ایک دفعہ اسلام آباد میں بھارتی ہائی کمشنر کے عشایئے میں جنرل پاشا بھی شریک تھے۔ مجھے پوچھا کہ کیا پاکستان اور بھارت میں کوئی بڑا بریک تھرو ہو سکتا ہے؟ میں نے نفی میں سر ہلاتے ہوئے کہا کہ فی الحال مشکل ہے تو جنرل پاشا نے زور سے کہا کہ نہیں نہیں آپ صحیح نہیں کہتے۔ بہت جلد سب کچھ ٹھیک ہو جائے گا۔ کچھ عرصے کے بعد 10اکتوبر 2009ء کو جی ایچ کیو پر حملہ ہو گیا اور ہم نے ناقص سکیورٹی انتظامات کے بارے میں کچھ سوالات اٹھائے تو آئی ایس آئی کے افسران ہمیں بھارتی ایجنٹ قرار دینے لگے۔ جنرل پاشا کا دور بدترین ناکامیوں کا دور تھا۔ 2مئی 2011ء کا ایبٹ آباد آپریشن، 22مئی 2011ء کو مہران بیس کراچی پر حملہ اور سلالہ چیک پوسٹ پر حملے کے علاوہ سب سے زیادہ ڈرون حملے بھی2008ء اور 2012ء کے درمیان ہوئے۔ سب سے زیادہ لوگ انہی چار سالوں میں لاپتہ ہوئے، بلوچستان میں سب سے زیادہ مسخ شدہ لاشیں انہی چار سالوں میں پھینکی گئیں۔ سب سے زیادہ صحافی انہی چار سالوں میں مارے گئے۔ میں آج بھی آئی ایس آئی کے اس افسر کو نہیں بھول سکتا جس نے جنوری 2009ء میں سوات میں جیو ٹی وی کے نمائندے موسیٰ خان خیل کے بارے میں منفی باتیں کیں اور چند دنوں کے بعد موسیٰ خان خیل کو شہید کر دیا گیا۔ 2010ء میں 13پاکستانی صحافی قتل ہوئے اور 2011میں 15پاکستانی صحافی قتل ہوئے۔ کچھ صحافیوں کو طالبان نے بھی مارا لیکن کئی صحافیوں کے قتل کا الزام آئی ایس آئی پر بھی آیا۔ جنرل پاشا اپنے ایجنڈے سے اتفاق رکھنے والے صحافیوں کے تو ڈرائنگ روموں میں پہنچ جاتے تھے لیکن اختلاف رکھنے والوں کو یا تو قتل کے جھوٹے الزامات میں پھنسانے کی کوشش کرتے یا غیرملکی ایجنٹ قرار دے ڈالتے۔

وکی لیکس کے مطابق جنرل پاشا نے اکتوبر 2009ء میں اسرائیلی حکام کو بتایا کہ بھارت میں اسرائیل کے مفادات پر دہشت گرد حملہ کرنے والے ہیں۔ خود تو اسرائیل کے ساتھ رابطہ رکھنا جائز تھا لیکن کسی صحافی نے تنقید کر دی تو اپنی پالتوسائبر فورس کے ذریعہ اسے اسرائیل کا ایجنٹ قرار دے ڈالتے۔ آئی ایس آئی پہلے ہی متنازع تھی جنرل پاشا نے اسے مزید متنازع بنایا سیاست میں ان کی مداخلت کی کئی کہانیاں آنے والے دنوں میں آہستہ آہستہ طشت ازبام ہوں گی۔ آرمی چیف جنرل اشفاق پرویز کیانی نے فوج کو سیاست سے دور رکھنے کی بہت کوشش کی لیکن چند افراد کو آگے پیچھے کرنے سے کوئی کوشش کامیاب نہیں ہوتی۔ سوچ کو تبدیل کرنے کی ضرورت ہے۔ سوچ اس وقت بدلے گی جب ہم سب ذاتی مفاد کو قومی مفاد قرار دینا بند کریں گے، ایک دوسرے پر غداری کے فتوے نہیں لگائیں گے اور غیر ملکی طاقتوں کو خوش کرنے کے لئے ایک دوسرے پر گولیاں چلانا بند کر دیں گے۔ ہم نے جنرل پاشا کی سوچ سے نہیں بلکہ حقیقت میں میجر جنرل رابرٹ کاؤتھم کی سوچ سے نجات پانی ہے تاکہ ہر پاکستانی اپنی فوج اور اپنی آئی ایس آئی کو اپنا سچا محافظ سمجھ کر ان پر فخر کر سکے۔

http://e.jang.com.pk/03-12-2012/karachi/pic.asp?picname=06_04.gif

On April 30, 1999, Benazir Bhutto Shaheed disclosed to media that there was a definite role of Osama bin Laden, Mian Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan army’s 111 Brigade in toppling her first government in early 1990s. “Bin Laden financed an operation to topple me in cooperation with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the Pakistani intelligence services,” she had stated in an interview with the London-based al-Hayat newspaper. “Ramzi Yussef (implicated in the 1993 New York World Trade Centre bombing) tried to assassinate me on two occasions in 1993 to facilitate Nawaz Sharif’s rise to power. Yussef admitted to Pakistani investigators before his extradition to the United States that it was his duty to assassinate me, only because I was a woman in charge of the government,” she had added.

In another interview with Herald magazine on January 11, 2001. “Osama paid $10 million to overthrow my government during my first term. A serving Corps Commander held several meetings with PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and Bin Laden to chalk out the plan to topple my government. Osama bin Laden was told that a woman in the prime minister’s position in an Islamic country was against Islam (Osama’s Islam) and so he should give them money to overthrow her. Nawaz Sharif told bin Laden he would bring Islam (Osama’s Islam) to Pakistan.”

In year 2006, former head of Jamat Islami Qazi Hussain, endorsed BB’s statements, Qazi Hussain was close aide of Osama bin Laden, he claimed that he himself was eyewitness of these developments. Afterwards, former ISI official, Khalid Khawaja revealed that being a close friend of Osama bin Laden he had arranged meetings of Nawaz Sharif with Osama for toppling BB’s democratic governments.

And, now, Mehrangate revelations have exposed the devils of the state and reaffirmed the fear that political parties should have in them. In his interview to an anchor of private news channel, CEO of now defunct Mehran Bank, Younis Habib has restarted a new debateon devils of the state.

Those politicians and public office bearers who committed such flagitious and heinous crimes against Pakistan have been uncovered. Articles 6, 62 and 63 have been violated. It is beyond any shadow of doubt that sovereignty of the state was compromised by activities of devils of state. This is the biggest blunder of country’s history after fall of Dhaka. No one is above the law, Those who are involved in this scandal should be punished according to the laws of state and all these devils must be disqualified from politics for lifetime, so that our country’s politics is kept clean of these devils of the state.

As Shahbaz Sharif so proudly sings the couplet, “aisay dastoor, subhe bay noor ko meinn nahee manta!”, we as proud supporters of PPP “aisay jhootay aur makkaron ko nahee mantay!”

Here are some quick comments on the Stratfor emails (via WikiLeaks) that point towards late Saleem Shahzad’s possible affiliation with two intelligence agencies, ISI (previous affiliation) and CIA (affiliation at the time of his murder).

Despite our unconditional and forceful condemnation of Saleem Shahzad’s murder by the Deep State, we do not completely dismiss the possibility that he was once on the payroll of the ISI, or the CIA, or both.

It is worth noting that it is not only Pakistani journalists who remain influenced by the ISI but also Pakistani judges, e.g., the sham judicial commission which exonerated the ISI from Saleem Shahzad’s murder charge. In Pakistan, this trio is known as 3-Js (Jenerals, Judges and Journalists) which remain pro-military and anti-people.

Overall, the memo highlights the following:

1. the perils of journalism in Pakistan particularly when one is working on topics such as terrorism, Taliban and Al Qaeda;

2. the fact that several journalists, particularly those with Jihadist background or/and connections, remain in touch with the mother of all agencies (ISI), and at times willingly or forcibly promote agencies’ interests and propaganda;

3. the fact that several Pakistani journalists remain in more than professional journalistic contact with the ISI or CIA or both (Tip: Watch carefully: Jinnah Institute (Ejaz Haider, Feisal Naqvi, Mosharraf Zaidi, Sherry Rehman), Citizens for Democracy, Najam Sethi and his fan club);

4. the harsh reality that at least some of the ISI-allied journalists are equally likely to be hired by the US counterpart CIA which can surely afford to pay better package for their services;

5. the fact that those journalists who agree to compromise their professional integrity don’t earn much respect by their recruiters and others in the know of things;

6. In his email, Kamran Bokhari makes an interesting observation: “the growing number of deaths of people who have been supportive o jihadists. Recall KK and Col Imam and now Triple-S.” (Tip: Watch carefully: Saleem Safi, Hamdi Mir, Rahimullah Yusufzai);

7. The very possibility that the ISI killed SSS and then also released an 80-20 story (80% facts with 20% twist) to misrepresent SSS as a double agent. Fred Burton writes: “I’m sure the ISI extracted a confession of his CIA work before he died. There will be a leaked story about his double agent work and the Pakis rub the CIA’s nose in it. Its what intel agencies do. Tit for tat. The world will soon forget him. Price one pays for playing the game.”

8. Last but not the least, read Burton’s email in which he reminds us that “the life goes on”. If that is indeed true, why compromise on professional integrity for a few million rupees or a few thousand dollars?

Are you listening Pakistani journalists?

Appendix: The Global Intelligence Files (WikiLeaks)

http://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/1644311_re-pakistan-journalist-vanishes-is-the-isi-involved-.html

On Monday February 27th, 2012, WikiLeaks began publishing The Global Intelligence Files, over five million e-mails from the Texas headquartered “global intelligence” company Stratfor. The e-mails date between July 2004 and late December 2011. They reveal the inner workings of a company that fronts as an intelligence publisher, but provides confidential intelligence services to large corporations, such as Bhopal’s Dow Chemical Co., Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and government agencies, including the US Department of Homeland Security, the US Marines and the US Defence Intelligence Agency. The emails show Stratfor’s web of informers, pay-off structure, payment laundering techniques and psychological methods.

Re: Pakistan Journalist Vanishes: Is the ISI Involved?

Email-ID	1644311
Date	2011-06-01 15:50:16
From	burton@stratfor.com
To	sean.noonan@stratfor.com, hoor.jangda@stratfor.com, secure@stratfor.com

The most interesting aspect is the killing of a journalist. Fine line
between an investigative journalist and spy. When you rattle around
topics nobody wants aired, you pay the price. Truth tellers always get
shot. Its much easier to lie or make up stories.

On 6/1/2011 8:46 AM, Sean Noonan wrote:

http://www.amazon.com/Bloodmoney-Novel-Espionage-David-Ignatius/dp/0393078116/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1306935919&sr=8-1

i don’t think we’re going anywhere with this SSS thing, though it is
interesting.
On 6/1/11 8:41 AM, Fred Burton wrote:

The poor bastard went down the rabbit hole and was neutralized.

ISI is fully infiltrated by sympathizers and operatives. So, he was
killed by ISI. Will we find a smoking gun? No. Will anybody care
about this dude? Not really. The Agency lost an asset. Life goes
on. There is a reason the CIA set up unilateral operations in
Pakistan.

Suggest everyone read David Ignatius new book on CIA NOC and front
company operations in Pakistan. Once again, he has gotten dead
right.

On 6/1/2011 8:06 AM, Sean Noonan wrote:

the question, though, is still who did it.

It means very different things if it is the ISI, the traditional
military, or the jihadists. Then a question of who within those
groups can also mean different things. Not saying we can answer that
very easily, but who specifically killed who (with the support of
who) would explain if there is an issue or not. Operating between
the intelligence services and jihadists is a very, very dangerous
place- so it’s not all that surprising that these deaths occur. And
as tensions go up, so will those deaths. But we would have to know
the same people were involved in the deaths to really know what ‘the
issue’ actually is.
On 6/1/11 7:59 AM, Kamran Bokhari wrote:

The issue is not the man himself (though I am personally spooked
out because I knew him and we met not too long ago and he wrote on
my fb wall a day before he went missing). Instead the issue is the
growing number of deaths of people who have been supportive of
jihadists. Recall KK and Col Imam and now Triple-S. The other
thing is that each of these 3 people were with the ISI at one
point. A former army chief confirmed to me that SSS was at one
point on the payroll. Each of these guys had a falling out with
the official ISI but maintained links deep within the service.
These guys have also had ties to jihadists of one type while
pissing off other more radical types.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

———————————————————————-

From: Fred Burton
Date: Wed, 1 Jun 2011 07:51:53 -0500 (CDT)
To: Sean Noonan
Cc: Secure List
Subject: Re: Pakistan Journalist Vanishes: Is the ISI Involved?

http://www.plutobooks.com/display.asp?K=9780745331010&

Note his May 20 book release.

He was living on borrowed time operating in the belly of the
beast. His last interview is telling. Regardless, he’s dead.
Life on the edge.

On 6/1/2011 6:34 AM, Sean Noonan wrote:

Did y’all read his most recent story?

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/ME27Df06.html

These three stories are pretty good on his death and what was
going on:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-05-31/syed-saleem-shahzad-suspicions-fall-on-pakistans-isi-in-journalists-death/#

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/leading-journalist-murdered-by-pakistani-security-service-2291604.html

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2074800,00.html#ixzz1NxHaX4xA

Just throwing ideas out here. This is such a clusterfuck I
don’t know what to think.

His next was to be “Next: Recruitment and training of militants
” So who was doing the recruitment and training, huh?
If it’s anything like the first half, it sounds like he’s going
to accuse someone in the Pakistani military. Maybe they wanted
to stop that?

Excerpt of new book on AQ and friends. Says the Mumbai plan was
ISI’s and a dude under Kashmiri at LeT carried it out:

http://www.syedsaleemshahzad.com/2011/05/who-masterminded-mumbai-attack/

It seems just as likely jihadists could go after him for
exposing their location (or that they thought he exposed it).
The reports I’ve read through of ‘torture’ were really just that
he had been hit in the face. That’s probably pretty typical of
any militant or criminal outfit, and while the other reports of
his ISI meetings were more peaceful, it wouldn’t be that
difficult for them to go that far either.

Here’s his email to the HRW:

http://asiancorrespondent.com/56321/saleem-shahzad-dead-another-one-bites-the-dust/

For future reference:

Meeting details as on October 17, 2010 at the ISI headquarters
Islamabad between DG Media Wing ISI, Rear Admiral Adnan Nazir
and Syed Saleem Shahzad, the Bureau Chief Pakistan for Asia
Times Online (Hong Kong). Commodore Khalid Pervaiz, the Deputy
Director General of Media Wing ISI was also present during the
conversation.

Agenda of the meeting: discussion on Asia Times Online story
published on October 15, 2010, titled Pakistan frees Taliban
commander (see

http://atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/LJ16Df02.html).

The meeting discussed the following issues.

1-Syed Saleem Shahzad told Rear Admiral Adnan that an
intelligence channel leaked the story. However, he added that
story was published only after a confirmation from the most
credible Taliban source. Syed also explained that DG ISPR was
sent a text message about the story, but he did not respond.

2- Rear Admiral Adnan Nazir had the view that story caused a lot
of embracement for the country but observed that issuing a
denial from the government side is no solution. He suggested
Syed Saleem Shahzad should write a denial of the story.

3- Syed Shahzad refused to comply with demand and termed it
impractical.

4-Rear Admiral Adnan was curious to know the source of the story
as it is a shame that information would leak from the office of
a high profile intelligence service.

5- Syed Shahzad called it an intelligence leak but did not
specify the source.

6-The conversation was held in an extremely polite and friendly
atmosphere and there was no mince word in the room at any stage.
Rear Admiral Adnan Nazir also offered Syed Saleem Shahzad a
favor in following words.

“I must give you a favor. We have recently arrested a terrorist
and have recovered a lot of data, dairies and other material
during the interrogation. The terrorist had a hit list with him.
If I find your name in the list, I will certainly let you know,”

(end of email)

On 5/31/11 7:56 PM, burton@stratfor.com wrote:

I’m sure the ISI extracted a confession of his CIA work before
he died. There will be a leaked story about his double agent
work and the Pakis rub the CIA’s nose in it. Its what intel
agencies do. Tit for tat. The world will soon forget him.
Price one pays for playing the game.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

———————————————————————-

From: “Kamran Bokhari”
Date: Tue, 31 May 2011 19:36:07 -0500 (CDT)
To: Reva Bhalla; Kamran
Bokhari
ReplyTo: bokhari@stratfor.com
Cc: Secure List; Fred
Burton
Subject: Re: Pakistan Journalist Vanishes: Is the ISI
Involved?
Pretty big one. Domestic and int’l media shit-storm about how
ISI brutally killed a journalist who uncovered ties between
navy and aQ. The big thing now is aQ penetration of ISI.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

———————————————————————-

From: Reva Bhalla
Date: Tue, 31 May 2011 19:29:03 -0500 (CDT)
To:
Cc: Secure List; Fred
Burton
Subject: Re: Pakistan Journalist Vanishes: Is the ISI
Involved?
is it that much of a crisis?

———————————————————————-

From: “Kamran Bokhari”
To: “Fred Burton” , “Kamran Bokhari”

Cc: “Secure List”
Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2011 7:28:02 PM
Subject: Re: Fwd: Pakistan Journalist Vanishes: Is the ISI
Involved?

Yes, he is dead. But the question is why create this new
crisis when there are no shortages of crises.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

———————————————————————-

From: Fred Burton
Date: Tue, 31 May 2011 19:18:28 -0500 (CDT)
To: Kamran Bokhari
Cc: Secure List
Subject: Re: Fwd: Pakistan Journalist Vanishes: Is the ISI
Involved?
I’m not surprised. Have we confirmed he’s dead?

On 5/31/2011 7:16 PM, Kamran Bokhari wrote:

Heard that the ISI agents who were “interrogating” him
didn’t realize he had a heart condition and when they began
the thrashing the guy had a heart attack and died.
On 5/31/2011 2:17 PM, Fred Burton wrote:

A reasonable man would conclude that the chap was on the
CIA dole, but you did not hear that from me. Payback is a
bitch.

——– Original Message ——–

Subject: Pakistan Journalist Vanishes: Is the ISI
Involved?
Date: Tue, 31 May 2011 13:15:00 -0500
From: Fred Burton
To: OS

Fears are growing for the safety of a well-known Pakistani journalist
who has been missing for 39 hours now and, according to an international
advocacy group, is believed to be in the custody of Pakistan’s
controversial Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Human
Rights Watch declared that Syed Saleem Shahzad, a reporter working for
the Hong Kong-based Asia Times Online and Adnkronos International, the
Italian news agency, could be subject to mistreatment and even torture
while in custody.

UPDATE: Pakistan’s main news channels are reporting that Shahzad’s dead
body has been found. One news channel broadcast what appeared to be a
black and white image of Shahzad’s face. There were visible signs of
torture..

Read more:

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2074800,00.html#ixzz1NxHaX4xA

–

Sean Noonan

Tactical Analyst

Office: +1 512-279-9479

Mobile: +1 512-758-5967

Strategic Forecasting, Inc.

www.stratfor.com

Bashir Arisar of Jeay Sindh Mutahida Mahaz was kidnapped and tortured by intelligence agencies.

We are cross-posting a painful story (published by BBC Urdu) of Shahid Khaskheli, a Sindhi journalist who filed a report for KTN about Bashir Arisar, a Sindhi nationalist who was abducted and brutally tortured by Pakistan army’s intelligence agencies in reprisal of his political activities. Shahid Khaskheli has been threatened by the intelligence agencies that he would be punished because he published Arisar’s story. This shows that Pakistan army and its intelligence agencies are now reviving their brutal game in Sindh after they brutally crushed political workers of Pakistan Peoples Party and Sindhi nationalist during the Movement for Restoration of Democracy (MRD) in 1980s.

Is it a crime to report a missing person’s story in the mainstream media?

We condemn Pakistan army’s role in illegal kidnapping and torture of Sindhi nationalists and harassment of journalists. We urge Pakistan army chief General Kayani and President Zardari to pay urgent attention to the matter, assure full security of journalists; punish those who abducted and tortured Bashir Arisar and those who are now harassing Sindhi journalists.

***********

’اگر میں مارا جاؤں تو‘
حسن مجتبیٰ
بی بی سی اردو ڈاٹ کام، نیویارک
آخری وقت اشاعت: اتوار 26 فروری 2012 ,

پاکستان میں لاپتہ لوگوں کی تعداد میں گزشتہ سالوں میں اضافہ ہوا ہے

’اب میں اپنا سر بچا کر بھیس بدل کر رپورٹنگ کر رہا ہوں اور کرتا رہوں گا۔ برائے مہربانی میرا یہ میسیج ڈیلیٹ مت کیجیے گا اور ریکارڈ پر رکھنا اگر میں مارا جاؤں تو۔‘ یہ الفاظ ہیں اس اخباری اور ٹی وی رپورٹر کے جس نے ایک گمشدہ شخص کے متعلق رپوٹنگ کی اور اب وہ بھاگتی ریل کے پیچھے ہے۔

گزشتہ منگل کو پاکستان کے صوبہ سندھ کے شہر میرپور خاص کے قریب میرپور خاص – عمر کوٹ روڈ پر ایک شخص شدید زخمی حالت میں بے ہوش ملا تھا۔ اس شخص کے دونوں جبڑے ٹوٹے ہوئے تھے جبکہ ایک جبڑے پر پلاسٹر بھی چڑھا ہوا تھا۔ اس شخص کا نام بشیر آریسر ہے۔

بشیر آریسر ان گمشدہ سندھی قوم پرستوں میں سے ایک ہے جن کی آزادی کے لیے ان کے اہلِ خانہ یا لواحقین سپریم کورٹ کے سامنے ان کی رہائي کی لیے احتجاجی کیمپ لگاکر مظاہرے کر رہے تھے۔ لیکن جس وقت بشیر آریسر کے گھر والے اسلام آباد میں مظاہرے کر رہے تھے انہیں منگل کی رات بتایا گیا کہ کئي ماہ قبل مبینہ طور پر انٹیلیجنس ایجنسیوں کے ہاتھوں گرفتار ہوکر لاپتہ ہونے والا بشیر آریسر انتہائي بری اور زخمی حالت میں پایا گیا ہے۔

بشیر آریسر جس شام ہاتھ آیا اسی رات اس کے تشدد شدہ زخمی جسم کے ساتھ برآمد گی کی خبریں اور فوٹیج اور فوٹوز سندھی ٹیلی ویژن نیوز نیٹ ورک کے ٹی این اور اخبار ’کاوش‘ پر نشر اور شائع ہوئے۔

لیکن کاوش اور کے ٹی این کے جس نمائندے نے یہ خبریں اور فوٹیج دیے اسکے خلاف مبینہ طور پر بقول اسکے ایجنیسوں نے کیا سلوک کیا ہوا وہ کاوش اور کے ٹی این کے اس نمائندے شاہد خاصخیلی کی اپنی زبانی سنیے جو اس نے مجھے ایک ای میل پیغام میں لکھا ہے۔ صحافی شاہد خاصخیلی نے لکھا ہے اگر وہ مارا جائے تو اسکا یہ میسج ریکارڈ پر رہے۔
شاہد خاصحیلی مجھے اپنے انٹرنیٹ پیغام میں لکھتے ہیں (جو میں جوں کے توں یہاں پیش کر رہا ہوں) :

’میں شاہد خاصخیلی، رپورٹر کے ٹی این نیوز اینڈ کاوش میرپور خاص۔ آج سے چار روز قبل مسنگ پرسن ایک شخص بشیر آریسر میرپور خاص کے نزدیک عمرکوٹ-میرپور خاص روڈ کے قریب سے ملا تھا۔ اسکی خبر کے ٹی این نیوز سے بریک ہوئي تھی۔ پھر میں رات گۓ میرپور خاص سے نکل کر بدین کے ایک گاؤں جا کر اسکی فوٹیج لیکر آیا۔ وہ کے ٹی این پر نشر ہوئی اور کاوش میں اسکی خبر شائع ہوئی۔ مگر صبح کو میرے پیچھے ایجنیسوں والے لگ گئے۔ وہ میرے آفس میں آئے اور بعد میں زبردستی مجھے آئي ایس آئی کے مرپور خاص میں واقع آفس میں طلب کیا گیا اور ڈرایا دھمکایا گیا کہ میں دہشتگروں کی حمایت کر رہا ہوں۔ مطلب یہ کہ مجھ پر یہ الزام صرف مسنگ پرسن کی نیوز چلانے، اسکے ٹوٹے ہوئے چار دانت دکھانے، اسکے منہ کے دونوں مسوڑوں کے نیچے لگي ہوئی لوہے کی پتریاں دکھانے اور اسکے کٹے ہوئے گلے کو دکھانے کی وجہ سے لگ رہا ہے۔ کیا یہ دہشتگردی ہے؟‘

شاہد اپنے پیغام میں لکھتے ہیں ’میں نہ قومپرست ہوں، نہ انتہا پسند۔ میں انسانیت میں یقین رکھنے والا آدمی ہوں۔ لیکن جب سے میں نے میرپور خاص جیسے ’ان سین‘ ایریا میں آکر کام کیا ہے تو وڈیرے، ایجنسیوں والوں اور تمام بیوروکریسی کو انگارے لگ گئے ہیں۔ میں اپنی تعریف نہیں کر رہا مگر کہہ رہا ہوں کہ سچ میں یہ ایک ’ان سین‘ ایریا ہے جہاں ظلم بھی چھپائے جاتے ہیں۔ جہاں خوبصورتی پر بھی پردے ڈالے جاتے ہیں۔‘

آخر میں کاوش کے رپورٹر شاہد خاصخیلی لکھتے ہیں، ’اب میں اپنا سر بچا کر بھیس بدل کر رپوٹنگ کر رہا ہوں، ا ور کرتا رہوں گا۔ برائے مہربانی میرا یہ میسیج ڈیلیٹ مت کیجیے گا اور ریکارڈ پر رکھنا اگر میں مارا جاؤں تو۔‘
پاکستان جیسا ملک، جو صحافیوں کے تحفظ کی عالمی تنظیم کمیٹی ٹو پروٹیکٹ جرنلسٹس (سی پی جے ) کے مطابق دنیا میں صحافیوں کیلیے خطرناک ممالک میں سرفہرست دس ممالک میں شمار ہوتا ہے اور جہاں حیات اللہ سے لیکر شہزاد سلیم جیسے کئي صحافی مارے گۓ ہوں وہاں سندھ کے چھوٹے سے شہر کے صحافی کے پیغام کی یہ سطریں مجھے سندھی شاعر آکاش انصاری کی اس نظم کی یاد دلاتی ہیں:

’اے ماں اے ماں
اگر میں بھی
رات کے رہزنوں کے ہاتھوں
مارا جاؤں
اپنے ساتھیوں کی طرح
ماں تو رونا نہیں
ماں تو رونا نہیں‘

Astrong-worded statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relation (ISPR) said that the HRW report titled“Shahzad commission results marred by free ride for ISI” published on January 30 this year was “found to be extremely derogatory, biased and contradictory in terms”.

The ISPR statement held Brad Adams, HRW Asia Director, to be having his “head buried deep in sand” and alleged that his “thought process and ability to logically analyze a given situation suffers from serious bias”. In the statement, the ISI categorically denied the allegations and the spokesperson said the HRW report was “a well orchestrated and sinister media campaign, in which, HRW and the likes of Brad Adams and Ali Dayan Hassan may have been unwittingly drawn into”. “It raises serious questions on the partisan nature of HRW and Brad Adam’s objectivity.”

Last but not least, Pakistan army politely demands (threatens will be a more appropriate word given the historical and ongoing high-handedness of Pakistan army) HRW to withdraw its statement on Saleem Shahzad’s murder. ” It will be in fitness of things to expect HRW to withdraw this biased statement. “

We condemn Pakistan army’s harassing and threatening statement against Human Rights Watch, its Asia director Brad Adams and Pakistan director Ali Dayan Hasan.

We consider such statement as an attempt to threaten and silence HRW and other human rights groups as well as media persons to refrain from reporting human rights violations by Pakistan army in various parts of the country including but not limited to army’s role in the ongoing target killings of media persons, political leaders, Baloch nationalists, anti-Taliban Pashtuns and Shia Muslims.

We note that Pakistan army’s statement against HRW is full of praise for Pakistan’s Supreme Court, Justice Saqib Nisar and at least indirectly the incumbent Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry.  Justice Saqib Nisar is the same pro-rape, Punjabi, Lahori judge who wrote one of the worst judgements in Pakistan’s legal history (Mukhtaran Mai case). The ISPR statement applauds the Supreme Court and its judges for their services and claims that the HRW report has not only “demonized” the ISI, but is also “out of character of the Honourable Court”. The statement claims that the ISI, as well as the other intelligence agencies, have provided the judicial commission probing the case with “unprecedented obedience/compliance”. This is a classical example of one Jeem (Jenerals) returning the favour to the other Jeem (Judges) after extracting a favourable decision from the sham judicial commission on Saleem Shahzad’s murder. We also note that previously another Jeem (pro-army journalists in Jang group) attacked Ali Dayan Hasan in a defaming and threatening manner. The usual suspects, the Teen Jeem, are clearly at play again.

We demand that Saleem Shahzad commission be reconstituted, and an independent investigation be conducted into Shahzad’d murder free from Pakistan army’s influence and harassment.

We also urge all media persons to support their slain colleague (Saleem Shahzad) and Human Rights Watch instead of parroting Pakistan army’s lies and propaganda.

Barrister Shah said now the ISI had only two options, either to compensate the owners or de-acquire their land which would enable the actual owner to get possession of the land.

Rawalpindi: Justice Rauf Ahmed Sheikh of Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi bench on Wednesday directed the ministry of defence to either vacate or compensate the original owners for the land encroached by the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) near Shamsabad.

He ordered the respondents, secretary defence and military estate office (MEO), to act upon the court orders by March 1 otherwise he would summon the defence secretary.

Justice Sheikh passed these orders while hearing the petition of Zahoor Ahmed and Maqsood Ahmed who claimed that the military authorities had encroached upon their over three Kanals of land adjacent to the Shamsabad cricket stadium.

According to petitioners’ counsel advocate Ibadur Rehman Lodhi, ISI had encroached the land worth Rs50 million of his clients in early 1980s for defence purposes but later established Panorama Shopping Centre on the land adding the shopping centre is being run by the ISI officials who look after administrative and financial matters of the shopping centre.

He said though ISI was not made respondent to the petition but it filed an application before the court and requested to make it party to the case.

He told the court that the owners approached the LHC against the encroachment and after the court decided the matter in the owners’ favour the MEO filed an appeal in the Supreme Court but the apex court also decided the matter in the owners’ favour in 2004 and directed the respondents to compensate them or arrange an alternate land for the owners.

He contended that the MEO then delayed the matter saying that they could not arrange such a huge compensation for the owners adding that if they could not arrange the compensation then should vacate the land.

Sardar Tariq Anis standing counsel for federation told the court that MEO had paid an amount of Rs160 million to land acquisition collector (LCA) and a sum of Rs130 million had been disbursed among the affected owners.

He said after the disbursement of the money the petitioners raised the issue.

He, however, said the ISI officials admitted the claim of petitioners and requested the ministry of defence to arrange funds in order to compensate the land owners.

Barrister Masroor Shah, former CDA legal advisor, told Dawn that after the Supreme Court orders it was binding upon the respondents to settle the dispute in accordance with the directions of the apex court.

According to him, a government department could not use the public property for making profit and cited a case in which the House of Lords took notice of local area authority of London when it started purchasing land in order to sale them on higher prices and undid the action of the authority.

Barrister Shah said now the ISI had only two options, either to compensate the owners or de-acquire their land which would enable the actual owner to get possession of the land.

Source: Dawn

(New York) – The Pakistani government should redouble efforts to find the killers of the journalist Saleem Shahzad, following the failure of the judicial inquiry commission to identify those responsible, Human Rights Watch said today. The commission concluded in its January 10, 2012 report to the government that the police failed to question Pakistan’s military intelligence officials in its criminal investigation.

Shahzad, a reporter for the Hong Kong-based Asia Times Online and for Adnkronos International, the Italian news agency, disappeared from central Islamabad on the evening of May 29, 2011. His body, bearing visible signs of torture, was discovered on May 31, near Mandi Bahauddin, 130 kilometers southeast of the capital. The circumstances of the abduction raised concerns that the military’s feared Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency was responsible. In June 2011, the Supreme Court, at the request of the government, instituted a commission of inquiry into the killing.

“The commission’s failure to get to the bottom of the Shahzad killing illustrates the ability of the ISI to remain beyond the reach of Pakistan’s criminal justice system,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The government still has the responsibility to identify those responsible for Shahzad’s death and hold them accountable, no matter where the evidence leads.”

The ISI has a long and well-documented history of abductions, torture, and extrajudicial killings of critics of the military and others. Those abducted are routinely beaten and threatened, their relatives told not to worry or complain as release was imminent, and then released with the threat of further abuse if the ordeal is made public. Pakistani and international human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, have extensively documented the ISI’s intimidation, torture, enforced disappearances, and killings, including of many journalists.

The five-member commission, which included two judges, two senior police officers, and one journalist, convened on June 21, 2011. Over six months it interviewed 41 witnesses, including Shahzad’s family members, journalists, senior ISI officials, and others. It also conducted an extensive examination of documents, including relevant emails, telephone records, and investigation reports, as well as reports by previous similar commissions.

Among those interviewed were Ali Dayan Hasan of Human Rights Watch and Hameed Haroon, president of the All Pakistan Newspaper Society (APNS) and publisher of the Dawn Group. Each had received emails from Shahzad in 2010 complaining of threats by ISI agents for his reporting on links between the ISI and al-Qaeda. On October 19, 2010, Shahzad sent an email to Human Rights Watch outlining his meeting with the ISI and asking for the email to be released “in case something happens to me or my family in future.” Shahzad sent the same email and information about other threats to Haroon, and to colleagues at Asia Times Online.

ISI officials maintained to the commission that Shahzad had cordial relations with them until shortly before his killing. Despite strong indications of ISI involvement, the commission concluded that the Pakistani state, militant groups including the Taliban and al-Qaeda, and unnamed ‘foreign actors’ could all have had a motive to kill Shahzad on the basis of his writings.

“The commission appeared fearful of confronting the ISI over Shahzad’s death,” said Adams. “Shahzad had made it clear to Human Rights Watch that should he be killed, the ISI should be considered the principal suspect. He had not indicated he was afraid of being killed by militant groups or anybody else.”

Human Rights Watch said that the investigation’s weakness was exemplified by the failure to interview another journalist, Umar Cheema, who was abducted, tortured, and then dumped 120 kilometers from his residence in Islamabad in September 2010. Cheema alleged that his abductors were from Pakistan’s intelligence agencies. It is inexplicable that the commission failed to seek Cheema’s testimony despite his very public allegations against the ISI and repeated offers to testify before the commission, Human Rights Watch said.

“At great personal risk, scores of journalists, human rights activists, and others presented themselves before the commission to offer accounts of ISI and military involvement in human rights abuses,” Adams said. “The commission repaid this courage by muddying the waters and suggesting that just about anyone could have killed Shahzad.”

The commission’s recommendation that all intelligence agencies should be made accountable through “parliamentary oversight” and judicial redress should be promptly implemented by the government through appropriate legislation, Human Rights Watch said. The commission also recommended that “the balance between secrecy and accountability in the conduct of intelligence gathering be appropriately re-adjusted” and a “statutory framework carefully outlining their respective mandates and role” be developed. It also urged that the intelligence agencies’ “interaction with the media be carefully institutionally streamlined and regularly documented.”

“ISI abuses will only stop if it is subject to the rule of law, civilian oversight, and public accountability,” Adams said. “It is the government’s duty to insist on such accountability and the military’s duty to submit to it. The ISI needs to stop acting as a state within a state.”

Human Rights Watch expressed grave concern that the commission found it appropriate to recommend that the “press be made more law-abiding and accountable through the strengthening of institutions mandated by law to deal with legitimate grievances against it.

“It is perverse to use an investigation into the killing of a journalist as a way of limiting press freedom,” said Adams.

Pakistan remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists. At least 10 journalists, including Shahzad, were killed in 2011. In January 2011, a Geo TV reporter, Wali Khan Babar, was fatally shot in Karachi shortly after covering gang violence in the city. In May, the president of the Tribal Union of Journalists, Nasrullah Khan Afridi, was killed when his car blew up in Peshawar; the provincial information minister described the act as a “targeted killing by the Taliban.”

In August, two men on a motorcycle shot to death an Online News Agency reporter, Munir Ahmed Shakir, after he covered a demonstration by Baloch nationalists in the Khuzdar district of Balochistan. In November, the body of Javed Naseer Rind, a sub-editor with the Urdu-language Daily Tawar, was found with torture marks and gunshot wounds in Khuzdar town. On January 17, 2012, Mukarram Khan Atif, a reporter for the Voice of America, was killed by the Taliban in the Charsadda district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Brig. Gen. Zahid Mehmood of the ISI told the commission that the ISI/ISPR (Inter Services Public Relations) and other agencies “should stop patronising and protecting ‘favorite’ journalists.” Government payoffs to journalists not only distorts the news reaching the public, but the withdrawal of such patronage and “protection” can result in threats and violence, said journalists who spoke to the commission.

Human Rights Watch called on the government to pass legislation to prohibit the country’s security and intelligence agencies to end the practice of the ISI and other agencies planting agents in media organizations or providing secret payments to journalists to write or not write stories.

“Journalists are under attack from all directions in Pakistan, including by the military,” said Adams. “This murderous free-for-all will only end when the government can protect journalists from militants and its own intelligence agencies. Arresting the killers is the best way to do that.”

Source: Human Rights Watch

The following article by Farrukh Khan Pitafi appeared in the The Express Tribune, describes the so called judicial commission’s failure to get to the bottom of the Shahzad murder and to question Pakistan’s military intelligence officials and to identify the perpetrators.

Did no one kill Saleem Shahzad then?

James Jesus Angleton, former chief of the Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) counter-intelligence staff was credited with coining the term ‘wilderness of mirrors’, for the world of espionage. Paranoid as he often was, he also strongly believed that the Soviet spy agency, KGB was capable of influencing CIA’s perceptions without leaving behind a trace. Upon reading the report presented by the Saleem Shahzad Murder Inquiry Commission, one feels lost in the very wilderness. However, in our wilderness, traces of manipulation are visible.

Instead of an impartial inquiry, one might have expected the report presents the image of a witch-hunt and indulges in voodoo magic to preserve the soul of Pakistan’s premier intelligence agency. The Commission was primarily tasked to identify the perpetrators of the crime and shed light on circumstances leading to it. It ostensibly fails to deliver on both counts as it manages to raise more questions than answering the existing ones.

The singular most striking aspect that becomes evident from even a casual reading of the report is the Commission’s cynicism towards journalists and the Human Rights Watch (HRW), which was remarkably in contrast with its gullible attitude towards the intelligence community and its visible lackeys, pretending to be journalists. While it seemed that the inquiry was expecting the journalist community to present nothing short of a smoking gun, two of the three major intelligence agencies were let go upon producing written statements.

Even in the ISI’s case, only Rear Admiral Adnan Nazir was cross-examined at length, and that, too, to the effect that a case is built almost in his favour. And while Mr Ali Dayan of HRW was subjected to rather gratuitous questions about his organisation and work, redoubtable testimonies of self-proclaimed journalists like like Zafar Mehmood, Sheikh Qamarul Munir alias Qamar Yousafzai and Muhammad Raashed were accepted at face value without going into details of their professional competence. This apparently is because the testimony of these gentlemen supported the ISI’s narrative apart from casting aspersions on Shahzad’s person.

Shahzad’s book, Inside al Qaeda and Taliban (Pluto Press, 2011), has raised serious concerns on the failure of counter-intelligence. When he claimed that Ilyas Kashmiri had influenced some serving and retired officials in the armed forces, did it not become essential to probe whether such al Qaeda moles could have killed him to maintain their cover.

Another glaring omission in the structure and functioning of the Commission was the absence of a dedicated forensic expert and an investigator. In the absence of either, the Commission could expect to be stalled and that is precisely why it had to crack open Shahzad’s email account on its own. Quite astoundingly, it does not make much of the fact that the authorities did not provide much cooperation.

Also, it makes one wonder that the Commission quite clearly did not consider, even remotely, the possibility that the victim’s family might have contradicted Ali Dayan’s version under duress or because of it may have received actual threats. People who recovered the body or had something to do with the discovery were either not probed in detail, or else the account was not worthy of a mention in the report.

The fact remains that Pakistan has a long history of such crimes. Please remember the names of Daniel Pearl, Wali Babar, Moosa Khan Khel, Hayatullah Khan, Umar Cheema and Faraz Hashmi. No conspiracy theory about the seemingly ubiquitous ‘foreign hand’ can hide this fact.

In the end, the Commission does at least one generous thing — that of recommending the release of the three million rupees pledged to the family of the victim. But it should have gone a bit further and recommended that the family of the victim should be shifted abroad as this state and its justice system cannot ensure security for the life and property of journalists.