Monday, July 28, 2008 EDITORIAL : As the key decision-makers jetted their way towards the US, they left the country in a state of confusion by first issuing an ill planned, sort of arbitrary, notification to place the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) under the interior ministry and then hastily clarifying its intent in a press release issued very late in the night. The confusion did not end just there, and now it appears that the initial decision to place the intelligence agency under the control of the interior ministry has been reversed. The fact that a second press release had to be issued a few hours after the initial story that the ISI had been placed under the interior ministry, (the second one) saying that the intelligence agency was already under civilian control because its chief reported to the prime minister may have to do with negative feedback but also suggests some level of confusion and an apparently ham-handed attempt to resort to some type of damage control. As for the government’s clarification and eventual reversal, it needs to be pointed out that under the old arrangement, where the agency would report to the prime minister through the defence or cabinet division, the wide perception among most people was that it tended to be an institution unto itself and very much under the control of the army chief, who may or may not have had a good working relationship with the executive. To that extent, the transfer to the interior division would have been beneficial simply because the person who heads this ministry is supposed to be any government’s point-man, so to speak, as far as law and order is concerned. The sudden, literally overnight, reversal of the decision also highlights the fact that certain institutions in the country seem to most jealously guard their control over the state’s intelligence apparatus. PPP chief Asif Ali Zardari said after the decision was made public that the move will improve the image of the military, since in the past it had received much flak for being the sponsor of devious doings and of pursuing a foreign policy independent of the elected government. However, there is one valid criticism of the decision and this is that placing the agency under the control of the interior ministry may make it even more vulnerable to being misused to suit a government’s political and ulterior ends. Having said that, as pointed out already it is imperative that all the state’s intelligence-gathering institutions be controlled by civilians eventually and be answerable to parliament. This is because the ISI and the IB have often been accused of in fact working to undermine elected governments. To this effect, the remarks of both the interior and defence ministries made to the Supreme Court in 2006 (while a habeas corpus hearing into some citizens who had disappeared was being conducted) that neither exerted any command over the ISI are instructive. The key is for the ISI and also the IB to be made answerable to parliament, and that their roles be restricted to within the ambit of the Constitution and focused on gathering information and intelligence on those involved in terrorism — and not to harass on innocent citizens or a government’s political opponents. The misuse of agencies to spy on politicians must end but it should also not be handed over to unelected politicians to use it for their own political ends. The ISI in particular is seen by many as a state within the state, pursuing its own agenda. This perception needs to be corrected. While there are questions over whether the Interior Ministry control can cut it down to size, the effort should be to keep the country’s most notorious agency on a tight leash, under existing civilian control. How it works out in practice will depend on the competence and collective wisdom of our ruling political class. REFERENCE: ISI fiasco Monday, July 28, 2008 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=126617&Cat=8&dt=7%2F28%2F2008
The dark cloud of despair rising again BY Ansar Abbasi Wednesday, July 30, 2008 ISLAMABAD: The country's security establishment, often working quietly behind the scene and more often working at odds with elected political power players, has started raising serious doubts about the competence and even credentials of the present ruling set-up, implicitly warning that things may not go on for long if they do not improve. Signs of disapproval of many things that the present regime has done or is doing are thus adding to the fears that the system may be under threat again, hardly weeks after it was born and is still trying to find its feet. Circles close to the establishment say President Musharraf is no more relevant. Neither are his conspiracies. Now the establishment is worried for what the country has seen during the last few months of the civilian rule. In his background interaction, a trusted source and a politician from the ruling coalition shared with this correspondent discussion of a senior Member of Parliament (MP) with some key players of the establishment. Without identifying these key players, the source said that the MP was asked to advise his influential top political leadership that the things as they are today could not prolong if not corrected. The MP's encounter with the establishment's players had occurred before the recent ISI fiasco, which has further eroded the credibility of the present regime. Bad-governance, highly objectionable appointments made during the recent months, growing corruption etc are causes of concern for the establishment but more worrying is the loss of trust between the ruling leadership and some important players of the establishment. REFERENCE: The dark cloud of despair rising again BY Ansar Abbasi Wednesday, July 30, 2008 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=127114&Cat=2&dt=7%2F30%2F2008
Ansar Abbasi Attacks Nawaz Sharif and ISI.
Ansar Abbasi Attacks Nawaz Sharif & ISI. by SalimJanMazari
Has PPP any faith in institutionalised decisions? Comment BY Ansar Abbasi Tuesday, July 29, 2008 ISLAMABAD: The ‘ISI fiasco’ has proved yet again that the present regime has very little faith in institutionalised decisions. Last week’s official order issued to shift the ISI and the IB to the Interior Ministry without consulting the federal cabinet, any parliamentary body or the stakeholders is one such example. It was all done in indecent haste and without even going through any detailed inter-ministerial consultation between the ministries of defence, interior, cabinet, etc. Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior, Rehman Malik, and his secretary Syed Kamal Shah had reportedly persuaded Asif Ali Zardari to get the Rules of Business amended to bring the ISI under the Interior Ministry apparently for better coordination between the intelligence agencies. While Rehman Malik was initially reported to have claimed that the decision to shift the ISI and the IB was taken with the consent of the president and the Army chief, but later he told a private television channel in London, on his way to Washington, that he was not aware of any notification about putting the chief spying agency under the ministry’s control. Hamid Mir of Geo’s ‘Capital Talk’ told The News that he spoke to Rehman Malik on July 26, the day the contentious notification was issued, for almost 20 minutes and the adviser had assured him that the decision was taken in consultation with President Musharraf, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Army chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and Asif Ali Zardari. But on July 27, the private TV channel quoted Malik as saying he was not aware of any notification. REFERENCE: Has PPP any faith in institutionalised decisions? Comment BY Ansar Abbasi Tuesday, July 29, 2008 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=16284&Cat=13&dt=7%2F29%2F2008
ISI chief should step down by Ansar Abbasi Sunday, April 20, 2014 ISLAMABAD: Director General ISI Lt. Gen. Zaheer-ul-Islam should step down to protect the respect and sanctity of his institution, which is now burdened with the challenge of catching the real culprits. Whether or not Gen Zaheer or any member of the ISI is involved in this cowardly attack, Hamid Mir’s earlier warning that if an attempt was made on his life the DG ISI and a few others would be responsible has made the institution of the ISI the focus of criticism. This is too serious an allegation against the top spymaster of the country to be ignored. Since Hamid Mir had pointed his finger directly at Gen Zaheer, his name would continue to be taken as a ‘suspect’ by the national and international media till such time as the real culprits are caught. Sometime back during his routine visit to the office of The News Investigations Cell, Mir had told all those present there, including this correspondent, that his life was under threat from the ISI chief Gen Zaheer-ul-Islam and a few of his subordinate officials. He informed us that besides the management of Geo, he had shared his statement about his possible attackers with a few others including an international journalists’ organisation. Keeping in view the profile of Hamid Mir, his warning could not be set aside or pushed under the rug. Mir though did not share the precise reasons as to why he suspected the DG ISI, for any reason Zaheer-ul-Islam is now facing the serious blame of attacking Mir. Because of Zaheer-ul-Islam, the institution of the ISI is also being dragged into the controversy. Even otherwise, there have been complaints about the presence of some “disgruntled elements” in the prime intelligence agency of the country that are said to be serving the vested interest of individuals. They could be dubbed as an “ISI within the ISI”, and there is a need to identify and isolate such elements. The institutions of the Pakistan Army and the ISI are critical for the defence and security of Pakistan but certain individuals, including dictators, have seriously dented the repute and working of these institutions by using them for their vested interests. These institutions badly require reform to get them focused for the prime job they are assigned and this could only be possible by cleansing these institutions of those who are in the habit of using the muscles of these institutions for vested interests. No less a person than Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Army Chief General Raheel Sharif have been informed a few months back of the serious threats to some top members of the Jang Group management. Here too some elements within the ISI were named but neither any inquiry has been ordered nor any security has been provided to those facing threats. Instead, a complete aloofness is shown by those who are required to take action in such matters. Consequently, those threatened have been compelled to live abroad. So many journalists have been killed in the past but hardly in any case have the murderers been caught. A few years back when our colleague Umar Cheema was kidnapped, thrashed and thrown in a deserted area, I had demanded the then DG ISI Lt Gen (retd) Shuja Pasha that if someone in the ISI was not involved in the attack than it was capable enough to get to the culprits. But till this day no one knows who had attacked Cheema. In Hamid Mir’s case, despite his earlier notice and naming of the few, it is premature to finally conclude who did it. But Mir’s complaint has put the institution of the ISI under a shadow. One is sure if the ISI uses its resources and skills, it could get hold of the culprits. Will it do it? REFERENCE: ISI chief should step down by Ansar Abbasi Sunday, April 20, 2014 http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-13-29830-ISI-chief-should-step-down
Establishment — the main target in current fiasco - Politicians point finger at Army, ISI for debacles; all except the president are losers ISLAMABAD: No matter who has authored the script of the ongoing Brig Imtiaz tamasha, engulfing the political arena, the establishment that includes the military-led intelligence agencies and the Pakistan Army have emerged as the main villains, presumably as the authors of the fiasco wanted. Nawaz Sharif and his party are uncomfortable; demand for Musharraf’s trial has been sidetracked at least for the time being; the MQM gets into a position where it believes that its stand is vindicated but the Jinnahpur controversy also created an opportunity for its opponents for a much open criticism of the party and its policies; the issues like the scrapping of 17th Amendment have now become more complex with the two leading parties setting up for a political confrontation after the PML-N finds the Presidency behind the current smear campaign against its top leadership; however, President Asif Zardari is least affected by this recently started political wrangling. It rather has favoured him by temporarily silencing the guns that were targeting him and the government from all around for their alleged misrule, on charges of corruption, the sugar scandal and the reported ruining of the state institutions. REFERENCE: Establishment — the main target in current fiasco - Politicians point finger at Army, ISI for debacles; all except the president are losers BY Ansar Abbasi Wednesday, September 02, 2009 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=24254&Cat=13&dt=9%2F2%2F2009
Guess what it was the same Jang Group of Newspapers which should be blamed for the above
That is not the end because it was the Jang Group of Newspapers, GEO TV, Salim Safi, Shaheen Sehbai, Rauf Klasra and Ansar Abbasi who started giving undue attention to Brigadier (R) Imtiaz much earlier. “How a jilted Karachi woman saved Pak N-programme” that appeared in the daily The News on May 28, 2009 How a jilted Karachi woman saved Pak N-programme Thursday, May 28, 2009 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=22396&Cat=13&dt=5/28/2009Brig Imtiaz reveals 30-year-old secret By Rauf Klasra Watch Imtiaz's Interview Jirga 23rd July 2009 Jirga - with Saleem Saafi, read Brig Imtiaz reveals CIA plots Tuesday, September 01, 2009 By Ansar Abbasi. http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=24241&Cat=13&dt=9/1/2009
Then comes Ansar Abbasi's wild accusations and sweeping statements against the Parliamentarians based on Paranoia that Parliamentarians could be be Foreign agents, hence Traitors, "The most dangerous aspect of the 18th Amendment is to open the doors of parliament to any convict, who may have been sentenced for propagating or acting in any manner prejudicial to the ideology, sovereignty, integrity and security of Pakistan. This provision of the 18th Amendment might even allow convicted local spies of the RAW, the CIA, the FBI and even Mossad to become members of parliament and even aspire to become the prime minister of the country" Convicts can grab top political posts by Ansar Abbasi Saturday, April 24, 2010 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=28471&Cat=13&dt=4/24/2010 Please note that the Brigadier Imtiaz which was targeted by Ansar Abbasi above for blaming the civilians that they are hatching conspiracy against Establishment by using Imtiaz. Whereas the same Imtiaz is being praised by no one else but some Editor in the same newspaper -- Brig Imtiaz defends agencies’ non-cooperation with UN mission
Editor Reporting Sunday, April 25, 2010 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=28488&Cat=13&dt=4/25/2010
PAKISTAN Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Credible reports indicated that the authorities routinely use wiretaps and intercepted and opened mail. The Supreme Court directed the Government to seek its permission before carrying out wiretapping or eavesdropping operations; however, the judiciary's directive has been ignored widely. No action was taken during the year in the 1996 case of 12 government agencies accused of tapping and monitoring citizens' phone calls and no additional action was expected. REFERENCE: PAKISTAN Country Reports on Human Rights Practices Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor 2002 http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/2002/18314.htm
In 1997 the Supreme Court directed the federal Government to seek the Court's permission before carrying out any future wiretapping or eavesdropping operations. Nonetheless, that same year, a lawyer for a former director of the Intelligence Bureau, charged with illegal wiretapping during Benazir Bhutto's second term in office, presented the Supreme Court with a list of 12 government agencies that still tapped and monitored telephone calls of citizens. The case is pending in the Supreme Court. A press story in October 1998 quoted anonymous cabinet ministers who complained of wiretapping of their telephones by the Intelligence Bureau. EFERENCE: Country Reports on Human Rights Practices Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor 1999 http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/1999/441.htm
Pakistan's Constitution of 1973 says (Jang Group/GEO TV/The News International flagrantly violate the following article)
"QUOTE"
14. Inviolability of dignity of man, etc.
(1) The dignity of man and, subject to law, the privacy of home, shall be inviolable. REFERENCE: PART II Fundamental Rights and Principles of Policy http://www.pakistani.org/pakistan/constitution/part2.ch1.html The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan http://www.pakistani.org/pakistan/constitution/
"UNQUOTE"
Now note the conduct of these Journalists in Jang Group of Newspapers
Kamran Khan on Ansar Abbasi & Illegal Telephone Tapping - 1
Kamran Khan on Ansar Abbasi & Illegal Telephone... by SalimJanMazari
Failed coup against ISI was to appease US BY Shaheen Sehbai Monday, July 28, 2008 WASHINGTON: The politically ill-advised developments in Islamabad to take over control of the otherwise notorious ISI are deeply linked to Prime Minister Gilani’s US visit, as the most painful and probably the only sticking point in his talks with the Bush administration would be the role of Pakistani agencies inside Afghanistan, Fata and against the US interests.
Informed members of the PM’s entourage, who have arrived in advance, privately say Gilani will be put on the spot in some of his top-level meetings, confronted with evidence that some out-of-control parts of the Pakistani agencies, either with or without Islamabad’s nod, were working at odds with the US goals and this has to be curbed by the political government if it wants generous economic and political support from Washington and even its allies and friends, including Saudi Arabia.
Pakistani diplomats are confident that while the visit will sail through without hitch, the issue of controlling the undesirable role of the agencies will be too hot to handle for an inexperienced prime minister. Thus, he was more than eager to take some decision on who would control the ISI before landing at the Andrews Air Force Base on the outskirts of Washington at 12:30 am Monday morning (Pakistan Standard Time).
The US side is prepared with all kinds of evidence, videos, audios plus transcripts to show Gilani that his agencies were playing double games in seriously stopping the terrorists inside Pakistan from operating freely. One such example to quote is the press conference addressed by Baitullah Mehsud with dozens of journalists travelling inside Fata to secret locations which, the US side claims, could never have remained secret from the vigilant Pakistani agencies. But if a terrorist can call and address a news conference with all TV and media presence in full force, there is no excuse for the agencies not to know where he was located.
The Pakistani side is also preparing its own counter arguments claiming that if the US can immediately track down the voice of Baitullah Mehsud, within hours after Benazir Bhutto’s murder claiming responsibility for the heinous act, why could they not track down and share the information with Pakistan on the whereabouts of the militant leader so that Pakistan could act in real time.
But all these arguments bring into sharp focus the role of the agencies and by ordering that, henceforth, the ISI would be controlled by the interior ministry, Gilani was trying to arm himself with talking points to assure the Americans that he was serious in dealing with the situation and should be given time and support to handle what has been a long and ongoing notorious operation without any civilian political oversight.
Yet the manner in which Gilani and even Asif Ali Zardari handled the matter so casually and without deep thought has now caused not only a public embarrassment for the prime minister, even before he landed on the US soil, but he will be hard pressed to avoid the gazing looks of uniformed US generals when they seek answers to their pointed questions.
Both Pakistani and US sides preparing for these serious discussions are deeply skeptical of the role of some of the Pakistani leaders, specially the over-zealous interior ministry bosses, in misleading and misguiding their own leadership as well as the people and the media on how and why the sensitive ISI affair was handled.
Rehman Malik has repeatedly said on Pakistani TV channels that the president, the Army chief, the prime minister and Asif Ali Zardari were not only consulted but had agreed to the change of command of the ISI but each of these players, importantly the presidency and the GHQ, have said categorically that they were not on board. So, Malik has to do a lot of explaining on what was going on and why he was making misleading claims.
It is not the first time that Malik has been acting in such an arbitrary manner and his action of postponing the by-elections without consulting anyone, a decision which had to be reversed, was a similar attempt at exercising power that did not exist in the manner he wanted to use it.
The cryptic remarks of some of the military people made to important journalists about imagining a situation in which the ISI would be run by Malik indicate the level of mistrust and contempt about some of the unelected leaders in the PPP government. But they are thriving and it is a deepening mystery why.
So when Prime Minister Gilani lands in Washington, he will not only have to worry about what he will face in meetings with the US leaders but will also have to prepare some convincing explanations for his own party leader, who is believed to have already reprimanded the PM for not being able to comprehend the seriousness and sensitivity of the decision that he took and caused a huge backfire. REFERENCE: Failed coup against ISI was to appease US BY Shaheen Sehbai Monday, July 28, 2008 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=16258&Cat=13&dt=7%2F28%2F2008
Kamran Khan on Ansar Abbasi & Illegal Telephone... by SalimJanMazari
Is Rehman Malik himself on the chopping block? The question being asked is whether the adviser acted on his own or on party recommendation BY Ansar Abbasi Thursday, July 31, 2008 ISLAMABAD: Rehman Malik has hinted from Washington of the possible rolling of some heads in the bureaucracy for causing the recent ISI fiasco but the reports making rounds in Islamabad suggest that the prime minister's adviser on interior might find his own head on the chopping block.
While a renowned defence analyst and writer privately told this correspondent on Wednesday that Asif Ali Zardari would possibly be required to fire Rehman Malik sooner than later, the PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar said that he was not aware of any such move.
A PPP leader though confided to this correspondent that the controversies generated by Rehman Malik might force the party leaders to review his role, admitting at the same time that it would be a "tall order".
Farhatullah Babar, however, said that the PPP coalition government believes in accountability even if it involves its own people. For this purpose, he explained that the party's co-chairperson has set-up an ethics committee also.
Malik told journalists in Washington on Tuesday that he had absolutely nothing to do with the controversial notification to take over the ISI and the IB and said that when he would return to Pakistan he would see that some heads rolled immediately for this blunder.
Malik explained that the notification was issued by some bureaucrats who, according to him, included the name of the ISI without getting proper approval from the competent authority and he would see that those responsible were taken to task.
Before his latest statement, the security czar had told a private television channel that he was not aware of any notification about putting the ISI under the control of the Interior Ministry. And before that, on July 26, when the controversial notification was issued, he was quoted to have said that placing the ISI and the IB under the interior ministry was the consequence of consultation between the president, the prime minister, the Army chief and Asif Ali Zardari.
Zardari House knows that the latest ISI fiasco is too serious a thing to be ignored or pushed under the rug. Though Malik now claims he was not part of this controversy, sources even in the PPP admit that it was the adviser on interior who had sold the controversial idea to Asif Ali Zardari.
Previously, at least on two occasions, Malik became the centre of controversies. In May he surprised everyone by his role in the postponement of the by-polls. Although, he denied his role in that case too, it was the Frontier Chief Minister Amir Haider Hoti, who told the media that he was approached by Malik to write to the federal government seeking postponement of the by-polls, which interestingly the young chief minister did. The CM said that he was told by Malik that all the other provinces were also conveying similar requests to the federal authorities.
Later, Secretary Election Commission Kanwar Dilshad also said that he too was contacted by Malik, who sought the postponement of the by-elections and informed the secretary that the NWFP government was writing for the postponement of the by-polls whereas the other three provinces also had security concerns.
On another occasion, Malik hit the headline by announcing that Swat peace deal had been scrapped. The statement shocked both the Army and the Frontier government. However, a day after in his televised press conference, Malik said that he never talked of scrapping of the deal. Malik had been quoted by different news agencies as telling a group of reporters, "The Swat agreement is scrapped as the militants have continued their attack on the security forces."
The Frontier government had reacted sharply to Malik's statement while the military spokesman too said that the Army was not aware of any such development. Because the party has not taken any action against Malik earlier, the question is being asked whether he took those decisions on his own or on the recommendations of the party. REFERENCE: Is Rehman Malik himself on the chopping block? The question being asked is whether the adviser acted on his own or on party recommendation BY Ansar Abbasi
Thursday, July 31, 2008 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=127298&Cat=2&dt=7%2F31%2F2008
‘Angels’ blocking Geo, The News, Jang : Channel shut down, papers blocked in cantonments, defence organisations; Geo pushed to last numbers on TVs in civilian areas - ISLAMABAD: Who says the chief of the ‘angels’ is ordering and monitoring the closure of all channels of the Geo Group through cable operators and stopping the distribution of daily Jang, which existed even at the time of the creation of Pakistan, and The News in cantonment areas? This is indeed happening in all cities across the country. Geo has been blocked, and the circulation of Jang and The News stopped in all cantonments and companies and corporations under military officials’ control. Besides, in civil areas, attempts are under way to block Geo, and it has been pushed to the last numbers on TV in some areas. Following the life attempt on Hamid Mir, the well-known anchor of Geo News, the transmission of Geo group channels was initially being stopped in the cantonment areas but now the ISI has started contacting the cable operators in civilian areas and operators are being “asked” to block all Geo channels even in non-cantonment areas. The Geo/Jang Group, which according to its spokesman, was already facing the worst financial crisis in recent months has been badly damaged financially by the most recent blackout of its channels in many areas of different cities across the country. REFERENCE: ‘Angels’ blocking Geo, The News, Jang Channel shut down, papers blocked in cantonments, defence organisations; Geo pushed to last numbers on TVs in civilian areas by Ahmad Noorani Friday, April 25, 2014 http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-13-29919-Angels-blocking-Geo-The-News-Jang
Ahmed Noorani Tapped Nazir Naji Telephone Calls
Ahmed Noorani Tapped Nazir Naji Telephone Calls by SalimJanMazari
Jang Group star reporters often attack International Human Rights Organizations in a worse possible way and not only that they also threaten Human Rights Activists in Pakistan , here are few examples
Let’s see what HRW could not see in Pakistan News Analysis by Ahmad Noorani ISLAMABAD: In yet another display of politically motivated opinions, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) has ignored the PPP government’s failure to check massive human rights violations in Pakistan in its latest global report for the year 2012 but has once again come up with a charge-sheet against the country’s independent judiciary. Implicitly favouring the present regime, the HRW has based its opinion on half-truths, complete lies, distorted facts and subjective views. The US-based HRW report seems to be a clear attempt to further fuel already intense sectarian violence and to create chaos and disorder in Pakistan. Once again the organisation has repeated its allegation in an indirect way that Shia Muslims in Pakistan are being killed at the behest of the Pakistan Army. HRW has again alleged that media independence is being hurt in Pakistan because of the judiciary despite the fact that HRW failed to carry out an independent inquiry into the November 2012 press release on the same subject which was rejected by the whole Pakistani media and HRW’s credibility was badly hurt. REFERENCE: Let’s see what HRW could not see in Pakistan News Analysis by Ahmad Noorani Saturday, February 02, 2013 http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-2-157664-Lets-see-what-HRW-could-not-see-in-Pakistan
HRW again interferes blatantly in Pak judicial matters By Ahmad Noorani US-funded body ignores personal attacks on judges, due criticism on media; analysts say HRW Pakistan chapter highly politicised; serving interests of a particular class of rulers; rights body fails to mention reasons behind court’s action; restraining orders were issued after some highly abusive and derogatory programmes; Brad Adams either ignorant or misled about facts in Pakistan; Justice Wajih says HR bodies should focus on executive, not judiciary - The Human Rights Watch (HRW), an American-funded international NGO, has blatantly interfered in the Pakistan’s judicial system and has acted in a highly politicised manner to serve the interests of a particular class of the rulers, directly attacking Pakistan’s independent judiciary, analysts say. No doubt, HRW is considered as one of the leading human rights organisations in the world but unfortunately its Pakistan’s chapter is highly politicised and has close links and affiliations in Islamabad with the ruling PPP. Justice Wajihuddin Ahmad, former chief justice of Sindh High Court and judge of the Supreme Court who refused to take oath under Musharraf’s first martial law, said any order categorically ordering media not to criticise the judiciary will not only be a violation of human rights but will also be against the constitution. REFERENCE: HRW again interferes blatantly in Pak judicial matters By Ahmad Noorani Wednesday, November 28, 2012 http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-13-19130-HRW-again-interferes-blatantly-in-Pak-judicial-matters
HRW presented one-sided view on Balochistan to US panel by Ahmad Noorani ISLAMABAD: Ali Dayan Hasan, Pakistan director of a US NGO, Human Rights Watch (HRW), was the only Pakistani who appeared as a witness on Balochistan issue during the illegal hearing of US House of Representatives’ Committee on Foreign Affairs and gave testimony against Pakistan by presenting wrong facts and figures. Leading politicians from government and opposition parties have condemned in the strongest words the conspiracy of some Pakistanis to take the indigenous issue of Balochistan to the American government and US Congress Committee and have demanded strict legal actions against such elements. While the US is all out to balkanise Pakistan initially by supporting independence of Balochistan and by siding with the angry Baloch separatist elements, American planted NGOs and some so-called liberal elements are also all out to implement US agenda to destabilise Pakistan by disintegrating and isolating its social ranks. Reference: HRW presented one-sided view on Balochistan to US panel by Ahmad Noorani Tuesday, February 21, 2012 http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-13-12612-HRW-presented-one-sided-view-on-Balochistan-to-US-panel
HRW launches campaign against media - HRW Pak director’s sayings and deeds do not match; Ali Dayan sent questions and his response will be used as it is BY Ahmad Noorani ISLAMABAD: Human Rights Watch (HRW), the leading human rights organisation of the world, has launched an offensive against the media instead of responding to journalistic criticism by ‘The News’ on its World Report-2013. HRW director in Pakistan Ali Dayan Hasan, in different media interactions, instead of elaborating the points of HRW World Report-2013 regarding Pakistan or discussing the points of criticism in ‘The News’ story, has started attacking the newspaper and leveling different baseless allegations. The News has discussed with the leaders of the religious and political organisations about the findings of the HRW World Report-2013 regarding Pakistan and journalistic objections raised by the newspaper. HRW, in its present report and the earlier testimony before US House committee working on Balkanisation of Pakistan, has held that there is Shia-Sunni infighting in Pakistan and Sunni militant groups are killing Shia Muslims. HRW has also held that it is believed that Shia Muslims, especially Hazara community in Balochistan, are being killed at the behest of Pakistan Army. After The News article, Dayan is now holding the government responsible for such killings in his recent media interviews but, in his report, he never held the PPP government responsible and never discussed the government’s failure to control these terrorists. REFERENCE: HRW launches campaign against media - HRW Pak director’s sayings and deeds do not match; Ali Dayan sent questions and his response will be used as it is BY Ahmad Noorani Saturday, February 09, 2013 http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-2-159017-HRW-launches-campaign-against-media
HRW jumps into memogate in controversial move - Accuses SC of subverting the civilian government, cutting president’s term ISLAMABAD: The otherwise neutral and objective organisation Human Rights Watch on Friday took a highly objectionable and partisan position against the superior judiciary of Pakistan accusing the Supreme Court of indirectly “truncating parliamentary and presidential terms” and “subverting the civilian rule.” A statement of HRW said that it had noticed a tendency for the courts to find themselves embroiled in matters that they would not otherwise be an appropriate forum to consider. Ali Dayan Hasan, the Pakistan Director of Human Rights Watch (HRW), in a statement issued after the SC verdict to set up a judicial commission in the memogate case said: “All parties to the memogate affair must understand that a legal dispute cannot be made the vehicle for truncating parliamentary or presidential terms through the backdoor or as a mechanism for subverting civilian rule.” The highly controversial HRW statement said: “As the ‘memogate’ case proceeds, all arms of the state must act within their constitutionally determined ambit and in aid of legitimate civilian rule. In this context, justice must both be done and be seen to be done. Pakistan desperately needs a full democratic cycle and a peaceful transfer of power from one civilian administration to another. Should this process be derailed, the constitutional safeguards and legal rights protections created since 2008 may suffer irreparable damage. Reference: HRW jumps into memogate in controversial move - Accuses SC of subverting the civilian government, cutting president’s term News Desk Saturday, December 31, 2011 http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-13-11389-HRW-jumps-into-memogate-in-controversial-move
Ex-chief justice raps HRW for interfering with SC - HRW rep Dayan defends his organisation which fears for democracy ISLAMABAD: Former Chief Justice of Pakistan Saeed-ul-Zaman Siddiqui has strongly criticised what he called an attack on the integrity of Pakistan’s state institutions like the superior judiciary by a foreign organisation working in Pakistan under the cover of human rights, writes Ahmad Noorani. “No one can be allowed to attack the sanctity and integrity of the state institutions or scandalise them,” he told The News while reacting to the controversial statement issued by the Human Rights Watch (HRW) criticising the SC verdict in the memogate case on Friday. Justice Siddiqui said that the sentences used in the press release are a direct intervention into the internal affairs of Pakistan and no such organisation could be allowed to extend its comments to this level. He said that Supreme Court should take immediate notice of such dirty attacks and that too by a foreign American-funded organisation. The HRW Pakistan Friday issued a highly contemptuous press release minutes after the announcement of judgment in memo case, apparently backed by the PPP government, attacking national institutions, judiciary and army and alleged that there is a perception that judiciary is discriminating against the civilian government. The human rights organisation having its headquarters in New York directly maligned the institution of judiciary over a case which is still under hearing of the Supreme Court. Referring to memo case, the press release of HRW “instructed” the Supreme Court that “justice must both be done and be seen to be done.” REFERENCE: Ex-chief justice raps HRW for interfering with SC - HRW rep Dayan defends his organisation which fears for democracy Saturday, December 31, 2011 http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-13-11390-Ex-chief-justice-raps-HRW-for-interfering-with-SC
Now note how Mr. Hamid Mir and Jang Group of Newspapers justify the Brutal Murder of Former Governor Punjab, Pakistan, Salmaan Taseer
Liberal fascism? by Hamid Mir Tuesday, November 03, 2009 Jonah Goldberg is a columnist for The Los Angeles Times. He recently wrote a book on liberal fascism. He started his book with Mussolini who was the father of fascism in Italy. Jonah also discussed American liberalism as a new totalitarian political religion very close to fascism. Finally Jonah Goldberg declared Hillary Clinton as "The First Lady of Liberal Fascism." Jonah avoided using the term of liberal fascist for President Barack Obama but he feared that America was slowly becoming a fascist country. It was difficult for me to believe that Hillary could be a fascist because she is a fascinating person. I read the book just a few days ago when I was travelling from the US to Pakistan. Luckily I got a chance to meet Hillary Clinton during her official visit to Pakistan on the evening of Oct 28 at the Islamabad residence of the US ambassador. I was one of the six TV anchors invited for a candid talk with the secretary of state. She was very much concerned about the bad image of her country in Pakistan and she said that "we must listen to each other and we must be honest with each other." I put just three short questions to Hillary Clinton. My first question was about the rule of law. I referred to the Kerry-Lugar bill in which the US expressed desire for the rule of law in Pakistan and humbly asked why US officials were breaking Pakistani laws again and again in Islamabad. I informed her that four US marines were arrested at 3 a.m. on Oct 27 in Islamabad with illegal weapons in their hands. They were released within one hour of their arrest. I asked: "Who ordered them to patrol the roads of Islamabad? Will you allow Pakistani soldiers to patrol the roads of Washington DC with weapons in their hands?" Hillary said that diplomats enjoyed immunity and they carried weapons. I again informed her that diplomats did not come out on the roads at three in the morning. She said: "I will look into this matter." I was not satisfied with her answer. She told us that the US wanted a strong and vibrant democracy in Pakistan. I again asked her that if the US cared too much about democracy, then why it didn't care about the unanimous resolution of our new parliament against US drones attacks. I said, "Instead of listening to the voice of democracy coming through our parliament you have increased drone attacks which means that you have no respect for our democracy." Once again she just said, "We have to win the war against terror and we have to support democracy in Pakistan." My third question was about the American desire for civilian control on the security establishment of Pakistan expressed in the Kerry-Lugar bill many times. I asked, "Do you want a civilian to head the ISI?" She never said no, but explained, "We can have a head of the CIA both from military and civilians and you can also have the head of the ISI from military and civilians." The answer clearly gave a message that the US wants a civilian to head the premier intelligence agency of Pakistan. Hillary Clinton never said anything new to us. When I was coming back after meeting her I was thinking about Liberal Fascism written by Jonah Goldberg. Hillary Clinton must give clear and straight answers to the questions burning in the minds of common Pakistanis. Otherwise, we will be forced to believe that she is taking America into a new era of liberal fascism. Reference: Liberal fascism? by Hamid Mir Tuesday, November 03, 2009 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=206525&Cat=9&dt=11/4/2009
Taliban Journalist of Jang Group Justify Salmaan Taseer Murder (GEOTV 2011)
Taliban Journalist of Jang Group Justify... by SalimJanMazari
Liberal extremism vs religious extremism — both are wrong by Hamid Mir Tuesday, January 11, 2011 ISLAMABAD: It’s very difficult for me to write about Salmaan Taseer, the assassinated Punjab Governor. Once he was a good friend and later he became a ferocious enemy. He spoke against me and against Geo TV on many television shows as the governor and I wrote against him many times in the last couple of years because he had joined hands with dictator Pervez Musharraf after the imposition of emergency on November 3, 2007. I was standing with the deposed chief justice of Pakistan and Taseer tried to stop the restoration of deposed judges, first by helping Musharraf and then by helping President Asif Ali Zardari. Musharraf appointed him the governor of Punjab in May 2008 with the hope that Taseer will convince Zardari to accept the former dictator as the president for five years. Musharraf was wrong. Zardari ultimately forced him to resign and occupied the Presidency with the help of Taseer. Within a few days of becoming the President, Zardari arranged my meeting with Taseer and forced us to forget our past differences because Zardari was aware that we enjoyed a friendship of 20 years (from 1987 to 2007). Unfortunately, President Zardari failed to remove the mistrust between his governor and a journalist. We embarrassed the President of Pakistan.
In the next two years, we spoke against each other many times, especially when Zardari imposed the Governor’s Rule in the Punjab to suppress the movement for the restoration of deposed judges. Zardari and Taseer failed to stop that movement and finally they were forced to restore the judges. My differences with President Zardari and Taseer were over after that. Thanks to the floods last year, Taseer showed a big heart and made truce with me.
It was August 2010 when Taseer surprised me. He saw me in the flood affected area of Multan and sent a message of reconciliation through his media adviser Farrukh Shah. I accepted because I was impressed that the governor was trying his best to help the flood victims. We had tea together after many years. He praised my visits to the flooded areas in boats and I praised his commitment to the flood victims. Taseer wanted to discuss many things but I was going to Muzaffargarh with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. We talked and laughed and then I said goodbye to him with a promise to meet him again in Lahore. I saw him again in the reception for the Chinese premier in Islamabad.
Just one day before his assassination, I was in Lahore and tried to contact him. I wanted his views on the gas loadshedding in the Punjab. I was informed that he was in Islamabad. The next day, I arrived back in Islamabad and in late afternoon my colleague Rana Jawad told me that Taseer was shot in front of my favorite restaurant in the capital. I was stunned but then I smiled. I told my colleague “Taseer is a hard nut to crack, he will survive.” My colleague said that only a miracle could save him because Taseer got more than one bullet in his neck. Now I was nervous. After a few minutes, I came to know that a police guard had fired more than 27 bullets on Taseer. He was angry with Taseer because he took a position against the country’s blasphemy laws. There was no justification for any individual to kill someone just for criticising a law.
I was more disturbed when I started receiving SMS in support of his killer the same evening. Many religious leaders refused to condemn the assassination of Taseer. I took it as a challenge and decided to get condemnation from the head of the biggest religious party of the country — Jamiat Ulema Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman. I contacted him on phone on my television show and just asked, “Will you condemn the murder of Salmaan Taseer?” I was surprised when Maulana Sahib tried to avoid my question. He was not in a mood to condemn the murder but I was repeating my question again and again. Finally, the Maulana Sahib condemned the murder of Taseer.
It was not my victory. It was the victory of all those who believed in the teachings of founder of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah. He believed in the rule of law. No individual has the right to become a judge and punish someone without hearing his point of view. When I finished my show, many extremists started threatening me. But I was not alone. A big majority of my colleagues encouraged me, including the critics of Taseer.
More than 500 religious clerics issued a statement in support of the assassin and declared that no Muslim should participate in his funeral prayers because the late governor was trying to release a Christian woman convicted under the blasphemy case. This statement came from the anti-Taliban Barelvi scholars, who lost their leaders like Mufti Safaraz Naeemi at the hands of the Taliban in 2009.
All the top religious scholars of the Lahore city refused to lead the funeral prayers of Taseer, including the prayer leader of the mosque in the Governor House of Lahore. The Barelvi Ulema took a very extreme position. On the other side, some English newspapers declared that blasphemy law was the main cause for the killing of Taseer. It was also an extreme position.
It is a very difficult situation for the host of a popular TV talk show. I took another risk. On the day of the funeral, I interviewed another important Islamic scholar Mufti Muneebur Rehman, who expressed his condolences with the family of Taseer. Mufti Muneeb belongs to the Barelvi school of thought. He was one of the first Islamic scholars who came out openly against the suicide bombings of Taliban in my TV show five years ago.
Mufti Muneeb also opposed Taseer’s views on the blasphemy laws but he never approved the murder of Taseer. I was relieved after the statement of Mufti Muneeb. At least, someone from religious clergy came out openly against the killing.
I think Salmaan Taseer was a misunderstood person. His son Aatish Taseer portrayed his father as an enemy of Jews and Hindus in his writings just because Taseer left his Indian Sikh mother Talveen Singh in 1980. In fact, Taseer represented the western way of life in his private life but Aatish wrongly accused his father for having a religious hatred against the Jews and Hindus. The assassin of Taseer also had a wrong impression about Taseer and he killed him as an enemy of Islam.
Aatish Taseer and the assassin, Malik Mumtaz Qadri, represent two different extremes. One is a liberal extremist who leveled unfounded charges against his father. The other is a religious extremist. I am sure that both these two extremes are very dangerous for our values. We must fight both, the religious extremists and the liberal extremists.
I must say that the ruling Pakistan People’s Party is also responsible for Taseer’s death. When Taseer criticised the blasphemy laws, his own party, including President Zardari, never took a stand for him. Law Minister Babar Awan said that nobody would be allowed to make a change in the blasphemy laws.
The views of Taseer were misunderstood because the US is also demanding that Pakistan repeal the blasphemy laws. The common Pakistanis don’t like the US interference and that was why Taseer was declared an American agent by many rightwing parties. We can compare this controversy with the cases of Binayak Sen and Arundhati Roy in India. They are facing sedition charges because they are outspoken like Salmaan Taseer and they are hated by the right wing like Taseer. They are facing death threats and they are supported by the US and unfortunately the support from the US is definitely a disadvantage in South Asia. Personally, I also believe that there is no need to change the blasphemy laws right now because these laws were passed by our parliament in 1992 and we cannot afford new controversies these days. Prime Minister Gilani has written in his autobiography published in 2006 that the late Benazir Bhutto was also an opponent of changing the blasphemy laws. But we must not allow a person to kill another person just for criticising these laws. Freedom of expression is assured in Article 19 of the Constitution of Pakistan. I think that human rights bodies must fight the case of poor Christian woman convicted in blasphemy in the high court and the Supreme Court. They should not force the President of Pakistan to announce a pardon because it will create further divisions in our society. We must resolve our problems through the rule of law. Religious parties once again showed their street power on January 9 in Karachi in support of the blasphemy laws. Interestingly, Sunni and Shia scholars never condoned the murder of Taseer but they were together in defending the blasphemy laws. The Punjab Assembly showed maturity on Monday by condemning the murder of Salmaan Taseer. I think that blasphemy law is a safety valve against violence but I also believe that we must condemn the murder of Salmaan Taseer. Now some PPP leaders are trying to put the blame of his assassination on the PML-N. This is dirty politics. We need unity to fight extremism. I am sure we can defeat extremism not with the help of US but with the help of our own values based on tolerance. We need a made-in-Pakistan solution for fighting terrorism and extremism. A made in US solution will completely destroy us. REFERENCE: We need a ‘made-in-Pakistan’ solution for fighting terrorism - Liberal extremism vs religious extremism — both are wrong by Hamid Mir Tuesday, January 11, 2011 http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-13-3234-We-need-a-made-in-Pakistan-solution-for-fighting-terrorism Hamid Mir on Liberal Fascist in Pakistan Thursday January 20 2011 Safar 15 1432 AH http://jang.com.pk/jang/jan2011-daily/20-01-2011/col5.htm
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