Neutrality, Impartiality and Trial of Pervez Musharraf.

Musharraf's party today questioned the impartiality of the judge who revoked the former military ruler's bail and ordered his arrest, saying he had once served as a counsel for a radical cleric of the Lal Masjid here. Musharraf was remanded to judicial custody for a fortnight yesterday, two days after Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court cancelled his pre-arrest bail and directed police to detain him. The All Pakistan Muslim League, however, said Siddiqui's "personality is highly controversial" as he had earlier served as the lawyer for Abdul Aziz, one of the top clerics of the Lal Masjid, against which Musharraf ordered a military operation in 2007. Siddiqui also contested the 2002 general election on a Jamaat-e-Islami ticket from a parliamentary constituency in Rawalpindi, said APML spokesperson Aasia Ishaque. "Pervez Musharraf was subjected to judicial terrorism in the Islamabad High Court," she said. Siddiqui had represented Abdul Aziz in an anti-terrorism court following his arrest during the Lal Masjid operation and later succeeded in getting Aziz's home declared a "sub-jail" so that he could be detained at his residence, she added. "Personal vendetta against Pervez Musharraf is being carried out by appointing political workers as judges. It's very ironic that the lawyer of a terrorist is giving judgement in a terrorism case against Pervez Musharraf," Ishaque said. REFERENCE: Impartiality of judge hearing Pervez Musharraf's case questioned Sunday, Apr 21, 2013, 13:45 IST | Place: ISLAMABAD | Agency: PTI http://www.dnaindia.com/world/1825221/report-impartiality-of-judge-hearing-pervez-musharraf-s-case-questioned

Capital Talk (Pervez Musharraf Mulzim Ya Mujrim) – 22th April 2013

 
Capital Talk - 22th April 2013 by luckyzemtv

"QUOTE"

Reference: http://ecp.gov.pk/GE/2002/National.pdf

"UNQUOTE"

Now please note the discrepancies in the column of Former MD PTV, Jang Group, GEO TV, ARY, and Express News Employee Dr Shahid Masood's column of Disappeared Female Students of Lal Masjid and also note the role of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (Alliance of Religio-Political Parties in Pakistan from 2002 to 2007 and ally of General Pervez Musharraf)

2007 ISLAMABAD: The three-year-old political sins of top MMA leaders have once again given a second lease of political life to General Pervez Musharraf at a very crucial phase, as the infamous 17th Amendment becomes the basis of the Supreme Court’s decision to allow a uniformed president to get himself re-elected for the next five years from the present assemblies. For many, the most-important thing is that the verdict of the Supreme Court has justified the recent claim of Musharraf that he had made with a lot of pride and arrogance in his choking voice that “let the agitators do their job, he would have the last laugh”. Likewise, the government’s prediction that it would win the case with a majority also turned out to be right. Meanwhile, the critical role of the MMA in facilitating the rule of Musharraf in uniform is so definite and irritating that during the two-week-long proceedings on the case, some judges did not forget to remind the religious parties about their ‘deeds’. It is now widely believed in the political circles that the MMA would go down in the history as a force which used political Islam not only to validate the rule of General Musharraf since October 12, 1999, but also helped him to become president in uniform first after the general election in 2002 and now in 2007 by providing legal and constitutional excuses to the Supreme Court to extend a favourable decision to a military general. One political observer said that if Musharraf gets himself re-elected as the president on October 6, it would be only because of the MMA leaders who had decided to vote in favour of 17th Amendment after striking a deal with a uniformed general and distorted the Constitution of 1973.  Likewise, General Musharraf once again would be feeling grateful to the MMA leaders, particularly Qazi Hussain Ahmed and Maulana Fazlur Rehman, whose single act not only gave him the crucial support when he needed it most, but it continued to yield results when he once again needed it. At the time of passage of the Legal Framework Order (LFO) in 2004 after the MMA leaders decided to betray the political forces engaged in desperate struggle against the rule of Musharraf, it was widely assumed that it might be only one-time “political sin” of the MMA leaders. But, now the SC verdict on Friday confirms the wild doubts of critics of the MMA that the country would continue to suffer from the havoc created by the decision of Qazi and Fazl. The MMA, nicked named as a “B team” of General Musharraf, had given a false impression after the 2002 elections that it would fight for the supremacy of the Parliament when President Musharraf would push his LFO for approval from the Legislature. In the absence of two former prime ministers – Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto – Qazi Hussain Ahmed and Fazlur Rehman simply hijacked the agitation movement of the opposition parties to oppose Musharraf and his LFO in the Parliament. The movement became so aggressive and popular in nature that at one stage, it emerged that Musharraf might yield to the rising political power of these forces. The international media and community were also giving serious attention to the political turmoil in Pakistan amid the rising pressure from the Commonwealth and the European Union on Musharraf to get legitimacy from the Parliament or he might lose their vital support. 

 The agitation movement within and outside the Parliament against the LFO was so effective that it crippled the Jamali government. At that time, Musharraf appointed two of his top and trusted generals, Maj Gen Zaki and Maj Gen Ehtasham Zamir, assisted by S M Zafar, to negotiate a secret deal with the MMA. Qazi, Fazl and Liaquat Baloch started meeting these generals late nights. Finally, a deal was brokered between the generals and the MMA, which exclusively benefited both the parties. The first reward was the continuation of the MMA-led NWFP government, share in the Balochistan cabinet and slot of the Opposition Leader in the National Assembly. Likewise, the MMA also got the references against its MPs blocked after certain forces tried to get them disqualified on account of educational qualification. After initial dents in its lost credibility, the MMA leaders once again revived their political credentials when they used Nawaz Sharif who, too easily, accepted their role as a major opposition when he started giving them more importance despite being partners of Musharraf in the government. The MMA got the real boost as a major opposition alliance, despite being part of Musharraf regime, when Nawaz Sharif gave them importance at London during the All Parties Conference and later formed an alliance with them. But, soon Nawaz realised that he was only being used by smart and shrewd politicians of the MMA to defuse his rising popularity as none of them turned up at the Islamabad airport on September 10 to receive him. It is interesting to note that the MMA leaders are so smart that they have not only been facilitating Musharraf in power but they have also been successfully acting as the real opposition to the regime. When contacted by The News, MNA Liaquat Baloch did not agree with the conclusion that the religio-political alliance was actually responsible for the continuation of Musharraf rule. He said the 17th Amendment had given benefits to all the parties, including all the women parliamentarians, minorities and other segments. He said that under the agreement with Musharraf, he was to take off his uniform by December 31, 2004, but he backed out. Likewise, the MMA leader said Musharraf was given concession only for one term and now he was allowed to contest the election in uniform without any valid justification. He said the doctrine of necessity was once again revived and the MMA should not be blamed at all. “What is our fault,” Baloch put a counter question. REFERENCE: Musharraf gets new lease of life, thanks to MMA BY Rauf Klasra Saturday, September 29, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=10367&Cat=13&dt=9/29/2007

2007 Ejaz says he helped release Ghazi in terror cases Wednesday, April 11, 2007 ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Ejaz-ul-Haq has admitted that he had made personal efforts to get Maulana Abdul Rashid Ghazi, Naib Khateeb of Lal Masjid, released in cases of terrorism. Expressing his views in a talk show on Geo TV alongside Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Information Secretary Ahsan Iqbal, Nayyar Bukhari of the Pakistan People’s Party and Maulana Abdul Rashid Ghazi on Tuesday, the minister said he took the action after a written confirmation from the Maulana guaranteeing his good behaviour. Giving his side of the story in the programme, Maulana Abdul Rashid Ghazi denied the minister’s claim, saying he was never indicted in any terrorism case, while his car was impounded by police, which was never returned. He failed to give a satisfactory answer when asked about the fact that former chairman National Book Foundation Ahmad Faraz had registered an FIR against him on charges of forced occupation of land belonging to the Ministry of Education, but still no action was taken against him. Taking part in the debate, Ahsan Iqbal and Nayyar Bukhari accused Ghazi Abdur Rashid of conniving with the government to stage a socio-political drama to divert public attention from the ongoing judicial crisis. Ghazi said he has made it clear to PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain that the occupation of Children’s Library would continue until their demands for implementation of Islamic Shariah were fully met. Upon the terse comments, Ejaz-ul-Haq said if the Shujaat-Ghazi talks failed, the government would have no other option but launch a full-fledged operation at Lal Masjid. Meanwhile, Khateeb of Lal Masjid Maulana Abdul Aziz has started writing to the Ulema and the seminary students nationwide to seek their support in the ongoing row with the government. In his letters he urged the Ulema and students to rise against such social evils like liquor, obscenity and so-called “liberalisation”. 

The letters also urged all the students and the Ulema to proceed to Lal Masjid unarmed but with their batons and baggage for Aitekaf and speeding up their services for promulgation of Islamic values. They have been advised to avoid any prolonged bickering with personnel of the law-enforcement agencies and limit themselves to self-defence, refrain from rioting and destroying and burning public property at all costs. They have further been advised to rather offer themselves for jails but try to preach Islam and Islamic values, including Jihad to jail inmates, if detained by the government. On the other hand pamphlets have been distributed in Karachi by Tehrik-e-Talaba urging all to proceed to Islamabad on the call of Maulana Abdul Aziz. —Online Monitoring desk adds: talking to Geo News correspondent, Ejaz said that the administration of Lal-Masjid and the Jamia Hafsa was not showing flexibility in talks with the government. The minister warned of operation against it, which could result in the loss of lives if the matter remained unresolved. The federal minister said that senior Ulema, including scholars from Waziristan and Hangu, have been disappointed after failure of their efforts to convince Ghazi Abdul Rasheed and Maulana Abdul Aziz. Ejaz believed that restoring the writ of the government was not a difficult task, however, he added, the establishment was not willing to do it at the cost of human lives. Ejaz urged both Maulanas Abdul Aziz and Abdul Rashid Ghazi of Lal Masjid to adopt sagacious approach and avoid confrontation with the people. “Both the brothers should negotiate with the government and help reach a peaceful settlement of the issue as it is creating doubts in minds of the people of the country, he added. The people from various walks of life and the Ulema and Madrassa students persuaded them to give up but alas they did not pay heed to, he said. Terming one-month ultimatum issued by Lal Masjid absurd he said the Objective Resolution is the part of the Constitution and ensured that no law contrary to the Islamic injunctions can be enacted in the country. Responding to a question, he said enlightened moderation is not contrary to Islamic teachings as Islam stands for acquiring knowlege. It also preaches moderation as the best way of life. REFERENCE: Ejaz says he helped release Ghazi in terror cases Wednesday, April 11, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=7065&Cat=13&dt=4/11/2007

Now please note the discrepancies in the column of Former MD PTV, Jang Group, GEO TV, ARY, and Express News Employee Dr Shahid Masood's column of Disappeared Female Students of Lal Masjid and compare it with the Lal Masjid Commission Report published in 2013.

2013 ‘103 killed in Lal Masjid, Jamia Hafsa operation’ * Report says 92 civilians among dead, no woman included  - ISLAMABAD: The report of a commission that probed the operation in Lal Masjid has verified from reports, claims, witnesses and media reports that 103 people were killed in the operation. The report by the one-man commission of Federal Shariat Court’s Justice Shahzado Shaikh was made public on the directives of the Supreme Court on Saturday. The commission worked on eight terms of reference, including how many persons, if any, male or female, civilian or law enforcement agencies’ personnel, lost their lives in the Jamia Hafsa-Lal Masjid operation. The commission’s 304-page report is comprehensive document, which stated that of the 103 persons killed, 92 were civilians and 11 belonged to the armed forces of Pakistan. Among the 92 civilian casualties, 76 were traced/identified, whereas 16 bodies remained unidentified. It verified that no other claim of any killing could be brought in front of the commission. On page 142 of the report, it is verified that 103 persons died in the operation and no woman was killed. It said that the number of persons died in the incident of Jamia Hafsa remained a mystery. During the proceedings before the Supreme Court of Pakistan from July 8, 2007 to December 4, 2012, different reports were submitted regarding the number of casualties. The commission on this account summoned the record of the deceased from all government departments and agencies, verified claims and statements from volunteers. The task before the commission was to analyse these reports and verify claims and reports. REFERENCE: ‘103 killed in Lal Masjid, Jamia Hafsa operation’ * Report says 92 civilians among dead, no woman included Sunday, April 21, 2013 http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013%5C04%5C21%5Cstory_21-4-2013_pg7_3 GEO NEWS 2007 http://www.geo.tv/important_events/lalmasjid/pages/english_news.asp Lal Masjid operation: Report brings more troubles for Musharraf by Malik Asad | 21st April, 2013 http://dawn.com/2013/04/21/lal-masjid-operation-report-brings-more-troubles-for-musharraf/

Ugly Role of Pakistani Media, Pervez Musharraf & Lal Masjid (2007)
Ugly Role of Pakistani Media, Pervez Musharraf... by SalimJanMazari

 TOP Story (Parvez Musharraf Case) – 23rd April 2013
   
Top Story - 23rd april 2013 by Malik_Jee

Need for broader Lal Masjid probe by Zahid Hussain 6th December, 2012 http://dawn.com/2012/12/06/need-for-broader-lal-masjid-probe/ Not the full picture: Lal Masjid commission report http://dawn.com/2013/04/23/not-the-full-picture-lal-masjid-commission-report/

What the Pakistani Press, particularly the Jang Group reported on Lal Masjid in 2007 contradicts what their TV Anchors telecast on the same issue in 2007 and even now they blatantly lie and distort the Issue of Lal Masjid. 

Here are the few headlines. Ghazi says Lal Masjid has guns Thursday, April 12, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=7104&Cat=13&dt=4/12/2007 Local Taliban raid video shop, burn CDs in Islamabad by Shakeel Anjum Sunday, April 15, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=7165&Cat=13&dt=4/15/2007 Wanted clerics back Jamia Hafsa students Rahimullah Yusufzai Wednesday, April 18, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=7244&Cat=13&dt=4/18/2007 Lal Masjid cleric warns govt against any action by Muhammad Anis Saturday, April 28, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=7488&Cat=13&dt=4/28/2007 ‘Suicide bombers given go-ahead’ by Mobarik A Virk Wednesday, July 04, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=8818&Cat=13&dt=7/4/2007 Lal Masjid has 10,000 suicide bombers: Abdul Aziz by our correspondent Thursday, May 31, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=8218&Cat=13&dt=5/31/2007 Hardliners ask Islamabad barbers not to shave beards Friday, April 13, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=50965&Cat=6&dt=4/13/2007

Bay Laag (Are Lawyers Involved in Terrorism?) – 24th April 2013

 
laag on capital - 24th april 2013 by shozib

2007 Lal Masjid to set up ‘Shariat court’ ISLAMABAD: An announcement about the enforcement of Islamic Shariah will be made at the ‘Enforcement of Shariah and Azmat-e-Jihad’ conference being held here today (Friday) at Lal Masjid. A Shariat court comprising 10 muftis will be set up in this regard. The court will take decisions against those found involved in running brothels and following illegal practices. The Enforcement of Shariat and Azmat-e-Jihad conference will continue till Asar prayers. Noted Ulema will address the conference. A three-day Aitkaf has started in the central Lal Masjid and it will conclude on April 7. Thousands of people from across the country have reached Lal Masjid. Maulana Abdul Aziz, the prayer leader of Lal Masjid, said that an announcement about the enforcement of Shariah would be made in the conference and a Shariat court comprising 10 muftis would be set up. The court would caution that no one should operate brothels in Islamabad or Rawalpindi. If people did not refrain from pursuing un-Islamic practices, the students of Lal Masjid would take notice of it on their own. Meanwhile, the federal government has described the use of force in the Jamia Hafsa and Lal Masjid issues as the last option. Sources told Online news agency that Home Secretary Kamal Shah reviewed the whole situation at a high-level meeting on Thursday. Kamal said the government has directed the Islamabad district administration to continue to pursue the dialogue process with the Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa administration. The Islamabad administration briefed him about the ongoing negotiations with the administration of Jamia Hafsa and Lal Masjid. The meeting decided that the use of force against the students of Jamia Hafsa would be the last option. The government will try its utmost not to allow the students of Jamia Hafsa to take law into their own hands. The meeting also decided to arrest the elements who are found involved in stopping or forcing the owners of video shops or CDs shops to shut their businesses. Sources said the National Crisis Management Cell set up in the Interior Ministry is persistently monitoring the matters related to Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa. 

 Reports on a day-to-day basis are being sent to President Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao in this respect. Meanwhile, hundreds of human rights activists rallied on Thursday to urge the government to act against the students of Jamia Hafsa who have launched “anti-vice” patrols in the Islamabad. Around 600 protesters chanted slogans calling upon the authorities to “curb the rise of extremist forces in the country that are promoting intolerance and violence,” an AFP photographer witnessed. The protest came a week after Burqa-clad girls from the Jamia Hafsa abducted a local woman accused of running a brothel. They released the women and her two relatives two days later, after making her read out a confession. Male students from Lal Masjid, meanwhile, have formed Taliban-style “Vice and Virtue” squads urging owners of DVD and music shops to shut their business. The students were “harassing and terrorising ordinary citizens in the name of Islam” and must be stopped, said a joint statement by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and a dozen non-governmental organisations. It also urged people to “rise against these extremist religious bigoted forces and secure the future of the present and future generations.” REFERENCE: Lal Masjid to set up ‘Shariat court’ today Friday, April 06, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=6945&Cat=13&dt=4/6/2007 Lal Masjid on the warpath BY Muhammad Anis Saturday, April 07, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=6965&Cat=13&dt=4/7/2007

Chief Justice, Lal Masjid & Jang Group Confusion.

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Friday directed the authorities to pay equal compensation to the heirs of all 103 people killed in the Lal Masjid operation, DawnNews reported. A three-judge bench of the apex court, comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justice Jawwad S Khwaja and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain, issued the ruling while hearing a number of cases relating to the Lal Masjid incident. During the hearing, Justice Khwaja said that those killed in the operation were innocent as the police could not produce any criminal records against them. Moreover, Islamabad police submitted two reports pertaining to the operation in the court. Addressing the deputy attorney general, Chief Justice Iftikhar said the court had directed the government to compensate the heirs of those killed in the operation. He inquired of the deputy attorney general as to how the authorities determined who was innocent and who was not. The deputy attorney general said the heirs of those who were waging war against the state were not compensated. Responding to which the chief justice said: “It was a small matter…no one was waging war against the state.” The court then ruled that compensation be paid to the heirs of all 103 people killed in the operation and directed the police to register an FIR of the killings. The hearing was adjourned for a period of two weeks. REFERENCE: Lal Masjid case: SC orders payment of compensation to heirs of those killed DAWN.COM | 25th May, 2012 http://dawn.com/2012/05/25/lal-masjid-case-sc-orders-payment-of-compensation-to-heirs-of-those-killed/

Hypocrisy Of Journalists On Lal Masjid Issue

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlxondpI9D4

Hardcore terrorists holed up inside Lal Masjid: Ejaz Monday, July 09, 2007 ISLAMABAD: Some hardcore terrorists, involved in various national and international terrorist acts, have pitched inside the Lal Masjid and the government will disclose their number and identity at an appropriate time. Minister for Religious Affairs, Ejaz-ul-Haq stated this at a press conference here on Sunday. He supported his statement with the information that the man killed on the second day of operation on Lal Masjid was one of the terrorists involved in attack on the prime minister. The minister said these elements have taken control of the mosque and are bullying the children taken as hostage, with death threats. The government has adopted flexible stance only due to presence of students inside the mosque, Ejaz said, adding: ìAbout 200 to 500 students are estimated to be surrounded and strictly guarded by these terrorists.î

The minister informed that the government has released approximately 200 of the arrested students so far, while 450 to 500 students are still in custody and arrangement for lodging and education for these students at the Model Madrassah in Haji Camp is being considered. All of the Jamia Fareedia students have left for their homes, while faculty members and their families are kept in protective custody there, he told a questioner. Replying to a query about the high number deaths in the Madrassah as claimed by Maulana Ghazi, the minister said: “A rumour factory working in the Madrassah is engaged in distracting attention of the media. The truth will be exposed after ambulances bring the bodies out from there.” Coming hard on the demand of safe passage to these elements, he said, “What kind of safe passage they are talking about? They are reaping what they harvested.”

The government tried every option but the Madrassah administration kept altering its demands, he added. Responding to a question, the minister reiterated the government’s stance that no action was being taken against any other Madrassah in the country. Referring to different government steps the minister said meetings have been arranged with renowned religious scholars so as to secure release of students from the Madrassah and avoid bloodshed. Maulana Rafi Usmani and Hafiz Jalandhari have reached Islamabad in this connection while a three-minister committee is also closely watching the situation, he added. Responding to another question, the minister criticised the leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami for showing hasty gestures and issuing irresponsible statements. REFERENCE: Hardcore terrorists holed up inside Lal Masjid: Ejaz Monday, July 09, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=63682&Cat=6&dt=7/9/2007

Maulana Abdul Aziz Ghazi escaped in Burqa - Part - 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-tuko8b6pE

A bastion linked to militancy Thursday, July 05, 2007 ISLAMABAD: The Lal Masjid has long been known as a bastion of radicals in the heart of the capital, Islamabad. But Maulana Abdul Aziz and Maulana Abdul Rashid Ghazi, two brothers who run the mosque, also have known intelligence ties. The red-brick mosque was set up by the father of the two Maulanas, in the 1960s, when the city was first built on scrubby flat land up against the Himalayan foothills. The father, Maulana Muhammad Abdullah, turned the mosque into a headquarters of radicals in the 1980s, when fighters, backed by Pakistan, the United States and Saudi Arabia, battled Soviet occupiers in Afghanistan. When Maulana Abdullah was assassinated in 1998 his sons took up his mantle. The brothers have for years delivered fiery sermons at their mosque in a neighbourhood of tree-lined streets near a main shopping area, and not far from the parliament and a high-security diplomatic enclave. After 9/11 the mosque became a focal point of anti-US and anti-Musharraf sentiments after Pakistan abandoned the Taliban and aligned himself with Washington’s “war on terror”. The changed scenario brought the clerics’ relations with the intelligence services under stress. The Maulana brothers exhorted followers to join Jihad against the US involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq. Books, newspapers, CDs and cassettes glorifying Jihad have for years been sold at stalls outside the mosque.

The gulf widened in 2003 when the clerics issued an edict against Pakistani troop operations targeting the Taliban and al-Qaeda figures in the tribal areas. Still some sections of the intelligence network continued to provide clandestine support to the clerics, despite their hostility towards Musharraf, according to a security official and reports. In 2004, the government accused Ghazi of involvement in a plot to attack the Presidency and the US embassy and arrested up to 10 al-Qaeda suspects in connection with the plot. Security forces tried to raid the mosque in 2005 during an investigation of Pakistani links to the London bombings that year. In 2005, some arms were found in a vehicle owned by Maulana Abdul Rashid Ghazi, after which police picked up several suspects for plotting attacks. A terrorism case was lodged against Ghazi but it was shelved on the intervention of Religious Affairs Minister Ejaz-ul Haq.

“I helped Ghazi because he assured me he was not involved and the car was used without his knowledge,” Ejaz said recently in a television talk show. The latest trouble at the mosque and the adjoining Jamia Hafsa — Madrassa for girls and women — began in January when the brothers, Abdul Aziz and Abdul Rashid Ghazi, embarked on an apparent collision course with the government and their Burqa-clad students started a Taliban-style anti-vice campaign. The mosque said it has around 5,000 male and 4,000 female students, ranging in ages from early teens to the mid 20s. Most are from conservative tribal areas. The students occupied a library to protest against a campaign to remove mosques built illegally on state land. In March, the students abducted three Pakistani women they accused of running a brothel and held them for several days. They also abducted and briefly held policemen, and have warned video shops to stop selling Western films deemed obscene.

Animosity reached fever pitch last month when the students upped the stakes, kidnapping nine people including six Chinese women from an acupuncture clinic, claiming it was a brothel. The nine were released after 17 hours but not before Pakistan was hugely embarrassed over the failure to protect citizens of China, its most steadfast ally. Security sources said Taliban militants were using the sprawling compound to hide in, as were sectarian “Jihadis”, belonging to banned militants groups. Security sources also say slain Afghan Taliban commander Mullah Dadullah also had links with the brothers. “We had intelligence for some time now that militants were trained as suicide bombers at this complex, having a nexus with the Taliban hiding in our tribal areas”, a senior security official said. Several Taliban commanders lodged at the mosque during trips to the capital, the official said on condition of anonymity. While some militant clerics have voiced support for Lal Masjid, the country’s most prominent hardline preachers appeared on Wednesday to be distancing themselves from the mosque. Maulana Sami-ul-Haq, a senator who runs a famous Madrassa in the NWFP, said he had tried to get Lal Masjid clerics to give up their aggressive tactics. “As far as their demand of enforcing the Sharia is concerned, it is the basic right of every Muslim,” he said. “But we differed with their way of doing it and I and others tried to convince them to give it up. But the government should not attack Lal Masjid. It will create thousands of Lal Masjids throughout the country. It will then be impossible to handle,” he said. REFERENCE: A bastion linked to militancy Thursday, July 05, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=63247&Cat=6&dt=7/5/2007

Maulana Abdul Aziz Ghazi escaped in Burqa - Part - 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXgNXEdqR3E

Army commander killed in line of duty at Lal Masjid Shakeel Anjum Monday, July 09, 2007  ISLAMABAD: The final operation to put down the Lal Masjid revolt is imminent as President General Pervez Musharraf on Sunday gave a go-ahead to the security forces to act decisively. The decision to wrap up the six-day siege of Lal Masjid-Jamia Hafsa complex was taken on the heels of the killing of Lt-Col Haroon Islam by militants early on Sunday morning. Musharraf called a high-level meeting on Monday morning as fresh troops started taking positions around the complex shortly before midnight on Sunday. The guns remained silent all day. An exchange of fire took place as the night fell. This was, however, not as intensive as was witnessed in the past few days. It appeared to be a lull before the storm. Announcements were made on loudspeakers by the security forces asking the Lal Masjid inmates to let them carry the injured to hospitals. Ambulances were also seen moving towards the Lal Masjid. However, none of the injured was evacuated. Earlier, deputy cleric of the Lal Masjid Maulana Abdur Rashid Ghazi while talking to a private TV channel claimed that 305 persons were killed due to the intense firing by the security forces late Saturday night. He claimed that the bodies were lying scattered in different areas of the complex.

However, ISPR spokesman Maj-Gen Waheed Arshad and Interior Ministry spokesman Brig (retd) Javed Iqbal Cheema termed the claim of the Lal Masjid cleric as false and without any basis. Ghazi called a press conference in Lal Masjid but no journalist could reach there. The administration later blocked all the mobile phone connections being used by Maulana Ghazi and his supporters in the mosque. The security agencies demolished a major portion of Jamia Hafsa complex early Sunday morning. “The whole complex will be flattened gradually within 24 hours,” the sources said. “About 150 women, children and men are being kept hostages by the militants in different rooms in the basement of the complex,” the sources claimed, quoting statements of Noor Hayat and Shah Akbar, who had escaped from the complex on Sunday. They said they had mapped the point where the innocent people were being kept hostages.

Meanwhile, officials who witnessed the killing of Lt-Col Islam said that the late colonel along with Maj Tariq was planting explosives on the boundary wall of the mosque when the extremists sprayed bullets on him. Muhammad Maqsood, guard of Maulana Abdul Rashid Ghazi, was killed in the retaliatory fire by the security forces, they added. “Two young Afghan national militants, Fidaullah, 19, commander of security wing, and Khanzada, 18, involved in different incidents of terrorism in Pakistan, fired at Lt-Col Haroon Islam and Maj Tariq,” the sources said. The police have registered FIR No 230 dated 7/13/2007 at the Aabpara Police Station on the complaint of wounded Major Tariq against Ghazi and his aides under Section 302 and 324 PPC and 6/7 ATA (anti-terrorist act) for killing the Army commando, the sources said. “Ghazi is hidden in an underground room in Lal Masjid along with his mother, Sahib Bibi, Auntie Halima (the sister of his father) and sister of his mother, Lal Bibi,” the sources claimed.

Meanwhile, the authorities have started releasing innocent persons, arrested during the last five days in the operation. “As many as 748 people have been arrested so far,” the sources said. Of them, 447 accused were in jail while 152, most of them underage, have been handed over to their parents/wards by the prime minister in Jinnah Sports Complex. Some 149 were in different police stations of Islamabad. The criteria of declaring the detained people innocent has been established by the authorities, the sources said, adding: “Three categories of detained persons have been set to fix responsibilities after the screening of the arrested people – white, grey and black. The accused placed in ‘black’ category were involved in heinous offences and would be booked under the anti-terrorist act; ‘grey’ would be booked under less serious offences while ‘white’ would be booked for minor offences under 188 PPC.” The sources said that over 20 inmates were wounded during the late Saturday night firing. “Killings during the crossfire cannot be ruled out,” they said. REFERENCE: Army commander killed in line of duty at Lal Masjid Shakeel Anjum Monday, July 09, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=8908&Cat=13&dt=7/9/2007

Maulana Abdul Aziz Ghazi escaped in Burqa - Part - 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeKb46f9sx0

‘Foreigners, SSP militants holed up inside’ our correspondent Monday, July 09, 2007 ISLAMABAD: Eleven foreign militants, including a Chechen woman fighting the security forces, are among the 44-person Lal Masjid administration, authoritative sources told The News on Sunday. “Twenty-one of them belong to the banned militant group, Sipah-e-Sahaba, and are wanted by the police for their involvement in various terrorist activities,” the sources maintained. They said that the militants had 30 Kalashnikov rifles, two LMGs, a rocket-launcher and hundreds of petrol bombs in stock. A Taliban leader, Jannat Gul, an Afghan national, had provided arms to the militants, the sources added. Jannat Gul, Fidaullah Khan (in-charge Security), Khanzada (deputy in-charge security), Sher Khan, Abdul Sattar, Sanaullah, Saifullah, Imran Yousafzai, Muhammad Afzal Khan and Saifullah Khan are among those militants who are connected to the Taliban in Afghanistan, the sources said, adding, they all are wanted by the law-enforcement agencies in various terrorism cases. The Lal Masjid administration includes Abdul Rashid Ghazi, 45, Majida Abdul Aziz alias Umme Hassan, the wife of Maulana Abdul Aziz, Humaira Ghazi, 40, the wife of Abdul Rashid Ghazi, Isma Dua, 16, alias Hamna Abdullah, the daughter of Maulana Abdul Aziz, Muhammad Hassan, 19, the son of Maulana Abdul Aziz, Muhammad Haroon, 16, the son of Abdul Rashid Ghazi, Riaz Qureshi, (in-charge transport department), Muhammad Manzoor, Abdul Qayyum, private secretary, and a confidant of Rashid Ghazi, Ghous Muhammad Baloch, Asad Hasan, Naseer Ahmad, Shahzad Shaikh, Abdul Rauf, Shabbir, Bilal Ahmad (Department Taviz), Muhammad Yousaf Khan, Mahmood Rehman, Tariq, Muhammad Sadiq, Abdul Rehman, Amna Nadeem, Dost Muhammad, Asiya, Yasmeen, Amna, Shaheen, Fiza, Maria and Khola, besdies 21 activists of the banned Sipaha-e-Sahaba Pakistan. “Ten Taliban militants have made about 150 innocent people hostage, while the Sipah-e-Sahaba people are assisting them”, the security sources said, adding, “We have strong evidence of the presence of 11 foreigners engaged in confronting the security forces but there is a likelihood that their number can be more than expected.” REFERENCE: ‘Foreigners, SSP militants holed up inside’ our correspondent Monday, July 09, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=8910&Cat=13&dt=7/9/2007

Maulana Abdul Aziz Ghazi escaped in Burqa - Part - 4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fRH_HcrD9k

 Govt compromise with Ghazi will not be unique Ansar Abbasi Monday, July 09, 2007 ISLAMABAD: If a fugitive from law, wanted for his alleged involvement in heinous crimes, could be appointed the governor of a province, what bars the government from offering concessions to Maulana Abdur Rashid Ghazi for the sake of the lives of hundreds of innocents, including children and women, still holed up in Lal Masjid? Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) was a “wanted” man when he was offered this prestigious public office. Gen Pervez Musharraf had to swallow this bitter pill because he wanted the MQM to join the ISI-made Pakistan Muslim League-Q to make his choice governments, both at the Centre and the province. For his own political gains, the writ of the government was compromised. At the time of appointment of Ebad as the Sindh governor, newspaper reports alleged that he was facing charges of heinous crimes. However, in a briefing session, President Musharraf told newspaper editors that he had checked this allegation and there was no charge of any heinous crime against Ebad.

We have seen the government turning a blind eye to the gory killings of around 40 persons in Karachi on May 12. The private television channels showed live coverage of the mafia ruling the streets of Karachi and killing people with sophisticated weapons without any sign of remorse or fear of being caught. President Musharraf in his post-May 12 Karachi visit rejected the idea of holding a probe into the ruthless cold-blooded murder of dozens in the city of lights. He rather suggested to the media men confronting him to forget the past and look towards the future. So the writ of the government was again compromised and the killers were allowed to go scot-free. In this case too, what was at stake was the vested interest of the rulers. The Lal Masjid crisis, which had initially started as a confrontation between the law-enforcers and those challenging the writ of the government, has now become a humanitarian issue. The crisis that has entered sixth day has already claimed over 20 lives and there are claims from inside Lal Masjid of a huge death toll of Jamia Hafsa students. An SSG Colonel also fell victim to this disaster in the wee hours of Sunday.

Though the exchange of fire continues intermittently from both sides, there is a standoff over the negotiated settlement of the issue. Maulana Abdul Rashid Ghazi, who after the arrest of the Lal Masjid’s linchpin Maulana Abdul Aziz, has emerged as the man deciding the fate of hundreds of those still inside the mosque. Previously considered to be a flexible man, Ghazi has proved to be an extremely tough negotiator. With unconfirmed reports pouring out of the mosque that hundreds of women, children and even men are held hostage and are being used as a human shield by Ghazi and an unknown number of Islamists present there, now the government finds itself in a catch-22 situation. To avoid the loss of innocent lives it has rightly decided not to storm the mosque. The government has activated leaders like Ch Shujaat Hussain to find a negotiated solution to the crisis by engaging Ghazi. But so far the government is not willing to offer the kind of concessions demanded by Ghazi. Ghazi had initially sought safe passage for himself and his mother in return for the surrender of all those present in the mosque. Later, he even demanded the institution of a judicial probe into the cases framed against him to avoid arrest. The government has also not agreed to this.

After seeing how his elder brother was humiliated by the government on the state-run television following his arrest, Ghazi must be apprehensive of mistreatment once he surrenders. He would want to be doubly sure that he is not disgraced publicly. Talking to a private television channel, Maulana Ghazi had said that he and his mother would prefer death to the kind of humiliating treatment meted out to his brother. To attain the prime objective of securing the safe release of hundreds of those present in the Lal Masjid, the government should not feel shy to offer the kind of concessions sought by Ghazi. Ghazi is not more important than those still present in the mosque. In such a situation a compromise made to save even one innocent life would be construed as “wisdom” or “astuteness”. This crisis has already played havoc with the nerves of the nation. It must not be dragged any further if a disaster is to be averted. The implications of this standoff could be disastrous for Pakistan. REFERENCE: Govt compromise with Ghazi will not be unique Ansar Abbasi Monday, July 09, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=8916&Cat=13&dt=7/9/2007

Kamran Khan (GEO TV/Jang Group) Supported Lal Masjid Operation (ARY/GEO 2007)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeUkxFEsc4I

Students happy to leave Lal Masjid Thursday, July 05, 2007  ISLAMABAD: Many male and female students of Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa were happy on getting rid of the title of ‘Taliban’ after being released from the premises. Many students released from the custody of local Taliban of Lal Masjid commented that they are leaving the Lal Masjid either at their own will or on the desire of their parents but they are satisfied on exiting from this horrible situation. Irsa, a seven-year-old female child from Fateh Jang, was leaving Lal Masjid with her mother. When she was asked that whether she was happy to go her home or want to live in Jamia Hafsa, Irsa said: “I want to go home and I am happy to leave the madrassa.” When asked that in which class she was studying in the seminary, she keep quiet and was unable to speak. When her mother was asked did she think it sensible to get admit a seven-year-old female child in a madrassa like Jamia Hafsa, she said that she admitted her daughter in the madrassa on the recommendation of some relative but she will never get her daughter back here.

Maria from Haripur said that she had left Jamia Hafsa earlier when the tension was increased, however, she joined again just to complete her studies. She said that she is happy as she is going to her home and leaving this tense environment. Aysha Niaz, whose cousin Muhammad Saeed came to Lal Masjid to take her home, said: “I want to complete my studies but now it is not possible. I am sad for not completing my studies, however, I am glad on leaving this place. Another girl Bano was also happy on leaving Jamia Hafsa but she defended her madrassa activities to overcome social evils. When this correspondent asked her that how will she justify the kidnapping of Chinese girls from F-8/3, she said that they were running a brothel and it is the responsibility of every citizen to try to eradicate such evils from the society. When asked that did she or her madrassa administration informed the government about this brothel or took action directly, clearly challenging writ of the government, she replied that government officials already knew about these brothels and there was no need to inform the government on this issue.

A girl from Murree, who didn’t tell her name, said that she was leaving for never coming back. Fouzia Shamroz from Attock was very happy on leaving her militant school and said that now she will complete her studies in Jamia Muhammadia Hassan Abdal in a peaceful environment. Iftikhar, father of a female student from Haripur, said that he had taken her daughter back to home for several times but he had to get her back to Jamia Hafsa on normalisation of situation. However, he said that he and her daughter are happy that they are going back to home safely and now they will never come back. Um-e-Hamna, a female teacher of Jamia Hafsa, who was leaving for her home with her mother, was very emotional on leaving the premises. She said that she is leaving just because of her mother who insisted her to do so. Um-e-Hamna said that she could inflict suicide attack in future. When this correspondent asked her, “we all are Muslims and Pakistanis, why would she inflict suicide attack on our own people,” she replied: “From yesterday (Tuesday) we are no more one and same, you are all against us.”

Many of the male students were not speaking to media. Few, who spoke said that they are happy to escape from this crucial situation. However, they said, “we side with our administration on this crisis and oppose the present government for not implementing Shariah in the country. They said that they would come back to Lal Masjid if the situation normalised. APP adds: Qari Liaquat Ali, who arrived from Battagram for her daughter Raheela, said he had earlier tried to take her back but the administration was adamant and refused. He termed government action ‘right and prompt’ and said government deserves credit as it exercised a lot of restraint. Najma Bibi, mother of a 17-year-old daughter from Khana Pul, said that her daughter has been studying in the seminary for the last two years. She sent her daughter for getting education only and never imagined that such tense situation would emerge. Mohammad Ajab from Murree, who was waiting for her daughter, said, “we are against extremist policies of the Lal Masjid administration”. He said Jihad is the greatest degree of Islamic teachings and only well-learned religious scholars can define it. 17-year old Raheela Bibi from Swat said the female students were forced to stay inside and were used as shields. “I have come here for religious education but the brand of Islam propagated by the administration was horrendous,” she added. REFERENCE: Students happy to leave Lal Masjid Thursday, July 05, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=63245&Cat=6&dt=7/5/2007

Lal Masjid & Role of Ijazul Haq - 1 (GEO TV 2007)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DKDJeJtmkI

Environment Ministry building, vehicles set on fire Sohail Khan Wednesday, July 04, 2007 ISLAMABAD The Taliban of Lal Masid after a fierce gun battle with the law-enforcing agencies on Tuesday set the building of Ministry of Environment on fire causing loss of millions of rupees to the national exchequer. Valuable vehicles of the high officials of the ministry were burnt while vehicles parked outside building were severely damaged due to the flames that engulfed the whole building, burning all the record of the ministry as well as destroying equipments. “Record of ambitious projects planned by the ministry under Public Sector Development Projects (PSDP) as well as details of foreign-funded projects have been destroyed in the renovated building,” Federal Minister for Environment Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat told The News. He alleged that he had repeatedly sent about 40 to 45 letters to the local administration for providing security to the building, which is situated near Lal Masjid, but the authorities failed to provide it. If the local administration had provided foolproof security, the incident could not have happened, he added. The minister vehemently contradicted reports that the ministry was ordered to vacate the premises the other day for deployment of Rangers, saying that not a single order was issued either to him or other officials of the ministry in this regard. Meanwhile, the ministry officials said that vehicles of high officials including the secretary, joint secretary, additional secretary and others which were parked inside the building were burnt into ashes. The students first resorted to pelt stones at the windowpanes and later sneaked into the premises after breaking the walls at the backside and then set the whole building on fire. “It was a terrible moment when I came out from my office after breaking the room window when the students of the Jamia Hafsa, carrying sticks entered the building premises,” said an official. In the meantime, the whole staff came out of their sections and succeeded in leaving the building, the official added. The official said personnel of fire brigade reached the spot to extinguish the fire, however, the students did not allow them to do their job. The Ministry of Environment is located 50 yards away from Lal Masjid. An employee of the ministry told The News that the government had ordered the staff of the ministry the other day to vacate the building at around 3 pm, however, on Tuesday, the staff was allowed resume their work and the whole staff was present. “We escaped from the clutches of death and I don’t know how we managed to flee the building,” said Shumiala, Assistant Director, Information, NCS Resource Centre. Talking to the News, she said that the whole record of the ministry is burnt. REFERENCE: Environment Ministry building, vehicles set on fire Sohail Khan Wednesday, July 04, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=8819&Cat=13&dt=7/4/2007

Lal Masjid & Role of Ijazul Haq - 2 (GEO TV 2007)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f9kgoC7E7Q

Parents throng surroundings in search of children Ahmad Noorani Wednesday, July 04, 2007 : ISLAMABAD: A number of worried people whose children have been studying at Lal Masjid assembled in areas around the mosque and at hospitals on Tuesday, in an attempt to access their children as firing between the Lal Masjid brigade and the law-enforcement agencies continued. The parents said their children were inside the mosque and they wanted to take them home. The urged the government to let them get their children out of the mosque and then think about the operation. When asked why they did not get their children home earlier, some of the parents answered that they felt satisfied with the repeated statements of the government that the problem would be resolved through peaceful means. A few parents said that whenever they contacted the Lal Masjid administration in this regard, the administration replied that there was no problem and the government was just trying to pressurise them through the media. “When we told the administration of the Lal Masjid that we wanted to take our children back, the administration used delaying tactics.”

Jamil Khatak, the father of three students in Lal Masjid, said he did not know his children’s whereabouts. “I donít know if they are alive,” a visibly terrified Jamil said. When Jamil was asked why he had got his children admitted to the Lal Masjid, he said that he was a poor man and could not afford any expensive school. Another man, Imtiaz Ali, whose daughter was a student at the Jamia Hafsa, said that he was anxious about his daughter’s security. When this scribe asked him why he did not take his daughter back home earlier, he said that he did not want to take his daughter back home because he was satisfied with the Madrassah education. REFERENCE: Parents throng surroundings in search of children Ahmad Noorani Wednesday, July 04, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=8821&Cat=13&dt=7/4/2007

Lal Masjid & Role of Ijazul Haq - 3 (GEO TV 2007)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7VgNnqQeQI

Tuesday, July 10, 2007  BEIJING: China on Monday condemned the killings of three Chinese workers in Peshawar and called on Pakistani authorities to do more to protect its citizens living in the country. A statement quoting Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang released to Xinhua called on Pakistan to "mete out severe punishment to the criminals" responsible. "China has asked the Pakistani side to provide medical treatment to the wounded man and help repatriate the bodies of the dead." China's Ambassador to Pakistan Luo Zhaohui released another statement that also called for a quick investigation into Sunday night's attack. Luo "condemned the violent incident," according to China's official Xinhua news agency. In the statement, Luo told Pakistan "to investigate it (the attack), round up the culprits, properly handle the follow-up issues and take effective measures to protect all the Chinese in Pakistan," according to Xinhua. Luo said the deputy chief of the Chinese embassy in Pakistan, Mao Siwei, was leading a team of Chinese diplomats, who had travelled to Peshawar to "deal with the issue." Mao on Monday here held a meeting with the city police chief Abdul Majeed Marwat and received the latest update regarding the triple murder case. He was informed that a high-level investigating team was probing the incident and the culprits would be brought to book shortly. Later, the Chinese diplomat visited the mortuary of the Khyber Medical College, where the bodies of the slain Chinese nationals are lying for autopsy. He also met with other senior police officials and doctors. REFERENCE: Beijing asks Islamabad to do more to protect Chinese Tuesday, July 10, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=63838&Cat=2&dt=7/10/2007

Rinkle Kumari & Jurist Award, Chief Justice & Lal Masjid.

Perhaps the real question I should ask is, why do I even care? When I took time off from Harvard to be part of the lawyers’ movement I had seen a ray of hope. There were concerned citizens and lawyers who stood for what was right, no matter what the consequences. We fought for a principle and won, with the hope that things will slowly improve. Today the very judges we had faith in released the Lal Masjid cleric whose crimes everyone knows about. If the judiciary was going to release people whose crimes were recorded on TV, perhaps it does explain why the Taliban are growing popular. Having said that, rays of hope like Afzal Khan Lala, who has refused to move from Swat while he is alive, appear every now and then. However, he stands alone in facing the storm. Other than Ayaz Amir, not a single Pakistani leader has spoken out against the Taliban. Will the real leader who can get rid of these monsters stand up, please? Imran Khan? Qazi? Nawaz Sharif? This silence is criminal! What’s worse is that these leaders of ours have unanimously approved a state within a state run, which is not accountable to anyone, absolved the Taliban of all crimes and provided them a safe haven to kill more Pakistanis. The so-called Nizam-e-Adl Regulation was endorsed by the National Assembly without any proper debate. The sad story, friends, is that the Taliban are here, and unless we stand up against them in every possible way, Pakistan will be lost for good. And it will not be lost because of Zardari’s real or perceived corruption or anything else like that, but because of the silence of the lambs – we ALL will be responsible if Pakistan fails. The writer is a student at Harvard University and turned down an award from the US ambassador as a mark of protest against killings of Pakistanis by US drone attacks. The Taliban are here Samad Khurram Monday, April 20, 2009 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=173372&Cat=9&dt=4/20/2009

Rinkle Kumari Award for CJ Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdAg0jGqJZs

In 2008, Pakistan Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry became the symbol of the lawyers’ movement which toppled an unelected president and brought democracy back to the country. Harvard Law School even presented Mr. Chaudhry with its Medal of Freedom. A new report by the International Commission of Jurists, a Geneva-based nongovernment organization of judges and lawyers, suggests his legacy might be more complicated. The report, released this month and based on a field trip to Pakistan last fall, paints a picture of a judiciary under Mr. Chaudhry that is exercising unusually wide-ranging powers. Pakistan’s judiciary has, during Mr. Chaudhry’s tenure as chief justice, stepped into areas normally reserved for a nation’s government, raising concerns over the balance of power, the report said. It noted that judges in Pakistan are increasingly initiating court proceedings on issues – as opposed to hearing cases brought by plaintiffs. The courts often launch these so-called “suo moto” cases in instances where the government has failed to take action. The report said in some cases this helps to protect the rule of law. It cited an example last year when paramilitary forces were caught on video shooting dead a teenager who was pleading for his life. The Supreme Court ordered senior paramilitary officers removed from their posts within three days and told a state prosecutor to launch an investigation. But in other cases Mr. Chaudhry appears to arbitrarily initiate “suo moto” proceedings based on articles in Pakistani newspapers, the report said. “This introduces a certain element of chance to the practice which is hardly compatible with the rule of law.” REFERENCE: Report Dings Pakistan’s Lawyers and Chief Justice April 20, 2012, 1:38 PM IST http://ht.ly/1iVQn7 

ICJ Mission to Pakistan Pakistan Mission Report 30 March 2012

Behind Imran Khan's Alleged Islamic Revolution - Part - 1


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XNbpNSZV14

Hyderabad: May 28, 2012. (Abbas Kassar) Sindhis living in UK including International Sindhi Women Organization and World Sindhi Congress has announced boycott of award ceremony which has been arranged in London to give award to chief justice Pakistan Iftikhar Muahammad Chowdhry on the grounds that chief justice Pakistan had handed over Hindu girl Rinkel Kumari Kumari two months back to a PPP MNA Pir Mian Mithoo who had married her forcibly to one of his relatives after kidnapping her. The girl when presented before supreme court was crying to be handed to her parents and had loudly said that she was forcibly married to a Muslim boy but chief justice did not listen her cries and handed her to Muslim boy who had kidnapped her on behest of MNA of ruling PPP Mian Mithoo and then married. It may be mentioned here that kidnapping Hindu girls and then marrying them to Muslims after forcible conversion is common in Sindh but neither government nor judiciary can stop such atrocities with minorities in Pakistan. REFERENCE: Boycott of CJ of Pakistan award ceremony in London on forced conversion of Hindu girls case http://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/headlinenewsd.php?hnewsid=3549

Behind Imran Khan's Alleged Islamic Revolution - Part - 2


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4zrgysVkww

Islamabad: April 18, 2012. (PCP) Eyes of Human right activists around globe were on Supreme Court of Pakistan hearing of a case today of forced conversion of Hindu girl Rinkle Kumari and others to Islam but unfortunately Division Bench of Supreme Court of Pakistan not bothered to listen victimized girls and ordered police to present them before Registrar Supreme Court of Pakistan to record their statement and to go with parents or with Muslim husbands. A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Tariq Parvezhad ordered to send Hindu women Rinkle Kumari, Dr. Lata and Asha Kumari to Shelter in last hearing on March 26, 2012, when they were crying “We want to go with our parents and begged that their life is in danger” It surprised Human Right activists that why Judges ordered to send Hindu women in Shelter when in camera session and later in open court hearing of March 26, 2012, they begged Division Bench Judges to allow them to go with their parents? It was already feared that in Shelters the Hindu girls will be threatened and blocked to unite with their families. In today’s hearing by SC Bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary not permitted to speak victim Hindu girls but gave them in police custody to record their statement with registrar. The Three Hindu women in police custody who were all Muslim women and men police officer walked to the Registrar office of Supreme Court of Pakistan and under police presence expressed their consent to go with their Muslim husbands.

The forced converted Hindu girls were in Shelter for three weeks where all staff was Muslim, the officer who escorted them from Shelter to Supreme Court building were all Muslims and to office of Registrar escorting officers were also all Muslims. How a Muslim cannot put pressure on a convert to Islam who has openly demanded to go with her Hindu Parents when a Muslim has religious faith that to convert to infidels is their ticket to heaven? The Supreme Court of Pakistan Judges as a Muslim also were aware of such belief of Muslims as citizens of Islamic Republic of Pakistan but not bothered to hold open court hearing or camera session on hearing of April 18, 2012, and ordered a Muslim Registrar of Supreme Court of Pakistan to record their statements.

Apart from surprising hearing of forced conversion case of three Hindu girls in Supreme Court of Pakistan. A Christian girl’s case on forced conversion was also in progress in city of Multan today. District and Sessions Judge Sardar Naeem Ahmed Khan of Multan city in Punjab province also directed police to conduct an inquiry in light of Mehwish Bibi's statement that she had converted to Islam to marry Hammad Ahmed and allowed her to live with her husband and ordered authorities to provide special security to the couple. It will be noted that Earlier, Mehwish's father Yousuf Masih filed an application in the Supreme Court that said his daughter was abducted by Ahmed. He requested the court to issue an order for her recovery but Supreme Court of Pakistan referred the case to the district and sessions court in Multan. According to Pakistan Christian Post sources, more than 800 Christian women and 450 Hindu women are kidnapped and forced to convert to Islam every year in Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The Islamic mafia after kidnapping converts them to Islam and then sells to Muslims men for marriage who keep them as mistresses for few months and then sell them from 2000 $ to 3000 $ to brothels for prostitution. Such forced converted Christian and Hindu girls are tortured and threatened to keep silent and are told every day that if they will speak up shall be killed as an apostate as Islamic law of apostasy decree to death. There was last hope that higher courts in Pakistan will issue some judgment on forced conversion to ensure justice for Christians, Hindus and other religious minorities in Pakistan but cases of Mehwish Bibi, Rinkle Kumari, Lata and Asha Kumari have proved that there is no justice for them in Pakistan. It have raised very important question in minds of every Pakistani that are our Judges also Islamic clerics? That might betrue because Judges are Muslim and Moulvi is also Muslim. REFERENCE: Apex Court of Pakistan Judges or Islamic Clerics in enforcedly converted Hindu and Christian girls’ case http://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/headlinenewsd.php?hnewsid=3469

CJ Iftikhar Chaudhry & Judiciary is silent on Raymond Davis (Aaj Ki Khaber 17 March 2011)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npdcSne0L0Q

“Supreme Court has once again killed the justice as it had done earlier under Molvi Mushtaq when it sentenced Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto to death” said a strongly worded statement from Raj Kumar, uncle of Rinkle Kumari, the Hindu girl allegedly forcibly converted to Islam and married to a Muslim boy Naveed Shah. The anger and disillusionment on Supreme Court’s Order of April 18th was not limited to Rinkle’s family only. It seems to have spread over the entire Sindh. Those familiar with the details of the case saw it as a mockery of ‘justice’, while the general consumer of mainstream media was satisfied on dispensation of ‘justice’ by letting an ‘adult’ girl exercise her right to ‘free’ choice. The case was, no doubt, a complex one, where even the liberal sections of society were perplexed to form an opinion on the case. For a layperson Rinkle Kumari had claimed in a presser to have embraced Islam on her own free will before marrying Naveed Shah. Later, she was reported (widely so) to have stated in the Supreme Court that she wanted to go with her ‘husband’ instead of her parents. Anyone would support such a display of ‘free exercise’ of the right to choose by a young girl from minority community. Anyone still raising voice for Rinkle’s recovery would be seen as anti-women rights conservative. Needless to say that the right wing religious people would term the protesters the enemies of religion who are posing hurdles in the spread of Islam. The hyper nationalists would call them anti-state traitors who want to blemish Pakistan’s image by highlighting a persecution that in their view, never existed.

The discrepancies started appearing as soon as the case began with Rinkle’s alleged abduction. We might not know at this point whether Rinkle and Naveed Shah had relationship, but that Rinkle knew Naveed as neighbor is a fact. It is also a fact that she had been complaining about Naveed’s excesses towards her for couple of months before the so-called abduction. The accounts about the day she disappeared, February 24, are many. Even the initial First Information Report (FIR) lodged by her family tells a different story than their statements later. Same is the case with the accounts by Mian Mitho, the central character of the tragedy. Whenever Mitho opens his mouth about the case, he comes up with a different story about what happened on February 24.

For the sake of keeping it simple and preventing it from unnecessarily drifting, lets assume Rinkle and Naveed Shah had a relationship and eloped out of consent on February 24. Had that been the case, the girl would never had cried endlessly in the civil court Ghotki on February 25 and had said that she wanted to go with her parents. Media should probably have asked the civil court why was she sent to Sakhar police station on February 25 after her clear statement to the opposite. That was the point that emboldened those having a sinister hand in the case. After the court gave up its authority over the process of justice by allowing Mian Mitho take Rinkle from Ghotki to Sakhar police station while she was given in police custody, the court gave a silent message to all of us as to who was in-charge. The same was repeated on February 27 in the court of judicial magistrate Mirpur Mathelo, when he ordered to give Rinkle’s custody to Naveed Shah.

The timeline of injustice in this particular case presents many discrepancies and clearly points towards collusion between the entire state structure, landed influential politicians, religious elite and ‘innocent’ media who swindled the process of justice. Despite Rinkle’s repeated statements in different courts that she wanted to go to her parents, courts could not ‘respect’ her choice. Not many would blame the poor magistrates considering the conditions in which they try to give a semblance of justice. In the absence of any security mechanism ensured for them, it was understandable when judicial magistrate in Mirpur Mathelo told counsels of Rinkle’s family that had he given a decision otherwise, he and thousands of Hindus in Ghotki district would have been killed by religious extremists. The instance has been recorded in the note submitted to honorable Supreme Court by the counsel Rasheed A. Rizvi.

The farce of ‘free will’ should have been gotten exposed on March 11 when Rinkle was made to address a press conference while, theoretically, in the custody of police. The way she was surrounded by Mitho’s armed men who dragged them in and out of the venue and then how the media portrayed it as her free will statement, was a shameless display of our collective failure on basic levels of honesty, intellect, sense of judgment and reasoning.

On March 12, when Rinkle was produced in the High Court Karachi, she was once again dragged in the courtroom by Mitho’s men and women with policewomen silently watching on the side. Veengas, the journalist from Karachi who has been closely following the case, tells that Mitho’s men appeared to be in-charge of the courtroom. “They were everywhere and were not letting anyone come towards Rinkle” says Veengas. The court had to rise twice in order to make order in the courtroom, as has been recorded in the High Court Order of March 12.

Leaving aside what happened next, come fast forward to March 26 and we see Rinkle once again pleading helplessly to the Chief Justice that she wanted to go with her mother. To quote Chief Justice, as was reported by various TV channels and newspapers and was never denied by the honourable court, “Rinkle wants to go with her parents while Dr. Lata is double minded”. Despite this clear statement from Rinkle, she was sent to Panah, the shelter home run by Justice Majida Razvi, former judge Sindh High Court and Chair NCSW. The order was issued to ‘give the girls pressure-free environment for recording free-will statement’ under section 164 of Criminal Procedures Code.

According to the SC’s orders, all the parties to the conflict were barred from meeting her. But to one’s utter shock, reports have emerged that she was not spared even in Panah. Although Justice Majida Razvi categorically denies any such event, but Rinkle’s family insists Panah’s lower level staff was intimidated and threatened by Mitho’s men to let Naveed Shah meet her. Justice Razvi, in her written response to this scribe, has strongly denied this and has offered to produced CCTV camera footage if the accusers tell the date and time of the suspected meeting. The court could probably get the evidence from Panah and burry the disturbing rumors forever.

After, this ‘pressure free period’, Rinkle was produced in Supreme Court on April 18 where she was not allowed to talk before the Order was dictated, despite her murmuring to let her say something. On refusal to be heard by the court, she gave the Chief Justice a piece of paper, which was not read. She was then directed to the Registrar’s office for stating her willingness to accompany either of the parties.

It is unknown how the court determined whether she was ‘sui juris’ (capacity to manage one’s own affairs) when her birth certificate shows her to be less than 18 years of age (16 years 5 months to be precise). Moreover, no procedure was adopted to determine if she had embraced Islam without coercion. There was no cross-questioning allowed to either of the counsels who were not allowed to speak. According to another unconfirmed report, Mitho’s son, Naveed Shah and handful of policemen were already in Registrar’s office where Rinkle recorded her statement. Moments later, media was reporting that Rinkle has opted to go with her ‘husband’.

Interesting to note here that Rinkle’s statement does not say whether she has embraced Islam. Question arises, if she, as Hindu, has married Naveed Shah, would the court and the religious parties ever allow a Muslim girl to marry a Hindu boy? If 16 years old Rinkle’s ‘right to choice’ is so important for all of us, would we allowe adult Muslim girls to marry out of their choice without their parents? We must.

Yousaf Leghari, former Advocate General Sindh is of the opinion that the way case was handled and the Order was written was violation of the procedure laid down for statements under section 164. According to CrPC, the statement had to be recorded under oath in the presence of judge(s). Nothing was done to determine the proverbial ‘free will’ of the abductee, he said. Mr. Amarnath Mottumal, Vice-Chairperson Sindh Chapter of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan emphasized that the court had to make sure if the conversion was forced. To which end, nothing was done.

The way the petition of Pakistan Hindu Council was disposed off by the apex court is also noteworthy. It diluted the issue of necessary legislation to prevent forced conversions when the Court opined that no legislation was required thereon in the presence of Article 20 of the Constitution. Asad Jamal, Advocate Lahore High Court and noted human rights activist says that the Court Order does not and cannot bar the parliament from legislating on an issue it deems necessary to legislate upon. However, legislation on this issue must be done with care and due diligence, as it might be used against the minorities. Precedence of similar legislation could be taken from Indian statutes, Jamal said.

In this judicial hustle bustle, everyone forgot Presidential order of instituting an inquiry on the issue. Probably it is high time that the Honorable court orders the relevant departments to carry on with the inquiry into the role of Ghotki police, of lower judiciary and of Mian Mitho while taking into account his criminal record. The concept of ‘free will’ should not be abused by making it so illusionary, yet decisive. As these lines are being written, the rumor has it that Mian Mitho has made arrangements for Rinkle to leave the country on May 28. We must amend last point in the timeline of Rinkle’s case and be able to write, Rinkle finally got justice! REFERENCE: Rinkle Kumari: A Test Case for Jinnah’s Pakistan (Updated) This was originally written for The Friday Times appeared on May 25, 2012. Click here to read it from TFT. Posted here with some modifications http://marvisirmed.com/2012/05/25/rinkle-kumari-a-test-case-for-jinnahs-pakistan-updated/