ISLAMABAD: The footprints of circumstantial evidence regarding the terrorist attack on the Mehran base clearly show the involvement of Indian intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). Senior intelligence sources told The News that this was a joint venture, accomplished by RAW certainly with the consent of CIA and a group of al-Qaeda who are being used by the anti-Pakistan lobby. “Even at this very initial stage, the agencies engaged in the investigation of the attack have got hold of some concrete indications to prove the involvement of foreign hand in the debacle,” one source said. He said that it could easily be calculated who was the prime beneficiary of the shattering strike. “The militants attacked the base and mainly targeted the P-3C Orion aircraft as they had instructions to destroy them,” he said, adding that it was on record that India had opposed the US provision of these aircraft to Pakistan.Another source said that the only major beneficiary of the annihilation of these planes was India as Pakistan has been deprived of one of its major assets. “It cannot be ascertained yet at this early stage whether Indian commandos were included in the attack squad or the terrorists were Chechens or Afghan activists of al-Qaeda,” the source said. “However, intelligence agencies have enough information that a group of al-Qaeda and Taliban got training in a base camp of RAW in Afghanistan from the Indian forces.”
The source said that the agencies had informed the government about the joint activities of al-Qaeda and Indian forces in the base camp. It will be established soon that the plan of the attack was prepared in the RAW base camp in Afghanistan, he said. Dr Usman, one of the GHQ attackers, who was arrested during the counter operation, had disclosed during the investigation about his links with the Indian camp, the source said. On October 10, 2009, terrorists had attacked the Pakistan Army’s General Headquarters in Rawalpindi in a similar fashion, taking 42 people hostage, including several military officers. By the end of the day-long ordeal, nine gunmen, 11 soldiers and three hostages were dead. The attackers had their own communication system with separate frequency through which they were interlinked with each other, the source said. Why the attack group fought a pitched battle for 16 hours against the commandos and Rangers, the source said there were standing instructions for the personnel engaged in the operation to arrest at least one of the attackers alive. However, as the Pakistani forces trapped the attackers, they blew themselves up or shot themselves.” “They attackers were four in number, not six,” the source said and added that it was a wrong perception that two militants managed to escape from the airbase compound. He said that the compound was securely cordoned off. REFERENCE: Indian footprints emerging Shakeel Anjum Wednesday, May 25, 2011 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=48984&Cat=2&dt=5/25/2011
Well:) That’s the new one “RAW-CIA-and a group within Al-Qaeda”. On one hand the Media blame “Intelligence Agencies” for the failure and the same Media quote Senior Intelligence Sources on “RAW-CIA-and a group within Al-Qaeda” . CIA and RAW have no groups, but which group of Al-Qaeda, read Shakeel Anjum another story on AL-Qaeda and Taliban too (these must’ve been filed under the influence of LSD:)
ISLAMABAD: Two of the nine persons kidnapped from a Chinese massage centre in F-8/3 late on the night of June 22 by the local Taliban and who were mysteriously released by the police belonged to the MMA, authoritative sources have told The News. Seven of those kidnapped were Chinese and their identity was made public while the identity of the two Pakistanis was not disclosed. The sources said that the two Pakistanis were Matiullah Khan and Raqiaz Khan from Bannu. Matiullah Khan, a nephew of the former member of National Assembly, the late Maulana Naseeb Ali Shah, was contesting elections from the seat of his uncle. Raqiaz Khan was his supporter, they added. The sources said that Matiullah Khan, while recording his statement with the police, said that he was suffering from knee pain and had gone to the massage centre for a massage where he was held. Male and female students (respectively Taliban and Talibat) of Jamia Faridia, Jamia Hafsa and Beaconhouse School System, in a joint operation, kidnapped Chinese women and Pakistani men shortly after midnight Friday from a Chinese massage center at house 14, Street 4, F-8/3, alleging that they were running a brothel. However, the hostages said they were running a massage centre and beauty parlour. The Lal Masjid administration later released nine persons after detaining them for 17 hours. The police, the district administration and Lal Masjid identified the Chinese but kept secret the identity of two Pakistanis. The police, later, freed both the ‘political bigwigs’ keeping their names secret on the direction of the district administration. The sources claimed that the Lal Masjid administration, after knowing about the identity of the kidnapped ‘Pakistanis’ who enjoyed strong political background, facilitated their release. They made it part of the agreement arrived at with the police and the district administration that their identity would be kept a secret. Meanwhile, President of MMA Qazi Hussain Ahmad, when contacted by this correspondent, said that he didn’t know Matiullah Khan. “It would be better to investigate their involvement and publish whatever is the truth,” he advised. REFERENCE: Massage centre abductees were from MMA By Shakeel Anjum http://www.thenews.com.pk/
top_story_detail.asp?Id=86
96
Mr. Shakeel should over come this “80′s RAW/KGB/Mossad syndrome” or wind up contract with Voice of America
ISLAMABAD: Without ruling out the involvement of Taliban in the killing of federal minister Shehbaz Bhatti, the intelligence agencies are also taking a hard look at the possible involvement of Xe International, (formerly Blackwater) and indian intelligence agency RAW, and are specifically looking into the activities of a white foreigner who is acting as a “security consultant” in Islamabad. “There is some rock-solid evidence indicating foreign involvement in the high profile murder,” intelligence sources told The News. They also do not rule out the involvement of the Indian intelligence agency RAW (Research & Intelligence Wing), which is known to have a role in destabilizing Pakistan in different areas. “Keeping in view the evidence, the aspect of using the name of Tanzeem al-Qaeda and Tehrik-e-Taliban Punjab by hidden hands, cannot be ruled out altogether,” sources said. Intelligence agencies expect to track the assassins of federal minister through geo-fencing. “But it could take around three weeks as the geo-fencing is very complex and time consuming job,” a source said. Geo-fencing is a process in which, using highly sophisticated equipment, the agencies can go through the entire call date of the relevant transmission towers in the vicinity. Though the number of telephone calls may run into hundreds of thousands, the system cuts through the maze with the use of certain buzz words. REFERENCE: Taliban say they did it but agencies also looking at Xe, RAW By Shakeel Anjum Friday, March 04, 2011 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=48984&Cat=2&dt=5/25/2011
Agencies should have looked inside the GEO TV/Jang Group/The News International because Kamran Khan and Late Najeeb Ahmed had found “successfully” a wanted “Al-Qaeeda” Militant and also successfully interviewed and romanticized (emphasis is mine) the Militant Organization through GEO TV. They fail to tell their viewers as to why the High Tech Satellite Reconnaissance System of US National Security Agency “failed” to locate the said Militants (Mustafa Abu Yazid) , here are some very crucial videos of Kamran Khan’s Program “Aaj Kamran Khan Kay Sath “Al-Qaeda”
Kamran Khan Exposes Al-QAEDA & Supports USA - 1 (GEO TV JULY 2008)
Hamid Mir succeeds interviewing OBL (Daily Dawn, Hameed Haroon, Hamid Mir & Nuclear Bombs http://chagataikhan.blogspot.com/2009/04/daily-dawn-hameed-haroon-hamid-mir.html right after 911 when everybody was looking for him and also “breaks the story” that OBL had 36 Nukes and Daily Dawn publishes the Story as super-lead. One should ask Hamid Mir and Hameed Haroon (only difference is of “i” and “e” “e”) as to where are those 36 Nuke after OBL Death? Did OBL shove those 36 in the posterior orifices of Hamid Mir, and Hameed Haroon or the Goats of Abbottabad. Read Mazhar Tufail (The News) who is even telling us about the Mood within AL-QAEDA (I again say that CIA should raid The News/GEO TV/Jang Office to wipe out the Al-Qaeda)
ISLAMABAD: After WikiLeaks disclosures about Maulana Fazlur Rahman, not only the Taliban and Al-Qaeda leadership have decided to sever links with him but various religio-political parties have also hinted at staying away from him. “Maulana Fazlur Rahman, who has been an ally of the Pervez Musharraf regime and is also a partner in the present ruling coalition, had strong contacts with militant groups in Afghanistan as well as Pakistan but nobody did even imagine until now that he is constantly in touch with the Americans also,” said a former Taliban official, currently based in Peshawar, while talking to The News on Tuesday. Talking to The News via telephone, the former Taliban official said on condition of anonymity that although the Jamaat-e-Islami leadership had expressed its reservations several times about Maulana Fazlur Rahman, majority of the people believed it is because of political differences between the JUI-F and Jamaat-e-Islami. The time has, however, proven that the reservations and fears of the Jamaat-e-Islami about the JUI-F chief were absolutely genuine, he added. “As the WikiLeaks have unmasked the truth, now Maulana Fazlur Rahman will have to be extremely careful because his acts and attitude fall in the category of betrayal,” commented the former Taliban official. A Taliban commander told The News from Afghanistan via telephone that the Taliban leaders, who have been in contact with Maulana Fazlur Rahman in the past, are extremely disappointed and angered.
He said now all doors of the Taliban have been closed for the JUI-F chief as his real face has finally been exposed. “We may forgive him [Fazlur Rahman] for the sake of his father’s services for Islam but we have shut all doors for him,” he said. When contacted, former spokesman for Jamaat-e-Islami Ameerul Azeem, who has been attending meetings of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) of which the JUI-F was also a part, said now the time has come for the JUI-F chief to review his entire political life, particularly his manoeuvres to become part of every government. He said the role of the JUI-F chief in the Movement for Restoration of Democracy (MRD), when his politics was based on mere principles, is no secret. He recalled that even (late) Benazir Bhutto had once dumped (late) Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan but the Maulana had extended unflinching support to the Nawabzada. “Now the political moves of the JUI-F chief are completely different as of late he has been preferring gains to principles,” the former Jamaat-e-Islami spokesman said. “If Maulana Fazlur Rahman failed in returning to his old political path, he would remain all alone,” he remarked.
Ameerul Azeem pointed out that currently there are many leaders in the JUI-F who strongly believe in the politics of principles and are extremely valued by different quarters. He said the Jamaat-e-Islami would definitely maintain its contacts with such leaders. The News contacted several religious figures that have been close to the Taliban leadership in the past and sought their comments on the latest situation, they were unanimous that Maulana Fazlur Rahman would pay a heavy price for what they called his deceit and betrayal. The JUI-F chief, who is facing scathing criticism from various religious circles following WikiLeaks disclosures about him, is likely to face very difficult situation in the near future because the religious parties are unanimous that he would not be included in any alliance of religio-political parties. “We have firmly decided that Maulana Fazlur Rahman or any leader of his party will not be included in the alliance of religious parties before the next general elections. Nor will we maintain any contact with the JUI-F or its leadership,” said a leader of another religious party, pleading anonymity. This correspondent made several attempts to contact the JUI-F chief for his comments but failed while any other leader of his party was also not ready to speak on the issue. REFERENCE: Fazlur Rehman getting isolated after WikiLeaks exposure By Mazhar Tufail Wednesday, December 08, 2010 http://old.thenews.com.pk/08-12-2010/Top-Story/2547.htm
THREE REMAIN SEATED: But many in the house and the galleries were surprised to see three bearded members of the opposition Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam of Maulana Fazlur Rehman remaining seated in their chairs when the rest of lawmakers stood up to observe two minutes’ silence for Mr Bhatti. There was no immediate explanation what motivated the JUI back-benchers, in the absence of their party leader, to violate a parliamentary etiquette, and a directive given by the chair, in agreement with some voices raised in the house, that members stand up to pay a silent tribute to their assassinated colleague. Gilani vows new strategy to fight extremism By Raja Asghar | From the Newspaper March 3, 2011 (2 days ago) http://www.dawn.com/2011/03/03/gilani-vows-new-strategy-to-fight-extremism.html
The problem is that the state has taken sides in this religious argument. Since the 1970s, civilian and military governments have passed laws enshrining the discrimination against Ahmadis, today thought to number about 4 million in Pakistan. And so they live in the shadows of society. Under the law, Ahmadis may not call themselves Muslims and may not refer to their places of worship as “mosques”. Orthodox Muslims applying for a passport must sign a statement deriding Ahmad as an “imposter”. Any Ahmadi who defies these edicts can be sentenced to death; in 2009, 37 were charged under the blasphemy laws and 57 under Ahmadi-specific laws.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman Curses Jang Group, GEO TV & Ansar Abbasi
This state-directed discrimination has caused prejudice to soak into the bones of even well-educated Pakistanis. It is acceptable to denigrate Ahmadis as “agents of foreign powers” such as the CIA and Raw, India’s intelligence service. In 2008 a prominent preacher on Geo, the country’s largest channel, suggested that right-minded Muslims should kill Ahmadis. Within 48 hours two Ahmadis had been lynched. The television presenter has prospered. REFERENCE OF AHRC: A report from Asian Human Rights Commission on GEO TV: PAKISTAN: Two persons murdered after an anchor person proposed the widespread lynching of Ahmadi sect followers ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION – URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME Urgent Appeal Case: AHRC-UAC-203-2008 http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2008/2999/ PAKISTAN: No action taken against Geo TV presenter who incited Muslims to murder members of Pakistan minority on air FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AHRC-STM-244-2008 September 18, 2008 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission – PAKISTAN: No action taken against Geo TV presenter who incited Muslims to murder members of Pakistan minority on air http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2008statements/1694/
Last year a banner appeared outside the high court in Lahore, declaring “Jews, Christians and Ahmadis are enemies of Islam”. Few complained. The silence that followed the Ahmadi killings was broken last week by a tsunami of outrage at the Israeli commando raids on boats headed for Gaza. Commentators and politicians fulminated at the treatment of the Palestinians – a minority that suffers state-sanctioned, religiously driven discrimination. Nobody got the irony. It makes one realise how small the constituency of true liberals is in Pakistan – not Pervez Musharraf-style liberals, who drink whisky and attend fashion shows, but people who believe the state should cherish all citizens equally. That, after all, was the publicly expressed desire of Pakistan’s founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, 63 years ago. Today it lies in tatters. REFERENCE: Ahmadi massacre silence is dispiriting – The virtual conspiracy of silence after the murder of 94 Ahmadis in Pakistan exposes the oppression suffered by the sect Declan Walsh guardian.co.uk, Monday 7 June 2010 14.59 BST http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2010/jun/07/ahmadi-massacre-silence-pakistan?showallcomments=true#end-of-comments
LAHORE, Jan 30: A big rally here on Sunday warned of a long march to Islamabad if the government attempted to amend the blasphemy law. A large number of charged activists of religious parties representing all schools of thought amid tight security marched from Nasser Bagh to Charing Cross on The Mall where leaders of mainstream parties like PML-N, PML-Q, PML-Z and Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf also joined them. They were carrying flags of their respective parties as well as placards and banners inscribed with slogans in favour of blasphemy law and against Pope Benedict, American Congress and European Parliament. Many of them coming from adjoining areas of the provincial metropolis were also chanting slogans seeking release of Mumtaz Qadri, who had killed Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer.
Barelvi Scholar allows Murder for everyone on TV Part 1 (ARY NEWS 13 Feb 2011)
Under the umbrella of Namoos-e-Risalat Tehrik, the religious parties under had been campaigning in the city for the last many days to mobilise the masses. Religious leaders visited various seminaries and some school chains run by religious schools and distributed leaflets to motivate them for joining the rally. Police made tight security arrangements to avoid any untoward incident as all routes leading to The Mall were closed to traffic and pedestrians, causing traffic jams on many city arteries, especially in the downtown area. The people willing to join the rally could enter from the Nasser Bagh or Masjid Shuhada side only after a thorough frisking and moving from walkthrough gates. Security staff was deployed on buildings along both sides of the route from Nasser Bagh to the Charing Cross.
Barelvi Scholar allows Murder for everyone on TV - Part 2 (ARY NEWS 13 Feb 2011)
Speaking to the participants, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman announced another rally in Peshawar on Feb 20. He also announced that demonstrations would be held on Fridays to maintain the momentum of the movement till Feb 20. He said the nation could put up with price hike, load-shedding and joblessness but not change in the blasphemy law. He demanded that the government take a clear stance on blasphemy law instead of making vague clarifications. Referring to the incident of killing of three people by a US citizen, he warned the rulers against setting Raymond Davis free without judicial trial, saying the people would take the law into their own hands if the government resorted to any illegal course. He advised Governor Latif Khosa to call on Mumtaz Qadri in prison as he (Khosa) was holding the office because of Qadri.
Barelvi Scholar allows Murder for everyone on TV - Part 3 (ARY NEWS 13 Feb 2011)
Jamaat-i-Islami chief Syed Munawar Hasan said the assemblies as well as the rulers would cease to exist if attempts were made to amend the blasphemy law. PML-Q senior leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi said his party would be the first to quit the parliament if it dared to amend the law. The Q League has 50 representatives in the 342-seat National Assembly. Jamaatud Dawa amir Prof Saeed urged the rulers to work for an international legislation to curb desecration of Prophets all over the world. He said the rulers who had taken oath on the Holy Quran should decide to sever diplomatic relations with the countries where blasphemous caricatures had been published. JUP chief Sahibzada Abul Khair Zubair urged the political parties having representation in the parliament to take up the issue of protecting blasphemy law at the highest platform. Tehrik-i-Insaaf vice-president Ijaz Chaudhry pledged that his party would not allow any change in the law. He demanded public execution of Raymond Davis. MJAH chief Senator Sajid Mir said the nation had registered a strong protest against any amendment to blasphemy law. “The Ummah is unanimous that blasphemer(s) deserves only death.” Islami Tehrik chief Allama Sajid Naqvi regretted that the government was not taking a clear stance on blasphemy law only because of US pressure. PML-Z chief Ijazul Haq suggested giving a deadline to the government and if it failed to address reservations of the nation about the law, then a long march should be launched. PML-N MNA Khwaja Saad Rafiq said: “My party is very clear that blasphemy law should not be amended and efforts should be made to stop its misuse.” Ashraf Jalali, Abdul Qadri Ropri, Ibtesam Elahi Zaheer and others also spoke. REFERENCE: Blasphemy law: rally threatens long march From the Newspaper By Our Staff Reporter Yesterday http://www.dawn.com/2011/01/31/blasphemy-law-rally-threatens-long-march.html
Barelvi Scholar allows Murder for everyone on TV - Part 4 (ARY NEWS 13 Feb 2011)
In Pakistan everyone is Mufti particularly the TV Anchors and certain Journalists (read Ansar Abbasi, Kamran Khan, Hamid Mir, Haroon ur Rasheed, Irfan Siddiqui) - Jang Group is basically "Daarul Ifta" and Incite people for Murder.
In Pakistan everyone is Mufti particularly the TV Anchors and certain Journalists (read Ansar Abbasi, Kamran Khan, Hamid Mir, Haroon ur Rasheed, Irfan Siddiqui) - Jang Group is basically "Daarul Ifta" and Incite people for Murder.
Liaquat Baloch (Jamat-e-Islami) says (Aaj TV 3 March 2011) that Fatwa is only acceptable when issued by an Scholar (Mufti), read Scholars on Jamat-e-Islami after the clip
KARACHI: Police have arrested a 17-year old Pakistani boy for writing an allegedly blasphemous remark in an examination paper, an officer said Tuesday. Pakistan’s blasphemy laws have come under intense scrutiny since the murder of a prominent politician last month who had campaigned to change them. They allow for the death penalty for anyone found guilty of insulting Islam. Critics say they are often used to settle scores and unfairly target the country’s non-Muslim minorities. School authorities lodged a police complaint against the boy, identified as Sami Ullah, in January after reading an examination paper he took in the city of Karachi, said police officer Qudrat Shah Lodhi. Lodhi said he could not repeat what the boy, who is a Muslim, had written because he would be committing blasphemy if he did. He said the boy told police he wrote the blasphemous material out of frustration when he was not able to answer the exam question.
”He submitted an apology to the examination authorities and feels ashamed and depressed,” Lodhi said He said Ullah had been placed in police custody while officers investigated the case. No one has been put to death for blasphemy, and most times guilty verdicts are overturned on appeal. But there have been several documented cases of mobs killing people accused of blasphemy. Critics have said the laws either need to be repealed or amended to stop them from being abused or applied frivolously. But Pakistan’s powerful clerical class have campaigned against any change in the laws, and portrayed their critics as being anti-Islam _ a potent charge in this Muslim-majority nation. – AP. REFERENCE: Student arrested for ‘blasphemous’ exam answer February 1, 2011 http://www.dawn.com/2011/02/01/student-arrested-for-blasphemous-exam-answer.html
Reporter - Assassination of Shahbaz Bhatti and Conspiracy Of Silence -- Ep 133 -- Part 2
RAWALPINDI: Only two days after the assassination of Minorities Affairs Minister Shahbaz Bhatti in broad daylight, a poor man who had been accused in a blasphemy case and released last year, was gunned down on the outskirts of the city on Friday. According to police, Mohammad Imran, who was released along with his friend Sajid Mehmood on Feb 13 last year, was sitting at a shop near a bus stand in Danda village when three masked gunmen attacked him. Sub-inspector Mehmood Ahmed, who heads the team investigating the murder, said that two of the attackers entered the shop owned by one Abdul Rehman, while the third stayed outside. “After spotting their target they opened fire, killing Imran on the spot and escaped,” he added.
Mohammad Akram, an elder brother of Imran, in his complaint suspected that Imdad Hussain, son of Altaf Hussain, of Ckak Baili, was behind the murder. However, police have so far made no arrest. Akram told that the attackers were those who had sent his brother to jail in a concocted case. He was released after the prosecution had failed to produce any witness in the court. Mr Akram said his brother`s rivals had filed in the Rawalpindi bench of Lahore High Court a petition challenging his release. He said that Imran had a wife and a little daughter and had been facing financial problems since he was involved in the case. Imran and Mehmood were booked by police in a blasphemy case in April 2009 on a complaint lodged by one Asif Fareed who had accused them of passing `insulting` remarks against the holy prophet (PBUH) during a discussion at a village café. REFERENCE: ‘Another blasphemer’ gunned down By Mohammad Asghar | From the Newspaper (12 hours ago) Today http://www.dawn.com/2011/03/05/another-blasphemer-gunned-down.html
Reporter - Assassination of Shahbaz Bhatti and Conspiracy Of Silence -- Ep 133 -- Part 3
MULTAN: A Pakistan court has jailed a Muslim prayer leader and his 20-year-old son for life on controversial blasphemy charges in the rural centre of the country, court officials said Tuesday. The case follows the killing of Punjab provincial governor Salman Taseer by his bodyguard last Tuesday, after the outspoken politician called for reform of the law that was recently used to sentence a Christian woman to death. Mohammad Shafi, 45, and his son Mohammad Aslam, 20, were arrested in April last year for removing a poster outside their grocery shop advertising an Islamic event in a nearby village which allegedly contained Quranic verses. Judge Mohammad Ayub, heading an anti-terrorism court in the central Pakistani town of Muzaffargarh, handed down a life sentence to the pair on Monday, his assistant Faisal Karim told AFP by telephone.
The prosecution alleged organisers of the event, which commemorated the anniversary of the Prophet Mohammad’s birth, said the pair had “pulled the poster down, tore it and trampled it under their feet,” Karim said. “The judge sentenced them to life imprisonment on charges of blasphemy and ordered them to pay a fine of 200,000 rupees ($2,350) each,” he said. Liberal politicians and human rights activists in Pakistan say the blasphemy law, which carries the death penalty for the worst offences, is sometimes used to settle personal scores and encourages extremism. Defence counsel Arif Gurmani vowed to challenge the verdict in the high court because “it has been given in haste” and was the result of inter-faith rivalries, he said.
“Both are Muslims. The case is the result of differences between Deobandi and Barelvi sects of Sunni Muslims,” he said. “Shafi is a practising Muslim, he is the imam of a mosque and he had recently returned from a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia…. I am defending them because I am convinced they are not guilty of blasphemy,” he said. Nobody has been executed in Pakistan for blasphemy and those given the death penalty have so far had their sentences overturned or commuted on appeal. Since Taseer’s assassination, right-wing religious clerics have heaped praise on his killer and stoked controversy over reform of the law. The government has said it has no plan to reform the law. The controversy was sparked when former information minister Sherry Rehman tabled a private member’s bill in November, seeking to abolish the death penalty for blasphemy. REFERENCE: Court convicts imam and son for blasphemy AFP January 11, 201 http://www.dawn.com/2011/01/11/court-convicts-imam-and-son-for-blasphemy.html
Reporter - Assassination of Shahbaz Bhatti and Conspiracy Of Silence -- Ep 133 -- Part 4
TAIL PIECE IS FOR JANG GROUP OF NEWSPAPERS AND MULLAHS.
ISLAMABAD: Two of the nine persons kidnapped from a Chinese massage centre in F-8/3 late on the night of June 22 by the local Taliban and who were mysteriously released by the police belonged to the MMA, authoritative sources have told The News. Seven of those kidnapped were Chinese and their identity was made public while the identity of the two Pakistanis was not disclosed. The sources said that the two Pakistanis were Matiullah Khan and Raqiaz Khan from Bannu. Matiullah Khan, a nephew of the former member of National Assembly, the late Maulana Naseeb Ali Shah, was contesting elections from the seat of his uncle. Raqiaz Khan was his supporter, they added.
The sources said that Matiullah Khan, while recording his statement with the police, said that he was suffering from knee pain and had gone to the massage centre for a massage where he was held. Male and female students (respectively Taliban and Talibat) of Jamia Faridia, Jamia Hafsa and Beaconhouse School System, in a joint operation, kidnapped Chinese women and Pakistani men shortly after midnight Friday from a Chinese massage center at house 14, Street 4, F-8/3, alleging that they were running a brothel. However, the hostages said they were running a massage centre and beauty parlour. The Lal Masjid administration later released nine persons after detaining them for 17 hours. The police, the district administration and Lal Masjid identified the Chinese but kept secret the identity of two Pakistanis. The police, later, freed both the ‘political bigwigs’ keeping their names secret on the direction of the district administration. The sources claimed that the Lal Masjid administration, after knowing about the identity of the kidnapped ‘Pakistanis’ who enjoyed strong political background, facilitated their release. They made it part of the agreement arrived at with the police and the district administration that their identity would be kept a secret. Meanwhile, President of MMA Qazi Hussain Ahmad, when contacted by this correspondent, said that he didn’t know Matiullah Khan. “It would be better to investigate their involvement and publish whatever is the truth,” he advised. REFERENCE: Massage centre abductees were from MMA By Shakeel Anjum http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=8696
ISLAMABAD: Without ruling out the involvement of Taliban in the killing of federal minister Shehbaz Bhatti, the intelligence agencies are also taking a hard look at the possible involvement of Xe International, (formerly Blackwater) and indian intelligence agency RAW, and are specifically looking into the activities of a white foreigner who is acting as a “security consultant” in Islamabad. “There is some rock-solid evidence indicating foreign involvement in the high profile murder,” intelligence sources told The News. They also do not rule out the involvement of the Indian intelligence agency RAW (Research & Intelligence Wing), which is known to have a role in destabilizing Pakistan in different areas. “Keeping in view the evidence, the aspect of using the name of Tanzeem al-Qaeda and Tehrik-e-Taliban Punjab by hidden hands, cannot be ruled out altogether,” sources said. Intelligence agencies expect to track the assassins of federal minister through geo-fencing. “But it could take around three weeks as the geo-fencing is very complex and time consuming job,” a source said. Geo-fencing is a process in which, using highly sophisticated equipment, the agencies can go through the entire call date of the relevant transmission towers in the vicinity. Though the number of telephone calls may run into hundreds of thousands, the system cuts through the maze with the use of certain buzz words. REFERENCE: Taliban say they did it but agencies also looking at Xe, RAW By Shakeel Anjum Friday, March 04, 2011 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=4380&Cat=13&dt=3/4/2011
Now watch this GEO TV Clips where Jang Group tried its best to link Mumbai Tragedy with Pakistan
GEO TV Prepared Case Against Pakistan for Mumbai Attack.
Indian Hand is behind Fomenting Terror in Pakistan and In Aman Ki Asha as well [Don note the Dates of Aman Ki Asha and Jang Group's WikiLeaks Headline in your mind while reading below:)
KARACHI: Closer business ties between the information technology companies in Pakistan and India can create thousands of jobs and help bring down cost of making new software applications, said an official of a top multinational firm.
Some companies on both sides of the border trade ideas and use each other's human resource in indirect ways, which increase the cost, said IBM Country Manager Humayun Bashir.
"There is no escaping direct business linkage now. The world has changed," he said, ahead of an important meeting between Indian and Pakistani delegates that starts from Friday. "India is running out of skills. That is one reason Indian companies have expanded operations to Philippines, China and many other countries."
Top executives of some of the largest Indian IT firms arrive in Karachi today (Thursday) to meet their Pakistani counterparts as part of the Aman Ki Asha initiative- a collaboration between Times of India and Jang Group.
Bashir said that problems arise at the communication level as well. "The fiber optic connection between the two countries is poor. It needs to be improved for faster online interaction."
Representatives of the Pakistani IT industry have already met and deliberated upon the opportunities that should benefit both the countries.
None of the members of Aman Ki Asha IT committee raise any concern about losing market share to Indian companies.�The committee includes President Pakistan Software Houses Association Jehan Ara, CEO Infotech Naseer A Akhtar, Managing Director Systems Limited Ashraf Kapadia, Yousuf Jan, Salman Akhter and Bashir.
Bashir said that Pakistan has some of the best brains and it was wrong to assume that human resource in IT sector remains behind that of India. "The benefits are going to be mutual. We have some software programmes that the Indian companies could use and similarly they could help us in the same way."
The meeting follows Aman Ki Asha's economic conference held in New Delhi in May.
The Indian delegation includes Dr Ganesh Natarajan, CEO Zensar Technologies and a key member of Confederation of Indian Industry,
CEO Global Talent Track Dr Uma Ganesh Natarajan, Chairman NASSCOM Harsh Manglik and CEO iResolvIT Rahul Mohod.
Pakistan's IT industry is unanimous on the need for private sector to take the lead in normalising relations between the two countries as governments on each side harbour doubts about the intentions of the other state.
Getting visas and security clearance remains time consuming and difficult on both sides even as countries around the world form regional blocks to spur economic growth, Pakistani IT industry officials said.
Pakistan's software development and business process outsourcing sub-sectors need some type of protectionist regime as they are in their infancy stage compared with regional peers. But some people believe that the IT industry will excel only with increase in competition. Thursday, December 09, 2010 http://amankiasha.com/detail_news.asp?id=330
Hamid Mir (Jang Group/GEO TV) Involves Pakistan in Terrorism on Indian TV Channel
One of the most well-received and moving sessions on the first day of the INMA (International Newsmedia Marketing Association) 4th Annual Conference, was a case study presented by Rahul Kansal, chief marketing officer, The Times of India, New Delhi and Shahrukh Hasan, group managing director, Jang Group, Karachi. The duo behind Aman Ki Asha took turns at the microphone before a packed hall at New Delhi's plush Lalit Hotel, revealing the story of the Indo-Pak peace initiative and speaking about how it was launched in the media as a regular brand. Sticking to the day's theme, 'Redefining the Newspaper Business', Kansal began on a generic note. He noted that in the sub-continent, print media is growing, despite TV and new media. Giving a peek into the history of the Jang Group, Hasan informed, "The Jang was launched in 1939 as a four-page tabloid from Delhi that reported on war, hence the name." The Aman Ki Asha campaign, which saw the light of day on January 1, 2010 in both countries, in a sense succeeded a campaign called Zara Sochiye ('Just Think') in Pakistan, which campaigned against the imperfections in the controversial Hudood Ordinance, an anti-women law. This gave way to Aman Ki Asha, a campaign launched to improve relations with India - an imperative for facilitating greater overall growth in Pakistan, stressed Hasan. The campaign, Hasan told the INMA delegates, had commerce, people-to-people contacts and cultural exchanges as key drivers together with dialogue on the contentious issues. By August 2009, it was learned that youngsters were unanimous in the belief that there needs to be an opportunity for India and Pakistan to view one another in a holistic manner. This revelation paved way for the Aman Ki Asha team in India to visit Karachi; they returned with the pleasant knowledge that tremendous levels of sincerity prevailed on either end. "Aman Ki Asha had to be launched as a brand," said Hasan, before revealing how the name 'Aman Ki Asha' and its accompanying logo were arrived at. "After considering scores of logos from both the Times of India and Jang Group teams, we narrowed down our options to two logos - one, a product of the Indian stable and another a product of the Pakistani team. The 'winner' was determined by a vote from those present - four Pakistanis and eight Indians. We thought we would be out-voted for sure, but it was delightful that the Indians unanimously voted for the Jang Group's creation, which shows how fair they were, and how much above petty nationalism," narrated Hasan. Even the name, 'Aman' (Urdu) and 'Asha' (Hindi), was a combination of different names coined by the TOI and Jang teams. The final name was a deliberate merger of the two, signifying all that the campaign stood for. Just like any other brand, this one too was launched with a well thought out logo, meaningful name, mission statement and a brand philosophy. The Aman Ki Asha anthem was then conceived, with lyrics by Gulzar, a poet with deep roots in both nations. Shankar Mahadevan of India composed the music for the anthem, and sang it, along with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan of Pakistan. Amitabh Bachchan lent his voice for the narrated version. The launch, revealed Kansal, was carried out in consultation with stakeholders of the Times Group, and politicians in power on both ends were brought on-board. "With or without government support, we were going to launch this. Interestingly, in Pakistan, support was received, amongst others, from rightist group, Jamaat-e-Islami." Following this, the much talked about joint editorial - a first of its kind - was developed. It was a front-page joint statement, by editors of both groups. Additionally, a joint survey (with common questions) was conducted in both countries. This brought to the forefront the voice of the silent majority that is screaming for peace between the two nations. Aman ki Asha activities include the Peace Hankies Campaign and The Tug of Peace Campaign, which were combined into a spectacular show at the Wagah Border, where handkerchiefs bearing 'peace messages' from both nations were tied in a symbolic knot. More than 200,000 school children participated in making these hankies. A Public Interaction Campaign was held at Park Towers, a popular mall in Karachi, where people signed huge banner for peace. TOI Mumbai's bureau chief Balakrishnan, who happened to be in Pakistan, also participated in this activity and was the centre of much attention, said Hasan. Another event was Poetry for Peace, a gathering of Indian and Pakistani poets in Karachi. In Talking Peace - a conference in where editors and anchors from India were invited to meet their counterparts in Pakistan - they discussed the role of the media in worsening, instead of abating, tense Indo-Pak situations. Both sides agreed that the media does tend to fan existing tensions between the two nations and vowed to obtain the other point of view more diligently. Other activities included Common Destiny (a strategic conference); Milne Do (A campaign against visa restrictions, lobbying for the need to make it easier for Indians and Pakistanis to acquire visas for each other's country; issues such as single-city visas were discussed); and The Water Conference in New Delhi (that addressed the issue of tensions based on water issues, concluding with an agreement that while India was not re-directing water as some in Pakistan alleged, telemetry and monitoring systems were essential). Additionally, advertisements on the "Indo-Pak Express" were carried, in the wake of India's Bopanna and Pakistan's Qureshi teaming up for several international tournaments. Music and food festivals in key cities in both nations were a major part of this campaign too. Kansal mused, "The campaign was based on culture, commerce and conflict resolution," adding, on a forward-looking note, "In the pipeline are events such as Love All -- an exhibition tennis match; TV exposes; a strategic seminar series; Art Across Borders; Foreign Minister Conclaves; and the London Peace Conference to be held in the spring of 2011." Hasan concluded emotionally, "We are still waiting for a happy ending for our story." Courtesy: afaqs! India www.afaqs.com
Jang Group/Hamid Mir Propaganda against Pakistan Army and Agencies
The Times of India Group and the Jang Group have come together to energize the process of peace between our two countries. We believe that this is an intervention whose time has come. We recognize that set backs will occur but these should not derail the process. We will need to reach out and pluck the low hanging fruit in the beginning before we aim higher. Issues of trade and commerce, of investments, of financial infrastructure, of cultural exchanges, of religious and medical tourism, of free movement of ideas, of visa regimes, of sporting ties, of connectivity, of reviving existing routes, of market access, of separated families, of the plight of prisoners, will be part of our initial agenda. Through debates, discussions and the telling of stories we will find commonalities and space, for compromise and adjustment, on matters that have bedevilled relations for over 60 years. Our subcontinent needs to follow the footprints left behind by the great poets, sufi saints and the bhakts who preached and practiced love and inclusiveness. This is the land of Tagore and Ghalib, of Bulleh Shah and Kabir, of Nanak and Moinuddin Chisti. It is their spirit that will guide us in this journey. The one and half billion people of this region await the dawning of an age where peace, equality and tranquility prevails. This will happen when every heart beats with Aman ki Asha. REFERENCE: Aman Ki Asha - Destination Peace http://www.geo.tv/amankiasha/Eng_joint.asp
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Jang Group/The News International/GEO TV also support this Anti Pakistan Army/ISI Campaign of Times of India. Just a Glimpse
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ISI helped Taliban supremo Mullah Omar flee from Quetta to Karachi PTI, 20 November 2009, 12:53pm IST WASHINGTON: Fearing that Taliban supremo Mullah Omar might be targetted by US drones, Pakistan's ISI has helped him to flee from the border town of Quetta to the mega port city of Karachi, where he has established a new Shura council. One-eyed leader of the Afghan Taliban recently found refuge from potential US attacks in Karachi with Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) assistance, the Washington Times reported quoting US intelligence officials.
"Mullah Omar travelled to Karachi last month after the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. He inaugurated a new senior leadership council in Karachi, a city that so far has escaped US and Pakistani counter-terrorism campaigns," the officials said. The paper said the ISI helped Mullah Omar move from Quetta, where they felt he was exposed to attacks by unmanned US drones. "The development reinforces suspicions that the ISI, which helped create the Taliban in the 1990s to expand Pakistani influence in Afghanistan, is working against US interests in Afghanistan as the Obama administration prepares to send more US troops to fight there," the daily said.
Bruce Riedel, a CIA veteran and analyst on al Qaeda and the Taliban, confirmed that Mullah Omar had been spotted in Karachi recently, the daily said. "Some sources claim the ISI decided to move him further from the battlefield to keep him safe" from US drone attacks, Riedel was quoted as saying. "There are huge madrassas in Karachi where Mullah Omar could easily be kept," he said. Riedel noted that there had been few suicide bombings in Karachi, which he attributed to the Taliban and al Qaeda not wanting to "foul their own nest". At the same time, the daily said so far there has been no indication that the top Al Qaeda leadership too had moved to Karachi.
Osama bin Laden and his deputy Ayman al-Zawahri are still thought to be in the tribal region of Pakistan on Afghanistan's border, he said. However, the newspaper said according to intelligence officials, other mid-level al Qaeda operatives who facilitate the travel and training of foreign fighters have moved to the Karachi metropolitan area, which with 18 million people is Pakistan's most populous city. "One reason, [al Qaeda] and Taliban leaders are relocating to Karachi is because they believe US drones do not strike there," a official was quoted as saying adding that it is a densely populated urban area.URL: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/ISI-helped-Taliban-supremo-Mullah-Omar-flee-from-Quetta-to-Karachi/articleshow/5250365.cms
Go to jail or join jihad against India: ISI tells surrendered Taliban Vishwa Mohan, TNN, 7 October 2009, 12:13am IST - NEW DELHI: In a new shift in tactics, Pakistan is planning to push as many as 60 "surrendered" Taliban into Jammu and Kashmir to become part of the "jihad" against India. The ISI is said to have offered the extremists the option of either going to jail or crossing the Line of Control. The "jail or jihad" option offered to the Taliban seems a useful diversion for ISI. The Pakistan military establishment has had to fight the Taliban, once its close allies in Afghanistan, but is looking to turn the situation to its advantage. Apprehensions in Indian security circles that the crackdown by the Pakistan army on Taliban — seen as a last resort after the jihadis turned their guns on the Pakistani state — could mean trouble in Kashmir are being proved correct. Not only have infiltration attempts by regular jihadi outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba gone up, the presence of Taliban poses a new threat.
Highly placed sources said BSF and the Army had been alerted about the developments after intelligence intercepted talk about infiltration bids in the next 15 to 20 days. "Although the Taliban is yet to successfully infiltrate into India, the coming days will pose a challenge as their attempts to sneak in are expected before the onset of winter," said a senior official. The infiltration is closely controlled and monitored by the ISI and Pakistan army which is often involved in the crossings. The issue cropped up as a major security concern during the two-day visit to Srinagar by a high-powered central team led by cabinet secretary K M Chandrashekhar and comprising home secretary G K Pillai, defence secretary Pradeep Kumar and other senior officials.
Top security and intelligence officials deliberated over the move by state actors in Pakistan to utilize the Taliban for their objectives in Kashmir. Taking note of the assessment, officials are learnt to have unequivocally noted during the reviews in Srinagar that there was no change in Pakistan's support to terror groups post 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. The Taliban, who recently fought against Pakistan army in Swat Valley and other areas along the Pak-Afghan border, were well trained and battle-hardened. They could put their experience of fighting US troops to use in Kashmir. Apart from the group of 60, there are nearly 250 to 300 jihadis — armed with sophisticated weapons, Thuraya satellite phones and Indian mobile SIM cards — poised at launch pads along LoC. This feeds into the view that violence could escalate in J&K in the winter months.
The meeting in Srinagar, attended by senior Army and paramilitary personnel, also took note of repeated use of Pakistani Air Force helicopters to evacuate injured infiltrators along the LoC and as many as 42 terror camps in PoK and Pakistan. "Such incidents (like use of choppers) clearly show the involvement of Pakistani authorities in facilitating infiltration. Though our forces are fully alert to thwart Pakistani designs, the next 15-20 days are quite crucial as this is the period when they will do everything to infiltrate as many terrorists as possible," said a senior official. That is when winter will begin to set in. URL: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Go-to-jail-or-join-jihad-against-India-ISI-tells-surrendered-Taliban/articleshow/5095277.cms
CIA paid millions of dollars to ISI since 9/11: Report IANS, 16 November 2009, 12:24pm IST LOS ANGELES: The CIA has paid millions of dollars to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) since 9/11, accounting for as much as one-third of the foreign spy agency's annual budget, says a media report. The ISI also collected "tens of millions of dollars through a classified CIA programme", which pays for the capture or killing of wanted militants, the Los Angeles Times reported on Monday citing current and former US officials. An intense debate has been triggered within the US government due to "long-standing suspicions that the ISI continues to help Taliban extremists who undermine US efforts in Afghanistan and provide sanctuary to al-Qaida members in Pakistan". But US officials have continued to make the payments as ISI's assistance is considered critical: "Almost every major terrorist plot this decade has originated in Pakistan's tribal belt, where ISI informant networks are a primary source of intelligence."
The report went on to say that the payments to Pakistan are authorised under a covert programme initially approved by then president Bush and continued under President Obama. "The ISI has used the covert CIA money for a variety of purposes, including the construction of a new headquarters in Islamabad, the capital. That project pleased CIA officials because it replaced a structure considered vulnerable to attack; it also eased fears that the US money would end up in the private bank accounts of ISI officials." "What we didn't want to happen was for this group of generals in power at the time to just start putting it in their pockets or building mansions in Dubai," a former CIA operative was quoted as saying. CIA officials argue that their own disbursements - particularly the bounties for suspected terrorists - should be considered a bargain. "They gave us 600 to 700 people captured or dead," a former senior CIA official, who worked with the Pakistanis, was quoted as saying.
"Getting these guys off the street was a good thing, and it was a big savings to (US) taxpayers." Another US intelligence official said Pakistan had made "decisive contributions to counter-terrorism". "They have people dying almost every day," the official said. "Sure, their interests don't always match up with ours. But things would be one hell of a lot worse if the government there was hostile to us." The ISI is a highly compartmentalised intelligence service, with divisions that sometimes seem at odds with one another. Units that work closely with the CIA are walled off from a highly secretive branch that has directed insurgencies in Afghanistan and Kashmir, the Los Angeles Times report said. "There really are two ISIs," the former CIA operative said. "On the counter-terrorism side, those guys were in lock-step with us," the former operative said. "And then there was the 'long-beard' side. Those are the ones who created the Taliban and are supporting groups like Haqqani."
Whereas the very same Jang Group/GEO TV had played a very dirty role during Mumbai Tragedy in 2008 while relaying a bogus "Investigative Report on Ajmal Kasab" on GEO TV and the same Jang Group is now lecturing Pakistanis for Peace with India whereas very Muhammad Saleh Zaafir and Jang Group have no shame left in them because they forget while lecturing PPP and Zardari about Kerry Lugar Bill, No First Strike, Patriotism and National Security not too long ago while running the campaign of "Joint statement by editors of the Jang Group and Times of India" Friday, January 01, 2010 Aman Ki Asha". http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=26398 AMAN KI ASHA - DESTINATION PEACE http://www.geo.tv/amankiasha/default.asp
Some members of the Pakistani establishment and especially those agencies (nowadays this role has been taken over by the Jang Group of Newspapers), which have assumed the role of determining what is ‘national interest of Pakistan’, and who is loyal, and who is anti Pakistan, have perhaps done more damage to Pakistan than known enemies of Pakistan. It is unfortunate that every blunder, be it at national level or in foreign affairs, is made in the name of ‘national interest of Pakistan’. People of Pakistan are perplexed as they fail to understand what is ’national interest of Pakistan. People are further bewildered when some of these leaders, perceived and declared as ‘anti Pakistan’ or ‘security risk’ are sworn in to hold some kind of office in Pakistan. There are many examples where people declared as an ‘Indian agent’ or ‘traitor’ had taken high public office; even those who had no Pakistani nationality or rescinded it, had an opportunity to become Prime Minister of Pakistan. Once these people have decided that something is in the ‘national interest of Pakistan’, they will pursue that agenda without having any system of check and balance and appraisal. If any one dares to criticize what they do in the name of ‘national interest of Pakistan’, he/she is declared as ‘anti Pakistan’. Similarly if a Pakistani person criticizes Pakistan government, or holds demonstration against the government policy, he is declared as ‘anti Pakistan’. Day in day out Pakistanis have to tolerate the Lessons of Loyalty and Anti-Americanism from Jang Group of Newspaper, The News International, GEO TV and their Employees, now watch what Company the CEO OF GEO TV "Mir. Ibrahim Rehman enjoys"
As per a note blogger "Cafe Pyala"
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Guess who was spotted on November 9 in Washington D.C. at a reception for American and Pakistani media personnel thrown by US AfPak ambassador Richard Holbrooke's media assistant Ashley Bommer? Mir Ibrahim Rehman, scion of the house of Jang and CEO of the Geo TV Network. He walked in with The Friday Times editor and Dunya TV's Najam Sethi but stayed long after Sethi left the party.
Mir Ibrahim Rehman (c) at his master's convocation earlier this year
Mir Ibrahim (MIR) apparently jetted in for a mysterious three-day visit to the US, during which, our sources say, the main objective was to convince the US administration that Geo was neither anti-US nor anti-democracy, the line being peddled by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government. MIR also wished to gather official American support for the Jang Groupagainst the PPP boycott of the group as an instance of an assault on freedom of the media.
Our sources claim that MIR did not find too much traction among US officials against the idea of a media boycott, perhaps because the Obama administration itself has a similar boycott against Fox News (albeit without the shoe-throwing rent-a-demos and vile grafitti scrawlsagainst Fox News owners). However, what is particularly interesting about the Jang Group's attempts to woo the American establishment is the fact that there has been apparently a lot of discussion within the US government about whether it should support and even subsidize a media group that has no qualms about running shrill propaganda against the US, and sometimes even promoting a pro-Taliban line. In particular,Hamid Mir's contribution to whipping up Blackwater hysteria in Pakistan,Ansar Abbasi's rants about Western puppets, and the space given to nutjobs such asZaid Hamid(Aag TV) andAhmad Quraishi(Aag TV and The News) have apparently raised quite a few eyebrows in the US administration.
The Americans have reason to be upset with the Jang Group, and MIR has reasons to find their upset unsettling. The running of the banal American propaganda Voice of America (VoA) programme Khabron Se Aagay[Beyond the Headlines] as an 'advertorial' on Geo since 2005 has netted the Jang Group and its owners, by some accounts, millions of US taxpayer dollars. Although the exact 'compensation package' doled out to Geo by the US government is still secret, it should be noted that the deal between Geo and VoA was mediated during the Bush-Musharraf era by the then Information Secretary Anwar Mahmood and advertising whiz-kid Asif Salahuddin, the latter of whom is reputed not to touch 'small' deals. Apparently, part of MIR's discussions with the US administration included those on the future of the Geo-VoA deal.
Incidentally, while Najam Sethi was ostensibly in the US for medical check-ups and may have been present at the Bommer reception only coincidentally, as we have reported in the past, he too has been trying to persuade American-backed NGOs to fund a new 'liberal' channel to be headed by him.
Coming back to MIR, it seems that more than American upset, a potential threat of withdrawal of lucrative financial support may be the trigger for a panic at the Jang Group. As they say, bullshit may walk but it's money that talks. I have a strong feeling that you may well see the (media) house line shifting very soon. If you suddenly begin to miss the casual anti-US vitriol in the group's publications and on Geo, you'll know why. REFERENCE: Money Talks TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2010 http://cafepyala.blogspot.com/2010/11/money-talks.html
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GEO TV Owner Mir Ibrahim Rahman is a Foreign Agent.
R. Nicholas Burns Burns was previously the highest-ranking career diplomat at the U.S. Department of State, appointed Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Politics at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Richard Clarke Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy at Harvard, Clark served the last three presidents as a senior White House Advisor. He has held the titles of Special Assistant to the President for Global Affairs, National Coordinator for Security and Counter-terrorism, and Special Advisor to the President for Cyber Security.
Mir Ibrahim Rahman Mir Ibrahim Rahman is founder and CEO of GEO TV Network, one of Pakistan’s fastest growing and most popular media brands. According to Raham, GEO’s mission is “to create an enabling platform for thinking and questioning in Pakistan.” The New York Times has noted that “GEO has changed the media landscape” of Pakistan. Mir graduated Suma Cum Laude from Babson College in Economics, Finance and Entrepreneurship. He currently taking a leave from his CEO duties, to pursue a Masters in Public Administration at the Harvard Kennedy School.
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Note: Richard A. Clarke - Partner
Richard A. Clarke is an internationally-recognized expert on security, including homeland security, national security, cyber security, and counterterrorism. He is currently an on-air consultant for ABC News and teaches at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. Mr. Clarke served the last three Presidents as a senior White House Advisor. Over the course of an unprecedented 11 consecutive years of White House service, he held the titles of:
- Special Assistant to the President for Global Affairs
- National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism
- Special Advisor to the President for Cyber Security
Prior to his White House years, Mr. Clarke served for 19 years in the Pentagon, the Intelligence Community, and State Department. During the Reagan Administration, he was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence. During the Bush (41) Administration, he was Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs and coordinated diplomatic efforts to support the 1990-1991 Gulf War and the subsequent security arrangements.
As a Partner in Good Harbor, Mr. Clarke advises clients on a range of issues including:
- Corporate security risk management
- Information security technology
- Dealing with the Federal Government on security and IT issues
LAHORE: The US government is considering a ban on issuance of visa to those people who supported the assassination of former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer earlier this month. Sources in Washington told Daily Times that the Congress took serious view of cheering, supporting and condoning Taseer’s assassination by one of his bodyguards in Islamabad on January 4, or for publicly encouraging, directly or indirectly, the killing of “blasphemers.” They said the US government was preparing a list of Pakistani journalists, parliamentarians, lawyers and religious leaders who would not be issued visas or allowed to travel to the US for supporting the assassination of Taseer and lionising his assassin. They said journalists Meher Bokhari, Ansar Abbasi, Majeed Nizami, Irfan Siddiqui and Mir Shakilur Rehman, MNAs Shaikh Waqas Akram and Maulana Fazlur Rehman, lawyer Ashraf Gujjar, and religious leaders Sahibzada Fazal Kareem, Syed Munnawar Hassan, Asadullah Bhutto, Maulana Shah Turabul Haq Qadri, Muhammad Ahmed Ludhianvi, Syed Mazhar Saeed Kazmi, Allama Syed Riaz Hussain Shah, Allama Zamir Sajid, Haneef Tayyab, Shahid Ghauri, Farid Paracha, Mufti Naeem of Jamia Binoria, Maulana Asad Thanvi, Maulana Shabbir, Pir Khalid Sultan, Pir Ghulam Siddiq Naqshbandi, Allama Syed Khizr Hussain Shah, Alhaj Amjad Chishti, Allama Ghulam Sarwar Hazarvi, Allama Syed Shamsuddin Bokhari, Pir Syed Ashiq Ali Shah Jilani, Mufti Muhammad Iqbal Chishti, Allama Fazal Jamil Rizvi, Agha Muhammad Ibrahim Naqshbandi Mujaddidi, Maulana Muhammad Riaz Qadri, Maulana Gulzar Naeemi, Allama Syed Ghulam Yaseen Shah, Abul Khair Muhammad Zubair, and all leaders of the Tahaffuz-e-Namoos-e-Risalat Mahaz might face the proposed ban. REFERENCE: US mulls visa ban on several Pakistanis Staff Report Thursday, January 20, 2011 http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\01\20\story_20-1-2011_pg1_6
NEW YORK: Gilani-Zardari government aides have got perturbed because of objective criticism, disclosures of corruption scandals, economic set backs, incompetence and government’s ignorance of public issues raised by the media, and have expanded their conspiracies against outstanding and bold journalists from Islamabad to Washington. Its obvious proof is a recent letter addressed after the assassination of Governor Salman Taseer to the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by the leading members of the anti-Pakistan lobby Congressmen Garry Ackerman, Peter King and their two colleagues support this impression. The signatories of the letter had asked for not granting American visa to media men not condemning the killing of Salman Taseer and political and religious leaders supporting the act of the assassin. No name of any Pakistani journalist, political and religious personality was mentioned in the letter. The letter was written by only four Congressmen out of 435 who are familiar with their anti-Pakistan stance. Secretary Clinton has so far not responded to the contents of the letter but indications are there that the US State Department had prepared a list of journalists and others on whom entry in the US may be denied by cancelling or denying visas. News published in this regard had also named persons who may face the curbs. When approached, an official of the US State Department told this correspondent that he was aware about the news, adding, the designated spokesperson was only competent to comment over the subject.
When insisted, the official sought anonymity and confirmed as backgrounder the communication by the four Congressmen. However, Secretary Clinton had so far not responded to the letter, he said. He set aside the news as baseless about curbs on Pakistani journalists, saying that freedom of press and expression was the cornerstone of the US democratic system and principles of democracy. He said that neither any list of Pakistani journalists had been prepared nor it was being contemplated. The congressmen had also not mentioned names of any Pakistani newsmen in their letter. Some elements cropped up when an effort was made to dig out facts with regard to the news. They are:
1. The letter of four congressmen came into limelight during the recent brief visit of President Asif Ali Zardari to Washington when the series of statements, editorials and condemnation of the killing of Salman Taseer was still on.
2. It is fact that Zardari during his stay in Washington and interactions with Americans and Pakistani diplomats had referred negatively about Pakistani media especially the Jang/Geo Group. He had tried to convince certain US officials that reports in the Pakistani media about his government were at the core of de-stabilisation of his government. In spite of will and commitments Pakistani media is the main hurdle in fulfilling the obligations of safeguarding American interests in Pakistan, he said.
3. It was in this scenario that the aides of the Zardari-Gilani government taking notice of the sentiments, perceptions and also complaints of their boss lobbied with the anti-Pakistan congressmen and made them to write a letter to Secretary Clinton. Without waiting a response or reaction from her, they also managed to get the news published about a long list of Pakistani newsmen and other leaders whose entry to the US was about to be restricted. It is interesting that the dateline of the news about the list being considered in Washington was Lahore. On the contrary the American Embassy in the country was also ignorant about any such under consideration list.
4. Informed circles are of the opinion that government aides frustrated with criticism had dispatched this story from Washington to build pressure on the media and appease President Zardari. It predominantly contained names of newsmen from the Jang Group.
No doubt the killing of Salman Taseer was a great tragedy but government aides are exploiting it for their interest and hatching conspiracies against the free media of the country and its chain has been extended up to Washington. It would have been better for them before going to such an extend that they had studied the US political system, democratic norms and informed sources of the US government. REFERENCE: Conspiracies against Pak media By Azim M Mian Sunday, January 23, 2011 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=3505&Cat=13&dt=1/23/2011
How do we know these meetings didn’t include discussions of Jang Group followed by lobbying US Congressmen for a letter to be sent to Hillary Clinton? The letter to Hillary Clinton was written on 13 January 2011 – the day BEFORE the meetings. REFERENCE: First US Controls the Weather, Now Time Travel Also http://pakistanmediawatch.com/2011/01/24/first-us-controls-the-weather-now-time-travel-also/
Jang Group says anti-Pakistan lobby Congressmen Garry Ackerman but what's this?
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Washington, D.C. - The Voice of America (VOA) will launch Beyond the Headlines-its new television program in Urdu-on Monday, Nov. 14. The half-hour program will air on GEO TV in Pakistan at 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and on selected international satellites, including AsiaSat (Virtual Channel 409) and IOR (Virtual Channel 420). Beyond the Headlines (Khabron se Aage), a fast-paced, contemporary production designed with young and urban Pakistanis in mind, will continue VOA's 63-year tradition of broadcasting accurate and balanced information. Programs will examine international developments, technology, politics, social issues, education, religion, sports, and entertainment. "We look forward to opening this important new channel of communication between the American people and Pakistan," said Steven J. Simmons, a member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), which oversees all United States international radio and television services. Simmons is chairman of the BBG's Voice of America Committee, and has played a key role in increasing radio and TV service to Pakistan, including Beyond the Headlines. "We're particularly delighted with our partnership with GEO TV, the leading cable/satellite broadcaster in the Urdu language," Simmons added. "This new program, together with our expanded radio service, demonstrates our growing commitment to reach the people of Pakistan with new, engaging programs on both radio and TV." "The links between Pakistan and the United States are strong and growing, and our new show is a reflection of that," said VOA Director David S. Jackson. "Beyond the Headlines will focus not only on the big issues of the day, but also on features, business, and culture stories that illuminate the world we live in. For example, we'll show how Pakistanis live and work and go to school in the U.S. We want to provide a unique mix of stories that viewers can't find anywhere else."
Farah Ispahani is the managing editor and executive producer for Beyond the Headlines. She joined VOA earlier this year, bringing more than 20 years of experience in print and television media at such news organizations as CNN, ABC, and NBC. Before she joined VOA, Ispahani, who is a fluent Urdu speaker, was instrumental in the launch of CNN's Paula Zahn Now and Anderson Cooper 360. Anchoring Beyond the Headlines will be Aneka Osman. A familiar face to Pakistanis, Osman worked as an English language news anchor on Pakistan Television. She has covered regional and national security issues, Pakistan-India relations, the conflict in the Middle East, and Pakistan's general elections. She has also worked on Prime Television, the UK-based Pakistani channel, and on the Business Plus Channel.
Ayaz Gul is VOA Urdu's Chief Reporter and Pakistan Coverage Coordinator for Radio Aap ki Dunyaa (Your World Radio), VOA's Urdu radio service, and Beyond the Headlines. Gul, who is based in Pakistan, has been filing on-the-scene reports in Urdu and English for VOA since 1996, and his reports are translated into numerous languages throughout VOA. Prior to joining VOA, he worked for the Japanese network NHK and for the German news agency DPA as a reporter specializing in Pakistan's foreign and domestic news. VOA's Urdu Service broadcasts 12 hours a day of news and information to millions of Pakistanis and other Urdu speakers on Radio Aap ki Dunyaa. The program is distributed by medium wave at 972 kHz, digital audio satellite, the Internet and a three-hour shortwave broadcast. The launch of Beyond the Headlines adds two-and-half hours of television to the Urdu Service's weekly broadcast schedule. The Voice of America, which first went on the air in 1942, is a multimedia international broadcasting service funded by the U.S. government through the Broadcasting Board of Governors. VOA broadcasts more than 1,000 hours of news, information, educational, and cultural programming every week to an estimated worldwide audience of more than 100 million people. Programs are produced in 44 languages. REFERENCE: PRESS RELEASES VOA Launches Urdu TV For Pakistan 11/13/2005 For more information, call VOA’s Office of Public Affairs at (202) 203-4959 or E-Mail publicaffairs@voa.gov http://islamabad.usembassy.gov/pakistan/h05111301.html
ISLAMABAD: The footprints of circumstantial evidence regarding the terrorist attack on the Mehran base clearly show the involvement of Indian intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). Senior intelligence sources told The News that this was a joint venture, accomplished by RAW certainly with the consent of CIA and a group of al-Qaeda who are being used by the anti-Pakistan lobby. “Even at this very initial stage, the agencies engaged in the investigation of the attack have got hold of some concrete indications to prove the involvement of foreign hand in the debacle,” one source said. He said that it could easily be calculated who was the prime beneficiary of the shattering strike. “The militants attacked the base and mainly targeted the P-3C Orion aircraft as they had instructions to destroy them,” he said, adding that it was on record that India had opposed the US provision of these aircraft to Pakistan.Another source said that the only major beneficiary of the annihilation of these planes was India as Pakistan has been deprived of one of its major assets. “It cannot be ascertained yet at this early stage whether Indian commandos were included in the attack squad or the terrorists were Chechens or Afghan activists of al-Qaeda,” the source said. “However, intelligence agencies have enough information that a group of al-Qaeda and Taliban got training in a base camp of RAW in Afghanistan from the Indian forces.”
ISLAMABAD: Without ruling out the involvement of Taliban in the killing of federal minister Shehbaz Bhatti, the intelligence agencies are also taking a hard look at the possible involvement of Xe International, (formerly Blackwater) and indian intelligence agency RAW, and are specifically looking into the activities of a white foreigner who is acting as a “security consultant” in Islamabad. “There is some rock-solid evidence indicating foreign involvement in the high profile murder,” intelligence sources told The News. They also do not rule out the involvement of the Indian intelligence agency RAW (Research & Intelligence Wing), which is known to have a role in destabilizing Pakistan in different areas. “Keeping in view the evidence, the aspect of using the name of Tanzeem al-Qaeda and Tehrik-e-Taliban Punjab by hidden hands, cannot be ruled out altogether,” sources said. Intelligence agencies expect to track the assassins of federal minister through geo-fencing. “But it could take around three weeks as the geo-fencing is very complex and time consuming job,” a source said. Geo-fencing is a process in which, using highly sophisticated equipment, the agencies can go through the entire call date of the relevant transmission towers in the vicinity. Though the number of telephone calls may run into hundreds of thousands, the system cuts through the maze with the use of certain buzz words. REFERENCE: Taliban say they did it but agencies also looking at Xe, RAW By Shakeel Anjum Friday, March 04, 2011 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=48984&Cat=2&dt=5/25/2011 
