Attack on Ahsan Iqbal and Playing with Fire in Punjab

One major political party also chose to exploit the issue and continued to do so at both the constituency and national level, ignoring the counsel of several commentators that this was akin to playing with dynamite. You can start this fire but when it gets raging you cannot extinguish its flames. If there is one thing that we seem to be utterly committed to, it is to never learn from history. And our own recent history in particular. Whatever the justification, the policy of nurturing religious militancy has cost us dearly. The images of our brave martyrs, uniformed or otherwise, and their loved ones are a slap-in-the-face reminder if one was indeed needed. All contestants must know that while stoking divisive flames, religious, sectarian or ethnic, may well bring them gains, the temporary advantage of following such a path will lead to hellish consequences. Reference: Need for a campaign code by Abbas Nasir May 12, 2018 https://www.dawn.com/news/1407200/need-for-a-campaign-code

Abrar-ul-Haq and Imran Khan want us to respect these Rogue and Vagabond Clerics - 1

However, one man who has humiliated himself in this tragic situation is Ahsan Iqbal’s opponent from the Narowal district, Abrar ul-Haq, the musician-turned politician and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader. In a bizarre attempt to use this attack on one of the most senior and dignified statesmen in the country for point scoring, Abrar ul-Haq offered the minister treatment at his Sahara hospital in Narowal in a tweet as distasteful as it could get. This wasn’t all. Abrar while talking to a TV channel in the aftermath of the attack resorted even to veiled threats to the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) leaders, saying that the people had been calling him and justifying the attack, and then told the PML-N leaders to stay cautious. It isn’t the first time that Abrar ul-Haq has explicitly tried to woo the extremist right-wing vote-bank. In November 2017, when a number of Labbaik goons had surrounded Ahsan Iqbal’s house in Narowal and in turn had been baton-charged by the police, Abrar in a video message had not only justified the vandalism of the Labbaik activists but had gone on to issue sermons for the PML-N leadership, especially naming Ahsan Iqbal, saying the party leaders were ruining their afterlife. Reference: PTI leader humiliates himself after murder attempt on Ahsan Iqbal https://www.nayadaur.tv/2018/05/pti-leader-humiliates-himself-after-murder-attempt-on-ahsan-iqbal/

Abrar-ul-Haq and Imran Khan want us to respect these Rogue and Vagabond Clerics - 2

The point here is simple: a young man, semi-schooled, indoctrinated, who can’t find employment but can become the president of the youth wing of TLYRA and can come up with Rs. 15,000 for a pistol and Rs. 1,800 for purchasing 50 rounds for his weapon. Pakistan’s history, post-1979, is a testimony to the fact that ‘blasphemy’ is a nuclear option. Unfortunately, almost all major political parties have resorted to it for petty politicking. None seems to realize that starting this fire will engulf everyone. It has also been hyped by unscrupulous charlatans and televangelists. This has reached a point where any semi-schooled man looking for a place in Jannah can take it upon himself to kill whoever he deems to have presumably insulted Islam’s Prophet. But more than that, it is, to quote Mencken, the grotesqueries, chicaneries and theological buffooneries practiced by unethical clerics and large segments of their cretinous followers that is the problem. Perish the thought that others will condemn this act by Abid Hussain. As I write this, there will be many who would be preparing themselves for performing what they think is a sacred task. The accused told the police he was asked by Data Sahib to kill minister Iqbal. According to him he also saw other holy personages in his dream. There, we now have a good test case for psychologists and their Jungian mishmash. Incidentally, the accused also went to Dubai but returned after a month because he didn’t like the “mahol” (environment) there. So, here we have some initial observations. Let’s hope we draw the right lessons from them. Reference: Petty Politicking and the Blasphemy Nuke http://newsweekpakistan.com/petty-politicking-and-the-blasphemy-nuke/ by MAY 08 2018 BY EJAZ HAIDER

Orya Maqbool Jan shower praises on Khadim Hussain Rizvi

1. (C) Summary: While politicians and religious leaders have sought to establish inter-religious peace in Gojra village after the August 1 burning of eight Christians, human rights activists have urged the government to reconsider the blasphemy law, which sparked the killing of a Muslim businessman in Sheikhupura August 4. In an August 6 meeting with A/PO, members of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan warned that the government must punish the perpetrators, and suggested modifying the blasphemy law that allows such incidents to occur. Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad, the imam of Lahore's Badshahi Mosque, related that he spent the week in Gojra encouraging interfaith reconciliation. He underscored that extremist Brelvi group Sunni Tehreek first sparked the riot, though an Ahl-e-Hadith mosque encouraged the violence. End Summary. Reference: PROSECUTIONS AND PEACE PROMISED IN STRIFE-TORN VILLAGE 2009 August 10, 10:59 (Monday) Canonical ID:09LAHORE165_a https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/09LAHORE165_a.html

Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad says that Supporters of Mumtaz Qadri (Salmaan Taseer's Killer) would vote for Imran Khan

The US gave money to a Pakistani Muslim group that organised anti-Taliban rallies, but which later demonstrated in support of an extremist who killed a leading liberal politician, the US Embassy in Pakistan said Wednesday. US government website Usaspending.gov shows that the group, the Sunni Ittehad Council, received $36,607 from Washington in 2009. A US diplomat said that the embassy had given money to the group to organise the rallies, but that it had since changed direction and leadership. He said it was a one-off grant, and wouldn't be repeated. He didn't give his name because he wasn't authorised to speak about the issue on the record. The grant was first reported by the Council of Foreign Relations on its website. The Ittehad council was formed in 2009 to counter extremism. It groups politicians and clerics from Pakistan's traditionalist Barelvi Muslim movement, often referred to as theological moderates in the Pakistani context. The American money was used to organise nationwide rallies against militants and suicide bombings, the embassy official said. The demonstrations received widespread media coverage, and were some of the first against extremism in the country. The rhetoric at the rallies was mostly focused on opposing militant attacks on shrines, which Barelvis frequent but are opposed by Deobandi Muslims, Pakistan's other main Muslim sect. In 2011 and also this month, however, the council led demonstrations in support of the killer of Salman Taseer, a governor who was killed a year ago for his criticism of anti-blasphemy laws. The displays have appalled Pakistani liberals and stoked international fears that the country is buckling under the weight of extremism. Taseer's assassin, Mumtaz Qadri, is a Barelvi. He claimed he acted to defend the honour of Prophet Mohammed. Reference: US aided Pakistan group which supported extremists January 11, 2012 https://www.dawn.com/news/687293

Meet Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad and his Sectarian Friends - 1 

Meet Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad and his Sectarian Friends - 2 

Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad is a Friend of Sectarian Terrorist Malik Ishaq

1. (S) Summary: A well-placed Deobandi religious leader told Principal Officer in a meeting on March 18 that extremist group Sipah-e-Sahaba (SSP) was increasing its activities in the central Punjab city of Faisalabad, the province's second largest, in collaboration with elements of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and a splinter group from the banned terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM). The cleric reported that SSP had recently launched a pamphlet campaign across the city in which it called for people to take steps to enforce Islamic law including: (1) cease business and social activities at the five daily calls to prayer, (2) remove all sources of ""vulgarity"" such as televisions, cd players, and radios from their homes, (3) seek dispute resolution through local imams rather than the courts, (4) take Friday rather than Sunday as the weekly holiday, and (4) strictly enforce purdah for female family members. The pamphlet states that it comes from SSP with support from the TTP and specifically praises ""the enforcement of Sharia in Swat"" and recommends it as a model for Faisalabad. Reference: 2009: Was Qaddafi funding Sipahe Sahaba? May 25, 2011 https://www.dawn.com/news/631599

Abrar-ul-Haq of PTI wants Pakistan to respect Khadim Hussain Rizvi

Abrar-ul-Haq of PTI wants Pakistan to respect Pir Afzal Qadri

Abrar-ul-Haq of PTI wants Pakistan to respect Pir Afzal Qadri. Yet Again.

Abrar-ul-Haq of PTI wants Pakistan to respect these Scholars like they respect our Mothers

Moral of the Story: In simpler terms, in Ahmad Raza’s endeavours, we see Islam entwined with the local cultural moorings evolving through the historical process. What Ahmad Raza failed to guard against was the exclusion and takfir. In his famous fatwa Husam al-Haramain ala Manhar al-Kufr wa’l Main (The Sword of the Haramain at the Throat of Kufr and Falsehood), which was written in 1902 but became public in 1906, Ahmed Raza denounced several individuals in the early twentieth-century India. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian was the first on Ahmad Raza’s lists of kafirs (infidels). He was followed by some eminent Ulema from Deoband denomination like Rashid Ahmad Gangohi, Muhammad Qasim Nanautawi, Ashraf Ali Thanvi and Khalil Ahmad Ambethwi whom he described as Wahabis. Among the twelver Shias and the organisation of the Ulema known as the Nadwat al-Ulama, he accused some specific people of kufr. This is the situation right now when two Barelvi factions are trading fatwas, calling each other kafir. One shudders to think about the prevalent situation invested with the possible likelihood of sub-sectarian violence among the Sunnis. Reference: Religious modernism and Barelvi creed by Tahir Kamran December 3, 2017 http://tns.thenews.com.pk/barelvi-creed/

Imran Khan, Sufis, Imam Ghazali, Hanafi School of Thought and Jinnah

The truth is stranger than fiction. As a born again Muslim in the sufi tradition, Imran Khan is a deeply religious and superstitious type even if his antics as a notorious playboy are sometimes in conflict with that reality. This means he is susceptible to all sorts of manipulation and suggestion. For years now, his spiritual advisors have been telling him what to do and what not to do in order to become the Prime Minister of Pakistan. Bushra Manika, better known as Pinki Pirni, is the latest of these advisors. She was married to a civil servant Khawar Fareed Manika who had a bit of reputation when it came to corruption but he and his wife became devotees to the Sufi Saint Baba Farid Ganj Baksh. A couple of years ago, she is rumored to have tried to hitch up Imran Khan with her sister but that did not work out. Reham Khan, the dignified former wife of Khan who was married for precisely one year, swears by the fact that her marriage was sabotaged by Pinki Pirni. The dogged insistence by Imran Khan that he should both marry and divorce Reham on 31 October seems to lend credence to this. The story then goes, and it remains unchallenged by the Manikas, is that Pinki Pirni is said to have had a dream where the most holy personage in Islam told her that for Imran Khan to be Prime Minister, she must marry him and if she does, both Pakistan and Islam will truly prosper. Pinki Pirni then narrated this to her husband who agreed to give her a divorce for the sake of the cause of Islam in Pakistan. References: Imran Khan’s desire to seek signs to guide his life seems more like a mental illness 20 February, 2018 https://theprint.in/opinion/imran-khans-signs-to-guide-life-seems-like-mental-illness/36783/ Why progressives should support Khan NOVEMBER 6, 2011 https://dailytimes.com.pk/110965/why-progressives-should-support-khan/ Defending Imran Khan NOVEMBER 20, 2011 https://dailytimes.com.pk/110884/defending-imran-khan/ Imam Ghazali and the 2nd Amendment - Freedom of conscience cannot be denied under Islam and ijmah cannot be enforced on an individual FEBRUARY 12, 2018 https://dailytimes.com.pk/199973/imam-ghazali-2nd-amendment/

Imran Khan is Muhammad Ali Jinnah (Roedad Khan) 

Just as he began as a cricketer, dismissed as without talent who would never bowl fast, in politics too Imran Khan was dismissed with nothing but prejudice and contempt. He took each humiliation, insult and used it as a stepping stone to that ultimate triumph that now is only a matter of time. History, dear readers, is replete with such examples of persistence and courage; Jinnah being the last example from our recent history. Reference: OP-ED Why progressives should support Khan NOVEMBER 6, 2011 (Daily Times) Not that Imran Khan needs me to defend him but the intemperate attacks on him by certain quarters leave me no choice but to attempt to set the record straight. I can assure you, dear readers, that the impression created by some writers is nothing but a warped caricature of the only person in politics who is not just incorruptible but a selfless first rate humanist, one that this country is lucky to have at this critical juncture in its fragile democratic evolution. Anyone familiar with my writings in this newspaper and other places knows that I stand for a secular liberal Pakistan as envisaged by Muhammad Ali Jinnah. I, therefore, do not quite agree with Imran Khan’s analysis of why Pakistan was created but I also understand that a debate about history is often lost in semantics. So is the case with politics. I support Imran Khan. Reference: OP-ED Defending Imran Khan NOVEMBER 20, 2011 Daily Times)

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian was a Sufi said Javed Ahmad Ghamidi

In the last years of Iqbal’s life, just before his death in 1938, there was a series of fascinating interactions between him and Jinnah. Iqbal seemed to be drawing Jinnah into his world, and Jinnah seemed to be moving inexorably towards it. There seems to have formed between them a spiritual connection that resulted in the passing of the flame from one to the other. The eight letters Iqbal wrote to Jinnah between 1936 and 1937 and Jinnah’s foreword to them help us to understand the relationship. In his foreword Jinnah calls Iqbal “the sage, philosopher and national poet of Islam,” acknowledging his role as a spiritual mentor. In a letter written on 21 June 1937, shortly before he died, Iqbal identified Jinnah as the leader Muslims had been waiting for: “You are the only Muslim in India today to whom the community has a right to look up for safe guidance through the storm which is coming to North-West India, and perhaps to the whole of India.” References: The man who shaped Jinnah’s Islam - The question of the origins of Jinnah’s Islam is not merely a theoretical one, but one with practical implications for an entire nation by Akbar Ahmed DECEMBER 30, 2017 https://dailytimes.com.pk/170055/man-shaped-jinnahs-islam/ The author has discussed Allama Iqbal's Correspondence with Jinnah in his book "Jinnah, Pakistan and Islamic Identity: The Search for Saladin" https://www.amazon.com/Jinnah-Pakistan-Islamic-Identity-Saladin/dp/0415149665

Letters Of Eqbal To Jinnah
https://ia601601.us.archive.org/15/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.71796/2015.71796.Letters-Of-Eqbal-To-Jinnah.pdf  (Foreword by Jinnah himself)  --- EXCERPT: Iqbal’s letter to Jinnah September 11, 2011 https://www.dawn.com/news/658190 Two letters from Iqbal to Jinnah (1937) http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00islamlinks/txt_iqbal_tojinnah_1937.html

Jinnah as a Spiritual Disciple of Spiritual Saint Allama Iqbal (as explained by Akbar Ahmed)

Jinnah was not Iqbal’s first choice to lead the Muslims (Published: November 17, 2016 https://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/43059/jinnah-was-not-iqbals-first-choice-to-lead-the-muslims/ )

Letters Of Eqbal To Jinnah https://ia601601.us.archive.org/15/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.71796/2015.71796.Letters-Of-Eqbal-To-Jinnah.pdf  (Foreword by Jinnah himself) 

Late Justice (R) Javed Iqbal s/o Allama Iqbal on his Father and Jinnah

Jinnah was not Iqbal’s first choice to lead the Muslims (Published: November 17, 2016 https://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/43059/jinnah-was-not-iqbals-first-choice-to-lead-the-muslims/ )

Letters Of Eqbal To Jinnah https://ia601601.us.archive.org/15/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.71796/2015.71796.Letters-Of-Eqbal-To-Jinnah.pdf  (Foreword by Jinnah himself)

Mr Munib Iqbal on his grandfather Allama Iqbal and Jinnah

Jinnah was not Iqbal’s first choice to lead the Muslims (Published: November 17, 2016 https://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/43059/jinnah-was-not-iqbals-first-choice-to-lead-the-muslims/ )

Letters Of Eqbal To Jinnah https://ia601601.us.archive.org/15/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.71796/2015.71796.Letters-Of-Eqbal-To-Jinnah.pdf  (Foreword by Jinnah himself) 

 Jinnah calls Iqbal “the sage, philosopher and national poet of Islam

People often quote Islamic Scholars & Theologian Sufis of Classical Islamic Era to plead the case of Secularism and even if that was not enough they use those scholars e.g. Imam Ghazali and Hanafi School of thought to plead the case of the most marginalized and persecuted Ahmadi community in Pakistan and they are least bothered to at least conduct a proper enquiry into the original work of these Scholars. Imam Ghazali not only supported the Death Sentence for the Apostates but also supported the killing of Mansoor Al Hallaj for Blasphemy and that is not the end he also considered Avicenna, Farabi, Muʿtazila (Rationalists) , Qadariyah as Apostates and Death Deserving, and showered praise for Yazid bin Muawiya (References: Ihya' Ulum al-Din or Ihya'u Ulumiddin (The Revival of Religious Sciences) & Al-Munqidh Min Al-Dalal (Rescuer from Error) . Similarly Hanafi Law Declares that Apostasy is Punishable by Death and also consider Rationalists (Muʿtazila) and Qadariyah as Apostate & death deserving (Reference: Al-Fiqh Al-Akbar, a basic book on Hanafi School of Thought) and it is further mentioned here that those who suggest Abbasid's Rule and their System of Governance for the modern Muslim State , should know that Abbasid's persecuted Imam Abu Hanifa and some report suggest that Imam Abu Hanifa was poisoned by the Abbasid Caliph Al Mansoor (Reference: Biography of Abu Ḥanifa by Muhammad Abu Zahra (1898–1974) - Al-Hidayah by Burhanuddin Marghinani is an Authentic Hanafi Book according to it Apostasy is Punishable by Death (Page 40 Volume 7) - Fatawa-e-Alamgiri is an Authentic Hanafi Book of Jurisprudence & according to it Apostasy is Punishable by Death (Page 434 Volume 3) Radd al-Muhtar ala al-Dur al-Mukhtar (Muhammad Amin Ibn Abidin Ash-Shami) is a Hanafi book and according to the book, Apostasy is punishable by Death (Page 506 to 509 Volume 2) ! This is how our Liberal & Secular people are presenting the case of marginalized Ahmadi Community! What next? Imam Ibn Taymiyyah & the 2nd Amendment?

Imam Ghazali and Yazid bin Muawiya

The author below (in Daily Times Column) is quoting a Quote by labeling it as a Hadith (Tradition) to plead the case of Secularism via Hanafi Fiqh to rationalize Jinnah's Confusion on Islam and Democracy. Whereas the reality of this quote is "Quote" A baseless hadith "Disagreement among my ummah is a mercy" --> " Disagreement among my ummah is a mercy " (BASELESS) The muhadditheen have tried to find an isnaad for it but have not found one, to the extent that Suyooti said in his "al-Jaami' as-Sagheer" : " Perhaps it was collected in one of the books of the huffaadh which did not reach us " ! This suggestion is very far-fetched. since it would mean that some of the sayings of the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وسلّم) have been lost to the ummah forever, something which is not permissable for a Muslim to believe . Manaawi quoted Subki as saying : "It (i.e. the saying) is not known to the muhadditheen, and I can not find any isnaad for it, whether authentic (saheeh), weak (da'eef) or fabricated (mawdoo) " , and this was endorsed by Sheikh Zakareeyah al-Ansaari in his notes on tafseer al-Baidaawi (92-2) . Further, the meaning of this hadith is also incorrect as shown by the verifying scholars, hence Ibn Hazm says in al-Ihkam fi Usool al-Ahkam (5-64) after indicating that it is not a hadith : " This is one of the most incorrect sayings possible, since if disagreement (ikhtilaf) was a mercy, then agreement would be punishment, something which no Muslim would say, because there can be only agreement or disagreement, and there can only be mercy or punishment " . This saying also contradicts the Quraan, which has condemned ikhtilaf in many places . "Un-Quote"

On the contrary he argues that the only way a religious society — especially one with deepseated divisions such as Muslim society and one with differences of opinion- blessing according to one Hadith albeit a weak one — can remain strong is if there is a secular state presiding over it. This is what makes secularism and Sharia perfectly compatible with each other and makes the pursuit a secular state a religious imperative for all Muslim majority countries. References: A secular state is a religious imperative - Why this nervousness that the future constitution shall be in conflict with Shariat laws — Mr Jinnah FEBRUARY 9, 2018 https://dailytimes.com.pk/198180/secular-state-religious-imperative/  Imam Ghazali and the 2nd Amendment Freedom of conscience cannot be denied under Islam and ijmah cannot be enforced on an individual FEBRUARY 12, 2018  https://dailytimes.com.pk/199973/imam-ghazali-2nd-amendment/

Deep Analysis on Middle East In connection with Pakistan and India.

(February 16, 2018) Taking a major decision, the army on Thursday announced that it is deploying troops in Saudi Arabia under an existing bilateral security pact. “In continuation of ongoing Pak-KSA bilateral security cooperation, a Pakistan Army contingent is being sent to KSA on training and advice mission,” the Inter-Services Public Relations announced after a meeting between Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa and Saudi Ambassador Nawaf Saeed Al-Maliki at the General Headquarters, which was said to be about “regional security situation”. Gen Bajwa had earlier this month quietly visited Saudi Arabia, where he stayed for nearly three days and his only known meetings were with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Commander of Ground Forces Lt Gen Prince Fahd bin Turki bin Abdulaziz. This was his second visit to the kingdom in two months. Disclosing the size of the deployment for the first time since the decision was announced, Dastagir said a total of 1,000 Pakistani troops are being sent to the Kingdom on a training mission. He said 1,600 Pakistani soldiers are already stationed in Saudi Arabia. February 19, 2018 The defence minister attempted to assure Senate that the troops will not be deployed outside the Kingdom's territory, but Chairman Rabbani expressed a lack of confidence in the assurance, saying this information was already known. "The House is not satisfied with your response," he told Dastagir, while Senator Farhatullah Babar stressed that "all concerns remain despite the defence minister's statement". "Has a decision been taken to deploy troops at the border of [the southern Saudi province of] Sharura," he asked. The Senate chairman told the defence minister that he could not hide any information from parliament, and even offered him the option of briefing the Senate on the issue in detail in an in-camera session."[But] don't give us a lollipop... we are not children," Rabbani told him. However, the defence minister turned down the offer, stressing that he could not divulge operational details of the mission. References : Army says troops being sent to Saudi Arabia by Baqir Sajjad Syed (Dawn February 16, 2018) Govt refuses to divulge 'operational details' of Pakistani troops' deployment to Saudi Arabia by Nadir Guramani (Dawn February 19, 2018)

Pakistan army clarifies on sending troops to Saudi Arabia

Extremist organisations are of two types. There are organisations which have been killing Pakistanis and fighting against the state of Pakistan and other type includes those organisations which have not indulged in any act of terrorism but are blamed by India and US for terrorism in neighbouring countries. Although the Pakistan army is fighting against all those terrorist groups who are fighting against Pakistan yet in order to choke their reinforcements by preventing the ordinary civilians from falling into the hands of terrorists, we do require a counter narrative. For this purpose, certain measures have already been included in our National Action Plan. On the other hand there are certain proscribed organisations who are blamed for sending volunteers to fight against the Indian forces in Kashmir. We know that after 2004, when Pakistan had signed a US brokered agreement with India to keep the LOC calm, these organisations have not indulged in any jihadi activity. In fact most of the militant elements within these groups either formed Punjabi Taliban or joined hands with TTP to fight against Pakistan. The saner elements within these groups, under their erstwhile leadership, changed the name and started participating in relief and welfare activities within Pakistan. To the best of our knowledge these people are not involved in any violent activity but after having been included in the list of UN designated terrorist groups the international perception about these groups is creating problems for Pakistan. Our critics should realise that we neither have any cases against them in Pakistan nor India or US have provided any evidence to prove their allegations against these groups in any court of Law. These people cannot be hanged or thrown into prisons just to please India or US. They are Pakistani citizens and it is our responsibility to divert their energies towards productive and more transparent activities. Hence certain proposals for the de-radicalisation and mainstreaming of these groups were floated which I think are still under consideration with NACTA. Reference: In conversation with Lt Gen Amjad Shoaib: ‘Shouldn’t put all eggs in China basket’ (Pakistan Today SEPTEMBER 24, 2017 BY MIAN ABRAR)

 Swinging Pendulum of Amjad Shoaib on Saudi Arabia (Hum Sub - 12th Apr 2015)

A senior American diplomat who served many years in Saudi Arabia recalled his foreboding upon attending a training exercise at the kingdom's most prestigious military academy, in Riyadh: "It was hot, and I watched the cadets doing drills. The officers were lounging inside a suradiq"_—_a large pavilion—"with cold drinks, calling out orders on loudspeakers. I thought to myself, How many of these young men would follow and die for these officers?" The diplomat said he came away from his most recent tour in Saudi Arabia convinced that "it wouldn't take too much for a group of twenty or thirty fundamentalist enlisted men to take charge. How would the kingdom deal with the shock of something ruthless, small, highly motivated, and of great velocity?" There is little that the United States can do now, the diplomat said. "The Saudis have been indulged for so many decades.They are so spoiled. They've always had it their way. There's hardly anything we could say that would impede the 'majestic instancy' of their progress. We're their janissaries." He was referring to the captives who became élite troops of the Ottoman Empire. "The policy dilemma is this," a senior general told me. "How do we help the Saudis make a transition without throwing them over the side?" Referring to young fundamentalists who have been demonstrating in the Saudi streets, he said, "The kids are bigger than the Daddy." ♦ Reference: King’s Ransom How vulnerable are the Saudi royals? By Seymour M. Hersh Annals of National Security October 22, 2001 Issue The New Yorker, October 22, 2001 P. 35 https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2001/10/22/kings-ransom

Curious Case of Lt General Retd Amjad Shoaib's Memory Loss (DNA 25th Oct 2016 Channel 24)

Commenting over Quetta incident, one needs to keep in mind the geographical location of the city in general and Baluchistan in particular. There are external and internal factors for the incidents of terrorism in and around Quetta which is close to the porous Pak-Afghan border. Since Afghanistan is a hotbed of terrorism and enemy agents are active there for sabotage, it makes Quetta vulnerable for terrorism. The Afghan regime is also not willing to shoulder its responsibility in making the border secure. This adds to the responsibility of the government of Pakistan to be cautious and take as much measures as necessary to secure its bordering areas. However, lack of cooperation from the civilian government is adding to our woes. For instance, the military has requisitioned raising of 100 battalions of Frontier Corps for security of the bordering areas. However, the federal government has been dragging its feet for provision of funds for the same and to date only 20 battalions have been raised which are inadequate for the gigantic task of securing our borders. With this implementation speed, we would need another five years to get these battalions raised. Moreover, other border management measures including construction of gates at border postings, erecting of fence along the border and installation of electronic gadgets would take more time. On the diplomatic front, we are losing the narrative too. The civilian leadership has been reluctant to raise Pakistan’s case at international fora. While Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been publicly threatening Pakistan of dire consequences, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has been reluctant to fight Pakistan’s case. Modi has delivered so many loose balls to Pakistan but we have failed to benefit. Modi has openly admitted Indian role in raising Mukti Bahini for separation of East Pakistan but we did not raise this issue at any international forum. On 15 AugustModi threatened Pakistan of Indian interference in Baluchistan and Gilgit Baltistan but our prime minister has been shying away from pinning him down. Pakistan has strong evidence in many issues from Kulbhushan Yadev to Raw’s role in subversive activities in Pakistan but the same was never raised by our prime minister at any forum. The second factor is the local sleeper cells and facilitators who help the foreigners carry terrorist attacks in Pakistan. The foreigner terrorists mostly come from Afghanistan and have no knowledge of Pakistani areas. Definitely, local facilitators provide them with shelter, weapons and information about the target. As you know, terrorists of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Al Almi carried out the attack at Police training center in Quetta. Now this banned outfit has origins in South Punjab and interior Sindh. In South Punjab, areas like Jhang, Muzaffar Garh, DG Khan and Bahawalpur are hotbeds of LeJ terrorists while the same banned outfit has also facilitators and supporters in interior Sindh where many terrorist attacks have been conducted. However, Punjab’s chief minister has been refusing to allow Rangers to carry out operations in South Punjab while Sindh chief minister is reluctant to permit Rangers operation in interior Sindh. On the other hand, the international community blames Pakistan for terrorism but they never care how we are targeted by terrorist organisations. Our foreign ministry and civilian leadership have failed in presenting out case to the world. Despite the fact that India has been hurling open threats to Pakistan, we have not been able to hold India accountable. India is openly claiming to provide citizenship to Barhamdagh Bugti, the man responsible for so many terrorist attacks in Baluchistan. But our leadership is silent. Reference: “Our leaders have failed us” – An interview with Lt. Gen (R) Amjad Shoaib (Pakistan Today OCTOBER 30, 2016 BY MIAN ABRAR)


WikiLeaks: Saudi Arabia and UAE funding Terrorism in Pakistan

While the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) takes seriously the threat of terrorism within Saudi Arabia, it has been an ongoing challenge to persuade Saudi officials to treat terrorist financing emanating from Saudi Arabia as a strategic priority. Due in part to intense focus by the USG over the last several years, Saudi Arabia has begun to make important progress on this front and has responded to terrorist financing concerns raised by the United States through proactively investigating and detaining financial facilitators of concern. Still, donors in Saudi Arabia constitute the most significant source of funding to Sunni terrorist groups worldwide. Continued senior-level USG engagement is needed to build on initial efforts and encourage the Saudi government to take more steps to stem the flow of funds from Saudi Arabia-based sources to terrorists and extremists worldwide. The USG engages regularly with the Saudi Government on terrorist financing. The establishment in 2008 of a Treasury attache office presence in Riyadh contributes to robust interaction and information sharing on the issue. Despite this presence, however, more needs to be done since Saudi Arabia remains a critical financial support base for al-Qa'ida, the Taliban, LeT, and other terrorist groups, including Hamas, which probably raise millions of dollars annually from Saudi sources, often during Hajj and Ramadan. In contrast to its increasingly aggressive efforts to disrupt al-Qa'ida's access to funding from Saudi sources, Riyadh has taken only limited action to disrupt fundraising for the UN 1267-listed Taliban and LeT-groups that are also aligned with al-Qa'ida and focused on undermining stability in Afghanistan and Pakistan. UAE-based donors have provided financial support to a variety of terrorist groups, including al-Qa'ida, the Taliban, LeT and other terrorist groups, including Hamas. Washington agencies note, however, that they have limited information on the identity of Taliban and LeT donors and facilitators in the UAE. Hence there is limited information to be shared with local interlocutors. Nonetheless, the point can be emphasized that the UAE's role as a growing global financial center, coupled with weak regulatory oversight, makes it vulnerable to abuse by terrorist financiers and facilitation networks. Reference: Terrorist Finance: Action Request For Senior Level Engagement On Terrorism Finance Date:2009 December 30, 13:28 Canonical ID:09STATE131801_a https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/09STATE131801_a.html

Saudi Arabia and India (Kamran Bukhari Stratfor)

Saudi-Indian ties have reached a new high with the arrival of an Indian Air Force (IAF) flying contingent at the King Fahd Air Base in Taif. The mission, comprising more than 100 high-ranking IAF officers and airmen onboard Sukhoi MKI fighter aircraft, C-17 Globe Masters, C-130 Super Hercules and IL-78 aircraft, landed in Taif on Sunday on the way back from the UK where they had taken part in a multinational exercise. “This is for first time that fighter aircraft from India have landed in Saudi Arabia,” said senior Indian diplomat Hemant Kotalwar at a press conference in Jeddah. “We want to express our thanks to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the support and cooperation that was extended to us during the visit,” said Kotalwar. According to Kotalwar, there have been frequent goodwill visits by the Indian Navy ships to the ports of Jeddah and Jubail. “We have also had transport aircraft transiting Saudi Arabia in the past,” he said. The significance of this particular event is that fighter aircraft from India have landed in Saudi Arabia for the first time. “This indicates the depth of our ties which have been on the upswing for quite some time and which have gained new momentum following King Salman’s visit to India in February 2014 when he was crown prince,” said Kotalwar. “It was during that visit that a bilateral cooperation agreement was signed lending a new thrust to the relationship.” The visit underscored the close defense ties between Saudi Arabia and India. Both countries regularly exchange high level delegations aimed at furthering cooperation between the two armed forces. Officers from both countries have been attending courses in their pursuit of shared learning. In recent months, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi publicly acknowledged and thanked King Salman for helping with the evacuation of Indian nationals from Yemen. “This is a robust testimony to the strength of our bilateral relations,” said Kotalwar. Wing Commander S. Joardar, who also addressed the press conference in Jeddah, said: “In our view, this is called the staging visit. We could have chosen to do this in any country in the region but we chose Saudi Arabia. That indicates the significance we attach to the country.” The contingent was led by Group Capt. A. Srivastava. “We had a wonderful time in Saudi Arabia and we were made to feel at home,” he said. Reference: SAUDI ARABIA Saudi-Indian defense ties soar SIRAJ WAHAB | Published — Tuesday 4 August 2015 http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/news/786251

Narendra Modi, India, Saudi Arabia and Israel - 1

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Saudi King Salman on Sunday during his first official visit to the kingdom, home to a large number of Indian workers and a major trade partner that supplies around 19 per cent of India’s crude oil imports. Modi’s visit underscored the major business ties between the two countries, despite Saudi Arabia’s historically close relationship with Pakistan. Saudi Arabia is traditionally India’s largest supplier of crude oil, and India is one of the world’s largest consumers of crude. Trade between the two countries reached $39 billion in 2014, according to a joint statement released after Modi’s meeting with King Salman. Two sides pledge to cooperate in intelligence sharing on terror financing and money laundering and to promote investments. Reference: Saudi Arabia, India sign five agreements (Dawn April 04, 2016) India and Iran on Saturday signed agreements, including Tehran leasing to New Delhi operational control of part of the Iranian east coast port of Chabahar for 18 months. The $85 million project, just 90km from Gwadar port, creates a transit route between India, Iran and Afghanistan, bypassing Pakistan. India is trying to develop Chabahar as a way to gain access to the markets of Central Asia countries as well as Afghanistan. New Delhi, Tehran sign agreements; Modi, Rouhani discuss peace in Afghanistan. Reference: India to get operational control of Iran’s Chabahar port (Dawn / Agencies Updated February 18, 2018) When Narendra Modi visited Abu Dhabi and Dubai last summer, the Pakistani daily Dawn wondered if the Indian prime minister had “stepped into the recent breach between Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates over Islamabad’s refusal to actively join the Yemen war?” The need for the question-mark was removed this week, with the announcement that Abu Dhabi’s crown prince, Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan, will be the guest of honour at India’s next Republic Day celebrations. There are plenty of reasons for Modi to make Sheikh Mohamed his chief guest, not least the $60 billion in Indo-UAE trade, and the 2.3 million Indians who live and work in the Emirates. But the timing of the announcement made it especially piquant for Pakistan, for it came in the middle of New Delhi’s campaign to isolate Islamabad diplomatically in the aftermath of the Uri attacks. Reference: Come Republic Day and Pakistan will be squirming uncomfortably (Oct 05, 2016 by Bobby Ghosh Hindustan Times)


Narendra Modi, India, Saudi Arabia and Israel - 2

US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi embraced each other as friends and partners Monday, vowing to work more closely on combating terrorism, the war on Afghanistan and defence cooperation. The two leaders called on Pakistan to ensure that its territory is not used to launch terrorist attacks on other countries, a statement from the White House said. Trump and Modi also “called on all nations to resolve territorial and maritime disputes peacefully and in accordance with international law,” the statement said. Addressing a small audience at the White House following a bilateral meeting with senior members of their administrations, Trump said both the US and India have been affected by the “evils of terrorism” and the “radical ideology that drives them.” Reference: Trump, Modi call on Pakistan to stem terrorist attacks (Dawn AFP | AP | Reuters June 27, 2017) India-Israel ties Bilateral trade between the countries has skyrocketed from $200 million in 1992, when India and Israel established diplomatic ties, to $4.16 billion in 2016. But that remains far below Israel's nearly $40bn in annual trade with its largest partners, the United States and the European Union. Still there are irritants in the growing relationship. The build up to Netanyahu's visit was soured this month when India called off a deal to buy 8,000 anti-tank guided missiles from Israel's state-owned defence contractor Rafael. The Indian army and the government are discussing ways to revive the $500 million order, which was scrapped when the country's own state-run defence contractor offered to build similar missiles locally. Israel is a major weapons supplier to India, exporting an average of $1bn of military equipment each year, but Modi wants to end India's status as the world's top defence importer. Reference: 'Modi is a close friend of Israel': Netanyahu kicks off historic India tour in Delhi (Dawn AFP | AP January 14, 2018)

 Seymour Hersh- US is funding Al-Qaeda to counter Iran - 1

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnUWcjXvdlo

A strategy of using ethnic minorities to undermine Iran is flawed, according to Vali Nasr, who teaches international politics at Tufts University and is also a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. “Just because Lebanon, Iraq, and Pakistan have ethnic problems, it does not mean that Iran is suffering from the same issue,” Nasr told me. “Iran is an old country—like France and Germany—and its citizens are just as nationalistic. The U.S. is overestimating ethnic tension in Iran.” The minority groups that the U.S. is reaching out to are either well integrated or small and marginal, without much influence on the government or much ability to present a political challenge, Nasr said. “You can always find some activist groups that will go and kill a policeman, but working with the minorities will backfire, and alienate the majority of the population.” The Administration may have been willing to rely on dissident organizations in Iran even when there was reason to believe that the groups had operated against American interests in the past. The use of Baluchi elements, for example, is problematic, Robert Baer, a former C.I.A. clandestine officer who worked for nearly two decades in South Asia and the Middle East, told me. “The Baluchis are Sunni fundamentalists who hate the regime in Tehran, but you can also describe them as Al Qaeda,” Baer told me. “These are guys who cut off the heads of nonbelievers—in this case, it’s Shiite Iranians. The irony is that we’re once again working with Sunni fundamentalists, just as we did in Afghanistan in the nineteen-eighties.” Ramzi Yousef, who was convicted for his role in the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who is considered one of the leading planners of the September 11th attacks, are Baluchi Sunni fundamentalists. One of the most active and violent anti-regime groups in Iran today is the Jundallah, also known as the Iranian People’s Resistance Movement, which describes itself as a resistance force fighting for the rights of Sunnis in Iran. “This is a vicious Salafi organization whose followers attended the same madrassas as the Taliban and Pakistani extremists,” Nasr told me. “They are suspected of having links to Al Qaeda and they are also thought to be tied to the drug culture.” The Jundallah took responsibility for the bombing of a busload of Revolutionary Guard soldiers in February, 2007. At least eleven Guard members were killed. According to Baer and to press reports, the Jundallah is among the groups in Iran that are benefitting from U.S. support. The C.I.A. and Special Operations communities also have long-standing ties to two other dissident groups in Iran: the Mujahideen-e-Khalq, known in the West as the M.E.K., and a Kurdish separatist group, the Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan, or pjak. The M.E.K. has been on the State Department’s terrorist list for more than a decade, yet in recent years the group has received arms and intelligence, directly or indirectly, from the United States. Some of the newly authorized covert funds, the Pentagon consultant told me, may well end up in M.E.K. coffers. “The new task force will work with the M.E.K. The Administration is desperate for results.” He added, “The M.E.K. has no C.P.A. auditing the books, and its leaders are thought to have been lining their pockets for years. If people only knew what the M.E.K. is getting, and how much is going to its bank accounts—and yet it is almost useless for the purposes the Administration intends.” REFERENCE: Preparing the Battlefield The Bush Administration steps up its secret moves against Iran. By Seymour M. Hersh Annals of National Security July 7, 2008 Issue (The New Yorker)

Seymour Hersh- US is funding Al-Qaeda to counter Iran - 2

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmk9FbGZC7U&feature=related

ISLAMABAD Arrest of Jundallah leader Abdolmalek Rigi and his deputy Hamza during a flight from Dubai to Kyrgyzstan marks a lucky break for Pakistan, which has been long accused by Iran of hosting the terror group's ringleader, and offers an opportunity to ease the tense relations between Tehran and Islamabad. Iran, despite repeated denials by Islamabad, always alleged that the group operated from Pakistan's soil and that its leader Rigi was based there and carried Pakistan's national identity card by the name of Saeed Ahmed, son of Ghulam Haider. The militant leader had been educated at Karachi's Binnori Town seminary, which was school to many of the Taliban leaders. Rigi is believed to have camouflaged his nationalist movement in a sectarian colour to curry favour with Pakistani sectarian groups. Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar, who visited Pakistan in October following an attack on elite Revolutionary Guards in south-western Sistan-Balochistan province along Pakistan's border, is said to have handed over proofs of Rigi's travel to Pakistan. “We have documents that show (Abdolmalek) Rigi travels readily to Pakistan ... we are here to ask Pakistan to hand over Rigi to Iran,” Mr Najjar had said in a statement. Reference: Rigi`s arrest a godsend for Pakistan (Dawn February 24, 2010)

Seymour Hersh- US is funding Al-Qaeda to counter Iran - 3

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nD6pyqtV9lc&feature=related

The recovery of a Pakistani Computerised National Identity Card from the possession of Abdolmalek Rigi, an Iranian terrorist and head of Jundallah group, has put a question mark on the Nadra's “self-proclaimed secure” registration system. The card was recovered by Iranian security personnel when Rigi was arrested while travelling on a flight heading to an Arab country via Pakistan on Feb 23. The interior ministry claimed that it was a fake card, and not issued by the National Database Registration Authority. Iranian authorities are reported to have informed Pakistan about the recovery of the CNIC carrying photograph of Abdolmalek Rigi and sought an investigation into the matter, but the government did not make it public. However, the interior ministry had to issue its point of view only when a TV channel telecast the news about Rigi's identity card. The recovery of CNIC from the terrorist leader has thrown a challenge to security of Nadra's database and its official slogan “deception no more”. Reference: CNIC on Rigi lands Nadra into trouble (Dawn March 04, 2010)

Seymour Hersh- US is funding Al-Qaeda to counter Iran - 4

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwkrsenuEl0&feature=related

ISLAMABAD Tehran ramped up pressure on Islamabad on Friday to crack down on Jundallah, an Iranian terrorist group alleged to be operating from Pakistan, and hand over its leader Abdolmalek Rigi, claiming that Iran had documentary evidence of his travel to and from Pakistan. Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar, who arrived here on Friday at the head of a security delegation and with a clear demand from Tehran for cooperation against Jundallah, met his Pakistani counterpart Rehman Malik to discuss ways for jointly fighting the terror group. 'We have documents that show Rigi travels readily to Pakistan...we are here to ask Pakistan to hand over Rigi to Iran,' Mr Najjar said in a statement. Not much was revealed by either side about the outcome of the talks focussed on Jundallah -- an issue that has strained ties between the two countries after the weekend attack on the Revolutionary Guards in Sistan-Baluchestan province. Insiders said the Pakistani side had reiterated its desire to help Iran in the wake of the terror strike. However, it was made clear that the government could do little because of its limitations and its security forces having been overstretched by the operation in South Waziristan. The only help Mr Malik could offer was increased intelligence sharing and intensified border patrol. 'Pakistan is committed to eliminating terrorism and it is imperative that Pakistan and Iran work in harmony for peace in the region,' he said. Mr Najjar was reportedly very categorical at the meeting, telling Mr Malik that a row over Rigi was 'not in the interest of the two countries' good neighbourly relations'. According to sources, Iran proposed coordinated operations in the border areas to eliminate the group. But Pakistan did not appear to be amenable to the proposal. Reference: Iran asks Pakistan to hand over Jundallah chief Rigi (Dawn October 24, 2009)

Allama Tahir Ashrai, Foreign NGO and Saudi Arabia

In a wide-ranging discussion with visiting SCA Assistant Secretary Boucher, President Zardari expressed complete satisfaction with his just concluded visit to China, reviewed planning for the Friends of Pakistan, and reiterated his determination to press the fight against extremism and the militancy in the tribal areas. He linked his ability to sustain the counter-insurgency fight to progress on addressing Pakistan,s economic woes, however, and chastised the IMF for only wanting to &take away8 in its negotiations. Zardari alerted Boucher to Iran's offer of concessional oil for Pakistan, an offer he did not believe he could refuse. Boucher reminded him of the Deputy Secretary's recent caution not to allow Iran to gain a toehold in Pakistan. In an aside, Zardari mentioned that Iran has offered to provide Pakistan with concessional oil. How could he go to the National Assembly and tell them Iran had offered the assistance and Pakistan had turned it down, he asked rhetorically. Boucher reminded him of Ambassador Haqqani's recent conversation on this issue with Deputy Secretary Negroponte in which the Deputy cautioned against providing Iran with a toehold in Pakistan. Reference: 2008: Do not to allow Iran toehold in Pakistan: US (Dawn May 23, 2011) https://www.dawn.com/news/631189/2008-do-not-to-allow-iran-toehold-in-pakistan-us -----> WikiLeaks on Saudi Pakistan Ties (Read Saudi Arabia's Influence in Pakistan's Internal Matters) "We in Saudi Arabia are not observers in Pakistan, we are participants." He asserted that the Saudi government (SAG) had offered Sharif a pledge of protection and asylum in the Kingdom after his ouster by Musharraf in return for a promise that he would refrain from political activity for ten years. He added that Sharif had begun to attempt to test the limits of this promise five or six years in his exile. "Sharif broke his promise by conducting political activity while in the Kingdom," al-Jubeir charged. He added that when the SAG had permitted Sharif to travel to London, he first promised the Saudis not to engage in political activity or return to Pakistan, but he then flew to Pakistan from London in a direct violation of his commitment. Al-Jubeir expressed considerable "disappointment" in Sharif's broken pledges to the SAG. He stated very clearly that the SAG has worked directly with Musharraf to have Sharif arrested on his return to Pakistan and immediately deported to the Kingdom. "We told Musharraf that we would receive him back and then keep him here as an 'honored guest'," al-Jubeir said. He added that Prince Muqrin had been the SAG's point man in restraining Sharif. Prince Muqrin was allowed to reveal the terms of Sharif's asylum agreement, he noted. Al-Jubeir made it very clear that the SAG would seek to control Sharif's movements in he future, even suggesting that he would be kept in a state only a little less severe than house arrest. Al-Jubeir added that he sees neither Sharif nor former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto as a viable replacement for Musharraf. "With all his flaws," he said of Musharraf, "he is the only person that you or we have to work with now." He claimed that Sharif would be unable to control the Pushtun-dominated Islamic insurgency in the tribal region near Afghanistan, while Bhutto would prove to be too divisive a figure to rule the country, which he characterized as "very tribal, much like our own country." Al-Jubeir added that for the SAG, stability in Pakistan is an essential strategic matter. Since Pakistan possesses both nuclear weapons and delivery vehicles, from the Saudi point of view, the policy choice to be made there boils down to a drastic choice: "We can either support Musharraf and stability, or we can allow bin Laden to get the bomb, "he told the Charge'. Reference: US embassy cables: Saudi influence in Pakistan Wed 1 Dec 2010 https://www.theguardian.com/world/us-embassy-cables-documents/130876 WikiLeaks cables: Saudi Arabia wants military rule in Pakistan by Declan Walsh in Islamabad Wed 1 Dec 2010 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/dec/01/saudis-distrust-pakistan-embassy-cables

Geo economics of Saudi Arabia’s NEOM project

URL: https://youtu.be/FE63syd6OSI

The ambitious Saudi NEOM project on the Red Sea near the Gulf of Aqaba worth nearly $500 billion will involve linking Saudi with Egypt. In exchange for billions of dollars of aid, Egypt recognised Saudi sovereignty on the disputed Tiran island in Gulf of Aqaba that will allow road-rail connections between not only the two countries but also with Jordan. That being said, since Israel's southern port of Eilat on Gulf of Aqaba is guaranteed open access to Red Sea since 1974 Camp David Peace Accord with Egypt, Saudi NEOM project will involve Israel in major capacity in order to avoid tensions. This project can then normalise Saudi recognition of Israel if it works. References: CaspianReport is creating reports https://www.patreon.com/CaspianReport Introducing NEOM, The 500 Million-Dollar, ultra-high tech future mega-city of Saudi Arabia https://newatlas.com/neom-saudi-arabia-future-megacity/51893/#p488188 

Accursed Parliament of Pakistan and Blessed Sham Referendum

The joint opposition’s gathering to seek ouster of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government ended abruptly on Wednesday after Sheikh Rashid’s repeated cursing of parliament and announcement of resignation from his National Assembly seat prompted Imran Khan to consider quitting the assemblies on the grounds that parliament had lost its utility in protecting people’s rights. (Lahore rally yields no concrete plan to oust Sharif's Dawn Ahmad Fraz Khan January 18, 2018) In an unusual turn of events, lawmakers in the National Assembly adopted a resolution on Thursday slamming two of their own colleagues — Imran Khan and Sheikh Rashid Ahmad — for cursing parliament during Wed­nesday’s protest in Lahore. But at a press conference held shortly afterwards, a defiant Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief brushed aside the criticism and doubled down on his remarks, saying he didn’t care if the assembly passed a hundred resolutions against him. (NA slams Imran, Rashid for ‘cursing parliament’ (Dawn Amir Wasim | Iftikhar A. Khan January 19, 2018) Addressing a large gathering on Mall Road in Lahore, Imran Khan voiced his wrath against the Parliament for allowing Nawaz Sharif, who he called money-launder, to head his political party. Imran Khan justified his slur in a couple of tweets on micro-blogging website, Twitter, saying, “When a Parliament, which must protect nation's interests, passes a person-specific law allowing a disqualified person guilty of Rs 3 bn money laundering, tax evasion, concealment of assets, forgery & perjury to become head of a political party, then such a law is a "laanath" on Parliament.” Reference: (Imran Khan justifies ‘lanat’ to Parliament January 18, 2018 By Samaa)

Imran Khan justifies ‘lanat (curse)’ to Parliament and Hero of Aitzaz Ahsan

How USA Backed Military Dictator General Ziaul Haq Ruined Pakistani Politics

“What is the Constitution? It is a booklet with ten or twelve pages. I can tear them up and say that from tomorrow, we shall live under a different system. Is there anybody to stop me? Today the people will follow wherever I lead. All the politicians, including the once mighty Mr Bhutto, will follow me with their tails wagging.” — General Ziaul Haq: Reported by Iranian publication, Kayhan International, on September 18, 1977. Reference: (A leaf from history: Furious Zia gets Bhutto re-arrested by Shaikh Aziz June 15, 2014 Dawn)

He also condemned the statements of Benazir Bhutto whose recent remarks were solely directed to undermine Pakistan’s interest only to seek the blessings of her foreign masters in her quest for power. (Imran flays Bush for pressurizing Pakistan - Dawn June 01, 2002) While commenting after a huge bomb blast in PPP rally resulted in numbers of casualty , the Einstein aka Imran Khan had to say this "I'm sorry to say this, but the bombing of Benazir Bhutto's cavalcade as she paraded through Karachi on Thursday night was a tragedy almost waiting to happen. You could argue it was inevitable.Everyone here knew there was going to be a huge crowd turning up to see her return after eight years in self-imposed exile. Everyone also knows that there has been a spate of suicide bombings in Pakistan lately, especially in the frontier region where I am campaigning at the moment. How was it ever going to be possible to monitor such a large crowd and guarantee that no suicide bombers would infiltrate it? This may sound equally harsh, but she has only herself to blame. By making a deal with Musharraf's government — a deal brokered by the British as well as the Americans, by the way — she was hoping to get herself off the corruption charges that have been levelled against her. Reference: (Benazir Bhutto has only herself to blame by Imran Khan 21 Oct 2007 Telegraph)

Imran Khan on Gentleman Musharraf and Accursed Parliament

Imran Khan while condemning Benazir Bhutto for being Pro American had almost declared her traitor whereas he himself backed, voted and campaigned for US backed General Pervez Musharraf's sham and fraudulent referendum in 2002  ----> Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf, Awami National Party and Millat Party leaders are likely to meet the president in the next couple of days to extend their support, the sources said. Thus, while the pro-Musharraf parties, i.e. PML-QA, Tahirul Qadri’s PAT, Farooq Leghari’s Millat Party, the ANP, and Imran Khan’s PTI have already given their consent to the referendum proposal, the opposition parties have expressed their dissent against it. (Dawn Opposition parties may boycott referendum March 22, 2002) Information Minister Nisar Memon said on Tuesday that turnout in the referendum was “beyond our expectations” as silent majority had come out to cast its votes. He told a press conference that in the last general election only 16 per cent votes had been polled which was interpreted as heavy mandate. He said that was the minimum target they had in mind. But, he pointed out, the turnout in referendum was at least double of the votes polled in the last general election. (Nisar terms response beyond expectations - Dawn May 01, 2002) Information Minister Nisar Memon on Wednesday dismissed the coverage of referendum by national press and international news agencies, describing the reports of low turnout and irregularities as “inaccurate and exaggerated”. The minister told a news conference that he had gone through the newspapers and often wondered about the decline in the objectivity. He also rejected the reports of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and other independent sources. (Nisar unhappy with press coverage - Dawn May 02, 2002)

Imran Khan on Blessed Sham Referendum of Musharraf and Accursed Parliament

Imran Khan and Gang jointly sent curse to the Parliament of Pakistan and conveniently forgot that they had supported this Notoriously sham, rigged, fraudulent referendum of General Pervez Musharraf and that too after the start of US War on Terror ------>  PAKISTANIS vote in a referendum today on extending Gen Pervaiz Musharraf's term as president for five years, but opposition is growing to the continuation of what many see as undiluted military rule. Gen Musharraf, who has mobilised the army, the intelligence services, the bureaucracy and industrialists to ensure a solid turnout for a Yes vote, is likely to win easily. But his credibility among voters has fallen sharply after his announcement last month that he would not share power with a civilian prime minister after elections scheduled to be held in October. Pakistan's major opposition parties started their anti-referendum campaign on Saturday with a rally in Lahore called by the Alliance to Restore Democracy. All the large Islamic groups were among the 33 political parties taking part in the rally. They have condemned today's referendum as unconstitutional, urged the public to boycott it and demanded an immediate general election. Reference: Army mobilised to ensure vote for Musharraf By Ahmed Rashid in Lahore 30 Apr 2002) Talking to The News, the head of the ISI’s political cell in 2002, admitted manipulating the last elections at the behest of President Musharraf and termed the defeat of the King’s party, the PML-Q, this time “a reaction of the unnatural dispensation (installed in 2002).” Zamir said the ISI together with the NAB was instrumental in pressing the lawmakers to join the pro-Musharraf camp to form the government to support his stay in power. Looking down back into the memory lane and recalling his blunders which, he admitted, had pushed the country back instead of taking it forward, Zamir feels ashamed of his role and conduct. Massively embarrassed because he was the one who negotiated, coerced and did all the dirty work, the retired Maj-Gen said he was not in a position to become a preacher now when his own past was tainted. He said the country would not have faced such regression had the political management was not carried out by the ISI in 2002. But he also put some responsibility of the political disaster on the PML-Q as well. The former No: 2 of the ISI called for the closure of political cell in the agency, confessing that it was part of the problem due to its involvement in forging unnatural alliances, contrary to public wishes. Reference: The man, who rigged 2002 polls, spills the beans February 24, 2008 Umar Cheema , The News) The elections in Pakistan tomorrow are being "blatantly rigged" by the military regime, says the nation's most-respected human rights group. The credibility of the vote will be undermined and the implications for the army and the country will be grave, it adds. "The blatant manner in which the electoral process is being vulgarised and the will of the people mocked is extremely worrying," Afrasiab Khattak, chairman of the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) told a press conference in Islamabad. The pre-election report details the harassment of opposition candidates, intimidation by army and police officers to ensure that pro-government candidates win and criticises the long list of amendments to the constitution made by President Pervaiz Musharraf to ensure that the army continues to run the country after the elections. Reference: Elections 'rigged' in Pakistan by military regime By Ahmed Rashid in Lahore 09 Oct 2002 Telegraph) 

Imran Khan on GHQ and Musharraf on 100 Seats to Imran Khan

Speaking at ‘Democracy: For the People or in Spite of Them’, a seminar organised by the Awami Workers Party (AWP) at the National Press Club, the former senator used the example to highlight just how incapacitated politicians were in the face of the military. To illustrate his point, Mr Khattak quoted the example of former military ruler, retired General Pervez Musharraf, who had once mentioned that Imran Khan was demanding 100 seats from him, but that he (Musharraf) was only willing to give him 10 seats. “Musharraf is not capable of winning a single seat if he contested the election himself. He negotiated with Imran Khan because he knew the agencies would engineer the elections for him,” he said. Talking about the state of democracy in Pakistan, he said that the system in the country was a “controlled democracy”, adding that a certain group was running the system at the behest of the ‘state’. Reference: (Politicians helpless in the face of ‘controlled democracy’ Ikram Junaidi February 24, 2017 Dawn)

Imran Khan didn't want Pathological Liar Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad to be even his Peon

LAHORE, May 17: President Pervez Musharraf will seek another term after his current tenure ends in 2007, federal Information Minister Sheikh Rashid told newsmen here on Tuesday. “He (Gen Musharraf) will continue as president even after 2007. However, nothing can be said at this stage whether he will retain his army chief’s office as well,” the minister said. About talks with various political leaders, Sheikh Rashid said the government was engaged in ‘indirect dialogue’ with several leaders, including Ms Benazir Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari and Shahbaz Sharif, but not with Nawaz Sharif and Qazi Husain Ahmed. He, however, refused to give reasons why the government did not talk to the MMA president whose alliance was in power in the NWFP and Balochistan. He denied reports that there was any rift in the ruling Pakistan Muslim League. “There is no rift in the PML and Chaudhry Shujaat Husain will continue as its president,” he added. Reference: (Musharraf to continue after 2007: Rashid by Zulqernain Tahir May 18, 2005 Dawn) Sheikh Rashid: Veteran politician, party-hopper and PTI's nominee for PM ---> Rashid was born on November 6, 1950 in Rawalpindi and obtained his early education in his hometown. He later graduated from the famous Gordon College and went on to study law in Lahore. Rashid’s political career started during his student years when he became involved in activism against the regime of former military ruler Ayub Khan. In 1985, he contested elections held during Ziaul Haq’s regime and won a seat in Rawalpindi. He continued winning from that seat on various platforms — from the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI), the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and also as an independent — until he finally lost in the 2008 general election by a wide margin to a PML-N candidate. His defeat from NA-55 on a PML-Q platform led him to part ways with the league and launch his own political party, which he called the Awami Muslim League Pakistan (AMLP). Rashid is the chief of AMLP and holds the office of party president. (Dawn July 31, 2017) Did He Help Train 3,500 Militants?He supported the JKLF, and helped train militants. Thanks to Yasin, Sheikh Rashid's dirty secret is out. BY AMIR MIR 27 JUNE 2005 https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/did-he-help-train-3500-militants/227765

Meet the Pious and Sagacious Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad

Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed on Friday gushed over Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan’s former wife Jemima Goldsmith, saying that after Allah, she saved Imran in the disqualification reference. Talking to Geo News, the AML chief said that in the above case, Jemima Khan played a key role in the proceedings, adding that the way she provided documents was remarkable. Sheikh Rasheed said that Jemima comes from a good family, adding, "If there are no religious obstacles, then Imran should remarry Jemima." Reference: (Sheikh Rasheed advises Imran to remarry Jemima December 16, 2017 The News) Glamorous Jemima Khan turns out in a racy white ensemble as she supports ex-boyfriend Hugh Grant at the London premier of Florence Foster Jenkins (By JJ NATTRASS FOR MAILONLINE PUBLISHED: 12 April 2016) Jemima Khan 'dating Matthew Freud after years of friendship': Will famous families the Freuds and Goldsmiths unite? (By Rebecca Pocklington 21 APR 2016 Mirror) Jemima's outrage after police investigate £500 birthday massage visit to boyfriend Russell: 'Big, beautiful' masseuse complained over web booking and 70-mile trip (By SIMON MURPHY AND NICK CRAVEN 2 August 2014 Daily Mail) Model Kate Moss kissed Jemima Khan for 60 seconds. Reference: (May 16, 2011 Vogue / By Mirror 16 MAY 2006) Please note in the clip above that Former Governor Punjab Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar is with Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad, and he is the same Sarwar who visited Altaf Hussain (MQM Founder) in London and from London the demand of Two Year Technocrat Government was raised by Altaf Hussain in 2014 during the peak of Imran Khan's Dharna (sit-in) and lets not forget that Altaf Hussain and MQM time and again have demanded that "Honest and Patriot Generals" should sack the government and take over and this demand is often repeated by that Canadian Charlatan Dr Tahirul Qadri and he even incited Junior Army Officers to revolt! We should also not forget that Imran Khan has always established contacts with Altaf Hussain and MQM London whenever need arose and that also happened during PPP's last tenure, when to hold a rally in Karachi he used the good office of Babar Khan Ghauri (MQM London Leader) and a NATO Contractor who is a relative of General Pervez Musharraf (also reported by Nusrat Javed in one of his Aaj TV Segment of Bolta Pakistan)

Alleged Liberal and Secular PPP Deserve the Company of Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad

In a television programme aired recently, former chief of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) and an important leader of Difa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC) General (retd) Hamid Gul cast doubts over the authenticity of a picture run by the website of The Express Tribune. The picture in question was that of Malik Ishaq, commander of the banned outfit Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), who was shown to be in attendance at the DPC meeting in Multan – a meeting also attended and addressed by General Gul. During a talk show on Aaj TV, host Wajahat S Khan showed Gul the picture on The Express Tribune’s website as evidence of Ishaq’s attendance – in response to which the retired general alleged that the photo had been doctored. When he was further challenged by the show’s host, Gul resorted to questioning the reporter of the story. The Express Tribune takes strong exception to General Gul’s allegations and contends that the picture is authentic. It was taken by our photographer, who was assigned to cover the gathering. In fact, the picture was also run by other newspapers. If Gul has the slightest doubt regarding the authenticity of the photograph, we ask him to take the matter to court. Express Media Group Published in The Express Tribune, February 16th, 2012.

Mr Imran Khan , PTI and their Yahoo Crowd of Supporters on Social Media, Electronic Media are very fond of name calling and declaring traitor anyone who differ with their Fascist Leader and PTI's Fascist ideology whereas Imran Khan unload all kind of crap Internationally and nationally without even bothering about the proper context and sense of history , here is the clip watch attentively and note his bark and then compare his rant with the company and allies he and his party have 

Everything is Kosher for Imran Khan to say Internationally and Nationally against Pakistan Army

Imran Khan while declaring any moving thing a traitor conveniently forgot what he unloaded against Pakistan Army and that too in front of US Congressional Delegation, "Quote" Noting that he was recently in Swat, he went on to accuse the Pakistan Army of extrajudicial killings, summary executions, and "sexual humiliation" of residents in some villages. Khan urged the USG to seek "alternative points of views" about what is happening in the tribal areas of Pakistan, and he recommended speaking with General Orakzai, former NWFP Govenor, for starters. Khan charged that the GOP is "blinded by dollars," and consequently lacks an accurate view of what is happening on the ground. He further claimed that the GOP "whips up the threat of the Taliban" in order to get more money from the U.S. He claimed last year's Swat operation, which he termed a "debacle," was one such exaggeration that was "stage managed" in order to gain U.S. funds; there was no imminent threat of militants marching on Islamabad, he said. Reference : CODEL LYNCH'S MEETING WITH PAKISTAN TEHREEK-E-INSAF (PTI) PARTY LEADER IMRAN KHAN Date:2010 February 6, 11:26 (Saturday) -------> Cricketer-turned politician,Imran Khan has charged the PPP-led government of being subservient to the United States,saying that government has rented out the country’s army to the US in exchange of 1.5 billion dollars. “We have rented our military out to US in exchange of mere 1.5 billion dollars while US is spending sixty billion dollars on its army comprising 55,000 troops in Afghanistan,” ‘The News’ quoted Khan,as saying. Addressing party workers in Manshera,the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf chief accused certain ‘elements’ in the government of forcing a war on people of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) just for pocketing billions of dollars from the US. Khan also warned the government that people in Swat and Malakand Divisions would take to streets in protest against the military offensive,if the military operation was not called off by July 31. Reference: Pak army rented out to US for $1.5 bn: Imran Khan Cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan has charged the PPP-led Govt of renting out the country’s army to the US in exchange of $1.5 billion. July 7, 2009 http://indianexpress.com/article/news-archive/print/pak-army-rented-out-to-us-for-1-5-bn-imran-khan/ "Unquote"