The untold story of Shia Muslims in Pakistan

President Zardari, Prime Minister Gilani and Speaker National Assembly Dr. Fahmida are Shia Muslims. This is a unique thing in the Muslim world and shows the liberal Islamic face of Pakistan. But it's not acceptable to the almighty military establishment, so the generals want to remove the government. Some 'Opportunist Kufi Shias' are 'enabling' killing of their own brothers and sisters to get 'personal benefit' from the military.

The Terrorland Report

OUT of the 97 percent Muslims, Shias make an estimated 20 percent of the population in the Sunni-dominated Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The country hosts the second-largest Shia population in the world after the neighboring Shia-dominated Islamic Republic of Iran. Pakistan became a sectarian battlefield after 1979-revolution in Iran. The then military dictator, Gen Zia, at the behest of Middle Eastern kingdoms and sheikhdoms, made the country a hell for the followers of the Athna‘ashariyyah (Twelver) Shia Muslims. Since then hundreds of thousands of innocent citizens have been killed brutally.

Despite being persecuted as a part of the 'hidden' state policy, today President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, Speaker National Assembly Dr. Fahmida Mirza and many other high profile leaders are Shia Muslims. This is a unique thing in the Muslim world and shows the liberal Islamic face of the country. 

However, this thing is not acceptable to the almighty military establishment which has lost wars but still believes that it's the so-called custodian of the country's so-called idialogical borders. That is why Army Chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has allegedly given Shia-dominated Gilgit-Baltistan, a region under the control of the federal government of Pakistan, to the neighboring communist China, to bring down the current Shia-dominated government. It seems a story of getting rid of a Shia region and Shia regime in Pakistan!

According to people, whatever the Army Chief and his "gang of rogue generals" is doing in the country, falls in the category of "high treason" but the generals never consider themselves accountable to anyone. Every day, they violate the Constitution a thousand times, and still they are praised in the mainstream media as the most 'patriot' people on land.

The military establishment has got help of some Shia media persons and politicians in the war against the Shia-dominated government. Sources claim that creating Sunni-Shia tension in Balochistan, Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and other parts of the country is actually a part of the military establishment's strategy, and some Shia people are involved in it as well. "They want to get personal benifit from the criminal army generals. The generals are also cashing presence of Shias in their ranks especially in the mainstream media."

Sources say, being a Shia Muslim himself, military spokesperson and Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) chief Maj-Gen. Athar Abbas along his journalist brothers is leading Pakistan Army's Media War front against President Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani. "Gen. Abbas is dreaming to become Army Chief after installing his boss Gen. Kayani in the Presidency, but Zardari has put a tough fight so far," said an insider.

Besides the influential Abbas Brothers, the military establishment is using other Shia Muslim journalists and politicians as well. "Some have been bribed, and others may be really against the PPP-led government," the source added.

The ruling party-sponsored blog, LUBP, has declared those "O pportunist Kufi Shias" who are killing their own Shia brothers and sisters to get benefits. It has criticized the Abbas Brothers and others. In a post, Shias enabling Shia killings in Pakistan, it says:

"This is all too familiar. kul yom ashura, kul arz karbala, kul opportunists kufi shia! (every day is Ashura, every land is Karbala and every opportunist is a Kufi Shia). Kufi Shias were those who assured Imam Hussain (AS) for support but instead participated in his slaughter in Karbala on the day of Ashura or looked the other way."

People say when President Zardari tried to give constitutional status to Gilgit-Baltistan, the military establishment opposed it because it's against their policy to have a Shia-dominated province in the Sunni-dominated country. "It'll cost them greatly," says a political worker from Skardu.  

Here are two conversations that shed light on the plight of Shia citizens in Pakistan.

(1)

  

REPORTER-1: The ticking time-bomb: Offices of banned sectarian organisation operate unimpeded in gilgit city while chilas has witnessed a cent percent rise in wall-chalking of banned sectarian outfits. The recent incident of throwing grenades at a shia imamgargah in gilgit city signals troubling times. why is it that the monster of sectarian strife raises its head always when the sleepy movement of nationalism gains momentum and public support in the region.       

           

ADMIN: Who is doing it this time and what is the reason according to the locals?

           

REPORTER-1: the term 'who' is disputed and i wont comment as i have still to go a long long way and for that i need to be alive. as far as version of the locals is concerned i think you know the history of diammer much better. the local population is already radiclised and they are more inclined towards their neighbors on the southern border than their brothers in the northern part. moreover, the huge money given as compensation for the diamer dam too has a role in it.

                       

REPORTER-2: my dear this is a simple tournament by our beloved agency and players also belongs to her u know better then me....that wat has done before

REPORTER-1: I found out that Karachi funds the massacre of the unique Kalash culture. Islamist organisations have set up seven special centers that collect funds for the "mission kalash" while newly converted muslims are brought to jammia binoria site town for their 'purification' talking to a newly converted girl at jammia binoria was a bone chilling experience.

       

ADMIN: O' really?

       

REPORTER-1: yes

(2)

REPORTER-1: In Gilgit-Baltistan, the local administration including officials of the rank of SSP police and Deputy Commissioner officially donate over hundred thousand rupees to Sipah Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), an anti-shia sectarian outfit banned in Pakistan in 2002 as a terrorist organization under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997.

           

REPORTER-2: astonishing. when did this happen?

           

ADMIN: What the ISI is doing there, sir?

          

REPORTER-1: In district Chilas, the den of SSP in Gilgit-Baltistan its normal and according to insiders the local administration donate generously. in fact the amount donated by the high officials in the local administration of the said district is part of the files of SSP seen by this vagabond. around three hundred thousand rupees were collected only on last friday wile the skins of sacrificial animals slaughtered on this eid were forcefully taken away on this eid in diamer district. this trend is introduced there for the first time.

           

REPORTER-1: This needs to be exposed. what do you think?

                      

REPORTER-1: yeah you are right but... do you remember the news item published in guardian about diammer dam. i really dont know the writer and saw his name for the first time but.... http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/29/us-pakistan-dam-funding

and the boys arrested for allegedly throwing hand grenades in the imambargah are from goharabad village of diammer district.

                       

ADMIN: Why are you hesitating to take the name of ISI, which according to local journalists, is igniting sectarianism to avoid public demand for the 5th province? Ain't you trying to divert attention from the real culprits, the ISI, to the poor local admin and ISI puppet SSP?  

        

REPORTER-1: Do you remember the concluding phrase of the investigative report of Dexter Filkins published in the new yorker. while quoting a friend of saleem shehzad he wrote: “I used to look for stories that would open people’s eyes,” Sheikh said. “Now I am just a stupid correspondent doing stupid stories. And I am happy. I am happy.” http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/09/19/110919fa_fact_filkins#ixzz1drzoPVXl

ADMIN: Lols, stay blessed! I can understand!

           

REPORTER-3: these banned sectarian outfits are not only resurfacing in GB but through out the country in fact the GoPs license to JuD to collect hides in the recent Eid was self-evident that the initial ban was just cosmetic.

           

REPORTER-1: let me break another news here. the vice principal of jamia binoria site town karachi mufti saif ullah rubbani told me on the record that he approached the saudi government asking for financial support to counter what he described 'increasing iranian influence in pakistan'. according to him, this request had been made twice in the month of September and October this year. hope i am not spilling too much beans :)

                       

REPORTER-2: Interestingly, two new names were added to the list of banned orgs just before Eid, 1) Shia Talba Action Committee, 2) Markazi Sabeel Committee ....           

           

REPORTER-1: the total number of banned outfits has scaled to seven. and all of them are functioning without any official hindrance in gilgit-baltistan. the local leadership which is mostly shia dominated now is equally responsible for it.           

           

REPORTER-3: mmm interesting           

           

REPORTER-2: most of these leaders get votes on the basis of sect and clan. so their inclination towards the 'fraternity' is not surprising

                      

REPORTER-1: another bean spilling business :) a delegation of the local journalists was meeting the chief minister mehdi shah in gilgit. the delegation had only one sunni journalist while the rest were shias and by fate the sunni journalist somehow sat in the last row.

           

the chief minister without noticing the only sunni journalist started his meeting with a request to the journalists. while naming two shia politicians, the CM urged the journalists to persuade them not to speak against him. "they are our own momin brothers, you tell them to stop this malicious propaganda against me and i guarantee that no sunni will be chief minister ever in the history of gilgit-baltistan.

                       

REPORTER-3: ‎@true.... but the question who is gonna break this vicious cycle when the state itself is patronizing this outdated ideology ...

                       

REPORTER-1: only and only the masses. we need decades to change the mindset in gilgit-baltistan because from admission in a primary school to appointment of staff members in karakurum university revolves around this balance of power keeping the sectarian saturation in mind. its just a balance of power and standoff what we call peace...

                        

REPORTER-3: you are right bro ideally the masses can be the true change agent but they are not different from their lords...

 

 http://theterrorland.blogspot.in/2011/12/untold-story-of-shia-muslims-in.html

Deteriorating situation in Gilgit Baltistan, Abdul Hamid Khan, Chairman, Chairman Balawaristan National Front.

Deteriorating situation in Gilgit Baltistan, Abdul Hamid Khan, Chairman, Chairman Balawaristan National Front.

balawaristan@gmail.com

The situation in Gilgit Baltistan is deteriorated, when about 20 Pakistani Army uniform terrorist killed 19 innocent people in Harban Kohistan Diamar border on 28th Feb. 2012 after carefully checking their ID Cards issued by Pakistan. These ID Cards issued by government of Pakistan do not give us rights but death. This is Z.A. Bhutto's gift started in 1971 to divide the people on Shia Sooni line, when the pople had broken Jail to free their leaders. I think both PPP government and Military is involved , so the people are not united. Three main reasons for PPP to divide the people,

1. The people of Yasen had started serious protest against the increase of wheat which was supported by both Shia and Sooni religious leaders of Gilgit.

2. The so-called Zardari empowerment package of 2009 was exposed in Supreme Court of Pakistan.

3. Both Shia religious leader Agha Rahat Hussain and Sonni leader Qazi Nisar came close to unity. These unity trends by the people was not acceptable to Bhuttos PPP. Now some hardliner parties and pro-agencies people are blaming USA, Israel and India, which is their old strategy to give safe passage to their own terrorists. Now its the duty of Pakistan Army to arrest and present these terrorists if they do not belong to Army. If USA, Israel or India is involved, what some people say, then why the government and agencies do not ask them to present any proof, so the foreign killers are caught. But we are well aware that Pakistani occupation regime has been providing safe passage to those culprits who kill any Gilgiti or Balti.

This time also we don't expect any punishment to the terrorists, because some agency people have started to blame this killing to foreign agencies, so the real culprits are freed to kill more and more people with full impunity. But we demand that the killers should be exposed to the Gilgit Baltistan people in front of the eye witnesse and then let them go, because we don’t expect any punishment, because of our experience since 1971.

Elections in Pakistani colony - Azad Kashmir by Dr Shabir Choudhry

In a parliamentarian form of government a party that gets majority forms the next government; and the party leader becomes a Prime Minister. This happens in every democratic and civilised country. However, rules in a Pakistani occupied territory known as Azad Kashmir (independent Kashmir) are different.
 
PPP emerged as the winner in the elections. It was expected, as always is the case, a ruling party in Islamabad gets the desired results in Azad Kashmir to suits its needs. Barrister Sultan Mehmood, former Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir and a leader of the PPP was interviewed by a Pakistani TV. He happily claimed to have got the majority to form the government. The TV journalist asked him who is going to be the Prime Minister. Barrister Sultan Mehmood with a fake smile on his face said:Zardari Sahib will decide who is going to be the Prime Minister’ (of Azad Kashmir).
 
People who know how the system works and how posts are awarded, especially the post of the Prime Minister, claim that the man with a big purse will be the Prime Minister.  Choudhry Abdul Majid is the President of PPP Azad Kashmir; and should have been asked to form the government. However, that won’t happen, as he is not that rich. Choudhry Yasin and Barrister Sultan Majid are strong candidates for the post of Prime Minister; and insiders claim that Barrister Sultan Mehmood will be the next Prime Minister.
 
That sums up the level of azadi or independence this territory and its leaders have. Who is Zardari? He is a man accused of being ten per cent because of many corruption scandals, Surrey Palace, Swiss accounts etc. He has imposed a dictatorship in his own party and has virtually ruined it. Many even accuse this man with murder of his wife as well.
 
Oh yes, he is also a President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan – perhaps, ideal candidate for the post according to political standards of Pakistan. As far as I am concerned, Pakistanis can have a Mafia Don as their President, but what right has he got to impose his will on people of Azad Kashmir.
 
How unfortunate that in this territory – Azad Kashmir who will be our Assembly Member is decided by ‘Masters’ in Islamabad. These ‘Masters’ are in the form of Asif Ali Zardari, Nawaz Sharif, and other heads of Pakistani parties which dominate the politics of this unfortunate territory. Apart from that, Minister Kashmir Affairs, top four Pakistani officials - Chief Secretary, IG Police, Finance Secretary and Accountant General run and control Azad Kashmir. The final say, as always, is with the secret agencies and Pakistani army General, known as GOC Murree (General Commanding Officer based in Murree).
 
As if these checks and restrictions were not enough imperialists in Islamabad ensured that genuine voice of people does not emerge strongly to endanger their interests, so they have inserted a clause in Act 74 (under which this territory is run and controlled) that those who do not sign allegiance to Pakistan could not contest any elections or qualify for a public post.
 
Furthermore, all major decisions, including who will get promotions and what projects should be initiated are taken in meetings of Kashmir Council, which is Chaired by Prime Minister of Pakistan and controlled by the Pakistanis who have numerical majority there as well.
 
After this brief introduction it is pertinent to discuss the current elections in this independent Kashmir, which does not have any independence apart from the name. It is called Azad Kashmir to fool people of Jammu and Kashmir. It is unfortunate that many people of Azad Kashmir want to live in this fantasy world that they are azad or independent, as this false sense of being azad does not require any action or struggle on their part. Whereas, if they accept that they are not azad then obligation would be to do something about it; and the structure Pakistan has woven around them in the past 63 years is so strong that they cannot get rid off it.
 
In the present elections, all candidates of Pakistani parties (mainly PPP, N League, MQM, Jamat e Islami) contesting elections in Azad Kashmir were chosen by heads of these Pakistani parties; and the Azad Kashmiri leadership had no role in that – what a democracy.
 
In my considered view and in view of many other experts, the PPP would get 16-17 seats, N League 14-15 seats and Muslim League 8-9 seats; that no party gets a majority and Pakistani establishment can manoeuvre things as suits them.  One day before the elections my friend in Pakistan who has some contacts with those who call shots in matters of Azad Kashmir said: it has been decided that PPP will get 20 -21 seats, N League 8-9 and Muslim Conference get 5-6 seats.
 
When the election results were out, my prediction was wrong and my friend proved to be more accurate. Now there are allegations that the elections were rigged. But which elections of Azad Kashmir were not rigged? It is interesting that allegations of rigging are coming from leaders of N League and Sardar Atiq Khan who was Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir at the time of elections.
 
In one TV interview Sardar Atiq Khan said these are the worst elections of Azad Kashmir with rigging, violence and murders (3 deaths and 20 injured, ballot boxes stolen in some places and returning officer kidnapped).  He said leaders from Pakistan (PPP and N League leaders) who came to campaign in Azad Kashmir openly violated elections rules. But was he not the man in charge of so called Azad Kashmir? If he knows he is only a puppet and there are others who call the shots then why not acknowledge that.
 
Let us look how elections are managed in Azad Kashmir. The Assembly has total of 49 seats. Elections are held on 41 seats, 29 seats in Azad Kashmir with 12 seats spread over in Pakistan and reserved for Kashmir migrants. These 12 seats are always in hands of those who control Azad Kashmir and ‘reward’ to the parties of their choice. 5 seats are reserved for women and are shared according to party strength in the Assembly – generally 3 goes to the party with majority of seats. 1 seat for Overseas Kashmiris, sold to the highest bidder, 1 seat for technocrats and 1 seat for religious scholars.
 
Actual contest takes place on 29 seats in Azad Kashmir. There are many factors which determine the outcome of the elections. By and large, tribal loyalties are still strong and ideology of any kind has very little role in Azad Kashmiri elections. Money, role of the establishment and manpower with influence and guns play an important role in the outcome of elections.
 
During the election campaign votes are literally bought, sometimes with cash and sometimes with offer of development projects. For example, a village which has no access to a main road and people have to walk with their luggage and other belongings for transport could be persuaded to vote for a particular candidate in return x amount is paid for the construction of the road. Similarly, people vote for a candidate when they get money – during the campaign - to construct pavements or dig wells or other schemes which governments are supposed to do anyway.
 
My contacts tell me that Benazir Bhutto Income Scheme money was spent generously to buy votes in Azad Kashmir. It is claimed that money which was sent for the earthquake victims of Azad Kashmir was diverted and squandered by people in high positions. This money and some other funds, people claim, are now used to buy votes under the banner of BBIS.
 
My contacts further tell me that one day before the elections, in targeted seats PPP workers were offering up to 5000 rupees per vote. Some were even providing big sacks of flour and sugar (which is in short supply). In a country where 5000 rupees is a monthly wage for those lucky enough to be employed, it is huge income for a day for a family with 5-6 votes.
 
This is state of affairs in Azad Kashmir; and this is how politics works in this part of the world. Despite the above situation people in Pakistan and in some parts of Jammu and Kashmir like to call this territory Azad or independent Kashmir – a model state which the Pakistani elite think should encourage the remaining parts of Jammu and Kashmir to join it; and ultimately merge with Islamic Republic of Pakistan – a country ruled by likes of Zardari.
 
Do they think we are stupid? No Sirs, we don’t want to become a part of this rotten society which is corrupt to the core, which is intolerant, which breeds extremism and violence, which is at a war with itself and which has very bleak future.
 
Writer is Head Diplomatic Committee of Kashmir National Party, political analyst and author of many books and booklets. Also he is Director Institute of Kashmir

Drawing Comparisons: Pakistan and Islamic Movements by Senge Sering

To: feisal.naqvi@tribune.com.pk



Dear Feisal Naqvi

I read your commentary with interest in the Express Tribune and appreciate the boldness that you offer - something that the youth of Pakistan needs to challenge the wrong doings of the military

I would request you to write something about the slaughter of Palestinians which occurred between 1965-1967 in which Pakistani military was called to Jordan by the then King of Jordan and joint operation of Pakistani military and Jordanian army led to slaughter of more than twenty thousand Palestinians. If you ask the Palestinians, they put the total at more than forty thousand. It was genocide in its true form and today's champion of Palestinian cause, Pakistan - was in the middle of it. The army of Islam slaughtering the Muslims after taking money from the Muslim King of a Muslim country. Nothing could be more 'pure' and Pak than this. In later years, the Pakistani soldiers continued to perform their duties like mercenaries in other Muslim countries. They took money from the Islamic regime of Saudi Arabia to slaughter hundreds of Muslim pilgrims in Kaaba and in recent months, they have accepted money and jobs to kill the Muslims of Bahrain. They have taken money from the Atheist and Communist China to help eliminate Muslims in East Turkestan.

Interestingly, when Pakistanis were butchering the Palestinians, the west bank was in Jordan's occupation and Gaza was occupied by Egypt. At that time, Israel was no where near these Palestinian lands. In the years between 1967 and 2011, as Israel continues to control Palestine, thousands of Palestine Muslims have died at the hands of Israeli soldiers, but their number is far less than those Palestinians who perished at the hands of Pakistani soldiers in that one year alone.

While we condemn Israel for occupying Palestine, we fail to condemn Jordan and Egypt - both Muslim countries, which occupied Palestine after 1948. They had eighteen years for themselves and during those years, they could have offered a country to the Palestinians on a plate, but instead decided to oppress the Palestinians and loot their resources. The moment, Israel got control of Palestine in 1967, the attitude of the Arab occupying countries changed and they started singing songs of an independent Palestine.

Before we condemn Israel for its atrocities in Palestine, shouldn't we condemn the Arabs and Pakistanis for their crimes, and take them to the court of justice in Hague and charge Pakistani military for genocide. How come that the 17 carore strong nation of Pakistan is blinded on this issue and cannot see the one-sided slaughter of Palestinians at the hands of the so-called army of Islam, and continue to burn Israeli flags and raise slogans of throwing Israel in the Mediterranean?

Israel was created in the same year by the same colonial masters, which created Pakistan in 1947. So how come, one country is the 'country of Rehman and miracle of Quran' and the other one is the symbol of Satan and Imperialism?

It is ironic that the Indian Muslims who came to Sindh and occupied Karachi and unilaterally called it their homeland and marginalized the native Sindhis and took control of their resources - are called the just people of the nation of pure and God's children. Despite the fact the these immigrants had no ethnic claim to Sindh in history. The Jews who on the other hand returned to their homeland from where they were kicked out forcefully do not receive the same treatment and are rather called the occupiers.

My intention is not to belittle atrocities against Palestinians or increase strategic leverage for Israel in the Middle East. All I suggest is that every time, we condemn Israeli regime for doing something against the innocent Palestinians, we should add name of Pakistan to it as oppressor and murderer of Palestinians. The number of innocent Muslims that Pakistani military, ISI and their sponsored militants have killed is far greater than those killed by any non-Muslim regime or community in the modern history. It is shameful that today Pakistan has become the so-called spokesperson of OIC to talk about rights of the Muslim Umma, irrespective of having blood of millions of innocent Palestinians, Bangladeshis, Kashmiris, Gilgitis, Afghanis, Balochis, Sindhis, Pashtuns and Indian Muslims on her hand. No one reminds Pakistani regimes of their conduct towards those innocent Muslims, while the slogans for freedom for Kashmir and Palestine are being raised around the world.

Are we willing to let this chronic issue slip to the back of our heads; continue chanting meaningless slogans of freedom for Palestine and Kashmir; and let Pakistan lead this movement?

People like you, Mr. Naqvi, give us the hope that this farce created by Pakistan will also come to an end very soon.

Senge Sering

www.gilgitbaltistan.us

Shattered Shangri-La- Lessons For Hunza!

By: Ghulam Amin Baig

If James Hilton, the British Author of the best seller, Lost Horizon published in 1933, had visited Hunza valley on Thursday, 11th August, 2011, it would have shattered his dream of a Shangri-la, the fictional land of harmony, peace and tranquillity.

On that day, paradise was turned into hell; it was like paradise on fire, and seemed like the Ultar mountain demon, the evil spirit had come down the valley, and entered the evil body of the police officers, who sprayed bullets indiscriminately at innocent, unarmed and peaceful protestors, who’s homes, land and everything they lost on January 4, 2010, in the Attabad landslide lake. The shooting, killed a father and a son and injuring dozens of others.

As one speaker, addressing the spontaneous crowd of over 8,000 people who gathered the other day in Aliabad, at the crime scene, to condemn state terrorism and demanded arrest of the killers, said, ‘yesterday the sky was also weeping, you saw the sudden black clouds up above the valley and the heavy rain shower for almost one hour’, he said while crying. ‘Never before in the history of Hunza, such barbaric act of violence has ever happened, those buried in their graves for centuries, might have shaken as to what happened in Hunza, the land of peace and heaven on earth’, said another speaker.

Termed as a worldly paradise and a permanent happy land between the Himalayas and the western end of the Kunlun mountains, bordered with western Xinjiang Province of China, Hunza remained fiercely independent state for over 1000 years, and has close historic ties with China, before it was attacked and occupied by the British colonialists in 1892, and later, the British installed rulers joined and lead the other occupied neighbouring states to annex the whole Gilgit-Baltistan region with newly carved state of Pakistan in 1948.

The overt reason cited for the brutal killing was, the police force on forward security protocol duty along with the entourage of the Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan, who was visiting to distribute cheques to the same unfortunate victims of Attaabad lake who were protesting, wanted the road to be clear of any protest to pass the caravan smoothly.

In a similar pattern of incident, five days earlier, on August 5, 2011, over hundred armed mafia group linked to border trade with China, entered Hunza from south, passed quietly through all the police check posts, with no hindrance and boarded boats at Attabad spillway and reached Hussaini lake harbour upstream, attacked the small village of around 60 households, terrorized women and children, broken into houses, torched shops, tents and motor bikes, and inured dozens in a clash with local wage-labourers and local people. The police on site remained aloof and as spectator.

The reason for this act of terrorism and barbarism at Hussaini was that the local wage labourers and youth who are internally displaced and unemployed due to submerging in the lake of their houses and land and the only highway linking the valley down with Hunza. While the mafia and trade groups want a total business control at both ends of the Attabad Lake, which was unacceptable to the local people.

Later a peace delegation from the neighbouring valley visited Hussaini, and condemned the acts of the mafia, and apologized to the people and promised that such incidents will not happen again.

“We are born soldiers. We know how to fight and die for our land and our people. Look at the list of martyrs of 1948, 1965, 1971 and the Siachen and Kargil wars’, said an ex military officer from Hunza, ‘but we will never be such a coward to shoot at unarmed, civilians, terrorize women and children. Don’t be mistaken by our patience and love for peace, we know how to defend ourselves, and protect our people and our peace of mind, he added.

Other speakers at the gathering in Aliabad also draw a pattern in what happened on 5th August and what happened on 11th August. Obviously there is merit in many of the points raised. Who is for example interested in containing China, by delaying the widening of Karakoram highway (KKH), and draining of the lake that has blocked the KKH; who is interested to control the newly established Hunza-Nagar district, which is an important trade corridor with China; what is the interest of the vested interest groups in gaining petty shares in the existing booty from the illegal sale of relief goods including fuel oil at the spillway; What happened as a mob response damaging public property and buildings, was it pre-planned by the same vested interests who attacked Hussaini and killed IDPs or was it just a spontaneous reaction of teen-aged boys frustrated for many other reasons? who actually ordered the DSP to shoot and kill? Who armed the people and provided boats to transport to Hussaini?

There is a need to look back at what happened, and what is being planned to happen as a result of these two recent events, and may be other twists that are coming.

Who is watching these and the early signs?, who will take pre-emptive measures, and issue early warnings? Who is responsible for preparedness and response in the event of such man-made disasters?

The youth, nationalist and democratic leaders and activist need to call an all parties MARAKA to address these issues, draw lessons and chart a plan of action to defend the people and protect the Shangri-La from the evil spirits.

Rise up again, before our Shangri-La is shattered, and we are LOST in the Horizon!

 http://www.balawaristan.net/Articles/shattered-shangri-la-lessons-for-hunza.html

 

Kashmir Problem Nehru’s Special Gift? By Balraj Puri

Seniormost BJP leader Lal Krishan Advani slammed family of Jawaharlal Nehru “whose lack of courage led to Kashmir issue remaining unresolved.” In his blogged statement, the BJP leader also slammed the late Chief Minister, then called Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir whose ambition to be the leader of an independent Kashmir also contributed to the issue.

According to Advani, India had two opportunities to settle the issue once and for all—one in 1947 when Nehru ruled the country and the other in 1971, when his daughter Indira Gandhi was at the helm of the affairs. Thus, “Kashmir problem is Nehru’s special gift to the nation,” he wrote in his entry blog: http/blog.l.k.advani.in

No quotation will remain as important as this statement of Advani. For no other Advani is ever likely to become as important in the family as Lal Krishan has become. Nor Kashmir is likely to remain as controversial for ever as it is today.

Political generalizations are always a hazardous task. Who could, for instance, have predicted that a Hindu ruler of a Muslim majority state of princely states of India, would opt to accede to India at the time of the partition of the subcontinent into two countries of India and Pakistan in 1947? And an attack by tribes of Muslims of Pakistan would be so resolutely opposed by overwhelming Muslim population of Kashmir. Indeed Gandhi saw a ray of light in the benighted subcontinent of India and Pakistan during the partition of India in 1947. Kashmir provided a ray of hope to the apostle of non-violence at his darkest hour.

Nehru had cultivated people of Kashmir over decades. He fell in love with the beautiful damsel of Kashmir which was adequately reciprocated. By championing the cause of self-rule of Kashmiri Muslims against rule of outsiders—Mughal, Afghan, Sikh and Dogra rulers—extending to 400 years—Nehru established the principle that soveignty belonged to the people and not to the rulers as announced by the British rulers while granting independence to India. Thus India established superiority of its moral and political case during crucial cold war era—the effects of which are still being felt. This qualitative change in world politics is the most tangible gain for forces of moral principles is to change the rules of the game. Who is the greater gainer? A nation that establishes a higher rates of growth? Has acquired more powerful weapons of destruction? Is more influential rule in world affairs? And so on.

India under Nehru’s leadership aspired to change the rules of the game? And moved ahead of what were so far considered to be more powerful or, richer or more prosperous nations. The new rules may be more humane, nobler, more moral and civilized? Unless rules of the game are settled, it is difficult to pass a judgment on who has performed better?

For as a constitutional head, Maharaja, had no power nor he could provide leadership to the region and his presence would inhibit growth of any political leadership. I submitted that what Jammu needed was not a psychological illusion but tangible and institutional arrangement for the purpose.

Nehru appreciated the line of reasoning and anomaly of the situation. But he averred that Hari Singh-Abdullah cart still represented a sort of “stable instability.” That the cart did not prove stable instability became evident when Maharaja had to abdicate on May 25, 1949.

From 1949 to 1952, I had several meetings with Nehru in which, inter alia, I urged appreciation of secular character of urges of Jammu and for constitutional and institutional arrangement for satisfaction of its regional aspirations..

In my meeting with Nehru on April 14, 1952, I reminded him in a written note that, “greatest internal problem of the state is to maintain cordial relations between its constituent units.” I demanded regional autonomy for this objective. On the eve of the Delhi Agreement between Nehru and Abdullah, I argued, in my meeting with Nehru on July 15, 1952, that in his talks with Kashmiri leaders whatever status agreement was arrived on centre-state relations, its logic should be extended to the state-region relations. Nehru asked me to give him a week to discuss the matter with Sheikh Sahib. Meanwhile I met the Sheikh also, who, too was convinced. Thus the Delhi Agreement signed by Nehru and Abdullah on July 24, 1952 provided for autonomy for the state within India and for regional autonomy within the State.

But complications were added in regional relations and centre-state relations by the agitation launched by Praja Parishad against that Agreement and for ek vidhan, ek pradhan and ek nishan (one constitution, one president and one flag) and for abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution which granted a special status to the state.

Discussing the situation in Jammu Hind Samachar on December 25, 1952, editorially commented, “In this connection Balraj Puri, who feels concerned over the Jammu agitation, has suggested regional autonomy which deserves consideration. For no other solution is in sight.”

A similar observation was made by the Tribune on February 11, 1952. It observed, “as Sheikh Abdullah is entitled to demand autonomy and we appreciate his position, similarly Sheikh Abdullah should appreciate the demand of people of Jammu. They must be given genuine autonomy.”

Sheikh Abdullah offering negotiations with Jana Sangh repeated his stand for giving regional autonomy “as would be provided in the constitution that was being drawn up.” Broadcasting from Radio Kashmir on April 17, 1953, he said, “this will remove all the fears of domination of one unit over the other and will make for voluntary unity and consolidation of the people of the state.”

Indira Gandhi’s agreement with Sheikh Abdullah undid all the wrongs that were done by Nehru to the Sheikh and internationalized the Kashmir problem for war 21 years. India would have missed that opportunity if it had persisted with the demand, of Dr. Mukerjee. And continued to oppose Kashmir’s accession to India if Kashmiris had persisted in opposing Article 370.

Nehru had led India when values and system were fast changing. From feudal age, capitalist liberalism became popular. Nehru also realized the importance of egalitarian urges of the people and in 1955 the Congress party, which he led, adopted socialistic pattern of society as its objective. Thus his leadership remained relevant throughout.

Had Nehru yielded to the demand of Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukerjee, the founder president of the Bhartiya Jana Sangh, the predecessor of the BJP, case of secularism, federalism and democracy in India would have been much weaker and India would not have been able to acquired the position it had acquire in the world.

Nehru succeeded in getting the accession of all the three disputed princely states—Hyderabad, Junagarh and Kashmir to India with full legally and moral validity. For it had the support of the ruler, who had the legal authority to do so as well as the peoples of these States. The alternative approach of the Hindu requisites, who tried to exchange Hyderabad with Kashmir would have made India much weaker. Many complication have been added to Kashmir problem since then. But BJP, has played no small role in weakening India’s case on Kashmir as is evident from its role what is called full integration of the state with Indian Union.

Balraj Puri, a noted author and activist, is based in Jammu

 

In Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, residents see experiment with autonomy as 'illusion'

  One area of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir was given limited autonomy in 2009 and hailed as a successful model for the disputed region – but many residents say there hasn't been enough change.

 By Issam Ahmed, Correspondent / November 28, 2011

GILGIT, PAKISTAN

Baba Jan, a 30-something political activist from Gilgit Baltistan in northeast Kashmir, was jailed by Pakistani police in mid-September for inciting unrest, considered terrorism.   

From jail, where he was imprisoned along with about 50 other political workers, Mr. Jan claims the real reason for his detention and indefinite extension has to do with his politics: Jan’s Labor Party actively demands greater autonomy and a referendum on independence for Gilgit-Baltistan, which lies in disputed Kashmir. Pakistandoesn’t want that.

“We want our assembly to decide whether to join China, Pakistan, or India – but I’d prefer independence,” says Jan.  “Why join a country that uses terrorism in the name of Islam? No human rights, no political rights and no free judges. No one wants to stay with this country and that’s why the intelligence agencies hound us.”

In an effort to meet long-simmering demands for greater autonomy, Pakistan’s Pakistan People’s Party-led government granted this region limited autonomy, including their own elected assembly in 2009. At the time it was hailed as a great success and potential model for the rest of the disputed region by commentators in Pakistan. Now, three years later, many in this region say they aren’t seeing enough change.

“We don’t control any of our own income generating ministries – tourism, forestry, water and power, gems, or commerce and works,” says Nawaz Khan Naji, founder and president of the Balawaristan National Front.

'Autonomy is an illusion'

Autonomy is an illusion, he says, because Gilgit-Baltistan has not been formally recognized as a province in Pakistan’s constitution. It is governed according to a “colonial system” by Islamabad-appointed bureaucrats under a council headed by Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani. Naji’s party goes further than the Labour Party and demands outright independence.

The territory, known for its towering mountains (including K2) and beautiful lakes, was ceded to Pakistan on Nov. 1, 1947, following a three-month struggle against the Hindu Maharaja of Kashmir who at the time controlled the entire state of Kashmir.

But the Pakistani government chose to govern both Gilgit-Baltistan and Pak Ocupied  Kashmir (POK) directly rather than grant them provincial status in the hope that one day a referendum would be carried out across both Pakistani and Indian Kashmir so that the territory could chose to join either Pakistan or India.

That ambiguous status has led to resentment. While pro-independence sentiments are limited here – especially compared with Indian Kashmir, which underwent a Pakistan-backed rebellion in the 1980s and 1990s – calls for greater autonomy are more widespread.  Pro-independence activists and journalists routinely face harassment and intimidation as well as jail time, say human rights activists.

“The elected government is not strong enough in Gilgit-Baltistan,” says Husain Naqi, a senior council member of the Human Rights Commision of Pakistan, who has visited the region over several years. “The military establishment believes they can control separatists like they do in Balochistan,” he adds, referring to Pakitsan’s most restive province where a low-level independence insurgency is underway.

Claims of torture 

Baba Jan, a thick-set man with a close-cropped beard and long hair, claims he has been beaten around the feet, choked, and threatened with having his leg removed if he does not confess to the murder of Sher Afzal and Sher Ali Abid, a father and son who were shot dead by police in Aliabad in August, according to multiple eyewitnesses the Monitor spoke to (the police officers in question are under investigation but have not been arrested or suspended).

 The protestors were rallying against the government for failing to provide enough compensation to the residents of a village whose houses were drowned during a flood-induced landslide in January 2010. Since being sent to jail, Jan has become the center of a campaign to free him, involving rallies in Gilgit as well as in Islamabad and Lahore.

“The police asked me, ‘Why are you inciting the people? Why are you leading rallies?’ to which I replied ‘It is my fundamental right’,” he says.

About 50 other political workers were jailed with Baba Jan. Another jailed activist, Ifthikhar Ahmed of the Karokoram National Movement who was arrested alongside Jan, claims his feet were crushed and stuck with pins, and he was deprived of sleep for participating in the rally. 

Also behind bars is Tariq Hossain Shah President of the Gilgit-Baltistan Union of Journalists, and Iman Shah, resident editor of the Ausaf paper. The pair collaborated on a story alleging nepotism in judicial appointments in the Gilgit-Baltistan High Court and were sentenced to six months in jail for contempt of court by the same judges they had reported on.

“Reporters don’t have many rights here,” says Mr. Shah, a tall young man in his 20s, who, like many here, does not view himself as a Pakistani. “In Pakistan there are constitutional protections for journalists, but we not constitutionally part of Pakistan. Pakistan doesn’t accept as Pakistanis.”

Home Secretary Asif Bilal Lodhi denies any of the prisoners have been mistreated, adding: “Baba Jan is a known troublemaker who was identified by the locals as being behind the unrest.” He says political parties are free to carry out activities, including rallies, so long as they gain approval and “as long as they do not burn our flag, which we cannot tolerate.”

Multiple intelligence agents who approached the Monitor during the reporting of this piece were adamant that the separatists are in fact backed by Indian money and garner little support beyond college students and minor leftwing parties.

'Dangerous for changing mindsets'

But Mr. Naji, the BNF founder, denies that’s the case. “I’m not funded by a foreign hand but the establishment feel I’m dangerous for changing mindsets,” he says. 

“When I first started protesting for independence in 1989, I had a handful of supporters. Now things have changed,” he says, pointing to the fact that he was elected to Gilgit-Baltistan assembly in 2009 with 8,300 votes. “For me it’s useless being in the assembly, but we need to show we have support.”

According to Naji, the region’s geo-strategic importance could bring its citizens greater prosperity if it were to cede from Pakistan. “We want to create an Asian Switzerland that is friends to all nations but remains neutral. We can link China to the Gulf and India to Central Asia,” he says, as well as expand tourism and free itself of sectarian violence that Pakistan has brought with it.

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