War on terror: Pak army offered 13,000 lives

Pak army has conducted over 850 operations in war on terror in the last 3 years in tribal areas.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8i8bNk-c38&feature=player_embedded

According to sources, a time-frame of three years was set for the operation against extremists in tribal areas that started in 2009. The Pak army has conducted 241 operations of brigade and above level while 650 operations were carried out at battalion level.
However, army equivalent to 4 divisions was functional during Swat operation.
The sources reveal that three of the ISI regional headquarters were targeted by suicide bombers out of five during 2009-2012. Uptill now, 250 officers of intelligence agencies have been martyred in the war on terror.
Further details reveal that the families of army personnel deployed in operational areas also receive death threats.
According to sources, 40 percent of the Pakistan army comprising 230,000 personnel is being deployed in the eastern and western borders carrying out peace mission of United Nations.

Read more »

Another American spying Project in Pakistan

At this crucial moment, the joint session of the Parliament has been considering the recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) about Pakistan’s foreign policy in general and the new terms of engagement with the United States including NATO and ISAf in particular in the backdrop of deadly Salala attacks, killing 24 Pakistani troops on November 26 last year.

Despite the rejection of US investigation report, suspension of NATO supply, vacation of Shamsi Airbase and boycott of the second Bonn Conference, America has not retreated from expanding its espionage network in the country. For this purpose, US has decided to extend its embassy building in Islamabad with a height of seven storeys. In this respect, even The Washington Post reported recently that the US embassy in Islamabad, which already houses the largest CIA contingent in the world, is being expanded without approval of Pakistan’s foreign ministry or input from the country’s intelligence agencies.

It is notable that in January 16 this year, the building blueprint was approved by a committee consisting of the officials of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), representatives of Planning, Emergency and Disaster Management and members nominated by the Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners.

In this regard, an official of the CDA told a daily newspaper that the site plan of the US embassy was approved under new building by-laws enforced since 2007 in Islamabad under which ground plus seven storeys are allowed for the buildings in Diplomatic Enclave. Earlier only four storeys were allowed there.

However, without raising any objection and taking note of the security consequences, the committee which was satisfied with various features presented in the construction plan, blindly gave approval of constructing seven storeys.

According to media reports, when a local intelligence agency raised concerns on March 21 this year, the city managers of the CDA have decided to limit the height of the new US embassy complex to four storeys instead of seven. The spy agency asked the CDA “to explain as to how it could approve a seven-storey structure in the Diplomatic Enclave, and urged the CDA to take appropriate action.” Two weeks ago, the related secret agency had also written a letter to the CDA in which it termed the “building plan of the US embassy a security hazard.” Although taking cognisance of the security concerns, the CDA has reportedly been left in a fix because on the one side, it could not afford to defy the genuine apprehensions of the intelligence agency, while on the other, it had no courage to unilaterally revoke or revise the approved plan of the embassy of the sole super power.

In this context, CDA Chairman Farkhand Iqbal told a daily newspaper, “We will definitely take appropriate action and will ask US authorities to stop construction of the embassy complex till further decision is taken by the CDA in this matter.” Now, apparently it looks that instead of seven storeys, four storeys will be allowed for the US embassy’s complex. But the real scheme of the seven storeys will remain intact because the CDA cannot take any action on its own behalf to revise the US building plan unless the issue is being settled by the higher forum like the Foreign Office. Nevertheless, the clandestine aims behind the proposed height of the US embassy building is to fix surveillance devices and the sophisticated electronic monitoring system at the rooftop in order to enable the American officials and CIA agents to watch movements and activities inside important buildings such as the Presidential House, Prime Minister Secretariat, Parliament House, the ministries and government offices including the headquarters of the ISI. It is of particular attention that in 2009, Pakistan’s media had focused on private security firms which American diplomats were using in the country under the pretext of providing security to its embassies. In this regard, the existence of the US notorious private security firm, Blackwater was verified in our country with a new name as Xe Services. In this respect, Blackwater and CIA started recruiting Pakistani nationals who were vulnerable and could work on their payroll. As part of US espionage network, hundreds of the CIA agents who entered Pakistan under the guise of diplomats hired houses in Islamabad. They started supervising and guiding the anti-Pakistan activities of their affiliated militants including their Pakistani agents. Having coordination with Indian secret agency RAW and Israeli Mossad, these spies were not only trying to gather information about Pakistan’s nuclear assets, but also supporting subversive acts like suicide attacks, target killings, ethnic and sectarian violence so as to destabilise Pakistan as it is the only nuclear country in the Islamic world. In this respect, on January 27, 2011, the killing of two Pakistani nationals in Lahore by CIA agent, Raymond Davis had clearly exposed the intentions of America and covert operations of its secret agency.

Observing the activities of the so-called diplomats and CIA agents, ISI started thwarting the anti-Pakistan activities of the agents of Blackwater and CIA. In this context, with the pre-information of ISI, Pakistan’s police and other security agencies arrested a number of agents. For instance, on September 19, 2009, police raided the Inter-Risk, a private security company in Islamabad, and arrested its two employees, namely Tauqeer and Muhammad Khan, possessing unlicensed shotguns, handguns and ammunition. On the other side, US embassy spokesperson Richard Snelsire pretended, “The US contract with the Inter-Risk is to provide security at the embassy and consulates.” While keeping vigilant eye on these external elements, on many occasions, ISI helped in stopping the secret movements of the CIA spies who were traveling in vehicles, covered with black mirrors showing themselves as diplomats. Sometimes weapons were snatched from them, and sometimes they were sent back to Islamabad. In this respect, on the information of this top spy agency, Pakistan’s establishment expelled several American spies operating in the country. On the other side, US withheld $700 million in military aid to punish its military and ISI.

In fact, very differences started between Pakistan and America as ISI interrupted covet actions of these so-called diplomats. In this regard, during his meeting with the CIA Director Michael Morell in July, 2011, former ISI DG Lt. Gen. Shuja Pasha flatly told that we would continue anti-terror and intelligence-sharing cooperation between the two agencies, but would never tolerate a private ‘network’, the CIA is secretly maintaining in Pakistan. Even new ISI Chief Lt. Gen. Zaheerul Islam will not deviate from real functions of ISI which it has already been performing. New DG can only further improve the efficiency of this agency, but basic aims of securing the national integrity remains the same. Nonetheless, the US embassy expansion aims at accommodating greater influx of technical assets, undeclared CIA operatives and contractors to pursue CIA-led operations in Pakistan. It is in the same context that the US has been relentlessly lobbying for expanding infrastructure at Khalid Aviation Base, setting up of consulates in Multan and Quetta, and acquiring land accommodation facilities in major cities across the country.

Americans are also trying to shift their consulate in Lahore to Johar Town, where they want to purchase a huge plot. But, the Foreign Office and intelligence agencies are not willing to allow the shifting of the consulate, presently located very close to the Governor’s House. In the recent past, the govt had also rejected the request of American ambassador to open consulate in Quetta. While Pakistan’s superior agency has compelled the CIA to wind up its network in the country, America’s new plan to extend the height of the US embassy complex is another spying project in Islamabad. It is the right hour that the govt must intervene to revise the approval of the seven-storey scheme of the US embassy building, passed by the CDA as it is likely to pose multiple security threats to the country.

Read more »

Hizb-ut-Tahrir's Lies and unIslamic Beliefs Exposed

Have you ever wondered how organizations such as Hizb ut-Tahrir operate?

Their activities are shrouded in secrecy and our all-powerful agencies say that they have had little success in dismantling the network. While agencies might be doing their best, it looks like they have not penetrated the actual methods of communications between the leaders, activists and low ranking associates of the group.

The history of Hizb ut-Tahrir’s activities in Pakistan is relatively new. The UK based group surfaced in different varsities of Pakistan right after Musharraf agreed to join the war against terrorism. They targeted educated young Pakistanis in different colleges and universities and their method of attack was new and quite successful.

First encounter with Hizb ut-Tahrir

During the summer of 2001, I received a call from a friend of mine on my cell phone. These were the days when calls on cell phones were not cheap so it was pretty obvious that the matter was urgent. He said he wanted me to go to a function. I was told that ‘they’ had arranged for 200 people but only a few people turned up and now they desperately needed an audience.

My friend asked me to bring as many people as I could. He promised me that he would pay for their cab fares as well. I was hesitant about recommending something I had not experienced, so I went alone.

To my utter surprise, the gathering was a protest arranged by Hizb ut-Tahrir Islamabad Chapter to protest the American attack on Afghanistan. Being just 16-years-old and fed with what I had seen around me, I was eager to get the ‘real facts’ that the western media was keeping from us.

Before the commencement of the actual event, we were asked to detour to G-9 Markaz (commonly known as Karachi Company) to persuade people to come to the protest. As I was new to all this, I clung to my friend who along with other activists went to the main wagon stop and asked people to join them and listen to the real facts behind the attack on Afghanistan and plans of kafirs about Pakistan in particular, and Muslim ummah in general.

While most of the elders we approached looked unimpressed by the empty rhetoric, teenagers like me were greatly amused. Some people seemed to shy away until they were told that there was a lavish meal with qorma and biryani after the event. The lucrative offer attracted many people and we managed to convince at least 80 people to come to the protest with us.

During the protest, I interacted with students who were from different colleges and universities of Islamabad. Surprisingly, most of them were brought by their friends under the pretext of some function where attendees didn’t show up or where food was going to be served. The most astonishing fact was that a few kids had been told that there was a fight between two rival gangs and their friends were in dire need of help. I didn’t understand why the group needed to lie to people to bring in an audience!

Don’t you want to know the ‘real’ facts?

The protest started with recitation from the Holy Quran. The verse quoted was a famous one from Surah Ahzaab that deals with the friendship with Jews and Christians. The speaker explained that Jews and Christians (he explicitly said ‘West and Western sponsored NGOs’ after that) were afraid of the ‘rise of Islam in Afghanistan and wanted to wipeout the caliphate from there and it has been mentioned in a Hadith as well.’

He went on to recite a Hadith about the rise of an Islamic Army from Khurasan and told us that Khurasaan is the old name of Afghanistan. He said that the youth need to stand up and there is a need for Hazrat Mauz (RA) and Maaz (RA) to cater to the problem of Western imperialism.

There were three speeches with loads of what I now understand was liberal bashing; a speaker asked those present to take an oath that they will stand up to defend Islam. We were told that American agents are like the munafiqeen of Medina and they pronounced the decrees on the basis of hypocrisy. My mind was confused but I was excited. I really wanted to know about the ‘real history’ of events and verses that speakers were quoting (or misquoting) and interpreting (or misinterpreting).

The speakers said that Islam and Pakistan were in danger and that USA will destroy our nuclear bomb because they are afraid of the power of the caliphate. According to the men Islamic territories in Spain, Armenia, Russia and in other countries of Eastern Europe could be reclaimed if we just united on a one-point agenda of caliphate and supported the caliphate in Afghanistan.

Questioning the teacher

The next day I was in my college library going through several books of Islamic History and translations of the Holy Quran. I wrote a list of questions on a piece of paper and called my friend who told me that there was a dars at the residence of the mentor of Hizb ut-Tahrir in I-10/2.

We went there later in the evening. The dars included the usual stuff: mostly anti-America rhetoric, although notably the speaker didn’t mention the word Taliban or Taliban ideology. At the end of the dars, I raised my hand to ask the speaker about the questions that were in my mind.

Honestly, I had a blast.

After answering a few of my queries however, the speaker stopped me from asking further questions and quoted a hadith that said that there is a thin line between Islam and Kufar. I immediately knew that he was about to declare me Kafir. I didn’t lose hope, I attended many other sessions and tried to expunge my doubts, but to no avail.

My last experience with the Hizb ut-Tahrir was in the aftermath of the earthquake in 2005. During the usual dars and Caliphate rhetoric (that I was not satisfied with) the speaker said that the earthquake was occurred because we are not doing enough to bring shariah in Pakistan. I wanted to ask which Shariah? There are so many versions and everyone knows that.

It didn’t continue for long, I was already detached and unconvinced from the misinterpretation of Quran and Hadith and misuse of different verses of Quran in the pamphlets that HuT distributed after every Friday prayers outside mosques. This usually happened in Sector I-10, the whole operation of distribution of pamphlets and arrangements of lectures was done by a man who was working at a government department.

Cutting ties with Hizb ut-Tahrir

I still remember the day when I ceased all contact with everyone who was associated with HuT. It was the day they termed suicide bombings as a justifiable response to the situation by saying an eye for an eye.

The statement was just between people close to the patron of HuT I-10 and it was not said openly.

I had always suppressed my thoughts about my first encounter with Hizb ut-Tahrir.

I was unable to understand why they lied to people and told them about the lavish dinner after the meeting?

Why didn’t they offer some realistic plans about issues like electricity, gas and so many others?

Their answer to every question is Muslims should bring Caliphate and everything will be fine!

Read more »

Najam Sethi's Conspiracies against Pak Army and ISI exposed

In the TFT editorial "ISI has taken over GHQ" Najam Sethi in his immense wisdom says, "intelligence services must consciously be kept at arms length from GHQ because field commanders must not get contaminated or tainted by cloak and dagger operations in grey zones". And then goes on to name a few DGs ISI who were either not given command and 'side lined' to other unimportant staff appointments or were retired prematurely.

The man doesn't have the basic idea of the postings and placement of senior army officers and blurts out what comes to his mind randomly. When he says that the Intelligence Generals must be kept away from the GHQ so that Field Commanders are not contaminated, does he know that there are no field commanders in the GHQ except the COAS, who commands the entire army.

All others at the GHQ are Staff Officers and Principal Staff Officers (PSOs), who do not even command the peons (Naib Qasids) of their offices. Field commanders are in the field and for his easy understanding they are the Corps Commanders, Divisional Commanders, Brigade Commanders down to Battalion and Company and Platoon commanders.

Again, if we go by his analogy of keeping the DG ISI (Senior most Intelligence Officer) away from the field, then could he tell us where did Lt Gen Nadeem Taj go after his being posted out from the ISI? Well, he was appointed Corps Commander Gujranwala and he did not contaminate the command in any way. Similarly, there could be many other examples of the ISI officers being posted to the army Field Appointments.

Trouble with such pseudo intellectuals (mostly anchor persons) is that they are the Misters 'Know It All' and can wield their pen on any subject under the sun and that too authoritatively. Only, what they don't know is their own profession, where the tuppence of a Suhafi persistently shoves the mic most rudely and arrogantly into the face of a dignitary much elder and superior in status and stature to him.

Read more »

Missing persons: ISI, MI counsel says RAW and Mossad involved

ISLAMABAD:
The counsel for Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI) and Military Intelligence (MI) has revealed in the Supreme Court that Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and Israel’s Mossad are active in Pakistan. He was speaking during the hearing of the missing persons case.

He said that they were behind kidnappings in the country and were being helped by terrorist groups.

The chief justice asked the defence counsel if the agencies had any credible information of the involvement of RAW and Mossad, and why they did not take any against them. “We did not bar you from taking action against RAW and Mossad.”

Terming the intelligence agencies’ reply on Adiala missing persons unsatisfactory, the apex court on Friday took suo motu notice against the abduction of a boy who used to provide food at camps set up by the relatives of missing persons outside parliament.

A three judge-bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry directed Inspector General of Police Islamabad and Attorney General of Pakistan Maulvi Anwarul Haq to submit a report of the incident by March 17 and present the abductee before the court on March 19.

Addressing Maulvi Anwarul Haq and Raja Irshad, counsel for ISI and MI, the chief justice said that this time a man was abducted right under the nose of the federal government. Advocate Tariq Asad the counsel for missing persons told the court that Omar Mehmood Khan was picked up by the intelligence agencies because he used to serve the food to the families at the missing persons’ camp at D-Chowk (in front of the Parliament).

Raja Arshad rejected the allegations, stating that the military intelligence agencies were not involved in missing persons’ episodes.

A family recently returned from Canada through a letter had informed the Human Rights Cell of the apex court that one of their family members, Omar Mehmood Khan, 24, was abducted by the agencies on March 10 near Orchid Scheme in Islamabad.

“After going through the contents of the letter last night, we issued notices to IGP Islamabad that what kind of high-handedness was underway by none other than officials of agencies, even in the federal capital city,” the chief justice informed the attorney general.

The letter suggests that Omar was kidnapped in the same style as was used in picking up many other missing persons. Men driving two double cabins with tinted glasses, a black corolla, a white Suzuki Baleno and a Suzuki Mehran picked up the boy in front of his father, mother and a younger brother.

Omar’s mother, Dr Rubina was also present in the court today. The chief justice, while calming her down, said that “we will not allow anyone to act above the law”, adding that the agencies were not above the Constitution.

Advocate Raja Irshad asked the court why all blame was leveled on the ISI and MI. The chief justice said that, “We respect our armed forces and intelligence agencies, but when they detracted then the court and media expressed concerns and you cannot stop us from this.”

During the last hearing, the court had rejected explanatory reports submitted by the lawyer of the agencies and termed them unsatisfactory, and had also sought a detailed report from the chief secretary of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The K-P chief secretary submitted a report on the health of inmates today, which was appreciated by the court.

Counsel for detainee Hafiz Majid, Advocate Tariq Asad informed the court that his client was suffering from Cancer and Hepatitis C, and asked that permission be granted to shift him to Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital in Lahore.

The court was informed that the health condition of at least three prisoners was still not satisfactory. The chief justice asked Raja Irshad how the detainees were being treated. “Were they not human? Why a fair trial right was denied to them? We will proceed against you after deciding initial things – you will tell us how the four of them died in your custody.”

Advocate general of K-P will submit a report within three days on which internment centers inmates will be kept at. The court also asked him to arrange a place where relatives of these inmates could see them easily.

Read more »

Pakistani army defied WikiLeaks' Osama allegations

Islamabad, Feb 29 (IANS) Pakistani army Tuesday denied whistleblowing website WikiLeaks cable's allegation, suggesting Pakistan military and the main intelligence officials were aware of Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden's presence in Abbottabad city.

The US military killed bin Laden May 2, 2011, leaving the Pakistan government embarrassed over his presence in the country, Xinhua reported.

According to a WikiLeaks report, officials of the Pakistan army and spy agency Inter-State Services (ISI) knew about bin Laden's hideout in Abbottabad.

Pakistani army's spokesman Major General Athar Abbas denied the allegations about contacts between Pakistani intelligence officials and bin Laden.

Gen. Abbas rejected what he called the so called "leaks", saying that they were nothing but a pile of a baseless fabrication.

"These charges are not new. These leaks are actually old wine in new bottle", he said.

On Monday, WikiLeaks published over five million emails from US-based global security analysis firm Stratfor. The messages were reportedly stolen by hacker group Anonymous.

"Mid to senior level ISI and Pak military, with one retired Pak military General, had knowledge of the OBL (Osama bin laden) arrangements and safe house," Online news agency quoted Fred Burton, Stratfor vice-president for intelligence, as writing in an email.

The email was reportedly written May 13 to one of the company's regional directors for South Asia soon after the killing of the Al Qaeda chief.

Read more »

Kashmir Solidarity Day- FACTS AND FIGURES

Kashmir Solidarity Day has been observed on 5 February each year since 1990 in Pakistan as a day of protest against Indian control of part of Kashmir.^[1] It is a national holiday in Pakistan.^[2] Kashmir Day was first appealed by Qazi Hussain Ahmed of the Ameer-e-Jammat-e-Islami party in Pakistan in 1990. Since then on 5Feb it is a national holiday in Pakistan.^{[citation needed]}. Pakistan considers Kashmir as the core issue, between India and Pakistan, leading to three wars and devoting a major portion of their national incomes to defense budgets.^{[citation needed]} World leaders have stressed the need to resolve the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan to avoid an eventuality that may cause a catastrophe in the region. Kashmir is the nuclear flash point of South Asia, surrounded by three nuclear powers.
It is Pakistan's view that the international community in general, and governing world bodies in particular, should intervene and force India to stop shedding innocent Kashmiri blood. However, most of the international community except China refuse to interfere in the Conflict maintaining that it is matter between India and Pakistan best resolved bilaterally. India claims to maintain like Pakistan, that the people of Kashmir should have the right to decide their fate. Accordingly it has held elections in the state at various times. Elections held in 2008 were generally regarded as fair by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, had a high voter turnout in spite of calls by militants for a boycott, and led to the pro-India Jammu & Kashmir National Conference forming the government in the state.
Pakistan and members of the separatist community in Kashmir continue to claim that atrocities are being committed by the Indian state in Kashmir a claim which India denies, laying a reverse charge on Pakistan for backing insurgency, terrorism and stoking communal passions in  state. In the middle of 2010 there were widespread protests and unrest on the streets of Jammu and Kashmir against the killings of civilians by Indian security forces. The security forces in India and the Indian Army however claimed that the deaths were accidental while trying to control hundreds of protesters out on the street who were pelting stones at the security forces. Nevertheless the protests against the security forces spiraled out of control and within a couple of months more than a 100 civilians had lost their lives. During the Kashmir uprising in the summer of 2010 which saw scores of protesters killed by Indian security forces and complete shutdown of Kashmir for over a month, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, a key separatist leader, said "We want end to Indian occupation here and have already laid out our proposal for initiating a dialogue,"^[3]
The purpose of Kashmir Solidarity day as per Pakistan is to provide sympathetic and political support to the kashmiri separatists people who they believe are struggling for their freedom from the Indian rule. Pakistan calls the part of Kashmir that it occupies as Azad Jammu & Kashmir (Independent Jammu & Kashmir), while the part occupied by India is called Maqbuza Kashmir (Occupied Kashmir). The Indians call the area under Pakistan as Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK).

Read more »