Thursday, April 28, 2011

Is Parachinar not part of Pakistan, asks NA panel chief

 
 
Mumtaz Alvi
Monday, April 25, 2011
 
ISLAMABAD: Over 100 residents of militant-besieged Parachinar, which is the headquarters of Kurram Agency, have set up a protest camp outside the National Press Club to press the government for ridding them of the armed gangs of Taliban.

Through a memorandum, a copy of which is available with The News, the Youth of Parachinar, a platform of Turi and Bangash tribes, aired some questions: Is Parachinar not a part of Pakistan? Is it really impossible for the government to open and make secure the main Thal Parachinar-Peshawar Road that was closed over four years back?

It continued could a civilised nation justify the crippling embargo on a population of more than 0.5 million people? Is there any humanitarian organisation in Pakistan that could help alleviate deepening sufferings of these people, facing acute shortage of life-saving drugs and other medicines: paucity of daily use items such as rice, atta, tea, sugar and groceries?

"I have met the President at least 20 times and Prime Minister 40 times on different occasions and raised the issue with them but it appears either they are insensitive to our agony or unable to do anything to drive the militants out of Parachinar," said an MNA from the Kurram Agency's headquarters Sajid Hussain Turi while talking to The News at the camp.

Turi, who is chairman of the National Assembly's standing committee on States and Frontier Regions, pointed out as the government functionaries were unable to perform their responsibility in Parachinar there was a breakdown of civil and social services: education and health were the most affected sectors; donors and foreign philanthropists had also stopped visiting the area due to seething insecurity.

 
at 22:59 0 comments

Forces to escort vehicles on Parachinar Road, says Malik

Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Forces to escort vehicles on Parachinar Road, says Malik
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rahman Malik on Monday announced in the National Assembly that security forces would be deployed within 48 hours on Parachinar Road to secure it. Rahman Malik announced it after an MNA from FATA, Sajid Turi, on a point of order sought the attention of the Chair towards the precarious security situation on Parachinar Road. He later walked out from the House and refused to listen to the interior minister despite his insistence that he should be given a chance to let him explain the government's position on the issue. Malik said that people belonging to Sunni and Shia sects in the area have failed to protect the artery, adding that the security forces would escort the vehicles on the road in the form of convoys after every one hour. The minister said that the road was opened on assurance given by both Shias and Sunnis that they would protect the route, however, the terrorists still pose a threat to the security of the road. On a question about misuse of blasphemy law, the minister said that law enforcement agencies and the judiciary prevent misuse of this law, however, he admitted that there were certain cases where some people were implicated in false cases. On a compliant from a member that rangers personnel in Karachi mistreated him, the minister said that he would probe the matter, but said that no one was immune to security procedures because impersonation was rampant in Karachi. He informed the House that strict action was being taken to check human smuggling, adding that local police, Coast Guard, FIA and FC are jointly working to curb this illegal practice. tanveer ahmed.
 
source: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011%5C04%5C26%5Cstory_26-4-2011_pg7_20
at 22:56 0 comments

Security forces to secure Parachinar road: Malik

 
Security forces to secure Parachinar road: Malik
 
By Khawar Ghumman | From the Newspaper
 
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rehman Malik assured the National Assembly on Monday that law-enforcement personnel would be deployed within two days to secure the Thall-Parachinar road in Kurram Agency and help the besieged people of the area.
He was responding to a point of order by MNA Sajid Hussain Turi from the affected area who subsequently walked out in protest against what he termed the government`s indifference to the misery of the people of Parachinar who could not travel on the road because of insecurity. Mr Turi announced that he would join a hunger-strike camp set up several days ago by the affected people from his area in front of the press club here.
The protesters have been moving towards the Parliament House during the assembly session, but Monday`s protest was the noisiest when they used loudspeakers to draw the attention of passing lawmakers to their problems.
Despite repeated requests, the government had failed to provide adequate security in the area, Mr Turi said.
"Therefore, I am walking out of the house and joining the hunger strike of people from the area. I will remain there till the government takes concrete measures to address their concerns."
No other member joined him in the protest, although Dr Abdul Qadir Khanzada of the MQM spoke on the closure of the road.
The interior minister said the Sunni and Shia communities of the area had reached an agreement in the past but had not honoured their commitments.He said he would send a senior officer of his ministry to Peshawar on Tuesday to assess the situation and promised to send security personnel to the area within 48 hours. The minister said because of the complex situation it was impossible to ensure complete peace there without the support of local people.
The road has remained closed since March 25 because of incidents of killing and kidnapping in violation of a truce reached in early February at a jirga presided over by Mr Malik and attended by a large number of elders from all tribal agencies, including Mr Turi, Fata parliamentary leader Munir Orakzai and Sports Minister Shaukatullah, and Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi.
According to some reports, Taliban were part of the deal. As a result of the accord, the Thall-Parachinar and all other roads in Kurram Agency were opened on Feb 5 after four years.
However, on March 13, militants intercepted a Peshawar-bound coach in Mamo Khwar area of Hangu district and killed 11 passengers from Parachinar. BLASPHEMY LAW:
Replying to a question about misuse of the blasphemy law, the interior minister said a number of incidents had come into the knowledge of the government where the law had been invoked to settle personal scores. However, he declined to share specific information, saying that every time something was said about the law it made headlines in the media and sent wrong signals to the people. "Therefore, considering it a highly sensitive issue, I will prefer to personally convey the needed information to the lawmakers concerned."
Replying to a supplementary question, the minister said there were less chances of misuse of the law in the presence of the independent higher judiciary.
 
at 22:51 0 comments

Parachinar residents seek security

 
Parachinar residents seek security
By A Reporter | From the Newspaper
 
ISLAMABAD, April 25: After waiting for five years to visit his hometown, Ali Mohammad returned to the country from UAE last month, but all that was received by the family was his burned corpse, released three days back by suspected Taliban commanders after negotiations.

He along with 33 other passengers was kidnapped while going to Parachinar from Peshawar. Of them 13 were burnt and maimed and thrown on the roads. The fate of the rest is still unknown.
Like rest of the family members the excitement of Saqib Hasan faded away when he received the body of his cousin Ali Mohammad. But all he can do is to bury him in accordance with the religious rituals.
In sheer frustration and anger against the authorities, Saqib arrived in the federal capital on Monday to participate in the protest demonstration and sit-in at the Parliament against Taliban brutalities.
The participants narrated tales of sufferings faced by their family members at the hands of Taliban who have blocked the road leading to Parachinar, creating severe shortage of fuel, food and medicines in the area.
"My brother's leg had to be amputated only because he could not receive medical care in time," said one protester, adding, "Six of my cousins have been killed by Taliban in last four years."
The road between Peshawar and Parachinar is almost 250-km but a patch of 25-30-km around Tal is the troubled spot.
Speakers at the protest demonstration held in front of National Press Club said Taliban were creating unrest in the region and committing crimes against the Turi and Bangash tribes.
The organiser of the protest demonstration Sajid Hussain Bangash said that more than 2,200 Turi and Banghash tribesmen have been killed and over 5,000 injured by the Taliban in four years.
Later the residents of Parachinar staged a a token sit-in at D-Chowk opposite to the Parliament House where they were addressed by parliamentarians.
In his fiery speech, MQM leader Haider Abbas Rizvi, expressed sympathies with the residents of Parachinar.
"Our party will take up the issue with the president, prime minister and the interior minister," he added.
Sajid Turi, MNA from the area announced to leave his seat in protest if the authorities failed to implement the peace accord between the Shia and Sunni tribes.
 
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Minister promises reopening of road within two days

The Express Tribune 

Minister promises reopening of road within two days

By Azam Khan
Published: April 26, 2011
As Parliament debated the Parachinar issue, students marched towards the house. PHOTO: ZAFAR ASLAM/EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD: 
As hundreds of youths from Parachinar in the restive Kurram Agency marched towards Parliament House on Monday, inside the House, Interior Minister Rehman Malik assured the lower house that security escorts will be provided to commuters and the blocked road leading to Parachinar will be reopened in 48 hours.
The charged protesting youth also staged a sit-in outside Parliament House after packing the five-day protest camp they had set up outside the National Press Club in F-6.
In the question hour session of the National Assembly, Interior Minister Rehman Malik assured the house that Parachinar-Thal-Peshawar Road would be opened and a military escort will be deployed at the troubled patch of the road to provide protection to civilian convoys.
MNA from Kurram Agency Sajid Hussain Turi boycotted the National Assembly proceedings and joined the protesting youth.
MQM's MPs led by their Parliamentary Leader Haider Abbas Rizvi also visited the camp to express solidarity with the protesters.
The protesters have come from different localities and assembled in the Capital in favour of their demands after eight of the 41 people taken hostage by the Taliban on March 25 were returned beheaded, burnt and mutilated.
These people were taken hostage by the Taliban while travelling on the Thal-Parachinar-Peshawar Road. The remaining 33 people are still being held captive by the militants.
Addressing the gathering, Haider Abbas Rizvi demanded that the government make concrete efforts to recover the 33 missing people. He asked the government to restore C-130 air service immediately in the interest of people of the area.
Sajid Turi said that this time we will not accept the government's hollow promises of restoring peace in the area. "Until the demands are met, I will not attend the National Assembly session," he added.
The young protesters were chanting slogans against the Taliban and the government. They felt the government's apathy towards the humanitarian issue was 'senseless'. "We will continue our protest until the government comes up with concrete steps," they said.
Qalandar Bangash, a university student, said that it seems that Parachinar is not part of the country as the Parachinar-Thal-Peshawar Road has been closed for the last four years and the people of Parachinar are facing tremendous problems. According to the protesters, the city is being held hostage by a "handful" of Taliban, who could easily be eliminated if the establishment had the will to do so.
Rohullah, a student of University of Engineering and Technology Peshawar, said, "I left my final year examination to join the protest in Islamabad to highlight a genuine issue."
He said there was only a pocket, a kilometre or so, where the miscreants were hiding and blocking the road, denying people in Upper Kurram access to Peshawar and the rest of the country.
Before the closure of the Pak-Afghan border for security reasons in 2008, people in Upper Kurram were using the Afghanistan route to access Peshawar. Worryingly, now they do not even have access to the basic necessities of life.
With additional reporting by Umer Nangiana
Published in The Express Tribune, April 26th, 2011.
 
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Ministers’ absence in assembly irks legislators

Ministers' absence in assembly irks legislators

By Umer Nangiana
Published: April 26, 2011
Rehman Malik promises security on Tal-Parachinar road.
ISLAMABAD: 
On a day when most of the questions from legislators were about the state of the nation's economy, the absence of Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Sheikh from the National Assembly annoyed members from the opposition benches.
Bargees Tahir, an MNA from Nanka Sahib (NA-135) of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz said absence from the question hour had become "routine" for federal ministers.
Perhaps sarcastically, PML-N legislators invited Interior Minister Rehman Malik to take the questions on behalf of the cabinet, since he was one of only two ministers present. Malik restricted his reply to a broad smile.
Malik, however, was forced to begin answering questions after Sajid Hussain Turi, the MNA from the Kurram tribal district, walked out in protest over the failure of the government's failure to control the law and order situation in the district and restore access to the Parachinar-Tal-Peshawar highway.
"I am going to join the youth from Parachinar protesting outside the National Assembly," said Turi, who then went to join the sit-in on Parade Avenue by Parachinari youth protesting the highway's blockage.
The walk-out prompted Malik to assure the house that a military escort would be provided for the security of civilian traffic on Parachinar-Tal road within next 48 hours.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 26th, 2011.
 
SOURCE: 
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Parachinari youth still hopeful for a change of tide

Protest camp: Parachinari youth still hopeful for a change of tide

By Umer Nangiana
Published: April 26, 2011
Protesters hold placards, hoping their elected representatives finally listen. PHOTO: ZAFAR ASLAM/EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD: 
Two years away from home, Muhammad Ali's patience is running out. He wants the road leading to his home town opened now so that he could rejoin his family.
"My cousins are dead. The Taliban killed my loved ones and I could not even go to attend their funerals," said Ali, one of the hundreds of youth from Parachinar, the headquarters of Kurram Agency, who are on a hunger strike against the closure of the Thal-Parachinar-Peshawar road for the last four years.
Hundreds of youth from Parachinar and adjoining areas of Upper Kurram Agency gathered in Islamabad four days ago. They established a camp in front of the National Press Club, hoping they might attract the attention of the government and the rights campaigners.
"No one from the government has shown up as yet. Interior Minister Rehman Malik and a few others came to the press club but none of them paid us a visit," said Iqtidar.
Ali is a university student in Islamabad. He and his friends complained that the Taliban were chopping through their relatives like butchers. Whosoever tried to travel on the Thal road was targeted by the Taliban. Even convoys under military protection were not spared, they said.
"The other day they killed my cousin who was in army. We only received his mutilated remains," said Mustafa. His cousin was one of the 41 people abducted by the Taliban on March 25 this year. The bodies of eight were handed over to their families two days ago.
Mustafa said the families had to pay for the bodies as well. "I fail to understand how they [Taliban] attack a convoy travelling under military protection, and that too in settled areas," he added.
To a distant observer, it appeared to be a simple case of Taliban's conventional vengeance against Shiites. But the Parachinar youth refused to believe that. A sectarian divide is being deliberately created. It is much more than a Shia-Sunni issue.
Upper Kurram is a Shia majority area while Lower Kurram is predominantly Sunni populated area. By now, only Upper Kurram is free from Taliban control.
"When we struck a federal government sponsored peace agreement with the Taliban a few months ago, people from the two sides of Kurram agency visited each other and roamed freely," said Mustafa.
"But recently, some people have been creating disturbances. A group of miscreants openly abused our Imams in Parachinar Bazaar recently and the administration remained silent spactator despite our repeated appeals for action against them," said Iftikhar Hussain.
He opined that the "Establishment is behind such tactics to instigate a Shia-Sunni clash." Hussain and many others accused the establishment of wanting to launch the Taliban across into Afghanistan after the Americans exit.
"Hundreds of times we have offered our services to the army and government to fight against any enemy of Pakistan. Why do they need the Taliban when we were ready to give our blood for Pakistan's security and its interests?", asked a number of youth.
The young boys who had come from different parts of Pakistan to express their desire for the restoration of a road link from Peshawar to their hometown said that they loved Pakistan. However, they felt betrayed.
They said their loved ones were being brutally murdered; Taliban were besieging them, denying them access to the rest of the country, while the authorities look the other way. The only air service operating from the area is too expensive for a majority of the people, who feel like the private air company is exploiting the situation.
They remain hopeful of getting the attention of the authorities. Until then, they are not about to end their hunger camp in the Federal Capital anytime soon.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 26th, 2011.
 
at 22:39 0 comments

Parachinar residents seek security

Parachinar residents seek security

ISLAMABAD, April 25: After waiting for five years to visit his hometown, Ali Mohammad returned to the country from UAE last month, but all that was received by the family was his burned corpse, released three days back by suspected Taliban commanders after negotiations.

He along with 33 other passengers was kidnapped while going to Parachinar from Peshawar. Of them 13 were burnt and maimed and thrown on the roads. The fate of the rest is still unknown.
Like rest of the family members the excitement of Saqib Hasan faded away when he received the body of his cousin Ali Mohammad. But all he can do is to bury him in accordance with the religious rituals.
In sheer frustration and rage against the authorities, Saqib arrived in the federal capital on Monday to participate in the protest demonstration and sit-in at the Parliament against Taliban brutalities.
The participants narrated tales of sufferings faced by their family members at the hands of Taliban who have blocked the road leading to Parachinar, making severe shortage of fuel, food and medicines in the area.
"My brother's leg had to be amputated only because he could not receive medical care in time," said one protester, adding, "Six of my cousins have been killed by Taliban in last four years."
The road between Peshawar and Parachinar is nearly 250-km but a patch of 25-30-km around Tal is the troubled spot.
Speakers at the protest demonstration held in front of National Press Club said Taliban were making unrest in the region and committing crimes against the Turi and Bangash tribes.
The organiser of the protest demonstration Sajid Hussain Bangash said that more than 2,200 Turi and Banghash tribesmen have been killed and over 5,000 injured by the Taliban in four years.
Later the residents of Parachinar staged a a token sit-in at D-Chowk opposite to the Parliament House where they were addressed by parliamentarians.
In his fiery speech, MQM leader Haider Abbas Rizvi, expressed sympathies with the residents of Parachinar.
"Our party will take up the issue with the president, prime minister and the interior minister," he added.
Sajid Turi, MNA from the area announced to leave his seat in protest if the authorities failed to implement the peace accord between the Shia and Sunni tribes.
 
at 22:36 0 comments

Marvi disappoints admirers

By Nusrat Javeed
Published: April 27, 2011
Marvi Memon came into politics under the patriarchal wings of Musharraf, but his fall has not aborted her growth. PHOTO: FILE
Most commentators do not take women parliamentarians seriously, especially those nominated to seats reserved for them in various legislative houses. It is widely believed that, spared the heat and dust of a directly contested election, these 'token representatives' remain clueless of 'ground realities.'
However, since the year 2002 we have witnessed many of our women parliamentarians demolishing this dismissive perception with sweating homework and courageous association with human rights related issues.
Marvi Memon is an iconic example of this category. True, she came into politics under the patriarchal wings of military dictator Pervez Musharraf, but his fall has not aborted her growth.
During the elections for a newly formed Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly in early 2010, she savoured an intensive exposure to the rough and tumble of electoral battles. She also took lead in owning and promoting the cause of flood victims, and is always found amongst the front ranks of activists struggling for the marginalised in the feudal-dominated pockets of Sindh.
Speaking on point of order during Tuesday's sitting, however, she left many of her admirers disappointed.
The sitting was reserved for individual initiatives for legislation. However, most of our representatives preferred wasting the day talking about 'this or that' issue of their constituency through the desultory raising of points of order.
Ms Memon availed the same opportunity and tried to agitate over the blockade of roads leading to Parachinar, which could have been passable – if she had finished there.
Unfortunately, a low level delegation from the US State of Georgia was present in the Speaker's gallery and instead of welcoming the guests with the usual sweet talk, Memon decided to take them on with a vengeance.
Being well-educated, she did not need to be taught to fathom the fact that the 'provincial level' guests in the gallery have nothing to do with defence-related decisions made in Washington. Yet, she wailed over the "violation of our sovereignty" via drone attacks and finished her delirious diatribe with a comment that almost suggested that the Georgian legislators were not welcome in this country.
And all this while, she forgot to her convenience that only a while back she was moaning over the blockade of all roads to Parachinar. Obviously, the Americans have not blocked the route. Pakistanis cannot simply go there because some of our "strategic assets" from Afghanistan are obsessed with converting the area into another operational base for waging Jihad.
Sadly, drones are striking places that had already been denied to our state and people by the same assets.
Honing a would-be-populist in her, Ms Memon should perhaps not care for the fine and delicate details connected to a crowd swaying issue. One would still be willing to believe that she made the rude remarks in a 'high' state of mind that she must have been savouring since addressing the drone-preventing dharna that Imran Khan staged in Peshawar during the weekend.
Notwithstanding the venomous remarks and posturing of Ms Memon against the government and its friends in Washington, journalists and legislators, huddled in parliamentary lobbies and ministerial chambers, kept discussing the pros and cons of an 'almost done deal' between the PPP and the PML-Q.
Most keenly discussed was a newspaper report that had claimed that none other than the younger brother of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Wajahat, would end up in the Governor House of Lahore after the maturing of the said deal. Despite combing various sources, no confirmation was received regarding this piece of information.
However, a reliable source told me that a minister considered "too close to President Zardari" these days had 'planted' this news to upset "Kaira-types of dropped ministers", reportedly eyeing for the interior ministry in their next turn to the cabinet.
The source also did not hesitate to share that 'someone big' from PML-Q seems ready for taking over the ministry of defence. The late Rao Sikandar Iqbal had asked for the same ministry from his hostel-friend, Musharraf, for leading a group of turncoats from the PPP for supporting the election of Jamali as the Prime Minister in 2002. With the additional title of a 'senior minister', he was given the requested portfolio, which he held on to until the completion of the term of Shaukat Aziz's government.
The PIA board, I was told, is to begin meeting in Islamabad from April 27. For the first time, the national flag carrier is expected to announce 'profits' during the scheduled meeting. "At the end of which", my source insisted, "Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar will submit his resignation from the ministry of defence to President Zardari, telling him that 'I have achieved the task of turning around PIA'."
Don't get me wrong, though. I am not saying that Chaudhry Mukhtar will quit the cabinet. No, no. He will just 'vacate' the ministry of defence for someone else, if my source proves to be right in the end.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 27th, 2011.
 
source: http://tribune.com.pk/story/157488/marvi-disappoints-admirers/
at 22:33 0 comments
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