Karachites to decide – to live under fear or in peace

By:       Aasef Chauhdry

The world has not forgotten what Altaf Hussain said about seven years back while he was on a tour of India. His hate speech is the recorded in the history, “The division of the subcontinent was the greatest, the greatest blunder of the history of mankind”, he actually said. This was enough to satisfy the people of Pakistan that whose line in fact Altaf Hussain was toeing. That was not enough and again on Aug 2, 2011Chief of Muttahida Qaumi Movement Altaf Hussain appealed to the Indian leaders to give asylum to Mohajir community of Pakistan. He said that f the 1992-like operation was started against MQM, will the Indian leaders provide asylum to us? ”

Ever since 1986 the world is observing that Karachi is made hostage by MQM. Initially the Mohajir Qaumi Movement and later when found it being objected by the majority of the Pakistanis converted to Muttahida Qaumi Movement was mainly behind every strike, every wheel-jam and every shutter down. It went so far that the authorities started seriously thinking about putting an end to it.

There were many ups and downs especially after Imran Farooq’s murder. Altaf’s arrest, release and then other leaders arrest in London which reflected that the noose was being tightened around MQM and Altaf. However, since recent past it appears that the Scotland Yard has bowed to the pressure of British Military Intelligence for whom Altaf Hussain is a great value agent. That’s the reason that he has again started addressing discreetly to his followers and provoking them against the armed forces. His actual anger is mainly for three reasons; bringing peace back to the turbulent city of Karachi, apprehension of the party’s target killers and the seizing of extortion, hides collection and fitrana collection on gunpoint.

In past MQM had been collecting funds through extortion, sacrificial hides, fitrana and corruption in government departments (while being in government). This money was sent through three means to UK. Through foreign currency accounts where dollars were deposited as money could be withdrawn from foreign currency accounts anywhere in the world, through personal carriers like renowned party leaders who would carry it in their baggage and lastly through indirect methods. The dignified carriers were used for laundering of money abroad. Individuals such as Babar Ghauri used to transfer money in their personal luggage. This all money was collected by no means other than extortion, fitrana and selling of hides collected on gun point. The indirect methods were like sending money through sea launches. Routes used for such purpose were Karachi to UAE and then to UK.

The party had a big network for moving money and ultimately it used to be landed in UK at MQM secretariat where it would be placed at Altaf Hussain’s disposal for spending the way he liked it. The sources claim that Imran Farooq was killed on a dispute over collecting and spending of this money. Imran Farooq was always against of putting this money on Altaf Hussain’s disposal who was spending it lavishly and for payment to the target killers’ net works. His other difference was on receiving money from RAW which he never liked.

A revelation came into the lime time, sometime ago. Not by anyone else lesser than a diehard senior party worker Tariq Mir discreetly made a confession about three years back which finally leaked and it appeared that the downfall of MQM is on the cards and the party will soon have it in its neck. Tariq Mir voluntarily visited the Scotland Yard office and made a confession. The police authorities made it very clear that neither it was an arrest and nor was he investigated. It was a friendly walk-in by a person who was feeling ‘guilty’ hence was made comfortable and was interviewed. According to Tariq, MQM got funds from RAW many times in the past. To the Party’s bad luck the leaked statement got viral on social media. Tariq Mir confessed that despite the fact that Dr. Imran Farooq and Altaf Hussain knew about the funding, they never disclosed about it to the other senior party members.

According to Tariq Mir, Altaf Hussain got funding from India since 1994 while MQM workers were sent to India for training and they got training there and did a lot of target killing and terrorist activities in Karachi. His investigation continued for 15 hours at of Scotland Yard’s offices. Mir told London Metropolitan Police at a police station located in Edgeware Road that Indians used to pay 800,000 pound sterling to the party on a yearly basis for running operations. Interestingly, according to transcripts of an interview conducted by the UK police on May 30, 2012, the MQM leader had made the statements ‘voluntarily’ and was ‘not under arrest’. The transcript of the interview was released by a senior journalist.

In July last year Pakistan Rangers Sindh arrested about 16 members of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) for collecting donations by force from Karachi’s Rizvia Society area. Though the claim was denied by the party in an emergency press conference however the paramilitary force personnel claimed to have recovered Rs 31500 from the arrested men along with documents and receipts related to the collection of funds during the operation. The Rangers warned that law-enforcers will not allow any political party or religious organisation to forcibly collect donations in the name of fitrana and added that holding a press conference in defence of those arrested for making forcible collections is tantamount to supporting such elements.

Money laundering and other links of MQM with RAW were only being dealt by London based persons of the party including Altaf Hussain, Muhammad Anwar and Imran Farooq (Late).

According to Mir, “At some stage our expenses (of the secretariat) were about 100,000 pounds per month. I was aware of our significant increase in funding as a result of the Indian connection. That funding continued for, I cannot be exact. But due to pounds 10,000 cash limit (on importing currency), on some occasions, we got businessmen to receive the money and use it to pay MQM’s expenses. This happened in about 1% of cases,” Mir told the police. When told that the police had also interviewed MQM senior member Mohammad Anwar about Indian funding, Mir said the MQM sought money from all over.

He confessed that, “In 1994, we started getting some money; some of our frozen accounts were released. In 1995-96, I took-over the finance from Nadeem Nusrat and that money was coming from India.” Asked whether MQM Chief Altaf Hussein knew about the Indian money, Tariq Mir said Hussein would receive all money coming in from India. He got his money from different sources. The Indian government funded us because they thought it was good to support us.

Interestingly, this year due to ongoing Karachi operation, MQM is facing severe problems in collection of funds and its reserves have almost depleted. In order to counter any adverse move from Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) MQM has decided to collect money during this Ramzan through other means like; MNA/ MPA’s will be tasked to go in their areas for zakat/ Fitrana and donation collection instead of using MQM workers/ Sector In-charge, ladies will also be employed for the purpose of collection of donation/ zakat/ fitrana and along with it a serious operation will be carried out where the money will be collected discreetly from factory/ mill owners. The LEAs have smelled this plan and have made all efforts to counter any such bid. At the same time it’s the duty of the Karachites to cooperate with the LEAs if they are seriously interested in leaving in peace. The Rangers is asking people to report any such event and have assured them to keep the names of informers confidential.

Karachi is well known for its lawlessness and violence. But then again, it has a softer side; of philanthropy and volunteerism and cub scouts. Unfortunately, this softer side too has become victim to the unrelenting violence – when organisations start fighting to collect more donations and the competition ultimately leads to violence. This was the way things were done in Karachi, until the Rangers decided to act. The Sindh Rangers have come down hard without any discrimination on political parties and their welfare wings, accusing them of forcefully collecting donations. Workers are being arrested, cash and Fitrana slips are being confiscated and a helpline has been set up where people can register complaints against forceful collection. So it’s a wrong propaganda made by MQM that the Rangers are coming down hard only on them.

It’s time for the Karachites to decide whether they have to live under fear or in peace! For later they will have to cooperate with the LEAs.

World should understand the suffering of Pakistan in terror fight. American Climber

ISLAMABAD, June 14 (APP): American British mountaineer Vanessa O’Brien said there is misconception about Pakistan regarding security situation and terrorism.

In an exclusive interaction with APP here Tuesday, Vanessa termed it due to scrupulous reporting and said, “Because only extremists’ activities are reported from here which was normality not being reported from Pakistan.
Present in Islamabad, Vanessa O’Brien would be departing for Gilgit Baltistan to formally launch her expedition ‘United K2’ in few days. Also a keen observer, Vanessa expounded “If culprits in Bin Ghazi terror act are captured including one may be Pakistani that would be much reported. “But on the other hands as partners in war against terror, Pakistan suffered the most than the US and the UK” she maintained adding “This, western eyes don’t understand nor the American and British public”.
Vanessa urged international community to come ahead with Pakistan. “That is a terrible thing having lot of loss of lives, people must understand that we should come to our ally together and we must be more united in fighting terrorism” she said.
Passionate to become a first ever American and British woman to summit K2 Vanessa said that she would be carrying Pakistani, US and British flags to be hoisted at K2 peak as sign of friendship and solidarity among the three states.
Much happy with cordiality and hospitality by Pakistanis, Vanessa said people of Pakistan are fantastic, “they have amazing sense of humor, they are kind, generous and they opened the doors and facilitate me in my expedition vary well” she shared her experience and added “my journey would be a repay for the people. I simply say that I know them”.
It is worth mentioning here that Vanessa O’Brien, besides many other distinctions in adventurous expeditions around the world, is also Guinness World Record holder for being fastest woman to climb the Seven Summits, the highest peak on every continent, in 295 days.
APP/ Hamza/anm

VNS Islamabad

How Indian Army indiscipline is casting shadow on its professionalism

 ISLAMABAD: There have been several incidents of breakdown of discipline in Indian Army units in the past few years which points serious fingers on the professionalism of the Indian Army.

In many instances, including the one in Nyoma in Ladakh concerning an Artillery Regiment, officers have been punished after being found blameworthy while many jawans too have been court-martialled and dismissed from service

Army has recently ordered a Court of Inquiry to investigate the reasons behind the unrest in an infantry battalion of the Army in the North East last month.

In yet another case Jawan-officer face-off occured in Punjab where Army had orders court of inquiry into the incident.

Indian Army had also probed reports of its UN peacekeepers fathering kids in Congo

The Army had also has conducted a Court of Inquiry to investigate the reasons behind the unrest in an infantry battalion of the Army.

Highly placed sources inform that the inquiry is headed by an officer of the rank of Brigadier and comprises of two Colonels who are commanding units in the same area. These officers-Brig SK Chawla, Commander 2 Mountain Artillery Brigade, Col PK Singh, CO 502 ASC Battalion and Col Lakshman Singh, CO 11 Grenadiers-are investigating the incidents pertaining to May 11 when a confrontation took place between some jawans of 8 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles (8 JAK RIF) and officers of the unit at a location in Arunachal Pradesh.

Sources inform that Army Rule 180, which pertains to military reputation of a person, has been invoked for several jawans and officers of the unit who are to be examined by the inquiry which is taking place at Headquarters of 2 Mountain Division in Dinjan.

Among the officers who are to be examined are the then officiating Commanding Officer of the battalion, the Regimental Medical Officer and several other officers. The actual commanding officer of the unit was away on leave when the fracas took place and he was urgently recalled to take over command.

The Army had termed the unrest in the unit as an emotional response by jawans after a jawan died of a heart attack following a route march. The jawans had earlier complained of some unease.

Sources inform that the genesis of the indiscipline shown by some jawans-who raised slogans besides manhandling officers.

The rising incidences of Jawans and Officers face off in Indian Army points fingers towards the professionalism and the discipline of the Indian Army.

It is also questioned that an Army whose officers and men are often found in face off situation with each other whether would be able to fight together as one unit within their battle units.

However there are many other instances where Indian Army officers and men have been found involved in immoral acts. The recent incident of rape of a girl by three Indian Army men in a Train is one of the few incidences which was reported by the main stream media and many such incidences are even not reported and kept secret as far as possible.

Analysts have also pointed out towards the rising extremist Hindu tendency in the Army men and officers and officer like Colonel Purhoit have been found to be involved in the acts of Hindu terrorism within India.

Few days ago Indian Army men and officers on the directions of their GOC were found involved in the Dacoity case of smuggled Gold.

Such rising tendencies of indiscipline, Hindu extremism, criminal acts and internal fights are casting serious shadows over the professionalism of Indian Army.

Does India’s poor nuclear proliferation record merit NSG slot ?

ISLAMABAD, June 21 (APP): Director General South Asian Strategic Stability Institute (SASSI) Islamabad Dr Maria Sultan Tuesday said Pakistan’s credentials for the membership of Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) were much stronger than India.

Addressing the participants of a round table discussion titled “Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) – Criteria Based Approach and it’s Implication on High-Tech Trade: A case for Pakistan membership,” she said India’s non-proliferation record was not as clean as it had been claiming.

India, she said, had a long history of thefts of nuclear material and mishaps or near accidents at its nuclear facilities.

According to a 1996 report made available to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Indian nuclear facilities have had 130 instances of safety related concerns, of which 95 required urgent action.

While as per an Indian parliamentary report, as many as 147 mishaps or security related occurrences were reported in Indian atomic energy plants between 1995 and 1998.

In July 1998, Indian Central Bureau of Intelligence (CBI) uncovered a theft racket of uranium in Tamil Nadu. “Of the eight kg seized, 6 kg was weapons grade unenriched uranium,” she added.

Maria Sultan said one of the most glaring examples was the 1974 nuclear explosion itself, for which India diverted nuclear fuel from Canadian reactors, supplied for peaceful and civilian use to conduct a nuclear weapons test.

Ironically, she said, the NSG was created in the wake of this explosion specifically aimed at preventing the diversion of civil nuclear technology for military purposes in future.

On May 1, 2000, Mumbai police seized 8.3 kilogram uranium from scrap dealers which originated from the Bhaba Atomic Research Centre (BARC), said to be depleted but radioactive, she said adding, “leftist guerrillas in Northeast India illegally obtained uranium ore from a government-run milling complex and strapped it to high explosives to make a crude bomb before they were caught by the police.”

An incident in October 2014 raised fresh concerns over the safety of Indian nuclear facilities when a person of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which is assigned to protect India’s nuclear facilities and weapons related materials and installations, opened fire and killed several people in the very facility he was assigned to protect.

According to the 2014 NTI Nuclear Materials Security Index, which assesses the security of nuclear materials around the world, India scores below Pakistan, and is ranked only above North Korea and Iran.

Whereas, there was no major lapse on part of Pakistan as it over the years has strengthened safety and security of its nuclear power plants and installations, she said.

After the nuclear incident of Fukushima in 2011, Pakistan carried out complete assessment of its own nuclear power plants and facilities, she said.

In response to any threat, the DG SASSI said, “Pakistan has revisited safety parameters, emergency preparedness and response, and operators’ training protocols and procedures.”

Maria Sultan said in the ongoing meeting of NSG in Seoul about 12 members out of the 48-member cartel, were against Indian membership due to the reasons mentioned above.

“No membership can be granted if even a single member opposes it,” she remarked.

Interestingly, she said, all the members were not nuclear power states but they had been given access to nuclear and high-technology products for the peaceful purpose.

Klaa B’Zayi? (When will you go back?)

By:       Aasef Chauhdry

It has been more than three decades now that Afghan refugees are not only living in Pakistan but also spoiling the law and order situation of the country. According to a careful survey of 2001, around five million Afghans had crossed into Pakistan since 1979. They had been pouring in, in groups and badges of people not less than strength of 30,000. In the very first wave after Russian invasion of 1979, around one million of Afghan refugees crossed over and soon this number reached three millions in 1980. Had they been simply the refugees, the things would have been different. The camps and sites were marked for them but unfortunately only the poor and shelter less moved there as they had no other choice. While on the other hand the wealthy, powerful and educated who were mostly from Uzbek, Hazara and Turkmen tribes sneaked into the cities where they slowly and discreetly established their business to an extent that the locals were virtually shoved into the backseats. In a short span of time the basic businesses like hotels, transport was monopolized by them. Those who were richer than others started buying the properties too. The middle class of Afghanis bought property in the small towns and cities while the elite class and those who had links with political leaders and the war lords purchased costly houses and land in Islamabad. The sectors F-8 and F-10 are known to be majorly owned by the Afghanis. The irony is that those who have given their life for Pakistan were at their mercy and would beg them to give their houses on rent to the local Pakistanis.

Undoubtedly, all Afghan refugees cannot be declared terrorists, as these are needy and registered displaced people who merely seek shelter in Pakistan, their neighbouring country. Many among them have been living here for many years, have made it their home, set up their businesses and are contributing to the economy of Pakistan positively, however, their number is very less, whereas most of them are playing in the hands of our enemies and they are purposely being sent to Pakistan with suspicious motives. They are, in every 4^th case are RAW or Afghan intelligence agency’s agents.

There is a hell of difference between the unregistered Afghan nationals and the Afghan refugees. Unregistered Afghans are those who are living in Pakistan illegally and do not have proper documentation and registration whereas Afghan refugees are those who are having Proof of Registration’ (PoR) cards. Pakistan took over 3.5million Afghan refugees as a goodwill gesture in 1980s. The illegal residents are spread all over Pakistan; from Khyber to Karachi and Quetta to Azad Kashmir, thus causing a great security hazard. They have literally become a security risk for Pakistan as the authorities have no control over them and that’s a matter of great concern for every Pakistani.

Approximately, there are 1.5 million registered Afghan refugees and more than one million unregistered Afghan nationals which is a great number. The need of the time is to push them back to Afghanistan immediately without wasting some time but according to the UNHCR authorities it will certainly take another 10 years to send them back to Afghanistan. Those who are in favour of handling the issue with a steady pace give excuses like; First, the government has not prepared any contingency plan for sending these refugees back to Afghanistan. Secondly, it will further hamper Kabul and Islamabad’s relationships in the prevailing situation. Thirdly, there are some administrative hurdles and lastly, Pakistan cannot take any step on its own because some international stakeholders are also involved in the matter. There is an old saying that for every will there is a way and so is in the case of Afghan refugees. The security threats Pakistan is facing right now demands chalking out of an immediate plan and for that Pakistan need not to bother about hampering of relations with Afghanistan since the latter has never cared for Pakistan’s hospitality and has always sided with our enemies as they are doing right now. The U turns by the Afghan president are not comprehensible.

Another lame excuse that such quarters give is that the Afghan government has also requested Pakistan not to send the refugees at this stage, citing various reasons, especially the issue of unrest in Afghanistan and have requested for an extension of another two to three years. Well, it’s none of Pakistan’s business if Afghanistan doesn’t have peace prevailing in the country. Why should Pakistan pay the price for it? Afghanistan itself is responsible for the unrest as on one hand the country is in no mood to sit on the same table with Taliban while on the other hand, it’s romancing with India, America and Iran and acting as guided by them. Why should Pakistan hatch their problems? The muck belongs to Pakistan and must go back to them. Pakistan did this favour purely on humanitarian ground and in the name of Islamic brotherhood but if Afghanistan doesn’t care about it and have no sense of brotherhood then Pakistan also has no obligation.

In the wake of the prevailing situation, the demand for sending these refugees back to Afghanistan has intensified. It is stated that comparatively security situation in Afghanistan has improved, thus, this is the right time to repatriate both legal and illegal Afghans. It merits mentioning here that a demand to expel Afghan refugees from Pakistan came after the deadly attack on Army Public School in Peshawar on December 16, 2014. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the assault in which over 140 school students and staff were massacred. Pakistan believed the attack was plotted in Afghanistan and was executed with the help of the Afghans living in Pakistan. Moreover, they not only secured Pakistani national identity cards and began businesses but also bought properties and got involved in various heinous crimes, including acts of terrorism and drug smuggling.

Pakistan’s foreign office on Thursday said that some of the Afghan refugee camps in the country had become a serious security risk, as terrorists and militants were hiding there. It has further asserted that unregulated cross border movement of refugees also provides an opportunity to terrorists to move freely between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Govt’s own apprehensions are enough to strengthen its fear. Hence the government should not think of giving any further extension to the Afghan refugees’ stay in Pakistan. It is high time that they are sent back with-out giving any extension or time frame. The Nation gets preference over the refugees and the former wants them to be out of Pakistan immediately as we have suffered heavily in men and material without any thankfulness from the other side. In beginning of this year, the CM, while talking to media persons, rightly said that if Afghans could live in refugee camps in Pakistan, why they couldn’t live in their own country?

It’s time US takes Israel to task

By George S. Hishmeh

Israel’s continued expansionist policies are about to torpedo all intentions, international or local, to reach a peace agreement with the Palestinians and other Arab states. As long as Israeli occupation of Palestine, now in its 50th year, continues, peace will remain a far-fetched possibility — thanks to the failure of western powers, especially the United States, to twist Israel’s arms. A crucial step that Washington needs to take is cutting its financial and military support that has disappointingly increased lately.

This time around, Israel’s expansionist objectives are loud and clear, such as earlier this month, when Palestine announced its negotiations with the Egyptian government over the Israeli-besieged Gaza Strip, which has a 40km coastline.

The Palestinian status was upgraded in November 2012 by the United Nations General Assembly, awarding the Israeli-occupied region, where 1.8 Palestinians live, the status of a non-member observer state. Accordingly, the Palestinian Ambassador at the United Nations, Riyad H. Mansour, explained that they are now entitled to declare an undersea “exclusive economic zone” in the Mediterranean. In other words, the Palestinians will be negotiating with the Egyptians, who control the southern border of the Gaza Strip, about developing this portion of Palestine. Their plans include the building of an airport and a seaport among other much-needed projects to improve life in the region.

But a few days later, Israel’s Intelligence Minister, Israel Katz, revealed that he, too, was pushing for the construction of an “artificial island” off the besieged coast of Gaza, saying it will give the Palestinians there one and only seaport — and maybe a hotel and an international airport.

The Palestinians, have greeted the Israeli plan with scepticism, voicing concern that Israel’s real aim is to further cut off Gaza from the Palestinian West Bank. Katz said his plan calls for an eight square kilometre island linked to Gaza by a 5km bridge. The cost of these projected Israeli developments will be about $5 billion (Dh18.36 billion).

Adding fuel to the fire, Israel is reportedly now constructing a deep underground wall around the Gaza Strip, in an attempt to, according to the Washington Post, counter the threat of assault from tunnels built by Hamas, which now rules this strategic coastal enclave. The wall will extend the length of the Palestinian territory’s roughly 40-mile border with Israel and cost an estimated $570 million.

“The only move that will make Israelis feel more secure,” the Washington Post quoted an Israeli colonist, “is to reach a point of interaction and normalisation between Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza, the way it was once.”

Obviously this is not the view of the ultra-rightist Israeli government led by Priem Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. His government has now allocated about $20 million in additional financing for Jewish colonies in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, a step that the New York Times has interpreted as “underlining its strengthened right-wing orientation and raising the ire of political opponents and the Palestinians”.

“Most countries,” the paper’s Jerusalem-based correspondent, Isabel Kershner, underlined, “view [colony] construction as a violation of international law and an impediment to a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; the [Barack] Obama administration has described the [colonies] as ‘illegitimate’”. But, she added, “Israel considers the West Bank territory that it conquered from Jordan in the Arab-Israeli war of 1967 to be disputed, not occupied, and says the fate of the [colonies] should be determined in negotiations.”

Saeb Erekat, a top Palestinian official, highlighted the Palestinians’ position, saying “It is time for the international community to assume its responsibilities towards this extremist government that openly supports apartheid and stands against the two-state solution.”

But whether the United States Secretary of State, John Kerry, will take this position when he is scheduled to meet with Netanyahu this week is uncertain, despite growing international pressure for the resumption of peace talks. Netanyahu is on record as opposing the French initiative in this respect — in contrast to the fact that the Palestinians had welcomed the French move.

Coincidentally, the European Council announced last week that it was ready to provide Israel and Palestine with massive economic and security support as part of any peace agreement. A statement to this effect was issued by the European Council President, Donald Tusk, soon after his meeting with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin in Brussels. He stressed that “a lasting peace in the region remains a top priority for the European Union”.

The EU foreign ministers said in a statement last Monday, after their meeting in Brussels, that they hoped to hold an international conference before the end of the year to focus on Middle East peace.

Much as these gestures are welcome, nothing may actually happen until Israel’s arm is twisted and the continued financial and military support to the Zionist regime is curtailed by Washington.

George S. Hishmeh is a Washington-based columnist. He can be contacted at ghishmeh@gulfnews.com

Israel and Turkey agree to normalise ties, ending rift over lethal cruise-ship raid

Israel and Turkey on Sunday reached agreement to normalise ties, senior officials from both countries said, to end a rift over the Israeli navy’s killing of 10 Turkish pro-Palestinian activists who tried to sail to the blockaded Gaza Strip in 2010.

A formal announcement on the restoration of ties and the details of the agreement were expected on Monday from Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim.

“We reached an agreement with Israel to normalise bilateral relations on Sunday in Rome,” a senior Turkish official said, describing the agreement as a “diplomatic victory” for Turkey, although Israel has not accepted to lift the Gaza blockade, one of Ankara’s three conditions for an agreement.

The once-firm allies had been quietly mending fences in trade and tourism since their leaders held a conciliatory telephone call in 2013 and negotiations have intensified over the past six months to pave the way for a mutual return of ambassadors.

Netanyahu travelled to Rome on Sunday to meet US Secretary of State John Kerry and Israeli and Turkish officials were also in the Italian capital to finalise the deal.

Israel, which had already offered its apologies - one of Ankara’s three conditions for a deal - for its lethal raid on the Mavi Marmara activist ship, agreed to pay out US$20 million to the bereaved and injured, the Israeli official said in a briefing to Israeli reporters travelling with Netanyahu.

Under the deal, Turkey will deliver humanitarian aid and other non-military products to Gaza and carry out infrastructure projects including residential buildings and a hospital in the area, the senior Turkish official said. Concrete steps will be taken to address the water and power crisis in the city.

A senior Israeli official said senior foreign ministry diplomats from both countries would separately sign parallel agreements on Tuesday.

The deal, politically touchy for both countries, could pave the way for lucrative Mediterranean gas deals and a diplomatic reprieve from Turkish troubles with next-door Syria and Europe.

The rare rapprochement in the Middle East, bitterly divided over Syria’s civil war, has been largely driven by increasing security risks with the rise of Islamic State and as both countries seek new alliances amid a polarised region.

Israel demanded that its military officers and government officials be indemnified against prosecution on war crimes allegations. The Israeli official said the money would be paid after Turkey’s parliament passed legislation on the issue.

Turkey’s Islamist-rooted President Tayyip Erdogan had cast himself as guardian of Palestinian interests and engaged Hamas, the faction that controls Gaza and is on the terrorist blacklists of Israel and Western powers.

A 2011 report commissioned by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon upheld the legality of the Gaza blockade, which Israel says is needed to stem Hamas arms smuggling. The UN inquiry also faulted Israel for its marines’ use of lethal force as they stormed the Mavi Marmara and brawled with activists on the deck.

Separate to the agreement, the Israeli official said Erdogan would instruct relevant Turkish agencies to resolve the issue of missing Israelis in the Gaza Strip. Israel says Hamas is holding the bodies of two Israeli soldiers killed in the 2014 Gaza War and believes two civilians are also missing.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are Friends, Not Foes

By Tariq Rizwan

The recent armed clashes between Afghan and Pakistani LEAs commenced due to some misunderstanding between the two sides at Torkham border (Khyber Agency) area. Now since the guns are silent, the rift proved to be a provoked act and temporary; didn’t last long. Pashtun community is living on both sides of ‘Durand Line - DL’. The community has almost common bonds supported by their tribal traditions. They cannot be separated through borders but can be strengthened through border management and smooth but legalized trade. The clashes started on Sunday, 12 June, 2016, when Pakistani side resumed construction work on the already agreed Torkham Gate as part of managing  roughly 2600 kms long porous DL and to block the entry of terrorists from across the border. Both sides held one another responsible for starting the fire. The two sides agreed on 15 June later in a meeting between Afghan Ambassador Omar Zakhilwal with Chief of General Staff Lt Gen Zubair Mehmood Hayat in Rawalpindi on de-escalation of tension followed by Afghan Foreign Office delegation’s visit to Islamabad headed by Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister. In the wake of their meeting with Pakistani side in Islamabad and agreeing to sort out all border issues through bilateral talks, a relative calm was witnessed on the border. Hundreds of goods trucks carrying perishable food items remained stranded on border for days. The clashes resulted into killing of Pakistan Major Ali Jawad Changezi and four Afghan soldiers apart from dozens of other injured on both sides.

The DL agreement was signed between Amir Abdu Rehman of Afghanistan and Sir Mortimer Durand, the British Viceroy of India in 1893.  It is a single-page agreement containing seven short articles, was signed not to interfere in one anothers’ domain. Pakistan inherited the Durand Line agreement after its independence in 1947. Though Pashtuns specially on Afghan side remained reluctant to accept DL as a permanent border between the two countries as revealed by former Afghan President Hamid Karzai recently y saying that "A line of hatred that raised a wall between the two brothers". Indeed, this porous border has always served as main trade route between Islamabad and Kabul.

In 2003-4, it was for the first time that the enemies of Pakistan and Afghanistan tried to exploit the situation that DL agreement has already completed 100 years and became an obsolete one. However, the created misperception among the Afghans was cleared once for all when the original copy, where there is no mention of hundred years, was shown to them. The recent clash seemed to be an attempt to dispute the issue again, while sensitivity of time when both sides are engaged in readjustments and managing border movements on DL in Angor Adda (South Waziristan) and Torkham border (Khyber Agency) areas. It was reported that Afghan side received necessary information and guidelines from the Indian Embassies in Kabul and Islamabad to tackle the issue. Hence, it is sure hundred percent and plus that it was a provoked act on Afghan side to dispute DL and use it as tactic to reunite Afghan nation at the cost of Pak - Afghan friendship and Pashtuns unity. More importantly, the enemy was aimed to destabilize the region and delay ground work on CPEC.

Pakistani Foreign Office and Defence Minister Khwaja Asif while briefing National Assembly session on 14 June played down the recent skirmishes as war rather termed it as ‘instigated by enemies’. It was urged to improve border management and control on Pak-Afghan border after mutual understanding with Kabul. Khwaja Asif said “We have no dispute with Afghanistan. The enemies of Pakistan do not want it to progress neither do they want it to live in peace with Afghanistan and they are playing an effective role in doing just that.”

Foreign Policy adviser, Mr Sartaj Aziz also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to complete construction of a transit terminal at the Torkham border, terming it a part of the plan to “strengthen border control and regulate cross-border movements”. He said the border gate is being constructed 37 metres inside the Pakistani border as per international law.

Relations between the two countries have been subject to various complexities over the past few decades. Misunderstanding between the two sides on issues like DL, former Mujahideen, Afghan refugees, Taliban, water disputes, trade and it all resulted into Kabul’s tilt towards India. Afghanistan was the first country to oppose Pakistan’s membership in UN and instigated conspiracies like Pashtunistan issues and harbor terrorist groups like Al Zulfiqar and Baloch Liberation Army. Likewise Kabul has been accusing Islamabad of aiding the former Mujahideen and Taliban groups. Pakistan and Afghanistan enjoy tremendous geo strategic importance being a gateway to Central Asia and China linking both to the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and oil rich Middle East. Both are working together to find amicable solution to the issues.  Southern and eastern Afghanistan is predominately a Pashto-speaking region. This entire area is inhabited by the indigenous Pashtuns who belong to different Pashtun tribes and clans living on both sides of the ‘Durand Line’. Pashtuns were known historically as ethnic Afghans (and as Pathans in southern Asia) and have lived in this region for thousands of years, since at least the 1st millennium BC.

Indeed, the last one decade ushered an era of cooperation and understanding between the two sides which is pre requisite for the development of the region. In July 2010, a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) was reached between Pakistan and Afghanistan for the APTTA, observed by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The two states also signed an MoU for the construction of rail tracks in Afghanistan to connect with Pakistan Railways (PR), which has been in the making. In October 2010, the landmark APTTA agreement was signed by Pakistani Commerce Minister and Afghan Ministry of Commerce. The ceremony was attended by Richard Holbrooke, U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, and a number of foreign ambassadors, Afghan parliamentarians and senior officials. The APTTA allows Afghan trucks to drive from Pakistani Ports to Kabul via Wagah border with India

In November 2010, the two states formed a joint chamber of commerce to expand trade relations and solve the traders’ problems. In July 2012, Afghanistan and Pakistan agreed to extend APTTA to Tajikistan in what will be the first step for the establishment of a North-South trade corridor, linking Tajikistan to Pakistani ports. 

It is an open secret, that as an economic corridor, Pakistan is not acceptable to the expansionist India. India is determined to divert the trade corridor towards Iran as she has already invested heavily in Chabahar Port and Zaranj - Dilaram road network linking Iran to Central Asia via Afghanistan. But the efforts are stalled by instability in Afghanistan. Afghanistan is still 80% dependent on Pakistan, economically. India’s some projects specially construction of Dams on Kabul river are aimed to block the flow of water towards Pakistan. Moreover, several unannounced Indian consulates are operating in Afghan cities along Pakistani border without any plausible business links with the locals. It, coupled by the apprehension of RAW agent Kalbhushan Yadav from Baluchistan, has raised eyes brow of everyone what Indian presence in Afghanistan is aimed at. It is only to destabilize Pakistan’s western belt as well as undermine CPEC.

Both Pakistan and Afghanistan have suffered a lot over the last four decades. Now it is time to behave like friends not foes. We have to keep its eyes open, understand the conspiracies of India and its devil game in the region. The issue of construction of dams on River Kabul should not be aimed to divert and block water flow downside in Pakistan. Moreover, Pakistan’s initiative of managing the DL must be taken positively as it is in favour of both to counter the terrorism in the area. We are neighbors and live peacefully. We have to manage our problems bilaterally as neighbors can never afford to live under the dictates of regional and extra regional powers. Both Kabul and Tehran can also be evolved into CPEC to make it a success. This is the only way to stop US and India to exploit Pak - Afghan fragile relations to their tune under the new US policy shift to use India as policeman against and contain China.

The writer is a freelance journalist

Trump Will Take the World to the ‘State of Nature’

By Sajjad Shaukat

Trump whose political character is an amalgamation of the traits of Louis XVI, the king of France, Prince Metternich, the Austro-Hungarian emperor, Rasputin, Russian spiritualist, Germany’s rulers William II (Kaiser) and Adolf Hitler will take the world to the ‘state of nature’ when there was a war of “all against all”, if he becomes American president.

Wavering between fact and skepticism, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump shares a number of similarities with the above mentioned famous persons like ungoverned temper, rashness, self-egoism, unrealistic idealism, lack of pragmatism, ignorance of ground realities, religious prejudice and so on.

During the early years of his reign, Louis XVI focused on religious uniformity and foreign policy. He supported the American colonies’ fight for independence. However, the policy of taking out international loans increased the debt and drove the country to near bankruptcy. Afterwards, class distinction rapidly increased in France, as more taxes were imposed on the lower class and the upper class was exempted. Hence, fiscal policies of France badly failed. When events were leading to the French Revolution of 1789, Louis XVI was busy in lock-making and hunting from the palace-window, which was his famous hobby. He also invited foreign forces to crush the French Revolution. According to historians, “stupidities” of Louis XVI resulted into French Revolution. He was executed for treason by guillotine in 1793.

Renowned historians agree that in the post-Napoleonic era, the Treaty of Chaumont which was made in March 1814 by Great Britain, Russia, Prussia and Austria…even the Vienna Settlement (1815) and various conferences of the Concert of Europe (1815-22) were used for the purpose of suppressing nationalism and liberalism everywhere in Europe and restoring the status quo…sealed the triumph of reaction and restored the pre-revolutionary conditions” [of the French Revolution]…European Powers devoted to the grand interests they had in common.”

Prince Metternich, the emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire did what he could by subjugating the alien peoples by employing every possible techniques of state terrorism. It was due to his influence that the principle of intervention in the internal affairs of other states was accepted in 1820 by the Congress of Troppau. The Protocol enabled Metternich to police the whole of Europe and crush liberalism and nationalism wherever it raised its head. When revolutions had broken out in Naples, Spain and Portugal and the people had forced their kings to give them liberal constitutions, it was in pursuance of this policy that Austria was able to crush the revolts in Naples and Piedmont. France also interfered in Spain.

According to Indian historian, V. D. Mahajin, “Terrorism at that stage initially appeared as the mode of activity of the small conspiratorial groups, such as student bodies and secret societies, which grew up throughout Europe in the aftermath of the post-Napoleonic restoration. These early days were exciting, since Europe still abounded (as indeed it did until 1918) with kings, emperors and tsars to be eliminated because they were using the machinery of state terrorism in suppressing the genuine aspirations of peoples such as liberty, freedom and justice…the principle of the French Revolution. The example of France became the inspiration of Europe and from there of the whole world…Metternich was the enemy of the French Revolution and all that it stood for.…Metternich had to admit that he was fighting for a lost cause, and the empire disintegrated, resulting in the independence of Italy, unification of Germany, Bulgaria and other states whose secret societies had been waging wars of liberation.”

Gregory Rasputin was a religious figure who was a mystical adviser of Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna, the wife of Czar Nicholas II of Russia. Rasputin was a notorious individual due to his rampant lascivious, compounding contempt among state officials. He became the most influential person of the imperial court and all the decisions of the government such as resistance to the demands of political and economic reforms were made by him. When Russia entered World War I, Nicholas II took command of the Russian Army, and Alexandra took responsibility for domestic policy. As per instruction of Rasputin, she dismissed ministers who were said “to be suspicious of the mad monk.” Government officials tried to warn her of Rasputin’s undue influence, but she continued to defend him. By February 1917, poor management of the government led to food shortages and famine gripped the cities. Industrial workers went on strike and people began rioting in the streets of St. Petersburg. Russia was engaged in a full civil war, with anti-tsar Bolshevik forces which culminated into the Revolution of 1917. Historians agree that besides other causes, “stupidities” of Rasputin were the major cause of the Revolution.

As regards William II and Hitler, both were famous for their pathological egotism and belief that Germany existed for their own aggrandizement. Both were fierce racists and anti-Semites. They believed in the principle of “world power or downfall.” They had a firm faith in the superiority of German race. The two leaders believed that the path to German greatness was through aggressive military actions. They started a programme of enormous armament by developing German military on modern lines. William II and Hitler became powerful rulers and acted upon an aggressive foreign policy to subjugate other nations. It was due to their unskilled diplomacy that militarization of Germany alarmed France, England and Russia. Thus, they humiliated the Germans, as their country was defeated in the World War I and World War II.

Especially, Hitler’s character and adverse circumstances in Germany helped him to come to power. The Germans were badly humiliated by the Treaty of Versailles (Peace Settlement 1919) which resulted into multiple crises, particularly unemployment in Germany. Hitler was a great orator and his techniques of propaganda helped him to influence millions of people. The Germans felt that Hitler could not only resolve their problems, but could also restore the glory of Germany in the eyes of the world. The more Hitler manipulated the injustices of the Treaty of Versailles, the more he became popular with the public.

After coming to power, like the despotic kings of France and Russia, Adolf Hitler’s internal policies were authoritarian and totalitarian. Liberty disappeared completely. The secret police-Gestapo was formed to deal with the slightest indication of opposition. He mixed politics with religious fervor and massacred several Jews in the concentration camps. Hitler and his Nazi party had planned to conquer colonies for the German people in the East and South of Europe. They must have a living space-Lebensraum, as Nazis called it.

In one way or the other, like Louis XVI and Rasputin, Donald Trump’s political character is full of “stupidities.” Besides, following William II and Hitler in the modern era, Trump promised to restore American prestige and to make America great again. Like Hitler, Trump succeeded in mobilizing the electorate of the Republican Party with promises to restore jobs and to resolve the internal problems of the US. During his emotional speeches, Trump’s body language and way of speaking were not less than those of Hitler. Nevertheless, despite the resistance from his own party, he won over his fellow candidates in the nomination race.

Regarding the propaganda techniques, one can easily witness resemblance between Trump and Hitler. In this respect, on May 31, 2016, nearly 400 pages of a US court documents revealed, “Trump University instructed employees on how to play on peoples’ emotions to get them to buy more expensive seminars for succeeding in real estate…it is our job to rekindle peoples’ motivation...to make them once again see the potential of achieving their dream…the documents unsealed in San Diego were part of a lawsuit by customers who say they were defrauded…a judge who has earned Trump’s scorn agreed with attorneys that the public had a right to know what was previously confidential.”  

It is mentionable that as part of the anti-Muslim approach, and with the support of its Western allies, American President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama deliberately created chaos in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Egypt and Syria, including other Islamic countries such as Somalia, Yemen etc. where Washington was indirectly involved. If Hitler had erected concentration camps for Jews, Bush and Obama also converted these countries into concentration camps for the Muslims to obtain the illegitimate political and economic interests of the Zionist Jews and Israel. In case elected, as the US president, Donald Trump who wants to complete the unfinished agenda of Israel will continue anti-Muslim policies.

Like Hitler, Trump manipulated the terror attacks in Paris and Brussels to get the sympathies of a majority of the ordinary Americans and those of Europe, who do not have much time to go into depth-analysis and have been misguided by his emotional speeches, statements and false hopes. As part of the double game, these terror attacks were planned by the Israeli Mossad with the help of Mossad-CIA supported ISIS (ISIL or Daesh) terrorists in order to obtain several aims such as exaggeration of Islamophobia, expulsion of Muslims, especially Syrian refugees from Europe, anti-Islam movement etc., and to get the assistance of Europe, including other Western countries against Russia in connection with Syrian war and for intervention in the Islamic countries like Libya on the pattern of the Concert of Europe.

Anti-Muslim rhetoric of Trump could be judged from his own statements. While addressing a rally, Trump had called for a ban on Muslims, entering the United States. Trump’s opposition to Muslim refugees, especially from Syria is very well known. During his appearance with the National Border Patrol Council’s Green Line radio show on May 15, 2016, Trump predicted that refugees with ISIS-funded cell phones will conduct another 9/11-like terrorist attack in the US. During a GOP debate in December, 2016, he had already expressed similar thoughts by giving “Americans wake-up call about border security and to take it seriously,” elaborating that he had “no doubt, the attackers were already entering the country.”On February 14, 2016, CIA Director John Brennan warned that ISIS attacks on “U.S. soil is inevitable.”  However, these warnings were exploited by the Israeli Mossad and its affiliated CIA operatives to target the night club of Florida.

Although the presidential nominee of the Democrats Hillary Clinton is also Israeli agent, yet her criticism about contributions of election-campaign from Wall Street backers, email-scandal etc. have weakened her position. Therefore, Donald Trump suits the interests of Tel Aviv. Notably, in an interview with the Daily Mail on May 2, this year, Trump stated that Israel should continue construction of illegal settlements across the occupied West Bank.

After the shooting at the gay night club in Florida, He also criticized the US President Obama to resign, slamming him for having “disgracefully refused to even say the words “Radical Islam.” Calling on Clinton to get out of the general election race for the same reason, Trump said, “Because our leaders are weak, I said this was going to happen…we cannot afford.” Trump again remarked that he would decrease immigration from the Middle East because “since 9/11, hundreds of migrants and their children have been implicated in terrorism in the United States.” He, once again, asked for the ban of any Muslims, entering the US. On June 19, 2016, during his interview with the CBC News, he called for racial “profiling of Muslims inside the United States to combat terrorism.” In fact, like Hitler, the more Donald Trump speaks against the Muslims and the more he exaggerates Islamophobia, the more popularity he will get among the people who have been impressed by his stereotypes.

In this regard, Trump who lacks farsightedness has totally ignored American’s home-grown terrorists who are proving more dangerous than those of the ISIS. Besides, if elected, the presumptive American president Trump promised to stop immigrants from Mexico by erection of a boundary wall, while calling the Mexican immigrants “criminals” and “rapists”. Trump is creating racism between the Muslims and Christians—the black people and the white people. And if he becomes the US president, he is likely to move America towards autocracy, while American public is already protesting against the curtailment of liberty. His racist approach could also cause a civil war in the US.

It notable that in case America’s anti-Muslim, pro-Israeli and pro-Indian Donald Trump becomes American president, by following Hitler, he would erect more concentration camps by attacking more Muslim countries. While pursuing Prince Metternich, he is likely to interfere in the Muslim states, while backing the reactionary polices of some Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia. Thus, Trump will destabilize the entire Middle East, including more Islamic countries, especially Pakistan to please the fundamentalist government of the BJP and Israel, as Pakistan is the only nuclear country in the Muslim world, which irritates India, Zionist Jews and Israel. Pursuing Metternich in one way or the other, Trump will encourage every possible techniques of state terrorism, being employed by India and Israel in the occupied territories of Kashmir and Palestine. Notably, there are already governments of the religious extremists in India and Israel, so if succeeded in the forthcoming presidential election, the fundamentalist and impulsive politician Trump will not bother for dangerous implications of the US flawed strategy.

Renowned thinker of international relations, Hans Morgenthau points out that external policy of a country should be moulded in accordance “with the exigencies and circumstances of time and place” otherwise, there will be “failure of the foreign policy.” It is quite true in case of Trump who will further thwart the American foreign policy goals, because, he does not have political wisdom.

Donald Trump seems to further strengthen the alliance between the US and the West, particularly Europe against Russia, as the US-led Western countries have started a cold war against Moscow and compelled the former to follow the suit. True to his rigid approach, he has set aside the facts that one of the major causes of the disintegration of the former Soviet Union was that its greater defense expenditures exceeded to the maximum, resulting in economic crises inside the country. In this context, about a protracted war in Afghanistan, the former Russian President Gorbachev had declared it as the “bleeding wound.” While learning no lesson, the US has already been acting upon the similar policies which led to the demise of the former Russia.

There is a co-relationship of the US internal and external policies. But, like William II and Hitler, Trump is uncompromising.

After taking cognizance of the grievances of the international community, Russian President Vladimir Putin is rapidly restoring the balance of power in the world. In this respect, Moscow which also has China’s support, though Beijing does not, openly, show, is in better position than the US and its Western (NATO) allies who are also entangled in Afghanistan and the Middle East. This cold war will enhance American expenditures by deepening the US momentary problems and other internal problems which are badly affecting the Americans, while it is already been becoming difficult for Washington to maintain its military bases abroad. According to a recent report, America is near military collapse. However, while speaking in the language of William II and Hitler-world power or downfall, Trump who lacks pragmatism would expedite the disintegration of America and the European Union (EU) like the former Russia.

It is of particular attention that on June 24, 2016, Britain has voted to leave the EU, compelling the British Prime Minister David Cameron to resign. UK itself could now break apart, with the leader of Scotland, where nearly two-thirds of voters wanted to stay in the EU, saying a new referendum on independence from the rest of Britain was highly likely. President Obama who was insisting upon London to keep aligned with the EU is trying to limit the fallout from Britain’s separation from the EU, which “threatens to harm the U.S. economic recovery and distract U.S. allies from global security issues”, as he said on June 24. 2016. On the same day, Donald Trump stated, British voters just shattered political convention in a stunning repudiation of the ruling establishment in a referendum…in November, the American people will have the chance to re-declare their independence. Americans will have a chance to vote for trade, immigration and foreign policies that put our citizens first…people want to see borders. They don’t necessarily want people pouring into their country that they don’t know who they are and where they come from.”

Nonetheless, it will be misfortune of the US and other Western countries, including the whole world, if Trump becomes American president, as his personality contains the qualities of Louis XVI, Metternich, Rasputin, William II and Hitler who brought about destruction not only for their own countries, but also for Europe and other regions. Enigmatic, confused, emotional and religious extremist Donald Trump will cause a major nuclear war between Russia and the US-led West in wake of the unresolved issue of Syria. Most probably, he will divide the international community on religious lines, culminating into ‘clash of civilization’ in the sense of Huntington.  Any major war or such a clash will take the US and Europe and the entire world to the era—from 1511 to 1648 when Europe witnessed a prolonged arena of barbarism, religious bigotry and intolerance, resulting into beastly violence, and the Treaty of Westphalia was concluded in 1648 in order to maintain the nation-state system whose basic purpose was to honor the dignity of human beings. 

On May 21, 2016, Kevin Barret, while giving a wake-up call to the Americans, wrote on the Veterans Today, “Donald Trump’s terror hysteria, combined with the ever-growing terrorist attacks around the world means that a dark future awaits America in case the presumptive GOP nominee becomes president.”

Returning to our earlier discussion, if Donald Trump becomes the US president, he will take the world to the ‘state of nature’ when there was a war of “all against all” in the sense of Thomas Hobbes.

Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations

Email: sajjad_logic_pak@hotmail.com

Courtesy Veterans Today