Old Game with a New Venue

By Aasef Chauhdry

The Kashmir freedom movement was picking up momentum every day. Inventive Indian minds decided to cash in on international events. The tragic incident of 9/11 was fresh in the minds and hence no other opportunity could have been better than this one. Suddenly the Kashmiris, through celluloid footages, were shown as inhuman terrorists and psychopaths. The Kashmiris were described as animals instead of human beings. The viewers were forced to believe that the just struggle of Kashmiri freedom is terrorism and not a war of deliverance. The tempo of this anti-Pakistan celluloid campaign gained paced slowly but surely. By the end of the century it was at its peak. The successors of Dada Sahib Phalikay and Ird Sher Irani literally maligned the names of their predecessors. An industry which had motion pictures like Alam Ara, Anarkali, Amrit and Admi to its credit has now made it its religious duty to fill the market with venomous trash like Maan Tujhay Salam, Hindustan ki Qasam, The Hero, Dewaar, Sheen, Dressing Room, Dil Pardesi Ho Gaya, Dil Jalay, Dev, Agni Punkh, Zameen, Pukkar, Refugee, Sarfrosh and many more. It has now become a fashion to whack Pakistan, and disparage her armed forces. The Bollywood producers are now making heavy budget movies. The producer of Border, J. P. Dutta has become a VIP overnight. He was begged to cancel his English tour and make another pathetic movie LOC Kargil, which is nothing more than a distortion of historical facts, and an effort not only to fabricate the war account but also to humiliate the neighbouring country’s soldiers through cheap dialogues. It’s an open secret by now that, who is behind this never ending story. Never mind how gigantic the Bollywood film industry is but that fact remains that its beyond their producers’ capabilities to throw in four hundred to five hundred million rupees for producing a propaganda trash. The obvious answer is that yes, it’s none other than the world’s most notorious intelligence agency RAW.

RAW id known for creating troubles in the neighbouring countries, especially Pakistan and keep them on hinges always. It doesn’t believe in any ethic and keep all the options open when it comes to malign Pakistan and Pakistan army and its prime intelligence agency ISI. As said earlier that RAW did achieve a breakthrough in the Kashmir freedom movement by breaking its momentum and impetus through a tireless propaganda and succeeded in labeling the freedom fighters as the terrorists; thanks to the 9/11 scenario for facilitating the baseless and inhuman game. India and especially RAW, went one step ahead with an aim to put Pakistan army and ISI on back foot, while having hallucinations that they might have been helping the freedom fighters. It was their propaganda that Pakistan at the same time was alleged and labeled as the US collation partner in the global war on terror and helping the Taliban, simultaneously; a magic that only the Indian ‘Jadoogars’ (magician) could do.

RAW is known rogue Indian Intelligence Agency in literal meanings and sense. It has a long list of clandestine operations in many countries of the world and amazingly the only agency that carried out and even now carrying out many sabotage operations in its own country. Mumbai drama and Samjhota Express burning are few of the incidents to mention. It’s a loud thinking in India that if impartial investigations are carried out then one may find RAW’s dirty hand behind the killing of Muslims in Ahmadabad during Modi’s government there. All along, Pakistan has been one of its favorite targets. The other side of the picture is that RAW’s links with terrorist organization including TTP are beyond any doubt. In their culpable activities, it even exploits the cover of extremist religious groups to foment terrorist activities and simultaneously propagate to implicate Pakistan.

In the backdrop of recently held sham elections in IOK, BJP has lost the desire to rule IOK and abrogate article 370. Through the participation, it appears as if the occupied people have succeeded by the whisker to thwart, for the time being, one more attempt by New Delhi to completely incorporate their land in the Indian Union, thanks largely to an unusually large turnout officially reported to be about 70 per cent. The occupied people usually resort to boycott or disruption of the poll process to undermine the legitimacy of such elections. However, sensing that a repeat of these tactics this time would enable the BJP to win enough seats to form a government on its own and then mange to get rid of Article 370 of Indian Constitution that had so far protected the occupied territory from being gobbled by India, the people of the occupied land came out of their houses apparently in masses to stop the BJP’s political onslaught with their votes. Under Article 370, the Indian parliament is obliged to seek the consensus of the Kashmir Assembly in all matters except defense, foreign affairs, finance and communication. Also, this Article can be removed from the Indian Constitution only if the Kashmir Assembly itself were to vote in favour of its elimination. That is what the BJP has promised to manage in its rallies during the Indian elections held earlier this year. However, the just concluded assembly election in Indian-occupied Kashmir has thrown up a hung house with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) winning 28 seats and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of India 25 in a house of 87. Thus, frustrating the Modi’s hopes.

Now it’s very painful for the Modi Sarkar, hence one of the most radical political icons of the Indian history now tasked RAW to initiate series of terrorist activities in the valley to malign Pakistan so that terrorist operating in FATA on their behest can have some respite. Consequently, RAW is on the job right away and has recruited and trained certain terrorist groups to mock terrorist activities in Baramulla, Sopore, Puwama, Shopian, Anantnag and Kulagm areas in next about two weeks. While their collation partners (TTP) in Pakistan, who are at run due to Operation Zarb e Azb, will have a break, the simulated activity of RAW will be coupled with Media offensive to allege Pakistan’s involvement in terrorist activities in IOK. The storyboard is very much ready and the India Media knows its role in this drama; a production by RAW and they are preparing their cameras, contents, microphones and studios to put the thrilling stuff on air. As it is part of the LeT JUD etc would be the main villainous characters for blame game. Same format, same tricks, same strategy of RAW to malign and implicate ISI/Armed Forces of Pakistan. Only the venue is changed.

Coming to Pakistan, now if we see the ISI has very limited resources as compared to responsibilities it has. None of other agency or institute of the country is working diligently and honestly, as one expects from them, be it IB, Police, CID, judiciary, parliament or be it our mighty media. It is ISI who has to fight and guard the national interests on media, through a yet another kind of war. The prime intelligence agency is fighting a war on many fronts; against international operators, their local proxies and agents in Baluchistan, resisting a proxy war, pursue terrorists, their facilitators and detain them in Punjab, Sindh, FATA, KPK and AJK. Also fighting a war against those factors who are trying to re-blood the dead nationalist movements in Sindh and above all ISI has thrown everything in her support to the Army in its decade long war against terrorism.

The time has come that our ignorant and irresponsible media to wake up before it’s late. Let a group of bunch of few rascals labeled as journo to remain busy with their immoral activities against the country, Army and ISI and let the GEO be what it is as it’s a known hard fact that every dog has a day, but the majority of the media has to pull up their socks and stand beside the ISI in its war against our arch rival India and RAW. We have to remember that in case we as a nation and our media as one of the most important and key part, if ever showed ignorance or carelessness then not only the history but the innocent Kashmiri brethren will never forgive us.

Modi has laid his cards and hardly any doubt left that what is on his mind. He will never spare a chance to bag majority in the Valley and that would not be possible without gaining the sympathies of the oppressed Kashmiris. To cash that sympathy he is reverting to old tactics and drama of maligning Pakistan Army/ ISI with the help of his vital weapon RAW. Time for own media to decide whether they are with the Army/ ISI or against them?

Spooky statecraft

By Aasim Zafar Khan

 Amidst all the grief in the aftermath of the horrific attack at the Army Public School in Peshawar, there has been one question on everybody’s lips: When is Fazlullah going to be killed?

And each time the COAS or the DG ISI have made a trip to Kabul, the rumour mills have been busily spinning their yarn: He’s gone to share details on Fazlullah’s whereabouts; it’s only a matter of time now; he’s told the Afghans: you take care of him or we’ll have to come in and do it ourselves.

But Fazlullah’s still alive and probably plotting another horrific crime. Yes, one of the visits of the top brass revolved around sharing incriminating evidence, but all we have so far is that the planners of the attacks have been apprehended.

Obviously, this is not enough.

Do we not have the capability of taking this one person out? Do we not have any actionable intelligence? The answer to both questions is: yes, we do. But it would be naive to assume that just because we have the intel and the capability, there are no other obstacles in the way. After all, this is spooky statecraft.

We live in a Machiavellian world – the truth is mostly impossible to unearth, hidden by layers upon layers of lies and deceit. It is correct that evidence on the whereabouts of enemy number one was shared with officials across the border. But what happened next?

Sources privy to the interactions in Kabul suggest that a dossier was thrown our way as well – a dossier spilling over with evidence of violence in Afghanistan planned and operated within our borders. We were adamant – for something, anything. And shortly after the spate of visits, the Afghans launched an operation in the eastern province of Kunar where, intel suggests, Fazlullah was holed up. And soon enough, five people were arrested for involvement in the horrific Peshawar attack.

The truth is that, while an operation has indeed been launched in Kunar, the government in Kabul does not exert much control or influence in the outwardly provinces of Nuristan, Kunar, Paktika and the like. And if one is to believe what one is hearing, Fazlullah and his cronies roam between these provinces with ease and freedom. However, as we Pakistanis know very well, where this is an absence of control and governance, the only institutions that can operate are intelligence agencies. And not only your own. Take for example, the vast network of CIA operatives that continue to roam across Pakistan, and using their fixers in the tribal regions, plant little blue homing chips on future drone strike targets. That’s how it goes.

In the same vein, the National Directorate of Security (NDS), the Afghan equivalent of the ISI, operates in these restive and far-flung regions. And let me take you back to the episode of one Latif Mehsud. This fellow was nabbed by US Special Forces as he made his way to a meeting with the NDS. And while the Afghans described Mehsud as an ‘insurgent peace emissary’, as reported by the New York Times,” according to Afghan officials, the ultimate plan was to take revenge on the Pakistani military”.

Another reason to accept that the Afghans perhaps don’t have too much control is that we also approached both the United States and the International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) for help in getting Fazlullah.

While this is most disturbing, one cannot be surprised by such behaviour – like I said, this is spooky statecraft. But all this went down during former president Karzai’s tenure, and we are all well-versed in his dislike for Pakistan. It is pertinent to mention here that for the longest time Pakistan has held a senior Afghan Taliban member by the name of Abdul Ghani Baradar, a man long sought by the Karzai government to add a much needed impetus into peace negotiations with the Taliban.

Now President Ghani is in charge, and the real questions to ask are: is the Afghan president’s fresh start with Pakistan something unanimous or just something that he alone desires; and b) What kind of control does the government in Kabul have on the NDS?

The NDS and, by association, the Afghan government have long sought the ability to have some kind of negotiating leverage against Pakistan. The attempt to collude with Latif Mehsud is a prime example, and now, Mullah Fazlullah.

This is not acceptable. The Afghan president must rein in his intelligence agency, which it seems increasingly likely is allowing refuge to Fazlullah. Or, really, why can’t we do it ourselves?

Another aspect of spooky statecraft: Cross-border assassinations are part and parcel of how intelligence agencies take care of business. The CIA and Mossad are some of the best exponents of this part. Perhaps it’s time we start dabbling in this dark art ourselves.

Postscript: One usually does not believe in rumours, but sometimes they tend to make sense. Under the overused Machiavellian rule of the enemy’s enemy is your friend, reports suggest that one foreign intelligence agency is also playing its part in protecting Fazlullah.

Email: aasimzk@gmail.com

Twitter: @aasimzkhan

ISI Key Khilaf Bharti Shar-angez Propaganda Mohem آئی ایس آئی کیخلاف بھارتی شرانگیز پراپیگنڈا مہم

بھارت میں آرایس ایس اوردیگر انتہاءپسند ہندو گروپوں سے تعلق رکھنے والوں نے مسلسل پاکستان اورپاکستان کی نمبر ون انٹیلی جنس ایجنسی آ ئی ایس آئی کیخلاف منفی پراپیگنڈا مہم جاری وساری رکھی ہوئی ہے۔ بیمار ذہنیت رکھنے والے یہ بھارتی میڈیا اینکرزلکھاری منفی پراپیگنڈا ے کے ذریعے گھٹیا قسم کے نفسیاتی آپریشن کی تکمیل کر کے پاکستانی مفادات کو نقصان پہچانا چاہتے ہیں ۔ بھارت کے پاکستان دشمن عزائم کی راہ میں سب سے بڑی رکارٹ پاکستان کی موثر ترین دفاعی لائن آ ئی ایس آئی ہے۔ جولائی2013 میں بھارتی میڈیا نے انڈین انٹیلی بیورو کی فیڈنگ کے تحت آ ئی ایس آئی کے خلاف یہ شرمناک الزام لگا یاکہ آ ئی ایس آئی دہشت گردانہ نیٹ ورک کو متحرک کر کے بھارت میں متعدد ہندو لیڈروں اور بہت سارے شہروں میںانکی تنصیبات کو نشانہ بنائے گی۔ بھارتی حکومت نے سیکورٹی انتظامات کو ہائی الرٹ رکھا کیونکہ آرایس ایس کے چیف موہن بھاگوات کئی بھارتی ریاستوںکا دورہ کررہے تھے  تا ہم تمام کہانی جو آ ئی ایس آئی کو بدنام کرنے کے لیے ممکنہ دہشت گردانہ نیٹ ورک سے متعلق گھڑی گئی بے بنیاد اور شرانگیزثابت ہوئی ہے۔ پاکستان نے بھارتی منفی پراپیگنڈا ے اور شرانگیزی کو نظرانداز کرتے ہوئے تجویز کیا کہ اس طرح کےبے بنیادالزامات بھارت اور پاکستان کے درمیان امن عمل کو تباہ کر سکتے ہیں لیکن بھارتی پراپیگنڈا ہ کاروں نے کوئی سبق حاصل نہیں کیا اور پاکستانی مشورے کو نظرانداز کر دیا حال ہی میں Deccan Chronicle نے اسطرح کی ایک طرح کی ایک من گھڑت اور شرانگیزکہانی بعنوان پاکستانی آ ئی ایس آئی بھارتی اقتصادی مراکز اور اہم تنصیبات کو نشانہ بنا سکتی ہے۔7نومبر 2014 کو نمر تابی جی آہو جا کی رپورٹ کے مطابق کے نئے دہشت گردانہ موڈول جسے آئی ایس آئی نے تربیت فراہم کی ہے بھارت میں داخل ہو گیا ہے جوکہ بھارتی اقتصادی تنصیبات بشمول رزیو و بنک، بمبئی سٹاک ایکسچینج ، نیو دلی تہاڑ جیل، بنگلور بی ایس ایف ہیڈکوارٹر جلندر، پٹیالہ جیل پنجاب اور نیو آوانتی پورہ جموں کشمیر کو نشانہ بنا سکتے ہیں۔ بھارتی انٹیلیجنس بیورو نے یہ اطلاع بھی بھارتی قانون نافذ کرنے والے اداروں کو دی کہ دہشت گرد گروپ بھارت میں راجستھان بارڈر کے ذریعے داخل ہو ا ہے جو کہ پونے کی پونے کی طرف بڑھ رہا ہے ۔ جنہیں لوکل سلیپرسل سے اسلحہ اور ایمونیشن فراہم کیا جائےگا۔’بھارتی را “کی ایما پر کام کرنے والے صحافیوں اور لکھاریوں کی طرف سے اس طرح کی میڈیا رپورٹوں میں نہ صرف پاکستان اور آئی ایس آئی پر انتہائی خطرناک الزامات لگائے گئے ہیں کہ پاکستان اور آئی ایس آئی دہشت گردوں کو تربیت دے کر بھارتی اہداف کو نشانہ بنانے کے لئے بھیج رہے ہیں ۔ اسی طرح کی رپورٹوں کا مقصد پاکستان کے امیج اور آئی ایس آئی کے وقار کو نقصان پہنچانا ہے۔ ان تمام بے بنیاد رپورٹوں سے جہاں لکھنے والوں کی بیمار ذہنیت ظاہر ہو جاتی ہے وہاں را کے میڈیا ونگ سے تعلق رکھنے والے لکھاریوں کے آئی ایس آئی کے خلاف مظامین پاکستان اور آئی ایس آئی کے متعلق بھارتی مذموم مقاصد کو بے نقاب کر رہے ہیں۔

جہاں کہیں بھی بھارت میں دہشت گردی کا کوئی واقعہ رونما ہوتا ہے تو فوری طور پر بھارتی “را” اور انڈین میڈیا پاکستان اور آئی ایس آئی پر بغیر تحقیق کئے دہشت گردانہ اقدامات کی سرپرستی کا الزام لگادیتے ہیں۔ بار بار پاکستان اور آئی ایس آئی کے خلاف بے بنیاد اور شر انگیز رپورٹوں کے بعد اب خدشہ یہ ہے کہ بھارتی را خود ہی اپنے ملک میں دہشت گردانہ کاروائی کرکے اور اس کا الزام خود کو سچ ثابت کرنے کے لئے آئی ایس آئی پر نہ لگا دے ضرورت اس بات کی ہے کہ پاکستان فاٹا اور بلوچستان میں عدم استحکام کی بھارتی کوششوں اور تخریب کاری کو کھل کر بے نقاب کرے افغانستان میں بھارتی قونصلیٹ تحریک طالبان پاکستان اور بلوچ علیحدگی پسندوں کو سرمایہ اسلحہ اور تربیت فراہم کر رہے ہیں۔ صرف یہی نہیں بلکہ تحریک طالبان پاکستان کے کچھ گروپوں جو کہ داعش کی طرف رجحان رکھتے ہیں کو متحد رکھنے کے لئے بھارت اپنی چالیں چل رہا ہے۔ تاہم آپریشن ضرب عضب کامیابی سے جاری ہے جس کے نتیجے میں اس کی دال نہیں گل سکتی اسی مقصد کے لئے آئی ایس آئی اور پاکستان کو دباو میں رکھنے کے لئے بھارتی را کچھ بھی کرسکتی ہے۔ تاہم پاکستانی میڈیا کو پاکستانیت کا حق ادا کرتے ہوئے بھارتی “را” اور ان کے لئے پالک صحافیوں اور لکھاریوں کے شر انگیز مضامین اور رپورٹوں کا بھر پور جواب دینا چاہئے۔

India’s clandestine wars against Pakistan

Dr Muhammad Khan

Email: drmk@yahoo.com

 

If there was still any doubt about Indian involvement in the terrorist and separatists related activities in Pakistan, the video revelations of the Indian National Security Advisor, Mr Ajit Doval, has clarified all those, which India undertakes through its clandestine wars ever since. Mr Ajit Doval is a former spy master and has clearly outlined the Indian strategy, as how to destabilize Pakistan internally through the promotion of terrorism and separatism and making use of Afghan geo-politics.

In his lecture, Ajit Doval, clearly declared Pakistan as the ‘enemy’ “extols Indian intelligence’s ability to compromise and infiltrate the Kashmir insurgency; crows about the beheading of Pakistani soldiers by the TTP and advocates a policy of ‘defensive offense’ against Pakistan.” Although, India has been destabilizing all regional states through its well planned and deliberated strategy, however, its major focus has always been towards Pakistan, a policy of undoing Pakistan.

Mr Doval in his recent lecture clearly threatened that; Pakistan will lose Balochistan, if there is another Mumbai type attack. Though, he did make a mention of the relationship between Mumbai type attacks and losing of Balochistan, yet the video is a clear confession by India that, it (India) is behind the separatists in the province of Balochistan and has a huge network operative against the state of Pakistan. The tone Mr Ajit Doval used is indicative of the fact that, India must have presence of its operatives physically present in isolated areas of the Balochistan province or in the vicinities of the province.

Indeed, in the past, New Delhi has been promoting sub-nationalism in Sind, Khyber Paktunkhwa, Balochistan and even among the Karachiates (Mohajirs). Indian covert and overt activities in former East Pakistan finally led to the Indian military aggression against the state of Pakistan and resulted into the disintegration of the world’s largest Islamic state in 1971. Though not geographically contiguous, yet, India has been promoting its clandestine activities by making use of the soil of neighbouring states of Pakistan.

In this regard, Brahamdagh Bugti has been active and remained in India for quite some time. He has been frequently travelling between Kabul and New Delhi in last one decade. India has been funding and sponsoring his activities against the state of Pakistan. Indeed, India is financing all the anti-Pakistan sub-nationalist organizations, especially in Balochistan and TTP and its related terrorist network.

In the wake of Operation Zarb-a-Azb, Pak Army destroyed the terrorists’ network in North Waziristan and adjoining areas. This was a major breakthrough against the TTP and terrorism in Pakistan, as the terrorist lost their headquarters and hub of terrorism. Besides, there have been over 3000 intelligence based operations against the terrorists throughout in Pakistan.

Indeed, during these military operations, Pak Army has broken the backbone of the terrorists. These Pakistani successes against the terrorism created a dilemma for the New Delhi, which felt that its strategy is failing. This was a great setback for Indian spying network, its leadership and strategists; they in fact felt crumbling of Indian strategy against Pakistan.

Now India under the premiership of Modi modified its strategy and in the first instance opened firing all along the LoC and working boundary, causing losses of lives and property of innocent people. Pakistan cannot target civilians on the other side of the LoC, however, it retaliates against the identified Indian posts. Besides, a frustrated India has started massive reinforcement of the terrorists in the form of weaponry and finances. People like Mulllah Fazullah are on the payroll of the RAW and NDS, thus still sponsor terrorists acts like Peshawar APS attack and many others. Recently India has also planned Mumbai type attack, where its Navy destroyed a boat, and later blamed Pakistan.

While India has been doing this all against the state of Pakistan, there has been no worthwhile response from Pakistan, at the level of Foreign Office, except issuing reactionary statements in its self defense. However, its military has been raising its concerns in low tone over the Indian involvement in the terrorism against Pakistan. Diplomatically, there has been no or less homework done by our FO and diplomatic missions all around, therefore, international community could not be taken on board about the clandestine acts of India in Pakistan. On the other hand, India has been accusing Pakistan for those acts, which it planned and executed on its own soil to defame Pakistan and taken onboard the international community.

In order to defeat the terrorists’ network of TTP, Pakistan will have to defeat India’s secret wars against it. However, with Modi as Prime minister and Doval as his NSA, one cannot expect a positive change. India has already closed all the doors of negotiations with Pakistan. However, for the Govt of Pakistan, it is high time to reassess its policies and priorities. Indian bullying cannot be responded with compassion and compulsion. There is a strong need that, Pakistan must mobilize its diplomatic community and media to unveil, what all India is doing against the state of Pakistan. Indian covert and overt involvement, as clear from the lecture of Mr Ajit Doval, should be highlighted and international community should be informed accordingly. While diplomacy must play its role, Pak Army must continue its anti-terror operations against the terrorists and Indian sponsored separatists. The people of Pakistan fully support the 21st Amendment in the Constitution of Pakistan. The amendment will enable Pak Army to root-out the terrorism from Pakistani soil. By all means, Pakistan has to counter the Indian secret wars against the state of Pakistan; otherwise the very survival of the state is at stake.

http://epaper.pakobserver.net

Is Daesh New Kid on the Block?

By:      Aasef Chauhdry

 

Daesh or ISIS is talk of the town these days. Till few days back they were heard fighting and committing atrocities only in Iraq, Syria. However, recently they have been reported extending their activities in the neighbouring countries as well. It has become a fashion to join or promote any group that surface, taking the name of Islam. These days such groups gain overnight popularity. People would talk about them promote them and even many cases blindly join them, without even going into their background or history. More than a decade back, exactly this thing happened when Al Qaeda came into being. The militants belonging to Al Qaeda were termed as the heroes of Islam who were fighting against anti-Muslim forces. Nevertheless, with the passage of time the group’s follies exposed them and gradually their popularity graph started falling down.

As a consequence of Afghanistan Jihad, following the popularity and effectiveness of genuine Afghan Taliban, the militants in the tribal belt and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa adopted the name of Pakistani Taliban. The masterminds behind them were certainly the forces who had vested interests in Pakistan and categorically the tribal belt to achieve their goals. They purposely and wickedly gave these terrorists the name Taliban just to confuse the world and bring a bad name to the genuine Taliban who attained fame of their just cause and fight for the liberation of Afghanistan. These so-called Pakistani Taliban who were proven playing into the hands of the American, Indian, Iranian, Afghan and British intelligence agencies, started the terrorists activities throughout the country. They killed innocent people and played with the lives of thousands of inopportune Pakistanis. Beside this the blast and suicidal attacks on the military installations and other set-ups left no doubt about their loyalties.

With the passage of time, on the same very issue the differences between various factions within the Taliban organisation developed. There were folks who believed in dialogues and only targeting the military points but there were others also who wanted to disrupt the routine national life. Finally much talked Taliban met their horrible felt. on one hand they were severely punished by the armed forces that made them run from pillar to post, may that was Swat or it is Waziristan while on the other hand they disunited hence lost the control. their horrible fate was a nightmare for the masters who were dreaming to dismember Pakistan. Those ignorant who wanted to fight it as their own battle are doing so and are being punished at the hands of armed forces in operation Zarb-e-Azb whereas, those who are puppets in the foreign hands have found a new cozy lap of Daesh.

Recently, some of the thrown out cases like ex-TTP spokesperson Shahid Ullah Shahid along with five senior commanders of Orakzai Agency, Kurram Agency, Khyber Agency, Hangu and Peshawar announced their allegiance to terrorist group Islamic State of Daesh. I wonder if they know that what this ISIS or Daesh is all about, however, if they know at all then it comfortably exposes their linkage and affiliations. These new ‘faithful soldiers’ of the Daesh State, besides distributing literature / pamphlets, are also wall chalking in Peshawar to join and support the group. No wonder, if in many cases even AbuBakar AlBaghdadi would know even, about these volunteers of the “State”.

A hectic media war is intensely going on to prove Daesh good and prove them bad. Someone recently posted a footage where foreign analysts are bashing ISIS and blaming them to be the agents of Israeli Secret Service. https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152619864314262. But ironically the ill informed public unwittingly and without realizing the consequences are playing into the hands of the enemy by doing wall chalking and pasting posters in Daesh’s favour, here and there in the country. There are some authenticated reports that the most controversial organization of Daesh in Mosul want to rewrite the Holy Quran, removing various verses which the organization allege is distorted and incorrect; according to the “Afaq Al-Iraq” channel from private sources. After seeing the clip posted above, no doubt left about the origin of ISIS elements. As reported by the site of “Al-Mowaten” members of Daesh continued by saying the verses they wish to remove we’re placed by corrupt distorted clerics to serve other religions and sects such as Christianity and others. The report stated that the chapters which the organization of Daesh wishes to alter include the chapter of “Al-Kafiroon” and verses of purification.

TTP has been weighed down by bitter internal rivalries over the past year, with the influential Mehsud tribal faction of the group refusing to accept the authority of Mullah Fazalullah. ISIS, in an effort to extend its global reach, could exploit these rivalries to its advantage, wading into a region ripe with fierce anti-Western ideology and full of young unemployed men ready to take up guns and fight for Islam. The vulnerability appears to be dangerous meriting condemnation by the entire nation.

By terming killing of innocent people as anti Islam, Pakistan Ulema Council has appealed to youth not to join extremist organization of ISIS, which promote violence for their vested interests. Saudi Grand Mufti also called these terrorists as Khawarij, calling Muslim leaders to hit them hard. Those who still have any doubt about Daesh’s love for Islam, may like to follow this link and watch the clip. http://tune.pk/video/4263550/daesh-and-real-islam-is-religion-for-violence-and-hurt-humans

The order of the day is that the terrorists are enemies of Islam and all their activities are entirely anti Islam. There are no two opinions about that. Another hard fact is that terrorists are in the state of panic due to successful military operation against them which has broken their back bone. By announcing allegiance with ISIS they intend to muster financial and psychological support. It’s high time that the government of Pakistan must employ their all sources to create awareness among the crowds to make them aware about the reality of this suspicious group. At the same time our media must play its important and vital role to warn people and stop them from playing into the hands of Pakistan’s enemies.

Is Daesh Coming to Pakistan? – I

 

The most notorious and controversial organisation of the history Daesh is a hot topic and talk of the town these days. Rarely it has happened that some organisation or group attain fame and publicity in such a short span of time. However, Daesh, a living example is very much there. The strategists of the organisation ISIS also known as Daesh know well that how to cash the Muslim majority in Mid-East’s sympathies. Hence they carefully worked on most popular attire and props and tried to win the Middle Eastern hearts. The most eye catching prop with them is a black flag having first Kalimah written on it. That’s enough to drive, any simple and straight Muslim, crazy. This is one side of this group who claims to be the flag bearer of Caliphate, while the other side; more horrific and barbaric is shown to the world by western media, surprisingly.  According to the media reports, the organization of Daesh in Mosul wants to rewrite the Holy Quran. According to the “Afaq Al-Iraq” channel, the organization intends to remove various verses which are distorted and incorrect. As reported by the site of “Al-Mowaten” members of Daesh continued by saying the verses they wish to remove we’re placed by corrupt distorted clerics to serve other religions and sects such as Christianity and others. The Lebanese Al-Jadeed Newspaper published an article quoting Iraqi media that states that ISIS is planning to rewrite the Quran and omits verses that it believes have been wrongfully inserted by the enemies of Islam. Similarly, the report stated that the chapters which the organization of Daesh wish to alter include the chapter of “Al-Kafiroon” and verses of purification.
Far from the militants’ self-proclaimed ‘caliphate’ in Iraq and Syria, the name of Daesh has cropped up several times in militant circles in recent weeks in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the historic homeland of the Taliban and Al Qaeda. The Daesh organisation is starting to attract the attention of radicals in Pakistan and Afghanistan, long a cradle for militancy, unnerving authorities who fear a potential violent contagion. Leaflets calling for support for Daesh were seen in parts of northwest Pakistan, and at least five Pakistani Taliban commanders and three lesser cadres from the Afghan Taliban have pledged their support. Pro-Daesh slogans have appeared on walls in several cities in both countries and in Kabul University, where a number of students were arrested.

Security and official sources strongly insist that these are local, individual initiatives, and at this stage Daesh has not established a presence in the region. But the success of Daesh in the Middle East is a matter of concern for both Afghanistan and Pakistan. Although due to the peculiar nature of Pakistani political and military structure there is no immediate threat of Daesh to Pakistan however, Daesh is becoming the major inspiration force for both violent and non-violent religious groups in the region.
Recently, Pakistan’s National Counter Terrorism Agency wrote to a dozen government agencies warning them to be on their guard against the Daesh group. Again not due to any immediate threat but purely because of the organisations successes which are playing a very dangerous, inspirational role in Pakistan, where more than 200 organizations are operational. The letter rightly came at a time when Pakistan army is fighting a major offensive in insurgent fortresses of the tribal northwest and which appears to be weakening its major enemies, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and allied Al Qaeda fighters.

Following the army offensive, the TTP, a coalition of disparate militant groups, has fragmented into rival factions over recent weeks, fuelling rumours the movement could be overtaken by Daesh. The TTP say they broadly support both the Daesh and Al Qaeda. They also say they have sent 1,000 fighters in recent years to help the militant struggle in Syria – an estimate confirmed by a Pakistani government source – and plan to send 700 more. Currently both the TTP and the Afghan Taliban officially recognise only one leader, Mullah Omar. The Taliban and their supporters say that ‘Amir ul Momineen’ (the commander of the faithful) has already been chosen, hence we reject Daesh leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi as Caliph.

So far the Taliban and Al Qaeda’s new South Asia wing have steered clear of criticising Daesh, maintaining a united front against ‘Western aggression’. US officials say the group is generating tens of millions of dollars a month from black market oil sales, ransoms and extortion. This financial heft is proving a big draw – including for the five Pakistani Taliban commanders who announced their support for the Daesh group. To spread in the region, Daesh must also eat away at the authority of the state but, unlike Iraq and Syria, Pakistani state structures look solid and are supported by a powerful army which would proved to be a big hurdle in Daesh’s attempts to make a way in Pakistan.
Afghanistan, much more fragile, is more worrying – particularly Kunar and Nuristan, mountainous provinces on the Pakistani border, which have long been refuges for militants from the hard-line branch of espoused by Daesh and Al Qaeda. Several sources say that in Kunar there is at least one camp training hundreds of fighters sympathetic to Daesh. Hafiz Tahir ul Ashrafi, head of Ulema Council is of the view that the people here face problems with the lack of justice, the corruption and the inefficiency of the state, and therefore they need a counter-narrative, and Daesh provides one with religious content.

The more recent gossip is that Daesh has set up its network in Pashto-dominated areas of Karachi. Even if these are rumours, still the security agencies are taking it very seriously and are on high alert after news surfaced about the presence of terrorist organization Daesh in Karachi and Pakistan. Hence, they have made their best attempt to collect complete information about Daesh presence in the city.

According to different sources people, witnessed graffiti splashed in favor of Daesh in metropolitan city of Pakistan.

There seems to be a big confusion at the government level, where the political elite and the bureaucracy is not at one pitch. On one hand the interior minister Chaudhry Nisar once again rejected reports of ISIS’s presence in Pakistan while some other ministers fear that Daesh militants are making their way in Pakistan.

(to be concluded)

Is Daesh Coming to Pakistan? – II

            

The presence of Daesh in Pakistan may be a hear-say, however, even pro-Taliban religio-political parties admitted presence of Arabs who had arrived during Afghan jihad era and then married and settled here. Many of them were killed and their bodies were also found here. Many of them were arrested and handed over to the U.S. army. It is the moral obligation of the government to clear the mist and her position too because mere verb al assurance about this “Arabic Sand Storm’s” absence inside Pakistan can’t be accepted.

This is one side of the story while on the other side, although there is no concrete evidence of the presence of the Middle Eastern militant group, ISIS, commonly known as Daesh, nevertheless, some sections of international media and experts on terrorism are bent upon propagating theories of new terror nexus between Daesh and outlawed TTP splinter groups. The sections of international media and experts on terrorism are building the theories of nexus between Daesh and on-the-run splinters of outlawed TTP without having any credible information on this serious issue. They are at their free will to propagate as they have no obligation but the national media should avoid playing in to their hands and must avoid being hijacked by the western media. The media should have firm trust in their own premier intelligence agencies who are dealing with the menace of terrorism and have found no indication about the roots of Daesh being fostering in Pakistan.

The top secret services have assessed that Shahid Ullah Shahid who was formerly a spokesman for one faction of the TTP made an announcement pledging allegiance to Daesh chief Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi along with some other militants was a ploy to seek publicity. The Interior Department contacts, confirming the secret services’ source, told The Nation that not a single intelligence agency came up with concrete evidence of presence of Daesh or ISIS on Pakistani soil. The days of terror of Shahid Ullah Shahid and his likes are over for now on Pakistani soil and one big proof is that he is at large and instead of sticking to his so-called stronghold in tribal belt, is believed to be in Kunar (Afghanistan). Otherwise also his careless boosting was not approved by the Taliban high command hence after his video message in which he had pledged allegiance to Middle Eastern militant group, Daesh, he was sacked and is no more on the spokesperson’s position.

The sudden rise of the Islamic State (IS or “Daesh”) in the urban areas of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan has set the alarm bells ringing for the Pakistani security establishment, especially when an IS-linked jehadi group has already claimed responsibility for the November 2 suicide attack at Wagah border post that killed 65 people. The latest reports about the emergence of the IS campaign pamphlets and display of posters on the boundary walls of Lahore and Karachi, should not come as a surprise for the law enforcement or intelligence services because a similar campaign had first been launched in Peshawar almost two months ago in September 2014. The development was seen as an attempt by the IS sympathizers to expand the ideological boundaries of the lethal jihadist organisation to Pakistan after extending its area of influence in the Middle East. The pamphlets distributed in Peshawar declared that the caliphate led by Abu Bakr Baghdadi, was planning to expand its boundaries from Iraq and Syria, to Khorasan [which includes Pakistan, Afghanistan and parts of India]. The booklet titled ‘Fatah’ (victory) was published in Pashto and Dari languages while its logo carried the Kalma, the historical stamp of and a Kalashnikov assault rifle. Introducing itself as Daulat-e-Islamia (Islamic State) in the pamphlet, the IS made an appeal to the local people to support its struggle for the establishment of an Islamic caliphate.

The distribution of the IS pamphlets in Peshawar – the capital of KPK – indicated that the ultra-radical Islamist group was trying to inspire militants even in the strongholds of Taliban and al-Qaeda. Following the rise of IS in the Middle East and its proclamation of a Caliphate, the al-Qaeda leadership has clearly distanced itself from the group, chiding it for its violent and brutal expansion. But it now appears that both al-Qaeda and Daesh are competing for the backing of Pakistani jihadis, majority of whom is largely based in the huge lawless tribal belt of FATA and are already facing a massive military operation in North Waziristan on the Pak-Afghan border.

About graffiti in support of Daesh in Sindh’s provincial capital, Karachi, tribal areas and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the security services officials stated that it was just a ‘bluff’ to create an impact on the general public that the destroyed terror network could still pose a serious threat. It’s otherwise a psychological war tactics to cash anything which is hot selling, may that be some organisation or outfit, product or personality. The miscreants and their agents have found it very convenient to come out of their holes at night and paint the walls black just to scare the general public. Just imagine about a peaceful citizen who watches a horrifying video about Daesh’s brutality a little ago and for some reason the moment he comes out of his house, find his wall painted with Daesh’s logo and the slogans.

The Balochistan government and the provincial IG Police have tried to downplay the contents of a report prepared by the Balochistan Home Department and sent by the provincial government to the federal agencies, after it became public. The report contains a warning that the IS plans to attack government buildings, military establishments, as well as target people based on the sects they belong to. However, according to the new stance the senior provincial officials are suggesting that there is no real IS threat in Pakistan, at least in Balochistan.

The authorities in all the provinces have launched a manhunt to track down the elements behind the launching of an “Daesh Promotion Campaign” after discovering distribution of pamphlets and display of posters on the boundary walls in parts of Lahore and Karachi. The agencies have been directed to trace the elements who had distributed the banned material and written slogans on the walls of Lahore and Karachi on the night of November 10. The pamphlet’s logo features an AK-47 assault rifle and calls on youngsters to support the militant group, as had been the case with Peshawar. The intelligence agencies are trying to ascertain if the same elements are involved in the “IS promotion campaign” in Lahore who had masterminded the November 2 Wagah suicide bombing.

The fact is that a terrorist is a terrorist, may he be from Pakistani Taliban, al-Qaeda or Daesh. Only the objective, which one terrorist takes along, differentiates him from other Taliban. Hence the need of the hour is to concentrate on eliminating terrorism from the country without sweating for who is who.