Thursday, February 28, 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
PPP, ANP dominate election scene in Frontier
Awami National Party women at a luncheon arranged for the journalists at a local hotel in Peshawar on Wednesday.
(Thanx to zahid of Khyberwatch.com for Picture and News)
PPP, ANP dominate election scene in Frontier
Thursday, February 14, 2008
By Javed Aziz Khan
PESHAWAR: With just four days left in the February 18 general elections, the Awami National Party (ANP) and the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) seem to dominate the election scene in the provincial metropolis.
Though all the political parties have fielded their candidates, a tough contest is expected between the PPP and the ANP, with a slight edge to the latter, on the four National Assembly and 11 provincial assembly seats from Peshawar.
The Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), which had swept the last general elections by winning all the four National Assembly and seven provincial assembly seats, seems far behind the ANP and PPP this time. Hardly a few aspirants fielded by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), which is using the name of MMA, may enter the assemblies from the district in the coming polls.
The ANP's central senior vice president and former federal minister, Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, will face PPP provincial secretary information, Ayub Shah, and the JUI-F NWFP spokesperson, Abdul Jalil Jan, on NA-1, Peshawar 1, comprising urban Peshawar. A total of eleven candidates are contesting from the area.
A number of independent aspirants and candidates of different political parties are also in the run for NA-1, but the real competition seems to be between the ANP and the PPP, with an edge to the nationalists. The NA-2 Peshawar, the permanent seat of former chief minister Arbab Jehangir Khalil, is the constituency where millions have been spent on advertising hoardings alone. It seems like a 'modeling contest' between candidates of political parties, who can be seen in different poses on huge billboards to attract voters.
The nationalists have fielded wealthy Arbab Najeebullah against PPP's Arbab Alamgir Khalil. Alamgir is the eldest son of Arbab Jehangir, who while contesting from the constituency never lost a general election throughout his life. Arbab Najeeb seems to be a real challenge to the budding politician, Alamgir, who lost the previous elections to MMA candidate, Maulana Rahmatullah.
Political pundits believe the NA-2 is the only constituency where PPP has an edge over ANP and the factor is the family of Arbab Jehangir, which had made tremendous efforts for the development of the area since its first entry into the assembly in the 70s. The MMA's candidate and six others fielded by different parties are far behind Alamgir and Najeeb.
Apart from Hashim Baber of ANP and Noor Alam Khan of PPP, the secretary general of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, is among the eight candidates flexing muscles for NA-3, Peshawar-III. This is probably the only constituency where the PML-N is flying high. The party factor, however, may prove a real hurdle for popular Jhagra to become an MNA.
PML-Q led by Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain is very much in the run for the backward NA-4 where the party has fielded its provincial chief and former federal minister Amir Muqam against Arbab Zahir of ANP, Azam Afridi of PPP and Barrister Maulana Nisar of JUI-F. Four other candidates are also in the run from the constituency. The well-educated Maulana does not seem to have impressed a large number of voters.
MMA leader Sabir Hussain Awan was elected MNA from the ANP dominated NA-4 in the previous elections. This time Sabir Hussain is not in the run but ANP, which is otherwise ahead in the race, is facing a serious threat in shape of Amir Muqam.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=96342
Also see
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Editorial: Why is the ANP under attack?
"The Daily Times"Editorial: Why is the ANP under attack?
A suicide-bomber blew himself up at an Awami National Party (ANP) gathering east of Miranshah in Northern Waziristan. The blast killed eight people while Nisar Ali Khan, ANP candidate for NA-40 Miranshah, was mildly injured. The suicide used a car-bomb but there are other reports saying it was a not a car-bomb; however, whatever way it was done, it carried the signature of suicide-bombing. The dead included the local president and a leader of ANP. Four days ago, last Saturday, an ANP rally was bombed in Charsadda in the NWFP, killing over 30.
The ANP leadership’s reaction to the Charsadda bombing was, first, that it was not a suicide-bombing attack, and, second, that the party was defending the cause of the Pushtuns and was opposed to the NATO presence in Afghanistan. The leaders in fact expressed anger that a remote-controlled bomb fixed under the platform of the meeting was being called an act of suicide-bombing by the media. But after Monday’s suicide-bombing in North Waziristan, the reaction came from the ANP NWFP president, Mr Afrasiab Khattak, who said that “the government was responsible for such acts of terrorism, as it had failed to provide security to the people”.
The ANP is facing what all the political parties are confronted with in the country. Because of the almost absent writ of the state, they are exposed to threats against which they can’t defend themselves. Since the attacker wants to remain incognito the politicians are loath to name him lest the attacks redouble and the voters stay away from the polls out of fright. Tragically that applies to the media too. One newspaper in Peshawar has received a threat call asking it to “improve” its reporting if it didn’t want to be bombed. The irony is that media-men are compelled to cultivate the habit of assigning moral superiority to the attacker while calling in question the reliability of the state.
There are other “qualifications” that one must have if one wants to avoid being targeted. The first “qualification” is also desired by the voters in the NWFP and wherever the Pushtuns are living, and that is a clearly expressed hatred of America. The second qualification for safety is adherence to the new radical Islamic creed and a clearly expressed opposition to secularism. The third qualification is rejection of the elections 2008. The ANP qualified nicely on the basis of its long-standing opposition to American imperialism, but it failed on second and third qualifications. But the truth it has to accept is that it is faced with the same danger as those who have assented to participate in the elections. Its secularism and acceptance of transition via elections rather than confrontation via a boycott is clearly a political liability.
The rejectionist sentiment is widespread in the regions where the Pushtuns are located in the country although in Balochistan the Baloch nationalists are also a part of this consensus. According to one survey, reported Monday on a TV channel, Imran Khan is the most popular leader in the NWFP and the Tribal Areas. He qualifies because he is anti-American and anti-elections. Whether we like it or not, this does not translate as an even playing field for the rejectionists and the participants, the former having a clear advantage over the latter. The risk involved is loss of one’s life and those of the party supporters with collateral damage added every time.
Where is the state in all this? After a lot of hue and cry about there being a “Taliban Shura” in Quetta, the government decided to act against Mansour Dadullah, a commander of the Afghan Taliban as he was crossing over to Pakistan — at least that is how it has been portrayed — and captured him in a wounded condition. Mansour had recently succeeded his brother, Taliban field commander Mullah Dadullah, who was killed in a May 2007 airstrike in Afghanistan. Mullah Dadullah was the exponent of the culture of beheadings which the Taliban leader Mullah Umar now pretends to dislike.
The same day the other side retaliated in Khyber by kidnapping the Pakistani ambassador to Afghanistan Mr Tariq Azizuddin who was thoughtlessly travelling to his post from Peshawar without the provision of an armed escort which is a necessary requirement for senior government officials while travelling through the Tribal Areas. Mr Azizuddin was perhaps a victim of the widespread faith in the altruism of the terrorists who are said to be “sincerely supporting the cause against America” while the state of Pakistan has “sold out to Bush”. He may now have to be exchanged for Mansour Dadullah.
The ANP has the cleanest credentials among the parties in contention in Pakistan. Its support has increased because of its conduct in the past eight years. It aims to unite the Pushtuns under a cultural banner that was once given by its founder Abdul Ghaffar Khan when it was called NAP. In a country greatly in need of human rights and regional autonomy, the ANP is a strength we should count upon. It is tragic that the state is not able to defend it and terrorism goes unchecked in the country. *"
A suicide-bomber blew himself up at an Awami National Party (ANP) gathering east of Miranshah in Northern Waziristan. The blast killed eight people while Nisar Ali Khan, ANP candidate for NA-40 Miranshah, was mildly injured. The suicide used a car-bomb but there are other reports saying it was a not a car-bomb; however, whatever way it was done, it carried the signature of suicide-bombing. The dead included the local president and a leader of ANP. Four days ago, last Saturday, an ANP rally was bombed in Charsadda in the NWFP, killing over 30.
The ANP leadership’s reaction to the Charsadda bombing was, first, that it was not a suicide-bombing attack, and, second, that the party was defending the cause of the Pushtuns and was opposed to the NATO presence in Afghanistan. The leaders in fact expressed anger that a remote-controlled bomb fixed under the platform of the meeting was being called an act of suicide-bombing by the media. But after Monday’s suicide-bombing in North Waziristan, the reaction came from the ANP NWFP president, Mr Afrasiab Khattak, who said that “the government was responsible for such acts of terrorism, as it had failed to provide security to the people”.
The ANP is facing what all the political parties are confronted with in the country. Because of the almost absent writ of the state, they are exposed to threats against which they can’t defend themselves. Since the attacker wants to remain incognito the politicians are loath to name him lest the attacks redouble and the voters stay away from the polls out of fright. Tragically that applies to the media too. One newspaper in Peshawar has received a threat call asking it to “improve” its reporting if it didn’t want to be bombed. The irony is that media-men are compelled to cultivate the habit of assigning moral superiority to the attacker while calling in question the reliability of the state.
There are other “qualifications” that one must have if one wants to avoid being targeted. The first “qualification” is also desired by the voters in the NWFP and wherever the Pushtuns are living, and that is a clearly expressed hatred of America. The second qualification for safety is adherence to the new radical Islamic creed and a clearly expressed opposition to secularism. The third qualification is rejection of the elections 2008. The ANP qualified nicely on the basis of its long-standing opposition to American imperialism, but it failed on second and third qualifications. But the truth it has to accept is that it is faced with the same danger as those who have assented to participate in the elections. Its secularism and acceptance of transition via elections rather than confrontation via a boycott is clearly a political liability.
The rejectionist sentiment is widespread in the regions where the Pushtuns are located in the country although in Balochistan the Baloch nationalists are also a part of this consensus. According to one survey, reported Monday on a TV channel, Imran Khan is the most popular leader in the NWFP and the Tribal Areas. He qualifies because he is anti-American and anti-elections. Whether we like it or not, this does not translate as an even playing field for the rejectionists and the participants, the former having a clear advantage over the latter. The risk involved is loss of one’s life and those of the party supporters with collateral damage added every time.
Where is the state in all this? After a lot of hue and cry about there being a “Taliban Shura” in Quetta, the government decided to act against Mansour Dadullah, a commander of the Afghan Taliban as he was crossing over to Pakistan — at least that is how it has been portrayed — and captured him in a wounded condition. Mansour had recently succeeded his brother, Taliban field commander Mullah Dadullah, who was killed in a May 2007 airstrike in Afghanistan. Mullah Dadullah was the exponent of the culture of beheadings which the Taliban leader Mullah Umar now pretends to dislike.
The same day the other side retaliated in Khyber by kidnapping the Pakistani ambassador to Afghanistan Mr Tariq Azizuddin who was thoughtlessly travelling to his post from Peshawar without the provision of an armed escort which is a necessary requirement for senior government officials while travelling through the Tribal Areas. Mr Azizuddin was perhaps a victim of the widespread faith in the altruism of the terrorists who are said to be “sincerely supporting the cause against America” while the state of Pakistan has “sold out to Bush”. He may now have to be exchanged for Mansour Dadullah.
The ANP has the cleanest credentials among the parties in contention in Pakistan. Its support has increased because of its conduct in the past eight years. It aims to unite the Pushtuns under a cultural banner that was once given by its founder Abdul Ghaffar Khan when it was called NAP. In a country greatly in need of human rights and regional autonomy, the ANP is a strength we should count upon. It is tragic that the state is not able to defend it and terrorism goes unchecked in the country. *"
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Message Of Asfanyar Wali Khan
د عوامي نېشنل پارټۍ د سرمشر ښاغلي اسفنديارولي خان پېغام!
السلام علېکم و رحمة الله و برکاته،
د فرورۍ په يولسمه نېټه د ګل په ورځ شوې دغه غم لړلې پېښه د ټول پښتون قام د خفګان او زيان وجه ګرځېدلې ده.
زمونږ ملګري حاجي انور شاه، بختيار خان، قلندر خان، خالق خان، اکبر خان، حکم الله او زبيدالله خان ټول د امن د لارې لاروي وو او د دوي مرګ په اصل کښې دغه غم ځپلې سيمه کښې په ټولو امن خوښو بلکې په امن ګوزار دے. دغه شهيدان زمونږ د خاورې او ټولنې د مامونيت دپاره د بلو مشالونو په څېر دي. د دوي وينه به خدائې هيڅ کله هم هسې نۀ تويوي بلکې دغه وينه به کۀ خېر وي ارومرو د امن د لارې سرنامه ليکي.
مونږ له هر لوري د يرغلونو په ولقه کښې يُو او په مونږ دغه يرغلونه نور څوک نۀ کوي بلکې هم هغه قوتونه ئې کوي چې تل ئې د پښتنو سره جنګ پاتې شوے دے.
د غم دغه لحظو کښې زۀ په ذاتي طور تاسو سره ځان، د خپل ګوند ټول غړي او ټول پښتون قام شريک ګڼم او دا دعا کوم چې خدائې پاک دي د دغه شهيدانو د قربانۍ نتيجه کښې ټوله پښتونخوا د امن د سېوري لاندې کړي.
ستاسو ورور
اسفنديار ولي خان
السلام علېکم و رحمة الله و برکاته،
د فرورۍ په يولسمه نېټه د ګل په ورځ شوې دغه غم لړلې پېښه د ټول پښتون قام د خفګان او زيان وجه ګرځېدلې ده.
زمونږ ملګري حاجي انور شاه، بختيار خان، قلندر خان، خالق خان، اکبر خان، حکم الله او زبيدالله خان ټول د امن د لارې لاروي وو او د دوي مرګ په اصل کښې دغه غم ځپلې سيمه کښې په ټولو امن خوښو بلکې په امن ګوزار دے. دغه شهيدان زمونږ د خاورې او ټولنې د مامونيت دپاره د بلو مشالونو په څېر دي. د دوي وينه به خدائې هيڅ کله هم هسې نۀ تويوي بلکې دغه وينه به کۀ خېر وي ارومرو د امن د لارې سرنامه ليکي.
مونږ له هر لوري د يرغلونو په ولقه کښې يُو او په مونږ دغه يرغلونه نور څوک نۀ کوي بلکې هم هغه قوتونه ئې کوي چې تل ئې د پښتنو سره جنګ پاتې شوے دے.
د غم دغه لحظو کښې زۀ په ذاتي طور تاسو سره ځان، د خپل ګوند ټول غړي او ټول پښتون قام شريک ګڼم او دا دعا کوم چې خدائې پاک دي د دغه شهيدانو د قربانۍ نتيجه کښې ټوله پښتونخوا د امن د سېوري لاندې کړي.
ستاسو ورور
اسفنديار ولي خان
Pakhtuns and contemporary Political challenges
Pakhtuns and contemporary Political challenges
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pakhtun nation seems to be trapped between the devil and the deep blue sea.The devil is in the form of state institutions headed by anti-Pakhtun elements namely civil and military establishment and biased institutions.
The deep blue sea is the mob of those traitors of the Pakhtun soil who have been working for all the biased and anti-Pakhtun institutions of Pakistan and are involved along with the oppressed classes in their criminal role of killing their own brothers in the name of religion , working against the interests of their own land due to being so called public servants. They are concentrating all their energies to help the ruling junta suck the blood of their own Pakhtun brothers ,sisters and children.
The religious elements among the clergy have been on the payroll of ISI and other anti-Pakhtun agencies for selling out the lives of innocent youngsters in the name of religion in Pakistan which is so much under the control of oppressors that even the Chief justice is begging for justice.
The current movers and shakers in the higher echelons of power in Pakistan cannot tolerate the very word "Pakhtun" even within the geographical units of Pakistan - hence they have coined absurd names NWFP,FATA,Balochistan for North,Central and South Pukhtunkhwa respectively for the Pakhtun territories in Pakistan.
A commonly proposed solution to the problems of Pakhtuns is adopting reformative approach which means establishing schools,increasing literacy rate,poverty alleviation,capacity building ,striving for peace ,establishing NGO’s,propagating [pro-establishment] religious teaching etc.This approach has flaws as it is based on the followig assumptions.
1) That Pakhtuns enjoy freedom and equal status in Pakistan
2) That the state is taking care of their basic human rights and needs
3) That the non-Pakhtun leaders and parties are there for their rights
4) That the existing system prevalent in Pakistan is right and even “islamic” and has the solution to their problems.
The flaws are becoming evident and proving catastrophic for the political entity and even existence of Pakhtuns with each passing day.
It is suggested therefore that :
a) The only thing Pakhtuns have to strive for is Political autonomy
b) The only way to achieve political autonomy is to impart political consciouness to the masses and mobilise them to fight politically for their freedom against the occupation of oppressor class aka Punjabis and Mahajirs in Pakistan
Pakhtun political parties should therefore :
1) Win the sympathies of Pakhtuns by raising voice for their rights and warn Pakhtun masses from getting entrapped in the clutches of Pakistani troika aka military establishment, civil beaureocracy and religeous theocracy specially those Pakhtuns who are involved in the dirty game of ethnically cleansing the Pakhtun nation.
2) Set a clear target of achieving political autonomy for Pakhtuns
3) Mobilise Pakhtun masses for political struggle to achieve the target
The near future events will form a critical juncture in the political history of Pakhtuns.The change seems to be inevitable due to the continuous military interventions and dictatorial rule to suppress the basic human rights of the poor and oppressed nationalities in Pakistan.
It seems that the near future is going to witness a major geo-political change in south asia.Azad Balochistan, Azad Pakhtunistan ,Greater Punjab and Sindho Desh with Karachi as Jinnah Pur for Mahajirs (or the remaining Pakistan consisting of Punjab and Sindh) are the probable options.
Pakhtuns might initially resist the change due to the sixty years of state indoctrination along with other Pakistanis.However they will be compelled to form a separate state and become part of a politically and economically weak Azad Pukhtunistan sandwitched between powerful neighbours to safeguard US interests.But as the new option might atleast give them the right to live instead of being killed by their so called muslim brothers for some US bucks so they might opt for it.However it will be a challenge for them to demand merger into Afghanistan.
Similarly in case Azad Balochistan is formed it will serve US interests in the Arabian ocean via Gawadar in which case again the Pakhtun nationalist forces will face the challenge of demanding merger of Pakhtun belt (south Pukhunkhwa) of Balochistan into Afghanistan.
The dramatic changes in the political arena of Pakistan shows that the great game –which might turn out to be a blessing in disguise - has already commenced in Pakistan and is going to get expedited with each passing day especially after the proposed 18-Feb 2008 election drama.
__________________
Pukhtoon Khan
http://geocities.com/Pakhtoonworld
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pakhtun nation seems to be trapped between the devil and the deep blue sea.The devil is in the form of state institutions headed by anti-Pakhtun elements namely civil and military establishment and biased institutions.
The deep blue sea is the mob of those traitors of the Pakhtun soil who have been working for all the biased and anti-Pakhtun institutions of Pakistan and are involved along with the oppressed classes in their criminal role of killing their own brothers in the name of religion , working against the interests of their own land due to being so called public servants. They are concentrating all their energies to help the ruling junta suck the blood of their own Pakhtun brothers ,sisters and children.
The religious elements among the clergy have been on the payroll of ISI and other anti-Pakhtun agencies for selling out the lives of innocent youngsters in the name of religion in Pakistan which is so much under the control of oppressors that even the Chief justice is begging for justice.
The current movers and shakers in the higher echelons of power in Pakistan cannot tolerate the very word "Pakhtun" even within the geographical units of Pakistan - hence they have coined absurd names NWFP,FATA,Balochistan for North,Central and South Pukhtunkhwa respectively for the Pakhtun territories in Pakistan.
A commonly proposed solution to the problems of Pakhtuns is adopting reformative approach which means establishing schools,increasing literacy rate,poverty alleviation,capacity building ,striving for peace ,establishing NGO’s,propagating [pro-establishment] religious teaching etc.This approach has flaws as it is based on the followig assumptions.
1) That Pakhtuns enjoy freedom and equal status in Pakistan
2) That the state is taking care of their basic human rights and needs
3) That the non-Pakhtun leaders and parties are there for their rights
4) That the existing system prevalent in Pakistan is right and even “islamic” and has the solution to their problems.
The flaws are becoming evident and proving catastrophic for the political entity and even existence of Pakhtuns with each passing day.
It is suggested therefore that :
a) The only thing Pakhtuns have to strive for is Political autonomy
b) The only way to achieve political autonomy is to impart political consciouness to the masses and mobilise them to fight politically for their freedom against the occupation of oppressor class aka Punjabis and Mahajirs in Pakistan
Pakhtun political parties should therefore :
1) Win the sympathies of Pakhtuns by raising voice for their rights and warn Pakhtun masses from getting entrapped in the clutches of Pakistani troika aka military establishment, civil beaureocracy and religeous theocracy specially those Pakhtuns who are involved in the dirty game of ethnically cleansing the Pakhtun nation.
2) Set a clear target of achieving political autonomy for Pakhtuns
3) Mobilise Pakhtun masses for political struggle to achieve the target
The near future events will form a critical juncture in the political history of Pakhtuns.The change seems to be inevitable due to the continuous military interventions and dictatorial rule to suppress the basic human rights of the poor and oppressed nationalities in Pakistan.
It seems that the near future is going to witness a major geo-political change in south asia.Azad Balochistan, Azad Pakhtunistan ,Greater Punjab and Sindho Desh with Karachi as Jinnah Pur for Mahajirs (or the remaining Pakistan consisting of Punjab and Sindh) are the probable options.
Pakhtuns might initially resist the change due to the sixty years of state indoctrination along with other Pakistanis.However they will be compelled to form a separate state and become part of a politically and economically weak Azad Pukhtunistan sandwitched between powerful neighbours to safeguard US interests.But as the new option might atleast give them the right to live instead of being killed by their so called muslim brothers for some US bucks so they might opt for it.However it will be a challenge for them to demand merger into Afghanistan.
Similarly in case Azad Balochistan is formed it will serve US interests in the Arabian ocean via Gawadar in which case again the Pakhtun nationalist forces will face the challenge of demanding merger of Pakhtun belt (south Pukhunkhwa) of Balochistan into Afghanistan.
The dramatic changes in the political arena of Pakistan shows that the great game –which might turn out to be a blessing in disguise - has already commenced in Pakistan and is going to get expedited with each passing day especially after the proposed 18-Feb 2008 election drama.
__________________
Pukhtoon Khan
http://geocities.com/Pakhtoonworld
Saturday, February 09, 2008
ANP election rally suicide attack death toll rises to 27
Updated at : Saturday, February 09, 2008
CHARSADDA: A suspected suicide blast ripped through an opposition election rally in northwestern Pakistan on Saturday, killing at least 27 people and wounding 35 others, reports said.
The attack happened at a rally of the Awami National Party (ANP), an ethnic Pashtun nationalist party, in the town of Charsadda in troubled North West Frontier Province, they said.
The bombing has further raised fears for the security of general elections on February 18, which have already been delayed by the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto at a rally in December.
Interior Minister Hamid Nawaz said the attack was likely carried out by a suicide bomber. "Yes, it was most probably a suicide attack. It was close to the stage but none of the ANP leaders there were hurt," Nawaz said.
A suicide bombing at a mosque in Charsadda belonging to former interior minister Aftab Sherpao on December 21 killed at least 54 people.
Election rallies have been sparse since Bhutto's death in a suicide bomb and gun attack in Rawalpindi and after the government issued a "security advisory" for candidates to avoid big gatherings.
Even the former ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q party, which backs President Pervez Musharraf, has kept a relatively low profile.
Violence blamed on Islamist militants has continued since Benazir Bhutto's death, with attacks and suicide bombings claiming more than 70 lives already this year.
Six people were killed in a suicide attack on an army bus in Rawalpindi on Monday. More than 800 people died in similar attacks in 2007, Pakistan's bloodiest ever year in terms of extremist violence.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
افغانستان د تاريخ په اوږدو كې Afghan/ Pashton Afghanistan
افغانستان د تاريخ په اوږدو كې Afghan/ Pashton Afghanistan
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