Killings of Anti-Taliban Leaders Rattle Swat Valley - NYTimes.com
Killings Rattle Pakistan’s Swat Valley
By SABRINA TAVERNISE and PIR ZUBAIR SHAH
Published: April 22, 2010
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — At least five anti-Taliban political leaders have been killed in the Swat Valley in northern Pakistan over the past two weeks, residents there said, raising fears that the Taliban forces that once ruled the area could be regrouping.
The pro-government leaders were killed in three separate attacks starting April 13, residents of the valley said in telephone interviews on Thursday. It was not clear who the killers were, but all the victims were people from the area who had been central to peace talks in the valley, the residents said.
The Swat Valley was the site of a major military operation against Taliban militants last spring. Since then life has returned to the valley, but the relative peace has been punctuated by what human rights groups describe as the covert killings and detentions of people suspected of being Taliban members or collaborators.
Shortly after the operation ended, bodies began surfacing with notes pinned to their clothing identifying them as Taliban sympathizers. Some blamed the army, but others said they were reprisals by locals. Four suicide bombers have struck in the intervening months.
Some worry that the assassinations of the pro-government leaders could mark a new chapter in the region’s struggle. The killings, first reported in the Daily Times, a Pakistani newspaper, have raised fears that the Taliban, whose top leader is still at large, are trying to reassert themselves.
The re-emergence of the Taliban now would not only prove embarrassing to the military, but it would also underscore the continuing difficulties that Pakistan faces in establishing government authority over areas where the military has succeeded in driving out militants.
“The target killing of the notables has created a great scare in the area,” said Ziauddin Yousafzai, who runs a school in Mingora, the valley’s biggest city. The killings, he said, are particularly disturbing because the victims appear to have been carefully selected in an effort to terrorize local leadership.
In what appeared to be an acknowledgment of this concern, Pakistan’s army chief, Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, traveled to Swat this week and reassured leaders there that the military would not abandon them and would continue to fight militants.
The Taliban had gradually tightened their grip on Swat over a number of years as the government and military struck multiple peace deals with the militants. But last spring Pakistani forces finally went into Swat in a large-scale operation, capturing several of the Taliban’s senior leaders and killing large numbers of militants.
But the Taliban’s leader in Swat, known only as Fazlullah, who used an FM radio station to acquire an audience, has remained at large.
The first of the pro-government leaders killed recently was Sajjad Ali Khan, a former village mayor who was a member of the Awami National Party, a secular political party. He was sitting in a clothing shop in Mingora around 6 p.m. April 13, talking with the shop owner, when gunmen with pistols fired at them, killing both, according to a friend of Mr. Khan’s who asked not to be identified out of safety concerns.
Mr. Khan had worked hard against the Taliban, his friend said, organizing a defense team, or lashkar, for his village. In a clue that the Taliban might have been behind his death, Mr. Khan had received text messages on his cellphone, warning him that “we are not finished” and “we will take revenge against you,” his friend said.
A few days later, two more activists from the same political party were killed in Dharai, a village just north of Mingora. The two men, identified by locals as Alamgir Khan and Mukaram Khan, were killed by gunfire while sitting in a shop in their village.
On Monday, two more prominent locals were killed, this time in the village of Kuza Bandai in the same area. The victims, Behr-e-Kharam and Aqil Shah, were standing in front of a bank in the village’s central market, said a prominent landowner from the village, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of safety concerns. Both were members of the village’s peace committee, the landowner said.
Both villages are near where Fazlullah was based. Some locals said most of the problems in the valley were coming from there.
One local leader said in an interview in Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, that the killings were being carried out by remnants of the Taliban network. The militants, he said, would not be able to re-establish control over the area with the army there, but they could use the hit-and-run tactics to keep it off balance.
The assassinations appeared to have provoked retaliation killings. On Thursday, the bodies of four men surfaced in Kuza Bandai’s central square, a relative of the landowner said. The relative said that people in the area believe the dead men were Taliban militants, though no death notes were attached to their clothes, as is sometimes the practice, and it was impossible to verify their identities.
The killings come as the provincial government prepares to begin spending the $36 million that the United States has allocated for rebuilding the area, said a senior official in the province. Mr. Yousafzai said reconstruction, though slow, had been happening.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Intellectual terrorism termed more dangerous than physical
Intellectual terrorism termed more dangerous than physical
Intellectual terrorism termed more dangerous than physical
By Qasim YousafzaiFor CentralAsiaOnline.com2010-04-19
Members of the Amn Tehreek (Peace Movement) demonstrate in Peshawar against any form of terrorism and demand peace on their land in this file photo. [Javed Aziz Khan]
Having deemed intellectual terrorism far more dangerous than physical terrorism, religious scholars, intellectuals, educationists and government officials are seeking to take concrete steps against the trend.
“This is a very dangerous trend”, said Dr Farooq Khan, a psychiatrist and religious scholar. “The reason is that having educated people ‘somehow legitimises’ terrorism and that ‘supports al-Qaeda.’ ”
Mian Iftikhar Hussain, information minister for Khyber-Pukhtoonkhwa, agrees.
“Intellectual terrorism is a far serious and challenging issue to deal with than physical terrorism”, he told Central Asia Online.
Khan pointed to the distinguished parentage of Hamza Amin, who died while making a bomb. His father was Dr Amin Jadoon; his mother a former member of the national assembly from Jamaat-e-Islami. “I know many people who are al-Qaeda sympathisers while belonging to one or another religious party or group”, Khan said.
Prof Pervez Hoodbhoy, a faculty member at Qaid-e-Azam University Islamabad, said, “Those who intellectually motivate others to kill those who are not like them are equally responsible (for such murders). In fact, they are more dangerous and lethal”.
He added that intellectual terrorism has a long history and that the actions of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler provide an example of how dangerous inflammatory rhetoric can be.
“These mentors provide intellectual justification for physical terrorism”, Hoodbhoy said. “They create paranoia, fear and hatred and generate all kinds of negative emotion resulting in physical terrorism”.
He called for the denial of media platforms and other forums to such agitators.
Khadim Hussain, a political analyst and researcher, said intellectual terrorists have succeeded in seemingly rationalising physical terrorism’s place within society, such as equating Jihad with Qittal (killing) — even though they are not the same — and carrying out Jihad through privatised militia.
“(Intellectual terrorists) construct intellectual discourses that create enemies and hostile entities”, Hussain said. “For example the word ‘Ummah’ is used in a manner which leads to the clash of civilisation, and clash-of-civilisation theory is also floated by (the late US professor Samuel) Huntington. These mentors guide the terrorists’ organisation on their goals and network among each other.”
"It is enticement by exploiting people’s religious sentiments. It does more harm than good, promoting extremism and jingoism”, Canada-based Pakistani journalist Intikhab Amir said.
“They are continuing to use religion as a tool to achieve their personal policy goals", Amir told Central Asia Online of such leaders. "It goes beyond the problems that we are seeing on the surface. They are encouraging people to sacrifice their lives in the name of their religion. Simultaneously, this situation is resulting in a lack of tolerance and hatred towards those belonging to religions other than Islam”.
Citing certain state actors that he considers involved in promoting intolerance, he said, “This is playing with fire, which will not serve the state in any way, either in the short or the long run".
“So-called intellectuals are busy corrupting the minds of young people and put them on the wrong path”, said Zar Ali Khan Musazai, chairman of the Pashtun Democratic Council, referring to some former Army and intelligence officers, journalists and self-proclaimed "intellectuals".
"They (intellectual terrorists) have their own nefarious designs and vested interests. Besides the religiously corrupt intelligentsia, university and colleges are also promoting dangerous propaganda against people other than Pakistani Muslims”.
He said, “At the (pre-college) level, some Arabic-language and theology teachers instigate students to wage so-called Jihad and fight the non-Muslims, especially the West, the Hindus and Israel. Students are taught that Pakistani Muslims are better than other people and that when doomsday approaches, the Jihad will start from Pakistan and that this country will lead other Muslim countries”.
Khan told Central Asia Online that the ultimate danger of intellectual terrorism is that it can further divide the nation and provide more resources for physical terrorists.
“It provides the terrorists ground for good recruits”, he said. “The government is not giving due attention to fighting the terrorists on the ideological front".
The provincial minister, Mian Iftikhar, disagrees with that criticism of the government.
“We are fully conscious of these phenomena”, he said. “When the military operation in Malakand against terrorism was successfully completed, I said at that time that now we have to break the terrorist mind-set that is still there”.
"We will be fighting this intellectual terrorism on every front, namely, through our curriculum and education system, literature, speech, media and intellectual forums", Iftikhar said.
“The people who are spreading the propaganda are no friends of Pukhtuns or of Pakistan. They are ruining our youth and our society. We will counter this expansion of hate ideology”.
"There is a need for a counter-narrative against the hate and violence-ridden narrative of these people", Hoodbhoy said. "The counter-narrative that promotes peace, tolerance, harmony and peaceful co-existence".
"Liberal intelligentsia must deconstruct this discourse. Even if physical terrorism is eliminated for the time being, if intellectual terrorism is not countered, the menace of terrorism will flourish", Hussain warned.
Central Asia Online correspondents Raheel Khan in Islamabad and Iqbal Khattak in Peshawar contributed to this story.
Intellectual terrorism termed more dangerous than physical
By Qasim YousafzaiFor CentralAsiaOnline.com2010-04-19
Members of the Amn Tehreek (Peace Movement) demonstrate in Peshawar against any form of terrorism and demand peace on their land in this file photo. [Javed Aziz Khan]
Having deemed intellectual terrorism far more dangerous than physical terrorism, religious scholars, intellectuals, educationists and government officials are seeking to take concrete steps against the trend.
“This is a very dangerous trend”, said Dr Farooq Khan, a psychiatrist and religious scholar. “The reason is that having educated people ‘somehow legitimises’ terrorism and that ‘supports al-Qaeda.’ ”
Mian Iftikhar Hussain, information minister for Khyber-Pukhtoonkhwa, agrees.
“Intellectual terrorism is a far serious and challenging issue to deal with than physical terrorism”, he told Central Asia Online.
Khan pointed to the distinguished parentage of Hamza Amin, who died while making a bomb. His father was Dr Amin Jadoon; his mother a former member of the national assembly from Jamaat-e-Islami. “I know many people who are al-Qaeda sympathisers while belonging to one or another religious party or group”, Khan said.
Prof Pervez Hoodbhoy, a faculty member at Qaid-e-Azam University Islamabad, said, “Those who intellectually motivate others to kill those who are not like them are equally responsible (for such murders). In fact, they are more dangerous and lethal”.
He added that intellectual terrorism has a long history and that the actions of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler provide an example of how dangerous inflammatory rhetoric can be.
“These mentors provide intellectual justification for physical terrorism”, Hoodbhoy said. “They create paranoia, fear and hatred and generate all kinds of negative emotion resulting in physical terrorism”.
He called for the denial of media platforms and other forums to such agitators.
Khadim Hussain, a political analyst and researcher, said intellectual terrorists have succeeded in seemingly rationalising physical terrorism’s place within society, such as equating Jihad with Qittal (killing) — even though they are not the same — and carrying out Jihad through privatised militia.
“(Intellectual terrorists) construct intellectual discourses that create enemies and hostile entities”, Hussain said. “For example the word ‘Ummah’ is used in a manner which leads to the clash of civilisation, and clash-of-civilisation theory is also floated by (the late US professor Samuel) Huntington. These mentors guide the terrorists’ organisation on their goals and network among each other.”
"It is enticement by exploiting people’s religious sentiments. It does more harm than good, promoting extremism and jingoism”, Canada-based Pakistani journalist Intikhab Amir said.
“They are continuing to use religion as a tool to achieve their personal policy goals", Amir told Central Asia Online of such leaders. "It goes beyond the problems that we are seeing on the surface. They are encouraging people to sacrifice their lives in the name of their religion. Simultaneously, this situation is resulting in a lack of tolerance and hatred towards those belonging to religions other than Islam”.
Citing certain state actors that he considers involved in promoting intolerance, he said, “This is playing with fire, which will not serve the state in any way, either in the short or the long run".
“So-called intellectuals are busy corrupting the minds of young people and put them on the wrong path”, said Zar Ali Khan Musazai, chairman of the Pashtun Democratic Council, referring to some former Army and intelligence officers, journalists and self-proclaimed "intellectuals".
"They (intellectual terrorists) have their own nefarious designs and vested interests. Besides the religiously corrupt intelligentsia, university and colleges are also promoting dangerous propaganda against people other than Pakistani Muslims”.
He said, “At the (pre-college) level, some Arabic-language and theology teachers instigate students to wage so-called Jihad and fight the non-Muslims, especially the West, the Hindus and Israel. Students are taught that Pakistani Muslims are better than other people and that when doomsday approaches, the Jihad will start from Pakistan and that this country will lead other Muslim countries”.
Khan told Central Asia Online that the ultimate danger of intellectual terrorism is that it can further divide the nation and provide more resources for physical terrorists.
“It provides the terrorists ground for good recruits”, he said. “The government is not giving due attention to fighting the terrorists on the ideological front".
The provincial minister, Mian Iftikhar, disagrees with that criticism of the government.
“We are fully conscious of these phenomena”, he said. “When the military operation in Malakand against terrorism was successfully completed, I said at that time that now we have to break the terrorist mind-set that is still there”.
"We will be fighting this intellectual terrorism on every front, namely, through our curriculum and education system, literature, speech, media and intellectual forums", Iftikhar said.
“The people who are spreading the propaganda are no friends of Pukhtuns or of Pakistan. They are ruining our youth and our society. We will counter this expansion of hate ideology”.
"There is a need for a counter-narrative against the hate and violence-ridden narrative of these people", Hoodbhoy said. "The counter-narrative that promotes peace, tolerance, harmony and peaceful co-existence".
"Liberal intelligentsia must deconstruct this discourse. Even if physical terrorism is eliminated for the time being, if intellectual terrorism is not countered, the menace of terrorism will flourish", Hussain warned.
Central Asia Online correspondents Raheel Khan in Islamabad and Iqbal Khattak in Peshawar contributed to this story.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
analysis: Paranoid about Pakhtun ethnic identity —Farhat Taj
analysis: Paranoid about Pakhtun ethnic identity — Farhat Taj
Daily Times, April,17, 2010
The people of Hazara have the right to demand a separate province in their area, but they have no right to dictate a name of their choice on the overwhelming majority of the Pakhtun
Renaming of the NWFP as Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in the 18th constitutional amendment has led to a wave of violence in Hazara Division. Eight people have been killed, including policemen on duty and dozens injured. The PMN-N and the PML-Q hold each other’s politics responsible for the unrest in Hazara. Together they also consider the ANP responsible for this violent situation. Farooq Leghari, the former president of Pakistan, said the renaming of the province would create divisions in Pakistan. Mr Nawaz Sharif, the PML-N leader, repeatedly said he reluctantly agreed to rename the province as Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Someone even challenged the renaming of the NWFP in the high court on the plea that Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is a step towards Pakhtunistan. Leaders of the demonstrators in Hazara openly declare they will take revenge from the Pakhtuns for the killing of their companions. The media is giving an unprecedented coverage to the protests in Hazara — such coverage has never been given to any Pakhtun issues that even remotely depict Pakhtun nationalism.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is a compromised name — thanks to the ANP. This party has a track record of compromising on the Pakhtun interests. It did so on this occasion as well. The ANP should have stuck to Pakhtunkhwa and should have rejected the whole constitutional package for that. Moreover, the constitutional package offers nothing for the people of FATA. How could the ANP, a Pakhtun nationalist party, accept the constitutional package without FATA reforms? It is ridiculous that one of the FATA parliamentarians proposed ‘Qabailistan’ as a new name for FATA but he and his colleagues said nothing about the constitutional reforms in FATA.
Despite the ANP’s compromises, the way the Hazara protests have been exploited by the Punjab-based political parties and covered by the Pakistani media shows once more that many powerful forces in Pakistan are paranoid about anything that symbolises Pakhtun ethnic identity. The Pakistani state has suppressed Pakhtun nationalism for decades and has divided the people in four administrative units (FATA, NWFP, Balochistan and the Pakhtun territories in the Punjab province). For the paranoid Pakistanis, the only acceptable Pakhtun is either a murdered Pakhtun or Talib Pakhtun. There is so much goodwill for the Pakhtun Taliban and so much oblivion, even disgust for the anti-Taliban Pakhtun. The anti-Taliban Pakhtuns, whether nationalists or otherwise have been killed like insects all over FATA by the military and its B-team, the Taliban, and no one in Pakistan seems to care, whereas the Hazara anti-Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa demonstrations have captured the imagination of entire Pakistan.
There is so much media uproar over the killing of the people in Hazara. This is justified and those who killed the innocent people must be held accountable. But the same media outlets are deaf and dumb over the brutal killing of over 70 innocent Pakhtun women, children and men in Tirah, FATA, by the Pakistan Army a week ago! All the politicians and news analysts screaming over the killings in Hazara are deadly silent over the murderous act of the Pakistan Army against the innocent Pakhtun civilians.
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has made a judicial committee to probe the killings in Hazara. Who will make a similar judicial committee to investigate the killings in Tirah? It is true that the Pakhtun of FATA have no human rights under the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. But the republic has signed the UN Human Rights Declaration that guarantees human rights to the people of FATA. Should the people of FATA turn to the UN for a judicial investigation since the military and political masters of Pakistan never considered the death and destruction in FATA worthy of judicial investigation?
The Pakhtuns are subservient and loyal citizens of Pakistan and yet there is no dearth of fellow Pakistanis who doubt their loyalty to the state the moment they refer to their ethnic identity. They are not even welcomed to celebrate the belated state recognition of their right, i.e. their ethnic identity being reflected in the name of their province. Politicians and news analysts have condemned the ANP for the celebrations. Rana Sanaullah, provincial law minister Punjab, holds the ANP celebrations over the renaming of the province responsible for the protests in Hazara. There are also those who cannot even tolerate the celebrations and have killed tens of Pakhtuns in Timergara by attacking the celebration rally. The media and politicians of Pakistan have forgotten the martyrs of Timergara, but continue to criticise the Pakhtuns who celebrated the renaming. What kind of state-citizens relationship is this where the Pakhtuns cannot even express joy?
The ANP has already announced to welcome a separate province in Hazara through constitutional means. Now the PML-N must show the grace to accept the Seraiki demand of a separate province in south Punjab.
The people of Hazara have the right to demand a separate province in their area, but they have no right to dictate a name of their choice on the overwhelming majority of the Pakhtun. Seventy-three percent of population of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa identify Pashto as their mother tongue according to the 1998 census in Pakistan. According to the same census, Pakhtuns are the second largest ethnic group of Pakistan after the Punjabis in terms of mother language.
Let us not forget that the population of Hazara is not homogenous in terms of culture and language. Hazara is also home of those Pakhtuns who have preserved their language, tribal culture and customs, like the Pakhtuns in Batagram, Kaladaka, Oogi, etc. The Jaduns and Tareens of Hazara are ethnic Pakhtun, although they have abandoned the Pashto language. It is pertinent to mention that some elected representatives and civil society members from Batagram, Kaladaka, Kohistan and Shangla have demanded separation from Haraza Division to join the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province in the event of Hazara becoming a separate province. It is clear that most of the Pakistani media and the political forces, paranoid about the Pakhtun ethnic identity, would ignore this demand of the Pakhtuns in Hazara.
I am afraid peace is not going to come to the Pakhtun land as along as our fellow Pakistanis in Punjab are caught up in fear of the Pakhtun identity. They have to get rid of their paranoia for a durable peace in Pakistan.
The writer is a research fellow at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Gender Research, University of Oslo, and a member of Aryana Institute for Regional Research and Advocacy. She can be reached at bergen34@yahoo.com
Daily Times, April,17, 2010
The people of Hazara have the right to demand a separate province in their area, but they have no right to dictate a name of their choice on the overwhelming majority of the Pakhtun
Renaming of the NWFP as Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in the 18th constitutional amendment has led to a wave of violence in Hazara Division. Eight people have been killed, including policemen on duty and dozens injured. The PMN-N and the PML-Q hold each other’s politics responsible for the unrest in Hazara. Together they also consider the ANP responsible for this violent situation. Farooq Leghari, the former president of Pakistan, said the renaming of the province would create divisions in Pakistan. Mr Nawaz Sharif, the PML-N leader, repeatedly said he reluctantly agreed to rename the province as Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Someone even challenged the renaming of the NWFP in the high court on the plea that Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is a step towards Pakhtunistan. Leaders of the demonstrators in Hazara openly declare they will take revenge from the Pakhtuns for the killing of their companions. The media is giving an unprecedented coverage to the protests in Hazara — such coverage has never been given to any Pakhtun issues that even remotely depict Pakhtun nationalism.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is a compromised name — thanks to the ANP. This party has a track record of compromising on the Pakhtun interests. It did so on this occasion as well. The ANP should have stuck to Pakhtunkhwa and should have rejected the whole constitutional package for that. Moreover, the constitutional package offers nothing for the people of FATA. How could the ANP, a Pakhtun nationalist party, accept the constitutional package without FATA reforms? It is ridiculous that one of the FATA parliamentarians proposed ‘Qabailistan’ as a new name for FATA but he and his colleagues said nothing about the constitutional reforms in FATA.
Despite the ANP’s compromises, the way the Hazara protests have been exploited by the Punjab-based political parties and covered by the Pakistani media shows once more that many powerful forces in Pakistan are paranoid about anything that symbolises Pakhtun ethnic identity. The Pakistani state has suppressed Pakhtun nationalism for decades and has divided the people in four administrative units (FATA, NWFP, Balochistan and the Pakhtun territories in the Punjab province). For the paranoid Pakistanis, the only acceptable Pakhtun is either a murdered Pakhtun or Talib Pakhtun. There is so much goodwill for the Pakhtun Taliban and so much oblivion, even disgust for the anti-Taliban Pakhtun. The anti-Taliban Pakhtuns, whether nationalists or otherwise have been killed like insects all over FATA by the military and its B-team, the Taliban, and no one in Pakistan seems to care, whereas the Hazara anti-Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa demonstrations have captured the imagination of entire Pakistan.
There is so much media uproar over the killing of the people in Hazara. This is justified and those who killed the innocent people must be held accountable. But the same media outlets are deaf and dumb over the brutal killing of over 70 innocent Pakhtun women, children and men in Tirah, FATA, by the Pakistan Army a week ago! All the politicians and news analysts screaming over the killings in Hazara are deadly silent over the murderous act of the Pakistan Army against the innocent Pakhtun civilians.
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has made a judicial committee to probe the killings in Hazara. Who will make a similar judicial committee to investigate the killings in Tirah? It is true that the Pakhtun of FATA have no human rights under the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. But the republic has signed the UN Human Rights Declaration that guarantees human rights to the people of FATA. Should the people of FATA turn to the UN for a judicial investigation since the military and political masters of Pakistan never considered the death and destruction in FATA worthy of judicial investigation?
The Pakhtuns are subservient and loyal citizens of Pakistan and yet there is no dearth of fellow Pakistanis who doubt their loyalty to the state the moment they refer to their ethnic identity. They are not even welcomed to celebrate the belated state recognition of their right, i.e. their ethnic identity being reflected in the name of their province. Politicians and news analysts have condemned the ANP for the celebrations. Rana Sanaullah, provincial law minister Punjab, holds the ANP celebrations over the renaming of the province responsible for the protests in Hazara. There are also those who cannot even tolerate the celebrations and have killed tens of Pakhtuns in Timergara by attacking the celebration rally. The media and politicians of Pakistan have forgotten the martyrs of Timergara, but continue to criticise the Pakhtuns who celebrated the renaming. What kind of state-citizens relationship is this where the Pakhtuns cannot even express joy?
The ANP has already announced to welcome a separate province in Hazara through constitutional means. Now the PML-N must show the grace to accept the Seraiki demand of a separate province in south Punjab.
The people of Hazara have the right to demand a separate province in their area, but they have no right to dictate a name of their choice on the overwhelming majority of the Pakhtun. Seventy-three percent of population of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa identify Pashto as their mother tongue according to the 1998 census in Pakistan. According to the same census, Pakhtuns are the second largest ethnic group of Pakistan after the Punjabis in terms of mother language.
Let us not forget that the population of Hazara is not homogenous in terms of culture and language. Hazara is also home of those Pakhtuns who have preserved their language, tribal culture and customs, like the Pakhtuns in Batagram, Kaladaka, Oogi, etc. The Jaduns and Tareens of Hazara are ethnic Pakhtun, although they have abandoned the Pashto language. It is pertinent to mention that some elected representatives and civil society members from Batagram, Kaladaka, Kohistan and Shangla have demanded separation from Haraza Division to join the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province in the event of Hazara becoming a separate province. It is clear that most of the Pakistani media and the political forces, paranoid about the Pakhtun ethnic identity, would ignore this demand of the Pakhtuns in Hazara.
I am afraid peace is not going to come to the Pakhtun land as along as our fellow Pakistanis in Punjab are caught up in fear of the Pakhtun identity. They have to get rid of their paranoia for a durable peace in Pakistan.
The writer is a research fellow at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Gender Research, University of Oslo, and a member of Aryana Institute for Regional Research and Advocacy. She can be reached at bergen34@yahoo.com
History is Not a Farce: The NWFP Referendum
History is Not a Farce: The NWFP Referendum
http://pakteahouse.wordpress.com/2008/07/10/history-is-not-a-farce-the-nwfp-referendum/
“History is the memory of states,” wrote Henry Kissinger in his first book, A World Restored, in which he proceeded to tell the history of nineteenth-century Europe from the viewpoint of the leaders of Austria and England, ignoring the millions who suffered from those statesmen’s policies. From his standpoint, the “peace” that Europe had before the French Revolution was “restored” by the diplomacy of a few national leaders. But for factory workers in England, farmers in France, colored people in Asia and Africa, women and children everywhere except in the upper classes, it was a world of conquest, violence, hunger, exploitation-a world not restored but disintegrated.
My viewpoint, in telling the history of the United States, is different: that we must not accept the memory of states as our own. Nations are not communities and never have been, The history of any country, presented as the history of a family, conceals fierce conflicts of interest (sometimes exploding, most often repressed) between conquerors and conquered, masters and slaves, capitalists and workers, dominators and dominated in race and sex. And in such a world of conflict, a world of victims and executioners, it is the job of thinking people, as Albert Camus suggested, not to be on the side of the executioners”
Howard Zinn
This is my favorite passage from one of my favorite books, “A Peoples History of United States”. Pakhtoon territory has been a victim of this “statist” history which has served to further the imperialist goals in this region. First British Empire used it to divide Pakhtoons, and later, American Imperialism adopted the same policy.
Under the British, a vast scholarship appeared on Pakhtoons which to this day is serving its purpose. All such scholarship must be re-examined under light of Edward Said’s “Orientalism”.
What happened in Pakhtoonkhawa is not the memory of State, its lament of a people, those who are the direct victims o f two imperialist powers, and whose case, history, sociology, anthropology all acted in the same as Edward Said says, in aid of the White Man.
History is Not a farce
A fellow writers at the Pak Tea House has started this beautifully crafted series of articles on Pakhtoonkhawa, this latest article on the referendum. It demands a response. The article presents a partial, unilateral view. Over time, in the mainstream discourse, the official position of the democratic representatives of the area has been largely ignored and colonial version of history along with Muslem league’s view point have been projected.
I would indicate here the position of Khudai Khidmatgars , the precursors of NAP and ANP to balance the issue -
Why Referendum??he historian must ask a simple question: why referendum was called by the colonial masters in NWFP, when an elected assembly was in place. NWFP, was a province of India, it had an elected assembly. Its counterparts like Bengal and Punjab were divided, their geography was changed but referendum was not called. Though the situation demanded it, whether Bengalis or Punjabis wanted to be partitioned or join any state as whole. But NWFP was asked to go to polls. Why? because NWFP had progressive assembly, and there was a need to subvert the public opinion. Muslim League and their British masters wanted a democratic cover for their action.
Khan Abdul Wali Khan writes in “Facts are Facts”
” Khudai Khidmatgars’ first objection was that since the Congress and the Muslim league had both agreed on Partition, and since they considered themselves bound by the congress decisions (Bacha Khan himself used to represent Khudai Khidmatgars in the Congress working Committee), and since the congress had accepted that NWFP had to be part of Pakistan, then why hold a referendum? The exercise would only exacerbate the existing communal and political tension and political tension and create an atmosphere of confrontation.
The Muslim League and the British had their own purpose behind the design. Muslim league was keen to convey the impression that Pakistan was formed its demand and its demand alone; and that the Khudai Khidmatgars had opposed Pakistan which was why a referendum had become necessary. There was another purpose in singling out NWFP for a different treatment from other provinces. In the rest of India, only the assembly members of the Muslim majority provinces were asked to give their vote. Bengal and Punjab assemblies voted for the partition and thus the provinces were divided. Sindh assembly was asked to vote for Pakistan. Why not then NWFP assembly also? The reason was obvious. Here the Khudai Khidmatgars were in Majority in the assembly. If they opted for Pakistan the decision would have been that of the Khudai Khidmatgars. The Muslim League was not prepared to concede that credit. Nor were the British.”hy the progressive forces boycotted the dubious referendum. As Wali Khan has mentioned, BachaKhan considered himself bound by the Congress decision. There was no need of a referendum. The elected assembly was being subverted to give Muslim League political advantage in future government in Pakhtoonkhawa. The only meaningful purpose of this referendum would have been if it would have included the option of “Pakhtoonistan”. When the elected representatives of a state were demanding it , such an option should have been considered. A referendum is only meaningful if it gives a genuine choice to the electorate. But when its clear that its purpose is to bypass the public opinion, it becomes a futile exercise . Which it became. It was boycotted by the elected representatives of the state.
Khan Abdul Wali Khan further writes:
Why Boycott:
” For their part the Khudai Khidmatgars decided that if the British were insistent on holding the plebiscite despite the general acceptance that NWFP would go to Pakistan, then following the same principle of self-determination the province should also have the freedom to a third option, of an in dependent Pukhtoonistan. Mountbatten, however, refused to include this alternative. The Khudai Khidmatgars then decided that since between the available two options the decision had already been taken and the referendum was there fore pointless they would boycott it”have already mentioned that any referendum is only meaningful if it gives a meaningful valid choice to the electorate. Here we are seeing that the demand of the most popular political party who had won an election and was in government in the state was ignored. It was solely being conducted to give the Muslim League a political credibility in NWFP. It was boycotted by a major political force. It was any thing but fair. It was to use the standard British term a “White Wash”.
The Referendem : Fair or Farce
A farce and a shameful farce , this referendum was. And the key reasons were:
A: It was not based on adult franchise, Voting was restricted
B. Not all Pakhtoons were allowed to participate in the referendum that would seal not only their fate but that of their brothers in Afghanistan
C. The tribal Pakhtoons were not allowed to vote. In the population of 3.5 Million only 0.6 Million were allowed to vote
D. 6 Tribal agencies were barred from it
E. The States of Sawat, Dir,Amb, and Chitral were also not allowed to participate
Any referendum that disenfranchises such a large number of population can never be called a legitimate exercise of “self determination”. It has no political, legal and moral authority whatsoever.
Progressive Position on Referendum:ali Khan writes:
” Anyway, the government of India started preparing for referendum. Olaf Carore was replaced by Sir Robb Lokhart as the NWFP governor and the vote was held under his supervision. Although the Khudai Khidmatgarshad announced boycott of the exercise and its result had been a foregone conclusion,yet the Muslim Leaguers made extraordinary efforts. They brought their leaders from all corners of the country including students from the Aligarh University, who all fanned out in the province to incite hatred against the Pukhtoons.
For all that, on the polling day they resorted to such rigging that it is hard to find a parallel. Ballot boxes were freely stuffed and even the votes of Khudai Khidmatgar leaders were cast. Let me cite two instances, one told to me by Sikandar Mirza himself who was former deputy commissioner in Hazara. Touring the polling booths he reached the one at the gullies. The staff proudly told him: “This is mountainous area. We have just 200 voters on the list here. But, Sir, we have already polled 210.”espite a virtually unopposed Referendum , and monumental effort by the Moslem League what was the result?
The Results:
Number of votes 5,72,799
Polled votes (51%) 2,92,118
For Pakistan (51.5%) 2,89,244
For India 2,874
51.5% of the allowed Voters , Voted for Pakistan.Is this the result of a referendum that sealed the fate of Millions of Pakhtoons? With the disenfranchisment, it can’t even be called a majority vote.
My honorable and learned friend, Ysser Hamdani, has written that the referendum was free and fair unlike those conducted by the Military dictatorships in Pakistan. Alas, it was the same story.
Wu referendem tha ya jin tha shaher mein hoo ka alam tha—-emocracy is about “equal opportunities”. Here the elected representatives were suppressed, and an escape route of “referendums” was taken. Why?
Again lets ask those who were debarred , whose parliament was subverted:
Wali Khan writes:
” In the ends, thus, one keeps coming back to the same conclusion that the British were keen on putting an Islamic halter round the socialist order in the north and were not prepared to permit any hurdle,Khudai Khidmatgars’ or whatever, in their way. In fact they were convinced that unless they removed all the nationalist and anti imperialist forces from their path would not be able to consummate their design.”
This all was to block progressive forces in the area, to make NWFP a“Petri dish”for imperialist agenda to block Socialism. The Saur Revolution was snuffed out using NWFP, the Islamists madness was spread, the Frankenstein that is now playing havoc from New York, from Islamabad to Bara.
All this was result of this “Referendum”.
“Lamhon ne Khata ki , sadiyon ne saza payi”
http://sherryx.wordpress.com/
http://pakteahouse.wordpress.com/2008/07/10/history-is-not-a-farce-the-nwfp-referendum/
“History is the memory of states,” wrote Henry Kissinger in his first book, A World Restored, in which he proceeded to tell the history of nineteenth-century Europe from the viewpoint of the leaders of Austria and England, ignoring the millions who suffered from those statesmen’s policies. From his standpoint, the “peace” that Europe had before the French Revolution was “restored” by the diplomacy of a few national leaders. But for factory workers in England, farmers in France, colored people in Asia and Africa, women and children everywhere except in the upper classes, it was a world of conquest, violence, hunger, exploitation-a world not restored but disintegrated.
My viewpoint, in telling the history of the United States, is different: that we must not accept the memory of states as our own. Nations are not communities and never have been, The history of any country, presented as the history of a family, conceals fierce conflicts of interest (sometimes exploding, most often repressed) between conquerors and conquered, masters and slaves, capitalists and workers, dominators and dominated in race and sex. And in such a world of conflict, a world of victims and executioners, it is the job of thinking people, as Albert Camus suggested, not to be on the side of the executioners”
Howard Zinn
This is my favorite passage from one of my favorite books, “A Peoples History of United States”. Pakhtoon territory has been a victim of this “statist” history which has served to further the imperialist goals in this region. First British Empire used it to divide Pakhtoons, and later, American Imperialism adopted the same policy.
Under the British, a vast scholarship appeared on Pakhtoons which to this day is serving its purpose. All such scholarship must be re-examined under light of Edward Said’s “Orientalism”.
What happened in Pakhtoonkhawa is not the memory of State, its lament of a people, those who are the direct victims o f two imperialist powers, and whose case, history, sociology, anthropology all acted in the same as Edward Said says, in aid of the White Man.
History is Not a farce
A fellow writers at the Pak Tea House has started this beautifully crafted series of articles on Pakhtoonkhawa, this latest article on the referendum. It demands a response. The article presents a partial, unilateral view. Over time, in the mainstream discourse, the official position of the democratic representatives of the area has been largely ignored and colonial version of history along with Muslem league’s view point have been projected.
I would indicate here the position of Khudai Khidmatgars , the precursors of NAP and ANP to balance the issue -
Why Referendum??he historian must ask a simple question: why referendum was called by the colonial masters in NWFP, when an elected assembly was in place. NWFP, was a province of India, it had an elected assembly. Its counterparts like Bengal and Punjab were divided, their geography was changed but referendum was not called. Though the situation demanded it, whether Bengalis or Punjabis wanted to be partitioned or join any state as whole. But NWFP was asked to go to polls. Why? because NWFP had progressive assembly, and there was a need to subvert the public opinion. Muslim League and their British masters wanted a democratic cover for their action.
Khan Abdul Wali Khan writes in “Facts are Facts”
” Khudai Khidmatgars’ first objection was that since the Congress and the Muslim league had both agreed on Partition, and since they considered themselves bound by the congress decisions (Bacha Khan himself used to represent Khudai Khidmatgars in the Congress working Committee), and since the congress had accepted that NWFP had to be part of Pakistan, then why hold a referendum? The exercise would only exacerbate the existing communal and political tension and political tension and create an atmosphere of confrontation.
The Muslim League and the British had their own purpose behind the design. Muslim league was keen to convey the impression that Pakistan was formed its demand and its demand alone; and that the Khudai Khidmatgars had opposed Pakistan which was why a referendum had become necessary. There was another purpose in singling out NWFP for a different treatment from other provinces. In the rest of India, only the assembly members of the Muslim majority provinces were asked to give their vote. Bengal and Punjab assemblies voted for the partition and thus the provinces were divided. Sindh assembly was asked to vote for Pakistan. Why not then NWFP assembly also? The reason was obvious. Here the Khudai Khidmatgars were in Majority in the assembly. If they opted for Pakistan the decision would have been that of the Khudai Khidmatgars. The Muslim League was not prepared to concede that credit. Nor were the British.”hy the progressive forces boycotted the dubious referendum. As Wali Khan has mentioned, BachaKhan considered himself bound by the Congress decision. There was no need of a referendum. The elected assembly was being subverted to give Muslim League political advantage in future government in Pakhtoonkhawa. The only meaningful purpose of this referendum would have been if it would have included the option of “Pakhtoonistan”. When the elected representatives of a state were demanding it , such an option should have been considered. A referendum is only meaningful if it gives a genuine choice to the electorate. But when its clear that its purpose is to bypass the public opinion, it becomes a futile exercise . Which it became. It was boycotted by the elected representatives of the state.
Khan Abdul Wali Khan further writes:
Why Boycott:
” For their part the Khudai Khidmatgars decided that if the British were insistent on holding the plebiscite despite the general acceptance that NWFP would go to Pakistan, then following the same principle of self-determination the province should also have the freedom to a third option, of an in dependent Pukhtoonistan. Mountbatten, however, refused to include this alternative. The Khudai Khidmatgars then decided that since between the available two options the decision had already been taken and the referendum was there fore pointless they would boycott it”have already mentioned that any referendum is only meaningful if it gives a meaningful valid choice to the electorate. Here we are seeing that the demand of the most popular political party who had won an election and was in government in the state was ignored. It was solely being conducted to give the Muslim League a political credibility in NWFP. It was boycotted by a major political force. It was any thing but fair. It was to use the standard British term a “White Wash”.
The Referendem : Fair or Farce
A farce and a shameful farce , this referendum was. And the key reasons were:
A: It was not based on adult franchise, Voting was restricted
B. Not all Pakhtoons were allowed to participate in the referendum that would seal not only their fate but that of their brothers in Afghanistan
C. The tribal Pakhtoons were not allowed to vote. In the population of 3.5 Million only 0.6 Million were allowed to vote
D. 6 Tribal agencies were barred from it
E. The States of Sawat, Dir,Amb, and Chitral were also not allowed to participate
Any referendum that disenfranchises such a large number of population can never be called a legitimate exercise of “self determination”. It has no political, legal and moral authority whatsoever.
Progressive Position on Referendum:ali Khan writes:
” Anyway, the government of India started preparing for referendum. Olaf Carore was replaced by Sir Robb Lokhart as the NWFP governor and the vote was held under his supervision. Although the Khudai Khidmatgarshad announced boycott of the exercise and its result had been a foregone conclusion,yet the Muslim Leaguers made extraordinary efforts. They brought their leaders from all corners of the country including students from the Aligarh University, who all fanned out in the province to incite hatred against the Pukhtoons.
For all that, on the polling day they resorted to such rigging that it is hard to find a parallel. Ballot boxes were freely stuffed and even the votes of Khudai Khidmatgar leaders were cast. Let me cite two instances, one told to me by Sikandar Mirza himself who was former deputy commissioner in Hazara. Touring the polling booths he reached the one at the gullies. The staff proudly told him: “This is mountainous area. We have just 200 voters on the list here. But, Sir, we have already polled 210.”espite a virtually unopposed Referendum , and monumental effort by the Moslem League what was the result?
The Results:
Number of votes 5,72,799
Polled votes (51%) 2,92,118
For Pakistan (51.5%) 2,89,244
For India 2,874
51.5% of the allowed Voters , Voted for Pakistan.Is this the result of a referendum that sealed the fate of Millions of Pakhtoons? With the disenfranchisment, it can’t even be called a majority vote.
My honorable and learned friend, Ysser Hamdani, has written that the referendum was free and fair unlike those conducted by the Military dictatorships in Pakistan. Alas, it was the same story.
Wu referendem tha ya jin tha shaher mein hoo ka alam tha—-emocracy is about “equal opportunities”. Here the elected representatives were suppressed, and an escape route of “referendums” was taken. Why?
Again lets ask those who were debarred , whose parliament was subverted:
Wali Khan writes:
” In the ends, thus, one keeps coming back to the same conclusion that the British were keen on putting an Islamic halter round the socialist order in the north and were not prepared to permit any hurdle,Khudai Khidmatgars’ or whatever, in their way. In fact they were convinced that unless they removed all the nationalist and anti imperialist forces from their path would not be able to consummate their design.”
This all was to block progressive forces in the area, to make NWFP a“Petri dish”for imperialist agenda to block Socialism. The Saur Revolution was snuffed out using NWFP, the Islamists madness was spread, the Frankenstein that is now playing havoc from New York, from Islamabad to Bara.
All this was result of this “Referendum”.
“Lamhon ne Khata ki , sadiyon ne saza payi”
http://sherryx.wordpress.com/
Six Pakhtun tribes plan grand Jirga to settle issue of Hazara province
Six Pakhtun tribes plan grand Jirga to settle issue of Hazara province
Saturday, April 17, 2010
By By Ikram Hoti
ISLAMABAD: Elders of six Pukhtun tribes have decided to devise a united tribal platform “to defy the latest attack on the Pukhtun community in the shape of conflict created in Hazara versus the rest of the population living in Khyber-Pukhtunkhwa.”
A meeting held here on Friday with Pukhtun Aman Jirga (PAJ) Chairman Syed Kamal Shah in the chair here on Friday, it was resolved that the leaders of Hazara Sooba Tehrik (Hazara Province Movement) would be approached through a grand Jirga shortly to apprise them of the “conspiracy” hatched to pit the Hazara and the rest of provincial communities “as the establishment has been doing in the recent past.”
Kamal Shah and the elders of the platform told The News that they approached some of the tribal elders supporting the Hazara Sooba Tehrik in Islamabad to put across the fears of the Pukhtun community that it was not for a province but the initiation of a “new attack on the Pukhtun community” that a certain political group had been instigating bloody riots in Abbottabad and Haripur over the previous week.
“We told them, and we will tell other Hazara leaders through a grand Jirga that this was part of the grand conspiracy against the Pukhtun nation. In the recent past, under the Zia dictatorship and in the years that followed, Arab, Central Asian, Pukhtun and Punjabi Mujahideen were organised to perpetrate attacks on the Pukhtuns in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
“These mujahideen were lately converted into Taliban that intensified the attacks on Pakhtun community. Since the governments in Islamabad and Peshawar had lately been successful in decimating the Taliban onslaught on the Pakhtun community in Swat, Bajaur, Buner, Mardan, Nowshera, Karak, Bannu, DI Khan and Waziristan, etc, a new force was hatched in the shape of miscreants in the Hazara belt in the name of new province.”
Saturday, April 17, 2010
By By Ikram Hoti
ISLAMABAD: Elders of six Pukhtun tribes have decided to devise a united tribal platform “to defy the latest attack on the Pukhtun community in the shape of conflict created in Hazara versus the rest of the population living in Khyber-Pukhtunkhwa.”
A meeting held here on Friday with Pukhtun Aman Jirga (PAJ) Chairman Syed Kamal Shah in the chair here on Friday, it was resolved that the leaders of Hazara Sooba Tehrik (Hazara Province Movement) would be approached through a grand Jirga shortly to apprise them of the “conspiracy” hatched to pit the Hazara and the rest of provincial communities “as the establishment has been doing in the recent past.”
Kamal Shah and the elders of the platform told The News that they approached some of the tribal elders supporting the Hazara Sooba Tehrik in Islamabad to put across the fears of the Pukhtun community that it was not for a province but the initiation of a “new attack on the Pukhtun community” that a certain political group had been instigating bloody riots in Abbottabad and Haripur over the previous week.
“We told them, and we will tell other Hazara leaders through a grand Jirga that this was part of the grand conspiracy against the Pukhtun nation. In the recent past, under the Zia dictatorship and in the years that followed, Arab, Central Asian, Pukhtun and Punjabi Mujahideen were organised to perpetrate attacks on the Pukhtuns in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
“These mujahideen were lately converted into Taliban that intensified the attacks on Pakhtun community. Since the governments in Islamabad and Peshawar had lately been successful in decimating the Taliban onslaught on the Pakhtun community in Swat, Bajaur, Buner, Mardan, Nowshera, Karak, Bannu, DI Khan and Waziristan, etc, a new force was hatched in the shape of miscreants in the Hazara belt in the name of new province.”
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Voice of the Pashtun Land: Shoaib Malik vs Shahid Afridi
Voice of the Pashtun Land: Shoaib Malik vs Shahid Afridi
Pakistani cricket potfolio was under the direct control of Musharraf during his regime.This shows how Cricket has been used to artificially fabricate the feelings of patriotism and specially against India.Pakistan wants an enemy in the form of India even in games to keep the nations living in Pakistan glued in an artificial bond of patritotism so they keep hating the largest democracy in the world and keep cherishing the injustices committed by the military owned state.For example Younas Khan won the Twenty20 cup for Pakistan but is facing a trial becuase he is a Pashtun while the playboy Shoaib Malik became the hero in the Pakistani media just for marrying a tennis player after ruining the lives of many muslim girls.The reason is obvious.He is Punjabi and hence the toy of Punjabi elite whose flirteous act is turning into an event of glory.Shahid Afridi will be "Boom Boom Afridi" till he serves the purpose of the ruling militarty Junta which wants to use cricket as an igniting force of hatred against India ,once that is over ,a humiliating fate will await him because ,afterall, he is a Pashtun despite being awarded the player of the decade by ESPN just recently.
Pakistani cricket potfolio was under the direct control of Musharraf during his regime.This shows how Cricket has been used to artificially fabricate the feelings of patriotism and specially against India.Pakistan wants an enemy in the form of India even in games to keep the nations living in Pakistan glued in an artificial bond of patritotism so they keep hating the largest democracy in the world and keep cherishing the injustices committed by the military owned state.For example Younas Khan won the Twenty20 cup for Pakistan but is facing a trial becuase he is a Pashtun while the playboy Shoaib Malik became the hero in the Pakistani media just for marrying a tennis player after ruining the lives of many muslim girls.The reason is obvious.He is Punjabi and hence the toy of Punjabi elite whose flirteous act is turning into an event of glory.Shahid Afridi will be "Boom Boom Afridi" till he serves the purpose of the ruling militarty Junta which wants to use cricket as an igniting force of hatred against India ,once that is over ,a humiliating fate will await him because ,afterall, he is a Pashtun despite being awarded the player of the decade by ESPN just recently.
The KhyberWatch - بٹگرام، شانگلہ، کوہستان اور کالا ڈھاکہ کو اباسین ڈویژن بنانے کا مطلبہ
The KhyberWatch -
بٹگرام، شانگلہ، کوہستان اور کالا ڈھاکہ کو اباسین ڈویژن بنانے کا مطلبہ
بٹگرام، شانگلہ، کوہستان اور کالا ڈھاکہ کو اباسین ڈویژن بنانے کا مطلبہ
بٹگرام، شانگلہ، کوہستان اور کالا ڈھاکہ کو اباسین ڈویژن بنانے کا مطلبہمتعدد اراکین اسمبلی نے مشترکہ قرارداد جمع کرادی، سیاسی اور سول سوسائیٹی کے نمائیندوں کا پچاس رکنی جرگہ بھی تشکیل
پشاور، ہزارہ کو الگ صوبہ بنانے کے مطالبے کے بعد ہزارہ ڈویژن کے مختلف اضلاع میں بھی اس حوالے سے اختلافات شدت اختیار کرتے جارہے ہیں۔ بٹگرام، شانگلہ، کوہستان اور کالاڈھاکہ کے نمائیندہ جرگے نے ان اضلاع کو ملاکر الگ "اباسین ڈویژن" بنانے کا مطالبہ کیا ہے اور اس سلسلے میں متعدد اراکین صوبائی اسمبلی نے خیبرپختونخوا کی اسمبلی میں ایک قرارداد بھی جمع کرادی ہے۔جمعیت علما اسلام ف سے تعلق رکھنے والے ایم پی اے شاہ حسین خان نے بتایا کہ ہزارہ کو الگ صوبہ بنانے کا مطالبہ کیا جارہا ہے، چونکہ بٹگرام، کوہستان، شانگلہ اور کالاڈھاکہ کے باشندے پختون اور خیبر پختونخوا کے حامی ہیں، اس لئے ان اضلاع کے سیاسی قائدین اور سول سوسائیٹی کے نمائیندوں نے ایک پچاس رکنی جرگہ بنایا ہے، جس کا اجلاس آج ہورہا ہے۔اجلاس کے دوران اباسین ڈویژن کے قیام کے حوالے سے صورتحال کا جائیزہ لیا جائیگا۔ شاہ حسین خان نے بتایا کہ وہ اس سلسلے میں اسمبلی کے فلور پر ایک قرارد بھی جمع کرچکے ہیں جس میں ان پختون علاقوں کو ملاکر اباسین کے نام سے ایک نئے انتظامی ڈویژن کا مطالبہ کیا گیا ہے اور اس قرارداد پر ان کے علاوہ اراکین اسمبلی تاج محمد ترند، محمود عالم اور ظاہرشاہ نے بھی دستخط کئے ہیں۔
بٹگرام، شانگلہ، کوہستان اور کالا ڈھاکہ کو اباسین ڈویژن بنانے کا مطلبہ
بٹگرام، شانگلہ، کوہستان اور کالا ڈھاکہ کو اباسین ڈویژن بنانے کا مطلبہ
بٹگرام، شانگلہ، کوہستان اور کالا ڈھاکہ کو اباسین ڈویژن بنانے کا مطلبہمتعدد اراکین اسمبلی نے مشترکہ قرارداد جمع کرادی، سیاسی اور سول سوسائیٹی کے نمائیندوں کا پچاس رکنی جرگہ بھی تشکیل
پشاور، ہزارہ کو الگ صوبہ بنانے کے مطالبے کے بعد ہزارہ ڈویژن کے مختلف اضلاع میں بھی اس حوالے سے اختلافات شدت اختیار کرتے جارہے ہیں۔ بٹگرام، شانگلہ، کوہستان اور کالاڈھاکہ کے نمائیندہ جرگے نے ان اضلاع کو ملاکر الگ "اباسین ڈویژن" بنانے کا مطالبہ کیا ہے اور اس سلسلے میں متعدد اراکین صوبائی اسمبلی نے خیبرپختونخوا کی اسمبلی میں ایک قرارداد بھی جمع کرادی ہے۔جمعیت علما اسلام ف سے تعلق رکھنے والے ایم پی اے شاہ حسین خان نے بتایا کہ ہزارہ کو الگ صوبہ بنانے کا مطالبہ کیا جارہا ہے، چونکہ بٹگرام، کوہستان، شانگلہ اور کالاڈھاکہ کے باشندے پختون اور خیبر پختونخوا کے حامی ہیں، اس لئے ان اضلاع کے سیاسی قائدین اور سول سوسائیٹی کے نمائیندوں نے ایک پچاس رکنی جرگہ بنایا ہے، جس کا اجلاس آج ہورہا ہے۔اجلاس کے دوران اباسین ڈویژن کے قیام کے حوالے سے صورتحال کا جائیزہ لیا جائیگا۔ شاہ حسین خان نے بتایا کہ وہ اس سلسلے میں اسمبلی کے فلور پر ایک قرارد بھی جمع کرچکے ہیں جس میں ان پختون علاقوں کو ملاکر اباسین کے نام سے ایک نئے انتظامی ڈویژن کا مطالبہ کیا گیا ہے اور اس قرارداد پر ان کے علاوہ اراکین اسمبلی تاج محمد ترند، محمود عالم اور ظاہرشاہ نے بھی دستخط کئے ہیں۔
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Thursday, April 08, 2010
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