Shocking Brutalities in Kashmir

By Sajjad Shaukat

The question of unmarked graves which shows shocking brutalities of Indian security forces in the Indian-Held Kashmir is appearing with more details which were concealed by New Delhi. In this respect, in its recent report which was also published by several Chinese newspapers, China’s leading News Agency Xinhua has unearthed more gruesome details on world-stunning unmarked graves in Poonch, in the Indian occupied Kashmir.

While quoting reliable local sources, the report disclosed the statement of Sofi Aziz Joo, caretaker of a graveyard as saying, “Police and Army used to bring those bodies and direct me to bury them. The bodies were usually bullet-ridden, mutilated, faces disfigured and sometimes without limbs and heads.”
Xinhua’s report said, “Burials are carried out quietly without involving the local people…burials of those killed by army and police usually stoke protests in the region against police and army with the demand of end to New Delhi’s rule.”

On September 27 this year Amnesty International said that lawmakers in Indian-held Kashmir should discuss the recent discovery of unnamed graves containing more than 2,000 bullet-riddled bodies and should demand an independent panel be set up to identify the bodies, noting the same recommendation made by the Jammu-Kashmir State Human Rights Commission which had yet to be acted upon. It repeatedly emphasised, indicating, “The state government must also ensure that all past and current allegations of enforced disappearances are promptly, thoroughly, independently and impartially investigated”, adding that anyone found responsible should be prosecuted.

It is notable that after widespread allegations of human rights abuses in the Indian occupied Kashmir by the army, paramilitary and police, a commission was set up in 1997. However, Indian Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has officially acknowledged in its report in August this year that innocent civilians killed in the two-decade conflict may have been buried in unmarked graves.

According to the report of the Indian commission, “Hundreds of unmarked graves in Kashmir hold more than 2,000 bullet-riddled bodies that may include innocent victims, despite police claims that they were militants fighting Indian rule in the disputed Himalayan territory.”

Indian Commission’s report indicated, “2,156 unidentified bodies were found in mass graves in three northern mountainous regions, while 574 other bodies were found in the graves have been identified as local residents.” The probe said it noted 851 unknown bodies in Baramulla, 14 in Bandipore, 14 in Handwara and 1277 in Kupwara. While concealing actual details, it also acknowledged that few bodies were defaced, 20 were charred, five only had skulls remaining and there were at least 18 graves with more than one body each. Before this admission, Indian high officials have been emphasising that all these bodies were of militant fighters—claimed by police when they were handed over to villages for burial.

While, rights groups have disclosed that more than 8,000 people have disappeared, accusing government forces of staging fake gunbattles to cover up killings. The groups also revealed that suspected rebels have been arrested and never heard from again.

Notably, Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP), which in March 2008 released a report, titled, “Facts Underground”, had indicated the presence of unidentified graves. The APDP, which estimates around 10,000 people went missing during last two decades, claims, “many missing people may have ended up in these unmarked graves.”

In December 2009, another human rights group, the International People’s Tribunal on Human Rights had released a report claiming that unnamed graveyards “entomb bodies of those, murdered in fake encounters and arbitrary executions.”   More..

U-Turn in Karzai’s Stand

U-Turn in Karzai’sStand

By Sajjad Shaukt

In an interview to a private Pakistani TV channel on October 22 this year, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said that Kabul would never betray a ‘brother’, “if Pakistan is attacked by US or India.” He explained, “Pak-US tension did not have any impact on Kabul’s attitude towards Pakistan.” However, this shows a u-turn in Karzai’s stand which needs an appropriate analysis.

The remarks of President Karzai are in sharp contrast to Kabul’s past and recent allegations against Pakistan over cross-border terrorism, accusation that Pakistan was involved in killing Afghan peace envoy Burhanuddin Rabbani on September 20. On October 3, a statement from Afghanistan’s presidential palace said that evidence shows that Rabbani’s death “was plotted in Quetta and the person who carried out the suicide attack was a citizen of Pakistan.” Indirectly, in this regard, Kabul also accused Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). On the other side, Islamabad rejected allegations, saying that Pakistan or the ISI was not involved in the murder of Burhanuddin Rabban.

On October 4, in a televised address, Karzai condemned Pakistan’s double game on terrorism in Afghanistan, blaming that many Afghans are suspicious of Pakistan’s connections to the Taliban-led insurgency in their country. He elaborated, “Pakistan has not supported our efforts to bring peace and security to Afghanistan.”  At the same time, Karzai urged Pakistan to use its influence in bringing the militants to direct peace talks.

Failing in making his own policy and taking his own stand, Karzai whose puppet regime was established by the US-led western countries after ousting the Taliban, has always followed the blame game of America and India against Pakistan. In 2008, frustrated in coping with the insurgents in his own country, Afghan President Hamid Karzai had threatened of targeting militant’s locations inside Pakistani territories. He had also advised the US-led NATO forces to invade Pakistan’s tribal areas.

By pursuing Indian approach, the Afghan Government had blamed the ISI in the July 2008 attack on the Indian Embassy in Kabul. On October 8, 2009 when a large suicide bomb exploded near the Indian embassy there, both India and Afghanistan had again accused that ISI was behind the attack.

On May 2 this year, when Osama Bin Laden died in a US military raid, Afghan President Karzai alleged in the language of his foreign masters that other leadership of Al Qaeda has also taken shelter in Pakistan.

In the past few years, when Karzai felt that well-trained troops of the US and NATO, equipped with sophisticated weaponry have badly failed in crushing the continued resistance of the Afghan Taliban who have been fighting against the occupying forces, he started changing his stance to some extent. Confused in his goals, he also began to criticise the US for innocent casualties of Afghan people due to aerial bombardment and ground shelling. He also tried to contact Taliban leaders for a peace deal, calling the Taliban leader Mullah Omar his brother. But Taliban refused any dialogue until foreign troops leave Afghanistan. And when US announced that foreign troops would withdraw from Afghanistan upto 2014, Karzai was greatly depressed because survival of his government has totally depended upon the US-led forces.  

As regards the question of security, on October 7, Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai told the BBC that the “failure to provide security to the Afghan people has been his government’s greatest shortcoming.” He openly remarked that it “is 10 years since the US invaded Afghanistan…NATO and the US must share the blame for failing to deal with the Taliban.” But he again accused Pakistan of supporting the militancy.

However, after acting upon an ambivalent policy, full of paradoxes, Karzai has suddenly taken a u-turn in his stand, revealing, “If ever there is a war between Pakistan and America, Afghanistan will side with Pakistan.” He further indicated about Islamabad, “Let us engage from a different platform, a platform in which the two brothers only progress towards a better future in peace and harmony.” Nevertheless, u-turn of Karzai’s stand is owing to a number of reasons.

In this context, since May 2, this year, tension existed between Pak-US relations, which was increased recently due to the hard statements of Admiral Mike Mullen (R) and some other US high officials who alleged that ISI was behind Haqqani network in connection with US embassy attack in Kabul. On the other side, Pakistan’s civil and military leadership rejected American coercive diplomacy, refusing to take military action in North Waziristan. In this backdrop, realising the ground realties and showing realistic approach, a positive shift has occurred in the US policy towards Pakistan, which was displayed during the latest trip of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Islamabad.

Ms. Clinton said on October 21, “Pakistan has a critical role to play in supporting Afghan reconciliation and ending the conflict.” She also clarified that there was no evidence that ISI was involved in attack on the US embassy in Kabul through Haqqani network. She also agreed with Islamabad’s stand that infiltration of militants from Afghanistan inside Pakistan should also be stopped, and US interests demand stability in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

In her return to Washington, on October 23, in a CNN interview, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, revealed that an improved level of mutual understanding has taken place with Pakistan. The US and Pakistan will work together for Afghan peace. She also pointed out, “US acknowledges the need to eliminate safe havens of terrorists in Afghanistan…who attack Pakistan.”

It is noteworthy that before visiting Islamabad, in Kabul, on October 20, Ms. Clinton emphasised Afghanistan’s distrustful leadership to keep up Taliban reconciliation efforts and boost counterterrorism co-operation with Pakistan as the Obama administration presses ahead with troop withdrawal plan.

Now, change in the US policy is quite opposite to the stand of Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Worried about his presidency, he knows that if the US-led NATO forces withdraw from Afghanistan, his regime will not survive due to stiff resistance of Afghan Taliban. Even India will not be in a position to maintain its network, and its investment-projects will also not succeed in wake of the successful guerrilla warfare of the Taliban.

It is mentionable that India and Afghanistan signed a strategic agreement on October 5 this year, deepening their security and economic ties. The deal will guarantee Afghanistan’s security as foreign troops begin withdrawing from the country, which will be completed in 2014. However, apparently, it is open strategic agreement, but secretly, India which has already spent billion of dollars in Afghanistan, wants to further strengthen its grip in that country not only to get strategic depth against Islamabad, but also to use the war-torn country in destabilising Pakistan. For this purpose, secret agencies like Indian RAW and Afghan Khad are in collusion and has been sending well-trained agents and militants in Pakistan, who not only attack the check posts of Pakistan’s security forces, but also commit other subversive acts in various places of Pakistan, besides supporting Baloch separatism.

Being unsuccessful in their objevtives, India and Afghan rulers, with the help of RAW and Khad could act upon dirty tricks to get especially American troops entangled in Afghanistan permanently. In this context, with the help of some so-called Muslims, these secret agencies could increase attacks inside Afghanistan, particularly targeting American soldiers with the sole aim to revive old blame game of the US against Islamabad and ISI in relation to cross-border-terrorism.

Although, President Karzai favours dialogue with the Afghan insurgents, yet America should remain alert that New Delhi and Kabul in connivance against Washington and Islamabad will try to fail the peace deals with the Taliban militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In this regard, they will also make ground to implicate Islamabad and ISI, re-creating a rift in Pak-US ties. Thus India and Karzai could entrap the US permanently in Afghanistan in order to achieve their secret designs by damaging American global and regional interests. In this intricate situation, while quoting a report, a Pakistan’s daily newspaper disclosed on October 24, “Pakistan has told the United States that it is ready to facilitate its talks with the Afghan Taliban, but cannot become a guarantor to the negotiating process.”

Nonetheless, u-turn in Karzai’s stand contains hidden agenda of India and Afghanistan against Pakistan and the United States.

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

Email: sajjad_logic@yahoo.com

Keywords: Afghan President to side withPakistan, if attacked by US or India, Positive shift in US policy towardsPakistan, Indo-Afghan collusion to fail peace deals with the militants, Indiaand Afghanistan can entrap US permanently in Afghanistan, Secretagencies-Indian RAW and Afghan Khad 

Failure of India’s Anti-Maoist War

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9/11 Anniversary: Jews Damaging their Economic Interests

 9/11 Anniversary: Jews Damaging their Economic Interests/ News Center Pk

The 10th anniversary of the September 11 tragic events...killing 3,300 innocent people...US-led allies have been fighting a prolonged war of ten years against the Al Qaeda...Since the September 11 tragedy, Israel and Jews who had overtly and covertly jumped on Bush’s anti-terrorism enterprise in order to targeting Pakistan, Iran and China in particular and other Islamic countries...On the other side, in the aftermath of 9/11, various suicide attacks in Israel, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Spain, Britain etc....
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  9/11 Anniversary: Jews Damaging their Economic Interests....  Original Post...

Why India-Pak Dialogue Fails?

 Why India-Pak Dialogue Fails?:

Recently, India and Pakistan have decided to resume the dialogue process through their home secretaries who will hold talks on March 28 and 29 on a host of issues including the progress in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and culprits of the Samjhota Express blast. In this regard, Islamabad has conveyed to New Delhi its consent to the meeting after home secretary G K Pillai extended the invitation to Pakistan’s Interior Secretary Chaudhry Qamar Zaman. India had proposed two sets of dates—March 21-22 and March 28-29.

The talks in March will be the first structured bilateral home secretary-level meeting on counter-terrorism after the recent Indo-Pak decision to resume comprehensive talks. Under the pretext of Mumbai terror attacks in November 2008, India had suspended the composite dialogue with Pakistan.During their joint press briefing, no breakthrough announcement was made, but both Shah Mehmood Qureshi and his Indian counterpart SM Krishna claimed that they had discussed all outstanding issues.

To a question regarding Indian involvement in Balochistan, Krishna indicated that the issue had been mentioned in the Sharmel Sheikh declaration.

Qureshi stated that during the meeting, he had also mentioned reports that Baloch separatist leader, Brahamdagh Bugti had obtained an Indian passport.

Krishna stated that there had been an increase in infiltration across the Line of Control (LoC) particularly in 2008 and 2009. Qureshi had reacted by saying that “infiltration is not the policy of Pakistan or any intelligence agency in Pakistan.                                                                       Ful Story:       

New Face of Hindutva Terror

 New Face of Hindutva Terror:

It is of particular attention that historical background and religious beliefs which have formed the habits and national character of Hindus are quite different from the other ethnic and religious communities. Indians still have a strong belief in the superiority of their race. Indian Hindus are followers of Chanakya (Say some thing else and do some thing else). This fact has been verified by the misdeeds of Hindu fundamentalist parties like BJP, RSS, VHP, Shiv Sina and Bajrang Dal which have missed no opportunity to communalise national politics of India even under the Congress rule. With the support of Indian officials and RAW agents, these parties have intensified anti-Christian and anti-Muslim bloodshed in the last decade coupled with the dissemination of Hindutva.

Apart form the past genocide of Muslims and destruction of the Babri Mosque, more than 2500 Muslims were massacred in 2002 in the BJP-ruled Indian state of Gujarat. Regarding that massive genocide, both Human Rights Watch in 2002 and Amnesty International in 2003 charged the “Gujarat state administration” for involvement in “a massive cover-up of the state’s role in that massacre” and pointed out numerous police officials—specifically ministers, high officials and leaders of the VHP, BJP and Bajrang Dal as participants.
Similarly, in the recent years, assaults on Christians and their property have been executed by the Hindu mobs in Orissa, Assam, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. In this respect, at least 60 Christians have been assassinated in the recent past by Hindu extremists in the state of Orissa. Other religious minorities of India are also target of Hindutva terror...........................Ful Story:

Raymond Davis: US Blackmails Pakistan

 Raymond Davis: US Blackmails Pakistan:

Controversial debate continues between Pakistan and the United States in connection with the arrest of American national, Raymond Davis who is an under-cover secret agent of American CIA, and has become a symbol of anti-American resentment in Pakistan because of the dreadful murder of two innocent Pakistanis in Lahore and subsequent suicide by the wife of one of his victims.

Like other US high officials, even President Barack Obama urged Pakistan on February 15 this year to free Raymond as he has diplomatic immunity under the Geneva Convention. Meanwhile, the visiting Chairman of the US Foreign Relations Committee, John Kerry, while addressing a press conference in Lahore pointed out that issue of “Davis has nothing to do with local courts as diplomats enjoy immunity…we cannot allow that one incident can break the strong relationship between the two countries.”On the other side, legal experts in Pakistan opine that Raymond Davis is a murderer who has no diplomatic immunity. Many Pakistanis are suspicious about Davis, who was arrested with loaded weapons, a GPS satellite tracking device, photographs of Pakistan’s defence installations and tribal areas, while American authorities are still silent about his role in Pakistan. Raymond Davis: US Blackmails Pakistan:..........Ful Story:

Evidence of Samjhota Express Blast

Evidence of Samjhota Express Blast:

Without any doubt, India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) is now convinced that besides Lt. Col. Srikant Purohit and other Indian army officials, Swami Aseemanand, a Hindu right-wing leader was directly involved in the Samjhota Express blast that had burnt alive 69 persons, mostly Pakistanis, in 2007.                             

In this connection, a court in Panchkula, Haryana has recorded Aseemanand’s statement in the blast case. The statement was recorded under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code before a magistrate. His earlier confession was recorded in the Mecca Masjid case, which is being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Sadhu Aseemanand stuck to his confession that Hindutva (Hindu nationalism) radicals were behind the bomb attack on the Samjhota Express. Aseemanand, Aka Naba and Kumar Sarkar, named absconding Hindutva militants—Ramji Kaisangra and Sandeep Dange as the key plotters in that terror attack.

Sources of the NIA also disclosed that the confession in connection with the Samjhota Express blast practically rules out the involvement of other groups, while initial investigation into the attack had also looked into the possibility of involvement of Jehadi groups which both the UN and US had banned, even naming Arif Qasmani (a rich Pakistani), alleging him as the plotter, linking with terror groups.

However, Aseemanand was arrested for bomb attacks that Hindutva radicals carried out on mosques to retaliate against the spate of Jehadi terror strikes by Mujahideen and other Islamic groups as part of what he calls the “bomb-for-bomb” strategy.

In the Samjhota Blast case, the probe team has found that the bomb used in the train was kept in a suitcase that was bought from a shop of Indore’s Kothari Market. The suitcase had cloth covers stitched by an Indian local tailor. The NIA is now trying to get details of those who bought the suitcase and covers.
Evidence of Samjhota Express Blast: Read More:

Indian Intervention in Pak Northern Areas

Indian Intervention in Pak Northern Areas:
India which has already been supporting insurgency in Pakistan’s province, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and separatism in Balochistan has also accelerated its intervention in Northern Areas. In this connection, with the help of some external powers, New Delhi has continuously been backing the minority nationalist elements, who claim an independent Balawaristan, consisting of Gilgit and Baltistan.

It is mentionable that strategic location of the Northern Areas is of a greater geo-political importance for Pakistan, linking major parts of South Asia, Central Asia and South East Asia. Besides India, Pakistan’s clandestine rivals, America and Afghanistan on one hand and its close friend, China on the other also consider it as strategically important. In the present era of economic wars, the region is the backbone of our country’s economy, and trade with China entailing future partnership with the Central Asian States. Pakistan imports almost all kind of items from China via Karakorum Highway. These areas are significant in respect of natural resources containing precious minerals such as gold, ruby, emerald, iron ore and uranium. Water is another major source. Pakistan’s major source of water is River Indus which flows through this region. It was also due to the ideal strategic location of this region that India had occupied the Siachen Glacier, deputing its forces below 50 and 60 degree freezing point peaks, and compelled Pakistan to defend its Northern Areas.

It is notable that just like the separatist groups of Balochistan and the Pakhtunkhwa, Indian secret agency, RAW has played a key role in the Northern Areas in organizing a number of nationalist groups such as Gilgit-Baltistan Democratic Alliance (GBDA), Gilgit-Baltistan United Movement (GBUM) etc.—and particularly Balawaristan National Front (BNF) which plays a leading role, claiming that Chitral and Kohistan are inseparable parts of Gilgit-Baltistan, known as Balawaristan.

New Delhi and Kabul with the covert support of Washington have already been creating lawlessness in various regions of Pakistan by fuelling sectarianism—are also converting our Northern Areas into another volatile place where they have been manipulating anti-Pakistan sentiments to achieve their secret strategic goals.   Indian Intervention in Pak Northern Areas:      Read More:                                   

Kashmir Day: Real Terrorists Detected By Sajjad Shaukat

Kashmir Day: Real Terrorists Detected :

Every year, February 5 is being celebrated as the “Kashmir Day” by Pakistanis and Kashmiris all over the world to show solidarity with the freedom fighters, demanding their legitimate right of self-determination from India. In wake of the ongoing uprising (Intifada), the day reminds the continued sacrifices of Kashmiri people against Indian state terrorism.

In fact, the misfortune of Kashmiris who comprises 94 percent in Jummu and Kashmir, started in 1846 when their territory was sold by the British colonialists to a Hindu, Gulab Singh who continued his brutal
policies memories of which remain alive today.  During the Dogra rule (1846-1947), Kashmiri Muslims were leading so miserable life that it was difficult to differentiate them from beasts. Slave labour, capital punishment for cow slaughter, and living under constant terror was order of the day.

On April 19, 1931, the ban of Eid Khutba ignited widespread demonstrations in the Jummu city. For the first time, people openly opposed the oppression. On July 13, 1931, thousands of people thronged the Central Jail Srinagar. As the time for obligatory prayer approached, a young Kashmiri stood for Azan. The Dogra soldiers opened fire at him. In this way, 22 Kashmiris embraced martyrdom in their efforts to complete the Azan.

On partition of India in 1947, the ruler of Jammu and Kashmir, Hari Singh, in connivance with Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Governor-General Lord Mountbatten, had decided to join India, quite contrary to the wishes of the majority of Kashmiris.

When a contention arose between India and Pakistan on the dispute of Kashmir in1948, India took the issue to the United Nations Security Council and offered to hold a plebiscite in the held Kashmir under UN supervision. On February 5, 1964, India backed out of its promise. Instead, in March 1965, The Indian Parliament passed a bill, declaring Kashmir a province of India.

However, passing through various phases, during and after the partition, the struggle of Kashmiris which has become an interaction between the Indian state terrorism led by the Indian security forces and war of liberation by the freedom fighters keeps on going unabated.

As regards the latest phase of Indian state terrorism, like the past, intermittent curfews, crackdowns and massacre by the Indian forces have continued against the non-violent mass uprising of Kashmiris. Thus more than 1000 innocent people have been killed. Kashmir Day: Real Terrorists Detected :