Kashmir Liberated, Others Languish

Re: # 13

Why not call it 'Matarwa Gardi'?

...being a spy is the ultimate patriotic duty any individual can carry out for his/her country.....because spies have no rights....if you get caught, your government denies your existence.......being a spy, unlike being in a normal war, is actually a crime.......and one foregoes the normal rights granted by geneva convention to combatants.....this is, infact, the argument usa used to torture taliban in guantanemo (incorrectly, as they were normal combatants and not spies)....

Article 5 of the Geneva Conventions states:

"Where in occupied territory an individual protected person is detained as a spy or saboteur, or as a person under definite suspicion of activity hostile to the security of the Occupying Power, such person shall, in those cases where absolute military security so requires, be regarded as having forfeited rights of communication under the present Convention.

In each case, such persons shall nevertheless be treated with humanity, and in case of trial, shall not be deprived of the rights of fair and regular trial prescribed by the present Convention. They shall also be granted the full rights and privileges of a protected person under the present Convention at the earliest date consistent with the security of the State or Occupying Power, as the case may be.

is there any international law about the treatment of spies who get caught?

Zee,

It is all elimentary. It was only you guys talking about the end of mushy, the PPP and company getting two third mjority etc etc ..and a golden era for pakistan. You all have failed to ask the basic question, has anything changed. Has there been a value shift in the political demands, did any party talk about law and order, jobs and water shortages. It is all personal politics in pakistan, you can see that even on chowk by the educated like you..the name calling, abuse and teh un-mentionalble in urdu and these are done primarily by the pakis. That is your mind set, you all cannot talk in a sensible manner without bringing the personalities in.

Irrelevant non-sense that si what the pakis are famous for, while the jihadis are blasting your doors apart.

For decades the Pakistan has been calling for Kashmir to be liberated. So this is all it was about!! :-)

Great job Mr. Ansar Burney...

I hope that this is a beginning of sorts.

One Kashmir has been released from prison.

How about the other?

It is normal for India and Pakistan to send spies to each other's countries and then deny their presence; the spies also understand that this is the condition of their employment.

Now, unless these spies commit some serious crimes, like murder, they should be treated as normal prisoners. Their govts. also owe it to them to secure their release through prisoner swaps or other such deals.

Kashmir Singh's story powerfully illustrates that the prison system in Pakistan (and perhaps India) is akin to a big black hole where people simply disappear. The lack of proper record-keeping takes a toll on the poor prisoners of all nationalities, ethnicities, religions etc and their loved ones. I'm glad to see people like Ansar Burney working to alleviate the situation.
Aside from the sad truth of lives destroyed, I am a little concerned about the admission by Kashmir Singh of his role as a spy would likely reinforce the hawks in Pakistan. I hope I am wrong on this. I think Pakistan (and India) need to address the issues by agreeing on the treatment of all prisoners, regardless of the nature and the veracity of charges.
Riaz Haq, PakAlumni Worldwide

Kamath,

In pakistans case, it is not lawlessness, it is the absence of any law, or any legal system.

Take the case of muktaran mai. Typically nothing should happen to the rapist in pakistan, that is what happened initially to muktaran mai rapist. Then there was global publicity, mushy got involved, and if recall three men are sentenced to death.

This is not lawlessness, this is absence of a system and arbitariness.

Take the case of chief justice of pakistan, one man was fired and another set appointed, they reversed every decision of the earlier court. Where is law, where is precedence, in pakistan every thing is arbitary.

It is not a case of corruption, or lack of professionalism, it is simply the absence of a system, completely arbitary. There is no concept of what should be, some kind of an ideal to which one can strive, and that is what is completely lacking in every aspect of pak society.

#11 Posted by NangaPir on March 8, 2008 3:11:06 pm

Wow, what a riveting account!

All said and done we need to treat the prisoners with minimum human dignity (unless the person is charged with serious crimes for eg. murder).

Keeping Kashmir Singh for 17 years in a dark cell is unfathomable. If Kashmir still maintains normal composure, it's something superhuman.

Whatevah, Mr. Ansar Burney is a god incarnate and I expect Indian govt to reciprocate.

It was early 1965 when Pakistan was preparing to liberate Kashmir. This was because Pakistan army was dominated by mirzai officers. Ahmedi Khelifa made prophecy in 1955 that Kashmir would be liberated in ten years. After careful planning commandos were ordered to be ready. It was one cold night way up in mountains when Abdul Rehman received a guest. A policeman who brought him orders to immediately report to his center. Rehman was on two months vacation and only 21 years old. He put on his clothes walked 24 miles to catch the early bus and reported to his center. He was order to join armed commandos to enter Kashmir because Kashmir Mujahideens were waiting for them. He never returned. We never heard of him again. His mother wept day and night, became blind and died hoping her son would return. He is probably rotting in some Indian jail if alive. This is true with many others but he is whom I personally know. I never met him as I was too young but he was my first cousin.
What went wrong?
The so called Kashmir Jihad was well kept secret except Indians well knew about it.
India always had better spies inside Pakistan mostly Mohajir army officers with links to relatives in India. ISI agents mostly get caught that is why we hear a lot about them. An Indian army major, Richpal Singh crossed over from Ori and reached Muzaffarabad. He met the then AK president Sardar Qayoom Khan and posed as Kashmiri mujahid. Qayoon took him to GHQ and he was fully briefed. He officially stayed in government guest houses and allegedly married with Qayoom’s sister. He was ready to infiltrate valley exactly when my cousin was ordered ‘go ahead’. Qayoom also handed over the list of his contacts who were supposed to join the uprising. Richpal Singh was given about two laks rupees too. He successfully infiltrated back into valley. When Pakistani commodes entered from dedicated routes, Indians were waiting for them. The same night they apprehended those Mujahideens whose list was provided by Qayoom. Qayoom blamed mirzai generals and later declared them kaffirs first time in history. Now Kashmir Singh is free we question to Sri Pervaiz Ramstein, where is Abdul Hamid? Was Kashmir Singh also married to Pervaiz’s sister and was known as Muhammad Ibrahim? Why a hard core spy was released without any account of Pakistanis missing in actions. These bhia thugs will not rest till they destroy the entire region.

Re:#5 bulleya,

Yes. That's true.
http://www.hindu.com/2008/03/08/stories/2008030860060100.htm

Re: # 7
Jayp:

Before you comment on lawlessness and disorder in Pakistan, open your eyes and look at what is happening in India first.

Murderous riots and killings of Sikhs-innocent ones at thgat after the death of Indira Gandhi, destruction of Babri Mosque,planned pogroms against a copule of thousands Indian citizens who hapopen to be born Muslims most of them totally innocent- set by your hero Modi in the land of Gandhi and now goonda raj run amok by Shiv sena thugs.

There many more all over India smaller in size but very identical. Add to this list-fanatical Hindus-RSS, Bajrang Dal and other tribal gangs!

Pakistan and Afghanistan has had Talibanis and let us admit In India we have these cursed Hindu-Talibani, exactly the mirror image of murderers on the other side of the border.

Oh , I forgot there ar smaller variants in Tamilnadu and Orissa too!

Kamath

http://www.ibnlive.com/videos/60667/principal-beaten-abuse-charge-against-teache r.html

jayp,

U need to see how Bombay/Maharastra and India are lawless. Ponder over our own lawlessness, esp Marathi type.

Re: # 4

VRV,

the [point is that whether it is spying or corruption or murder, there has to be some law and some procedures to be followed. Pakistan has none. It is all arbitary, and hence what is the bog issue with spying.

Beena, I had always been a keen follower of your work – although I had read the article in Dawn, reading it on our very old chowk is a different experience altogether (thore ke apnaheyat hain yehan).

Some points,

a) Kashmir Singh was arrested with another person in Rawalpindi – the chap was jailed for 10 years – he completed his punishment, went to India to say he ‘spied’.
b) Kashmir Singh was definitely a spy – there’s no doubt – he accepted this in an interview in India – he even stated that he used to get paid ‘Rs.400/month’ at that time when he was spying in Pakistan.
c) GoP knew everything about Kashmir Singh – he was realsed on humanitarian grounds and nothing more. I had always maintained that there should be a difference between us and them and the realease of Kashmir Singh is one of the examples of how we stand.
d) Ansar Burney’s NGO is probably one of the best kept secrets of Pakistan – he’s done so well for Pakistan and Pakistanis on the issue of Pakistani Camel Jockeys in UAE and Saudi Arabia – on releasing scores of Pakistanis detained in Eastern European Countries and whole of Asia.