Another Lal Masjid in the Making?

Ahmad Bilal

Very impressive knowing that you belong to the same city as Masood Azhar. Not everyone may always agree with him, but Masood Azhar has played an important role in Pakistan's national life, and has been a key actor in the field of international diplomacy.

More to the point, hailing from the same town as he does, you should not have missed the opportunity to listen to Masood Azhar's speeches.

He is a PHENOMENAL speaker. Before 9/11, the Internet was full of his speeches (and speeches from many other Pakistani religious individuals).

One of Masood's speeches I particularly enjoyed was titled something as - Babari Masjid Roti Hai (Babari Masji Weeps).

It was an absolutely fabulous piece of masterly oration, natural gift perfected with passion. Not very friendly toward Hindus, but then he was representing the position of Muslims, and did a great job of it.

Such a talented and committed man cannot be kept down. He will still achieve much in Pakistan and abroad. There were years when he had great support in Pakistan, and given what he represents, could not have lost all that support even now.

Re: # 23 Arjun.... This is unconventional method method of punishing american elites and stooges. Killing two birds in oone shot. You ask bush to stop sending pilotless airmachine and making terror activity in Pakistani airspace. THen co operation will start. I was wondering what if PAF scrambles fighers and shoot these air machines can this pilotless airmachines can target moving airmachine. PAF if shoots few and say they do not know nothing message will to respect national boundaries. Elites are dependent supply from Pakistan and still their arrogency and afghan arrogency and giving free advice poisons atmosphere. Shoot few and sense will prevail or choke life blood line for one week and american will talk differently.

Cheema ji,

I see a lot of similarities in the Palestinian strategy and the other muslim "struggles" in chechniya, kashmir etc etc.

This is no longer an 'estate-issue' - it has been turned into a religious and communal WAR by the political Islam.

I am not labeling it as a WAR - it is the term given by those very muslim leaders who are in the fore of these "struggles".

Now, you have to decide whether you accept these so called muslim leader's call or not. Ask these Pakistani muslim leaders in PAkistan if kashmir is an 'estate problem' or it is a Jehad??

roses are red
violets are blue
the jihadis you created
are now killing you

US think tank: Pakistan helped Taliban insurgents



By JASON STRAZIUSO, Associated Press Writer Mon Jun 9, 2:23 PM ET

KABUL, Afghanistan - Pakistani intelligence agents and paramilitary forces have helped train Taliban insurgents and have given them information about American troop movements in Afghanistan, said a report published Monday by a U.S. think tank.
ADVERTISEMENT

The study by the RAND Corp. also warned that the U.S. will face "crippling, long-term consequences" in Afghanistan if Taliban sanctuaries in Pakistan are not eliminated.

It echoes recent statements by American generals, who have increased their warnings that militant safe havens in Pakistan are threatening efforts in Afghanistan. The study was funded by the U.S. Defense Department.

"Every successful insurgency in Afghanistan since 1979 enjoyed safe haven in neighboring countries, and the current insurgency is no different," said the report's author, Seth Jones. "Right now, the Taliban and other groups are getting help from individuals within Pakistan's government, and until that ends, the region's long-term security is in jeopardy."

Pakistan's top military spokesman rejected the findings.

The study, "Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan," found some active and former officials in Pakistan's intelligence service and the Frontier Corps — a Pakistani paramilitary force deployed along the Afghan border — provided direct assistance to Taliban militants and helped secure medical care for wounded fighters.

It said NATO officials have uncovered several instances of Pakistani intelligence agents providing information to Taliban fighters, even "tipping off Taliban forces about the location and movement of Afghan and coalition forces, which undermined several U.S. and NATO anti-Taliban military operations." No timeframes were given.

The report said Pakistan's intelligence service and other government agencies provided Taliban and other insurgents with training at camps in Pakistan, as well as intelligence, financial assistance and help crossing the border.

When asked in an Associated Press interview last month what the state of the insurgency might be in 2013, the outgoing NATO commander in Afghanistan, U.S. Gen. Dan McNeill, said: "If there are going to be sanctuaries where these terrorists, these extremists, these insurgents can train, can recruit, can regenerate, there's still going to be a challenge there."

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has pleaded with the world community to address the issue of militant sanctuaries in Pakistan. Afghan intelligence officials say young, uneducated males are recruited in the border tribal areas to become suicide bombers and fighters. After battles or attacks in Afghanistan, militants flow back into Pakistan to rest and rearm, officials say.

Pakistan — which supported the Taliban regime in Afghanistan before the Sept. 11 attacks — denied it is supporting the insurgents, but acknowledged the problem of militant infiltration.

"Whenever these kinds of places are identified or pointed out, action is taken against these places and there are umpteen examples in the past where the actions have been taken against these insurgents, or, for that matter, foreigners," said Pakistan military spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas. "Therefore, we reject this claim of sanctuaries being aided by Pakistan's army or intelligence agencies."

Pakistan Interior Ministry chief Rehman Malik said Monday that he met with Karzai in the Afghan capital over the weekend, and the two sides agreed to set up biometric screening at key border checkpoints.

Malik said tens of thousands of people cross each day without any documentation.

"They go without any checking — no passport, no documentation. It's a free for all," he told reporters. He said the new computerized system would begin operating within two weeks.

Nevertheless, he defended Pakistan's efforts to police the border, saying the government had deployed 120,000 troops and had set up five times more border posts than there are on the Afghan side.

Malik expressed willingness to share intelligence on extremists and conduct joint operations with Afghan security forces. He denied that Pakistan would strike peace deals with terrorists in order to calm Islamic militancy on its own soil.

Pakistan has insisted it is only pursuing negotiations with militant groups willing to lay down their arms, and it has relied partly on tribal elders to mediate. A handful of deals have already been struck.

U.S. officials say attacks where American troops operate in eastern Afghanistan have gone up significantly since those deals were reached earlier this year.

The study said that besides the Taliban, other major militant groups find sanctuary in Pakistan. These include al-Qaida, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's radical Hezb-i-Islami group and the Haqqani network, led by Jalaluddin Haqqani and his son, Siraj.

"These insurgent groups find refuge in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas, North West Frontier Province, and Baluchistan Province," RAND said in a news release. "They regularly ship weapons, ammunition and supplies into Afghanistan from Pakistan, and a number of suicide bombers have come from Afghan refugee camps based in Pakistan."

The report also called on the U.S. and its allies to help build the Afghan security forces, particularly the police, and to improve the quality of local governments, especially in rural regions.

It also claimed that Afghanistan's police are incompetent and "almost uniformly corrupt," echoing frequent criticism of the police by international officials here.

The U.S. is spending billions of dollars to train and equip the Afghan police, but the efforts are still years away from being completed.

___

Re: # 21; Laddu

The Palestinian problem is exclusive and unfortunately has been exploited by both the Israelis and Muslims alike

those that suffered as a result were the poor palestinians; I donot agree or condone their current tactics though

it was a pure "real-estate" issue; palestinian christians were as much affected as the muslims.....unfortunately, the muslims in recent years hi-jacked it for their own purposes; that doesn't make the suffering of these people any less

Re: # 17

"Can you tell me what is sick about Palestine?"

for a state that teaches its young that jews are pig. for a state whose entire existence is based upon Jehad against Jews and which has NO other accomplishments to give to the world EXCEPT Jehad- there is certainly something very sick about it!!!

Re: # 17

"You can’t place a banner w/o the permission from the city. I think the offensive Banner or billboard should be brought to the authorities and the provincial government to take action. Writing sensational articles is not enough."

Yes, that is the right way for the civil societies to move.

But counter-ideological strategies like writing this article is also warranted!!

The struggle against these violent Islamists who want to NORMALIZE violence and hatred against others has also to be fought on the ideological fronts.

=== Interact Filtered ===
view this users filtered interacts

#16

"if there assembly at that school is peaceful and laws are violated."
Correction:

if the assembly at that school is peaceful and laws are NOT violated.

#13 Posted by laddu

Pundi Laddu Maharaj,

"Pakistan is turning into another SICK state like Palestine......the seed of hatred have been sown......."

Can you tell me what is sick about Palestine?

Is there any law in India that can stop RSS Chaddi group from congregating at one of their buildings?

“On my way back home, a huge billboard at the heart of the city grabbed my attention. It showed a passenger plane on fire with a slogan on top: Another Victory for Muslims.�

You can’t place a banner w/o the permission from the city. I think the offensive Banner or billboard should be brought to the authorities and the provincial government to take action. Writing sensational articles is not enough.

Has Ahmed Bilal sent this article to some Pakistani Paper or sent a letter to the editor?

Let’s put Ahmed Bilal's concerns aside and look at this issue with the legal rights these people have to open a school and maintain it.
First, they have a democratic right to assemble and that can't and should not be denied to them if there assembly at that school is peaceful and laws are violated.

Is the organization unlawful?
Is the organization violating any local laws?
Is the organization violating a social or cultural issues or customs?

I think just because they are congregating at a certain place, is not enough reason to place a ban on these people.

Sounds like the people in the neighborhood have no problem with them. In that case, what rights others have to remove them from the area?

Love it. This may not appeal to those living cosy lives in some comfortable parts of the world and having hallucinations or strong cravings that why those people in Pakistan do not listen or heed to their adivces and be free for ever. It was April 1984. Gen. Cia-ul-Haque's Islamic dynasty was at its zenith. A retired subedar grabbed my left arm and asked me, "have you offered prayer?". I told him no. He was chairman of Salat committee. He did not question further but I knew the consequnces. All God fearing forces in the world were focussing to defeat the unbeliever Russians. Isralei sold arms so did Indians. Indians sold old WWII Le Enfiled rifles also known as 303 or 3not3. Never got used. Upto that part was OK. But one who will not offer pray would be treated as Russian too even he/she has no clue about it. My official documents have the following five titles for me: Athiest (dehria), communist, Melhid (do not know how to translate it), anti-Pakistan and anti-Islam. I went to Islamabad's AabPara the same day. Lal Masjid was the headquarter for CIA-ISI-Mujahideen axis. Mujahideens were selling the military hardware in the adjacent Jumma Bazar (except guns). I bought two sleeping bags, couple trousers, coats, hats, etc. They were dirt cheap and I needed for my venture across high mountians along India-Pakistan bloody line of control in Kashmir. I decided to drop them off in my room at Blue Star hotel near Zero point. The owner, a Jamiate, asked me for help. What do you need? I inquired. He told me to translate. There were two CIA guys looking for Rahim Khan. I asked what do you want to know about him. In short they wanted to know when he was arriving. I had some too-too-main-main with them. Blue star was my residence for some weeks. The CIA would hand over tens of thousands dollar to individua. 'Mujahideens' will run pockets full of cash sometimes over $100,000. One day I saw Rahim in the second floor - small lobby. Just few sofas could pack there. He looked at me and asked if I was going for Jihad. He probably got confused with my beard and Noorani face. I told him I did not believe in this jihad. It is US-Russian conflict and people dying in this war are wasting their lives. They are not going to heaven. They are just dying. Rahim pulled out his AK-47 and was about to shoot me when a teenager boy grabbed the gun barrel and asked him to stop. This teeanger was the son of Mujahideen leader. The family was on its way from Saudi Arabia back to Peshawar. Rahim told me (yelled at me), that his two brothers who were engineers in the USA got martyered in Afghanistan. You say they are in hell. I was scared as Rahim had AK-47 in his hand but I did not show any sign of fear. I moved back to my room. Then it was May 1992. I had some personal business in Islamabad again. I went to Peshawar Moor. The USAID office was located in two small size rooms. The USAID office during 1980s was housed in a multistory building in Blue Area. Inside these two rooms was one guy with his feet on a table. A water cooler, a rolled small carpet in the corner, a fax and a phone machine. The jihad shrank to these two rooms. I asked him, what happened to your big office. He offered me cigrette and told, we are done. Our project is over. Russians are out of Afghanistan. I asked him, have you seen the scale of destruction in Afghanistan? He said, "congress has no more funds for this project any more". I looked around and thought, I may start believing God if HE takes some revenge from those who destroyed 3 million people and a entire country. Now, I think I am starting believing GOD.

Ahmed Bilal,

Hope your father is in good health, excellent article not only because it carries a worthy message, it also talks about Bhawalpur, one of my favorite small cities of Pakistan.

I remember Bhawalpur with its peaceful yet beautiful streets, extremely generous and hospitable people and rich history. Now this, seems the country fabric has been infected to the core, time to pack up and leave or start packing a six piece.

"I wondered if the ones behind this billboard actually realized what they were portraying. Beneath the billboard, the cityscape was filled with common Pakistanis going about their everyday struggle for survival."

Pakistan is turning into another SICK state like Palestine......the seed of hatred have been sown.......the cult of violence has been NORMALIZED in the society........people ACCEPT JIHAD as the summum-bonnum of a momeen's life.....every PAkistani wants to be a Shaheed......

This is the sign of a truly SICK society!!

write=writ in #11

the only way the state can restore balance here is by applying total and overwhelming force.

It will be damned if it does and damned if it doesnot (you can see this from the statements made by Zeemax and Urstruly here and els where). So it might as well do it and get damned - atleast for some time its write will run. And when the State does a flag march or the sipahi turns up people will shiver in the 50 degree heat.

I say the State should turn the place into total rubble. and ensure that the land in not habitable for a few years - use phosphorous grenades followed by phosgene.