Misleading the Baloch People

By Sajjad Shaukat

Since, the government of the Balochistan province announced general pardon and protection to the Baloch militants as part of reconciliation process, many insurgents and their leaders have surrendered their arms and decided to work for the development of Pakistan and the province, peace has been restored in the province. But, it is misfortune that some external and internal elements have still been misleading the Baloch people in order to fulfill the hidden agenda of some powers.

In this context, the externally-backed various Baloch separatist leaders are still opposing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and other development projects in Balochistan.

It is notable that during the visit of the Chinese President Xi Jinping to Pakistan, on April 20, 2015, he and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif signed 51 agreements for cooperation in various fields, related to CPEC. Its establishment between deep Gwadar seaport of Balochistan and the historic Silk Road city in western regions-Xinjiang of China will connect Gilgit-Baltistan through Khunjerab Pass. Beijing would also build an international airport at Gwadar, while the roads infrastructure in Gwadar would link the communication network of rest of the country to facilitate transportation of goods.

When Gwadar seaport becomes fully operational, it would connect the landlocked Central Asian states with rest of the world. Being the commercial hub, the port is likely to increase volume of trade, bringing multiple economic and financial benefits to Pakistan as well as to the Baloch people by changing their destiny. Gwadar project will not only uplift the impoverished people of Balochistan by providing thousands of employment opportunities and is likely to develop whole the province by redressing their grievances. Coupled with other mega projects and positive measures of the government, the resulting prosperity in the province would damp the separatist sentiments among the Baloch, which have been incited by some anti-Pakistan powers.

But, the ink on Pak-China agreements related to CPEC was barely dry when some western media, especially Indian secret agency RAW started playing up the Baloch insurgency, in this respect, the propaganda campaign coincided with terror-attacks. The director of The Second Floor (T2F), a social activist Sabeen Mahmud was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Karachi on April 24, 2015, followed by a bomb blast in Sibi, which killed several persons on April 26. However, she had left T2F after attending the session on Balochistan province, when she was targeted. She was likely to conduct a seminar at LUMS in Lahore about Balochistan. Earlier, on April 11, gunmen killed 20 laborers at a dam construction site in the Turbat district of Baluchistan. On May 29, 2015, 20 people were killed when unknown militants opened fire at the kidnapped passengers in Mastung area of Balochistan—after abduction of two buses. Particularly, on May 13, 45 people were killed when gunmen brutally opened fire on a bus of the Ismaili community in Karachi. Ahmed Marwat, a spokesman of Jundullah (God’s soldiers) which is the affiliated group of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)—backed by RAW claimed responsibility for the bus attack.

In fact, these terror attacks which continue in some way or the other are aimed at sabotaging the CPEC by showing that if Pakistan government is not able to provide security to its citizens, how it can protect CPEC.  Besides, other progressive work in Balochistan is also part of its target.

It is mentionable in the recent years—entrenched in Afghanistan, intelligence agencies like American CIA, Indian RAW and Israeli Mossad have supported bomb blasts, suicide attacks, abductions, target killings, ethnic and sectarian violence in Balochistan through their affiliated militant groups such as Baloch Republican Party (BRP), Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), Jundollah etc. to obtain the secret strategic designs of US, India and Israel at the cost of Pakistan, China and Iran. Besides martyring several personnel of law-enforcing agencies and security forces in the province, these anti-Pakistan entities kidnapped and massacred many Punjabis, Pushtuns, Shias, people of Hazara community and patriot Balochis including Iranian Shias. In the past few years, they abducted and killed many Chinese and Iranian nationals in Pakistan. On a number of occasions, these militant outfits claimed responsibility for their subversive acts. But, they have always blamed Pak Army and other security agencies for human rights violations in Balochistan.

It is of particular attention that in the recent past, Indian former Army Chief Gen. VK Singh openly confessed that during his tenure, he supervised special army unit, Tactical Support Division (TSD) on the instructions of the then defence minister to sponsor subversive acts in Pakistan, especially in Balochistan.

Recall, when during the Musharraf regime, Islamabad initiated the construction of Gwadar deep-seaport in Balochistan in March 2002 with Chinese assistance, sirens went off in the capitals of foreign countries, especially the US, India and Israel which took it as a threat to their global and regional plans.

Notably, besides Balochistan’s ideal strategic location, its abundant mineral resources like gas, coal and gold, entailing Pakistan’s close ties with China also pinches the eyes of the US, India, Israel and some western countries which intend to destabilize Pakistan for their collective aims.

It is worth-mentioning that with the help of Baloch nationalist leaders who have taken refuge in western countries; these hostile elements have launched a false propaganda campaign by spreading disinformation about natural resources, progressive works and CPEC. They mislead the Baloch people by propagating that present and future royalty of the mineral resources including income of the mega projects and CPEC are for the centre or Punjabis or the Punjabi Army and not for the Baloch people.

On the other side, patriot Baloch people have come to know the foreign conspiracy against the integration of Pakistan. They know that Pak Army has not only been successful in uprooting the anti-state elements, but also contributed a lot in socio-economic development of Balochistan. While protecting mega projects, and promoting other development works, Army set up a number of institutes in Balochistan, which have been providing particularly technical training to thousands of Balochis. Army has also been imparting military training to the Baloch youth. The purpose is to bring them in the mainstream of the country.

Undoubtedly, Army’s positive steps are increasing income of the Baloch youth and reducing their dependence on the feudal lords (Sardars), while external-backed insurgency has hampered the growth and development of the province.

Besides, the Baloch are very well-aware of the fact that instead of Sardars, royalty of the mineral resources go to the provincial government of Balochistan, and the Baloch people would be the real beneficiary of the various development projects and the CPEC.  

Baloch persons know that the Sardars who have been fighting for their own so-called status, prestige and influence, do not want to give up the old system of feudalism. Therefore, with the assistance of US-led India and Israel, these anti-Pakistan entities are inciting them for against Pak Army, Punjabis and the federation.

Nevertheless, civil, federal and provincial governments are making strenuous efforts to restore peace and order in the province. For this purpose, a paramilitary committee has also been formed by the ruling party to hold negotiations with the disgruntled elements. And Chief of Army Staff Gen. Raheel Sharif also supports political settlement—general pardon to the insurgents in Balochistan, so that, development works including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which would bring unlimited benefits to the province and its people must be completed.

Nonetheless, while pointing out the golden opportunities related to the development projects,   Pakistan’s top officials, especially the media must counter external propaganda of the hostile entities including those foreign-supported Baloch Sardars who are misleading the Baloch People through disinformation regarding the progressive works and CPEC.  

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

Jammu Martyrs Day: Another Gloomy Day

By Sajjad Shaukat

Like other “black days”, Jammu Martyrs Day which is another gloomy day in the history of Kashmir, is celebrated on 6th of November by the Kashmiris and the Pakistanis on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) and by those, living abroad to remember the great sacrifices of 2.50 lakh inmates of Jammu including men, women, children and elderly Muslims who were mercilessly slaughtered by the armed Hindu gangsters, the Indian occupying and the Dogra military troops near Jammu Sialkot working boundary under a nefarious pre-planned conspiracy, while they were proceeding for migrating to their beloved homeland Pakistan. This tragedy occurred on this very day in 1947.

During the first week of November in 1947‚ hundreds of thousands of Kashmiris were killed by the forces of Maharaja Hari Singh‚ Indian army and Hindu extremists in different parts of Jammu region, while they were migrating to Pakistan. But, their brutalities were not confined to it. As part of pre-planned scheme, on November 5, 1947, announcements were made everywhere in Jammu, asking Muslims to assemble in police lines where from they would be sent to Pakistan. On November 6, Jammu Muslims including men women and children were seemingly dispatched towards Pakistan in trucks. But before they could reach the destination, Indian army, forces of Maharaja and Hindu extremists at Samba Reasi and other places martyred them in gruesome manner. Thus, over 2.50 Muslim inmates of Jammu city and adjoining areas were martyred.

However, the huge deaths had stunned the world. In this regard, the ‘Time” magazine, in its November 47 publication also pointed out the figure of 2, 50,000 deaths of Jammu people.

But, these sacrifices did not go waste, as they have kept the Kashmir issue alive. As regards the historical background, during the partition of the Sub-continent, the people of the state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) which comprised Muslim majority decided to join Pakistan according to the British-led formula. But, Dogra Raja, Sir Hari Singh, a Hindu who was ruling over the J&K, in connivance with the Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Governor General Lord Mountbatten joined India.

The design to forcibly wrest Kashmir began to unfold on August 16, 1947, with the announcement of the Radcliffe Boundary Award. It gave the Gurdaspur District—a majority Muslim area to India to provide a land route to the Indian armed forces to move into Kashmir. There was a rebellion in the state forces, which revolted against the Maharaja and were joined by Pathan tribesmen. Lord Mountbatten ordered armed forces to land in Srinagar.

When Pakistan responded militarily against the Indian aggression, on December 31, 1947, India made an appeal to the UN Security Council to intervene and a ceasefire ultimately came into effect on January 01, 1949, following UN resolutions calling for a plebiscite in Kashmir to enable the people of Jammu and Kashmir to determine whether they wish to join Pakistan or India. On February 5, 1964, India backed out of its promise of holding plebiscite. Instead, in March 1965, the Indian Parliament passed a bill, declaring Kashmir a province of India-an integral part of the Indian union.

The very tragedy of Kashmiris had started after 1947 when they were denied their genuine right of self-determination. They organized themselves against the injustices of India and launched a war of liberation which New Delhi tried to crush through various forms of brutalities.

It is notable that since 1947, in order to maintain its illegal control, India has continued its repressive regime in the Occupied Kashmir through various machinations.

Nevertheless, various forms of state terrorism have been part of a deliberate campaign by the Indian army and paramilitary forces against Muslim Kashmiris, especially since 1989. It has been manifested in brutal tactics like crackdowns, curfews, illegal detentions, massacre, targeted killings, sieges, burning the houses, torture, disappearances, rape, breaking the legs, molestation of Muslim women and killing of persons through fake encounter.

According to a report on human rights violations in the Indian Occupied Kashmir, since 1989, there have been deaths of 1,00000 innocent Kashmiris, 7,023 custodial killings, 1,22,771 arrests, 1,05,996 destruction of houses or buildings, 22,776 women widowed, 1,07,466 children orphaned and 10,086 women gang-raped/molested. Indian brutal securities forces have continue these atrocities.

In fact, Indian forces have employed various draconian laws like the Jammu and Kashmir Disturbed Areas Act, and the Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act and Public Safety Act in killing the Kashmiri people, and for the arbitrarily arrest of any individual for an indefinite period.

Besides Human Rights Watch, in its various reports, Amnesty International has also pointed out grave human rights violations in the Indian controlled Kashmir, indicating, “The Muslim majority population in the Kashmir Valley suffers from the repressive tactics of the security forces.

In its report on July 2, 2015, the Amnesty International has highlighted extrajudicial killings of the innocent persons at the hands of Indian security forces in the Indian Held Kashmir. The report points out, “Tens of thousands of security forces are deployed in Indian-administered Kashmir…the Armed Forces Special Powers Act allows troops to shoot to kill suspected militants or arrest them without a warrant…not a single member of the armed forces has been tried in a civilian court for violating human rights in Kashmir…this lack of accountability has in turn facilitated other serious abuses…India has martyred one 100,000 people. More than 8,000 disappeared (while) in the custody of army and state police.”

In this respect, European Union has passed a resolution about human rights abuses committed by Indian forces in the Indian held Kashmir.

It is of particular attention that in 2008, a rights group reported unmarked graves in 55 villages across the northern regions of the Indian-held Kashmir. Then researchers and other groups reported finding thousands of mass graves without markers. In this respect, in August, 2011, Indian Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission officially acknowledged in its report that innocent civilians killed in the two-decade conflict have been buried in unmarked graves.

Notably, foreign sources and human rights organisations have revealed that unnamed graves include those innocent persons, killed by the Indian military and paramilitary troops in the fake encounters including those who were tortured to death by the Indian secret agency RAW.

Indian authorities are not willing to talk with Kashmiri people on political grounds. New Delhi reached to a conclusion that only bullet is the right way of dealing with Kashmiris, demanding their right of self-determination. Surprisingly, Indian successive governments are trying to ignore the dynamics of the freedom movement of Kashmiris for the sake of their alien rule.

But, New Delhi is still showing its intransigence in order to resolve Kashmir dispute with Pakistan by neglecting the fact that Kashmir remains a nuclear flashpoint between both the neighbouring countries.

In this context, Egbert Jahn in his book, “Kashmir: Flashpoint for a Nuclear War or Even a Third World War?” has pointed out, “The Kashmir conflict is embedded in the wider conflict over the incomplete creation of nations and states on the Indian subcontinent, which during the east-west conflict even threatened at times to escalate into a nuclear world war between Pakistan and the USA on the one side and India and the USSR on the other. Until now, there have been three wars between India and Pakistan over the Jammu and Kashmir: in 1947–49, 1965 and 1999… finally, the Indo-Chinese border war of 1962…after these wars…and could unexpectedly again lead to a regional and under certain circumstances…even a major nuclear war or a Third World War.”

Meanwhile, like the previous year, Pakistan’s recent serious and sincere effort at the annual session of the United Nations—the recent speech of Pakistan’s prime minister and his meeting with the American president, highlighting the Kashmir dispute and demanding its solution has infused a new spirit among the Kashmiri people.

Nonetheless, 6th of November is commemorated by the Kashmiris and Pakistanis as the Jammu Martyrs Day-another gloomy day to remember the supreme sacrifices of lives, laid down by 2,50,000 people of Jammu, who were ruthlessly massacred by the Hindu extremists, Indian forces and the Dogra military troops on November 6, 1947.

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

Remembering Salala Massacre

By Tariq Rizwan

November 26, 2011 is remembered as the worst day in Pak-US relations when US led NATO forces engaged Pakistani security forces at two Pakistani military check posts along Pak Afghan border. In the early hours, two NATO Apache helicopters, an AC-130 gunship and two F-15E Eagle fighter jets entered about 2.5 kilometres (1.6 miles) inside Pakistan’s territory known as Salala in Mohmand Agency, FATA  from Afghanistan and opened fire at two border patrol check-posts, killing 24 Pakistani soldiers including two officers, Major Mujahid Mirani and Capt Usman and injuring 13 other soldiers. Both sides claimed they were attacked first. US and Afghans cited Taliban cross border movement as possible contributing factor to the incident.

The two check-posts codenamed "Boulder" and "Volcano" were separated by Salala mountain top by a distance of one kilometer. According to the Director General Military Operations (DGMO), the attack was a coordinated NATO strike where an MC-12W Liberty turbo-propeller aircraft was used for an Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance role

Pakistani authorities tried to contact their NATO counterparts in an effort to inform them of the situation but the Pakistani request failed to reach the attacking force. The helicopters returned a second time engaging Boulder border post again. A short while later communication with the NATO commanders was established and the attack was called off. All casualties were from the initial attack on the Volcano border post. Later, Major General Abbas expressed that it was beyond comprehension why the NATO forces returned to attack the second time.

Pakistani army soldiers on ground did fire back with firearm rounds but that's not considered a proper response to the attack. Pakistan Army couldn't pursue the helicopters into Afghanistan or deploy the Air force and attack NATO helicopters. It's remained a mystery about what happened.  Pakistan army does share maps with NATO of its check posts and deployment for security on the border. Yet NATO says Taliban firing was coming from the vicinity, so it's difficult to determine the truth.

The incident provoked widespread protests across Pakistan. Public reacted angrily, launched widespread protests across the country and demanded the closure of US-NATO supply routes passing through Pakistan’s territory.  It severed bilateral relations between Pakistan and US. Pakistan termed it irresponsible, unprovoked, indiscriminate firing, a stark violation of its sovereignty and took measures adversely affecting the US exit strategy from Afghanistan including the evacuation of Shamsi Airfield and closure of the NATO supply line. Pakistan Army also termed the attack as intentional, pre-planned and premeditated.

Indeed, US and Afghan authorities claimed that their troops were conducting an operation against the Afghan Taliban in Afghan Eastern Province of Kunar, when they came under fire from the Pakistani border posts. Afghan soldiers requested for support which was honored accordingly and it was a defensive act. A US official in Kabul also pointed to an incident in September 2010, when a NATO helicopter fired on a Pakistan outpost, killing two soldiers. "It was a situation where insurgent forces butted right up against a Pakistani border post and used that as a firing position. When we fired back, we hit Pakistani security forces. Military officials in Kabul claimed insurgents in Pakistan have also used empty Pakistan border bases to stage attacks, which they say may have been the working assumption of the coalition forces who called in the airstrike when they drew fire.

The situation deteriorated with the passage of time and US-NATO forces in Afghanistan were suffering due to cutting off supplies. However, on 3 July 2012, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton officially apologized for the losses suffered which led to the opening of NATO supply routes. After US acknowledgement, Pakistan reopened the vital Nato supply routes into Afghanistan closed since the deadly attack. Federal Minister for Communication Qamar Zaman Kaira, reading out a formal decision of the Defence Committee of the Cabinet announced that the Ground Lines of Communications (GLOCs) were being reopened. However, added that no lethal NATO cargo will be allowed, except for that which is meant for Afghan security forces. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen also welcomed the move, saying the resumption of transit arrangements for ISAF supplies through Pakistan demonstrates strengthened cooperation between ISAF nations and Pakistan.

The incident prompted Pakistan to conduct a policy review of its ties with the US, demanding that the US issue a high-level apology over the incident, and end drone strikes before the routes would be reopened. The US, on numerous occasions expressed regret over the incident, but did not offer a clear apology as demanded by Pakistan. ISAF Commander General Allen had also offered a “personal apology” to Pakistan army chief. The United States released about $1.1 billion to Pakistan’s military as part of a deal.

Backed by massive protests in the country, Pakistan’s reaction involved some blunt initiatives such as evacuation of Shamsi base in Baluchistan which was given to the NATO forces in order to conduct operations against Afghan militants, temporary elimination of drone attacks in Pakistan territory, boycott of Bonn conference on 5^th December 2011 which was organized on Afghanistan issue, refusal to take part in Afghan exit strategy, settlement of border issues with Afghanistan. All these efforts were done by the government to demonstrate its protest against US government. Many negotiations were made after that to bring things on the track because both the countries needed each other’s assistance in order to carve out better arrangements.

To sum up, finally on 3^rd July 2012 when US State Secretary officially apologized with its first non-NATO ally, the supply routes were reopened and a kind of consensus was developed between the two sides. It can be claimed that the incident derailed Pak US relations for the time being albeit after seeing the pros and cons of one’s self a confluence was brought. Besides causing a colossal blow to the bilateral relations, the incident exposed the intentions and mind set of US. Pakistan was able to have a fresh look on its foreign policy with special focus on its bilateral relation with US & West.

The writer is a free lance journalist, based in London  

Russia is Restoring Balance of Power

By Sajjad Shaukat

Renowned scholars of international relations, Lord Castlereagh, Quincy Wright, Hans J. Morgenthau and Kenneth Waltz agree by remarking, “Checking the unusual dominance and hegemony of the world by a single power is very essential for the survival of other states which live in anarchic situation where there is no international agency to impose international law and to provide security…the concept of balance of power rests with the basic assumption that excessive power in the system is a threat to the existence of other units and that the most antidote to power is power.”

During the Cold War era, balance of power was maintained by the former Soviet Union and the United States. One could note stability in the world, as interests of the weak countries were being safeguarded by the opposite interests of the two superpowers.

After the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991, power-vacuum was created in the world. Waltz and other thinkers expected “unipolarity to give way quickly to multipolarity as other major powers of Europe and Asia would move individually and collectively to balance the preponderant power of the United States.”

Unfortunately, other major nuclear powers or any prospective alliance did not challenge America’s hegemony in accordance with the system of balance of power. In that backdrop, the US emerged as the sole superpower in the unipolar world. In consultation with his Zionist-advisers, American former President Bush, (The Senior) replaced the old bipolar order with the New World Order, with the US acting as a kind of global policeman to protect the political and economic interests of Israel and the American Jews who are owners of many big cartels—multinational corporations, oil companies, banks etc., including print and electronic media of the US in particular and the world in general. Thus, by dominating American internal policies, Zionist Jews mould country’s foreign policy for their own interests.

In the unipolar world, even the United Nations system underwent a tremendous change. It became an instrument of the US policy to establish American hegemony in the world. The Third World, a majority of whom comprises Muslim countries was compelled to realign their domestic policies according to Washington’s dictates. In order to obtain the hidden agenda of Jews, the US imposed its sudden terms of globalisation such as free markets, privatization and de-nationalisation etc. on the ill-prepared developing countries, which left behind shattered nations and a global financial crisis. It further widened the gape between the poor and the rich countries or G-7 countries. The corporations and international financial institutions like IMF and World Bank which are indirectly controlled by Jews have continued to drive the project of glaobalisation through the sole superpower. Besides, America’s child-killing sanctions against Iraq and Iran; late action to curb ethnic cleansing in Kosovo, support to Israel’s aggressive occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, with vetoing any effective action by the UN to curb the Israeli state terrorism  greatly annoyed the Muslims all over the world.

When President George W. Bush became the US president, he and the neo-conservatives crossed all the limits in securing the political, economic and religious interests of the Jews and Israel at the cost of Muslims and patriot Americans. Under the mask of the 9/11 catastrophe, preplanned strategy of the neo-conservatives headed towards unexpected developments such as employment of pressure-diplomacy on the weak states—Muslim countries like Pakistan, Indonesia etc., including almost all the Arab states which joined Bush anti-terrorism war. US did not bother for rise of more militancy and internal instability in these countries because it wanted to destabilise these countries for a greater Israeli.  

However, system of balance power is so essential for the world that even alliances and counter-alliances are made to check the dominance of a single state. But, after 9/11, no such alliance was made. Even, almost all the major Western countries including NATO states also joined the global war on terror, when Bush warned, “either you are with us or with terrorists.”

In this regard, Machiavelli who warns against “bandwagoning,” opines, “Active balancing is both more prestigious and more secure…failing to align with the weaker can leave you victim to the designs of the winner [Stronger], without the support of the weaker.”

Nevertheless, in the aftermath of 9/11 tragedy, US-led NATO’s occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq by the American-Anglo forces, state terrorism by special military operations, extra-judicial assassinations and heavy aerial bombardment, which killed more than half million innocent persons there, and in other volatile Islamic countries like Somalia and Yemen where the US was indirectly involved, including Guantanamo Bay, Abu Graib and other cells, established in some small countries where suspected Muslims were kept and personnel of the CIA, the FBI and the military employed various methods of torture.

The drastic aftermath of 9/11 was fully manipulated by Israel to target Iraq, Iran and Pakistan. Pakistan survived due to American prolonged war in Afghanistan and because of its army and intelligence agency ISI which are very strong in defending their country. Notably, by availing the phenomena of terrorism, Israel and India are still equating the ‘wars of independence’ in Palestine and Kashmir with terrorism. New Delhi considers Pakistan as its enemy number one, while Tel Aviv takes Tehran in the same sense by spreading rumors about its nuclear programme. Israel is also against Pakistan, as it is the only nuclear country in the Islamic world.

Surprisingly, like his predecessor, US President Obama who brushed aside Jewish religious terrorism as part of the anti-Muslim campaign, left no stone unturned in following the secret agenda of the Zionists in the pretext of global war on terror. His perennial covert support to the Israeli atrocities on the Palestinians, Gaza blockade, silence over the Indian brutal tactics in the Indian-held Kashmir, killings of the innocent persons through drone attacks, backing undemocratic forces, toppling the elected government in Egypt, creation of more collapsed states such as Libya, Syria, Yemen etc., opening the doors for CIA-supported Al-Qaeda (Al-Nusra Front) and ISIS (Daesh) militants, fueling sectarian violence and demoralization of its troops (NATO) in Afghanistan where they are facing defeatism might be cited as instance. Moreover, under the cover of the US project of democarisation of the Middle East, the region was deliberately thrown in worst form of terrorism, civil wars and instability.  

Taking cognisance of the grievances of the international community, and the sole superpower’s injustices, Russian President Vladimir Putin is rapidly restoring the balance of power in the world. In this connection, since September 30, various developments such as increasing Russian military presence in northern Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad, Russian airstrikes on the ISIS (Al-Nusra Front) terrorist facilities there and on Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, Russian coalition with Iran, Iraq, Syria and Hezbollah to root out the ISIS militants, retreat of the CIA-supported rebels and mercenaries after their failure to topple Assad’s government, arrest of Israeli Col. Shahak in Iraq, his admission, proving links of Al-Qaeda and ISIS with America and Israel (Israeli Mossad), including the Vienna meeting where the US Secretary of State John Kerry agreed to keep the Syrian president in power, not to allow ISIS militant group to reign in Syria, absence of Israel in the meeting and America’s decision of  sending 50 special forces to Syria to help in taking down ISIS terrorists might be noted as example.

It is mentionable that during the Cold War period, regional balance of power was also part of the central balance of power. In this respect, during various annual summits of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), their leaders displayed strength against the rising dominance of the US in the region, and called for a multipolar system in the world. Participating in the summit, this year, Pakistan, Iran and India got permanent membership of the SCO, while the US still backs Indian hegemony in Asia to counterbalance China. Furthermore, agreement between Pakistan and China regarding China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which is also backed by Putin would prove a great game changer in Asia, as both Moscow and Beijing are likely to counterbalance America’s power.

Nonetheless, President Putin has exposed the secret designs of the US global war on terror—New World Order agents, their collaboration with the Zionist-led regime in America and Israel including fake war against ISIS.  

Putin has also clarified that he is attacking the New World Order, “not because he wants to establish some kind of super-power entity in the Western world, but because the New World Order is imposing an irrational, irresponsible and unlivable ideology upon much of the West.”

It is because of these reasons that Canadian-nominated new prime minister Justin Trudeau has confirmed that Canada would withdraw its fighter jets from the US-led mission against ISIS. And British Prime Minister David Cameron has also abandoned plans to carry out airstrikes against ISIS positions in Syria, after he failed to receive support from Labour MPs.

In fact, unlike Putin’s Russian nationalism, Bush and Obama pursued the Zionism instead of American nationalism. Some people also think that Moscow is watching its own interests. Undoubtedly, every country safeguards its interests. But, Russia cannot do it at the cost of larger interests of humanity as well as those of the Islamic World and the loyalist Americans by ignoring present era of social media and internet which has brought the bloody battles of the politicians in our bedrooms. However, Russia is successfully restoring the system of balance of power which is necessary for world peace and economic development.

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_pak@hotmail.com                        Courtesy Veterans Today

Jammu Martyrs Day: Another Gloomy Day

By Sajjad Shaukat

Like other “black days”, Jammu Martyrs Day which is another gloomy day in the history of Kashmir, is celebrated on 6th of November by the Kashmiris and the Pakistanis on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) and by those, living abroad to remember the great sacrifices of 2.50 lakh inmates of Jammu including men, women, children and elderly Muslims who were mercilessly slaughtered by the armed Hindu gangsters, the Indian occupying and the Dogra military troops near Jammu Sialkot working boundary under a nefarious pre-planned conspiracy, while they were proceeding for migrating to their beloved homeland Pakistan. This tragedy occurred on this very day in 1947.

During the first week of November in 1947‚ hundreds of thousands of Kashmiris were killed by the forces of Maharaja Hari Singh‚ Indian army and Hindu extremists in different parts of Jammu region, while they were migrating to Pakistan. But, their brutalities were not confined to it. As part of pre-planned scheme, on November 5, 1947, announcements were made everywhere in Jammu, asking Muslims to assemble in police lines where from they would be sent to Pakistan. On November 6, Jammu Muslims including men women and children were seemingly dispatched towards Pakistan in trucks. But before they could reach the destination, Indian army, forces of Maharaja and Hindu extremists at Samba Reasi and other places martyred them in gruesome manner. Thus, over 2.50 Muslim inmates of Jammu city and adjoining areas were martyred.

However, the huge deaths had stunned the world. In this regard, the ‘Time” magazine, in its November 47 publication also pointed out the figure of 2, 50,000 deaths of Jammu people.

But, these sacrifices did not go waste, as they have kept the Kashmir issue alive. As regards the historical background, during the partition of the Sub-continent, the people of the state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) which comprised Muslim majority decided to join Pakistan according to the British-led formula. But, Dogra Raja, Sir Hari Singh, a Hindu who was ruling over the J&K, in connivance with the Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Governor General Lord Mountbatten joined India.

The design to forcibly wrest Kashmir began to unfold on August 16, 1947, with the announcement of the Radcliffe Boundary Award. It gave the Gurdaspur District—a majority Muslim area to India to provide a land route to the Indian armed forces to move into Kashmir. There was a rebellion in the state forces, which revolted against the Maharaja and were joined by Pathan tribesmen. Lord Mountbatten ordered armed forces to land in Srinagar.

When Pakistan responded militarily against the Indian aggression, on December 31, 1947, India made an appeal to the UN Security Council to intervene and a ceasefire ultimately came into effect on January 01, 1949, following UN resolutions calling for a plebiscite in Kashmir to enable the people of Jammu and Kashmir to determine whether they wish to join Pakistan or India. On February 5, 1964, India backed out of its promise of holding plebiscite. Instead, in March 1965, the Indian Parliament passed a bill, declaring Kashmir a province of India-an integral part of the Indian union.

The very tragedy of Kashmiris had started after 1947 when they were denied their genuine right of self-determination. They organized themselves against the injustices of India and launched a war of liberation which New Delhi tried to crush through various forms of brutalities.

It is notable that since 1947, in order to maintain its illegal control, India has continued its repressive regime in the Occupied Kashmir through various machinations.

Nevertheless, various forms of state terrorism have been part of a deliberate campaign by the Indian army and paramilitary forces against Muslim Kashmiris, especially since 1989. It has been manifested in brutal tactics like crackdowns, curfews, illegal detentions, massacre, targeted killings, sieges, burning the houses, torture, disappearances, rape, breaking the legs, molestation of Muslim women and killing of persons through fake encounter.

According to a report on human rights violations in the Indian Occupied Kashmir, since 1989, there have been deaths of 1,00000 innocent Kashmiris, 7,023 custodial killings, 1,22,771 arrests, 1,05,996 destruction of houses or buildings, 22,776 women widowed, 1,07,466 children orphaned and 10,086 women gang-raped/molested. Indian brutal securities forces have continue these atrocities.

In fact, Indian forces have employed various draconian laws like the Jammu and Kashmir Disturbed Areas Act, and the Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act and Public Safety Act in killing the Kashmiri people, and for the arbitrarily arrest of any individual for an indefinite period.

Besides Human Rights Watch, in its various reports, Amnesty International has also pointed out grave human rights violations in the Indian controlled Kashmir, indicating, “The Muslim majority population in the Kashmir Valley suffers from the repressive tactics of the security forces.

In its report on July 2, 2015, the Amnesty International has highlighted extrajudicial killings of the innocent persons at the hands of Indian security forces in the Indian Held Kashmir. The report points out, “Tens of thousands of security forces are deployed in Indian-administered Kashmir…the Armed Forces Special Powers Act allows troops to shoot to kill suspected militants or arrest them without a warrant…not a single member of the armed forces has been tried in a civilian court for violating human rights in Kashmir…this lack of accountability has in turn facilitated other serious abuses…India has martyred one 100,000 people. More than 8,000 disappeared (while) in the custody of army and state police.”

In this respect, European Union has passed a resolution about human rights abuses committed by Indian forces in the Indian held Kashmir.

It is of particular attention that in 2008, a rights group reported unmarked graves in 55 villages across the northern regions of the Indian-held Kashmir. Then researchers and other groups reported finding thousands of mass graves without markers. In this respect, in August, 2011, Indian Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission officially acknowledged in its report that innocent civilians killed in the two-decade conflict have been buried in unmarked graves.

Notably, foreign sources and human rights organisations have revealed that unnamed graves include those innocent persons, killed by the Indian military and paramilitary troops in the fake encounters including those who were tortured to death by the Indian secret agency RAW.

Indian authorities are not willing to talk with Kashmiri people on political grounds. New Delhi reached to a conclusion that only bullet is the right way of dealing with Kashmiris, demanding their right of self-determination. Surprisingly, Indian successive governments are trying to ignore the dynamics of the freedom movement of Kashmiris for the sake of their alien rule.

But, New Delhi is still showing its intransigence in order to resolve Kashmir dispute with Pakistan by neglecting the fact that Kashmir remains a nuclear flashpoint between both the neighbouring countries.

In this context, Egbert Jahn in his book, “Kashmir: Flashpoint for a Nuclear War or Even a Third World War?” has pointed out, “The Kashmir conflict is embedded in the wider conflict over the incomplete creation of nations and states on the Indian subcontinent, which during the east-west conflict even threatened at times to escalate into a nuclear world war between Pakistan and the USA on the one side and India and the USSR on the other. Until now, there have been three wars between India and Pakistan over the Jammu and Kashmir: in 1947–49, 1965 and 1999… finally, the Indo-Chinese border war of 1962…after these wars…and could unexpectedly again lead to a regional and under certain circumstances…even a major nuclear war or a Third World War.”

Meanwhile, like the previous year, Pakistan’s recent serious and sincere effort at the annual session of the United Nations—the recent speech of Pakistan’s prime minister and his meeting with the American president, highlighting the Kashmir dispute and demanding its solution has infused a new spirit among the Kashmiri people.

Nonetheless, 6th of November is commemorated by the Kashmiris and Pakistanis as the Jammu Martyrs Day-another gloomy day to remember the supreme sacrifices of lives, laid down by 2,50,000 people of Jammu, who were ruthlessly massacred by the Hindu extremists, Indian forces and the Dogra military troops on November 6, 1947.

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

Syrian Crisis: Real Terrorists Detected

By Sajjad Shaukat

Sometimes, the hunter becomes the hunt and the gunner himself becomes a target. It happens so with the United States whose ex-President George W. Bush and President Barrack Obama had been utilizing various forms of terrorism in the last 14 years at the cost of their own country as well as the whole world, while giving priority to the Israeli interests.

But, Russian President Vladimir Putin has played a key role in detecting the real terrorists. In this context, recent developments in relation to the Syrian crisis such as Russian airstrikes on the ISIL (Daesh) strongholds in the northern Syria and Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, its coalition with Iran, Iraq and Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad, retreat of the CIA-supported rebels and mercenaries after their failure to topple his government, proving links of Al-Qaeda and ISIL with America and Israeli, Putin’s clear-cut statement, indicating the Zionist regime in the US and  Israel for their “fake war on ISIL”, and remarking, “NWO (New World Order) agents and Satan worshipers simply have no clothes,” including the Vienna meeting where the US Secretary of State Jonh Kerry agreed to keep the Syrian president in power (Contrary to previous demand of regime change), for a unified, independent secular state of Syria, not to allow ISIL militants group to reign in Syria, absence of Israel in the meeting and America’s decision of  sending 50 special forces to Syria to help in taking down ISIL terrorists have clearly exposed the hidden aims of the US global war on terror.

Since the US started war against terrorism, after the 9/11 tragedy, various political experts have opined that terrorism comes in a variety of forms such as religious terrorism, secular terrorism and so on.

Bruce Hoffman, in his book ‘Inside Terrorism’ writes: “For the religious terrorism, violence is the foremost divine duty executed in direct response to some demand or imperative…the secular terrorist sense leads to a sanctioning of limitless violence against a virtually open-ended category of targets.”

Judging in these terms, either it is religious terrorism or secular terrorism, while backing the Zionist Jews and Israeli supremacy in the Middle East in particular and the world in general, the US which claims to be a secular state, has broken all the records of violence, genocide and massacre by targeting the Muslims—even badly affecting the patriot Americans, during the global war on terror.

As regards terrorism, Machiavelli advises the rulers to have a lion-like image outwardly, and act upon the traits of goat inwardly. He also suggests them foreign adventures and the use of terror to obtain their goals. In his sense, a good ruler should be a good opportunist and hypocrite. While echoing Machiavelli, Morgenthau points out that sometimes, rulers act upon immoral activities like deceit, fraud, falsehood and even murder to fulfill their selfish aims.

Although, such a sinister politics was replaced by new trends such as fair-dealings, reconciliation and economic development, yet by implementing the old strategies in the modern era, the then President Bush and neoconservatives who were in collusion with the Jews and Tel Aviv orchestrated a drama of global war on terror, following the false flag of 9/11, as they wanted to change Henry Kissinger’s dream of the greater Israel into reality.

However, under the cover of the 9/11 tragedy, US employed coercive diplomacy on the weak countries like Pakistan, Indonesia etc., including almost all the Arab States which joined America’s war on terror. A majority of these states is still facing more militancy and internal instability. US-led NATO forces attacked Afghanistan. Then, a deliberate disinformation campaign was launched by the CIA and Jewish-controlled media all over the world that Iraq had Weapons of Mass Destructions (WMDs). In that respect, on the self-fabricated intelligence report and without mandate of the UN Security Council, American-Anglo forces invaded Iraq. US-led forces employed state terrorism by special military operations, extra-judicial assassinations and heavy aerial bombardment, which killed more than half million innocent persons especially in Iraq and Afghanistan—and those countries like Somalia and Yemen where the US was indirectly involved. And suspected Muslims were also kept in Guantanamo Bay, Abu Graib and other cells, established in some Islamic countries and small European states where personnel of the CIA, the FBI, and the military employed various methods of torture like physical violence and even murder.

By availing the golden opportunity of the 9/11, both Israel and India joined Bush’s anti-terrorism bandwagon and fully exploited the world phenomena of terrorism and anti-Muslim approach of the US-led west in order to obtain their secret designs. They equated the wars of liberation with terrorism. Their forces have been employing military terrorism such as curfews, crackdowns, sieges, massacre and targeted killings to maintain alien rule on the controlled territories of Palestine and Kashmir. Particularly, Tel Aviv’s brutal tactics like use of chemical weapons against the Palestinians, Gaza blockade and starvation of the innocent persons—conversion of the area into another concentration camp might be cited as example.

Meanwhile, President Obama who had said during his first election, “Bush has made the world the most dangerous place”, and he would rectify the blunders, committed by his predecessor in the name of war on terror, continued the same in their worst form. However, Obama-led Administration went on with various techniques of ruthless terror and extrajudicial killings of the innocent persons through illegitimate drone attacks—assisting undemocratic forces, toppling the elected government in Egypt, and like Iraq, creation of more failed states such as Libya, Syria etc., and covert assistance to Israel.

If, during the Bush era, Al-Qaeda was subsidiary of the CIA, ISIL which was also created by that intelligence agency has been serving similar role, under Obama’s presidency. The militant acts of both the terrorist outfits in Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen and especially in Syria, including other volatile Muslim countries have been utilized by Obama in distorting the image of Islam and Jihad so as to pacify American public in wake of multiple internal and external problems like heavy cost of prolonged ‘different war’, financial crisis, demoralization of troops in Afghanistan etc., and to justify the US-sponsored state terrorism, particularly Israeli military terrorism.  

Here, sectarian terrorism is also of particular attention. In this context, the US had planned to spark a civil war between the Sunnis and Shias. For the purpose, a study of the leading think tank, Rand Corporation, titled ‘US Strategy in the Muslim World After 9/11’ was conducted on behalf of the then US Deputy Chief of Staff for Air Force. Its report which was released on December 27, 2004 advocated that Sunni-Shia sectarian division should be exploited to promote the US objectives in the Muslim World.

The report was first implemented in Iraq. CIA also got the services of Israeli Mossad to fuel sectarian violence in Iraq. In 2004, major terror-attacks were carried out against the Shias. Afterwards, a chain of Shia-Sunni clashes started between Iraqi Shias and Sunnis, targeting each other’s mosques, religious leaders through bomb blasts, suicide attacks etc. After Iraq’s experiment, more deadly pattern of sectarian strife and clashes have been conducted in Pakistan, which still continues in one or the other way.

In March, 2013, an investigative report by the British Gurdian/BBC revealed that acting under the direction of the US high officials, atrocities carried out by Iraqi police and forces in Iraq—unleashed a deadly sectarian militia which terrorized the Sunni community and germinated a civil war.

Nevertheless, under Obama, America is still manipulating sectarian differences between Saudi Arabia and Iran—also noted in Syria and Yemen which have been destabilized due to civil wars.

Nonetheless, US brand of war against terrorism which has gained significance after the 9/11 is marked by confusion about its definition and application. It has been made complicated by the deliberate propaganda of the Jewish-controlled media, so that, it could become difficult for the general masses of the world to detect the real terrorists. In this regard, Palestinian, Afghan and Kashmiri freedom fighters are waging the wars of national liberation. Therefore, their acts can not be equated with terrorism.

World history proves that wars of independence in connection with various nations were their reaction against subjugation, maintained by alien powers through state terrorism. In the 20th century, a majority of the Third World countries got independence after an armed struggle against the colonial powers. Even independence of the US, unification of Germany and Italy became possible after an armed struggle. So, question arises that were the peoples of these countries terrorists at that time?

As a matter of fact, US-led occupying powers in Afghanistan, Palestine etc. are intruders and hence, the real terrorists who tend to conceal their own terrorist measures which have become every day occurrence.

Consequently, main credit goes to Putin who has exposed the actual terrorists in case of Syrian crisis and Iraq. Now, it is established fact that Bush, Obama, neo-conservatives and the related-top officials of America—those of Israel and other Islamic countries who committed crimes against the larger interest of humanity, are the real terrorists.

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_pak@hotmail.com

Courtesy Veterans Today