QUETTA: Frontier Corps (FC) Inspector General Major General Sher Afgun, in an event organised by the FC on Saturday said at least 650 security personnel in addition to more than 3,500 civilians had sacrificed their lives to defend Pakistan and to ensure peace in Balochistan.

FC Balochistan on Saturday night organised a Youm-e-Shuhada at the Ghazaband Scouts Belili to offer homage to those who laid down their lives to defend the country.

“We cannot forget the sacrifices of more than 3,500 civilians in Balochistan,” the FC chief said, referring to the thousands of people who relinquished themselves in the province during the unrest.

Sher Afgun said these unforgettable sacrifices had improved the situation in the province with peace now returning.

He added that even those who had “gone to the mountains,” were now talking about peace.

The IG Frontier Corps said the enemies wanted to carry out “subversive activities” in Balochistan on Defence Day and independence day, but security forces foiled their designs.

“The sacrifices of so many innocent men cannot be forgotten,” he said, adding that a watchman Talib Hussain had also given away his life on the eve of Eid at the Brewery Road area of Quetta while stopping a suicide bomber.

He went on to say that a “handful of terrorists” cannot take the nation hostage and that no kind of terrorism would be tolerated, adding that the new generation would be given peace at all costs.

Among those who participated in the ceremony were Commander Southern Command Lt. General Nasir Khan Janjua, Balochistan Police chief Muhammad Amlaish Khan and other high-ups.

Besides officials, family members of martyrs also attended the gathering at Ghazaband Scouts.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to end a blame game over a spate of attacks and work to restore trust, Pakistan's Foreign Policy Chief Sartaj Aziz said Saturday.

The foreign affairs adviser to the prime minister, visited the Afghan capital Kabul on Friday for a regional economic conference and also held meetings with the president, foreign minister and national security adviser.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani made closer ties with Pakistan a priority when he took office last year, hoping Islamabad could push Afghan Taliban leaders to the bargaining table to end Afghanistan's long war.

The relationship appeared to yield fruit in July with groundbreaking official peace talks with the militants. But after confirmation of the death of group's founder Mullah Mohammad Omar, the process was suspended and the Taliban launched a wave of attacks in Kabul, killing more than 50 people.

“The main thing that we both agreed upon was to restore trust, end the blame game against each other and create a positive atmosphere,” Aziz said in comments broadcast on state television on Saturday about his meeting with Ghani.

“We will work on establishing a memorandum of trust building to avoid such a situation in the future.”

Afghanistan has not publicly commented on the talks.

Aziz also confirmed that the Afghan finance minister would visit Pakistan in the first week of November to attend a meeting of a joint economic commission to discuss and expand trade ties.

Afghanistan and Pakistan accuse each other of doing too little to prevent Taliban fighters and other Islamist militants from operating on their territory.

In August, the Pakistan army's press wing said four soldiers were killed and four wounded by mortars fired across the Afghan border in the Akhandwala Pass.

Read: Rocket attack from Afghanistan kills four soldiers: ISPR

In the same month, Pakistan summoned Afghan Ambassador Janan Mosazai twice in a week to complain about border violations.

Afghanistan's intelligence service also said a Pakistani intelligence officer helped the Taliban carry out an attack on parliament in June.

Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of not doing enough to arrest Afghan Taliban leaders who have been meeting to decide on a successor to Mohammad Omar. Islamabad insists any such meetings are held in Afghanistan.

Afghan officials have long accused Pakistan of tolerating or even supporting the Afghan Taliban, a charge denied by Pakistan.

Read: Pakistan urges Afghanistan to stop levelling 'baseless allegations'

An Afghan delegation to Pakistan last month led by Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani demanded “serious and practical measures” from Islamabad over militant attacks it said came from across the border.

Pakistan offered three options to Afghanistan, Afghan sources have told Reuters, including expelling Taliban-linked militants into Afghan territory, and trying to restart peace talks.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-Chairman and former president Asif Ali Zardari in a statement on Saturday said Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain's “negative politics” was disastrous for the MQM and urged Altaf to abstain from “unnecessary talk and statements” for better future prospects.

Commenting on Altaf Hussain’s latest telephonic address, Zardari said the MQM chief should refrain from giving out indignant remarks and levelling “allegations” on a daily basis, adding that such behaviour was not suitable.

Zardari went on to say that the MQM should include itself in mainstream politics and strive to make Sindh and Pakistan prosperous.

In the statement issued by PPP spokesperson Farhatullah Baber, Zardari said the PPP had always fulfilled its promises with the MQM – at both the federal and provincial level. But the MQM, he said, had “betrayed” the PPP and went against its promises.

Zardari said two major conditions were placed before the MQM in talks between the two political parties: to refrain from talks regarding the division of Sindh, and to cooperate in making Karachi a peaceful city.

“Our motive to keep Sindh intact is still very clear.”

Earlier this week, Zardari had lashed out at the PML-N for “repeating the politics of the 1990s” and alleged that the steps being taken by the government clearly indicated that the rulers were “dividing” the nation in an attempt “to save their natural allies Taliban and the terrorists” and to “weaken” the war against terror.

Read more: Zardari on warpath against PML-N.

Last week, the party had decided to end its policy of reconciliation and said it would no longer be supporting the PML-N government in any political crisis after former federal minister Dr Asim Hussain was taken into custody by Rangers and warrants were issued for the arrests of Yousuf Raza Gillani and Raja Pervez Ashraf – both former prime ministers in the PPP government – on corruption charges.

On the other hand, MQM chief Altaf Hussain has also alleged more than once that Asif Ali Zardari had a “deal with the army” and that he had been deceived by the PPP co-chair.

Read: Altaf accuses Zardari of deceiving him.

A collection of reports from the Dawn newspaper archives provide a day by day account of the India-Pakistan 1965 war.

A fight on all fronts

A state of emergency

LAHORE: Police nabbed two suspects at Thokar Niaz Beg on Saturday who were transporting a cache of arms and ammunition to Multan to target Defence Day celebrations there.

“Identified as Misal Khan and Noor Khan of a tribal agency, the suspects are agents of Indian intelligence agency RAW,” claimed Iqbal Town Deputy Superintendent of CIA police Riaz Ali Shah.

He said the suspects were carrying the weapons to Multan to attack Defence Day celebrations there.

He said the suspects had been involved in supplying arms and ammunition to banned militant organisations operating in different areas of the country.

He said a police team on suspicion stopped a mini truck apparently carrying poultry at the check post and during search recovered 28 pistols, four guns and more than 30,000 bullets from cavities beneath the chicken cages.

Police shifted the suspects to undisclosed location for interrogations.

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2015

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Fifty years on from the war of 1965, Pakistanis still retain the spirit and honour the memories of the brave Jawans who fought to protect their borders from the enemy’s designs.

But what does the war mean to the current generation of Pakistanis and has the nation forgotten the lessons learnt from that conflict? To find out, Dawn asked madressah, school and college students, as well as their teachers, what Defence Day means to them.

Hamza Islam

Jamia Salfia, H-8 (Affiliated with Ahle Hadith school of thought), Age 14

I don’t know the importance of September 6. I do recall that there was some fight on this day. Who fought? I really don’t know as I am new to the madressah.

Ghiyas Kiani

Jamia Salfia, H-8, Age 25

September 6 is affiliated with Defence Day and we should all pray on this day as the sacrifice of our brave and courageous soldiers has made Pakistan a nuclear state. I do not know how the war started in 1965, but one possible reason could be that India wanted to take control of our nuclear weapons. I cannot recall where the war was fought but we won it.

Abdul Rehman

Jamia Salfia, H-8, Age 25

The celebration of September 6 is linked to the 1965 war between India and Pakistan and we call it Defence day.

We won the war with ease as the Indian did not have the courage to fight us, but I do not know where the battles were fought. Neither do I know how the war started but we won it; it is also difficult to say what happened afterwards.

Mehmood Hassan

Jamia Muhammadia, F-6 (Affiliated with Deobandi school of thought), Age 22

This is Defence Day because in 1965, Pakistan not only pushed the aggressive Indian army back but also captured their men and equipment. The war proved that the Pakistan army is stronger than the larger Indian army. This was mainly due to the able army command and courage of soldiers who tied bombs to their bodies and took on enemy tanks. But I do not know where the war was fought.

Muhammad Zohaib

Jamia Muhammadia, Age 23

We not only won the war but also ensured peace, because the severe blow to India has contained the enemy from attacking and harassing Pakistan again. I do not where it was fought but the victory was ours and because of our steadfast belief in Islam.

Muhammad Hussain

Madressah Qamarul Islam, F-6, Age 16

September 6 is Defence Day when Pakistan beat India in a war. But I do not know where the war was fought, possibly Kashmir.

Hasnain Murtaza

Student of Jamatul Kausar, H-8 (Affiliated with Shia school of thought), Age 20

September 6 is a day of pride and courage for the whole nation. It proved that a small nation with will, determination and able leadership can counter the evil designs of a very large enemy. My father, grandfather and uncles have told me stories of their contributions in the 1965 war that helped deter Indian invasion. The war was fought all over Pakistan and even my ancestors fought it; that is how we won it. The result of the war was that India could not annex our region and we are free, not the Kashmiris. We can repeat this marksmanship again and get the whole of Kashmir liberated but there has to be strong leadership.

Faizan Maqbool

Matric student at Mr Cabin High School Khayaban-e-Sir Syed, a private school, Age 16

I am not aware of September 6, Defence day, except that it took place between Pakistan and India – a number of books I have read mention this.

I think the war lasted for 20 days and it was fought because India wanted to occupy Kashmir. It was India who attacked Pakistan but in the end Pakistan won the war because of the sacrifices of Major Aziz Bhatti.

My grandfather and others have never told me anything about the war however I have learnt through the media that local people also fought along with the army.

Mohammad Naveed

Student of Intermediate at Government College, IMCB H-9, Age 18

I don’t know about Defence Day and why it is celebrated. Yes, Pakistan did fight a war with India but I don’t know which year this war was fought in. All I know is that the Pakistan army won the war because I have read this in my textbooks. I really don’t know why the war began, how long it lasted and whether or not, Pakistan occupied Indian land.

Syeda Fareeha

Sixth class, student at Government School, IMCG I-8/4, Age 11

Defence Day is celebrated on September 6; I learnt this from the chapter in our history textbook. Pakistan and India fought the war in 1965 and Pakistan won the war. However I don’t know why the war began because I have read that India suddenly attacked Pakistan. During the war Pakistan faced a few losses while the Indian losses were greater and a number of Indian solders were killed. The war lasted for 15 days. As far as I know, both countries have fought many wars and each time it was India’s fault.

Prof Jamsheed Astori

History professor at Government College, IMCB H-8, Age 59

Defence day is observed on September 6 every year to remember the 1965 war which was fought between India and Pakistan. The war was fought for 17 days and it is taught to the students in the Pakistan Studies and in History of Pakistan. Wars bring losses to all those who take part in them; hence in order to judge who won any war, one has to analyse which country gained its objectives.

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2015

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These paintings represent famous warriors of the subcontinent, of various faiths.

If you ever find yourself in Kallar Syedan, a sub-district of Rawalpindi, just ask around for the ‘Babay Da Mehal’. Locals will guide you through the narrow alleys to this mansion and regale you with myths and traditions associated with the place.

‘Babay Da Mehal’, or ‘Old man’s palace’, is the popular name for the ‘Bedi Palace’, which was built by Baba Khem Singh Bedi in the late 19th century.

Born on Feb 21, 1832, in this small district, Baba Khem Singh was a direct descendant of the founder of Sikh religion, Baba Nanak Dev. Khem Singh Bedi was also known as a leading figure in the Singh Sabha Movement, a reformist movement of the Sikh religion.

A series of murals depicting Sikh gurus. Over the years, visitors have carved their names into the paint.

According to references available in Sikh history, Baba Khem Singh assisted the British Raj in suppressing a rebellion in Gugera, a town near Okara district, during the 1857 Indian mutiny. In recognition of his services, he was appointed a magistrate in 1877 and was later nominated to the Viceroy’s Legislative Council in 1893.

Baba Khem Singh Bedi was awarded a knighthood in 1898 and died in Montgomery (now Sahiwal) on April 10, 1905.

A jharoka, meant for ventilation, in the courtyard. There would be several of these in such buildings to help ensure air circulation.

It is believed that Bedi Palace was built sometime in the late 19th century and harks back to the glory days of the Bedi family.

The four-storey building is decorated with colourful frescos and murals and built in the typical Sikh style of the colonial period. There is a central courtyard and the structure is supported by a network of pillars. There are plenty of balconies and windows and huge wooden gates greet visitors to this mansion.

The central courtyard with beautifully adorned pillars.

The walls and pillars in the central courtyard are decorated with a series of images including paintings of Sikh gurus, warriors, Hindu gods and goddesses. It is also believed that some of the images represent famous Muslim warriors of subcontinent as well. This religious ambiguity is what leads many locals to declare Baba Khem Singh a secular-minded man. But today, much like its original owner’s inclusive ideas, Bedi Palace lies in ruins.

After partition, the building was used as a government school for boys, but a decade or so ago, the school was shifted to a new building, constructed in front of the palace.

The exterior of the four-storey Bedi Palace.

Khalid Qureshi, the school principal, told Dawn: “The palace is in a very dilapidated state and could not be used as a school. We were afraid that the structure would collapse, since many parts of the building are in a really bad state.”

“We still use the main hall of the palace as an exam hall, but I’m nervous about doing it because the condition of the building is quite dire,” he added. According to Mr Qureshi, the building should now be restored and preserved as a historic landmark of the region. “It can still be restored and preserved if the concerned authorities pay due attention,” he said.

A beautifully built stone staircase that leads to the upper levels.

All photos by writer

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2015

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SUKKUR: Renowned lawyer and author of the 1973 Constitution Abdul Hafeez Pirzada was laid to rest in his ancestral graveyard here on Saturday.

Mr Pirzada died on Tuesday in a London hospital where he was under treatment since mid-July.

A large number of people attended his funeral prayers at Dorgan Jay Shah in old Sukkur. Prominent among them were Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah, Sindh Assembly Speaker Siraj Durrani, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf lawmakers Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Jehangir Tareen, Sindh ministers Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani and Nasir Hussain Shah, Senator Islamuddin Shaikh, Mumtaz Ali Bhutto, Syed Ghous Ali Shah, Ghulam Mustafa Khar, Pir Mazharul Haq, PML-F leader Imtiaz Shaikh, Liaquat Jatoi and Shehryar Mahar, a member of Sindh Assembly.

The CM said that the vacuum created by the death of Mr Pirzada was difficult to be filled. He said Mr Pirzada was his class fellow in college and also a close relative.

Khursheed Shah termed Mr Pirzada’s death an irreparable loss for Sindh and Pakistan and recalled that he had represented several politicians in courts.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Islamuddin Shaikh and others also paid homage to Mr Pirzada and praised his legal acumen.

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2015

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KOHAT: Two councillors and another man were killed and two others injured in a bomb explosion in Hangu and firing in Kohat district on Saturday.

According to police, Hangu district councillor Malik Mumtaz, belonging to the Awami National Party, and his cousin Javed were killed when an improvised explosive device blew up his vehicle in Doaba town.

Terrorists had placed the IED on the road between Tora Warai and Doaba and detonated it by remote control, officials said. A guard and another man were severely injured.

Nasrullah, a tehsil councillor of Kohat from Shiekhan area, was shot dead by opponents. According to Jungle Khel police, Mr Nasrullah was affiliated with PML-N and his family had an enmity.

Relatives of the victim nominated his suspected killers in the first information report.

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2015

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GILGIT: Suspected terrorists in army uniform stormed a police checkpoint near the border of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan late on Friday night, tied policemen with ropes and took away their weapons.

A police official told Dawn that 12 men carrying sophisticated weapons attacked the checkpoint in Chashi Nullah of Ghizer district and took away five Kalashnikovs, four semi-rifles and a dozen bullets.

There were five policemen at the checkpoint preparing food for dinner when terrorists descended on them. The assailants thrashed the policemen and tied them with ropes before leaving, firing into the air.

The official said one of the policemen managed to free himself and informed area people about the incident.

He said since no communication facility was available in the remote area, the locals could not inform Ghizer police before 1am on Saturday.

The Inspector General of Gilgit Police, Zaffar Iqbal Awan, sent a team of 100 police personnel to the area after learning about the attack.

Security sources said terrorists had fled to KP. Police conducted a search operation in Kalam valley on Saturday.

The GB inspector general has requested the KP police to help arrest the terrorists.

The IG suspended the area DSP and the SHO concerned as well as 10 other personnel for “negligence of duty”.

The 10 policemen have been taken into custody for investigation. Five of them were absent from duty when the checkpoint was came under attack.

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2015

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LAHORE: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and his sister Bakhtawar Zardari arrived here on Saturday on a week-long visit to Punjab.

It is the first visit of Bilawal in Lahore without the company of his father, Asif Ali Zardari.

PPP leaders Manzoor Wattoo, Makhdoom Ahmed Mahmood, Abdul Qadir Shaheen, Manzoor Maneka, Raja Amir and Suhail Malik received them.

Talking to reporters outside the Bilawal House, Wattoo said the chairman would meet the PPP delegates from districts of south Punjab on Sept 7-9.

He said Bilawal would also meet members of the central and provincial executive councils to discuss suggestions to revamp the party in the province.

Representatives of the Kissan wing of the PPP will also call on him at the Bilawal House to form the Kissan policy.

Wattoo said Bilawal would also meet the party men from the central Punjab and former PPP ministers and ticket holders on Sept 11.

He said the chairman would go to the people and address public meetings in future when security situation improved satisfactorily.

“The party and the Bhutto family cannot afford another sacrifice”, he added.

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2015

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LAHORE: Begum Mian Meraj Din died here on Saturday.

She was the aunt of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and aunt and mother-in-law of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

Her funeral prayers, offered at Ittefaq Masjid, Model Town, were attended among others by the prime minister, the chief minister, federal and provincial ministers, assembly members and political leaders.

Qul will be held on Sunday (today) at 3pm while dua will be offered at 4:45pm at Ittefaq Masjid.

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2015

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KARACHI: Though there are some very impressive remnants of war on display at various places in the city, it recently emerged that few civilians know much about them.

A tired laborer naps under the Air Force fighter jet placed on one side of the intersection near the Board of Secondary Education Karachi as others go about their usual business. When asked about the history of the plane some people shrug and walk off while some counter question you as others share what they understand about it.

“All I know is that it is a plane. Now if you excuse me,” says one woman holding a little boy’s hand as they prepare to cross the road.

“Why are you asking about it? Are they removing it?” says a man taking a breather near it as he gestures to a rickshaw to stop. “Look around you, there are hardly any trees here. I hope they don’t remove it as its wings provide some nice shade.”

This much is true.

And one is grateful to the woman and this man for not divulging the history of the aircraft when not knowing anything about it. Still there are people who like to look knowledgeable as they tell you their version of history of the landmark. “The plane fought in the 1965 war, also the 1971 war. Then, during the 1980s, Niamatullah Khan, the then mayor of Karachi, acquired it from the Air Force to place here some to build interest among the people about the military. He placed another one at the Golimar Chowrangi as well. The two planes have been fixed and cemented so well that no one could remove them, not even the next mayor, Syed Mustafa Kamal,” says Mohammad Hakim, an elderly gentleman trying to be helpful and who also says he lives nearby.

Who says the Navy doesn’t have planes?.—White Star

For those who care and may like to know the facts, there are several F-86 Sabre, Chinese F-6 aircraft and certain trainer planes of the Pakistan Air Force on display at various places in Karachi. The F-86 Sabre was flown by some 50 Pakistan Air Force pilots, including Squadron Leaders Sarfraz Rafiqui, M.M. Alam and Dilawar Hussain and Flight Lieutenant Shams-ul-Haq, who shot down several Indian Air Force planes and were decorated with gallantry awards during both the 1965 and 1971 wars. The Chinese F-6, basically a variation of the Soviet MIG-19, came to Pakistan after the US embargo following the 1965 war when the country started developing defence links with China. They have served us for some 35 years. During 1971, three F-6 squadrons flew some 846 combat missions while providing support to Pakistan’s ground forces and also shooting down seven Indian combat planes.

A couple of girls wait for the bus near an army tank displayed at Malir Cantt. It says ‘Malir Garrison 1941’ on the base the tank stands on. The girls only seem interested in the bus, which they know stops at this landmark.

There are several army tanks placed at various junctions across the city and it would be rare to find anyone with good knowledge of each and every one of these. “Well, of course the ones you see aren’t in use. They can be from a variety of old army tanks such as Sherman tanks, the T59, M47 and M48 tanks. Or they can also be any one of the tanks captured from the enemy. Each tank placed on display would have its own history and relevance but one thing is clear, you won’t find any of the new and in-service tanks such as Al-Khalid and Al-Zarrar on display like this as yet,” says an official of the ISPR.

There are also several cannons. But as it was with the aircraft, the people know more of the history that involves politicians not the military background. “Ask the military about these if you really want to know,” says one coconut seller near the KDA Chowrangi in North Nazimabad that has one such quite old cannon on display.

“Hey, the history of this cannon is given on the board,” says a drum player in his shiny yellow kurta who sat on the footpath there. And sure it was. According to the information provided there in English as well as in Urdu, the cannon originally belonged to Raja Dahir, who left it behind while fleeing from Mohammad Bin Qasim in 712AD. It was accidentally discovered buried 16 feet deep in August 1957 while the KDA was digging in the Saddar area to lay sanitary pipes.

People find shade under an old PAF aircraft.—White Star

“The Army defends the land so it will only have tanks and cannons; the Air Force defends the skies so they will only have aircraft and the Navy would only have ships, submarines and boats,” says another civilian.

This is, again, a misconception because the army also has its aviation unit as does the Navy. In fact, a visit to the Pakistan Maritime Museum can provide a lot of information in this regard. Passing through Karsaz you can see the Navy plane Atlantic on display from just outside. You can also spot a black submarine from there. According to the Navy, this is the famous PNS Hangor, which sank Indian Navy’s anti-submarine warfare frigate INS Khukri while scaring away INS Kirpan during the 1971 India-Pakistan war.

There is a major need for people to know the history and significance of these remnants of war. The city administration and municipal corporations must look into providing proper information about the tanks, cannons, aircraft and sea vessels wherever they are put on display rather than just putting a plaque about who got them installed there.

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2015

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MINGORA: The religious scholars and ulema here on Saturday termed the forced and swara marriages against Sharia and asked the authorities concerned to ban such practices once and for all.

They were speaking at a seminar about ‘early and forced marriages’ organised by the Awakening, an organisation working for the women’s rights, and for social and cultural development. Iftikhar Hussain, a representative of Awakening, said that owning to frequent forced and early marriages it was deemed necessary to tell the society that such practices were against Sharia.

“Taking opinion of ulema and religious scholars about the early and forced marriages is an important factor in our campaign. The common people understand the ulema well. The religious scholars can easily motivate the communities to shun the practice of swara,” he said.

Religious scholar Mufti Abdul Wahab said that swara or forceful marriage of a girl to resolve conflicts between two rival families was an anti-Islamic act. He said that Islam gave freedom to a girl and boy for marriage and the Islamic state was responsible to ensure, food, security, shelter, education, health and even Nikah in a proper way to a person. He said that swara or forced marriage was also against Pakhtun traditions.

Mufti Khalid Khan said that under Islamic values the parents were bound to seek the consent of a girl and boy before their marriage. He said that swara was an honor-related issue in which one family, for taking revenge and restoring its honour in society, demanded for marriage in the rival family and then inflicted violence on the girl.

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2015

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KARACHI: Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, on Saturday claimed to have seized a huge cache of arms and ammunition in Landhi, dumped by the “militant wing of a political party”, said a statement.

Though the statement did not carry the name of the political party behind the dumping of the arms, the paramilitary force said that with the seizure of the arms it had “averted a major terrorist activity in the city”.

“A volunteer law-abiding citizen belonging to a political party, who denounces terrorism, guided Pakistan Rangers to recover the arms,” said the statement.

“According to details, Pakistan Rangers Sindh conducted a surgical action in Al-Burq Gymkhana, Landhi, and recovered a huge weapons cache. The weapons and ammo was to be used to carry out sporadic target killings and other sabotage activities in the city from a militant wing of a political party.”

The seized arms included a 12.7 gun with mound, a rocket-propelled grenades launcher, a 7mm rifle, an 8mm rifle, a pump action 12 bore rifle, a revolver, 40 Avan bombs, 2,730 rounds of light-machine gun and 640 rounds of sub-machine gun, added the statement.

Meanwhile, a suspected gangster was killed in an encounter with the paramilitary force in Lyari. The Rangers statement said an intelligence-driven targeted raid was conducted on reports of Lyari gangsters involved in the Sept 2 murder in Bihar Colony.

“When the Rangers troops were approaching the hideout, terrorists opened fire and tried to escape,” said the statement. “In the ensuing exchange of fire a terrorist was killed while four others were arrested.”

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2015

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HYDERABAD: A committee comprising the Hyderabad DIG and four SSPs has been set up by the home minister to hold an inquiry into the kidnapping for ransom case in which Bashir Brohi, the manager of a provincial minister, was arrested in Hyderabad a couple of days back by the Thatta police.

Brohi, who was also said to be an informer of former Hyderabad SSP Pir Farid Jan Sarhandi, was handed over to the Hyderabad police on Friday night.

“The high-level inquiry team will thoroughly investigate the case,” said Hyderabad SSP Irfan Baloch.

An FIR of the kidnapping of Asif Memon — the first cousin of Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer and former DIG Bashir Memon — was lodged at the Hatri police station on behalf of state against “unknown persons” under relevant sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997 one year after the incident took place. Mr Memon’s family had been avoiding to lodge an FIR ever since he was kidnapped. He was released on payment of ransom.

On Saturday, Brohi was produced in the Hyderabad Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) which remanded him in police custody for 15 days. Earlier, the Hyderabad CIA submitted in the ATA a certificate confirming that the suspect was arrested in Thatta and handed over to the Hyderabad police on Friday night.

A team of Rangers personnel proceeded to Thatta from Karachi to interrogate Brohi. After taking over the charge of Thatta SSP, Fida Hussain Mastoi removed Dhabeji SHO Zulfikar Arain, CIA official in charge at Thatta Anwar Lakho (who arrested Brohi in the Qasimabad area of Hyderabad) and sub-inspector Ibrahim Pitafi, all trusted subordinates of ex-SSP Sarhandi.

Home Minister Suhail Anwar Siyal constituted the committee/board headed by Hyderabad DIG Khadim Rind with the Hyderabad, Badin, Matiari and Jamshoro SSPs being its members to investigate the case.

Where was the ransom actually collected?

Responding to Dawn’s query whether the committee/board would call Mr Sarhandi during the probe, SSP Irfan Baloch said, “Yes, the board will call and hear him to verify his claim that the ransom was paid at [minister] Sharjeel Memon’s house in the Defence area of Hyderabad.”

Mr Sarhandi was widely quoted by the electronic media that the ransom had been paid at the minister’s residence. Bashir Memon’s family, however, is still tightlipped over the whole episode.

The Sindh information department has issued a handout carrying a statement of Bashir Memon’s cousin, Khalid Memon (also a friend of Sharjeel Memon) urging the media to stop “a media trial” of Sharjeel Memon and avoid airing such baseless news against him. “Sharjeel Memon has got nothing to do with it and we have old family ties with him,” read the statement.

The minister was elected to the provincial assembly from the PS-50 Hyderabad rural constituency.

Police sources claim that the ransom was paid at the residence of Badar Memon, another cousin of Bashir Memon and a former UC nazim belonging to the PPP. While Badar Memon is still with the PPP, Bashir Memon has been at odds with the Hala-based Makhdooms since the 2013 elections.

He was said to be supporting PML-F’s Abdul Razaq Memon, who contested against PPP-Parliamentarians chief Makhdoom Amin Fahim.

Apprehensions of victim’s family

A source within the Memon family said that they [the family] believed that the new Thatta SSP, Fida Hussain Mastoi, would have released Brohi had the Rangers team from Karachi not reached Thatta to interrogate him. “Brohi was eventually handed over to the Hyderabad police”, said the source.

“During Asif Memon’s captivity, both Sharjeel Memon and Pir Farid Jan Sarhandi had played a positive role in his safe recovery. Brohi had played a trick, rather he actually hoodwinked us. He kept us in the dark by telling us that he is just the go-between.

He got an assurance from us on the Holy Quran that he will not be touched after Asif Memon’s release and that our family should request Sharjeel Memon and SSP Sarhandi to ask him to help us in his recovery,” the family source explained.

Prime suspect among many

The aggrieved Memon family had under oath undertaken that they will not seek arrest of Asif Memon’s kidnappers and that’s why they didn’t pursue the case, according to reliable sources. Since Mr Sarhandi has now himself revealed everything on record, the Memons are poised to know who are the culprits and whether Bashir Brohi got the victim kidnapped.

“It is Iqbal Brohi, a resident of Tando Allahyar, who is the prime suspect,” said a police source, adding that he carries a head-money of Rs5 million. “Mr Sarhandi leaked it out [Bashir Brohi’s capture] prematurely. The timing of the disclosure is being taken seriously in the present political situation,” the police source said.

Other sources said that Asif’s cousins along with Ashfaq Leghari, a former corporate sector employee, had approached the minister to make a request to Bashir Brohi and the minister reluctantly obliged him [Mr Leghari].

The aggrieved family seems perturbed over government-level moves to somehow get Bashir Brohi released.

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2015

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FAISALABAD: A second-year student has been booked for blackmailing a girl and receiving cash and jewellery from her by threatening her to post her ‘objectionable’ pictures on social media.

The suspect was granted bail by a court on Saturday.

According to the FIR registered by Madina Town police on the complaint of the girl’s uncle, the suspect ‘T’ and his (complainant’s) niece were friends for the last four years.

On the suspect’s insistence, the girl had mailed him some objectionable pictures.

Later, when they developed differences, the suspect started blackmailing the girl, threatening her to post the pictures on social media if she did not give him money.

The girl succumbed to the threat and started paying him various amounts in local as well as foreign currency from time to time on his demand.

The complainant said so far his niece had paid the suspect Rs45,000, 1,900 Euro, 800 Pounds, 500 Dirhams and two tolas of gold on different occasions.

On Aug 26, the suspect demanded Rs20,000 more, asking the girl to bring the amount to a local hotel.

However, following the complaint, Madina Town police arrested the suspect on Sept 4 (Friday) and after registering a case produced him in the court, seeking his physical remand. The court, rejecting the police request, granted bail to the accused.

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2015

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To honour the sacrifices rendered by the brave soldiers of the 1965 India-Pakistan war, on this Defence Day, the first part of the comic series ‘Haider: 5 Days of Glory’, an exceptional narration of Maj Aziz Bhatti Shaheed’s story of courage during the war, is bound to bring out the patriotic spirit in you.

Created by CFx Comics, an innovative digital entertainment company which has recently taken the comic book industry by storm with the launch of its debut series ‘Paasbaan: The Guardian’, ‘Haider’ retells the stories of Pakistan’s valiant war heroes.

Being aware of the potential of effectively delivering any message through storytelling and using visuals and animations for a ‘better and longer impact’, founders of CFx Comics and creators of these comic series, Mustafa Hasnain, Gauher Aftab and Yahya Ehsan, felt it was the most fitting way to pay a tribute to the martyrs of the 1965 war.

Its first, two-issue story titled ‘5 Days of Glory’, takes the reader back to 1965 and brilliantly captures the war zone scenes where soldiers like Maj Aziz Bhatti Shaheed fearlessly fought to defend their country from Indian attack.

Using remarkable illustrations coupled with a powerful script, it unfolds how despite being outnumbered, Maj Aziz Bhatti Shaheed led his troops to victory by tactfully fighting for five consecutive days and nights without any rest.

In the end, it encapsulates the moment he embraced martyrdom, showcasing his love and passion to protect Pakistan, through a medium like comics, in the most commendable manner.

Selecting Maj Aziz Bhatti Shaheed as the first war hero was a simple choice for the CFx Comics team.

“As our series ‘Haider’ highlights the stories of Pakistan’s finest heroes in illustrated form, immortalising their tales of courage and sacrifice to inspire the coming generations, Maj Aziz Bhatti Shaheed was an automatic choice,” explained Mr Aftab, also the writer of the comic book script for ‘Haider’.

In addition to ‘Haider’, CFx Comics has produced some extraordinary work in the past and the response they received was equally overwhelming.

Earlier this year in June, CFx Comics launched its critically acclaimed debut comic series called ‘Paasbaan: The Guardian’, which is a story that highlights the issue of religious extremism in Pakistan and addresses the youth to counter this problem.

Another series was launched on Aug 14 which sent out a message of unity and embracing differences to work for a prosperous Pakistan.

‘Paasban: The Guardian’ was distributed to 5,000 children in many cities of Punjab for free and received positive feedback from children belonging to both rural and urban backgrounds. In addition, both the comic series have gone viral upon their release on various social media forums, creating a demand for these books.

Mr Aftab too seemed quite positive: “The local audience loved the content; most hadn’t seen something like this before. Even the audience in larger cities like Lahore, is not used to the idea of comic books yet. As far as the message is concerned, our research and feedback has shown really promising results.”

By making the comic series available in not just print form but also through an easily accessible digital platform, the team hopes to make it an equally valuable experience for people who do not have access to reading materials. The CFx Comics app has, hence, been made available in ‘Lite’ version that can run on low-end phones.

The first part of ‘Haider: 5 Days of Glory’ is releasing today, Sept 6, for Defence Day while the second part is expected to be released by the end of September. The first story of the Haider series will be available for free at www.cfxcomics.com as well as on free CFx Comics app.

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2015

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ISLAMABAD: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, despite his scepticism about Pakistan’s role and the Taliban’s sincerity in reconciliation, has agreed to consider Islamabad’s proposal for reviving the stalled peace dialogue with the militant group.

“Mr Ghani will discuss our proposal with his allies,” a senior Pakistani official told Dawn about the discussions the Adviser on Foreign Affairs and National Security, Sartaj Aziz, had with the Afghan president on Friday.

Among the five messages that Mr Aziz conveyed to the Afghan leadership during his day-long trip to Kabul, the core ones were about resuming the reconciliation process and bringing to an end the Afghan government’s rhetoric against Pakistan.

“We offered to help them in resuming the dialogue,” the official said about the talks between Afghan officials and the Taliban, which were suspended on the eve of the July 31 second round of talks following the disclosure about Mullah Omar’s death.

Pakistan had facilitated the process and hosted the first meeting in Murree on July 7.

A Pakistani official had earlier claimed that at the meeting which had to be called off the two sides were expected to reach an understanding on the need to end hostilities. Violence in Afghanistan escalated after the suspension of the talks. Some analysts link the intensification of violence to the succession struggle that followed the confirmation of Mullah Omar’s death. But more importantly, the increase in violence served to derail the reconciliation that the two countries had been pursuing for months.

The official said the Afghan president promised to respond to Mr Aziz’s proposals after consulting his advisers.

In meetings that followed his 90-minute, one-to-one session with Mr Aziz, Mr Ghani signalled that the Pakistani offer would be “considered positively”.

“The quest for peace will continue,” he said at a meeting of senior officials in Kabul, adding that there were no divisions within his coalition government on the issue. “Dr Abdullah and I have been united in this quest for peace.”

Speaking at a meeting on Saturday morning, the president linked the success of the Afghan reconciliation process to the sincerity of Taliban towards the quest for peace.

“Provided that we have a willing partner, peace discussions will advance and a serious dialogue to end the killings will be under way,” he said.

Though the Afghan leadership still views the Taliban with deep suspicion, the imperative for resuming the reconciliation process comes from the realisation that the economic reform agenda cannot progress without peace and that countering insurgency is proving to be too expensive.

“And with the splits in the Taliban movement, the risk of further violence is high.... violent insurgency, and the advance of extremism across the region are increasing the likelihood that the economic reform agenda will be undone by political unrest.... the cost of fighting the Taliban and other insurgencies are eating up even more budget (funds) than they did previously,” Mr Ghani said.

The Afghan president’s assertion that Pakistani leaders, notwithstanding their desire for peace, were failing to control “those forces that believe that an unstable and weakened Afghanistan is better than a strong and confident neighbour” had raised questions about the outcome of Mr Aziz’s visit to Kabul.

President Ghani did not name the elements in Pakistan who he said wanted to keep Afghanistan weak, but in the past Afghan leaders had been accusing the military and the intelligence agencies of supporting the Taliban.

In a statement days before Mr Aziz’s visit, the Afghan presidency had said: “There is credible evidence that the leadership, command and control centre, support infrastructure and sanctuaries of the Haqqani network and other terrorist groups are inside the Pakistani territory.”

Urging the Afghans to stop the tirade against Pakistan was a primary objective of Mr Aziz’s visit. Therefore, when hours after meeting Mr Aziz, President Ghani spoke of “elements in Pakistan that wanted to keep his country weak” it was clear that concerns remained.

SARTAJ AZIZ: Talking to Dawn, Mr Aziz said that he had raised the issue of security of staff of the Pakistani embassy in Kabul with the Afghan president. Mr Ghani, the adviser said, assured him that all steps would be taken for the embassy staff’s security.

Since the re-emergence of tensions in ties between the two countries diplomats at the embassy have frequently been facing incidents of harassment. This has forced many of them to move into the embassy.

According to Mr Aziz, President Ghani confirmed that his finance minister would visit Islamabad in the first week of November for a meeting of the joint economic commission.

He added that no breakthrough was made at his meetings in Kabul but the modest progress made there should be acknowledged.

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2015

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http://www.dawn.com/news/1204925/straight-shooting-on-the-1965-war