حزب مردم بلوچستان  Balochistan People’s Party  بلوچستانءِ اُستمانءِ گــَل

  

 

Secret talks to get airline bomb suspect back to UK

Pakistan seeks swap deal to extradite dissidents living in Britain

Sandra Laville and Declan Walsh in Islamabad
Wednesday March 28, 2007
The Guardian

Rashid Rauf
Rashid Rauf before a court appearance in Pakistan. Photograph: Anjum Naveed/AP
 
Britain is engaged in secret negotiations with Pakistan to swap a terrorist suspect who is wanted for questioning over the alleged plot to blow up transatlantic airlines last summer, the Guardian has learned.

In increasingly tense discussions, the British government is demanding the return of Rashid Rauf, a 26-year-old who is held in a high security prison in Pakistan. But ministers in Pakistan have responded by asking for something in return. In a proposed swap, they are calling for the extradition of up to eight people living in the UK who they claim are involved in an uprising in the western oil-rich province of Baluchistan.

Lawyers from the Crown Prosecution Service flew to Islamabad last month to try to speed up the process and help the authorities prepare extradition papers for the eight, according to sources in the Pakistani capital. But human rights groups have condemned any attempt to "barter" individuals, and warned both governments that the due process of the law must be followed.

Mr Rauf, originally from Birmingham, was arrested by Pakistani police last August. He has been charged in Pakistan with possession of 29 bottles of hydrogen peroxide - a key ingredient used in the past by al-Qaida in the manufacture of bombs - and the possession of fake South African identity papers.

Anti-terrorist sources in the UK claim Mr Rauf is a "very important" suspect in the network of British-based Islamist terrorists. His arrest by Pakistan's security services, the ISI, last August sparked a series of raids in Britain in connection with what counter-terrorism officials said was an attempt to blow up transatlantic airliners. Fifteen people have been charged with terrorism offences in connection with the alleged plot.

Mr Rauf's family in Pakistan say the charges against him have been "cooked up". One told the Guardian he bought the hydrogen peroxide to bleach his beard.

Among those whom the Pakistanis want extradited are Mehran Baluch and Ghazian Marri, leading figures in the nationalist movement in Baluchistan, where President General Pervez Musharraf is quelling an insurgency.

Pakistani sources claim Mr Marri is the kingpin of the rebel Baluchistan Liberation Army, which was added to the Home Office list of proscribed organisations in a surprise move last summer, just as negotiations over the extradition of Mr Rauf were about to begin.

Mr Marri's friends say he was arrested in Dubai last March at the request of the Pakistan authorities, but released four months later because they were unable to present any evidence. He remains at liberty.

Mr Baluch, 33, who lives in London, is the chairman of the Baluchistan Rights Movement. He has lived in the UK for more than 20 years, has a British passport and speaks regularly at United Nations conferences on the human rights of the Baluchi population in the region where 73 of the 99 abductions registered by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan took place last year.

Speaking to the Guardian, Mr Baluch said: "I knew that they were after me but I never knew they were to that extent. When I speak at the UN in Geneva they try to threaten me through various groups to tell me to take my issues back home, that they are not international issues. I have grown up with this threat, but I didn't think they would go to these lengths.

"What offences have I committed? I am standing up for human rights, I am speaking out against the disappearances going on Baluchistan.

"I would like to tell the British they need to understand the Baluchi perspective and the whole story. They should not just see this from a Pakistani point of view. They are lying. Pakistan is committing human rights abuses in Baluchistan. My job primarily is to speak out against this. I address issues of human rights, especially the disappearances." The CPS refused to discuss whether lawyers had been sent to Pakistan to help with Islamabad's extradition requests for Mr Baluch, Mr Marri and up to six others.

But a British source in Islamabad said officials from the CPS had travelled to Pakistan earlier this month. One British official said the Pakistanis were having difficulty producing evidence which could stand up in a British court.

Ali Hasan, south Asia researcher for Human Rights Watch, said: "There isn't a problem with the British exploring the legal options. What there is a problem with is the clandestine nature of this. The British want this individual and must follow due process of the law to get that individual across from Pakistan."

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OPPRESSED NATIONS OF PAKISTAN

Brief Report

Discussion Forum on

23rd March 1940, Pakistan Resolution Day

“OPPRESSED NATIONS OF PAKISTAN:

Self Determination, Autonomy and Sovereignty”

 

Organized by The World Sindhi Institute (WSI)

March 23, 2007 at National Press Club, Washington, DC 

 

WASHINGTON , DC: The World Sindhi Institute (WSI) hosted a ‘Discussion Forum’ held in commemoration of 23rd March 1940 , the Pakistan Resolution Day, at the National Press Club, Washington , DC on Friday, March 23, 2007 . The interesting and vibrant event spanned over two hours from 5:00 to 7:00 pm , during which very open and frank discussion took place among individuals representing various groups and organizations from Pakistan, U.S. and other countries, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, India and Bangladesh. Participants of the forum came from different backgrounds, including journalists from international media, members of non-profit organizations, researchers and scholars from American Universities and Research Institutes, as well as individual activists and persons interested in the theme of the discussion. Participants of Pakistani background represented all nations of the country, including Gilgit-Baltistani, Pashtun, Baloch, Saraiki, Punjabi, Kashmiri and Sindhi. Four highly knowledgeable Speakers of the event were as follows:

Dr. Haider Nizamani from Political Science Department of the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver , Canada served as Moderator of the evening and conducted the program with tremendous professional command over the subject.

Each Speaker was given fifteen minutes to express their opinion freely. Time limit was followed with utmost accuracy, for which the Moderator commended the Speakers in the end of the session. A general concern expressed by each speaker was that of a highly centralized governance system prevailing in the country ever since independence of Pakistan, which demonstrates absolute negation of the basic principles of the ‘Lahore Resolution’, as it was initially called; later to be named as ‘Pakistan Resolution’ after creation of Pakistan in 1947. The founder of the country, Mr. Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s aspiration, as articulated in the document of the Resolution in clear words, that the newly formed country would be a Federation, with autonomous and sovereign units, has been simply denied. Each speaker gave considerable account of the situation of autonomy/ lack there-of in their own individual area with examples, which gave a clear picture and back ground of the complex issues hence generated in that particular area as well as in the whole country.

 

Dr. Wahid Baloch informed the forum about historical facts evolving the relation of Balochistan and Pakistan since 1940. Balochistan being a separate secular state called State of Kalat with its own Head of State and Upper & Lower Houses of Parliament did not participate in the decision  of creating a fundamentalist Islamist State , neither did its Parliament agree to be a part of the newly created country later. It was a year later, when the Head of Kalat State had to sign an instrument of accession under duress and without the consensus of his assembly, due to which   a merger was established clearly articulating autonomy of Kalat State in all administrative decisions, particularly regarding its resources. Ever since then, Pakistan government has enforced numerous Military Actions on Baloch people and their leadership and kept plundering the land’s resources till the latest action still going on. Thousands of Baloch have been missing, tortured, executed and families displaced. Due to extreme dictatorial centralization of federal government of Pakistan , Baloch leadership has now resorted to ask for intervention from the International Court of Justice. He urged the international community to take notice of the open violations of human rights practiced in Balochistan not only in the Pakistan occupied part, but also in the Iran occupied Balochistan.

 

Mr. Mohammad Mumtaz Khan pointed towards the dummy existence of Kashmir Parliament and the supremacy of a Pakistan Army officer as the head of each major institution and decision making forum in the so-called ‘Azad’ (free) Kashmir . He termed the two portions of Kashmir as Pakistan administered Kashmir and India administered Kashmir . He also mentioned the issue of Islamic fundamentalist influence on his land in the hands of Islamist regimes in Pakistan .

 

Mr. Imtiaz Hussain from Gilgit/Baltistan attributed the issues of his area to the strange situation where the Gilgiti and Baltistani nations are not only denied their basic identity, being grouped as the ‘Northern Areas’, but are also denied the right to vote or to participate in elections. Thus they do not have an Assembly or representative/s in the Pakistan Assembly, nor can they vote for any member of the Pakistan Assembly, because they are not considered as a part of the country, yet they hold Pakistani passports. This confused state of affairs is superadded by absolute authority of controlling all decisions about that land by Pakistan Army personals. He declared this situation being even worse than that of Pakistan occupied Kashmir , where at least a dummy Parliament exists.

 

Ms. Humaira Rahman began by expressing concern over the judicial crisis that Pakistan is currently facing in the hands of yet another military dictatorship. She narrated the perspective of Sindh by presenting statistics on the economic indicators and contribution of Sindh in the growth and development of Pakistan being quite close to almost half of the rest of the country.  She then mentioned the lack of facilities and opportunities resulting in extreme poverty and backwardness of this potentially rich land and ascribed it to faulty and centralized policies of the federation. She insisted on following the principle of provincial autonomy referring it to be imperative for survival of the country.

 

Although each perspective was presented different from the other according to individual variations in the regional condition, but the basic fact emphasized by all speakers was that the only way to manage the country’s affairs is through a decentralized and equitable approach, failing which the consequences can be grave. It was also pointed out that precedence of ignoring this fact has already demonstrated unfavorable consequences for Pakistan in the form of separation of Bangladesh and it is high time that the authoritative policies of the center be altered for a better harmonious survival and growth of all.

 

During Q&A session, more issues of international nature came under discussion that drew attention towards the similarity of the basic problem of centralization in more than one state in that region. The role of international community and their policies for South Asia and Middle East also came under discussion. Impact of religious fundamentalism accentuating the issues of the already oppressed nations was highlighted.

 

Finally, most participants were in consensus that some pro-active and solid measures need to be taken for addressing the issue of negation of autonomy or ‘Oppression’ of most nations in the hands of few. This has to be undertaken by all oppressed nations joining hands and raising a voice against the violation of their basic human rights from one platform. The idea of a coalition thus emerged, which was agreed to be followed up over the course of time.

 

Although the subject had many more aspects to be explored and the interest of each participant beyond doubt demanded more thorough discussion, but strict discipline of time compelled the forum to come to an end. In the end, Dr. Haider Nizamani thanked all participants for their extremely useful and thought provoking input and also thanked WSI for taking the initiative of organizing an extremely well thought forum on a very appropriate occasion. Gratitude was also expressed for the media for providing coverage and appreciation extended to the National Press Club for the fabulous arrangement of the meeting.

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THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC SPREADS DISCORD AMONG MUSLIMS IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN ITS POWER

30-03-2007

For years, the Islamic Republic has been talking about ensuring unity among Muslims and characterizing itself as the leader of the Islamic countries. Ayatollah Khamanei describes himself as the Amir Al-Mu’minin (The Prince of the Believers). But is there anyone who is not aware of that the Islamic Republic is the key reason of the decomposition among Muslims? Everybody knows that the leaders of the Islamic Republic, through confronting Islam and Shiism, have been treating both Islam and Shiism treacherously. Everybody is aware of the overt and covert activities of this regime in order to spread discord among Muslims.

Is the rhetoric and practice of this regime consistent? Are the leaders of the Islamic Republic really pro-unity among Muslims? Can anyone, who has declared himself as the leader of world Muslims and even the Prophet and the representative of Imams’, be the representative of the real Islam? Moreover, who recognizes him as the religious leader of Muslims?
Declaring itself as the leader of the Islamic countries, the Islamic Republic of Iran has, for years, been carrying out a large and comprehensive activity in order to ensure the spread of the Islam it believes in and the export of its own regime. To this aim, the Islamic Republic first spreads discord among the people of Islamic countries and then creates an atmosphere of discrimination and civic turmoil so as to make them Shiites.

The same Islamic Republic, in order to divide the Islamic world, attacks at the attendants and even the wives of the Prophet, curse the Sunni belief, silences the Shiites who oppose the views of the Islamic Republic, forges the hadith and hearsays, publish books containing insults on Sunnis, sends its men to other countries in order to influence their peoples and convert poor countries to Shiism in return of giving them money.

This regime brings many young from the Central Asia, Caucasus, Middle East, Africa, Far East and Europe to Iran on the pretext to provide them with training and university degree, send them directly to Qom to subject them to the influence of fundamentalist religious Mollas and brainwash them. Later, exploiting these young people, it tries to promote Shiism in the related countries. Due to this reason, with a decision it took a few years ago, Malaysia prohibited students attending Iranian universities. As recalled, the fact that any books full of insult towards the Caliphs had been taken to books fair in Sudan received the severe reaction from Sudanese people.

Pro-regime daily Siyasat-e Ruz (Politics of the Day) described the second Caliph of Muslim, Omar, as a murderer in an article titled “The Role of Valad-e Zenah (Bastards) in Karbala” in its issue 1640 and said the second Caliph, Abdallah Ibn Zeyad and such people about whom historical and valid evidences regarding that they had committed numerous murders in the history of Islam.

Facing the rage of the Sunnis in Iran, the regime temporarily stopped the publication of this paper (that is under the protection of the fascist President of the Islamic Republic), due to the fear it felt from revolutionary movements. Is there a greater insult than this writing in which one billion Sunnis and the companions and disciples of the Prophet of the God were accused of the worst deeds.

Furthermore, these insults are conducted in a period when Sunnis are not allowed to publish the books they believe and subjected to heavy pressure. It should be known that Siyasat-e Ruz exposes the opinions of the clergy of the Islamic Republic, especially of Iranian regime, and the insult toward the second Caliph is the official policy and goal of the Islamic Republic.

It is that regime which participated in the celebrations of Assassinating Omar (Omar Koshan) on the death day of the second Caliph who is the biggest head of theirs, and with the public money, they built a big and splendid place of visit for the murderer of the second Caliph. Moreover, they name Abu Loulou, who murdered the second Caliph, as Hazrat-e (Prophet) Loulou.

What is odd is that the regime, which talks about Islamic unity, denies the construction of a place of visit for the murderer of the second Caliph in the city of Kashan when it faces the questions of the regional countries. However, the photographs display this big lie.

The Turkmensahra Liberation Organization condemns any attempt to spread discord between the Sunni and Shiite Iranian people and regards that as a sly plan of the Government of the Islamic Republic. It should not be forgotten that this plan includes the desire of the Government to maintain its illegal regime by spreading discord among Shiite, Sunni, Turkmen, Arab, Azerbaijani, Baluch, Persian and other such ethnic groups.

But the days in which Iranian people will forget about all differences, primarily sectarian; racial and lingual; and will come together, and the seeds of this discord will be terminated, and the tree of freedom that will live forever will influence the country are not too far. The fruit of that tree will not contain discrimination, difference or separatism but freedom, justice and equality.

Hoping that day to come…

سازمان آزادیبخش ترکمن صحرا – تورکمن صحرا آزادلیق قوراماسی

TURKMENSAHRA AZADLYK GURAMASY

TURKMENSAHRA LIBERATION ORGANIZATION