We all love Jan Dashti February 23, 2009
Posted by Malik Siraj Akbar in Malik Siraj Akbar.Tags: Attack on Jan Mohammad Dashti, Jan Mohammad Dashti
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By Malik Siraj Akbar
Two consecutive phone calls on Monday morning, one from our senior scholar Hakeem Baloch and the other by Obaid Shad, the resident editor of Daily Asaap from Turbat, woke me up the other morning. They gave me an extremely shocking news that ‘Dashti Sahib’, as our very own renowned Baloch intellectual Jan Mohammad is known to us all, had been ambushed by unknown assailants. They said conflicting reports were being aired on the news channels. While some of them said that the 58-year old leading Baloch intellectual had passed away, the others reported that one thing was certain that Mr. Dashti was not luckily dead but in a very critical condition. The news left me in a state of utter disbelief and anguish. As soon as we arrived at Quetta’s civil hospital, everyone and anyone from the Baloch world was there. Everyone was shocked and praying for Dashti’s safety. After all he is a man whom we all love and need.
Leading Baloch politicians, senior bureaucrats, intellectuals, journalists, doctors, political workers and hundreds of admirers of Jan Mohammad had rushed to the hospital to inquire about the health of a man who has rendered unmatched services to the Baloch cause. This time, the attackers had targeted a very valuable asset of the Baloch nation. Jan Mohammad is a man with multiple identities. Not many people are lucky enough to achieve so many successes in their respective lives and come up with such boastful accomplishments. He is a serving provincial secretary, the de facto editor-in-chief of a reputed Urdu newspaper, the author of several English and Balochi books, a bold and articulate journalist.
Jan Mohammad Dashti is widely known for the marvelous contributions he has made to the preservation of the Baloch culture and history. His books Essays on Baloch National Struggle in Pakistan: Emergence, dimensions and repercussions and Baloch Cultural Heritage are considered as the best books ever written about the Baloch culture and history. He also served as the chairman of the Balochi Academy and the personal secretary of the former chief minister of Balochistan Sardar Akhtar Mengal in the 1997.
Born in October 1951 in Kunchiti, Balochistan, he completed his education by taking a two-year post-graduation course in Journalism at the University of Karachi. Passing out in 1972, he subsequently, joined Pakistan’s Press and Information Department (PID) in 1974 after passing the CSS exam. He switched over to Balochistan Civil Service group after five years and now is serving as the provincial secretary mines and minerals.
Mr. Dashti contributed many articles on Balochistan during 1978-79 to Weekly Viewpoint¸ under the pen name of Sahak Baloch. His first book the Baloch Cultural Heritage was published in 1982. He has also extensively contributed to the Balochi language under the pen name of Shay Ragam. His book “Shap Roch Shap” got tremendous popularity in the Balochi literary circles. Dashti also served as the chairman of the Balochi Academy
Dashti is widely regarded for his straightforwardness and bold views. He has been disliked and criticized for his political views. He has been in the bad books of certain quarters of the establishment due to his very courageous struggle for the rights of the Baloch people. He has vocally spoken against the exploitation of the Baloch resources and the colonial approach of Islamabad towards the Baloch demands for self-rule. He has consistently fought for the rights of the Baloch people on multiple fronts.
There is no doubt that the attack was meant to kill this top Baloch intellectual and respected bureaucrat. Mr. Dashti was on his way to his office when unidentified persons ambushed his car and fired two bullets on him. While his driver received minor injuries, the reputed Baloch scholar was badly wounded in the attack. The occurrence of such an ugly incident during a democratic government is a major setback. It clearly shows that the enemies of the Baloch are out with a well planed strategy to kill the cream of the Baloch society. It is true that if one wishes to further weaken an oppressed nation then they try to target the well wishers, progressive and intellectuals of a particular nationality.
The attack on Jan Dashti has been widely condemned by the people from various walks of life. According to Habib Jalib, the central secretary general of the Balochistan National Party (BNP), the state apparatus is deliberately attempting to target kill all the top intellectuals of the Baloch society. It is regrettable that a fanatical religious group has accepted responsibility on the life of Mr. Dashti on the charges of writing blasphemous stuff in one of his books. This is surprising that the prescribed book was written some 20 years ago and revenge was taken after twenty years. Do we not know who crated these religious groups and against whom they are being used in Balochistan? Because for the past many years, Mr. Dashti has penned no books. His last books appeared in 1980s.
Chief Minister Nawab Mohammad Aslam Raisani, provincial ministers Sardar Sanaullah Zehri, Ghulam Jan, Sardar Aslam Bizanjo, Zumurak Khan, Abdul Rehman Mengal, Asghar Rind, central secretary general of the National Party, Tahir Bizanjo, BNP secretary general Habib Jalib, provincial president of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Nawabzada Haji Lashkari Raisani, leading nationalist leaders Mir Hasil Khan Bizanjo, Dr. Ishaq Baloch, Akhtar Hussain Langove, Sajid Tareen well known intellectuals like Siddiq Baluch, Abdul Wahid Bandeeg, Anwar Sajidi, Dr. Shah Mohammad Marri and other reputed personalities rushed to the hospital.
When the injured official was taken to Karachi, there he too was attended by a large number of reputed politicians such as Speaker of the Balochistan Assembly Mohammad Aslam Bhoothani, former MNA Rauf Mengal, minister Zahoor Buledai, a group of leading Baloch journalists including Arif Baluch immediately arrived at Agha Khan Hospital to inquire about the health of Mr. Dashti.
The government must take notice of the growing religious intolerance in Balochistan. There is a group of people who discourage the freedom of speech and free thinking. They consider themselves as “better Muslims” than the others. They continue to be the self-proclaimed custodians of Islam. Such fanatical mindset should be strongly discouraged. We do not live during the regime of General Zia-ul-Haq. This is not the 1980s but the 21st century where there is too little room for religious militancy and intolerance. The Baloch people, mainly scholars such as Mr. Dashti, largely believe in progressive and secular thoughts. If such people are targeted then the society would surely gradually fall in the hands of extremists.
Jan Dashti has rendered valuable services to the Baloch cause. The Baloch nation respects his contributions and needs him for floating free and progressive thoughts in the society. He has stood with the Baloch people during the rainy days. His words have given the nation courage to face the deadly military operation, cases of enforced disappearances and displacements. As hundreds of people from all walks of life gathered at Quetta’s Civil hospital the other day, it clearly indicated the popularity of Mr. Dashti among various circles. Even those who disagree with his political views can not deny Mr. Dasthi’s magnificent journalistic and bureaucratic credentials.
Despite a very disappointing performance, the Balochistan government is still expected to take tangible measures to immediately arrest the culprits who attempted on the life of Jan Dashti. If today they manage to go unpunished, they will surely target another progressive and right-minded intellectual tomorrow. Balochistan does not have enough top writers and intellectuals like Jan Mohammad. Therefore, we can not afford to lose them. They are the ones who can prevent this province from falling in the hands of the religious fanatics. The secular and progressive Baloch society must not be given in the hands of the elements who have even not learnt the philosophy of life yet.
We hope that the progressive people of Balochistan will join the BNP strike calls irrespective of their political and ethnic affiliations. The society must wake up and protest against the elements who are bent upon eliminating the brainy individuals of the province. We are hopeful that Governor Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi, Chief Minister Nawab Mohammad Raisani and minister of interior affairs, Mir Zafarullah Zehri, will take personal interest in the investigation process so that the real faces are exposed. The people of Balochistan justifiably need to know who directed the activists of a banned religious group to carry out an attack on Jan Mohammad Dashti.
John Solecki killed….Not killed! February 23, 2009
Posted by Malik Siraj Akbar in Malik Siraj Akbar.Tags: Baloch, Balochistan, BLUF, John Solecki killed, John Solecki Not killed!
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Several Pakistani news channels ran a false news report this morning saying that John Solecki had been killed. The report was aired as ‘breaking news’. No one mentioned a source. The ‘breaking news’ traveled with a light speed across the world. It said that the kidnappers of Solecki had announced that the latter had been finally killed and his dead body would be brought to the Quetta Press Club [by the murderers themselves] after two hours. How ridiculous!
I wonder who the directors news of these channels are. What the hell is wrong with them? Why do they play with the human emotions even without confirming a news report that includes a serious issue such as a human life? They even do not have the sense to ask their reporters if it has ever happened in the world history that the kidnappers have called, invited the whole world media saying “ Come over guys. Prepare your cameras. We will be coming up with the dead body at around 12:00pm in front of the Quetta Press Club.” Funny enough, several TV channels sent their DSNGs. Reporters were put on a “high alert” with mics in their hands in front of Quetta press club. They were literally waiting for James Bond-like kidnappers to come and throw the dead body and escape so that they could show it ‘ live’ to their viewers.
These TV reporters were not the only ones standing there just like dumb asses. Dozens of personnel from the Pakistani secrete services as well as the Frontier Corps (FC) rushed to the venue and guarded the Quetta Press Club from all directions. They all did not move an inch from their position for several hours. They looked at every van with the hope that it would bring the dead body. I don’t even have words to laugh at these stupid people. I have no tears to shed over the fledgling Pakistani electronic media.
A friend of mine rightly says that there are more private news channels in Pakistan than eveningers published in the whole country. Most of these channels are manned with stupid anchor persons and ignorant reporters. They are utterly oblivious to journalistic codes.
As the reports of John Solecki being killed reached across the world in minutes, even the kidnappers were obliged to make a phone call to say John was still alive and their custody. The BLUF spokesmen had confirmed that John was very ill, as he had informed previously. But they would not kill him before giving a final ultimatum. “ We are a civilized people,” claimed the BLUF spokesman.
Father of slain girls under pressure to drop charges February 19, 2009
Posted by Malik Siraj Akbar in Malik Siraj Akbar.1 comment so far
WALLS: Free advertising places for the sorcerers
Mohd Ismail, the victims' father
Slain 3-year old Sadia
By Malik Siraj Akbar
QUETTA: Devastated over the mysterious murder of two of his infant daughters in a single week, 35-year old bus driver Mohammad Ismail [The man in black with a red cap]is currently under intense pressure from some locally influential people to drop the murder charges against a sorcerer whom he holds responsible for both the murder cases.
Ismail, who lives in Sardar Abad locality in the outskirts of Quetta, says the head of his five-year old daughter Shakira Bibi was found four days after she went missing on January 24 from a deserted Kariz [underground water channel] in the neighborhood. However, the remaining body of the girl, who had been secretly beheaded, has still not been found. While, the family was trying to find the culprits who beheaded Shakira Bibi, another daughter of Ismail, the three-and-half-year old Sadia Bibi went missing. She was also killed instantly and her dead body thrown in the Kariz.
“It was raining on January 24th when my daughter Shakira Bibi, the 3rd of my children, went missing at around Magrib time,” Mohammad Ismail tells Daily Times. “We kept on looking for her in almost every house in the neighborhood but to no success.” As the hunt continued for Shakira for four regular days, some local children, who were playing in the neighborhood, found a shoe of Shakira.
Hence, Shah Jahan, 20, a cousin of Shakira, began to search for the missing girl inside the dark, narrow and dried Kariz. “After around one hour’s seach, my feet hit a human head. When I picked it up, it was Shakira’s head. The remaining part of her body was missing,” he said. Shah Jahan also found some pieces of clothes from the venue, a shoe of the slain young girl.
Though a case had been registered with Satellite Town police station on January 25th, one day after Shakira went missing, progress could only be made once Shakira’s family hired a trained dog from Okara in return of Rs. 95000. The dog helped to trace the murder suspects who turned out to be a witch-master.
The sorcerer, Yar Mohammad, had rented a house just next to the house of the slain sisters. Though he had rented the house for one year and paid Rs. 5000 in advance, the witch-master escaped from the area as soon as Shakira’s head was founded. A raid on the rented house showed a lot of burnt human bones, skulls, long female hair and human blood in bottles, eyewitnesses said.
“The sorcerer, who soon escaped to his original house in Master Colony in Faizabad area, was popular in the area and used to charge a lot of money from the people in return of issuing them taveez that assured the recipients of having children, jobs, success in love life and other mundane gains,” said Abdul Hameed, a local resident. According to Hameed, witch-masters use the human blood to take a bath to supposedly become pure. They write the taveez human blood and, in other cases, inscribe some magical codes on the human bones. Ironically, neither these sorcerer are trained from any certified religious school nor are they required under any law to register themselves with the State before practicing magical activities.
“This is a ruthless and unjustifiable practice. The sorcerer, apparently exempted from any law, resort to the most barbarian actions just to earn money,” informed Khurshid Ahmed Langov, the headmaster of a public school. He assumes that the sorcerer kidnap the small babies and murder them in order to benefit from their blood for their ‘evil objectives.’
In the second incident, when the family was mourning Shakira’s murder, another sister of hers, Sadia Bibi, 3, was too scared of the scenes at home. Therefore, she was taken to her maternal grandmother’s home from where she also went missing because of lack attention paid to her safety by the elders of the family.
While the family members had previously founded the head of Shakira from a Kariz, they did not face much trouble in finding the dead body of little Sadia from the same place.
The girls’ father, Mohammad Ismail, contends that he is “hundred percent sure” that his daughters had been killed by the witch-master, who has been taken into the police custody along with four other accomplices because three girls, in a similar instance some six years ago in Mastung district, were killed by a similar sorcerer in Mastung district. The suspected magician, sources said, is also related to the man who killed three girls in Mastung in the past and was later on given death penalty.
“I know I can not get my daughters back but I would like to appeal to the government to give death sentence to those who killed my daughters Shakira and Sadia. I am a poor bus driver and never had enmity with anyone. I seek justice for the other daughters of this country,” he pleads, adding that his remaining five children are currently in a state of utter disbelief and insecurity. Mohammad Ismail is also being constantly pressed to drop the case or ‘prepare to pay for dire consequences’.
Ismail urges the government to protect his remaining children.[See their photo below]
” Losing a child,” he adds, “is a very painful experience.”
Baloch demands still unmet February 19, 2009
Posted by Malik Siraj Akbar in Malik Siraj Akbar.Tags: Baloch, Baloch demands still unmet, Balochistan, Daily Dawn, Sana Baloch article in Dawn, Sanaullah Baloch
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By Sanaullah Baloch
Islamabad’s recent move to grant religious self-rule to the Taliban in Swat and the denial of political autonomy to the people of Balochistan are obviously beyond comprehension.
The establishment’s unwillingness to end the costly conflict in the resource-rich, strategically significant region is a clear sign of the undemocratic approach towards resolving the Balochistan crisis. Read More
Sunni leader gunned down in Quetta February 18, 2009
Posted by Malik Siraj Akbar in Malik Siraj Akbar.Tags: Anjuman-e-Tajiran Balochistan, Jamaat Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jamaat-Noorani, Maulana Iftikhar Ahmed Habi, Pakistan Television (PTV), Quetta
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QUETTA: Unidentified men killed Jamaat Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jamaat-Noorani provincial leader Maulana Iftikhar Ahmed Habibi in Quetta on Wednesday, sparking a wave of protests.
Police said Habibi, who was also a regular Islamic commentator on the Pakistan Television (PTV), was killed by unidentified men when he was on his way to work. Habibi was driving to the PTV Quetta station when the men opened fire, killing him instantly.
His relatives took the body to the Governor’s House to protest. The protesters chanted slogans against the police and demanded the arrest of the culprits. The police resorted to aerial firing in order to disperse them and took around 14 protesters into custody.
No group has claimed responsibility for the murder.
“This is an act of sectarianism carried out by those who had previously threatened to kill Habibi,” Mir Abdul Qudoos Sasooli, the provincial president of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP), said. “The murder was carried out by the activists of banned organisations which are operating now under new names,” he said, giving the Balochistan government a 72-hour ultimatum to arrest the murderers.
The JUP will observe a Balochistan-wide strike on Thursday (today) to protest against the murder. Sasooli appealed to traders and the people to observe a shutter-down strike as a protest against Habibi’s assassination and express their solidarity with the JUP in Balochistan.
He said the JUP would contact the Anjuman-e-Tajiran Balochistan to ensure the strike was a success, APP reported. Habibi was a regular commentator of Balochi and Brahvi languages on PTV. His friends said the slain leader had been threatened in the past but the police had not provided him any security.
BREAKING NEWS: BLUF rejects UN appeal for direct contact February 18, 2009
Posted by Malik Siraj Akbar in Malik Siraj Akbar.Tags: Baloch, Baloch Liberation United Front (BLUF), Balochistan, BLUF rejects UN appeal for direct contact, gmcmissing, Hairbayar Marri, John Solecki, John Solecki Malik, John Solecki ultimatum, Malik Siraj Akbar, Malik Siraj Akbar blog, Mir Shahak Baloch, Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, Nawab Khair Baksh Marri, Quetta, Rehman Malik, Sardar Akhtar Mengal, Sardar Akthar Mengal, UN appeal to BLUF, UN direct contact with BLUF, UNHCR, United Nations, United Nations High Commission for Refugees
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The Baloch Liberation United Front (BLUF), which has taken hostage the American head of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) for the past two weeks, spurned on Wednesday a plea of the United Nations (UN) for direct negotiations with the kidnappers for the release of the world body’s senior official, John Solecki.
The appeal was rejected by Mir Shahak Baloch, the self-proclaimed spokesman of the BLUF who called the media from an unidentified location through a satellite phone. The spokesman reiterated his organization’s 3-point demands with the government in return of the release of the UN official.
Mr. Baloch informed that the health conditions of the UN official had worsened in the past few days. They had hoped that the United Nations would take the extension of their 72-hour ultimatum as an “opportunity” to persuade the Pakistan government to release the six thousand Baloch male and 141 females kept in the state custody.
Rehman Malik, the advisor on the interior affairs, had recently termed the Baloch demands as ‘unrealistic’ and ‘exaggerated’ which seemingly further irked the Baloch leaders.
“Instead of cooperating with us, the government is trying to locate the missing persons to more secretive places in order to avoid bringing them on surface. We want the UN to formulate a team and come to Balochistan to see the actual situation about the missing persons,” demanded the BLUF spokesman.
The United Nations had on Tuesday requested the kidnappers to establish direct contact with it in order to ensure the release of its official who had been kidnapped on 2nd February after the murder of his driver, Syed Hashim, from Quetta’s cantonment area.
The BLUF, a totally new Baloch armed group, also said that it had provided full details of the missing persons to the government along with a video of John Solecki released last week. But the government was not taking their demands seriously and instead hiding the Baloch prisoners to secrete locations.
The UN officials in Pakistan have also been secretly in touch with all the leading Baloch nationalist and tribal leaders in order to seek their assistance for the release of the abducted chief of the refugee agency. A two-member team of the UN had unofficially called on the veteran Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Khair Baksh Marri, 90, at his Karachi residence on Tuesday. Similarly, appeals have been made by Jamil Akbar Bugti, a son of late Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, Sardar Akthar Mengal, a former chief minister of Balochistan and Hairbayar Marri, a son of Nawab Khair Baksh Marri, for Solecki’s release.
Police and intelligence sources have made no progress in the recovery of John Solecki. The BLUF has threatened that if its demands were not met, it would kill the UN official.
Geo news correspondent killed in Matta February 18, 2009
Posted by Malik Siraj Akbar in Malik Siraj Akbar.Tags: journalist killed in Swat, Mosa Khankhel
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There is this sad news coming from Swat that a Geo News and The News correspondent, Mosa Khankhel has been killed in Matta on Wednesday. Read More
Interview on VoA February 17, 2009
Posted by Malik Siraj Akbar in Malik Siraj Akbar.Tags: Baloch, Baloch Republican Party, Balochistan, Dr. Hakeem Lehri, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Ifran Saeed, John Solecki, Malik Siraj Akbar, Nafisa Hoodbhoy, Online News agency, Quetta, Radio Apki Duniya, Rahat Malik, Voice of America
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I spoke in an hour-long talk show on the Vice of America (Urdu Service) tonight about the abduction of John Solecki. Reputed broadcaster, Nafisa Hoodbhoy, hosted the show. The other guests included Dr. Hakeem Lehri, the central leader of the Baloch Republican Party (BRP), Irfan Saeed, the bureau chief of Online News Agency [ which received the first phone call from the kidnappers of John Solecki and the video of John Solecki], and Rahet Malik Kakazai of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).
The discussion revolved around the oft-repeated question: Have the Baloch insurgents really kidnapped John Solecki? Will it bode well for the Baloch movement?
While articulating my views, I said there were two things to be seen. One, the abduction of the American UN official, which many describe as contrary to the Baloch traditions. It is unprecedented in the history of the Baloch nationalist movement that a foreigner has been kidnapped.
Second, the demands of the Baloch separatists are equally supported by all Baloch nationalists. Because the PPP government is not addressing the Baloch issue seriously. Therefore, the intervention of the international community is very important. As far as the disbelief of many people is concerned that no Baloch organization can carry out such an act, I think we seem to be forgetting the point that the Baloch movement is fast going in the hands of the disillusioned middle class educated youths. It is no more confined to some tribal elders.
JUST-IN:UN officials meet Nawab Marri unofficially February 17, 2009
Posted by Malik Siraj Akbar in Malik Siraj Akbar.Tags: Asian Human Rights Commission, Baloch, Balochistan, John Solecki, John Solecki Malik, Malik Siraj Akbar, Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi, Quetta, UN official kidnapping, UN officials meeting with Nawab Khair Baksh Marri, United Nations High Commission for Refugees, Zarina Marri
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Nawab Khair Baksh Marri
Many of the readers of this blog keep asking me: “What is your source?” C’mon guys. If a Pakistani citizen asks me this question then I won’t mind it because we do not have a popular and widespread culture of blogging in this country yet. However, in the countries where blogging has established itself as a medium of freedom of expression, each blog is taken seriously and considered as a media-house. So do not worry about my sources. The information I will be sharing here comes mainly from the first hand sources. Treat this blog as reliably as you would trust any Pakistani media house, except for the Pakistan Television.
My sources tell me that the United Nations officials have unofficially established contact with Nawab Khair Baksh Marri as a part of their constant efforts to get John Solecki’s released. A two-member UN team called on the 90-year old Baloch leader today (Tuesday) at his Karachi residence at around 16:30pm. Nawab Marri is a very rare communicator with the media. He does not meet a lot of people either. Those who have met him can confirm that Nawab Sahib is a very good listener.
I met and interviewed him last year. You must go through his interview to see how disappointed he is with Islamabad and its repressive an exploitative polices.
“The Nawab said he had no knowledge about the kidnappers. He didn’t know who the kidnappers of John Solecki were, nor had they contacted him directly. He, however, asked the UN officials to have a look at the gross violation of the human rights taking place in Balochistan,” said an insider, “the meeting lasted for almost 30 to 45 minutes. The Nawab listened to every thing. He spoke only a few words.”
The source said there was, however, no direct assurance by the Nawab that he would directly appeal to the kidnappers to release John Solecki. “The UN officials requested that the meeting should be kept secrete. No information should be given to the press for security reasons. When we got out of the home, I saw the press corps already present there. We wonder who had informed them about this meeting,” said the insider.
We have also learnt that the UN has expedited its efforts to meet everybody and anybody in Balochistan. Some officials would be meeting Balochistan governor Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi on Wednesday morning. On his part, Nawab Magsi is quite worried about the long list of ‘missing persons’ that the kidnappers of John Solecki have extended. “The Governor has approached us and requested for a copy of these demands. We will provide him a list of 872 missing persons in a meeting scheduled for Wednesday,” confirmed a Baloch nationalist leader, who informed that the list also included the name of 23-year old missing school teacher Zarina Marri who is supposedly kept in the Pakistani military torture cells as a sex-slave, as reported by the Asian Human Rights Commission.
