local population should be addressed before starting any work on the KKH. Northern Areas

PRESS RELEASE
An action committee has been formed to safeguard the rights of people who would be affected in Hunza-Nagar by the planned expansion work on Karakuram Highway. Ehsan Ali Advocate has been elected Chairman of the action committee.
The action committee has demanded that all queries of the local population should be addressed before starting any work on the KKH. Northern Areas, the press release states, are disputed and the government can not use land without taking cosent of the local people. It has also been demanded that proper compensation plans should be devised to ensure safety of the farmers. This action committee was formed after the Deputy Commissioner of Gilgit issued a notice in this regard.
Gojal valley would be the most affected area within Gilgit-Baltistan, if the KKH is exapnded. Considerable damage would be caused to agricultural land, houses will have to be demolished and the Khunjerab National Park, home to some of the rarest wild life species, would also be affected to a large extent. No news has yet been recieved about whether Gojal is represented in the action committee or not.

European Union should take a strict action against Government of Pakistan

European Union should take a strict action against Government of Pakistan
Islamabad, January 26,2008:Khushleem Jan Central leader of Balawaristan National Front(BNF) and Ex Chairman Municipal Committee Gilgit said that European Union should take a strict action against Pakistan for violating rights of the people of Balawaristan (Pakistan Occupied Gilgit Baltistan).While speaking in a special discussion to a Gilgit Baltistan based Weekly News paper, Khusleem Jan said that for the last six decades the indigenous people of Balawaristan (Pakistan Occupied Gilgit Baltistan) and Kashmir had been deprived of all basic and constitutional rights,humen rights and the identity of the people of the region was being destroyed. Jan said,our struggle for our rights has always been considered as threats and tried to make it fail by the tyrant Pakistani regime by allillegal means. It was the aim and design ogf government of Pakistan to made unaware the International community about our grave human problems and issues. He appreciated and extended his gratitude's to Emma Nicholson MEP for putting forward the realities of Balawaristan at International level. He further extended thanks to Emma Nicholson and her members of European Parliament from the 2 million deprived people of Balawaristan for her efforts to get pass resolution in the European Parliament. It was the movement of the great pleasure that resolution got pass by gaining maximum votes. He appealed the European Parliament to take strict action against Pakistan for violating the rights of the people of Balawaristan.

Musharraf credibility

Brussels
Musharraf has lost his credibility and he is not president of Pakistani nation as he is very much partial to a specific political group and mafia in the country. His second term selection as president by outgoing Assembly is not constitutional and democratic since entire political opposition, civil Society and Lawyers had accused the entire process of selection. Musharraf simply followed the foot prints of his predecessors like Zia and Yahya. He has always been taking steps contrary to his claims and promises with the world community. His lust for power has led him to remove Judges, imposed martial Law, banned media, and imprisoned political, civil society members and Judges to hold onto the powers through brute force. He is uninvitedly traveling and trying to propagate and translate present social unrest in Pakistan is his personal favor. This is stated by Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri Chairman United Kashmir Peoples National Party (UKPNP), living in exile in Switzerland since military had taken control in Pakistan in 1999.Mr. Kashmiri was commenting on the contents of Musharaf speech before Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament. Mr. Kashmiri has praised the members European Parliament who asked strong question and raised their concern regarding ongoing situation in Pakistan today particularly Pakistani forces ineffectiveness against terrorists' network in every nook and corner in the country. Today Pakistani forces are surrendering before the terrorist groups and leaving an open space so that they can operate independently. Musharraf and his aides are just making lame excuses before the world community. Mr. Kashmiri has cited that when independent news channels carried these double standards of the Government first those were restricted by so called PEMRA ordinance and later they were totally banned so that people in the country as well as world community could not watch what is happening on the streets of Pakistan. Lawyers have been peacefully demonstrating for the restoration of judiciary and rule of law in the country but were brutally targeted and badly beaten by the security forces in plain clothes to hide their identification which can't be observed in any civilized society today. Musharraf was trying to divert the attention of Foreign Affairs Committee towards non-issues in Pakistan's current political crisis having deep impacts on the entire region including Afghanistan and war on terror. He was taking his time on talking on the restructuring of OIC and issue of Palestine which has nothing to do with reinstatement of judiciary in Pakistan or strong demand to install independent election commission or lift up the ban on press and media. Mr. Kashmiri criticized that Musharraf is taking the credit of openness in the field of media by allowing 50 private Television Channels it is the era of globalization and it is international compulsions that no Government can stop legal operation of such media organization to high light prevailing situation anywhere in the world. Musharraf and his caretakers are misleading and misleading world community by saying that that has increased women representation in the last national Assembly of Pakistan in fact those women were not elected but were picked and chose by the establishment. It is pity that despite Government's poor record on rights and abuse of women rights how it believes that by choosing few of women technocrats can empower the majority of the women of country. It believes in charity not in the equal rights. In the field of health, education, infrastructure, and access to fundamental human needs like food, water and shelter Musharraf regime didn't increased budget except numerical and graphical cheating with the people and simultaneously with the world community. Today civil society in the country is badly oppressed where elected representatives of the Lawyers and Judges are under house arrest and majority of them who didn't't endorsed Musharraf legitimacy. Chief Justice of Pakistan Mr. Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhury along with his family is under house arrest and Munir Malik former President of supreme Court Bar Association was poisoned while he was in the jail. President Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Choudhry Atizaz Hussain is still under house arrest. Mr. Ali Ahmed Kurd was put in solitary confinement. Thousands of people from Baluchistan are disappeared and military operation is underway while Musharraf regime is negotiating with terrorists. Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri said that Musharraf and his team can't save himself by saying that former Pakistani prime Minister Ms Benazir Bhutto was assassinated by her own mistake which shows that whether Musharraf is fool or he think entire world is so stupid that they would believe his explanations. Ms Benazir Bhutto during her life had nominated people who could be the possible killers of her. Why Musharraf is denying that he will not allow Scot Land yard or any other international investigation team to interrogate those people who had been pointed out by her? Why the forensic scene was washed so hastily? These are serious flaws with which Musharraf and his aides can't get away. Mr. Kashmiri said that Foreign Affairs Committee has rightly expressed their concern regarding Pakistan role on war against terrorism, Money given to Pakistan in this regard was not being properly used, Media civil society, NGOs are not allowed to work freely. It is ridiculous when Musharraf tells Western world that don't demand rights like West in Pakistan because circumstances do not permit that means Pakistani people are sub-human and they deserve sub-standard life, by the head of that country, which is embarrassing for all Pakistanis. If head of country does not recognize his own people as equal to other people, similarly the way he had called Pakistani Parliament uncivilized when he had failed to address that clearly reflects the mindset of military who always treat civilian like second class citizens. Pakistani living abroad can have serious implications when their own president is trying to substantiate that Pakistani people do not qualify for democratic, socio-economic, cultural and political rights.
Issued byJamil MaqsoodGeneral SecretaryUnited Kashmir Peoples National Party ( Brussels )

Poor groan under winter hardships in N.Areas

Poor groan under winter hardships in N.Areas
SKARDU, Jan 23: Heavy snowfall described as highest in the last 15 years has multiplied the problems people of Northern Areas have to live with each year.Reports gathered from Astore say that the recent snowfall in the area has broken the previous 15 years’ record with 5 to 6 feet snow received in Chillim, Minimarg, Rattoo, Deosai and Gultary in the foothills of the Himalayas.Hilly areas in Ghizer district, Hunza, Gojal, Nagar and Baltistan have also received record snow in the period with temperatures falling below minus 17 degree Celsius at different places in the region. As a result water supply system has been destroyed due to frozen pipes and even freezing of diesel been reported in Skardu and Astore. Running vehicles have stopped due to freezing of water bodies and bursting of hose pipe and radiators.According to hospital sources, complaints of diseases like pneumonia, cough, flue and asthma are also on the rise at different places and hospitals and dispensaries are stated to be running short of essential medicines. Deaths have been reported in government hospitals where there are no heating arrangements. Regions hit hard by the cold season are Gultary, Shila, Duroo, Askoli, Braldo in Skardu district; Hushey, Khorkondo and Thaley in Ghanche district; some villages of Minimarg, Chilim, and Rattoo in Astore district where roads remain blocked for three to four months. The sick in need of medical help face severe hardships as they must be carried on people’s back to places where jeeps are available to rush them to hospitals but most often deaths occur on the way due to severe cold in the open.While this is the lot of people living away from the towns, city dwellers of Skardu, Gilgit, Astore, Diamer and Ghanche are facing the worst inflation in items of daily use, food, fire wood and other fuels.The prices of fire wood, gas cylinders and kerosene oil have soared beyond common man’s reach. One kg of liquefied petroleum gas was being sold at the rate of Rs100, 40kg of fire wood at Rs350. The district administration is being blamed for failing to keep the price of fuel items under control which has made life very hard for the poor when electricity supply is faced with long outages.Meanwhile government employees were nor being paid the ‘hardship allowance’ which is paid to all employees posted at places above 2,600 to 3,600 meters like Murree, Quetta, Abbottabad, Parachinar, Razmat and Badin. Surprisingly government is yet to recognise these highest towns of the country as hard places.People want this discriminatory policy to end. During his tenure as prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had given a Rs20 per month winter allowance to public servants in Northern Areas which has not been enhanced since despite a ten times rise in cost of living over the years. The 40 per cent of basic pay allowance known as Gilgit Allowance was withdrawn in 2005. Government servants are agitating for recognition of Northern Areas as a hardship area and payment of a suitable compensatory allowance to them to meet the additional cost of living incurred during winter months.
(Courtesy Daily Dawn)

Beyond child mortality

Beyond child mortality
NO matter what the government does to sell a positive image of Pakistan to a doubting international community, the country’s socio-economic indicators — particularly those pertaining to children who constitute 44 per cent of the population — will continue to reflect its skewed priorities. Unicef’s latest report on the ‘state of the world’s children’ is not exactly an eye-opener, for it is no secret that Pakistan has failed to protect its children from the ravages of disease and malnutrition. But it does underscore the paradox of the situation — that a nation which frequently flaunts its nuclear prowess as a demonstration of its concern for national security should not even be able to guarantee health security to its children.There are, of course, many reasons why Pakistan has slid to a dismal rank of 42 in the U-5MR index, with Afghanistan being the worst in South Asia. Apart from malnutrition, inadequate access to immunisation programmes, poor health services and complications at birth that untrained midwives are unable to prevent, there is also the issue of gender bias. Not only does the preference for male children mean nutritional deprivation for the girl child, it also has a negative impact on maternal health that is crucial to the wellbeing of the unborn infant.What is a matter of concern though is that despite spending more than 0.5 per cent of GDP — an amount almost equivalent to the total meagre allocation for health — on child and maternal health programmes, progress has been slow. What is impeding better results? Are the budgeted amounts being spent judiciously and honestly? A fair assessment is needed of the programmes and their implementation, because at this rate Pakistan is not going to meet the millennium development goal of reducing child mortality by two-thirds by 2015.At the end of the day, one must come back to the initial point of skewed priorities. Last June, Pakistan increased its defence budget by almost 10 per cent — to 3.13 per cent of the GDP. Predictions are that the allocated amount of Rs275bn will increase in the years ahead as the military continues to battle a never-ending stream of Islamic militants and shores up other defences. It is tragic that the emphasis on defence has diverted the government’s attention from the social sectors which have a direct impact on the quality of life of the people, especially children. If young lives have to be saved, the focus must be on the status of women in Pakistan. Educated and healthy women, who space their children, bear and rear healthy babies who grow up to be productive adults who contribute to the progress of the nation. By investing in its people, the government can show it cares about them. This could prove to be the most effective way of battling militancy that, more than religious indoctrination, has its roots in poverty and growing social discontent.
(Courtesy Dawn Editorial page 25 th January 2008)

Another winter of discontent

Another winter of discontent
AS if rising inflation and growing political instability were not enough, winter has struck with such severity in the northern and other regions of the country that routine life in many parts has come to a virtual standstill. At least six people have died in the bitter cold of southern Punjab while an unspecified number of deaths have been reported from the Northern Areas where hospitals admitting patients with winter-related ailments are without adequate heating. Heavy snowfall and rains have restricted access to better medical amenities, and the supply of basic facilities like food, fuel and water has been badly affected. Matters are equally precarious for the internally displaced. These include the 2005 quake survivors, many of whom, despite some progress in reconstruction, are still living in tent villages as construction work remains affected by the extreme weather.While record low temperatures are being registered this winter at various places, it is not as if freezing weather is an unknown phenomenon in the country. Knowing its repercussions for populations ill equipped to deal with it, why didn’t the government ensure that its medical outlets, especially in remote areas, were stocked with sufficient medicine to administer to patients of pneumonia and other respiratory, winter-related illnesses, and that there was a regular supply of food? Prices of fuel, including firewood, have also gone up and the government has failed to keep these in check. Local communities may be able to brave this winter and get through it as they have been doing for so many years. But the government cannot afford to show complacency. It must have a crisis management plan in hand to ensure that such weather does not cause hardship to the people in future. Additionally, it should profit from experience and be making contingency plans for the time when the snows melt, worsening the threat of floods in riverine areas.
(Courtesy Dawn Editorial page)

Deposed CJP served another notice

Deposed CJP served another notice
ISLAMABAD, Jan 24: The deposed chief justice of Pakistan (CJP), Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, on Thursday received another notice from the Public Works Department (PWD), directing him to vacate his official residence, sources close to the chief justice told Dawn.They said some government official arrived at the residence of the deposed chief justice, located at Judges’ Colony, and served him the notice.Earlier, the PWD had issued the same notice to Justice Chaudhry on January 12.The sources said he refused to oblige and insisted that neither could he be treated as a retired judge nor the rules allowed the authorities to get the residence vacated in the next six months.Interestingly the notice was served not through the law ministry or the registrar of the Supreme Court, but through the PWD, they said, adding that the department had no jurisdiction in the matter.The sources said the full court decision passed by 16 members of the Supreme Court on May 21, 2007 was binding on the executive and could not be disregarded or over ruled by the registrar/assistant registrar.This notice was contempt of Supreme Court, they added.Under the Constitution, Justice Chaudhry is the chief justice of Pakistan till 2013, they said, adding that any attempt to forcibly evict him would not only be contempt of the Supreme Court but would be resisted by the legal fraternity and the people of Pakistan.The mention of the purported rule is irrelevant and illegal, the sources said.
(Courtesy Dawn)

Women more vulnerable in labour market

Women more vulnerable in labour market
ISLAMABAD, Jan 24: The International Labour Organisation on Thursday said labour market vulnerability for female workers in Pakistan has increased, while it has decreased for their male counterparts.The increase indicates that the jobs for women are of poor quality."An investigation of labour market groups shows that vulnerability decreased by 5.0 percentage points for males but increased by 6.5 points for females," said ILO’s annual Global Employment Trends report (GET).Women constitute about 20 per cent of the country’s labour force with 8.4 per cent of the women population participating in civilian labour force.Vulnerable employment is an indicator to assess decent work deficits.The reason attributed to the upward trend in vulnerability of the female labour force is an increase in the number of female contributing family workers.At the national level, vulnerable employment is associated with illiteracy in Pakistan.A breakdown by economic sector demonstrates that vulnerability is often reduced in sectors leading recent employment growth, such as manufacturing, trade and construction. The financial sector was an exception, as employment growth in this sector was accompanied by an increasing share of vulnerable employment. However, given the nature of this sector, with the lowest rate of illiteracy of all economic sectors, this increase is unlikely to reflect a growing decent work deficit, the report said.It said South Asia was the leader in jobs growth during 2007, contributing 28 per cent of the nearly 45 million jobs created during the year worldwide. At the same time, the region has the highest share of vulnerable employment much of which reflects the poor quality of jobs created. More than seven out of 10 people are either own-account workers or contributing family workers, carrying a higher risk of being unprotected, without social security and without a voice at work.In terms of vulnerable employment as a share of total employment, South Asia, with a rate of 77.2 per cent, was followed by sub-Saharan Africa at 72.9 per cent, South-East Asia and the Pacific at 59.4 per cent, East Asia at 55.7 per cent, Latin America and the Caribbean at 33.2 per cent, Middle East at 32.2 per cent and North Africa at 30.7 per cent.Commenting on the report, an ILO official said: "What is apparent is that economic progress doesn’t automatically translate into new and decent jobs. This shows once again that labour market policies must be at the centre of macroeconomic policies to ensure that economic growth is inclusive and that development involves good, decent work. The current economic situation is, therefore, a cause for significant concern and the ILO will monitor developments closely over the coming year."
(Courtesy Daily Dawn)

APNS calls for withdrawal of notices to its members

APNS calls for withdrawal of notices to its members
KARACHI, Jan 24: The All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) has called for withdrawal of the suo motu notices issued to its members by the Implementation Tribunal for Newspaper Employees, Islamabad, and has claimed that such proceedings were not within the ambit prescribed under the Implementation Rules.According to a press release of the APNS, several cases of newspaper establishments have been fixed for hearing before the tribunal.The APNS has filed a statement against the suo motu notices being issued to its members for submission of documents, declarations and information allegedly towards implementation of the 7th Wage Board decisions of October 2000. The APNS has also challenged the constitutional vires of the 1973 Act (NECOSA) and the 7th Wage Board decisions in the Sindh High Court. The APNS contends that powers to act suo motu under NECOSA are very limited and such proceedings initiated by the tribunal are not within the ambit prescribed under the Implementation Rules.The APNS maintains that because of the substantial legal submissions, the proceedings should be deferred till the decision of the SHC in C.P. No 1151 of 2007 filed by the APNS against the tribunal itself. Notices have already been issued on the writ petition.Raising many questions about the award itself and the decision of the Chairman of the 7th Wage Board, the APNS has prayed for withdrawal of suo motu notices or, alternatively, the respondent should be informed of the nature of the proceedings and the same be continued and conducted in accordance with the applicable procedural laws and in any case the proceedings may not relate to period beyond the permissible validity period of the award.The matter is likely to be heard by the ITNE on Feb 6.
(Courtesy Daily Dawn)

Shujaat’s brother grilled in London, deported

Shujaat’s brother grilled in London, deported: British government regrets action
ISLAMABAD, Jan 24: Britain’s anti-terror police on Tuesday detained Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain’s younger brother, Wajahat, along with his three nephews and two other people after their arrival in London from Spain.The six men were put on a flight to Pakistan after several hours of interrogation at a detention centre. They were not allowed to enter Britain.The highly dramatic, and somewhat humiliating, development took place at London’s Gatwick airport where the anti-terrorist squad was already present when Chaudhry Wajahat’s flight arrived from Barcelona.Chaudhry Wajahat and five others were immediately whisked away to a nearby detention centre for questioning. Highly informed sources told Dawn that the six were taken into custody under Britain’s anti-terror law, but there was no word on the nature of questioning.More than 24 hours after the detention, and subsequent deportation, intense diplomatic efforts led to the issuance of a statement of regret by the British authorities.In a brief three-line statement, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) expressed regret on "any inconvenience and distress" caused to Chaudhry Wajahat and other members of his group.The FCO did not specify the reasons for the arrest and deportation, but said that all of them were free to return to the UK and that their visas were unaffected.On his return to Pakistan, Wajahat Hussain described the entire development as extremely humiliating. He told DawnNews that "if it could happen to me, most other Pakistanis are more vulnerable".He would not give details about the nature of questioning by the British authorities, but denied it had anything to do with human smuggling.Wajahat Hussain, a younger brother of PML chief Shujaat Hussain, is regarded as the most powerful man in Gujrat and is the chief campaigner of PML-Q in Punjab.Highly informed sources said the London drama happened on Jan 22 when Chaudhry Wajahat, along with his nephew and other relatives, arrived from Barcelona, mainly to make arrangements for some private functions lined up for President Pervez Musharraf.These sources said hours after Wajahat Hussain was taken into custody in London, the Pakistan High Commission received a fax informing it of the development. At that stage the Pakistani diplomats were neither allowed access to the detainees nor were they informed of the charges.The information led to intense diplomatic exchanges between London and Islamabad. After some time the high commission was again told that the six men were being released and put on a plane to Pakistan.And it was much later, and after Wajahat and others had already arrived in Pakistan, that the FCO issued a statement of regret.No explanation was given for the detention, and considering the sensitivity of the entire issue, none may ever come from London. However, those closely following anti-terrorism efforts in Europe say there may have been an error of judgment.According to them, Wajahat Hussain arrived in Spain only days after the Spanish authorities arrested 12 Pakistanis and two Indians on charges of having links with some "terror-related activity".It is not clear if during his stay in Spain Wajahat Hussain met members of the Pakistani community, many of whom are from Gujrat.However, some believe it is quite possible that his activities in Barcelona may have been misread by the Spanish and British authorities because of the arrest of the 12 Pakistanis.Our Correspondent in London adds: Sources said the British authorities did not allow the Pakistan High Commission to get in touch with Chaudhry Wajahat while he was being interrogated by an anti-terror squad.The nature of charges against the group is still a mystery. The fax which was reportedly received by the Pakistan High Commission in London had said that they were deported under Schedule 7 of the anti-terror act.
(Courtesy Daily Dawn)

Cheif Editor Of BANG-E-SAHAR is Under Threat

Cheif Editor Of BANG-E-SAHAR is Under Threat
Pakistan occupied Gilgit Baltistan is the last colony of twenty first century.All the local newspapers as working under the censorship policy and monitoring of Pakistani army and agencies.The newspapers are baned to promote constitutional matters and human right violations by the so called champions of free media. In Gilgit Baltistan round about one dozen local papers are published by local publishers. In last decade of last century weekly K-2 was most popular local weekly paper .K-2 was focusing the constitutional and human right violations because of that the chief editor Raja Hussain khan Maqpoon face many cases , But after a huge pressure from Pakistani agencies the publisher of k-2 change the policy of his paper.The local papers are just free to highlight the govt view . Local papers are totally baned to project the national question of Pakistan occupied Gilgit Baltistan.
After the fake war of Kargil Engineer Manzoor Parwana and his team start to publish a Monthly Magazine with the name of Kargil International. Kargil International raise many question in different edition of the Magazine about fake war and national question of POGB. When Kargil International achieve the popularity in GB then home department baned on Kargil on advice of force commander, And kargil international was baned from 2005 to till now . Manzoor Parwana and Shezad Agha are facing cases in courts.
In 2002, DJ Mathal start a Magazine from Karachi with the name of Bang-e-Sahar.
From the first day publishing Bang-e-Sahar highlighted the national question of Gilgit Baltistan.
Pakistani agencies and bureaucracy create lot of pressure on chief editor and his team. Govt totally baned the govt advertisements to Bang-e- Sahar.Bang-e-Sahar was published as a Monthly Magazine for Six years. The chief editor face financial crises. But the team of Bang-e-Sahar never compromise on their policies.They projecting the national question of GB and highlight the role of agencies as well as humen rights violation in GB .
In 2007 DJ Mathal decide to publish Monthly Bang-e-Sahar as Weekly newspaper.He started his work with his old policies.With in small duration weekly Bang-e-Sahar start to beat other local papers in market.. The circulation of Bang-e-Sahar is increased day by day.
Because of the strong policy chief editor and his team receive lot of threat telephone calls from Un known places.
In 20th edition of Weekly Bang-e- Sahar team published an editorial on GBNA ( A so called political alliance of GB ).The editorial discuss the role of GBNA and raise some question on the chairman of GBNA. After publishing of that edition some unknown elements of District Diamer protest against Weekly Bang-e-Sahar in Chilas and the protesters burn Bang-e-Sahar on road,,... which is a question mark on free media.
According to the neutral Analysts that protest was financed and project by High officials of non local bureaucracy.
After that the Team of Weekly Bang-e-Sahar is facing different threats from Un known places through telephone and letters.
I am requesting to the political activists of POK,POGB and IOK, civil society and media association, please highlight this issue at different forums.
Weekly Bang-e-Sahar is the voice of the two million peoples of occupied GB.
The Chief editor was Un secure please give moral support to the team of weekly Bang-e-Sahar.Our all of sympathies and well wishes are with weekly bang-e-Sahar . We hope that Bang-e-Sahar will stand on the old policies with the help of the civil society of GB.
Shafqat Ali Inqalabi

Kashmiri political activists participation in anti Musharraf rallies in Brussels

Brussels (Press release)
Kashmiri political activists participation in anti Musharraf rallies in Brussels
We want free media, We want freedom, We want democracy, Down with dictatorship, Justice for Chief Justice, release all political prisoners, lawyers and judges of apex courts in Pakistan. These were the slogans shouted in a public demonstration organized by Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Muslim League (N) and Pakistan Tahreek e Insaaf and Kashmiri Community in Brussels. On the arrival of Parvez Musharraf and his appearance before the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament yesterday. Demonstrators were shouting that Parvez Musharraf is an assassin of Benazir Bhutto and United Nations should intervene and investigate in the killing of Benazir Bhutto. People from across the Europe were gathered in Brussels to condemn tyrannical rule of military junta in Pakistan. Addressing to the protesters Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri chairman United Kashmir Peoples National Party paid tribute to Benazir Bhutto and praised the role of Nawaz Sharif after the killing of Pakistani leader. He said that pro democracy political leaders have been threatened by the ruling mafia in Pakistan. In his speech Mr. Kashmiri heralded world community to withdraw their financial, moral and political support of Musharraf and co who is disguised in beautiful words of enlighten moderation, but contrary to the facts present regime has taken concrete steps against their own words of enlighten moderation and democracy in the country. Musharraf is insulting its populace by saying that people of Pakistan are not eligible of human rights and democracy of international standard. This is dismay that he speak with world community that Pakistani nation is sub-standard humanity among the family of nations.He pose himself the only moderate person and trying to persuade world community that his presence for peace and stability is inevitable and he has to play vital role against terrorism a global threat today. We intend to warn world community that they should examined Pakistani Government actions not their words.Mr Kashmiri elaborated that Pakistani military under the leadership of Musharraf was and is fighting against secular, progressive political parties in the country during his reign lawyers have been arrested under terrorism acts, Judges of the apex courts have been put under house arrest, media was banned and only religious groups were allowed to operate in the country freely and independently. He provided support to these disgruntled elements to show the world community that extremism is growing threat; we believe that Musharraf and his allies are responsible of destroying social fabric of the country. Majority of the Pakistani people are progressive, secular and they have keen demand in democracy and rule of law in the country. Babar Ali Azad, Malik Aman Ullah Khan, Waseem Akhtar, Nawaz Abbasi, and Saif ullah Saify leader of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) , Sheikh Majad, and G.M Khan of Pakistan Tahreek e Insaaf, Chairman Balawaristan Front Abdul Hamid Khan, Mumtaz Khan senior leader UKPNP Canada, Mohammad Ishaque Khan President UKPNP Belgium unit,Sajid Hussain, Jamil Maqsood General Secretary Central leader Naseem Iqbal, Khalil Ahmed Habib JKLF also addressed at that occasion and expressed their solidarity with Pakistani people.
Jamil Maqsood
United Kashmir Peoples National Party Belgium

Poor states make headway in reducing child mortality

Poor states make headway in reducing child mortality
KARACHI, Jan 22: Though the total number of annual deaths among children below five fell below 10 million, to 9.7 million, in 2007, the world is not yet on track to achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target of a two-thirds reduction in the rate of their mortality by 2015, says the latest Unicef report ‘The State of the World’s Children 2008’.This was for the first time in recent history that the child mortality rate showed a 60 per cent drop since 1960.The countries which have made progress included China where under-five mortality rate has declined from 45 deaths for every 1,000 live births to 24 per 1,000, a reduction of 47 per cent since 1990. The rate in India has declined by 34 per cent.Though the number of deaths dropped by 50 per cent or more since 1990 in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Bolivia, Eritrea, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Nepal, under-five mortality rates in these countries remain high. While Ethiopia achieved nearly a 40 per cent cut since 1990.However, the report says, there is no room for complacency as half of the world’s regions are making insufficient progress towards MGD4 concerning reduction in child mortality. Everyday, on average, more than 26,000 children under the age of five die around the world, mostly from preventable causes.Nearly all of them live in the developing world, or more precisely, in 60 developing countries. More than one third of these children die during the first month of their life, usually at home and without access to essential health services."Meeting MGD4 implies that during the next seven years the number of child deaths must be cut in half to fewer than 13,000 child deaths per day or fewer than five million per year. The enormity of challenge should not be underestimated. The world will have to reduce the number of child deaths between 2008 and 2015 at a faster rate than it has managed since 1990," it says.According to the report, of the 62 countries making no progress or insufficient progress towards the MDG on child survival, nearly 75 per cent are in Africa. In some countries in southern Africa, the prevalence of HIV and AIDS has reversed previously recorded declines in child mortality.The reports also highlights that neonatal mortality accounts for almost 40 per cent of all under-five deaths and for nearly 60 per cent of infant (under-one deaths).The largest absolute number of deaths occurs in South Asia India contributes a quarter of the world total but the highest national rates of neonatal mortality occur in sub-Saharan Africa. South Asia also has the highest level of under-nutrition among its regions."A common factor in these deaths in the health of the mother each year more than 500,000 women die in childbirth or from complications during pregnancy, and babies whose mothers have died during childbirth have a much greater chance of dying in their first year than those whose mothers remain alive," the reports points out.According to the latest estimates of 2000-2006, at present in the developing world, one quarter of pregnant women do not receive even a single visit from skilled health personnel; only 59 per cent of births take place with the assistance of a skilled attendant; and just over half take place in a health facility.Recently, a package of 16 proven interventions was identified that could avert up to 72 per cent of all newborn deaths. These include tetanus toxoid immunization, skilled attendants at birth, access to obstetric care, immediate and exclusive breastfeeding, drying and keeping newborns warm, access to resuscitation, if needed, special care of low-birth weight infants and treatment of infection, the report states.It adds that the timing of these packaged interventions can be crucial.The report also makes a strong case of empowering and educating women and mentions it as a key factor both to lowering the number of deaths among children under five and to reaching MDG5 which aims to cut maternal mortality by three quarters by 2015."It is also well known that when are in charge of household finances, they tend to spend a larger portion of the household budget on food and other necessities for children. For these reasons, giving women the means to become more economically self-reliant will likely to have positive spin-offs for children," it says.
(Courtesy Daily Dawn)

APHC has Lost its Confidence Even in Valley

APHC united front
Dear all,
National liberation struggle has exposed Kashmiri leadership, especially, APHC leaders have naked themselves right in front of Kashmiri Nation. None of the APHC leaders have any thing to do with freedom struggle. Most of them are and have been served thee interests of our occupiers. They are artificial, so called freedom fighters and now most of the Kashmiris have learned from their own political experiences that none these leaders have any program for the salvation of Kashmiri Nation. APHC leaders have proved that they are the one who made the Valley worst kind of suffering and still not ready to betray their pay masters from Delhi and Islamabad. APHC leaders have failed to provide alternate leadership even in valley let alone in POK and POGB.
There is short cuts for Kashmiris and they have to follow the real principles of freedom movements. Kashmiris can not wait for so long to tell their so called leaders how to lead hem to the path of freedom and salvation. Kashmiris have suffered the most, especially from valley and sacrificed more than any freedom movement in the history of liberation movements in the world but there is no result after all why because this freedom movement is leaderless. These so called leaders are opportunists, cowards, hypocrites, anti freedom movement and not pro people. Kashmiris must dump these leaders first because they are the one who are real obstacles achieving our freedom. APHC claims that it represents entire state of Jammu Kashmir but they could not even get any relief for valley and betray them.
Kashmiris did put forward their suggestions since 1990 but none of the APHC leaders has paid any attention to them. Kashmiri Nation has given one suggestion to their leaders that they must not fall in to the traps of secret agencies of occupiers but they did not listen to them. Kashmiris have given second suggestion to the leaders of APHC that they must demand the right of self-determination to all regions of state of Jammu Kashmir but they did not do that. The third suggestion was put forward to the leaders of APHC that do not make an alliance with Indian and Pakistani rulers but they did not listen to any one. The fourth, suggestion was given to them that try to unified freedom movement and spread it to the all regions of Jammu Kashmir but they did not do that. The fifth, suggestion was given to them that do not play with religious sentiments of people of Jammu Kashmir but they did not care. They do not have agenda of united Kashmir but divided Kashmir. How we can trust them now and believe them that they will begin with the real struggle of National liberation.
APHC has lost its confidence even in valley and they do not care about POK and POGB. If they are united what will happen no thing at all because they are the part of bigger game played by Delhi and Islamabad. APHC is neither the representative of entire valley nor any other region of Jammu Kashmir. Even JKLF which claims that it has been struggling for the freedom of entire Jammu Kashmir has proved that it has nothing to do with other regions of the state. I remember that once I had asked JKLF chief Yasin Malik that why he did not condemn the POK and Pakistani Govt when they rejected nomination papers of pro-Independence candidates in POK he did not reply. We have to accept the reality that our leaders are not representing us at all, they have every thing in mind except our freedom. If they formed a united front in valley nothing will be changed because they do not want any thing except freedom of Kashmiri people, so why Kashmiri people care about them and their alliances.
Regards.
Javed Inayat.
(Courtesy kashnet)

Musharaf and pro Pakistan Kashmiris

Musharaf and pro Pakistan Kashmiris
Dr Shabir Choudhry 24 December 2007
Strategically important and resource rich State of Jammu and Kashmir was important to both India and Pakistan in 1947, and in year 2007 when the State is still forcibly divided and source of tension in the region, its importance to them has not declined.
Both countries worked out their strategies to acquire Kashmir even before they became independent themselves, and this struggle to wrest Kashmir created mayhem in which people of Jammu and Kashmir suffered immensely. The suffering and miseries of the people has not ended although tension and rivalry between the two countries has reduced due to internal and external pressures leading to various confidence-building measures.
Both have different reasons to capture Kashmir. India claims Kashmir on the strength of provisional accession, which was never ratified. Pakistan claims it because Jammu and Kashmir is a Muslim majority state, even though Kashmir was not part of demand for Pakistan and the Two Nations Theory did not apply to the Princely States including Jammu and Kashmir.
Whether the accession was legal and final or not, India is not prepared to let Kashmir go, as in their opinion it strengthens their secular credentials. Of course apart from that point, India has other strategic and economic reasons for getting Kashmir, and they have made it part of their constitution. And no government, even if they wish, can muster enough political support to make changes to the constitution.
Pakistan, unlike their declared policy on Kashmir has economic and strategic aims in Kashmir. Also it is believed that their Kashmir policy provides justification for establishment of Pakistan, and this requires constant anti India stance, which must promote policies of communalism and hatred between the both countries. Pakistani governments have advanced this policy successfully under the cover of Kashmiri peoples right of self – determination.
Pakistani agencies articulated their Kashmir policy with care and dedication, and despite their exposed designs on Kashmir, many Kashmiris till recently believed that Pakistan was serious and sincere in getting them 'liberated'. Their persuasive skills hoodwinked many Kashmiris in believing that Pakistani governments seriously wanted to promote the Kashmiri cause and fundamental rights for the people, even though these rights were denied to the Kashmiri people in areas under their control.
One might rightly say that Pakistan had edge over India as majority of the Muslim population had a soft corner for Pakistan. Also Pakistan had a Standstill Agreement with the Maharaja of Kashmir, which provided legal access to Pakistan in all parts of Jammu and Kashmir, but thanks to Pakistan's military activism this advantage was lost after failed tribal invasion.
This military activism brought trouble, destruction and misery for the people of Jammu and Kashmir and left bad taste in their mouths. The State was forcibly divided between India and Pakistan, and efforts of both countries to make Kashmir part of their nation added to problems of the people of the State. Not only they were sandwiched between the two rival neighbours, their sense of belonging and loyalty was also divided.
Leaders of both countries claimed to speak for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and represented what they thought were wishes of the Kashmiri people at the UN and other international meetings. While right of self – determination of the Kashmiris, and future of the State was being debated Pakistani government ensured that the people of Kashmir were deprived of this fundamental human right.
In its place Pakistani government proposed and which was accepted in the UN Security Council that the people of the State should get a right to accession to either India or Pakistan. Perhaps the people of the State were not deemed fit to enjoy fruits of independence. However when the Pakistani leaders realised that they might lose vote in future referendum they refused to honour pledges made in the UNCIP Resolution on 13 August 1948.
The main reason for this was the fear that with Sheikh Abdullah, the most popular Kashmiri leader as head of the administration in Kashmir, they might not get the required votes to legally get Jammu and Kashmir. Sheikh Abdullah had no allusions about the Pakistani designs in Kashmir and did not want to become part of Pakistan because of ideological, political and personal reasons.
Part 2, section A, of this resolution demanded government of Pakistan to withdraw ''its troops from the State." And paragraph 2: " The Government of Pakistan will use its best endeavour to secure the withdrawal from the State of Jammu and Kashmir of tribesmen and Pakistan nationals not normally resident therein who have entered the State for the purpose of fighting."
The resolution also demanded government of India to 'withdraw the bulk of their forces from that State in stages to be agreed upon with the Commission', once the government of Pakistan had completely withdrawn its troops, the tribesmen and other Pakistani nationals who went there for the purpose of fighting.
Events of mid 1950s changed the whole scenario in Kashmir and South Asia. Sheikh Abdullah was deposed and imprisoned leading to anti India demonstrations. Pakistan joined Western military alliances of SEATO and CENTO, and subsequently the Kashmir dispute became a part of the 'Cold War' politics. It must be noted that the Soviet Russia changed its policy on Kashmir after 1955 leading to use of its first veto on a resolution on Kashmir in 1957. Prior to that, by and large, Soviet Union was neutral on the issue of Kashmir.
Some people might agree with this view that anti India feelings and alienation of Kashmiris was manipulated to wage a 'proxy war' against India. Some even believe that the main purpose of this exercise was to keep 'India engaged' and 'bleeding', and 'liberation' of Kashmiris was never on the agenda. However one might accept that up till mid 1992/3 the majority of people of Jammu and Kashmir wanted to join Pakistan.
This trend started to change when people of Jammu and Kashmir began to understand the game plan. This trend was hastened especially with the return of 'mujahids' back to the Valley. They explained their experiences and stories to unravel this myth that Pakistan was their well- wisher and sincerely wanted to help them to 'liberate from clutches of India'. People of Jammu and Kashmir started to analyse what Pakistan had to offer to them should they join them. Also they started to understand what Pakistan has given to the people of the State living under Pakistani control.
People of Jammu and Kashmir were extremely annoyed with human rights situation in Kashmir. They, like any other nation, wanted to live in peace and enjoy fruits of democracy and independence. They felt they were let down and used by both governments to advance their national interest in which people of Jammu and Kashmir suffered. The oppressed and divided people could not see light at the end of tunnel, and this added to their frustration and resentment.
Majority of the people agreed that the Kashmir dispute was political in nature and religion had no role in it, although attempts have been made to 'Islamise' and 'Talibanise' the Kashmiri society and polity in order to get the desired results. People of Jammu and Kashmir have always been split in three political camps namely, pro Pakistan, pro India and Pro Independence.
With time vote bank of pro independence camp dramatically increased and pro Pakistan camp has decreased, especially after the rise of Musharaf factor. Entry of Musharaf in the Kashmiri and Pakistani politics came with the Kargil fiasco. His army failed to invade Kashmir, but once again, relying on the rich past experience invaded his own capital and trampled democracy and human rights.
Musharaf, no doubt has added another dark chapter to history of Pakistan. He and his forces have trampled human rights, silenced opposition, attacked and muzzled media personnel, dishonoured judiciary, humiliated honourable judges, and what adds to the tragedy is that he still feels proud of his deeds.
Apart from that he was unequivocal in his message to the people of Jammu and Kashmir that he was not interested in their fundamental rights including right of self- determination (how can he be if he is not interested in rights of his own people why should he be concerned about rights of those who are not yet Pakistanis), he was more interested in prolonging his rule and division of the state that he could boast he had added to the territory of Pakistan.
His policies and proposals on Kashmir exposed whatever cover was there to hide true agenda of Pakistan, and that was not liberation of Jammu and Kashmir and get people their fundamental rights. All his proposals lead to division of the State, possibly on communal lines, and no Kashmiri could accept that. Whatever the future of the State people of Jammu and Kashmir think the state must remain as one political entity and must not be divided.
Musharaf factor is important in the context of Kashmir. He has transformed pro Pakistan Kashmiris in to 'Pro Independence' and 'Pro Kashmir' Kashmiris. This is something we have been working for so many years and have always faced uphill struggle, but Musharaf has done it within few years. Thank you very much.
Writer is Chairman Diplomatic Committee of JKLF, Director Institute of Kashmir Affairs and author of many books on Kashmir. He could be reached at: drshabirchoudhry@ googlemail. com-- Dr Shabir Choudhry

Snow leopard is fighting extinction

Snow leopard is fighting extinction
CHITRAL, Jan 21: The local population has been educated and made aware of the global importance of the protection of the endangered snow leopard as a result of which people are now much more sensitive about the issue, an official of the Snow Leopard Project (SLP) has said.Talking to Dawn here on Monday, he maintained that the villagers used to kill the animal by using automatic weapons when it attacked their cattle, but today the situation was quite different. He said that many projects launched to ameliorate the target population had quite positive and encouraging results.He informed this scribe that a team of SLP would shortly locate the collar of the global positioning system which had dropped from the neck of the snow leopard in the first week of January. He said that installed around the neck of the animal in Nov 2006, the collar was an electronic gadget sending radio signals to the remote system used by the researchers working for protection of the animal.He said that they had located the collar near Shali Gole but due to heavy snowfall, they could not go further as the gadget was believed to be buried under more than five feet snow. He added that the collar was made to drop after some years to replace its battery.Mr Jaffar said that the snow leopard was included in the red list of International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) mostly inhabited in eleven countries of Central and South Asia.He said that the range of habitat of the species was very wide which was about 80,000 square kilomotres and lived in rugged and rough terrains, which made it very difficult to continue the research. He added that extraordinary techniques were used to conduct study on it and with the development of technology, a snow-leopard information management system (SLIMS), had been devised.He said that global positioning system was part of SLIMS with the help of which animal’s position could be traced any time and the collar attached to its body could send its photograph as and when required.He said that due to decay of the species at an alarming rate, the SLP had been founded some 25 years ago which worked with the help of the World Wildlife Fund.He said that under the project, satellite radio collaring of the animal was accomplished in 2006 in Chitral adding, the Chitral Gol National Park and Tushi Game Reserve were its two main habitats while the animal migrated to Afghanistan in the summer season.The SLP manager said that the animal had come to Chitral some months ago from Afghanistan, adding that it had very low population density in the area and its exact population could not be predicted due to vast range of habitat. He further said that for the first time the snow leopard was photographed in Chitral Gol National Park in 1970s by George Schaller.
(Courtesy Daily Dawn)

Bhasha-Diamer project needs $7.8bn funding

Bhasha-Diamer project needs $7.8bn funding
ISLAMABAD, Jan 21: Wapda officials have informed President Pervez Musharraf that a technical study of the Bhasha-Diamer dam project will be ready by April, but the real problem lies in arranging $7.8 billion for building the dam.Informed sources told Dawn on Monday that Wapda had proposed that after finalising the technical study, a company should be set up to raise the funds needed to complete the dam by 2016.As demand for power continues to rise, the government has been putting pressure on Wapda to streamline work on the Bhasha dam which was in the most advanced stage compared to other four mega projects — Kalabagh, Munda, Kurrum Tangi and Akhori dams.According to the sources, Wapda officials have informed the president that $7.8 billion cost of the dam also included $1 billion additional cost which has to be met by the government for laying transmission line, building road network and other civil works in the area. "For power house and reservoir, foreign funding needs to be arranged while this $1 billion will have to be made available by the government if at all it wants to complete the project by 2016".However, the government has been assured that the amount of $1 billion would be recovered soon after the commissioning of the project. Wapda is expected to sort out soon other controversial issues relating to resettlement, cost of land, acquisition of land and environment.The sources said that due to rising inflation the cost of the project could go further up and that its "cost evaluation" would have to be firmed up again once Wapda completed the technical study.Storage capacity of the Bhasha-Diamer dam is also likely to be reduced from 7.34 million acre feet (MAF) to 6.34 MAF because of likely modification in the design of the dam.The dam has been planned in the Northern Areas of Pakistan on the River Indus. It will be located about 314 km upstream of Tarbela Dam and about 165 km downstream of Gilgit.The dam is expected to create a large reservoir with a gross capacity of 7.3 million acre feet submerging large tracts of land in the Diamer district. It will have a power generation capacity of 3360 megawatts and is expected to considerably ease the hydro- to -thermal power generation ratio in Pakistan.The sources also said that the government had in fact planned to borrow $18 billion from international banks to build Bhasha, Kalabagh dams and the Neelum-Jhelum hydro-electric power project.The decision to go to the international capital market was taken after the World Bank and Asian Development Bank said they could not provide the finances in the absence of consensus among the provinces on the projects.They also asked the government to clarify whether there was a fiscal space for undertaking projects of this magnitude.The sources said that the World Bank and the ADB first wanted the government to finalise feasibility studies for the five mega hydropower projects. So far, feasibility study for Kalabagh dam has been prepared.A senior official said the government had changed its strategy to arrange funding for the mega dams. "Now for each dam, a separate company will be set up to raise finances and initially the government has decided to arrange $16 billion for Neelum Jhelum, Kalabagh and Bhasha-Diamer dams"..He said that public-private partnership would be encouraged in the proposed companies for raising funds from international banks. "The government will make its equity investment in these companies but most of the finances will be arranged by them(companies)", he said.Local banks and financial institutions, the official, said, would also be approached by the proposed companies.However, the sources said that international banks would charge increased rate of interest for loans to the private companies. Moreover, the government will have to provide sovereign guarantee to foreign banks for loans to the proposed companies. "This is not good for the country as well as the economy," a source said ,adding that the government should sincerely try to remove differences among the provinces for building bigger dams and seek direct foreign loans on low mark-up from the World Bank and the ADB to avoid piling debt which had reached over $40 billion.
(Courtesy Daily Dawn)

Only a Stupid Would Think of Accession Now

Only a Stupid Would Think of Accession Now!
The individuals and forces in Jammu Kashmir who have been struggling to hand over their fate to Pakistan shall have to ponder several times over the history of Pakistan for the last 60 years with particular reference to year 2007. For things have started unfolding themselves quickly to all and sundry. I shall not make any mention of injustice meted out to so called `Azad Kashmir' and occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (OGB), the problem that `Kashmir Council' and other such oppressive institutions are, the reserved seats for the refugees of Jammu Kashmir, the role of general officer commanding (GOC) Murree, ISI and IB, foreign exchange remitted by the expatriates of Jammu Kashmir, royalty of Mangla Dam, water charge over Jammu Kashmir rivers and non-existence of constitution, lack of human rights and imposed sectarianism in OGB. I shall not mention any of the above today. I, however, feel forced, rather, to mention the historical facts about Pakistan, which have become open secret now, and whose very existence have become a question mark.
A few historical facts which only nationalists used to touch previously are being discussed openly through print and electronic media in Pakistan today. It is said that Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan and the father of nation, didn't die natural death for he was intentionally provided with an out of order ambulance which was without petrol. The first prime minister of Pakistan, Late Liaquat Ali Khan, was shot dead in Rawalpindi's Company Bagh (now Liaquat Bagh) by an hired assassin, Said Akbar, who was also shot dead soon after that so as as to erase any evidence available for initiating investigation. The Karachi bound aeroplane carrying the police officer with the case file of his assassination was also made to meet an accident near Jehlum. According to Mr. Sharifuddin Pirzada, an advocate, the all times supporter and friend of dictatorship and dictators, Mohtrama Fatima Jinnah (Mother-e-Millat) , also didn't die natural death but was found strangulated in her house by the goons of Ayyub Khan. The second prime minister of Pakistan, ZA Bhutto was hanged in such a case that no law of the world could do that except in Pakistan, and all the judges who passed that verdict were Punjabis. His elder son, Murtaza Bhutto, was killed in broad day light when his sister, Benazir Bhutto, was prime minister, but she couldn't do anything. When she invited Scotland Yard for investigation, her govt. had already been dissolved. The fate of Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, who is considered the father of Pakistan's atomic bomb, is not any secret now, for even a common man knows all about that. How could he alone buy or sell nuclear device or instruments under the very nose of generals, brigadiers and colonels? The fact is that proliferation was committed by generals and secret agencies who amassed untold wealth in trillions, but made him scape goat on the gun point. Pakistan military conducted three big operations in Baluchistan but couldn't crush the spirit of freedom of Baluchis. Lastly, Akbar Bhugti raised voice against rape of a daughter of Baluchistan, Dr. Shazia, by a rogue army captain, he was raided and killed in a cave, although liberation war is still going on in Baluchistan. The `jehadi' forces collected and trained in NWFP in 80's were not only used in Afghanistan and Jammu Kashmir (JK), but every where to spread and protect Islam and to wave green crescent. But what is going on with them now? What happened in `Laal Masjid' (Red Mosque) in Islamabad and to its inmates? How many innocent children (both male and female) and young and old were mercilessly butchered there? What happened to Benazir's procession in Karachi on 18th Oct, 07? According to Nazir Naji, a famous columnist of Urdu press, the planning to disturb the procession and to kill Benazir and her party's leadership on 18th Oct, 07, was done only 5 hours earlier. What is the secret in govt.'s frequently changing posture regarding the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, two timed prime minister of Pakistan? What does ex-general and present so called `president, Parvez Musharraf, means by saying that, yes, explosion took place, but it was wrong to cleanse the spot? Who committed that mistake and why? Was that a mistake or was done on the behest of some authority? And then what should we understand by the slogans – " we shall no more receive dead bodies of Sindhi prime ministers from Punjab" and "long live Sindhu Desh", which were raised on the occasion of Benazir's burial at `Naudero'. The Kargil was attacked, apparently, by the Kashmiri Mujahideen, but when the dead bodies started coming back to OGB, they were soldiers of NLI (Northern Light Infantry) with grass in their stomachs. Only then the world came to know that it was Pakistan army and not the `Mujahideen' etc. Still some 150 dead bodies are lying on the Indian side of Line of Control (LOC). The darkest aspect of this episode was that the president and prime minister of `Islamic Dictatorship of Pakistan' didn't know anything about it. Lo and behold! the chief soldier of Pakistan doesn't like to be answerable to the head of the govt. and the state, and such an armed forces still boast of being disciplined! The brigade commander who was directly responsible for this debacle was promoted to the rank of general, while his counterpart on the other side was court martilled for a minor lapse.The struggle for independent Baluchistan, especially after Bhugti's death, free Pakhtunistan, and the movement of Sindhu Desh are gaining ground for the obvious reasons. Under the circumstances, which Pakistan the pigmy politicians of so called `Azad Kashmir' and OGB are talking about? Do they think that some other Pakistan would be created somewhere for these generals? Have they not seen the naked mad dance of generals in Pakistan for the last 60 years? Are they expecting favour of any other sort from such people who have not forgiven their father and mother (Quaid-e-Azam. and Mother-e-Millat)? Who can make those greedy dogs responsible to kill 80 thousand innocent people in Kashmir just for their personal gains accountable? Nobody else for the time being, but we shall bring them to the books when Jammu Kashmir gets its freedom finally from fanatics and fundamentalists.The foregoing provides ample proof and justification for those to reconsider their stance who consider Pakistan a fort of Islam and a second `Kaaba' and have invented a new, meaningless and shameless phrase like `military democracy' and want to amalgamate themselves into it. For the prevalent situation clearly suggests that Pakistan has completed her physical and natural tenure and is heading towards her logical end. Those who are still inclined that concept of accession of Jammu Kashmir state to Pakistan is a viable option should reconsider their stand in the light of national interest and patriotism, for it would be suicidal for a self respecting nation to attach itself with such an unreliable and undependable country.
Arif Shahid
Secretary General All parties National Allaince(APNA)

1 Million Dollar World Bank Administered Japanese Grant

PRESS RELEASE
1 Million Dollar World Bank Administered Japanese Grant
for Northern Pakistan
Islamabad, Pakistan, 17 January 2008 ─ A US$959,239 grant was signed with Aga Khan Foundation today to alleviate economic and social poverty in Northern Pakistan through improvement in housing and living conditions. This initiative will be implemented by Aga Khan Planning and Building Service, (AKPBS, P) under their Building and Construction Improvement Programme (BACIP). AKPBS, P has been a winner of 2005 ALCAN Prize for Sustainability and the 2006 BSHF World Habitat Award for its efforts to improve water and sanitation projects and for improving housing conditions in Pakistan. This project is part of the World Bank administered Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) which funds innovative projects that provide direct assistance to the poorest and most vulnerable groups.
The objective of this grant is to promote the use of affordable Energy Efficient and House Improvement (EE & HI) products through village level awareness programs and installation of demonstration products in local households. In addition it will fund training and capacity building of local manufacturers, installers, retailers, communities, and other relevant institutions for production, adoption and marketing of EE&HI products and technologies. This grant is expected to significantly reduce the level of indoor pollution and smoke-related diseases that the current use of biomass fuel causes in mostly women and children of the Northern Areas. In addition, the project is structured to produce these products locally resulting in economic gains for local communities.
"This project holds tremendous potential to improve the living conditions of people in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. The market-based strategy it proposes to use is particularly commendable since it promises to make the project sustainable fairly quickly," said Yusupha Crookes, World Bank Country Director for Pakistan. "We are proud to be partnering with the Japanese Government to fund innovative ideas such as these which empower communities to take charge of their own development.
Mr. Seiji Kojima, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan said that he is very glad to witness the signing of the Agreement between the World Bank and Aga Khan Foundation.
He said he believes that this joint effort of the WB, Aga Khan Foundation and Japan will certainly improve the environment situation, living conditions and the health problem faced by the people of the region, especially the women, in the remote mountain valleys in Northern Pakistan. He also hopes that once this project is completed, it will be self sustainable.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Al-Nashir Jamal- Chief Executive Officer of the Aga Khan Foundation (Pakistan) said that the project will address issues of both poverty and in-door housing pollution in the Northern Areas of Pakistan by improving livelihoods and creating new economic opportunities.
He said that an important element of the project will be to promote the link between improved housing and socio-economic development, through interactions between professionals, NGOs, government line departments and other social organizations in the Northern Areas.
Mr. Jamal added that the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) has a long history of development work in the Northern Areas through a number of AKDN Agencies and appreciated and acknowledged the support and cooperation provided by the World Bank, the Government of Pakistan and the Government of Japan, and hoped that this partnership will grow and assist in the development of the Northern Areas.


Note:
Since inception in 1944, the World Bank has expanded from a single institution to a closely associated group of five development institutions. Its mission evolved from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) as facilitator of post-war reconstruction and development to the present day mandate of worldwide poverty alleviation in conjunction with its affiliate, the International Development Association. The World Bank is a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world. We are not a bank in the common sense. Each institution plays a different but supportive role in our mission of global poverty reduction and the improvement of living standards.
The Aga Khan Foundation, an institution of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), is a non-denominational, international development agency established in 1967 by His Highness the Aga Khan. Its mission is to develop and promote creative solutions to problems that impede social development, primarily in Asia and East Africa. Created as a private, non-profit foundation under Swiss law, it has branches and independent affiliates in 15 countries. It is a modern vehicle for traditional philanthropy in the Ismaili Muslim community under the leadership of the Aga Khan.
The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) was founded by His Highness the Aga Khan, 49th Hereditary Imam (spiritual leader) of the Ismaili Muslims. It is a group of private, non-denominational development agencies working to empower communities and individuals to improve living conditions and opportunities, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, Central and South Asia, and the Middle East. The Network’s nine development agencies focus on social, cultural and economic development for all citizens, regardless of gender, origin or religion. The AKDN’s underlying ethic is compassion for the vulnerable in society. Its annual budget for philanthropic activity is in excess of US$300 million.

Terrorists are Planning to Move further

Terrorists are Planning to Move furtherWe the people of Gilgit Baltistan strongly condemn the killing of Benazir Bhutto a former Prime Minister of Pakistan, instead of the fact that she was also failed to deliver any relief to the people of this disputed land.In the current fundamentalist environment in Pakistan she was the leader who could lead that country towards tolerance and somehow democracy in Pakistan. But that was also not so easy, because of the much interference of Pakistan Army and it's intelligence agencies in the private affairs of the people of that country. Law, constitution or justice was meaningless in the eyes of Pakistani Military.Benazir has done mistake by hand shaking with General Musharraf, who is actually going forward with the ideas of his boss General Zia (Late). Today’s manipulated intelligence agencies (world wide intelligence agencies) reports cannot be trusted. In such situation the only judgment is the GROUND REALITY and COMMON SENSE that Musharraf has proved himself as sympathizer of the terrorists, otherwise terrorism should have been declined, if he had taken any serious action against them. Pakistan Army and it's ISI are very discipline force. They only follow whatever they are tolled by their seniors. If there were any rough elements according to some analysts, they would have been expelled from the services, but not. It means no body in ISI rank or other Pakistani agency is out of control, This idea odf of USA and other people is baseless and contradicts to the ground realities. This idea also helps Genral Musharraf’s pro Terrorists ideology. Do the world remember that Musharaf once had announced that Osama had died. Musharaf has tried many time to dodge the USA and so-called coalition partners against terrorism.ISI was doing the same whatever it's seniors were telling and ISI seniors are the subordinate of the Pakistani forces. No body can survive in the ISI without the blessing of Chief of the Army. Whatever ISI was doing, was the order of General Musharraf.We think, the assassination of Mrs Bhutto was the order of General Musharraf, because her supporters were threat to the power of this terrorist Army, who always want to be in power either in civilian face or dictatorship. The alliance of Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif was the real threat to the Pakistan Army and General Musharraf’s future designs. Now, there is no institution in Pakistan ,which can pose threat to it's evil designs. Genral Musharraf and General Zia were blaming the civilian Political leader of the embezzlement, who get 30 percent share in the budget, but no check and balance of those (Pakistani forces) who get 70 percent share of the budget, besides huge aid from USA and other country of the world.If USA and world community are sincere in dealing with terrorists, they should support the restoration of Judiciary (Choudhry Iftikhar) and Nawaz Sharif and all those democratic forces who do not help the terrorists and should not allow Pakistani forces and it's agencies to interfere in the Political and private affairs of the people. Politics in t the name of religion should be prohibited and to support of the Pakistan Army should be stopped. This is the money and weapons of USA and Europe which goes to the terrorists, otherwise ISI cannot donate it's own salary to Talibaan and Al-Qaida. That is why the huge world money goes to these terrorists, who killed Benazir and have the design to kill every moderate person who creates hurdle in their way in Pakistan or elsewhere in the world.USA and rest of the world should know, that Osama Bin ladan is the treasure for Pakistani Generals and it's ISI. If Osama will be no more, if money and arms flow to Pakistan Army will be no more. That is why it's the best endeavour of General Mushrraf and ISI, Osma and Al-Zawahiri are safe. If even they die, Pakistan Army will never announce this, because Pakistan Army does not want to loose this huge flow of Money from USA.It's irony that the world community has failed in accessing the greedy ambition and evil designs of General Musharraf, who is not sincere with the democracy and not sincere with the moderate people. he is sincere with fundamentalist, that is why he has given free hand to the terrorist in Swat and he has provided every possible facility to the fundamentalists in every corner of Pakistan whether it's Peshawar, Lahore, Faisalabad, Waziristan, Swat, Deer, Bajawod, Chitral or Gilgit Baltistan and PoK. But Pakistan Army like General Zia was serious in crushing the moderate and democratic forces in Pakistan and it's occupied Gilgit Baltistan and PoK.Does the world knows, where Swat terrorists are and how Musharraf had directed them to be remain as calm, so they can be used against the infidels (Indians etc) in future?Terrorists network has been strengthened and their show of power in Swat was like an Army exercise, which was taken place by the guidance of ISI.Now, it's another information, that ISI is planning to shift the terrorists from Swat, Hazara and adjoining areas towards Gilgit Baltistan, so they could be given another task to crush nationalists and other political and religious opponents in those areas, where the political situation is going beyond their control in context of Jammu & Kashmir dispute after the resolution of European Parliament. Because the people of that area are getting united and they suddenly rejected General Musharraf so-called fraud package for Gilgit Baltistan.
Abdul Hamid KhanChairmanBalawaristan National Front (BNF)
Head Off:Majini Mahla, Gilgit, Balawaristan(Pakistan occupied Gilgit Baltistan)WEBSITE (Urdu & English) www.balawaristan. net EMAIL: balawaristan@ usa.com
Courtesy( www.balawaristan.net)

ISI Stretegy against BNF

Pakistan facing internal and external disputes since 1947, if we study the 59 Years history of Pakistan. it looks that the people of the four provinces don't admit Pakistan authority,or hate the policies of the rulers, where the internal condition is not good then external pressure is not strange thing. The capitalist mind Generals, bureaucracy, big and small bosses have knee down their Pakistan. In this region many tragedies have been repeated which have climbed, and on the other hand due to hunger and poverty the poor people have been throwned into the iron furnaces. But no lesson has been learned by incidents and the separate movements, have been started, but despite of political consensus with these elements, they depressed these movements.They give the mental as well as physical torture to their political and religious oponents. In Pakistan the system does not change for the people but changes for a single person, and it is the main cause that unemployment and poverty have caused suicidal attackes and to prostitution, and the responsiblities lies on the shoulder of the capitalist Generals and the landlords, who declare the opponents as traitors and foreign agents. Where the condition of the people of the Pakistani provinces are this their Gil git Baltistan is Here firstly Rajas, maharajahs, religious peers and meers were sucking the blood of the poor people, but they get the personal interest to keep happy their foreign masters, and they are getting the wellcome by both hands. The land and property went to the foreigners due to state subject rule abolition by Pakistani occupying regime. Five Years ago with the well planned changes in religious book syllabus, a dispute was raised between Shia and Sunnies by the Pakistani regime, and it took no interest to solve this sensitive issue, with the intension that this LAWA can be blast at any time. This created issue took many precious lives of both the Shia and Sooni sect of Islam, which was the part of Pakistan's officila policy to rule the area by dividing them like their British masters in the past.Pakistani Govt and ISI imported the terrorists from the frontier , and they were trained in the terrotory of Gilgit and Baltistan. ISI directly involved in the murder of the Shia Muslim community religious leader Agha Ziauddin Rizv but no criminal was brought to justice, in spite of the clear evidence of the involvement of ISI trained terrorists. After the murder of Syed Agha Ziauddin Rizvi the people are facing such difficulties, that are not treated like humanbeings and this is unexplainable. After the death of Agha ziauddin at least 110 people have been killed and probably hundreds are injured. Govt of Pakistan arrested the innocents people of Gilgit Baltistan, but they didn't touch any terrorist. At least 500 youth still in Gilgit jail, because of their religious and political differences with Muisharraf so-called moderate regime.To crush this tiny and inocent Nation of Gilgit Baltistan was started in the Zia Ul Haq regime, due to,Zia policy at Gilgit Baltistan, in 1988 about 60 thousand Taliban including Wahhabi's targeted the Gilgit, Jalalabad and many villages.Kidnapped women, killed even mentally upset people and burnt even the trees, crops and animals. In 1988 seventeen thousand people have been killed, due to lake of publicity facilities the real situation could not revealed to the world community.The newspapers published from Gilgit Baltistan are in total control of ISI and no journalist can dare to go against the directives of ISI, because there is no authority, where one can appeal and no court no body can prevent the ISI what it wanted to do. Most of the parts of Gilgit Baltistan are prohibited for the impartial foreign media and human rights organizations with one or another pretext.But Pakistani Govt and ISI manage to publish such items openly which defame and insult the religious and political opponents and the people of Gilgit Baltistan in it's controled news papers and electronic media. Recently a a terrorist owned weekly news paper has published an article which declared the shia and Ismail's as non Muslim, which was the part of the evil design of ISI against the people unity in this region. In Gilgit Baltistan there is a nationalist movement, Balawaristan National Front, which has been struggling to emancipate this land from the clutches of Pakistan since 1992. Pakistani regime and it's ISI are continuously threatning and spread propaganda's against this movement, because this is a strong movement which openly struggles against the Pakistani occupation.there fore the high official of occupying regime and ISI have been given special task to Police in Gilgit Baltistan and particularly in Ghezer yasen. Because the people of this area feel the Nationalism is the only ideology which can give them the control of their own land without the interfarance of Pakistan, but ISI see this movement very dangerous for Pakistan.Five month ago SHO Yasen Hokum khan told a BNF activist that any person want to struggle in this area, he has to launch another party, but not BNF, which clearly indicates the Pakistani game against Abdul Hamid khan chairman Balawaristan National Front (BNF). SHO of Yasen Police station further threatend if any activist of BNF does not change his behavior, the police will torture him by involving in fake cases and and he also revealed the Paki intention, it will take serious action against Abdul Hamid khan.ISI has been planing to divide the BNF by using it's stoges against Abdul Hamid Khan.This is the reason that the oppupying regime and the pay roll servants of ISI want to spread propaganda against Abdul Hamid khan to bring down the strengths from his own home land. The Military regime and its Agencies full aware that in Gilgit Baltistan specially Ghezer Yasen the public sympathy directly and indirectly with Abdul Hamid khan (BNF) Ideology. There is not only order to crush and bring down BNF activities to police, but secret agencies are involved the fundamentalist officials in administration and Judiciary against BNF struggle, The secret Agencies fully support terrorists financially and otherwise, and also advised the Govt departments to go against the BNF struggle.They fear the Abdul Hamid khan popularity in international community as well as in Gilgit Baltistan, will expose the designs of Pakistan and it's ISI. After the 8Th January 2005 the secret agencies network play a dangerous game In Gezer dist.The Agencies pushed allot of pukhtoon an Punjabi's (none local) terrorists to Ghezer.They show their business and go vilage to village by selling toys and purchasing waste items as disguised business.But one can realize how a person can manage their daily life routines by a little business, Of course these elements are sent by ISI to ascertain the strength of BNF. They travel every village of the Dist Ghezer and looking the people behaviors as well as the future planning. Some religious places of the Ismailia Muslims were lootted by these terrorists and many were killed, but all thoese criminals were protected by the local fundamentalist mind ISI agents of Police, Administration and Judiciary......(cont)
Haji Jan Gilgit
Actober 2006

The assassination of Benazir Bhutto

The assassination of Benazir Bhutto may have been carried out by Islamic fundamentalists or terrorists, but as Ms. Bhutto said repeatedly before her death, the assassins almost certainly have the support and aid of retired and serving members of Pakistani government, military and ISI military intelligence. Hussan Haqqani, a former adviser to Ms. Bhutto, in his book “Pakistan between Masque and military” shows that throughout the Pakistan’s history its military intelligence services have covertly funded and supported Islamic fundamentalist parties and military terrorist groups in order to weaken secular parties such as Bhutto’s PPP, progressive and Nationalist movement Likes (Karakorum National Movement) KNM, BNF, ANP in Karakoram and NWFP respectably and maintain their own power.
They have sown mistrust between civilian political leaders in order to create political crises that give them an excuse to intervene and maintain their own vast budget at the expense of the mass of Pakistan’s population, who continue to suffer in poverty (many of them supporters of PPP and Nationalist movements in Pakistan and Karakoram).
The US government’s mistaken belief that the military are a “force for moderation” in Pakistan has led them to fund and arm them through military aid.
That aid may well have helped to fund the assassination. No action was taken by Musharraf against any officers named by Ms. Bhutto as some suspected of involvement in the first suicide bombing attempt on her life in October.
The British government and international community should end all political support for military involvement in Pakistan’s government and do everything to persuade the US government to end military aid and changed foreign policy toward Pakistan particularly and third world countries in general and replace it with aid to charities, human rights groups and progressive movements in Pakistan and Karakoram (Gilgit-Baltistan) .
Sher Babadur
Senior member of Karakoram Students Organisation (KSO) and human right activist.

A comical celebration of independence in Gilgit Baltistan

The Northern Areas administration announces to celebrate Independence Day of Gilgit Baltistan on 21st November officially. The military and civil administration has finalized several programmes to celebrate the Independence Day of Gilgit to pay tribute to the martyrs and heroes of 1947 war.
The people of Gilgit Baltistan condemned the programme and said that 1st November is their day of Independence from Dugra’s regime, but the government of Pakistan wants to distort the history of Gilgit Baltistan through such comical celebrations.
Addressing a press conference in Skardu, Manzoor Hussain Parwana Chairman Gilgit Baltistan United Movement said " We have been celebrating two independent days for 60 years, firstly on 1st November, which is historically our independent day from Dugras, secondly on 14 August at the occasion of Independence Day of Pakistan officially. Now 21st November will be our 3RD independence day. It is a big joke with our nation. Govt of Pakistan has already seized our Identity, democracy and independent, now it is an attempt to distort our history.
"Gilgit Baltistan is entitle as the black hole of the world by European Union and known as the colony of 21st Century but we are flabbergasted that "What’s brand of independent is exist in the region for that three independent days are celebrating, while the people are facing wrath of slavery". He added
The background of this official buffoonery is that on 1st November the real day of Independence was observed by Gilgit Baltistan Democratic Alliance a pro-independence nationalists alliance and showed their street power first time in the history of the region. The peoples fully supported the agenda of nationalist organizations that was an intimidation for the Northern Areas administration.
At the nationalists rally, the people were found chanting slogans for Independence and they demanded for an Independent State comprising Gilgit and Baltistan.So the Northern Areas administration has decided to celebrate another day of Independence to reduce the pressure over the government. On 21st November, the Northern Areas administration will try to defuse the strength of nationalist with a large gathering of government servants and employees. It is to be noted that public gathering is prohibited due to state of emergency in the country.
‘The emergence of new Independent day 21ST November for Gilgit Baltistan may be included in the package of General Musharraf granted for the region recently".
A local leader concluded.

Issued By
Gilgit Baltistan United Movement
Skardu Baltistan
Dated 20th November 2007

WHY FORCE COMMANDER NAs WANT TO RE CELEBRATE INDEPENDENT DAY

WHY FORCE COMMANDER NAs WANT TO RE CELEBRATE INDEPENDENT DAY:-
According to a press note released by force commander Northern Areas that the Army wants to re-celebrate independent day of GilGit Baltistan on 21 of November what a shameful joke. On 1st November 2007 the Nationalist alliance of GilGit Baltistan show the power through a rally and a public gather Army and agencies feel fear. At the same time Mir Ghazanfar Ali Khan the so called chief executive and his team also try to celebrate independent day but the public reject the official programmed and pro Pakistani politicians failed to arrange public gather because of that Agencies give the task to force commander Northern areas ( the real government represent from Pakistan ) to reduce the pressure which was increased by the nationalist parties.
Force commander northern areas Major General muzamil hussain announced that the non local
administration also participate re celebrations.
Pakistani rulers totally failed to make space in the hearts of the two million slave peoples of occupied GilGit Baltistan because now the time is over. Peoples of Occupied area are not ready to trust more on Pakis.
Our peoples know that Pakistani government is responsible for their slave ness. We are hopeful that the peoples of GilGit will reject the armies re celebration same like official ceremony of so called assembly. Force commander and his team want to pressurize the nationalist through the help of administration but now we are not ready to see any dream from them.
Pakistani government wants to satisfy the peoples of the region through their shameful activities. We the nationalists reject the statement of force commander and we warrens them that stop these type of jokes with us. We never ready to accept any celebration ceremony by army because Pakistani army is occupied force in Gilgit Baltistan. Pakistani army is playing the role same like Israeli army in Palestine. Pakistani army is failed to stop terrorism in his own country. I am advising to force commander and army that if you have free time then go toward swat with your troops because you are responsible to safe your own country by t
errorism don't try to interferes in our historical issues which are non of your concern.
Shafqat Ali Inqalabi
POGB
15 November 2007

Role of the Members of NA Legislative Council

Role of the Members of NA Legislative Council:-
Few days back, I had a chance to meet a member of Northern Areas legislative Council, who is an activist of Pakistan Peoples Party. We discussed a lot of things including the role of opposition in the council and formulation of policies. Unfortunately, he was not that much politically mature in his responsibilities as an opposition leader in the Council, similarly all other members of Legislative Council are the same, who don’t know about their role and responsibilities. Their horizons of thinking are very limited, their concentration is just towards their salary and during their whole tenure they think and try to establish good relationship with bureaucrats, so they don’t create problems and hindrances while allocation and disbursement of ADP’s (annual development program) funds. In this way both the bureaucrats and members of the Legislative Council are involved in embezzlement activities and corruption. Forget their real job, they have no chance to think and discuss the real issues including the constitutional status of Northern Areas, educational problems, health issues, importance of tourism and its impact on Socio-economic condition of the people of Northern areas and they have no sense to understand the Geo-political importance of Northern Areas.All these issues which are prevailing due to the inability of the representatives, who are still unable to see the true picture of the Northern Areas and they follow and act on the orders which come from Islamabad, whether in the interest of the People of Northern Areas or not.Few months back some members of Legislative Council presented their resolution in the council demanding change in the name of Northern areas, empowerment of the deputy chief and advisors of the Legislative Council and providing job opportunities and promotion to the people of Northern areas in stead of outsiders.It was first time in the history of Legislative Council that such steps had been taken by some councilors and they tried to prove the realities by raising thheir voices for the needs and requirements of the people of northern areas. The Council did pass the resolution but ,as usual, their implementation did not materialize.After passing the resolution the councilors did not show the cooperation and were unable to persuade the federal government to implement their demands. Due to this very fact the people of Northern Areas have lost their confidence in the council and consider it a puppet, they give many other similar names to the council.Until and unless we don’t have competent political leaders we will remain in the same condition, it is the people of Northern Areas who have to think and struggle for their future and their basic rights. It is the responsibility of everyone to struggle for basic rights and understand the deprived and frustrated situation of the innocent people of Northern Areas and guide them towards positive goals.
Haji Jan Gilgit
18 September 2007

Nawaz Khan Naji's Conspiracy in London

Nawaz Khan Naji's Conspiracy in London:-
About one year ago Mr Nawaz khan Naji the former chairman of Balawaristan National Front (BNF) tookflight towards United kingdom with the aim to defuse the activities and international struggle of the exileChairman of BNF by getting political Asylum, with the direction of ISI. After landing on the soil of UK MrNaji announcement about his future plan and political activities through kashnet and used his ISI source inlocal based News papers for the propaganda against the chairman Abdul Hamid Khan. Naji kept hidden hisdeparture for UK and even from his senior party colleagues, patriots including the exile leader MrAbdul Hamid khan. Naji narrated his fake story to Chairman when asked the reason of his clandestinedeparture for UK. Naji tooled that he was twice attacked by ISI in Rawalpindi and Karachi, that is whyhe was compelled to flee the country for his life.In his first statement, Naji announced that he isgoing to change the party manifesto and open international party secretariat as well as a newwebsite. Naji had posted many statements from London,which did not match with the manifesto and popularstand of BNF. He also announced that he dissolved BNF cabinet. It was the fact that at least 3 months beforeof his departure from Pakistan, he dissolved the cabinet as acting chairman with the orders of theChairman Abdul Hamid Khan. The aim of dissolution of the cabinet headed by the temporary Chairman Naji wasto replace Naji by any other courageous person. It remained mysterious, after arrival in London Najiagain announced to dissolve the already dissolved cabinet. It indicated that Naji wanted to make surehis masters as well as the international community,that he in control of BNF. Even this trick backfired.When Naji and his masters in the ISI ring realized the failure of their design against the innocent peopleof Balawaristan as well as Mr Abdul Hamid khan in the international level, pusillanimous Naji was tolled byhis masters in ISI to go back and changed his plan.Thus Naji arrived Pakistan and face no threat fromISI, which proofed his lies and actual plan behind the game, which the Chairman of BNF had much earliedindicated.According to the political analysts, Naji was miscarried to achieve international support from allover the world for the ISI stated stand. Before his back journey towards Pakistan , Naji started asanctimoniously unfair war against the exile Leader Abdul Hamid khan. Naji did all these propagandas onthe patronage of the notorious Pakistani intelligence agency ISI. From the first day of BNF struggle, Najifelt fear from this secret services of Pakistan. In the absence of Mr. Abdul Hamid Khan from Balawaristansince 1999, Naji did nothing and remained silent due to ISI fear. Four years ago a press note was issued by Naji in thelocal press against Abdul Hamid khan, Chairman of BNF, seemed that he was trying to follow the guidelinesof ISI to save his skin. The political activists of Balawaristan (Gilgit Baltistan) heard a bundle of authentic news about the hidden agreements in between Naji and crafty ISI through reliable sources. At thattime people of Gilgit Baltistan kept distance from Naji. From the last one decade the exile chairmen of BNF MrAbdul Hamid khan has done to much for the liberation for the most deprived people on earth, that is why heis popular in front his deprived and slaved nation.That is the reason, ISI managed to divide BNF by thecovered Naji. We hope that the nation of Balawaristan will soon know the conspiracy of ISI with the help of Nawaz Khan Naji as it’s stooge.On the 20th of Sep. 2006, Naji left BNF and announced to established a new party with the ISI favourite nameof P i.e.Balawaristan National Party (BNP), because according to ISI front tussles with the ideology ofPakistan be separation it from the land of Pakistan.It’s the fact that Balawaristan is an important disputed part of J&K, which Pakistan does not want toloss by any means.We are going to salute the brave son of Balawaristan, Mr Abdul Hamid Khan the GREAT.
Asgar Ali Gilgit
Courtesy (www.topix.com)