Pakistan: Is the country pushed into anarchy?

The blasts taking place in Karachi during this week seem part of the grand conspiracy to plunge the country deep into anarchy and challenging writ of the government.  Bringing economic activities to grinding halt in Karachi is aimed at adding to the woes for the country facing serious balance of payment crisis.

The anti Pakistan forces, in a bid to sabotage general election scheduled on 11th May, have been attacking meeting of MQM, ANP and the latest victim is PPP. On Saturday election camps of MQM and PPP, two major parties of Sindh came under three bombings attacks in Karachi killing at least five people and leaving more than 40 wounded.

Earlier, at least two people were killed and more than 25 were injured in two separate blasts near the MQM election office in the city’s Orangi Town area. The first bomb exploded outside a MQM election office and the second one outside a nearby Shia Imambargah in the area.

The twin explosions were very loud and were heard far away and damaged the nearby buildings and vehicles. A complete blackout was reported in the area after the explosions. Saturday’s blast raised the number to five terrorist attacks in the metropolis, leading death at least 26 people in these attacks. This prompted observing Sunday as yet another mourning day and bringing industrial and commercial activities to grinding halt.

Although no group claimed responsibility of both the blasts but the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) vowed to target PPP, ANP and MQM. The banned outfit had claimed responsibilities of the Thursday and Friday attacks, targeting MQM and ANP. Around 11 people were killed and more than 50 injured when a bomb blast hit the election meeting of ANP candidate Bashir Jan in Karachi on Friday.

As I have been saying that the sole objective of perpetrators is to kill people, at least four people were injured when suspected militants lobbed a hand grenade at an election office of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) in Sibi area of Balochistan on Saturday. Meanwhile, the militants hurled a hand grenade at the office of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) candidate in Panjgoor area of Balochistan.

The perpetrators want to ensure deferring election by undertaking killing and terrorizing people so that they don’t come out of their houses to cast their votes. Some of the fanatics have already termed casting vote un-Islamic and also warned those not following their instructions can face stern consequences.

When MQM announce to observe mourning day life in Karachi comes to grinding halt. It is true that the party loves its members and if a few are assassinated, it requests all to observe mourning day. Not only areas where it has a large vote bank, but where its followers live just don’t open shops and schools and public transport also remain off road. This is a great sign of unity but its darker side also needs to be looked at.

First and most important,when MQM workers and supporters are killed and educational and commercial activities in its areas of concentration also remain closed it is ultimate loss of its vote bank, mostly belongs to middle and lower middle class. Millions of people that worker on daily wages faces starvation. When factories remain closed no revenue is collected and disturbance in clearing of goods at ports, disrupt supplies throughout the country.

Historically, those sitting on opposition benches give strike calls but it does not suit MQM as it remained in power for nearly two decades and also enjoy access to power corridors. It should be influencing the district management and law enforcing agencies to ensure peace throughout the country. It has the largest ‘street power’ and youth which should be keeping a watch on criminals.

It is in common knowledge that criminals come to Karachi to accomplish tasks given to them. These include killing of people, undertaking blasts through improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and kidnapping of people for ransom. These elements have permanent hideouts in areas of ethnic concentration and also use residents of the areas as ‘human shield’. Once their mission is accomplished they go back to their home towns and wait for the next ‘assignment’.

It is also on record that arms are also brought into Karachi from up country and sold openly. To the utmost surprise there are ‘rent a weapon’ shops in certain areas. Ironically, law enforcing agencies are not allowed to undertake any operation in certain areas by the political parties, which draw strength from these unscrupulous elements. Even if a few are rounded up, their ‘godfathers’ arrange the bails and get them free. In the worst scenario if brought to courts of law, they are acquitted due to ‘non-availability of credible evidence’.

Strange is the attitude of law enforcing agencies that fail to arrest those claiming responsibility of blasts and killings innocent citizens, most notorious are Taliban, TTP and LeJ. It is on record that Taliban had said ‘we would free Karachi which has become hostage of MQM’ and have also claimed responsibility of killing MQM activists.

It is often said that now militant groups are embedded in law enforcing agencies and one has to believe that. According to some estimates from 25,000 to 50,000 people have been killed in Pakistan by these militants and extremists groups but hardly any killer has been hanged. Some cynics even go to the extent of saying that these accused remain in jail and spend most luxurious lives for years and are finally acquitted.

I one of the TV shows Faisal Abidi of PPP has raised a question why activists of PPP,MQM and ANP are being targeted and members of JI, PML-N and other religious parties are not being attacked. He himself also provided the reply that those parties not been attacked enjoy very cordial relationship with these banned outfits, which are also rewarded appropriately.

Pakistan: Eight Blasts Rattle Three Provinces

The topic of my last blog posted a week ago was “Election and Bloodshed Threat” in which I had reiterated that the perpetrators getting arms and funds from abroad want to plunge the country into anarchy and then into civil war.

I had also highlighted threat of bloodshed during general elections scheduled for 11^th May 2013. Prior to the commencement of election campaign in Pakistan, experts had expressed apprehensions that corner meeting of politicians may come under terrorist attacks.

Many of the readers of my blog sent me text messages that I was trying to spread unnecessary chaos. Discussion with my media friends on Tuesday morning once again made me jittery and by the evening a few blasts rocked Karachi and Quetta. Over the last 24 hours at least eight separate blasts have created havoc in three provinces of the country and raised fears of deteriorating law and order situation as the May 11 polls draw nearer.

The attacks since Tuesday evening in Quetta, Karachi, Peshawar and Dera Ismail Khan have led to 11 deaths and have left up to 75 wounded. The latest attack on Wednesday targeted a police station on the outskirts of Quetta, the second blast in the provincial capital since this morning and the sixth since yesterday.

The blast raised the total death toll since yesterday in Quetta alone to six, with up to 60 injured, at least 15 have been injured since this morning. According to police, unknown attackers on motorcycles lobbed a hand-held bomb on the Kechi Baig police station in Quetta’s Sariab area around midday.

Earlier this morning, 13 people including two children were injured in a blast outside a private hospital in Gailani road area of the city. On Tuesday, four explosions left six people dead and up to 45 injured in the city.

Banned extremist outfit, the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ), had claimed responsibility of Tuesday’s attacks, as usual, though this time target was not Hazara community.

Late Tuesday, militants also attacked an election camp of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in Karachi. The blast left at least five people dead and 15 others injured. This led to virtual close down of country’s commercial capital on Wednesday at the call of the MQM in protest of the killings.

Earlier on Wednesday, an explosion near the house of a local Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader injured three people in Peshawar’s Sarki Gate area. Meanwhile, two remotely detonated roadside bombs exploded in Dera Ismail Khan this morning when the convoy of election candidate from PK-68 constituency Israrullah Khan Gandapur was passing through the area, no casualties was reported.

One may recall that some of the quarters have been demanding handing over control to Pakistan Army on the Election Day, but it seems the time has come to demand immediate deployment of troops. This is being demanded because some of the quarters have been demanding deferring election for three years, at least or till withdrawal on Nato forces from Afghanistan is complete.

No political party, be it big or small, wants election to be delayed. Therefore, one has the reasons to believe that elements getting funds and arms from abroad can be solely held responsible for the blasts and killings.

 Pakistan: Election and Bloodshed Threat

In my various blogs I have highlighted involvement of foreign hands in sabotage and killings. I have also been saying that the perpetrators are getting arms and funds from abroad and their only objective is to plunge the country into anarchy and then to civil war.

I have also highlighted threat of bloodshed during general elections scheduled for 11^th May 2013. My opinion was based on fast changing local and regional political landscape in which the so called rebels are funded and supplied arms by those who wish to create their hegemony in South Asia, Middle East and North Africa.

Prior to the commencement of election campaign in Pakistan, experts had expressed apprehensions that corner meeting of politicians may come under terrorist attacks. These apprehensions have started coming true as meeting of ANP, PML-N and MQM have been attacked, resulting in killing of political leaders and injury of dozens of people.

Attacks on ANP leaders and followers were anticipated, because Taliban had done this earlier. In fact ANP’s participation in coalition government at federal and provincial levels was not liked by those who prefer to call themselves Taliban. They have been challenging writ of the government at federal as well as provincial levels. They have emerged the worst opponents of ANP and MQM who enjoy support of their vote banks in KP and Sindh.

It is on record that Taliban had expressed their determination to free Karachi from the hostage of MQM, may be they have the same sentiments for ANP. However, it has been expressed repeatedly that religious extremists enjoy very cordial relationship with the PML-N. Taliban animosity with ANP and MQM is not a secret, especially because both the parties have been condemning the attitude of Taliban. In fact no civilized person can endorse killing of innocent people. It becomes all the more disgusting when women and children come under attacks.

Taliban don’t consider most of the Pakistanis ‘good practicing Muslims’ and just want to punish them. In Karachi MQM has emerged the biggest opponent of killing of people on the basis of religious faith. Taliban-MQM rift became more intense when the later decided to support Hazaras. In fact one of the leaders of MQM, Manzar Imam was assassinated soon after he played a key role in organizing protest rallies against killing of Hazaras in Karachi. Taliban mistook him as Shia, whereas he was a Sunni.

One of the conspiracy theories is that Taliban is ‘B’ team of CIA, which wants to create unrest in by propagating ‘Shia Sunni Conflict’ theory in Pakistan. In fact in Pakistan no one buys this trash as the motive of perpetrators has become evident, who have been killing Shias as well as Sunnis as they want to create a hupe that the two groups are blood thirsty.

Some cynics term killing of political activist part of the conspiracy to defer general elections in Pakistan. Taliban know their weak position and just don’t expect their nominees or even supporters to win seats in general elections. Therefore, they wish to terrorize people and keep them away from casting their vote on the Election Day. Taliban seem to be supporters of those groups who also don’t want election to take place in Pakistan.

One may ask who doesn’t want elections to be held on 11th May 2013. This is not diabolic thinking as whispers had started even before the interim set up was put in place. Rumors mongers have been talking about bloodshed in parts of Sindh, KP and Balochistan. Initially it was feared that nationalist parties of Sindh and Balochistan would boycott the election, but after Baloch leaders living in exile decided not only to take part in election but also reached Pakistan.

If all the political parties of Pakistan decide to participate in the election process, it will be a big defeat of those who are resisting holding general elections in Pakistan. Opponents of general election know that the silent majority will decide the fate. Therefore, they are terrorizing people to keep them away from casting their vote.

Pak-US relations: Saga of Love and Hate

The recent news about suspension of support to Pakistan’s armed forces don’t bode well for the two countries. Pressure from the general public is rising on the Government of Pakistan to pull itself out of proxy war in Afghanistan.

Over the years Afghanistan has been living on aid and any cut in inflow could lead to hike in opium cultivation in the country. Poppy cultivation in Afghanistan has been increasing for a third year in a row and is heading for a record high, the United Nations said in a report released on Monday.

Afghanistan is the world's largest producer of opium, the raw ingredient in heroin, and last year provided about 75 percent of the global crop — a figure that may jump to 90 per cent this year due to increased cultivation.

The southern region is expected to remain the largest opium cultivating region in Afghanistan in 2013. Poppy cultivation in Helmand and Kandahar, the main opium cultivating provinces in the country, is expected to increase and Helmand is expected to retain its status as the largest opium cultivating province in the country.

This poses two major threats because illicit shipment may pass though Pakistan and amounts received in return may also be used for financing terrorist activities in the country. The incidents of sabotage and killing have witnessed sharp increase with the commencement of election campaign. Three major incident have already reported aiming ANP, PML-N and MQM candidates.

Historically Pak-US relationships have witnessed ‘love and hate’ spells. Pakistani experts are of the consensus that the relations have remained subservient to US foreign policy. Closer examination of the two most recent eras, Ziaul Haq regime spread over one decade and Pervez Musharraf rule also spread over a decade are the proof of this statement.

During these two eras Pakistan remained a need of the United States because of Afghanistan. As the time for withdrawal of US troops approach there will be a change in sentiments, the quest for democracy will begin and no reference will be made why the dictators were supported.

In Pakistan the general elections have been scheduled for 11th May. While the US should be following wait and see policy, there seems an urgent need to install a government which is willing to look after the US interest in the region. This demands revisiting Pakistan-US relationship and deciding the priorities.

This has become  a must because critics seem to be divided into two distinct but opposite groups, one saying United States need Pakistan’s support in ensuring peace in Afghanistan and second believing Pakistan needs US support to overcome internal and external threats facing the country. However, both the groups strongly believe that musty relationship between the US and Afghan governments could prove detrimental for both the countries.

Soldiers and military hardware from Afghanistan has to pass through Pakistan, which needs safe passage and speedy and cost effective movement; no one can deny that Pakistan offers the most cost effective route.

It is strongly believed that if United States avoids offending the groups that consider it ‘occupier’ the assaults on withdrawing forces can be minimized. Under the prevailing scenario there is high probability that some of the Afghan warlords may intensify their attacks on Nato troops and Afghan forces.

While both the US and Pakistani governments are trying to improve relationship by removing the irritants, commencement of work on Pakistani portion of Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline has been taken by the US administration an act that makes Pakistan liable for imposition of economic sanctions.

Most of the experts are of the view that since Pakistan needs to overcome its energy crisis and IP offers a reliable and cost effective solution, US administration should not oppose this, mainly because looming energy crisis is adversely affecting Pakistan’s economy and GDP growth. An economically strong Pakistan can help in maintaining peace and boosting economic activities in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of Nato forces.

Any adverse decision can heighten anti US sentiments in Pakistan and imposition of economic sanctions could lead to poor law and order situation that may delay holding general elections in the country. The unrest in Pakistan can also cause disruption in the movement of Nato troops and hardware through Pakistan.

Over the years Pakistan has been able to weed out militants and contain their movement across the border and any lapse could prove fatal for the three stakeholders, Nato, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

United States of Armageddon

Let me first of all thank Finian Cunningham for providing me the strength. I have picked the tile of this blog from one of his articles. Going through the contents I also got the clue why he was expelled from Bahrain in June 2011; it was his critical endeavor to highlight human rights violations by the ruling regime.

Reading his article titled ‘Iran Represents a Deathblow to US Global Hegemony’, helps in understanding growing tension in Korean Peninsula and imposition of more stringent economic sanctions on Iran over more than three decades.

Finian writes, “The United States of America has become a byword for war. No other nation state has started as many wars or conflicts in modern times than the USA - the United States of Armageddon”.

He says “The real source of conflict in the present round of war tensions on the Korean Peninsula is the United states”.

He infers that United States is presented as a restraining, defensive force. But, in reality, Washington’s historical drive for war and hegemony in every corner of the world becomes evident if one starts from dropping of two atomic bombs on Japan to the current conflicts with North Korea and Iran. 

He warns, “North Korea may present an immediate challenge to Washington’s hegemonic ambitions. However, Iran presents a much greater and potentially fatal challenge to the American global empire”.

Writers and thinkers like William Blum and Noam Chomsky are helping people in understanding that the US has been involved in more than 60 wars and many more proxy conflicts, subterfuges and coups over the nearly seven decades since the Second World War. No other nation on earth comes close to this US track record of belligerence and threat to world security. No other nation has so much blood on its hands.

Americans believe their country is the first in the world for freedom, humanitarian principles, technology and economic prowess. The truth is more brutal and prosaic; the US is first in the world for war-mongering and raining death and destruction down on others.

If the US is not perpetrating war directly, then it is waging violence through surrogates, such as past South American dictatorships and death squads or its Middle Eastern proxy military machine, Israel.

That bellicose tendency seems to have accelerated since the demise of the Soviet Union more than two decades ago. No sooner had the Soviet Union imploded than the US led the First Persian Gulf War on Iraq in 1991. That was then swiftly followed by a bloody intervention in Somalia under the deceptively charming title ‘Operation Restore Hope’.

Since then the world has seen the US becoming embroiled in more and more wars - sometimes under the guise of “coalitions of the willing”, the United Nations or NATO. A variety of pretexts have also been invoked: war on drugs, war on terror, Axis of Evil, responsibility to protect, the world’s policeman, upholding global peace and security, preventing weapons of mass destruction. But always, these wars are Washington-led affairs. And always the pretexts are mere pretty window-dressing for Washington’s brutish strategic interests.

Now it seems people have reached a point and they can conveniently say the world is witnessing a state of permanent war prosecuted by the US and its underlings: Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq (again), Libya, Pakistan, Somalia (again), Mali and Syria, to mention a few. These theaters of criminal US military operations join a list of ongoing covert wars against Palestine, Cuba, Iran and North Korea. 

A question arises, why has the US such an inordinate propensity for war? The answer is ‘power’. The global capitalist economy mandates a fatal power struggle for the control of natural resources. To maintain its unique historic position of commanding capitalist profits and privilege, the US corporate elite - the executive of the world capitalist system - must have hegemony over the world’s natural resources.

After the collapse of Soviet Union the US has been flailing to contrive a replacement “enemy” and pretext for its essential militarism. The 9/11 terrorist attacks and the subsequent “war on terror” has fulfilled this purpose to a degree, even though it is replete with contradictions that belie its fraudulence, such as the support given to Al Qaeda terrorist elements currently to overthrow the government of Syria.

Iran presents a greater and more problematic challenge to US global hegemony. The US in 2013 is very different from what it was in 1945. Gone is its former economic prowess and it is suffering from internal social decay and malaise.

Iran does not have nuclear weapons or ambitions and it has repeatedly stated this, thereby gaining much-reciprocated good will from the international community. Therefore, the US or its surrogates cannot justify a military strike on Iran.

Iran exerts a controlling influence over oil and gas that keeps the entire global economic system alive, any war with Iran would result in a deathblow to the waning US and global economy. 

Iran presents a mortal challenge to US hegemony, being a formidable military power. Its 80 million people are committed to anti-imperialism and any strike from the US or its allies would result in a region-wide war. The longer that stalemate persists, the more the US global power will drain from its corpse.

Pakistan: Terrorists Blowing Up Gas Pipelines

In the early hours on Wednesday, 10th April, 2013 perpetrators blew up 16 inch diameter high pressure gas transmission pipeline in Jafarabad District of Baluchistan  This was the sixth sabotage activity which took place since 16th March this year.

This transmission line owned by of Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) is commonly known as Indus Left Bank Pipeline (ILBP) that supplies gas to Sui Northern Gas Pipelines (SNGPL), responsible for the distributing gas to Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunistan provinces.

It is necessary to point out that perpetrators have once again become active in Baluchistan and are especially targeting electricity and gas transmission networks. These people not only wish to terrorize people of Baluchistan to keep them away from election process but also want to bring economic activities in the country to grinding halt.

The objective is to create conditions whereby election could not be held in the province. The sabotage activities are also aimed at suspending work on Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project, which has just started in Pakistan. The United States has repeatedly warned Pakistan not to go ahead with the project; else economic sanctions can also be imposed.

It has been often apprehended that the perpetrators operating in Baluchistan are supplied funds and arms by some external elements and fingers are often raised at United States, India and even Israel. Though, none of these countries will ever accept that they have been godfathering the perpetrators, there are enough reasons to believe the allegations.

First and the top most important, the stories of sabotage, unrest and weakening government writ are spread to keep oil and gas exploration companies away from the province. India has bidden farewell to Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) pipeline on the security reasons.

This factor also mars prospects of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline becoming a reality. India is deadly against these two pipeline projects on the grounds that it will have to pay Pakistan millions of dollars transit fee and also that it (Pakistan) will get control over gas being supplies to India.

A question arises, why the external powers want to construct their hideouts and operate from Baluchistan province of Pakistan? The reply is simple, not to give a chance to Pakistan to become a corridor for trade and energy supplies.

These powers also want to undermine importance of Gwadar port located in Baluchistan  If peace is restored in the province and transit goods (including energy products) start moving through Gwadar port, it will be a setback for Chabahar port constructed by India in Iran.

Terrorist chose Baluchistan mainly because it has a coastal front of about 1,250 kilometers, which is mostly uninhibited. Baluchistan is the largest province of Pakistan in terms of area but has the lowest population, mainly concentrated in few areas. This makes the province an ideal place for constructing hideouts and training facilities for the terrorists. One could still recall name of a banned outfit, Jundullah based in Baluchistan.

Jundullah used to wear two caps, in Pakistan it was known as nationalist outfit fighting for the rights of Baloch and in Iran fighting for the rights of Sunnis, in other words its sole objective was to create unrest, kill people and sabotage private and public property. It got a big jolt when its chief was hanged in Iran and it was forced to go into hibernation.

However, those who wish to create unrest in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran have once again organized themselves and are operating from Baluchistan  If any action is taken against the perpetrators, their godfathers start the propaganda that ‘poor Balochs are being victimized’ and also start demanding an independent Baluchistan.

Pakistan: Election Engineering

The general elections have been scheduled for 11th May 2013 and an interim set up has been created to ensure fair, free and transparent elections. Now a rather tedious but a little tricky process of scrutiny of nominations papers has started.

Reportedly many of the giants face tenuous situation, some of them declared 'disqualified' and others also face uncertain future. While appeals will be filed by all those facing disqualification, getting the decisions reversed will be a process to be watched carefully.

Every individual, especially those who claim to be literate, knowing law and also the basic parameters required qualifying, will have to keep their eyes and ears open and also respond immediately if there is any violation.

While mainstream media is trying to keep the viewers posted, many suspect its credibility. Therefore, simultaneously more rigorous analyses are being posted on the social media.

The beauty is that many of those posting their views hardly know that their message reach millions of people within a few minutes. Since people have the option to use Urdu and other regional languages, besides English; the viewership is reaching a size that was never witnessed in the previous elections.

One of the regrets is that people often post loaded, derogatory and even indecent remarks, which shows that they have exhausted all the arguments. This is natural because in the past people have never enjoyed an opportunity to make their comments made public and also viewed by millions.

It is expected that as people use alternate and social media they will also learn the norms. These norms are not dictated by anyone from outside but fall under 'self regulatory mechanism'. If a person does not wish someone else to post indecent remarks about his/her leader, he/she will also have to abstain from such practice.

Gone are the days when one had to wait for days to get the news printed in a newspaper. Now print media updates stories regularly and television channels try to cover the events at the spot. The beauty of technology is that now every citizen has become 'news reporter and photographer'. 

Most of the mobile phones have cameras and also the facility to make a brief video, once recorded the item can be uploaded at the Facebook wall in a few seconds. Another beauty is that soon others also start posting their comments.

This time television channels will face a stiff competition from social media. Advertisers have already started budgeting and the general feeling is that electronic and social media may get even bigger share of the pie.

It is on record that social media played a very important role in the recent uprising in the Middle East and North Africa, commonly known as MENA region. Despite many restrictions, use of social media is phenomenal in the countries where political meeting can't be held.

Now people use social media and mobile phones to pass the bug. Though, efforts are made to disable such communication the success is still very limited.

There is consensus that in the forthcoming elections youth will play a very decisive role. Youth is not only technology savvy but also very smart in disseminating information. One of the evidence of their collective efforts was rounding up of Shahraukh Jatoi.

 Therefore, it may be said that if they are convinced and also develop the commitment they can accomplish the most difficult task