Pakistan loses Rs3 trillion annually, says economist –> The News

Ansar Abbasi

Source : http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=9927&Cat=13&dt=10/29/2011

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan loses a whopping Rs3,100 billion annually, which if secured, could change the destiny of the country and its hard-pressed people, an international banker and economist says.

Dr Shahid Hasan Siddiqui, chairman and chief executive of Research Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance, Karachi, says Pakistan loses Rs1,200 annually because of corruption and another Rs1,900 billion because of tax evasion and non-imposition of taxes by the federal and provincial governments.

He said that the country’s economy is badly hurt by corruption, tax evasion, non-imposition of taxes on the rich and powerful, large size of black economy, lack of political will to unearth assets of billions of rupees acquired from concealed income though details of these assets are available in the government record, including bank deposits, amount invested in National Saving Schemes, shares and stock exchange, real estate and vehicles, etc.

He said that details of these assets are available in the records of banks, government departments and housing authorities, etc. and if compared with the income tax returns, would generate revenue of a few hundred billion rupees in a short span of time. “This would also go a long way in the documentation of the economy,” he said adding that this would also enable the government to reduce the rate of reformed GST to five percent from the existing 16 percent and abolish all sorts of surcharges and petroleum levies for the benefit of the people.

Such a step, he said, would bring immediate relief to the common man and would help reduce inflation to a single digit. The petrol prices, he said, would come down by Rs15 per litre and this would have a positive effect on the lives of the ordinary souls.

Explaining the details of his assessments, he said that according to Transparency International and World Bank, 40 percent of the development budget of the country was misappropriated or corrupted i.e. Rs280 billion out of the total Rs700 billion development expenditure.

In addition, he said corruption and misappropriation from government procurements also cost the exchequer a few hundred billion rupees more besides Rs300 billion loss due to corruption in the public sector enterprises.

He lamented that only 1.8 million out of 180 million population pay income tax whereas there are innumerable corporate concerns that earn millions but declare income of mere Rs100,000. He said the export sector hardly contributes to the income tax revenues whereas the agriculture sector, whose share in the GDP is about Rs3,620 billion, pays hardly a few billions as tax.

Siddiqui added that stock exchange’s market capitalisation is Rs3,600 billion but has been taxed only last year and that too half-heartedly. Referring to the 2007 economic survey, he said that the official estimates disclosed that since there was no gain tax on stock exchange, so the country lost Rs112 billion in one year. “Now it has been imposed but half-heartedly to generate a couple of billion rupees only.”

He added that Pakistan’s powerful cement, sugar and textile sectors hardly pay any income tax whereas properties and bank deposits are mostly not declared and thus no income tax is given. He added that GST is paid by ordinary people but it is not fully deposited with the FBR.

Similarly, he said, professionals like engineers, doctors, lawyers and architects don’t pay income tax on most of their income. He added that the tax-to-GDP ratio in Pakistan is 9.5%, which is the lowest in the region. In the regional countries, this ratio is between 14-18 percent. “If we improve our tax ratio to 16 percent, it would mean generating additional taxes of Rs1,400 billion annually,” Siddiqui said.

He also talked of fictitious exports and imports, which he said are about 25% of the total exports and imports. Quoting official figures, he said the total rise in exports recorded by the State Bank during the period 2002 to 2007 was $7.8 billion, out of which $5.5 bn was fictitious.

 

PAKISTAN: Zarina Marri has been missing along with 429 persons since December 2005;The life of a disappeared student leader is in danger–>AHRC

After the 18^th February 2008 elections it was expected that the newly elected government would try to improve the human rights situation and give some relief to the families of victims. But this proved to be another shattered dream of people blinded by their faith and hope, which soon turned into disbelief on the system for many.

It is amazing that in the time of elected government with new army chief and intelligence chiefs no actions were taken against those involved in these illegal and inhuman activities during the former dictator’s rule.

The statements by the Asian Human Rights Commission given below raises more questions about the seriousness of our government to solve the issue of missing persons.

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PAKISTAN: Zarina Marri has been missing along with 429 persons since December 2005

Source : http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2009statements/1855/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AHRC-STM-020-2009
January 23, 2009

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission

PAKISTAN: Zarina Marri has been missing along with 429 persons since December 2005

The Asian Human Rights Commission has received further details in the case of Ms. Zarina Marri, a 23-year-old schoolteacher from Balochistan province, who has been held incommunicado in an army torture cell at Karachi, the capital of Sindh province and used as a sex slave, please see our statement; http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2009statements/1843/

The officials of the education department of Kahan have disclosed that Ms. Marri was a teacher at a government middle school in Kahan, Kohlu district, she was registered as Zarina Bi Bi and she was trained as a Junior Vocational Teacher. She was among those people who were transferred from Kohlu, Kahan, Sibi, Hernai, Much, Kohlo, Dera Bugti, Sabsilla, Bhambhoor, Loti, Dhaman, Pir Koh, Spin, Tangi, Babar Kach, Tandori and Sangan of the Balochistan province during December 2005 and July 2006 when the military government of the then President/General Musharraf was using aerial bombardments to defuse the nationalist movement of Balochistan against the construction of cantonment areas. On 14 December 2005, paramilitary troops accused the people of the area of firing eight rockets at a paramilitary base on the outskirts of the town of Kohlu, a stronghold of the Marri tribe, while President Pervez Musharraf was visiting it. After the visit of President/General Musharraf, within three days of the rocket firing incident, the paramilitary forces began attacking vast areas including the Kahan. It is reported in the media that the military government used the Pakistan air force for bombarding the area. During the fighting between local nationalist militants and the government forces particularly, due to the aerial bombardments, the local population started migrating to other places including to Punjab and Sindh provinces. Please also see urgent appeal of AHRC;
http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2006/1872/ dated July 21, 2006.

After some days around 429 persons left the Kahan, district Kohlu, and migrated towards Dera Ghazi Khan district, Punjab province, Zarina Marri and her parents were also among the caravan. Since then there is no trace of the caravan of 429 persons. After some months people tried to search the missing people and some army officers deputed at the Kohlu district told the people of the area that so many persons were killed in the fighting between the government forces and militants and also in aerial bombardments. But after the revelation from Mr. Munir Mengal, managing director of Baloch language television channel, to Reporters without Frontiers (RSF) that Zarina Baloch was in military torture cell at Karachi and was forced in to sexual slavery, the concern of the people of Kohlu, Kahan, and Dera Bugti has risen about the people of the 429 persons which includes more than 70 women, including many young women, who may be used as sex slaves by the Pakistan military.

The government of Pakistan has still not initiated any serious efforts to investigate the case of Ms. Zarina Marri, despite, of continuous demonstrations in several parts of the country including, Islamabad, capital of country for the recovery of Zarina Marri from the military torture cell at Karachi and halting the business of making young Baloch women work as sex slaves by the Pakistan army. The government’s ignorance of the serious crimes by the military officers during Musharraf’s regime is evidence for the people in the country that the present government still does not have the power to investigate the military misdoings.
The case of Miss Zarina Marri has ignited the narrow nationalist and secessionist feelings of the ethnic Baloch nation which can easily turn into a bloody mutiny against the state if the cases of sex slavery by the military torture cells are not investigated. The Asian Human Rights Commission urges the government to initiate a probe for the recovery of 429 people who are missing since December 2005. The government should also bring the persons who made Marina Marri work as a sex slave before the law regardless of how powerful they are or whether they are military persons.

For further information please see:

http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2006statements/708/

http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2006statements/715/
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PAKISTAN: The life of a disappeared student leader is in danger
Source : http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2009statements/2400/
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AHRC-STM-022-2010
February 4, 2010

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission

PAKISTAN: The life of a disappeared student leader is in danger

The life of a student leader who was arrested by state intelligence officials is in danger. It is apprehended that he might have been killed. The government of Balochistan says that he was released on January 22, 2010, but his family members have said that he has not yet returned home. They have inquired after him at all local police stations, asking if he was booked under another case, but have not been able to find him.

Mr. Zakir Majeed, a student leader, was allegedly abducted by state intelligence agents on June 8, 2009 from Mastung, near Quetta. Majeed is the senior vice chairperson of the Baloch Student Organization, Azad. His alleged abductors drove up in two cars without number plates and asked the young man a few questions, saying that they were intelligence agents.They took Majeed away with them in their cars without making any charges. One car was a Toyota Vego, the other a Toyota Surf SSR. After UN Special Rapporteurs on Disappearances wrote letters about Mr. Majeed’s disappearance, his release was announced by the National Crisis Management Cell (NCMC) For more details of the case, please see the following link, dated June 10, 2009; http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2009/3175/.

The UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) has taken up Mr. Majeed’s case after the submission of the WGEID form by the AHRC. After an intervention was made by the WGEID, the government announced on January 22, 2010 that Mr. Majeed had been released. The Balochistan High Court also ordered that an FIR (First Investigation Report – a legal document for police investigation) be filed for Mr. Majeed. Until this point, the police refused to register the young man’s disappearance, and a case of habeas corpus was up for regular hearing before the High Court of Balochistan. On January 27, 2010, a police official at Khuzdar Police Station of Balochistan, asked the younger brother of the victim, Mr. Waheed Majeed, to file the FIR before the Mastung Police Station. He did so, but the FIR was not entertained. After an intervention was made by higher-ranked police officers, the FIR was finally lodged. On February 2, 2010 Mr. Aslam Bizenjo, Provincial Minister for Irrigation telephoned Mr. Waheed to inform him that according to the list provided by the NCMC, his brother had been released. The Provincial Minister then asked him to speak with Mr. Akbar Durrani, the Home Secretary of the Balochistan government for further details. The Home Secretary confirmed that Mr. Zakir Majeed had been released on January 22, according to the NCMC list published on its website.

These conflicting pieces of information about Mr. Zakir Majeed’s disappearance have created a great deal of confusion in the minds of Mr. Majeed’s family and the human rights activists who are working for his release. In many past cases, the bodies of the disappeared have been found abandoned on roadsides after courts have ordered for their release, or family members of the disappeared person in question testified in courts that the arrest was done by intelligence agents.

The Asian Human Rights Commission urges the provincial government of Balochistan and federal government of Pakistan to secure the safe release of Mr. Zakir Majeed immediately. Since government officials have already confirmed Mr. Majeed’s safe release, we call upon these officials to be held accountable for these confirmations of safety, and urge these officials to take direct action to reunite Mr. Majeed with his family.

Enforced disappearances of civilians and the perpetual lack of thorough investigation by state officials has become so common that the sanctity and dignity of each human life is being ruthlessly compromised in the name of personal or professional gain. The AHRC calls upon the government of Pakistan to take a strong stand against corruption at all levels of its justice system and take steps towards rebuilding the rule of law in the country.

Special Report: Dr. A’fia Siddiqui: VICTIM OF BUSH RAPE AND KIDNAP SQUAD–>By Gordon Duff

Special Report: Dr. A’fia Siddiqui: VICTIM OF BUSH RAPE AND KIDNAP SQUAD

Source : http://www.uruknet.info/index.php?p=62041

By Gordon Duff

January 10, 2010 WOMAN KIDNAPPED, RAPED AND HELD 5 YEARS IN SECRET BAGRAM PRISON NOW FACING TRIAL FOR ATTACKING CIA TORTURE SQUAD By Gordon Duff/STAFF WRITER/Senior Editor Next week, a mother of 3 children is facing trial for, supposedly, wrestling an M-16 away from a CIA torture squad and trying to kill them.  How did the CIA get her?  They bought her.  She was sold to them by a corrupt official in Pakistan as a “terror suspect,” a common problem and a well known ploy in the George W. Bush phony war on terrorism. Was she a terrorist?  There is no evidence of this, even after years of torture.  The only serious crimes we find her guilty of is being a house wife, mother and Islamic and, I forgot, having an education.  Her victims?  Crippled and 100 pounds, she took on a room full of former Navy Seals, Special Forces and “private interrogators.”  The obvious truth, of course:  the charges are a fabrication by a pack of cowards and liars. What do we really know?  We really don’t know anything at all.  Nobody has any evidence that this woman, a scientist educated in the US did anything at all.  There is talk, empty talk about her sending money to charities that might be tied to terrorism.  The amount of money is about 2% of a typical payment from one of the Saudi royals that have funded terrorists and suicide bombers for years, but none of them are kidnapped, raped, shot or beaten. They have oil. The case against her is made, at length, in the Wikipedia article about her.  It is a good read.  It makes me proud to be an American.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aafia_Siddiqui What we see exposed, however, is the slave trade in “terror suspects” created during the Bush Administration fear frenzy when intelligence agencies around the world started dragging innocent people off the streets and selling them to the US for millions of dollars to supply the needed number of “terrorist arrests” to justify wild claims of a successful war on terror continually being made by Dick Cheney, Condi Rice and the rest of the gang. The crime is an amusing one.  A woman who was either just arrested or had been in custody for 5 years, depending on which of her captors you listen to.  This should seem like an interesting read: “On 4 August 2008, shorty after press rumors suggested that Siddiqui had been in Bagram for the last five years, the US government announced that Aafia Siddiqui was arrested on charges related to her attempted murder and assault of United States officers and employees in Afghanistan The US claims that Siddiqui was not captured in March 2003, that she was arrested on July 17, 2008 outside the home of the Governor of Ghazni.[24][25] The US account of the July 18, 2008 shooting is that FBI agents, interpreters, and several GIs entered arrived at the Afghan facility where Siddiqui was being held. The personnel entered a second floor meeting room—unaware that Siddiqui was being held there, unsecured, behind a curtain. The Warrant Officer took a seat and placed his United States Army M-4 rifle on the floor next to the curtain .[26] According to the US account the GIs set down their weapons, whereupon Siddiqui burst from behind a curtain, grabbed an M-4, and opened fire. One interpreter who was accompanying the officers seized the firearm from her. US officials claim they have no idea where Siddiqui has been in the five years since she was captured on March 17, 2003. Siddiqui arrived in New York on August 4, 2008, and was presented before a United States Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Siddiqui refused to accept the charges.[27][28][29] Siddiqui’s lawyer stated that no one can believe the FBI story and that Siddiqui had actually been captured in Karachi, Pakistan along with three of her children. On August 8, 2008 the Daily Times reported that Aafia was captured in Ghazni with her eldest son, Muhammad Ahmed.[31] The report stated that documents existed that confirmed that Affia and her children had been captured in March 2003.” REAL ISSUES FOR DECENT AMERICANS TO CARE ABOUT This woman and her three children were kidnapped, and illegally held for 5 years under the most brutal conditions imaginable without any legal reason.  She had been accused of no crime.  After years of imprisonment, rape and torture, she is finally arrested for attacking those who tortured her. REALITY CHECK:  TIME TO STAND PROUD IN OUR WAR ON TERROR After 5 years of imprisonment, Dr. Siddiqui was a total physical wreck, barely able to walk, and seriously disabled from hundreds of torture sessions.  Yet she is accused of overpowering several Navy Seals and US Army Special Forces unarmed combat specialists, seizing a weapon and nearly killing all of them, this at a weight of 100 pounds. “Nearly killing” is a bit of an overstatement.  In fact, nobody was injured at all.  The more we investigate this, the more this sounds like an outlandish war story cooked up to file for PTSD. She faces 20 years for this crime and only this crime.  Since when was it a crime to attempt to escape from illegal imprisonment?  Any American who is illegally detained and imprisoned without due process can’t be charged with a crime for resisting torture or imprisonment. Americans consider such actions their patriotic duty. PHOTO STUDY OF OUR SECURITY FORCES IN KABUL PROVING THEIR CHARACTER AND DISCIPLINE: ONE OF THE GREAT SUCCESSES OF THE WAR ON TERROR Attorney General John Ashcroft considered the kidnapping of this woman, along with her 3 children, one of the great victories of the War on Terror.  However, after 5 years of interrogation and 7 years of confinement, no charges could ever be filed against her other than trying to single handledly crawl out of her death bed and dispatch a room full of “drug store” Rambo types. Ashcroft has many success in his career.  He is the only person in American history to have lost a seat in the US Senate to a dead man. In an unpublicized but much more interesting case, Ashcroft and his band of merry US Attorneys, in their attempt to rack up arrests for terrorism without doing adequate homework actually managed to drag in an entire CIA intelligence organization which had, until broken up by John Ashcroft and gang, penetrated the highest levels of Al Qaeda. Not much more can be said, but several top CIA operatives now have the embarassing history of having been arrested for terrorist related charges.  Ashcroft and later Gonzales have, through incompetence, done more to cripple US intelligence efforts than any group other than the Mossad. Even the “outing” of CIA nuclear proliferation specialist Valerie Plame, believed to be responsible for North Korea getting nuclear weapons, involved much less utter bungling and inanity. OBAMA, HOLDER AND A BUSH ERA “WITCH HUNT” Nearly every legal expert in the world, including almost universal outrage among the legal community is Israel, has called this one of the most insane acts of abuse of any country that claims to have a functioning legal system and representative form of government. Even the alleged “suspicious acts,” which are, by the way, buying totally legal and harmless gun accessories, is in itself totally insane.  Am I going to have to register that dangerous combat assault flashlight I keep by my desk for when I drop my reading glasses? Any idiot who goes to gun shows knows that the weapons that small children carry around in Afghanistan are ten times better than the things Americans can get from sporting good stores or thru mail order.  Every time an American collector sees a photograph of a Taliban member who owns 2 goats carrying an AK rifle with forged receiver and top quality ART sniper scope, something worth $3000 or more in the US, the insanity of purchasing 3rd rate clone parts in the US to ship to a country that has enough assault rifles to supply the world for centuries begins to sink in. Where is the NRA and ACLU? AMERICAN ANTI-GUN CRAZIES Even if we weren’t dealing with a kidnapped and raped mother facing trial for, not terrorism but for showing super human powers and violating, not terrorist laws but, moreover, the laws of physics themselves, I can’t help but come back to an old theme. If I buy a semi-automatic shotgun and the Black Helicopter Secret Police raid my home, is a US Attorney going to call it a “ultra-high powered special operations assault mid caliber artillery piece?” Is my Ruger 10/22, purchased for plinking tin cans going to be an assault machine gun? However, when Dr. Hasan went on his terror campaign at Ft. Hood using an FN Herstal 5.7mm 20 round assault pistol with classified ammunition available ONLY to our special operations troops, ammo specially designed for penetrating body armor, newspapers, TV, everyone was silent.  We can be so very “uncurious” when we need to.  I am still waiting to find out why we are concealing this. WHO IS THE VICTIM HERE? These things are obvious.  We paid criminals to kidnap an innocent person for cheap public relations gain, elections were coming up and our War on Terror was looking as phony as, well as phony as it actually is. Then, after years of rape and torture, this frail Islamic woman tries to fight back, or so we are told, told by people who imprison innocent people, rape and torture.  Are these witnesses we would have in an American court? She already considers herself dead.  What human can survive such brutality, injustice, humiliation and abuse.  Who are the real victims here? Americans who know nothing of the trial, American who sat silently while this went on, Americans who thought their cowardice was buying them “safety.” We are the victims because we are despised around the world for brutality and injustice we know nothing of because we gave up our free press and our love of honor for, well, I don’t actually know.  A picture of Sarah Palin comes to mind, her or “Joe the Plumber.” and so it goes

American Jury Decides Against Aafia Over Baseless Charges–>Hypocrisy of so called civilized country exposed

The decision by American court against Dr. Aafia Siddiqi on baseless charges may not harm Aafia much as she has gone through worse already. But the case has really exposed the biased approach and hypocrisy of a so  called free country and its system of justice.

The court didn’t take into account Aafia’s abduction in 2003 and didn’t bother to look at the main accusation of her affiliation with Al-Qaida because FBI and USA army didn’t have any proofs against her in those charges.

The proofs fabricated to frame her on the charges of American soldiers had many flaws.

–          No bullet holes of M-4 rifle were found on the wall of interrogation cell.

–          No finger prints of Aafia were found on the rifle.

–          Witness accounts against her were contradicting and were clearly fabricated.

Apart from USA government and court, Pakistan security institutions and government deliberately destroyed the case by appointing a team of lawyers against the will of Aafia . The purpose of appointing those lawyers was to harm the case and the lawyers were clearly following the lines of Pakistani and American agencies.

American citizens need to think if this has happened to Aafia in their courts, it can happen to them as well. They can be framed and punished as well.

In simple words I can say:

SO CALLED NATIONAL SECURITY WON AGAINST JUSTICE!!!

Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s Disappearance–>Letters Published in DAWN in 2004

Below is a summary of news items published in local newspapers regarding her abduction. They are part of  letters published in DAWN Newspaper written by Aafia’s Uncle.

This should be enough for those who still think that Aafia was arrested in 2008 from Afghanistan.
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Source : http://www.draafia.org/wap/index-wap2.php?p=324
Publisher: DAWN – daily English newspaper – Karachi, Pakistan:
Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s Disappearance

(DAWN.com) – In the first week of April 2003, several news items were published in [Pakistan’s] national dailies and broadcast from private TV channel regarding the sudden disappearance of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui from Karachi as of other Pakistanis who have been [illegally] handed over to the Americans. The following is a chronological account of Dr. Siddiqui’s disappearance and the current status of the situation:
(1) Dr. [Aafia] Siddiqui, who studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology [MIT], U.S., for about 10 years and did her PhD in genetics, returned to Pakistan in 2002. Having failed to get a suitable job, she again visited the U.S. on a valid visa in February 2003 to search for a job and to submit an application to the U.S.
Immigration authorities. She moved there freely and came back to Karachi by the end of February 2003 after renting a post office box in her name in Maryland for the receipt of her mail. It has been claimed by the FBI, June 23, 2003, issue) that the box was hired for one Mr. Majid Khan, an alleged member of Al-Qaeda residing in Baltimore [Maryland, USA].
(2) Throughout March 2003, flashes of the particulars of Dr. [Aafia] Siddiqui were telecast/relayed, with her photo on American TV channels and radios, painting her as a dangerous [imaginary] Al-Qaeda person needed by the FBI for interrogation.
(3) On learning of the above [illegal] campaign of the FBI about her, she went underground in Karachi and remained so till her [unlawful] kidnapping, apparently by FBI-hired intelligence personnel, at the end of March [2003].
(4) Between March 25 and March 31 [2003], she rang up her mother from some location in Karachi informing her about her intention to go to Rawalpindi. The following day an Urdu daily published the news of her [illegal] arrest by the police while she was on her way to Karachi airport. At the time of her [unlawful] kidnapping she was accompanied by her three children, aged three-and-a-half months to seven years.
(5) On April 1, 2003, a small news item was published in an Urdu daily with reference to a press conference of Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat when, in reply to a question regarding the arrest of Dr. [Aafia] Siddiqui, he said: “She has not been arrested.”
(6) There was another news item in an Urdu daily on April 2 [2003] regarding another press conference when the Interior Minister said Dr. Siddiqui was connected to Al-Qaeda and that she had not been arrested as she was absconding. He added: “You will be astonished to know about the activities of Dr. Aafia (Siddiqui).”
(7) A motorcyclist in plainclothes knocked at the door of the mother of Dr. [Aafia] Siddiqui (Mrs. Ismat Siddiqui) and told her: “We know that you are connected to higher-ups. But it would be better for you if you keep quiet regarding your daughter. She and her children are OK with us.”
( 8 ) The June 23, 2003 issue of Newsweek International has been exclusively devoted to the so-called Al-Qaeda. The core of the issue is an [idiotic and illegitimate] article “Al Qaeda’s Network in America”. The [false and fraudulent] article has three photographs of so-called Al-Qaeda members – Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, Dr. Aafia Siddiqui and Ali S. Al Marri of Qatar who has studied in the U.S. like Dr. Siddiqui and had long gone back to his homeland. In this article, which has been authored by eight journalists who had access to FBI records, the only charge leveled against Dr. Aafia Siddiqui is that “she rented a post-office box to help a former resident of Baltimore named Majid Khan (alleged Al-Qaeda suspect) to help establish his U.S. identity. She was also ’supposed’ to support other Al-Qaeda operatives as they entered the United States.”
(9) The article states that Dr. [Aafia] Siddiqui was arrested in Pakistan contrary to the repeated statements of our Interior Minister.
(10) On 30-12-2003, Dr. Fawzia Siddiqui, elder sister of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, saw Mr. Faisal Saleh Hayat at Islamabad with Mr. Ejaz ul Haq, MNA, regarding the whereabouts of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui. Dr. Fawzia Siddiqui is a neurologist, studied at and did her doctorate in the U.S. She was head of the neurology department at Johns Hopkins.
Mr. Faisal Saleh Hayat told Dr. Fawzia and Mr. Ejaz ul Haq that according to his information, Dr. Aafia Siddiqui had already been released and that Dr. Fawzia Siddiqui should go home and wait for some phone call from her sister. But, alas, that phone call has not yet come (third week of March [2004]) and the whole family of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, including the author of these lines, are in a state of severe mental torture.
S.H. FARUQI
Tuesday, 30 March 2004
Islamabad, Pakistan
Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s Disappearance
(DAWN.com) – This is with reference to my earlier letter under the above caption (March 30 [2004]). I had written in the earnest expectation that something positive would come out and there would be some progress towards ending the miseries of my family related to the disappearance of my niece, Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, more than a year ago.
But instead of arranging for the release of the illegally detained doctor, the [Pakistan] authorities have apparently opted to punish the remaining members (Dr. Aafia’s mother and elder sister Dr. Fawzia Siddiqui with her two children) for protesting against the injustice.
After the publication of my March 30 [2004] letter, Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s mother and sister (along with her two children) have apparently been put under [illegal] house-arrest and are not allowed to have any physical or telephonic contact even with their family members. After failing to talk to my younger sister (mother of Dr.
Aafia Siddiqui) on the phone from Islamabad since March 30 till April 20 [2004], I rushed to Karachi and visited her house (140-E, Block-7, Gulshan-i-Iqbal) on April 22 [2004] only to find a big lock on the main gate of the house. I knocked on the gate for quite some time, first mildly, then strongly but there was no response.
Then I contacted my sister’s next-door neighbour, who happens to be the younger brother of [Pakistan Army’s ex-Chief] Gen. Mirza Aslam Beg. The lady (Mrs. Beg) was kind enough to tell me that Mrs. Ismat Siddiqui and her daughter Dr. Fawzia were inside the house, but for some time they had not been coming out or responding to the doorbell.
After trying to see my sister in vain from April 22 to 25 [2004], I returned to Islamabad. With this state of affairs, I doubt we are free citizens of a free country.
S.H. FARUQI
Sunday, 2 May 2004
Islamabad, Pakistan

Vigil held for release of Dr Aafia & others–>The Nation

The way things are going in USA courts, it seems Aafia is not going to get a fair trial. The real issue of her relationship with Al-Qaeda will not be addressed because FBI doesn’t have any evidence and the charges put on her are real baseless. Anyone with even minor sense of justice can see the shallowness of the fabricated evidence.

She is charged of snatching a weapon and trying to shoot American soldiers .The real great thing is that in the process she herself got shot.

This is all bullshit and ridiculous. Is American army an army of eunuchs? A weak woman snatches a gun and tries to shoot them?

There is still no clue about the 2 missing children of Aafia.

It’s also interesting that even after so many years (She was abducted in 2003 from Pakistan by USA and Pakistani agencies which was also reported at that time in local and international media) FBI has come up with such a lame case and even in that they didn’t have enough evidence to connect her with Al-Qaida or terrorist activities so this question was put aside by the court.

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Vigil held for release of Dr Aafia & others

The Nation

Source : http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Islamabad/20-Jan-2010/Vigil-held-for-release-of-Dr-Aafia–others

ISLAMABAD – A number of citizens Tuesday protested in front of the Parliament by lighting candles, protesting the illegal abduction and detainment of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui and other missing persons in United States prisons.
Relatives of the missing persons, civil society activists along with students, teachers, doctors, journalists, professionals, and representatives of human rights organisations were present at the occasion. Dr. Atia Anayatullah (PML-QA), Senator Talha Mehmood and Syed Bilal President Jamaat-e- Islami were also present at the occasion.
Over 300 people lit candles to show solidarity against the abduction of Dr. Aafia. They wore red scarves and bands as a sign of emergency and raised slogans against her detention.
Protests and Candle-lit vigils were planned in various countries in support of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui. The start of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui trial had been declared “Free Dr Aafia Siddiqui Day” across the U.S., UK, Pakistan, Australia, Spain, Qatar, Turkey, and the Middle East. In Pakistan, peaceful vigils were held in Karachi and Lahore press clubs and Islamabad along with other international venues at the same time.
Participants at the occasion vehemently condemned her detention and appealed for efforts to secure her immediate release. “Dr Aafia is a daughter of Pakistan and her return to Pakistan is a very vital issue”, they noted.
They said that the Government must take immediate steps for safe recovery of all the missing persons including Dr. Aafia. They said that after taking charge in January 2009, American President Barack Obama said that he would work for protecting human rights, and closure of Guantanamo prison was the proof of his statement.
In accordance with the said statement of the American President, they continued that American government must release Dr. Aafia immediately.
While talking to TheNation, Chairperson Defence of Human Rights in Pakistan (DHRP) Amina Janjua, who is the wife of one of the missing persons Masood Janjua, said that Dr. Aafia went missing in 2003.”She had spent many years in pain and miseries, and we are here to show solidity against her abduction and pain”, she added.

Human Rights, Missing Persons And The Elected Government

Justice Javed Iqbal in his statement few days ago rightly pointed out to the fact that cases like missing persons pose real threat to democracy not the verdicts of Independent judiciary.  In his statements he further criticized the performance of the government institutions. He said no government institution is working properly and the system is on the verge of disaster. He further said someone had to intervene to save the system and huge cry was raised every time when court does it.

The issue of missing persons is considered as the main reason behind the attempted removal of CJP Iftikhar Chaudhary twice by Musharraf’s government. According to HRCP estimates there are 198 reported missing persons since 2007 out of which 66 are from the deprived province of Baluchistan. The estimated figure of unreported cases is much higher. In a talk show recently Asma Jehangir, Chairperson of  HRCP told that in 2009 there were 30 new cases of missing persons came to their knowledge.

After the 18^th February 2008 elections it was expected that the newly elected government would try to improve the human rights situation and give some relief to the victim families. But this proved to be another shattered dream of people blinded by their faith and hope which soon turned into disbelief on the system for many.

Not only that all the people missing are not recovered but this heinous crime of illegally abducting the people is going on and hurdles are being created to trace the already missing. In a recent television interview Dr. Fawzia Siddiqi , sister of Dr. Aafia Siddiqi said the real danger from the release of Dr. Aafia is felt by those who are part of this evil network which kidnaps people and sell them. It is amazing that in the time of elected government with new army chief and intelligence chiefs no actions were taken against those involved in these illegal and inhuman activities during the former dictators rule. Government is using delaying tactics in Dr. Aafia case and has showed it’s inability to take the case in International Court of Justice.

In war hit areas of NWFP the situation is probably worse than other areas as there is no free media access and also judicial authority is almost none in many areas due to military control. Not only young but old and aged are being picked up by the security institutions in the name of war against terror. In a case filed by Syed Iqbal Kazmi, representative in Pakistan of Human Right Commission South Asia (HRCSA), an eighty years old man Wazir was picked up by Mohmand Rifles on September 2, 2009.Mohmand Rifles personnel picked up Wazir alleging that his son was involved in terrorist activities. In another case police and intelligence agencies in a joint raid picked up Usman Ali on January 29, 2009 from his house on suspicion of having relations with Taliban. Baluchistan is also facing similar situation though 20 of missing persons were released on political pressure  But still there are many including people like Pasand Khan Mandai from Baluchistan Worker’s Party were picked up by agencies during 2009 and their cases are still pending.

The statement by Justice Javed Iqbal clearly reflects the growing sentiments in Pakistani Society about the current democracy. Justice Javed Iqball said,” What type of democracy do we have wherein fundamental rights of the people could not be ensured?” The remarks were given while he was heading a three-member bench of the apex court, hearing petitions of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and others.

It seems that current so called democratic government has completely failed to protect the rights of our people. The situation demands real seriousness and sincerity, it is already too late. People are already fed up with inflation, corruption, load shedding and same old deceptions and lies. Government needs to take some real measures to rectify it’s mistakes and the mistakes committed during the time of the former dictator Musharraf otherwise things will go to the point of no return.

Imran warns of protests if Aafia convicted–>The Nation

Source :http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Politics/10-Jan-2010/Imran-warns-of-protests-if-Aafia-convicted

By Khalid Aziz

ISLAMABAD – Chairman Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf Imran Khan Saturday warned of countrywide protest against the prospective conviction of Dr Aafia Siddiqui in USA.
Khan while addressing a students’ seminar said that the US court was going to deliver an ex-party sentence against Dr Afia who was not pleading her case for having no hope of justice from American courts. PTI’s Women Wing had organised the seminar at party’s central office.
He regretted that our own agencies handed over a daughter of nation to foreign powers for the sake of dollars, adding that rulers were keeping mum over her possible conviction. He, however, warned that PTI workers would come on streets in each and every corner of the country if Dr Aafia were convicted by US court.
Recalling his youth days before the students, PTI chief said by then Pakistan was a fast progressing country and the nation was proud and confident. Later, it became slave of foreign powers due to the misdeeds of its rulers. He said that rulers were worshipping the dollar, who, he said, had sold out the nation for minting dollars from USA.
He said that PPP should ask Zardari to explain from which source or business he earned the millions of dollars kept in foreign banks.
Khan also condemned military operations in FATA and other parts of the country and called for withdrawal from the foreign war. He said operations were not a solution to the problem but produced more militants and suicide bombers. Once again he offered mediation between the Taliban and government with guaranteed success provided Pakistan withdrew from the so-called war on terror.

He also denounced US drones’ attacks inside Pakistani territory, saying that 42 drone attacks carried out during the last year killed only eight terrorists and 708 innocent Pakistanis. PTI Chief said people were not paying taxes due to lack of trust in government, adding that rulers were spending taxpayers’ money on their lavish foreign trips having no benefit for the country. “Zardari is once again out on begging trip,” he said.
Responding to a question regarding government response to his earlier mediation offer, Khan said that rulers had not yet obtained NOC from USA. He asked why government was not establishing its writ in Karachi and why judicial inquiry of the May 12, 2007 carnage in Karachi was not being carried out.
Imran Khan also regretted that at times when rest of the world was asking US for withdrawing its forces from Afghanistan, Pakistan Foreign Minister was requesting them for staying in Afghanistan for at least five more years. He said government was shedding the blood of its own people for the sake of dollars.

Investigative Report From Dunya TV On Karachi Blast And Riots

An excellent investigative report by Dunya Today about Karachi Blast. I hope after these proofs this case will not be thrown in the dustbin of Waziristan or tribal areas like it is happening with Benazir case.

Below is Mustafa Kamal’s reaction to the investigation

We demand free and fair investigation and trial of the minds and hands behind this terrorism regardless of political, sectarian, ethnic and any other affiliation.

“O ye who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for Allah can best protect both. Follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest ye swerve, and if ye distort (justice) or decline to do justice, verily Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do.” [An-Nisa 4:35]

Yvonne Riddley Story

This is an interesting story of  Yvonne Riddley converted to Islam after being captured and released by Talibans. It is a lesson for so called civilized nations like USA who treat women prisoners like animals and rape them in custody. Even uncivilized Talibans were more noble in their treatment with the women.

Now just compare it what civilized people did with an educated woman , a mother of three children.

Its a shame for so called civilized world:

Support Appeal For Aafia Siddiqi

Dr. Aafia Case–> Don’t Blame The Victim