National Conference On Terrorism

[GUNNER]

Pakistan leaders embrace joint approach to tackling terrorism


Pakistan is to convene a national conference on tackling terrorism as country's leaders seek to contain the menace of militant movements they once backed.

Rob Crilly in Islamabad

Published: 4:30PM BST 04 Jul 2010

Yousuf Raza Gilani, the prime minister, announced plans to develop a new strategy at the weekend following calls by Nawaz Shariz, the main opposition leader that it was time to negotiate with the Pakistan Taliban. "We have this problem in our home," he said. "Why shouldn't we take initiatives?"

While that call was rebuffed the leaders did agree that years of support for Jihadist groups has backfired as militants target the government.

The country has spent a weekend mourning 42 people killed by suicide bombers on Thursday night at a Sufi shrine in Lahore.
The bloodshed prompted angry demonstration as protesters blamed the government for failing to tackle the problem.

A joint statement issued by the prime minister and Mr Sharif said the parties would develop a joint strategy to tackle terrorism.
"They agreed that terrorism is the main hurdle in way of development and giving relief to people," the statement said.
"They agreed that this is not the time for blame-games as it is a serious national issue."

The agreement represents a rare moment of consensus between the two parties, which have clashed over how to address the problem of growing violence in Punjab, the country's richest and most populous region.

The government has repeatedly called on Mr Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-N party, which controls Punjab, to clamp down on militants.
Its refusal, analysts believe, is rooted in their use of radical groups to deliver votes.

Pakistan has also long used groups fighting in Kashmir or Afghanistan as tools of foreign policy.

But there are signs that Pakistan is waking up to the threat.

A Western diplomat in Islamabad said: "There is a realisation that the idea of some sort of good Taliban – groups that would leave Pakistan alone – is mistaken. Not everyone buys into it yet, but there is a growing understanding that these groups are a threat to the government and need to be tackled."

 

[T-Faz]

Pakistan Leaders Quarrel As Lahore Continues To Bleed​

An unidentified Barelvi group of Pakistan has disseminated the following through the Internet after the twin suicide explosions in the Data Darbar sufi shrine of Lahore on the evening of July 1,2010, resulting in the death of 42 worshippers, the majority of them reportedly followers of the tolerant Barelvi sect which believes in Sufism : "Extremist Deobandis of the Sipah-e-Sahaba have once again attacked the Data Di Nagri (Data’s city), Lahore. This time their target was the sacred shrine of Hazrat Data Ganj Bakhsh Ali Hajveri, a Persian Sufi and scholar during the 11th century who significantly contributed to the spreading of Islam in South Asia. According to puritanical beliefs of extremist Deobandis and Wahhabis of the Sipah-e-Sahaba and Taliban, ordinary Sunni Muslims of the Barelvi belief are considered as polytheists (mushrik) because of their devotion to a peace loving Sufi (mystic) tradition of Islam. Therefore, narrow minded supporters of the Taliban and Sipah-e-Sahaba consider Barelvi / Sufi Muslims as grave worshippers and inferior Muslims. In the past, the Taliban / Sipah-e-Sahaba alliance have attacked a number of shrines in various parts of Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA (Federally-Administered Tribal Areas). In March 2009, the Taliban / Sipah-e-Sahaba militants detonated the shrine of Rehman Baba, a 17th Century Sufi poet of the Pashtun language. In March 2010, terrorists of Sipah-e-Sahaba attacked Eid Milad-un-Nabi processions in Faisalabad and D.I. Khan killing at least seven people. Only last week, in June 2010, the Deobandi terrorists of the Taliban / Sipah-e-Sahaba attacked and blew up the shrine of Mian Umar Baba in the jurisdiction of Chamkani police station."

The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has strongly denied any responsibility for the attack on the Sufi shrine which has caused considerable anger among the common people of Pakistan. In the past, anger over terrorist attacks used to be largely confined to the urban elite. For the first time, there is now widespread anger among large sections of the common people in Pakistan. In view of this, no organisation in Pakistan has claimed responsibility for the suicide blasts. On the contrary, the TTP and the various jihadi organisations of Punjab, which are often referred to as the Punjabi Taliban, have taken care to deny responsibility.

Among the organisations which have maintained a silence are the Sunni extremist Sipah-e-Sahaba (SES) and its off-shoot the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, both of which closely collaborate with the TTP, the Afghan Taliban and Al Qaeda and have hide-outs in South and North Waziristan. It is generally believed by Pakistani police officers that Qari Hussain Mehsud, who runs the suicide bomber training school of the TTP, started his career as a jihadi in the SES and now trains the volunteers for suicide missions belonging to the LEJ too in addition to training those of the TTP. The TTP projects the so-called martyrs of the LEJ, who die in suicide missions or in encounters with the security forces, as its own “martyrs”.

Qari Mohammad Zafar, described as the head of the LEJ was reported to have been killed by a US drone air strike in North Waziristan on February 24 last. He was reportedly succeeded by one Mufti Abuzar Khanjari.Zafar was wanted by US and Pakistani authorities over a March 2006 attack near the US consulate in Karachi shortly before the visit of the then US President, Mr.George Bush to Pakistan from India.The US had offered a $5m (£3.3m) reward for information leading to his arrest or capture. It was reported that he had been given shelter in South Waziristan by the TTP.

Even though the US authorities did not issue a statement authenticating the reports of his death in a Drone attack, a statement attributed to the TTP on this subject was disseminated in the tribal areas of Pakistan in March. The statement described him as a “martyr” of the TTP without mentioning his LEJ origin and threatened that the TTP "will soon take revenge for his killing from the Government of Pakistan anywhere in the country." The warning added: "The Government of Pakistan is responsible for the killing (of militant commanders) in Drone strikes and the arrest of Afghan Taliban leaders Mullah Baradar, Mullah Kabir, Mullah Abdul Salam, ( Iran Jundullah chief) Abdul Malik Rigi and Afia Siddiqi, a Pakistani doctor now in the custody of the US."

Despite the TTP’s denial of responsibility for the attacks on the Sufi shrine, reliable Barelvi sources are convinced that the LEJ carried out the recent mass casualty attacks in Lahore on Ahmedia worshippers as well as on the followers of the Sufi saint in Data Darbar and that the LEJ must have carried out the attacks with the prior knowledge and approval of the TTP.

There are two Deobandi-Wahabi terrorist combines operating in Pakistan---the first consisting largely of Pashtuns belonging to the TTP and the so-called Ghazi force made up of surviving ex-students and teachers of the two madrasas attached to the Lal Masjid in Islamabad which was raided by the Special Services Group (SSG) of the Pakistan Army in July 2007 and the second consisting largely of Punjabi recruits belonging to the SES, the LEJ, the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JEM), the Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HUJI) and the 313 Brigade of Ilyas Kashmiri of HUJI origin, who are referred to as the Punjabi Taliban.

The leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) of Mr.Nawaz Sharif, former Prime Minister, are not prepared to admit the presence and activities of the second combine in Punjab. In the past, many leaders of the PML (N) have had contacts with the SES and the LEJ and had taken the help of their cadres during election campaigns. They also hesitate to come out strongly against the two Wahabi-Deobandi combines in order to placate Saudi princes and charity organizations, which have been the main sources of funding for the Punjabi Taliban. The result has been a lack of effective action against the hide-outs of the jihadi organizations in Punjab---particularly in Southern Punjab---- by the Punjab Police.

After the suicide blasts of July 1, there has been a slanging match between Mr.Rehman Malik, Pakistan’s Interior Minister,of Mr.Asif Ali Zardari’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), who accuses the Punjabi Taliban of being responsible for the terrorism in Punjab and Mr.Shabaz Sharif, the brother of Mr.Nawaz, who is the Chief Minister of Punjab. Mr.Shabaz denies that there is any Punjabi Taliban operating from sanctuaries in southern Punjab and accuses Mr.Malik of not co-operating with the Punjab Police and of withholding intelligence from the Punjab Government.

The Army has maintained a studied silence on this subject and has refrained from involvement in operations in Southern Punjab---particularly against the SES and the LEJ. There have been instances in the past of deserters from the Army and para-military forces joining the TTP, the SSP and the LEJ, but there have been no confirmed instances of the Deobandi-Wahabi vs Barelvi and the Deobandi-Wahabi vs Shias viruses affecting serving personnel of the Armed Forces. The Army wants to keep the serving soldiers immunized against these sectarian viruses. It fears that its active involvement in operations against sectarian terrorists could damage the unity of the armed forces.

 

[T-Faz]

Government in Pakistan Calls Meeting on Terrorism​

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — In an unusual sign of accord between the two major political parties, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani announced over the weekend that the government and the opposition would hold a national conference on ways to combat terrorism.

The announcement came days after 42 people were killed and hundreds were wounded when two suicide bombers struck the famed Sufi shrine Data Darbar on Thursday night in Lahore, the capital of Punjab Province.

The attack incited street protests in Lahore on Saturday, and it provoked complaints that law enforcement was not doing enough to protect holy sites from sectarian militant groups.

Nawaz Sharif, the leader of the main opposition party, Pakistan Muslim League-N, deplored the attack at a news conference on Saturday. It is time, he said, for the government to hold a national conference on terrorism and open talks with the Pakistani Taliban, “who are ready to talk and ready to listen.”

Mr. Sharif, whose brother Shahbaz Sharif is the chief minister of Punjab, did not specify which Taliban figures such talks should include.

Prime Minister Gilani agreed late Saturday to the proposal for a national conference, though it appeared unlikely that it would involve representatives of any militant groups. The conference will discuss how to better fight back against the militants, and show concern for the problem, politicians said.

The creation of such a conference was interpreted as an encouraging step by politicians who have called for greater leadership by the civilian government against terrorism. Until now the army has mostly led the effort against the Pakistani Taliban, fighting the militants in the tribal areas adjacent to Afghanistan.

The Pakistani Taliban denied responsibility for the Data Darbar attack. The shrine, one of the most popular in Lahore, is considered un-Islamic by followers of the Wahhabi and Salafi schools of Islamic thought that Taliban fighters generally adhere to.

Some religious scholars were so outraged by the attack on the shrine that they called for the resignations of Chief Minister Sharif and the Punjab law minister, Rana Sanaullah.

Earlier this year, Chief Minister Sharif was criticized by the national government, led by the more secular Pakistan Peoples Party, when he appealed to the Taliban to stop attacking Punjab on the grounds that the Muslim League and the Taliban had a common enemy in the United States. Since then, he has been accused of not doing enough to crack down on militant groups that have coalesced under the umbrella of the Punjabi Taliban.

The federal Interior Ministry said after the assault on the shrine that it had warned Punjab authorities of a possible terrorist attack in Lahore last week.

A rare joint statement by the prime minister and Nawaz Sharif on Sunday said now was “not the time for blame games.”

A similar conference on terrorism by the two main political parties was held in Islamabad two years ago, but those talks petered out and responsibility for tackling terrorism was handed to the army.

An effective national strategy by the civilian government would need stronger and more cohesive leadership and more money for the poorly financed police forces in the major cities, according to law enforcement officials.

 

[Capt.Popeye]

Government in Pakistan Calls Meeting on Terrorism​

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The information contained in both your posts is very pertinent. They indicate that the authorities are wakeful to the threats posed to the citizens; not to mention the establishment. In time, we'll see the whole thing play out- time to be patient and see who 'walks the talk'.
The 'bold ' parts are especially noteworthy if i may say so.
But its time to push the Genie (Jinn) back into the bottle; though (IMO) i'm being (may be overly) euphemistic.
But Pakistan needs to come out of this cycle of violence, that is all i hope for.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

National conference​

Dawn Editorial
Monday, 05 Jul, 2010

The Data Darbar tragedy has underscored a grim reality: the militants are not only at war with the Pakistani state, they are bent upon subjugating the Pakistani people as well.


PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif’s call for a national conference to evolve a strategy on combating terrorism and Prime Minister Gilani’s endorsement of the proposal have come not a moment too soon.

The Data Darbar tragedy in Lahore has underscored a grim reality: the militants are not only at war with the Pakistani state, they are bent upon subjugating the Pakistani people as well. Security installations, government buildings, mosques, schools, shrines, hospitals and markets, all have been attacked. With this blurring of targets, there is also a need to realise that, whatever their nomenclature, ideology, agenda and area of operation, the militants must now be seen in holistic terms — and their tactics unanimously condemned. This should be the thought behind the attempt to form a consensus on a strategy to curb terrorism. True, there will always be differences of opinion between those whose religious inclinations find resonance in the ideology espoused by the militants and others who believe that faith is a private affair and should be kept out of the national discourse.

But that is a debate that will have to run its course as the Pakistani nation attempts to resolve a crisis of identity that has dogged it almost since the time of independence. What is not a matter of debate is that the terrorists are prepared to stop at nothing to destroy the state and inflict their obscurantist agenda on the people.

So when the national conference takes place — and one hopes that all stakeholders will be on board and that the meeting will include not only representatives of political parties — it should be with the realisation that there is a common goal to pursue. There should be no room for blame-games or fiery speeches. Serious discussions will be required, with informed input from all concerned, so that a workable plan to thwart militancy can be put in place. Such a plan would include suggestions on how to prepare the people to take on those who threaten their way of life.

We have the example of Malakand division. Soon after the army launched an operation there in April 2009, an all-parties conference more or less unanimously backed the military action. Such political support, combined with the public’s backing, was instrumental in the army’s success in flushing out militants from the area. It will be a long-drawn-out struggle against the militants who will no doubt strike again in an attempt to demoralise the public. But given similar consensus, there is no reason why terrorism cannot be eradicated from larger swathes of Pakistan.

DAWN.COM | Editorial | National conference

 

[Old School]

But its time to push the Genie (Jinn) back into the bottle; though (IMO) i'm being (may be overly) euphemistic.
But Pakistan needs to come out of this cycle of violence, that is all i hope for.

This will not happen , I can assure you. Half of the establishment support the Taliaban and they are curiously waiting to welcome them. They will become the mouthpiece of the Taliban led Sharialized Pakistan. That is the plan.

 

[ambidex]

What a pity that there is need to build consensus and all party conference against terrorism when only law has to take its course.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

What a pity that there is need to build consensus and all party conference against terrorism when only law has to take its course.

Given the lack of continuity of a political system in Pakistan, the lack of strong institutions and policies is not a surprise. Effective and strong Law enforcement agencies and a justice system are essential for 'the law to take its course'. Given Pakistan's turgid political scene, and the social and ideological turmoil and confusion arising from the tessellation of faith, perceived national interests and terrorism, strengthening the necessary institutions and formulating unified policies on issues of national import will take time and precisely these sorts of attempts at 'consensus building'.

This is the democratic and political process in evolution - it is the coming together of all stakeholders and representatives of the people comprising the Pakistani Federation on an issue of national import. A positive outcome of such a 'national conference', in terms of the parties arriving at a consensus, has an impact on nation building that goes beyond the issues central to the conference IMO.

 

[ambidex]

Given the lack of continuity of a political system in Pakistan, the lack of strong institutions and policies is not a surprise. Effective and strong Law enforcement agencies and a justice system are essential for 'the law to take its course'. Given Pakistan's turgid political scene, and the social and ideological turmoil and confusion arising from the tessellation of faith, perceived national interests and terrorism, strengthening the necessary institutions and formulating unified policies on issues of national import will take time and precisely these sorts of attempts at 'consensus building'.

This is the democratic and political process in evolution - it is the coming together of all stakeholders and representatives of the people comprising the Pakistani Federation on an issue of national import. A positive outcome of such a 'national conference', in terms of the parties arriving at a consensus, has an impact on nation building that goes beyond the issues central to the conference IMO.

The same [kind of] situation is in India regarding Maoist et al.

The irony is that we have already wasted 60 years and our democratic and political institutes are still evolving and learning. When it was very simple to isolate what has to be left upon both to debate and rest upon the Law to persuade.

 

[Meengla]

Yes, as Agno says above, there is an 'evolution' of political process in Pakistan where major stake-holders' voices are being taken into internal decision. This can ONLY be good for Pakistan and for the region as well.

By the way, what's up with the 'Saudi Princes' funding the 'Wahabbi' brand of Islam in Pakistan? What about the alleged ties of the PMLN with some of these extremist/out-lawed organizations? Are these for real? I too have noticed that the Punjab govt. goes out of its way to deny the presence of the religious extremists inside Punjab?

 

[T-Faz]

Arre you not aware of the well know fact that Saudi utilises it's petrol dollars to spread Wahabism across Muslim nations. Usually the target is the low class of any given Muslim nation where money is used to lure them into the extremist world.

The whole network of madrassas in Pakistan is financed by the Saudi's, this is where all the brainwashing occurs and indoctrination of a violent mindset is spreader throughout it's students.

Saudi Textbooks Continue to Radicalize Youth | Homeland Security

PML-N is well known for collaborating with these people. They are known Arab apologists and sympathisers.

 

[Capt.Popeye]

This will not happen , I can assure you. Half of the establishment support the Taliaban and they are curiously waiting to welcome them. They will become the mouthpiece of the Taliban led Sharialized Pakistan. That is the plan.

If that is indeed true (and i hope it is'nt), then will it not be akin to cutting one's nose to spite one' face?
And another thing to think about; the consequences of actions (or inactions) in the neighbourhood.
But anyway.

 

[RescueRanger]

Arre you not aware of the well know fact that Saudi utilises it's petrol dollars to spread Wahabism across Muslim nations. Usually the target is the low class of any given Muslim nation where money is used to lure them into the extremist world.

The whole network of madrassas in Pakistan is financed by the Saudi's, this is where all the brainwashing occurs and indoctrination of a violent mindset is spreader throughout it's students.

Saudi Textbooks Continue to Radicalize Youth | Homeland Security

PML-N is well known for collaborating with these people. They are known Arab apologists and sympathisers.

And the maulvi brothers from JI and their stooge "IK"... Have you read his recent article on the terrorism war? This guy has lost his marbles.

 

[T-Faz]

And the maulvi brothers from JI and their stooge "IK"... Have you read his recent article on the terrorism war? This guy has lost his marbles.

Can you provide me with a link to the article. It is an established fact that support from sections of JI is being provided to these terrorists. One my fathers friend used to visit JI HQ for business purposes and he used to say that the HQ was guarded and armed like its some sort of security HQ.

These people are very cunning and put their interest first. I hope the correct action is applied.

 

[RescueRanger]

Can you provide me with a link to the article. It is an established fact that support from sections of JI is being provided to these terrorists. One my fathers friend used to visit JI HQ for business purposes and he used to say that the HQ was guarded and armed like its some sort of security HQ.

These people are very cunning and put their interest first. I hope the correct action is applied.

I will try to find the full article here is the press-release of what he was saying in the article:

Khan, opposition leader in Pakistan:

Khan refers to the decision of the generals in Islamabad to declare war on the Pakistani Taliban.
"When you bombard your population, what happens is that the fleeing militants and civilians remain on the ground. And 'have created a monstrous spiral of hatred. And it's all because of the unfortunate choice of Pakistan to fight the American war.

American War? Sound Familar?!!! We all know who is feeding him this nonsense. Visit the PTI website it is chock full of clippings with such stupid and ignorant statements.

Well what can one expect from a lota!