A visit to the enclosure at Kohati Gate, where the grave is supposed to lie, revealed no signs as to its presence.

The property can only be accessed from an entrance facing Koochi Bazaar. The crumbling wall of the compound has been blocked by street vendors and their merchandise; the only way to slip through is an opening in the wall of an adjacent cloth shop.

The enclosure is littered with garbage. Visitors will have to make their way through the thick overgrowth of foliage as well. No semblance of a grave is visible in the enclosure, despite close inspection.

Who was Pari Chehra?

“Pari Chehra was Persian King Nadir Shah Afshar’s favourite queen,” says Mohammad Ibrahim Zia, author of a book on the city’s history.

According to him, she accompanied Afshar when he led his forces in a campaign in India in 1739. Zia informs Pari Chehra fell ill during the journey through Peshawar.

“Pari Chehra died  and was buried in a garden at the governor’s palace,” Zia said, adding that a beautiful tomb was also constructed for her.

The property dispute

“There used to be five graves inside this enclosure until a few years ago,” said an aged street vendor, who works in front of the enclosure. The vendor, who did not want to be named, said that a dispute had arisen over this property between two parties hailing from the city’s interior.

“One of the parties tried to sell this land to an Afridi tribal elder from Khyber Agency, who with his armed men took over this property,” he said. The graves were completely destroyed then.

The piece of land has high commercial value as it is situated at the junction of City Circular Road and Koochi Bazaar.

Provincial Minister for Archaeology and Sports Syed Aqil Shah, who announced the preservation of Pari Chehra’s tomb a few months ago, was unavailable for comments.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 6^th, 2012.

The government recently asked tribal lawmakers to submit their views and comments about the document by August 10. It will announce the promulgation of this law on August 14.

Sajid Hussain Turi, a tribal lawmaker from Kurram Agency, told The Express Tribune that the new legislation was a good change for Fata. He said the law would be introduced in urban parts of the tribal areas first.

Turi pointed out, however, that he was not in favour of taxes being imposed in Fata. He said tribesmen were already paying taxes in the form of permits to political authorities, adding that there was no need to impose new taxes in a war ravaged zone. He did say that the permits could be converted to taxes after the introduction of the local government system in the tribal areas, though.

Fata Lawyers Forum (FLF) President Ijaz Mohmand also saw the extension of the local government ordinance to the region as a welcome development. However, he expressed concern that Fata lawyers were not contacted for suggestions and comments during the drafting of the regulation.

Ijaz also pointed out that too many powers have been vested in the governor through this regulation. He said elected people had been placed under political authorities in the regulation, which should have been vice versa. He also opposed the levying of taxes in Fata through local bodies.

“There is no infrastructure in Fata, so there is no justification for imposing taxes in this region,” he said.

Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) has also previously issued a detailed critique of the regulation. However, JI hailed these steps to extend the local government system to Fata.

“JI thinks the introduction of a local government system in Fata is an important step to improve fundamental rights, democracy and sustainable development,” JI’s Fata amir and former MNA Sahibzada Haroon Rashid maintained.

JI’s proposals included amendments to place the political administration under elected representatives.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 10^th, 2012.

However, sources within the PPP said that seasoned politician and K-P assembly lawmaker Anwar Saifullah Khan from Lakki Marwat would head the K-P branch of the party.

Saifullah himself was not immediately available for his comments; however, a PPP insider told The Express Tribune that the decision to appoint Anwar Saifullah Khan had been made and was only awaiting announcement.

“His elevation to the provincial president’s seat is set to be announced after Ramazan,” the source said. He further informed that Saifullah was currently on Umrah, hence the announcement would be made after Eid. The source claimed that there was no opposition towards the decision within the party and all workers were confident that anyone elected to the K-P president’s role would be suitable.

Saifullah is said to have had two meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari in the past as well.

According to the source, the current president of the party’s K-P chapter, Senator Sardar Ali Khan had been asked to work two days a week on party affairs. His failure to do so resulted in the total paralysis of the party’s affairs in K-P, he claimed.

“The party’s president promised to give two days per week to party affairs following workers’ demands… he failed to comply with this, however,” the source maintained, adding that it was disappointing for the party.

Regarding the party’s apparent preference for Saifullah to head its K-P chapter, he claimed the senior leader possessed the influence to win four or five seats for PPP in the upcoming elections on his own.  This was especially true since Saifullah’s son has also been elected a senator on PPP’s ticket, the source added.

A senior PPP leader and K-P cabinet minister told The Express Tribune that “a while ago, there was hype that Saifullah would become the new party president… but we have heard nothing since.” Another senior leader from the party also confirmed he heard Saifullah’s name for the new provincial president.

Meanwhile, PPP provincial information secretary Syed Ayub Shah, refused to confirm Saifullah’s appointment as the provincial president. He reiterated that the new president would be announced after Eid.

PPP, which has been a junior partner in the coalition in K-P, has been disrupted by intra-party politics for quite some time. The party’s leadership came under criticism for ignoring party workers during its time in the government.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 16^th, 2012.

Following the failure of the provincial government to gather all political parties to discuss the energy crisis, the opposition has decided to move ahead with an APC.

On Monday, Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam–Fazl (JUI-F) leaders met other political representatives to extend invitations for the opposition APC to address the energy crisis among other issues.

A delegation of JUI-F leaders Maulana Attaur Rehman, Haji Ghaulam Ali, Abdul Jalil Jan, Asif Iqbal Daudzai and others visited Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) provincial headquarters ‘Al Markaz Islami’ and met its  provincial leaders. JI provincial spokesperson Israrullah Advocate told The Express Tribune that the JI leadership accepted the invitation and would participate.

JUI-F provincial spokesperson Haji Abdul Jalil Jan said that the party delegation also met representatives from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League – Quaid (PML-Q) and Pakistan Peoples Party – Sherpao (PPP-S)

PML-Q provincial spokesperson Nighat Orakzai conveyed her support for the moot when it was announced by opposition leader Akram Khan Durrani and Sikandar Khan Sherpao in a press conference. Despite the party’s allegiances to the PPP, she said that PML-Q would criticise the government as they were also responsible to electorates.

She added that there was no energy crisis when the PML-Q was in power and termed ANP’s earlier attempts to overcome the power shortage as eyewash.

After greatly criticising the provincial government, Orakzai said that criticism would not yield anything and all parties need to work together to find solutions.

“The government has failed to resolve the power crisis among other issues faced by the country, now those who have to come to power must take concrete measures to pull us out of this situation,” she said.

PTI provincial spokesperson Shah Farman said the party had received the invitation, but they would announce their decision after consulting the central leadership.

PPP-S confirmed that they would attend the conference.

JUI-F also planned to meet Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Pakistan leaders to extend invitations, as well as members of the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz and Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-S).

The conference, which will take place at the JUI-F’s provincial secretariat, will discuss the law and order situation of the province, the energy crisis and problems in the tribal areas among other important issues.

The K-P government had earlier tried to organise an APC in August to discuss the energy crisis and create a joint strategy to solve the crises. However, opposition parties boycotted the government’s moot, saying that the government had done nothing to control power cuts over the past four and half years.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 11^th, 2012.

Talking to reporters after inaugurating the surgical ICU of the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) on Saturday, Senator Ilyas Bilour said that the ANP respects President Asif Ali Zardari, but an electoral alliance with PPP is not possible. He added that his party will contest the next general elections on its own.

Bilour said alliance with other parties will be decided by the party leadership and both ANP and PPP will form a coalition government after elections.

However, ANP’s provincial General Secretary Arbab Tahir said Bilour’s statements are his personal views and that the party has platforms where such issues are decided.

ANP Central Information Secretary Zahid Khan told The Express Tribune that the matter had not been discussed in party meetings so far.

However, Khan unequivocally hinted that party members are generally not in favour of an electoral alliance with PPP. He also agreed that the decision about whether to go solo or enter into an electoral alliance has not been established as yet, adding that aligning with other parties had not been confirmed.

The ANP-PPP coalition has had their own quota of bickering and complaints, with the former lamenting about being wronged by PPP workers.

At the same time, PPP leaders have also refused to go for an electoral alliance with the ANP.

PPP’s spokesperson Syed Ayub Shah told The Express Tribune that his party will nominate candidates from all constituencies.

However, he added that an alliance could be made if the need arises. “The party’s co-chairman and central leadership can decide such matters. Right now, no one is thinking about an alliance,” Shah said.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 16^th, 2012.

PESHAWAR: One of city’s main gardens, Wazir Bagh, is gradually falling into ruins after constant neglect.

The park dates back to the Mughal times. Situated in the southern part of the provincial capital, it caters to people living in surrounding areas. Previously, the park comprised of four large grounds with crisscrossing pavements. However, a few years ago one of its arms was turned into a football stadium and a huge wall was constructed in the middle of the ground. A pavilion and two other structures dating back to its very first construction are also falling apart down due to disrepair and lack of attention.

Two geysers installed in the park have been non-functional for more than a decade. The long oblong cisterns have turned into cesspools where only plastic bags among other garbage is seen floating. The park’s western wall has been torn down, which locals use as a shortcut to the park. In addition to this, children studying in eight nearby schools walk through the park on their ways to and from school.

Captain Yousaf, Town administrator in Nawaz Sharif’s leadership period, had allotted plots nearby for the park. However, the government later constructed a funeral prayer hall and two schools on the same land.

Bahadar, one of the park caretakers, said the area’s increasing population is the biggest hurdle in maintaining the area. Gardeners are not able to stop hundreds of people from using the ground for sports, which in turn damages plants.

“People do not even use the main road anymore, they use the garden as a shortcut,” Bahadar said. He suggested that there should be some entry fee, no matter how small, to reduce the number of visitors so as to protect the garden from further degradation.

Another gardener, not wanting to be named, said that only six out of 16 caretakers were still at work. “Five have been assigned to collect toll tax at Grand Trunk (GT) Road, while five others are working as tube-well operators,” he said. Last year, the Town Administration had tried to introduce a levy fee for the park, but did not succeed in doing so plausibly because of political pressure.

Town-I, in whose jurisdiction this park falls, constantly faces problems and finds it difficult to pay salaries to its employees. “Sometimes we get salary on the 10th of the month and sometimes even to the 20th,” he said.

Peshawar District Coordination Officer (DCO) Mohammad Javed Marwat told The Express Tribune that the district government is trying to rehabilitate Shahi Bagh under a project to be executed by the municipal authorities. We are currently holding proceedings in the Peshawar High Court (PHC) about a sports stadium and authorities are unable to launch a development initiative for Wazir Bagh because of this, said the DCO. He said that it was “unfortunate” that a comprehensive rehabilitation and reclamation plan could not be launched due to the litigation.

Archaeologist Dr Ahmed Hassan Dani writes that this garden was constructed sometime during 1803 to 1804 by Fatteh Mohammad Khan, the wazir of Durrani ruler Shah Mahmood. British explorer Sir Alexander Burnes, who later resided Kabul, also visited this park with the Peshawar ruler and described its beauty in detail.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 17^th, 2012.

The focus of the All Opposition Parties Conference (AOPC) will be the energy crisis, law and order problems in K-P, and operation in the tribal belt.

The AOPC has been called by the main opposition party in the K-P Assembly, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F).

JUI-F provincial spokesperson Haji Abdul Jalil Jan told The Express Tribune that all opposition parties have agreed to attend the proposed debate.

Although the main agenda of this meeting is the energy crisis, Jan said that opposition parties will try to build a consensus on diverse issues, including military operations and security problems.

In August, opposition parties had refused to participate in an All Parties Conference (APC) called by the provincial government. Their unanimous boycott had forced the K-P government to change its name to energy conference.

Scepticism

However, those attending the meeting are unsure whether it will help build any meaningful pressure on the government.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) provincial general secretary Rahmat Salam Khattak said that they were open to whatever issues come up at the meeting.

On the other hand, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) provincial spokesperson Israrullah Advocate said that the APC will be able to achieve much. “We are attending the conference because the opposition parties called us,” he said, adding that the JUI-F’s loyalties may lie with the federal government. JUI-F being the main opposition, however, can benefit from the session, he said.

Israrullah said that K-P is producing excess electricity in the region but as it is lumped together with other areas residents have to pay a higher price to receive the electricity they generate.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was initially delaying attending the conference due to tension between the PTI and JUI-F. However, the party later decided to participate. PTI’s provincial general secretary Shah Farman said they are only attending the conference to push their own point of view.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 20^th, 2012.

PESHAWAR: The All Opposition Parties Conference held on Thursday called for an end to load-shedding and drone strikes and demanded action against the sacrilegious film titled “Innocence of Muslims”.

This conference called by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam – Fazl (JUI-F) took place at the party’s provincial secretariat and was attended by leaders across the political spectrum. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam – Sami (JUI-S) was the only opposition party which did not participate.

Reading a declaration at the end of the conference, K-P Assembly Opposition Leader Akram Khan Durrani said the opposition groups expressed concern over the failure of the provincial government to resolve the electricity crisis in the province.

Durrani said the previous government received around Rs110 billion in lieu of net hydel profit proceeds from the federal government, but the incumbent government has only received half of that, about Rs55 billion.

He further said that the K-P government did not use the net hydel profit proceeds for further power generation, such as building dams and investing in energy, which had been agreed at the earlier APC called by the ANP-PPP government. The government should not have misused this amount for non-development expenditure, he said.

The resolution of the opposition APC demanded the government end the unwarranted power and gas outages in the province. Members also expressed concern over lawlessness in Balochistan, Karachi and the excessive bloodshed in K-P.

Durrani said the K-P government was entirely responsible for the ongoing lawlessness in the province, adding that it was riddled with corruption and nepotism.

Political leaders further said that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) should take notice of massive spending by the government ahead of the general elections.

The conference as a whole condemned the military operations in the tribal areas and drone attacks, and demanded the government to implement the parliament’s 14-point resolution to end the drone strikes.

The anti-Islam movie was also debated, with members agreeing that the US should apologise to the Muslim world and give exemplary punishment to those responsible for producing the film.

The opposition APC asked the issue be raised at the United Nations and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the US ambassador be expelled from the country till an apology was received.

The conference further announced its support for the September 21 strike against the blasphemous movie.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 21^st, 2012.

The Malakand division has seven districts and 23 seats out of a total of 124 seats in the provincial assembly. Presently, neither the JUI-F nor the JI have any seats from the area, which is of crucial importance for any party seeking to come to power in the province.

The JUI-F has strengthened its position in the southern parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa after two MPAs, Munawar Khan of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) from district Lakki Marwat, and Attiqur Rehman of the Pakistan Peoples Party-Sherpao (PPP-S) from Hangu, joined the party.

JI Chief Syed Munawar Hassan visited Dir twice in September. On September 9, Hassan toured Upper Dir and later on September 23, he addressed a gathering in Lower Dir.

The JI has arranged five public meetings in Malakand divison attended by Hassan, said JI spokesperson Advocate Israrullah, while similar meetings have also been scheduled for Swat.

Following Hassan’s visits, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman also addressed a rally at Batkhela on September 24.

The JUI-F spokesperson, Haji Jalil Jan, said that Fazl will visit Shangla district on October 5 and Upper Dir on October 21. The party chief had also visited Swat and Dir earlier this year.

The Malakand division presents a challenge for both the JUI-F and JI. Governance in the district suffered under the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal and the party grew unpopular as militancy increased and the party failed to take any action.  As life was becoming increasingly insecure for residents, religious parties were voted out and the Awami National Party (ANP), which was vocal against militancy, was elected into power in 2008.

In the absence of any electoral alliance, both the JUI-F and JI will compete against each other. JI boycotted the 2008 elections, while the JUI-F was unsuccessful in winning any seats from Malakand. In 2002, JUI-F candidates won both seats from Chitral district, which is traditionally a PPP stronghold.

The PML-N has also increased its influence in the region by inducting former Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid’s (PML-Q) politician Amir Muqam  into its ranks. Muqam is influential in Shangla, Swat and other districts. The PPP also has a considerable vote bank in Dir, Malakand and Chitral.increasing competition for all stakeholders.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 27^th, 2012.

Since the federal railways minister announced a $100,000 bounty for the US filmmaker of a sacrilegious movie, “Innocence of Muslims”, his secular Awami National Party (ANP) and the federal government have begun distancing themselves from the statements. However, in an interesting move, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan have announced that they had removed Bilour’s name from their hit-list.

Before Bilour’s statements, there was an eerie silence as to whether someone would announce a bounty for the filmmaker.

In previous years, Maulana Mohammad Yusuf Qureshi, prayer leader at Mahabat Khan Mosque, was known for announcing price tags on people. There have been three notable occasions on which he has done this. However, in recent years, paralysis has left Qureshi unable to make any comments.

Approximately two weeks ago, he was brought to a Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) rally in a wheelchair. Although there were many people who were expecting that he would make a speech, he did not, and only offered prayers on stage.

In 2006, Qureshi made headlines across the world during the Danish newspaper cartoon controversy, when a sketch of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was published. He announced that he would pay Rs1.5 million to anyone who would kill the Danish cartoonist. Playing on sentiments to further global outrage, he then increased the amount to $1 million.

Qureshi announced another bounty in 2007, again of $1 million, for British author Salman Rushdie, shortly after Rushdie was knighted. Around this time, Qureshi had also conferred the title of ‘Amirul Mujahedeen’ to Osama Bin Laden.

In 2010, Qureshi came up with another bounty offering of Rs500,000 for the killer of a Pakistani Christian woman Asiya Bibi, who is still behind bars on charges of blasphemy. Most recently, he announced a bounty of Rs1.5 million for US pastor Terry Jones, who said he would desecrate the Holy Quran earlier this year.

Qureshi, who has been leading prayers at the Mahabat Khan Mosque since 1965, has always maintained a controversial stance. During Ziaul Haq’s martial law, he was sacked from his position at the mosque following his opposition to the national mourning of the death of Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev by the then governor General Fazl Haq. In a booklet, Qureshi maintains that at that time Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour and Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao also supported him.

2012, Ghulam Ahmed Bilour: $100,000 for the filmmaker of ‘Innocence of Muslims’

2012, Maulana Mohammad Yusuf Qureshi: Rs1.5 million for US pastor Terry Jones

2010, Qureshi: Rs500,000 for Pakistani Christian women Asiya Bibi

2007, Qureshi: $1 million for British author Salman Rushdie

2006, Qureshi: $1 million for Danish cartoonist who sketched Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

Published in The Express Tribune, September 29^th, 2012.

The organisers had planned to start the protest from the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) headquarters in Chamkani and go towards GT Road, Gulbahar, Hashtnagri, Firdous Chowk, Rehman Baba Square, Khyber Road, Gora Qabristan and University Road. The rally, which is in protest of an anti-Islam film, was scheduled to culminate in Karkhano Market.

However, District Coordination Officer Javed Marwat told The Express Tribune that the administration has refused to let the rally pass GT Road among a few other areas, as they expect the protesters to get violent.

“They can use the Ring Road instead to reach Karkhano Market, but we won’t let them pass by GT Road,” said Marwat.

However, DPC provincial head, Maulana Yousaf Shah, said that they will not change their plans, adding that the administration cannot direct them where to go.

JI Provincial General Secretary Shabbir Ahmed Khan also said that they have not changed the route so far. Khan said the administration has informed the district chapter of the DPC about its decision.

“They should approach the provincial committee of the DPC regarding any change of plans, as the district committee cannot decide on this,” said Khan.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 30^th, 2012. 

PESHAWAR: A former Pakistani legislator and General Secretary Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Sami (JUI-S), Ikramullah Shahid announced a $200,000 bounty for the maker of the anti-Islam film released in the US.  

Shahid made the offer at a Difa-i-Pakistan Council (DPC) rally on Monday in Peshawar.

“We will award  $200,000 to anyone who kills the filmmaker,” he said.

This offer comes after Federal Railways Minister Ghulam Ahmed Bilour earlier offer of $100,000 bounty for the filmmaker behind the disrespectful film.

Muslims across the world have held protests, both violent and peaceful, against the film demanding Google to block the video or pull it down from YouTube altogether.

At least 23 people had died during protests in Pakistan against the film.

YouTube has been blocked in Pakistan since almost three weeks because Google refused to block the video in Pakistan.

Ikramullah Shahid, the former deputy speaker of the provincial assembly under the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), announced a bounty of $200,000 for killing the filmmaker.

The rally started from the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) provincial headquarters on GT Road. It passed by the General Bus Stand, Gulbahar, Hashtnagri, Firdous,Rehman Baba Square, Sher Shah Suri Road, Sunehri Masjid Road, Khadim Hussain Road and ended on Shama Chowk on University Road. The rally concluded peacefully at Spin Jumat (White Mosque) near Peshawar University.

No untoward incident was reported and strict security measures were taken amid fears of violence. The rally was not given permission to pass through Khyber Road.

Although negotiations with the district administration were ongoing until Sunday night, government officials did not give in to the DPC’s demands.

Traffic was minimal with public transportation unavailable, while shops and business remained closed. While missionary schools remained shut, most private schools and universities had low attendance.

DPC Chief Maulana Samiul Haq, JI Chief Syed Munawar Hassan, Jamatud Dawa (JuD) leader Hafiz Saeed, Ahle Sunnah Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) Chief Maulana Mohammad Ahmed Ludhianvi, Ansarul Ummah Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman Khalil and former ISI Chief General (R) Hamid Gul addressed the crowd.

They blamed the US for the blasphemous movie and said it was an act of war against Muslims, not freedom of speech. Hafiz Saeed reiterated this point and said blasphemy is the worst form of terrorism. He also informed the audience of the recently published caricatures of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) in a French magazine.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUIS) Chief Maulana Samiul Haq called on the public to stand up and make their voices heard for the enforcement of Islamic rule.

Maulana Khalil criticised the government over the deaths of 19 people on Ishq-e-Rasool (pbuh) day. He highlighted the DPC’s protest as an example of peaceful demonstration.

He said the government cannot bargain over the honour of the Holy Prophet (pbuh), adding that jihad has become obligatory on all Muslims following the recent film clip.

Former intelligence chief, General (retd) Hamid Gul, said that the West is aiding attacks on Muslim sensitivities. Blasphemy has united Muslim all over the world, he said. Gul demanded that the government ask the US to extradite the filmmaker to Pakistan.

He added that Nato supplies and drone attacks must be stopped.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 2^nd, 2012.

Saifuallah, who was appointed as the party’s provincial president on Sunday, spoke to journalists at the residence of provincial minister Rahimdad Khan, following a meeting with senior PPP leaders.

“During the past four and half years, the PPP has acted as the junior partner in the ruling coalition. I want to see my party in the driving seat after the next elections,” he said, while hinting at a possibility of seat-adjustments.

As expected, Saifullah delineated his plans for strengthening the PPP in the province, which is marred by internal differences over the alliance with the Awami National Party, as well some other issues.

The provincial cabinet of the PPP will be announced in a few days and the party will be restructured at the district level after consulting other party members, said Saifullah, while explaining his efforts so far.

He added that the party has formed four regional committees for Hazara, Peshawar, Malakand and the southern districts, adding that office bearers will be appointed in every district.

Anwar Saifullah who was living in Islamabad, said that he will be residing in Peshawar from now on.  A  convention of party workers, MPAs and ministers will also be held in the provincial capital to improve management of the party.

“All the ministers from the PPP have been asked to give two days a week to party workers:  a day in their own constituency and another day in any other district,” he said, while stressing the need to address the problem of party members.

“The party secretariat will also be functioning regularly with ministers serving there” added Saifullah. “If someone’s performance has not been good, we will look for alternates.”

Saifullah announced that he will also visit all districts of the province by the end of this month while the party’s general secretary will be appointed in the next few days.

He added that the party had to put up with coalition partners and it curtails its power to deliver. He said that he will remove the preception that PPP is a subordinate to the ANP in the ruling coalition.

The PPP leader further said that he will attend a public address on Friday in Dera Ismail Khan.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 3^rd, 2012.

PESHAWAR: While three major political parties want former minister Khawaja Mohammad Khan Hoti to join them, he has kept everyone guessing about his decision.

Officials of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) all confirmed to The Express Tribune that Hoti may be joining them.

The former minister left Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) after taking a break from party activities nine months ago. He had joined the party last year after quitting the Awami National Party (ANP).

A senior PPP official, wishing not to be named, said that Hoti will join the party in a few days. “He has served as the PPP’s provincial president and has good relations with party members, including the president’s sister Faryal Talpur,” the PPP leader said.

However, Khawaja Hoti, when asked for his comments, denied any contact with the ruling party and said ‘who will pick up a dead horse’.

JUI-F spokesperson Haji Jalil Jan also confirmed that Hoti was about to strike a deal with his party. “About 60% of the issues have been settled, while the rest are being discussed,” he said, adding that Hoti had some demands which are being discussed, though he did not disclose the nature of these demands.

Jan also said that a crucial meeting of the former minister was scheduled with Maulana Attaur Rehman in Islamabad yesterday (Friday).

The PML-N was not to be left behind. Its spokesperson Nasir Musazai also claimed that Hoti has held talks with the party’s provincial chief Pir Sabir Shah and senior leader Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan.

Musazai also claimed that Hoti’s joining is nearly confirmed, adding that it was expected to be announced some time back during party chief Mian Nawaz Sharif’s trip to Khyber- Pakhtunkhwa. The trip, however, was postponed due to protests against a blasphemous movie.

Hoti said that he has spoken to members of both parties. “I respect all political parties. My decision will be announced in a few days,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 6^th, 2012.

The ECP had asked all members of parliament as well as provincial assemblies to file a fresh declaration on the issue of dual nationality, after the apex court disqualified some dual national lawmakers and directed it to proceed with legal formalities.

The National Assembly and Senate, however, had refused to comply with the Supreme Court order.

A text message from the K-P Assembly Secretariat was sent out to the province’s lawmakers on Friday, asking them to fill in the forms and sign it in the presence of the assembly’s secretary before having it attested by the oath commissioner. The message added that the forms would be forwarded to the election commission.

Nighat Orakzai, a female lawmaker in the K-P Assembly, confirmed that she had received the text message from the assembly secretariat, adding that she would submit the affidavit on Monday.

However, she added that the judiciary should also ensure that such a  procedure would be followed by the military and civil bureaucracy, adding that she would file a petition in this regard in the Peshawar High Court, and would also move an adjournment motion in the K-P Assembly.

However, Special Secretary to the K-P assembly Attaullah Khan could not confirm whether the text message was sent out to assembly members. Talking to The Express Tribune, he said that a few suggestions were made to the speaker of the K-P assembly, but he was yet to give feedback.

Meanwhile, only 17 lawmakers – less than one third of the total strength – out of 65 lawmakers in the Balochistan Assembly filed their dual nationality declarations to the secretary of the assembly.

Secretary Zahoor Ahmed told The Express Tribune that he had only received affidavits of 17 members of the provincial assembly so far; adding that nine members had filed them on Thursday, while eight filed the declaration on Friday.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 6^th, 2012.

Her resilience and courage helped rout the Taliban mindset that opposed female education in the Swat Valley.

Writing for the BBC

Yousafzai rose to international fame for chronicling the plight of children for the BBC under the penname Gul Makai, during the Taliban insurgency years.

“In 2008, when the Taliban imposed a ban on girls’ education in Swat, I floated an idea to publish a diary from any schoolgirl  in Swat, to lend a human touch to the tragedy,” said Abdul Hai Kakar, a former BBC Urdu journalist in Peshawar.

“I contacted her father, Ziauddin, to find a girl who could write the diary for the BBC but he could not find anyone – everyone was afraid,” Kakar said.

“Ziauddin offered that his daughter can write, under her real name, but I gave her a pseudonym Gul Makai, for security reasons,” he added.

The blog, starting in late 2008, was published weekly.

“I had a terrible dream yesterday with military helicopters and the Taliban. I have had such dreams since the launch of the military operation in Swat. My mother made me breakfast and I went off to school. I was afraid going to school because the Taliban had issued an edict banning all girls from attending schools,” Gul Makai writes on January 3, 2009.

In November 2011, Yousafzai was nominated for International Children Peace Prize by Dutch organisation KidsRights. She did not receive the award, but the government of Pakistan decided to acknowledge her efforts, and awarded her the first-ever national Peace Award. The award was also named after her.

Candid, outspoken

The Express Tribune interviewed Yousafzai at her home last February. Even at the age of 13, she was articulate, outspoken and mature beyond her years.

She spoke candidly about the militancy and the Taliban.

“Taliban were pushing Swat back to the stone age with attacks on female education,” she said.

“They simply did not want an educated society; educated mothers would not allow their children to turn into suicide bombers, and will not give away their jewelry to the militants in charity,” she said.

She narrated the tales of fear and prosecution had to go through under the Taliban.

“There was only fear,” she said, adding that one day, they were asked by the school administration to not wear the uniform, and hide their books beneath their shawls, so they may not invite militants’ attention.

She said the country needed leaders, and that she would go on to become a politician.

When asked what she wanted to say to the people of Swat, Yousafzai said, extremely candidly, that Swat’s people should not patronise any ‘mullahs’ in the future.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 10^th, 2012.

PESHAWAR: As the nation waited with bated breath through most of Tuesday, doctors treating peace icon Malala Yousafzai announced on Wednesday that her condition was ‘satisfactory’ following a three-and-a-half-hour surgery.

The operation, which took place at a military hospital in Peshawar, was successful in extracting the bullet from her body. The 14-year-old child activist from Swat was airlifted  to the hospital after initially receiving treatment at Saidu Sharif Hospital.

A senior doctor who was part of the team that operated on Malala told The Express Tribune on condition of anonymity that “earlier, she was under observation and her condition was stable; however, later I got a call from the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in the middle of night saying the patient’s condition was deteriorating, which forced us to go for surgery around 2 am.”

“Her condition is satisfactory following the surgery,” he added. However, he parried a question about shifting Malala abroad for treatment, saying he was not in a position to comment on this.

Malik’s statement

Interior Minister Rehman Malik who paid a visit to CMH told reporters at the Peshawar airport that Malala’s condition was out of danger and that a decision to send her abroad for treatment has been postponed.

“She is gradually recovering,” Malik said, adding that doctors have put her under observation for 48 hours.

He said that security personnel would be assigned to ensure Malala’s safety. In addition, passports for her and her family have been prepared ‘in case of an emergency’. An airport official also said “A PIA plane which reached Peshawar earlier on Wednesday is on standby, and all necessary medical facilities have been provided on this plane,” in case she needs to be flown out in an emergency.

Contrary to a statement made by the provincial authorities, Malik claimed that Malala’s attackers had been identified, adding: “We will not let them escape.”

K-P govt initiative

While the interior minister seemed to be aware of who the culprits behind the attack were, the K-P government announced a Rs10 million reward for anyone who was able to identify the attackers. Provincial Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain told the media, “The identity of those identifying persons involved in the Malala attack will not be revealed.”

Hussain also confirmed that “There is no need, now, to take her (Malala) to any foreign country for treatment, the doctors say,” at least for the time being.

He appealed to the nation to pray for her health. “Malala has become a voice for peace which cannot be choked till Doomsday,” the emotionally charged minister said. He added that while his government believed in negotiations, the time had now come to face terrorists with unanimity of purpose.

Investigations

A probe was also initiated on Wednesday into the attack. Security forces apprehended a number of people including Malala’s school teacher, the school watchman and the driver of the van which was targeted. They were taken to an undisclosed location. In all, 200 suspects have been rounded up so far, although several were released after initial interrogations.

The investigation team along with security forces visited the crime scene as well as Malala’s school to collect evidence. Security has been beefed up in the area in wake of the assassination attempt.

A student accompanying Malala in the ill-fated van, identified as Shazia, who was also shot, has been shifted to a hospital in Peshawar due to her critical condition. Shazia was shot in the leg. The injured girl’s parents are paying for her hospital expenses themselves.

Speaking to reporters at the press briefing, White House spokesperson Jay Carney said that the US has offered any necessary assistance to Malala. “As part of this offer, the US military has agreed to provide air ambulance and medical treatment at a facility suitable for her condition if it becomes necessary.” WITH ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY ABDUR RAUF IN PESHAWAR AND HAZRAT ALI IN SWAT

(Read: What next after Malala?)

Published in The Express Tribune, October 11^th, 2012.

While Abdul Hai Kakar, the brains behind Malala’s diary, admits that the attack on the 14-year-old was a possibility, he maintains that her blogs played a crucial role in highlighting Swat’s human tragedy.

Kakar, a former BBC Urdu journalist from Peshawar, spoke to The Express Tribune via Skype from Prague, where now he works for Radio Mashal, a Pashto service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).

“I covered the Swat conflict extensively for the BBC and observed that reporting in Pakistani media was clichéd and missed a humanitarian angle,” he said.

Kakar said that Malala’s diary was an attempt to creatively and objectively portray the situation on ground in Swat.

The idea occurred to him when the Taliban outlawed girls’ education in the valley, and he felt finding a local girl who could express her feelings and emotions would be appropriate.

“Girls were victims in Swat’s war and this diary would bring forward their perspective and at the same time document their experiences as first-hand witnesses,” Kakar said.

He approached Malala’s father Ziauddin Yousafzai to find him a girl who would be willing and able write such a diary.

Ziauddin, who runs a school in Swat, told Kakar he had two candidates in mind but their families would not permit them.

Ziauddin then hesitantly asked if his daughter, Malala, who was 11-years-old at the time, would be up for the job. Kakar said that Ziauddin was even willing to let Malala use her real name; however, the BBC was opposed to the idea and used a pen name.

The name Gul Makai – a heroine of Pakhtun folktale – was chosen as an apt pseudonym meant to strike a chord with the local population so they could easily identify with Malala’s blog, he added.

Starting from January 3, 2009, Malala’s diary was published for 10 weeks by BBC Urdu and English. Kakar recalled he would have a conversation with Malala on the phone for 30 minutes every day, during which she would narrated to him what she saw, felt or heard that day.

He said the impact of Malala’s diary was huge, as it was written by a girl at a time when the girls of Swat were being denied their right to education. “It was regarded as the voice of Swat,” he said.

When asked about his reaction to the brutal attack on her Kakar said he had feared the eventuality as whoever tried to talk against the security establishment was chased to their ultimate end.

“I feel really sad for her, as we had developed family relations over time,” he said.

Kakar said not revealing Malala’s identity could have averted the attack. However, her identity was revealed when her name was filed for the International Peace Prize.

It was her father’s decision, not the BBC’s, he reiterated.

Correction: The word diary had been misspelt in an earlier version of this article. The correction has been made.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 12^th, 2012.

Aurangzeb Khan from Lower Dir, a ninth grader at Jandool Model School, is currently in coma and has been occupying bed number 10 of the surgical trauma ward at the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) for over a year now. The coma has reduced his body to bones and doctors at the hospital have given up hope, telling his family to just take him home.

Aurangzeb was severely wounded in a suicide attack on a funeral gathering in the Samar Bagh tehsil of Lower Dir on September 12, 2011. He sustained severe head injuries in the attack, which also killed more than 45 people and left 60 more injured, including Khan.

“His skull was pierced by a ball bearing, which got lodged in his head,” Aurangzeb’s older brother, Anwar Khan, told The Express Tribune. He regained consciousness after 36 days, but fell back in coma after a month.

Anwar, a taxi driver by profession, had to sell his cab to be able to pay for his brother’s continued treatment. So far, he has spent Rs1.5 million on his brother’s care with the government only providing less than a tenth of that, Rs100,000, in monetary compensation. The amount the government gave was completely spent on treatment in the initial days following the blast.

Aurangzeb was taken home and resumed his normal life for a month. He use to go out with friends and Anwar walked him to his school. However, a month later complications developed when an abscess grew on his wound and he had to be readmitted to LRH. At the hospital, doctors had mixed opinions about what to do. “One suggested an operation and the other opposed it,” Anwar said. Now, doctors at LRH have told his family that Aurangzeb will not regain consciousness for the rest of his life.

Despite this, the family remains resilient about saving his life, running from pillar to post. However, they have so far been without any luck. “I reached out to many support schemes to help us – Benazir Income Support Programme, Pakistan Baitul Mal, the prime minister’s secretariat, the chief minister and representatives of his locality,” Anwar said, still hopeful that his brother would recover. “But my appeals have fallen on deaf ears.”

He said that he is unsure what will happen to Aurangzeb if they take him home in this condition, and asks the government to take pity on them and extend some help.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 14^th, 2012.