The ‘Save Gorkhatri’ coalition, which comprises  of civil society and heritage organisations, academics and conservationists, has complained that the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Archaeology Department plans to construct in the area with total disregard for the 1997 Antiquity Act that forbids construction on historical sites.

Six local organisations included in the campaign are the Gandhara Hindko Board, Frontier Heritage Trust, Idara Baraye Taleem-o-Taraqi, Da Lass Gul, Sarhad Conservation Network and the Peshawar chapter of the Institute of Architects Pakistan.

A source familiar with the matter told The Express Tribune that earlier in 2010-11, the archaeology department prepared a PC-1 with a fund of Rs150 million to establish an archaeological park called the ‘Gorkhatri Archaeological Complex’, envisioning an artisans village, construction of a glass superstructure over the archaeological trench and using it as a place to host cultural festivals to promote the city’s image as one of the oldest living cities in South Asia.

However, he said that later the PC-1 was amended and new structures were proposed, including a house for a religious cleric, a pavilion, a police check-post, a parking lot and a food street. He said that the archaeology secretary himself became the director for this project.

The source said that salaries of other workers on the project were being paid for six months, but no work had yet been completed. Other structures that already exist on the premises are a police check-post at a Mughal era gate and a marriage hall owned by K-P Minister for Tourism Syed Aqil Shah, despite the Supreme Court’s orders three years ago to demolish it.

Earlier on Thursday, the ‘Save Gorkhatri’ campaign issued a statement demanding an immediate halt to the construction. The committee is lobbying for Gorkhatri’s recognition as a UNESCO heritage site. It asked the government to create an inventory of endangered sites in K-P as so far only Takht Bhai is listed from the province.

Campaign members asked the Peshawar High Court to take suo motu notice against authorities involved in illegal construction. The first archaeological evidence of people living at the site goes back to the Indo-Greek period in 190-185 BC.

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

The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) announced this past Thursday that the MMA will be revived without the JI and JUI-S after months-long deliberations failed. They only resulted in bickering and a war of words with no immediate prospects for reconciliation.

While the MMA will have a minimal impact on national politics, the JI and JUI-S, along with other religious parties, consider K-P as their stronghold.

The electoral struggle has been further intensified with the growing popularity of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, which is determined to get a share of the pie, including the conservative voters.

The JUI-F has strategised its campaign for the upcoming general elections by inducting electable candidates into party ranks. Just last month, two serving members of the K-P Assembly, including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Munawar Khan from Lakki Marwat, and Pakistan Peoples Party-Sherpao’s (PPP-S) Atiqur Rehman, joined the JUI-F. PTI’s Khwaja Muhammad Khan Hoti from Mardan also joined the JUI-F, making it the largest party in K-P’s southern districts.

In the 2008 elections, the JUI-F won only one out of the 36 provincial assembly seats from central K-P. It contested elections from Peshawar, Mardan, Charsadda, Nowshera and Swabi. Six of its candidates lost with a small margin, while the majority of its candidates came third. The Awami National Party and the PPP won the polls.

Fazl’s party suffered miserably in Malakand, Upper and Lower Dir, with no lawmakers winning in 2008. It performed well in the southern districts, including Chitral and Hazara.

Dir is considered a JI stronghold and JI’s boycott of the elections kept most voters at home. This came to the advantage of the PPP, who swept these districts. The JUI-F also filled in the vacuum, capturing much of the religious vote bank —  originally the JI’s share.

The upcoming elections will be tough for the religious parties. In addition to the PTI, the PML-N has also made gains following the induction of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid’s (PML-Q) former provincial president Amir Muqam.

An influential figure in Malakand, Muqam’s induction will definitely have some benefits. He is also the party’s first senior leader from the Pashto speaking part of the province. Traditionally, the PML-N has been popular in the Hindko-speaking Hazara division.

Sources say that the JUI-F and the PML-N may strike a compromise to accommodate an electoral adjustment of some sort. Given the rivalry, this does not seem to be farfetched. It creates the possibility of the PTI and JI closing in on their differences to patch a framework for an alliance to counter the JUI-F.

Fazl and his comrades may have sensed this, considering their new-born criticism of the PTI. JUI-F activists think that the warring words against Khan are an attempt to discredit him before any alliance with the JI could be struck. A PTI-JI coalition can be a game changer and a hindrance in MMA’s electoral prospects.

The JI has already begun tackling the JUI-F by awarding a party ticket to its provincial chief, professor Ibrahim Khan, to contest from Bannu (NA-26). Currently, this constituency belongs to JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

On the other hand, JUI-S and JI leaders accuse the JUI-F of forging a single member Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Seniors (JUI-S), which is part of the revived MMA.

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

PESHAWAR: At least 34 out of a total of 91 protected archaeological sites across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) are untraceable, damaged or have been encroached upon. 

A list published by the provincial department and available with The Express Tribune, shows that almost all sites had been documented by the federal department of archaeology before the department was devolved to the provinces after the 18th Amendment.

Out of the sites categorised as untraceable, damaged or encroached, two are in Peshawar, two in Mardan, two in Bannu, three in Swabi, six in Charsadda, six in Swat, eight in Haripur and one each in Abbottabad, Kohat, Mansehra, Nowshera and Dera Ismail Khan.

The federal government had listed 90 sites under the Federal Antiquities Act, 1975. One addition was made in the K-P Antiquities Act, 1997. K-P is also the only province that upheld an ‘Antiques Act’ at the time of devolution.

Qazi Ijaz, an official of the archaeology department, said that protected sites across the province are 57, although the figure quoted on official documents is 91.

Director of the archeology department, Dr Shah Nazar, said that a survey about the protected sites is currently under process. He said that there had been some problems maintaining the sites and that encroachment on heritage sites is not unusual.

Currently, projects have been undertaken on 11 out of the 91 sites. Dr Nazar said that further action could only be taken after the survey is complete.

Mansehra

A British-era government high school has been listed among the damaged, untraceable or encroached sites.

Dera Ismail Khan

Hesam Dheri site has been completely levelled into cultivation fields. It was notified in 1979 and measured about 11 kanals and 12 marlas.

Peshawar

Two damaged, encroached and untraceable sites include Capital Cinema, vandalised in the September 21 protests and Falaksair Cinemas, now a commercial plaza, both built during the British Raj. There was no information available about when these sites were put on the list.

Mardan

Nineteen kanals of Chichar Dheri and one marla were notified in 1938 that have been badly damaged by locals. Hunnual Dheri, another ‘protected site’, has no details available about the extent of damage.

Swat

Aligrama site, Gullakai Dheri, Loebne Stupa, Manglwar Stupa, Barama site and Nawagai (Gumbatona) have been listed as damaged, untraceable or encroached protected sites.

Charsadda

Sheikhan Dheri is an archaeological site that used to spread over 86 kanals and eight marlas. It was excavated and notified in 1964 but can not be measured now. Another site, Dharam Sal ki Dheri, was first noticed by a Chinese traveller in the 7th century. Only a small portion still remains.

Nowshera

Black Rock was put on the list in 1986, but no further information is available about the site.

Abbottabad

The archaeology department team was not allowed to inspect the Commissioner Residence, notified as a preservation site.

Kohat

No details were gathered about Kohat Fort as security measures meant the team did not reach there.

Hariprur

Only an 80 x 80 foot portion has been left of about 19 acres of Bhera mound notified in 1930.

Swabi

Adina has been reduced to seven kanals out of its original 16 kanals and five marlas. Notified in 1938, the site has been subject to illegal grave digging. No updates have been given about Takhta Band, a Buddhist site notified in 1963, spreading over 121 kanals and 12 marlas. 

Bannu

The team was not able to visit, Ghundai (Bakka Khel Wazir) and Sheri Khan Tarakai (Jani Khel Wazir). Akra Mound, the ancient city of Bannu stretching over 42 metres, is currently being used as a modern graveyard.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 1^st, 2012.

Addressing a religious clerics’ convention arranged by the JI on Saturday, Hassan devoted his entire speech to criticising the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam –Fazl (JUI-F) over its attempt to revive the former religious alliance without the JI and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam -Sami (JUI-S).

Hassan implied that the JUI-F was responsible for the collapse of the MMA and claimed its revival was an attempt to undermine and blackmail other parties. He asserted the alliance was now being used as private property.

The JI chief claimed that the MMA was being made to support secularism by endorsing President Asif Ali Zardari. He also condemned the parliament’s committee on Kashmir, led by JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and said it was ‘damaging the Kashmir issue’.

Clerics from the JUI-S, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Ideological, Jamiat Ulema Pakistan Noorani, Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat and Jamiat Ittehadul Ulema Pakistan and other parties were also present.

The convention issued a declaration condemning the blasphemous movie and US interference in the country. It also denounced what it called the secularisation of Pakistan’s education system and propaganda against religious clerics and seminaries.

Furthermore, it called for a religious electoral alliance to contest secular forces in the upcoming elections. Lastly, the declaration insisted military operations be terminated and all issues in the region be resolved through dialogue and negotiations.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 4^th, 2012.

The bathhouse would operate in the cooler months, from February to June and then from October to December. “Last year I suffered huge losses as fuel bills skyrocketed, so I didn’t open the bath for the second time this year,” said owner Mohammad Ishaq, adding that it has been running for several generations in his family.

He claims that the hamam, situated on Mohammad Ali Johar Road, is the only one of its kind in Pakistan and is modelled on the lines of the royal bath at the Lahore Fort. My forefathers migrated from Afghanistan, bringing this tradition with them, he said.  The name of the bathhouse is also named after one of his ancestors, Khudadad.

The bath is mostly visited by patients suffering from mental illnesses, paralysis, arthritis and other ailments.

Khudadad Hamam has separate portions for men and women. Both male and female masseurs are hired, who do not have technical training but have learnt the skill over time.  The clients go through cold, hot and very hot water for treatment.

Ishaq said that they charge patients Rs200 for a bath, but this price varies depending on the oils and other items used.

He claimed that he has been running the hamam for public service and to live up to his family tradition. The other months of the year, he rents the building which is situated on prime real estate.

In the past the business was thriving as a large number of visitors from places as far as Punjab would come to the hamam for treatment. “In the past few years, the number of visitors has reduced. It was a part of our culture, which has now been forgotten,” he said, adding “there were two other baths in the city, which are now closed.”

Dr Ali Jan, a member of the Sarhad Conservation Network said that during the Mughal era public baths were introduced in many cities of India. Ritual bathing tanks were often seen in Stupa sites in ancient Gandhara, he said.  “Because of the city’s location on an ancient caravan route, for centuries Peshawar was a stopping place for travellers and trade caravans so hamams were made in the city for tourists.”

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

On the pretext of security, police personnel took Lines away from her home, in Birir village of Kalash Valley, and whisked her to a rundown Governor cottage in Chitral town. The Taliban are after her, she was told.

“I was taken in custodial arrest, and even the doors of the place where I was kept were bolted,” said a distressed Lines speaking to The Express Tribune in Peshawar, where she is now forced to live.

“I have been separated from my life; it is shocking, and a violation of human rights,” she added, talking about security restrictions placed on her by local authorities.

Who is Maureen Lines?

Granted a Pakistani citizenship in 2004, the 75-year-old social worker is known as the ‘barefoot doctor’ for scurrying through Kalash to treat the locals of their ailments. Lines has dedicated her life to improving the welfare of the Kalash community since she moved to Pakistan in 1980.

She was born in the UK and lived the world over before settling down with a local Kalash family. She subsequently set up the Kalash Environmental Protection Society (KEPS) in 1993. “In 1979, I was planning a trip across Africa and then came across a documentary on the interesting Kalash people of Chitral,” she said.

The documentary made her change her plans, and she travelled through Egypt and Sudan, flew to Bahrain and then sailed to Karachi onboard P&O ship, Dawaka. Lines then took a train to Rawalpindi and boarded a bus to Peshawar from there.

The city instantly arrested her imagination. “It had an ambience, atmosphere and without heavy traffic; the old city was just fabulous with its narrow alleys, bazaars and tea shops,” she reminisced.

Then she boarded a bus to Landi Kotal in Khyber Agency. On-board were tribal women who were mesmerised by a Caucasian amongst them. “They were fascinated with me and one of them touched my face and lifted her veil, followed by the rest,” she said.

Second time’s a charm

Lines came back again in 1981, after saving money from interior decoration and painting in England, and was given a two-month permit by then-deputy commissioner of Chitral, Shakil Durrani.

While in Birir village, she was invited to by a local woman, Taqdeera, to stay at her home. An incident during that stay, however, altered her life forever.

“I heard a cry for help, and ran to the scene to discover a young girl bleeding from her head after a tree branch struck her head,” Lines said.

She had basic first-aid training and could not treat the girl but she washed the wound, and the girl luckily recovered.

Lines then went to New York and received two years of training as an emergency medical technician and returned to Kalash Valley. “I had four puppies, a rucksack of medicines, a plastic bag and went door to door, village to village, treating sick people.”

 Social work

After founding KEPS, Lines set up a British charity, the Hindukush Conservation Association, in 1995 which pays for the infrastructure, workers’ salaries and the medical programme. At present, Lines is building a high school in Birir village.

She was awarded the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz in 2007 for her work on improving the welfare of the Kalash community. She has also authored four books on northwestern Pakistan and the Kalash people.

Lines said the situation of the Kalash people has improved over the years but adds that plunging numbers of tourists following 9/11 has affected them badly.

“They have two sources of income: tourism and forestry; the former has dropped, while trees are mercilessly chopped down by the timber mafia,” she said.

She also complained bitterly about the local authorities who have been regularly forcing her to stop her work under various pretexts for some years.

“They are big shots who have a problem with me and do not want me to be there,” she said.

Lines said she believes the Kalash people are her family, and it pains her to be away from them.

“But [the authorities] laugh when I call the people my family; they treat it as a joke,” she added.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 15^th, 2012.

Senior party leaders told The Express Tribune that Senator Haji Ghulam Ali and former provincial minister for religious affairs, Amanullah Haqqani, were given notices on Thursday, after a newspaper advertisement targeting Ali appeared in a local daily.

The issue started when Ali, in an interview to a local daily, announced he will contest elections from NA-2 and PK-5 constituencies of Peshawar in the next elections.

Ali, who is regarded close to JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, had hinted of taking part in provincial politics for the first time.

This stance infuriated another senior leader Maulana Amanullah Haqqani who has contested elections from PK-5 in the previous two polls. Haqqani or his supporters sent an advert stating that he is the unanimous candidate of the party’s local chapters at union council levels of PK-5 constituency.

The advert went on criticising Ali, adding that the JUI-F was an ideological party, which treats public service, commitment and character as benchmarks in selecting candidates.

Notices were issued to both leaders by the party’s Peshawar district chapter and they have been asked to reply within seven days. They have also been warned of disciplinary action in case of failing to submit a satisfactory response.

The notice stated that under the party’s discipline, one cannot announce his candidature as it is the party’s mandate to make that decision.

Ali and Haqqani could not be contacted despite repeated attempts. However, the party’s district amir, Qari Rafiq Shah, and deputy general secretary, Asif Iqbal Daudzai, confirmed that the notices had been sent.

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

While the president received a rousing welcome by the house on Monday, the opposition termed his address too little, too late.

In his short but historic speech, the president congratulated parliamentarians on renaming their province Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and said that he had come to celebrate the joy of the people of K-P for regaining their identity.

He also paid tribute to the people of the province for braving militancy, and said that while K-P was endowed with all kinds of wealth, it was losing out due to the law and order situation.

President Zardari said that the prevailing extremist mindset had set the region back to the Stone Age, and was replacing Pakhtun traditions. “We have to combat and overcome this mindset,” he said.

He said that the people of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa were the frontline defenders of the country, adding that he had come to the province to declare, yet again, that “we will continue our fight against militancy and extremism to the finish and we will not falter, we will not give up.”

“This is the fight for our survival, for our values. Failure or retreat is not an option and we will fight till final victory,” the president said.

President Zardari said that militants had not even spared graves, mosques, churches and holy shrines, including the Mazar of Rahman Baba.

Regarding the church which was attacked in Mardan, he said, “We condemn it. The government will rebuild the church and this is a message to the militants.”

The president added that while Pakistan’s ‘enemies’ would have aimed to separate federating units, the government made sure to provide all units a stake in Islamabad. “We have to strengthen our provinces for strengthening the federation,” he said.

He said that his policy of reconciliation was not a mere idea; rather, it was developed from experiences. “We talked about reconciliation from jails, and it is still our path,” he said.

President Zardari also called for bridging internal differences. “A fort falls only from within, not outside and if we are united, our enemies will not weaken us,” he said, adding that there was a need to understand the upcoming geo-political situation of the region.

The president also condemned an attack on Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) former amir Qazi Hussain Ahmed in Mohmand Agency on Monday.

He further directed the K-P government to pay attention to the police department, since, he added, the army could not be at the government’s disposal at all times.

Earlier in the day, K-P Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti welcomed the president on behalf of the house as well as the people of the province.

In his welcoming speech, the chief minister refrained from making any demands for the province, saying President Zardari was their guest and they only need his guidance.

K-P Assembly Speaker Karamatullah Khan Chagarmati hailed the president’s role in renaming the province and for strengthening democracy.

The opposition, on the other hand, was less than impressed.

Opposition leader in the K-P Assembly Akram Khan Durrani termed the president’s address ‘hopeless’, saying it contained nothing substantial.

Durrani, who previously served as the province’s chief minister in the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) government, told reporters that while he appreciated the president’s address to the assembly, it was too little, too late.

He also expressed his disappointment at the president for not announcing any packages for the war-torn province.

In his address during the Assembly session, Durrani had asked the president to extend a package, announced by the government, for the business community by two more years and also requested the allocation of land to the families of police personnel who were killed during the war against militancy.

He also requested the president to reach a political settlement of militancy in light of the joint parliamentary resolution, which, he said, could lead to the end of terrorism.

Durrani said that although the president was a guest in their province, he was also the head of the state and compared to his stature, his speech was too short and too little.

(WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM APP)

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

After JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman termed his party as an “alternate to the ANP”, the ANP’s announcement came as a surprise.

A statement issued after ANP’s provincial cabinet meeting confirmed that the party was negotiating with the JUI-F in some districts of the province to forge an alliance.

However, the JUI-F, on its part, downplayed this assertion while admitting that some ANP politicians have been contacted in some districts.

JUI-F’s provincial spokesperson Haji Jalil said that so far the party had not made any decision, adding that their first priority will be an alliance with other religious groups.

Elaborating the party’s stance, he said that the JUI-F had formed a committee headed by Maulana Attaur Rehman to negotiate with other parties.

Confirming that the district leadership of the JUI-F was contacted by the ANP, Jan said that the central and general councils meetings were scheduled for November 29 and December 1 in Peshawar, where they will look into reports from party’s district chapters about seat adjustment and alliances.

The ANP’s cabinet has authorised Provincial President Afrasiyab Khattak to contact electable candidates for joining the party.

Holding large public gatherings at the district level as part of its election campaigning was also approved.

On September 9, Fazlur Rehman had denied any prospect of an electoral alliance with the ANP.

Talking to journalists in Peshawar, he had said: “People are fed up with the ANP’s policies and will vote the JUI-F into power.”

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

PESHAWAR: As the tenure of the current political setup inches towards its end, there is much politicking in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa with parties discussing electoral adjustments and lobbying to induct electable politicians.

It is the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) which seems to be on resurgent track after a long time.

Since October, when Anwar Saifullah Khan replaced Senator Sardar Ali Khan as the party’s provincial president, the traditionally squabbling outfit has come alive again.

Soon after assuming charge, Khan initiated the trend of convening provincial cabinet meetings twice a month, besides appointing new members to the cabinet which is now a mix of workers and ministers.

He then turned his attention towards districts and divisions as he moved to fill all vacant seats across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Stepping up the ante, PPP has started inducting prominent politicians to its ranks. It first wooed estranged MPA Shazia Aurangzeb who quit the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz to join PPP.

Former finance minister Iftikhar Khan Mohmand, previously estranged PPP leader Iftikhar Jhagra and Pakistan Muslim League –Quaid lawmaker Nighat Orakzai joined the party this week.

Another bold step taken by Khan has been his decision to take on the Awami National Party (ANP), which is presently an ally of the ruling party in the provincial government. Playing second fiddle to ANP has been one of the bones of contention among PPP workers. And Saifullah seems adamant to remove the perception.

Last week, ANP issued a statement that it was hopeful of an alliance with Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F). The latter, however, ruled out the possibility, saying it will prefer religious parties for any kind of electoral adjustment.

JUI-F, which also has a powerful base in K-P, is being cautious on its part. It was not only quick to deny ANP’s assertion of a possible alliance, it said after its provincial general council meeting last Sunday that any decision regarding the upcoming elections will be taken from the Muttahida Majlis Amal (MMA) platform. In reality, this means a wait-and-see policy.

JUI-F seems to be closely watching the moves of its rival Jamaat-e-Islam (JI), which earlier floated the idea of forming its own electoral alliance of religious forces to counter the MMA. However, JI leaders have remained tight lipped about the development.

JUI-F is likely to show its cards once JI takes a decision on whether it will form an alliance or cut an adjustment deal with another party like Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which has been engaged in a battle of words with JUI-F since the past few months.

PML-N is still divided over the induction of Amir Muqam which led to the departure of Shazia Auragzeb from the party last week. However, the party has managed to woo Khawaja Mohammad Khan Hoti from Mardan who resigned from PTI some months earlier.

It is, however, not immediately clear what the rivalry between Amir Muqam and Pir Sabir Shah’s groups will mean for PML-N.

The one party which is on the verge in K-P is PML-Q. It has lost majority of its leaders such as Amir Muqam to PML-N, and seems to be in dire straits with the departure of the outspoken Orakzai.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 7^th, 2012.

On November 29, Lahore High Court Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial directed the federal government to construct the Kalabagh Dam in compliance with a decision of the Council of Common Interests taken on September 16, 1991.

Addressing a jam-packed audience at the Nishtar Hall, ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khan minced no words when it came to his party’s opposition to the project.  “They have to make a choice, whether they want Pakistan or Kalabagh Dam,” said Asfandyar, adding that his party was not ready to accept Punjab as a ‘commander of the federation’.

He went on to add that even a Supreme Court decision in this regard would not be accepted by his party, saying he was ready to face contempt charges for his views. “If an institution involves itself in a controversial issue, then this issue will make the institution controversial,” Asfandyar said, while asking his party workers to be ready to take action against the LHC decision.

Speaking about the party’s alliance in the upcoming elections, the ANP chief said, “Our doors are open for everyone, but we do not want anyone as we can fight on our own.” However, Asfandyar went on to add that those who wished to form an alliance with the ANP would have to adhere to his party’s terms and conditions.

The ANP chief also defended his party’s government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, saying immense development had taken place under K-P Chief Minister Haider Khan Hoti’s tenure in the province.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 9^th, 2012.

Hoti had announced his decision to join PML-N after much speculation following his departure from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

PML-N spokesperson Nasir Musazai said Hoti has also been appointed as the chairman of the party’s inter-provincial coordination committee.

Earlier, PML-N had inducted former provincial chief of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid Amir Muqam as the central senior vice president of the party.

Musazai said appointing SVPs from the province will give it more representation in the party’s affairs.

PML-N suffered a setback earlier this year when its former general secretary Saranjam Khan quit along with another senior party leader Abdul Subhan Khan. A few days back, the party’s women general secretary and K-P assembly lawmaker Shazia Aurangzeb also left the party to join Pakistan Peoples Party.

PML-N, however, seems to be recouping after Amir Muqam’s induction along with a large number of former party office bearers and two sitting members of the K-P assembly.

However, Muqam’s entry has led to rifts between new comers and the party’s old guards, Sabir Shah’s group. So far, PML-N has failed to placate both factions.

PML-N’s troubles are likely to increase in the coming days as the issue of awarding party tickets may lead to a fresh rivalry between the two. 

Published in The Express Tribune, December 9^th, 2012.

The bill, which was introduced earlier on Monday, was tabled in the house by K-P Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Barrister Arshad Abdullah. Members referred the bill to the house’s standing committee on health for further deliberation.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) lawmaker Mufti Kifayatullah opposed Clause 4 of the bill related to surrogacy, saying that the committee should delete it.

Speaker Kiramatullah Chagarmati referred the bill to the standing committee on health saying that members who had reservations about it should voice their concerns to the committee.

Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said that as the bill has been handed over to the committee, it should no longer be debated in the house.

Lowari Tunnel opening

The assembly also unanimously adopted a resolution moved by K-P Minister for Population Welfare, Saleem Khan, calling for opening the Lowari Tunnel for five hours everyday.

Khan said the tunnel is the only link between Chitral and the rest of the country and was only open thrice a week for passengers, which leads to numerous problems residents.

He asked the provincial government to take up this issue with the federal government.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 15^th, 2012.

Speaking in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday, Hussain said the militants had accomplices in tribal areas as ‘backup’ in case they were able to succeed in their mission, but security agencies were able to foil their plans.

He added that terrorists of foreign origin had tattoos on their bodies that were used as identification marks by other terrorist organisations. “In case of faces being disfigured, people can trace their identity because of the marks,” he said. He said the attackers were likely to be from Uzbekistan or from Dagestan, Russia.

Talking about the incident itself, Hussain said that Bacha Khan International Airport is being used as an airport as well as an airbase and the security of the area is jointly managed.

He said that five terrorists were killed in the airbase attack on Saturday night, while five other terrorists were killed in a village on the outskirts of the airport on Sunday.

Hussain also paid tributes to the police, army and locals. He said that residents in surrounding areas had not panicked during the attack.

Increasing litigation

Law Minister Barrister Arshad Abdullah said that there was a need for assemblies and the executive to reassert their power in the face of increasing pressure on courts.

Talking at the assembly about the closure of about 50 schools in Peshawar, he said that executive and constitutional affairs were brought to courts in K-P from across the country, which was creating problems for the executive.

He said that the government was considering bringing a bill to the assembly which would help the assembly and executive exercise more authority.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Parliamentary Leader Pir Sabir Shah submitted a declaration to dissolve the membership of MPA Shazia Aurangzeb.  She had been elected on reserved seats for the PML-N, which she quit recently to join the Pakistan Peoples Party.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 18^th, 2012.

PESHAWAR: At the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly session on Tuesday, the Payment of Wages Act 2012 received strong criticism, after which the government sent it to the law reforms committee.

Chaired by Speaker Kiramatullah Chagarmati, the session saw the second consecutive day of tough resistance from the opposition benches over the payment of wages bill. Acting on the opposition’s response, the government sent the bill to the law reforms committee for further review.

Opposition members had threatened a walkout if the government tried to undermine the legislation process in any way.

Earlier, when K-P Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Barrister Arshad Abdullah tabled the bill, lawmaker Israrullah Gandapur termed it dichotomous and said it should be sent to the law reforms committee.

He was backed by Iqbal Din Fana, the chairman of the standing committee on labour.

Abdullah said that members of the assembly can only voice concerns in the form of amendments. He criticised opposition lawmakers saying that they were obstructing labour rights. However, Gandapur asserted that the assembly was not a proper forum to discuss this issue, so there was no question of moving an amendment to the law.

His contentions were supported by Mufti Kifayatullah, Abdul Sattar Khan and Malik Qasim who said that the labour minister had disregard for the house and committee. They said the minister concerned did not appear in the house for the issue that was raised a day earlier.

Awami National Party’s (ANP) Saqibullah Chamkani proposed that the bill be sent to the law committee for further discussion, to which Senior Minister Bashir Bilour agreed. However, he said it should again be presented in the house next Monday.  Chairman of Panel Abdul Akbar Khan referred the bill to the law reforms committee for discussion.

The assembly session was adjourned till Friday afternoon.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 19^th, 2012.

Speaking at the floor of the assembly, Hussain said that body parts of the attackers have been sent for DNA tests. He added that militants are using their trainers for attacks, which meant that now their local ranks have been eliminated and they are on the verge of collapse.

The minister said that the ‘demonic’ tattoo on one of the attackers’ body reinforced their ‘devilish’ acts of targeting mosques and innocent children.

Meanwhile, Hussain told reporters outside the K-P Assembly that it was for the first time that militants used rocket launchers to pave their way and if they had succeeded in doing so, they would have been followed by others, adding that it would have taken 10 to 12 days to clear the area.

He also said that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) were operating in close coordination.

Hussain also took back his initial statement that one terrorist was caught by security agencies, saying, instead, that all 10 terrorists were killed in the operation. He also said that since the militants were mostly foreigners, it suggested the involvement of foreign money and an ‘international agenda’.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 19^th, 2012.

Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) member Mohammad Javed Abbasi drew attention to the attacks on polio teams. He proposed that lawmakers volunteer with immunisation teams during the anti-polio drive.

Awami National Party (ANP) Saqibullah Chamkani said the attacks were organised attempts to destroy peace in the region. “Polio and terrorism are two of the biggest threats in the region,” he said.

Chamkani also criticised the US for having used the polio campaign for spying on Osama bin Laden. “Whatever their intentions were, using a polio campaign was wrong,” he said. He said the episode with Dr Shakil Afridi had scarred the campaign.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam – Fazl (JUI-F) lawmaker Mufti Kifayatullah proposed that children be brought to mosques where they could be vaccinated against polio. He said the government is not taking necessary precautions to prevent the attacks.

Pakistan Muslim League – Quaid (PML-Q) parliamentary leader Qalandar Khan Lodhi proposed that all ministers and lawmakers join the polio campaign and do so voluntarily. He also suggested that the drive be halted for the moment because of the attacks.

However, PML-N member Inayatullah Khan Jadoon said that ending the polio campaign would endanger the future of tens of thousands of children. “No religion allows that children be forced to become handicapped,” he said. He also criticised the government, questioning what they had done so far to protect staffers.

Newly- inducted Pakistan Peoples Party member Nighat Orakzai said the government should take a stand about the issues and it was unfair that terrorists were leaving so many people handicapped.

Provincial Minister for Elementary and Secondary Education Sardar Hussain Babak said it was appalling that militants attacked schools and threatened children and teachers, and are now attacking polio teams.

Meanwhile, the assembly also passed amendments to the K-P Standard Weights and Measures Act, 1976 unanimously. The session was adjourned till Monday afternoon.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 22^nd, 2012.

Though a soft-spoken and popular politician, Bilour had a potent voice, which he used to publicly denounce the scourge of terrorism.  And while it earned him the ire of the Taliban, he never shied away from his duties. Be it inspecting the scene of a suicide attack or consoling families of victims, Bilour was always the first to rush to the scene.

It was for this reason that he was twice targeted in suicide attacks during the past few years. His residence also came under attack when militants fired rockets at his house.

Bilour was born on August 1, 1943, in Peshawar. He passed out from the Government Higher Secondary School (GHSS) No 1, Peshawar Cantonment in 1958, and in 1965 graduated from the prestigious University of Peshawar with an LLB degree.

In 1969, he married the daughter of Haji Gul Mohammad popularly known as Gul Babu, a prominent personality of Peshawar.

The Bilour family is widely regarded as ANP’s strongest political fort in Peshawar. Its political clout in the provincial capital is undisputed. So, it is little wonder that Bilour was inclined towards politics since his earliest days.

“It was in 1952, when we were studying in 5th grade, he used to tell me ‘I will become a big name in the future,’” Bilour’s cousin Ishtiaq Ahmed recollects.

Bilour started taking a keen interest in politics in the early 1970s from the now defunct National Awami Party (NAP) platform. Interestingly, Bashir Bilour was imprisoned along with his three brothers after Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s government banned the NAP in 1975. Bilour rose to prominence in 1977, when he was appointed Awami National Party’s general secretary. Later, he was also made party’s senior vice president.

People carry the coffin of senior minister Bashir Ahmad Bilour. PHOTO: EXPRESS/MUHAMMAD IQBAL

He served as the party’s acting president twice – once after the resignation of Begum Nasim Wali Khan and the other time, after Afzal Khan Lala stepped down.

Bilour has also served as the provincial president of the ANP two times in his career.

Perhaps the most striking aspect of Bilour’s political career was his unbeaten track record in electoral politics. His family did not participate in the 1985 elections, but Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour and Bashir Ahmed Bilour contested the 1988 general elections. While Bilour lost to Pakistan Peoples Party member Syed Ayub Shah, the defeat would prove to be uncharacteristic of him. He won the provincial assembly constituency PK-III five times in a row: in 1990, 1993, 1997, 2002, 2008 elections.

Interestingly, he was among the few ANP stalwarts who held their fort when the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) swept the 2002 elections in the province, then known as the North West Frontier Province.

Bilour has held several portfolios as a minister. Following the 2008 elections, he was expected to be made the chief minister, a post later offered to Amir Haider Khan Hoti. Instead, he was made the parliamentary leader of ANP in the K-P Assembly and senior minister for local government and rural development.

Many took him to be the face of the provincial assembly and he actively voiced concerns in all matters of legislation.

Bashir Bilour is survived by two sons and three daughters.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 23^rd, 2012.

PESHAWAR: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister (CM) Amir Haider Khan Hoti said the civilian and military leadership faces a decisive moment with respect to an army operation. The CM seemed to be hinting to the demand for a military offensive in North Waziristan.

In the final session of the provincial assembly on Monday, he said that any delays in choosing what to do would be criminal negligence and that future generations “would not forgive us for this mistake”. He further said that it was crucial to decide whether to initiate dialogue with militants.

Winding up the assembly session that was a condolence reference for slain minister Bashir Ahmad Bilour, he pointed out the dangers ahead and the need for unity. “It is not just the Awami National Party (ANP) that should have to deal with this problem, this is an issue for the entire country,” he said.

Hoti added that the theory that Pakistani would return to peace following US departure was flawed, as militants openly claim that they do not accept parliament, Constitution or democracy in Pakistan. “They deny humanity and our Pakistan as it is now.”

“If militant groups are working together, then why can’t politicians join hands to save Pakistan, Islam and democracy?” he said, adding that it was impossible to fight militancy without unity.

Hoti also said that right-wing parties have ‘closed their eyes to realities that are happening in front of them’. “Do we only pay tribute to fallen comrades?” he questioned. “It will be unjust to the sacrifice of the martyrs if they are only remembered for condolences.”

Lawmakers’ tribute

Lawmakers in the assembly urged political forces to join hands and shun differences in the war on terror.

Speaker Kiramtullah Chagarmati announced that the session will be held as a condolence session for Bilour, who was the parliamentary leader in the house.

Bilour’s picture encircled with candles was placed on his table, while flowers and his ANP cap were placed on his seat.

Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain in his impassioned speech said that anyone should not be in any kind of illusion that ANP is the only target. “They will come after other parties, once they are done with the ANP,” he said.

He said that they still talk of dialogue, peace and tolerance adding that Pakistan, Afghanistan and the US should sit together. If these countries separately engage in dialogue it will not yield a positive result, he said.

Pakistan Peoples Party’s Provincial President Anwar Saifullah Khan said Bilour’s killing is a setback for his party and politics of the province.

“The fire in K-P will not remain confined to this region, it will spread to the whole country,” Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) provincial chief Sikandar Khan Sherpao.

Provincial Minister for Environment and Forests, Wajid Ali Khan said that this war belongs to all democratic and liberal Pakistanis, but it has been wrongly imposed on the ANP. He also called for a social and political boycott of people who have “soft corners” for terrorists. The session was adjourned till January 4.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 25^th, 2012.

The mound, spread over 320 kanals, was declared a heritage archeological site by the government in 1949, according to an official of the provincial directorate of archeology.

He said the land is owned by the government, but has been encroached and turned into a village over time. “A big chunk of the mound is gone as locals chipped it away to make space for the construction of houses. Now, a whole village has sprung up around it.”

He added that the site has been impinged to make way for the provision of amenities like electricity and other developments.

The Akra mound is divided in two parts: Akra-A and Akra-B. Akra-A is situated about 14 kilometres southwest of Bannu, while Akra-B is another kilometer further south of it.

The mounds are two of the four places declared archeological sites in Bannu. The other two, Sheikhan Dheri in Charsadda and Megaliths of Asota in Swabi, also date back to the Achamenid rule.

The official said Akra-B has also been converted into a graveyard by the locals.

Archeology Department’s Director Dr Shah Nazar, however, insists the site is still intact.

“We have written about it to the commissioner of Bannu and are working on revenue records to ensure work for the proper demarcation of the site,” said Nazar.

According to him, the Akra mound is bisected by a flood drain. The land falling on its western side is the property of locals, while land east of the drain is in the custody of the government.

Nazar added that officials from the federal Archeology Department tried putting up a fence around it two years back, but the locals took it down. “We have placed Akra on the priority list. It is among the 12 projects and will be protected from illegal activity.”

The provincial directorate official, however, blamed the federal Archaeology Department for not paying due attention to the site. He maintained the department only recently added the site to the list and was not ensuring its preservation.

He feared other sites would meet the same fate if no action is taken.

The federal government has listed over 90 heritage sites across the province as ‘protected’, but the provincial government has so far only listed one: Megaliths of Asota in Swabi.

The sites were recently transferred to the provincial government when the Archeology Department was devolved to the provinces under the 18th Amendment.

A report prepared by the department lists at least 34 of 91 protected sites across the province as damaged, encroached or untraceable. However, no action has been taken by the concerned authorities as yet.

Such sites include Sheikhan Dheri in Charsadda which is spread over 86 kanals. The archaeological location, excavated in 1964, cannot be measured now due to the damage caused to it. Another site is Dharam Sal ki Dheri, which was first noticed by a Chinese traveler in the 7th century, also remains in a very small portion.

Adina, located in Swabi has been reduced to seven kanals out of its original 16 kanals and five marlas. Notified in 1938, the site has been subject to illegal grave digging since years.

Nineteen kanals of Chichar Dheri in Mardan , notified in 1938 have also been badly damaged by locals. Hunnual Dheri, another ‘protected site’, has no details available about the extent of damage but is among the list of damaged, encroached and untraceable archaeological sites.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 26^th, 2012.