PESHAWAR: Ravaged by the fires fuelled by an angry mob protesting over the blasphemous film ‘Innocence of Muslims’ on September 21, the curtain has now fallen on the historic Shabistan Cinema.

The decades-old theatre situated along Grand Trunk (GT) Road near Jinnah Park shows no signs of the glamour it once exuded. The gate is shut and labourers can be seen razing its structure down brick by brick. A placard with a phone number near the gate reads: ‘Contact for purchasing bricks.’

Inside, the main hall is littered with bricks and metal beams, while the second floor has rolls of film strewn around in one corner. The walls, which are blackened by soot, are perhaps the gravest reminder of what happened on that day in September.

Labourers demolishing the structure are seemingly unaware of what the cinema represented in the past and what the future holds for it.

“Demolishing work is in progress for the past two weeks. First the roof was demolished and we are now tearing down the walls. We do not know anything about the owners and their plans,” said a worker at the site.

The person whose number is inscribed on the placard at the gate also expressed ignorance over whether the cinema was being demolished or reconstructed. “You better contact the owners, they have a business on Yadgar Chowk,” said the man who identified himself as Sher.

The cinema’s former owner Aftab Sabri said he sold the building around a month ago.

When asked what was in store for the place now, Sabri said it was up to the new owners to use the property whichever way they like. “It is very unlikely that they will construct another cinema after demolishing its structure; and a plaza or market will probably be constructed in its place.”

“It was gutted beyond repair. Machinery, screen, roof – everything was destroyed,” said Sabri, adding that the damages amounted to millions of rupees.

Sabri said rebuilding the structure required a huge investment and since there is no guarantee it will not be torched again, he decided to sell it off instead. “Previously, it (the building) was on rent. I took over the cinema in the 1970’s.”

Shabistan over the years

Work on Shabistan Cinema was first initiated in 1946 by a prominent businessman of the time, Agha Jee Gul.

In the words of Mohammad Ibrahim Zia, a cultural enthusiast who conducted painstaking research on Peshawar’s actors in Bollywood, Shabistan was the first modern cinema opened after the creation of Pakistan.

“Its canteen was spacious and Syed Habib Shah, a leading art director of Lollywood, adorned one of its walls with a beautiful painting of Omar Khayyam’s quatrain,” recalled Zia.

He said the owners first planned to show ‘Jugnoo’ starring Dilip Kumar and Noor Jehan at the time of its opening, but ended up showing another film ‘Mehendi’ due to the non-availability of the former’s print.

End of cinemas in Peshawar?

Shabistan is the latest in a series of cinemas closed down in the provincial capital over the past few years. Novelty and Palwasha cinemas were demolished a few years earlier and multi-storied buildings were constructed in their place.

Falaksair Cinema was also demolished to make way for a plaza despite being termed a protected heritage site under the Federal Antiquities Act.

September 21 was, however, the worst day for the city’s cinemas. Angry mobs torched four theatres: Shabistan, Naz and Shama in the city limits and Capital Theatre in cantonment limits.

But while the others slowly got up to their feet and restarted operations, the fate of Shabistan was not as fortunate.

With the closure of Shabistan, the number of cinemas in Peshawar has decreased to eight.

“It is sad that a city whose artists reigned over Bollywood and illuminated the art scene of the world is gradually being devoid of art itself,” lamented Dr Adil Zareef, a member of the Sarhad Conservation Network.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 28^th, 2012.

The class 9 student was attending a funeral in Sheena village on September 15, 2011, when a suicide bomber killed around 40 people and injured scores others. A piece of shrapnel pierced Aurangzeb’s skull and lodged itself there.

He was unconscious for 36 days after the attack but then emerged. He recovered to the extent that his class fellows came to take him to their Jandool Model School where he was a top student. But a month later, an abscess developed, necessitating admission to Lady Reading Hospital. He was operated on but failed to regain consciousness. In October the family was asked to take him home.

His funeral prayers were offered at his ancestral village of Sheena in Samar Bagh tehsil, Lower Dir district, his elder brother Wahidullah told The Express Tribune.

As if the personal grief and strain had not drained the family, they had to contend with an indifferent administration. When the media had highlighted the case in October, the health minister had told the medical superintendent of the Timergara district headquarters hospital to bear the treatment expenses.

Instead, said his brother Wahidullah, the medical superintendent put together a medical board, which came up with the reply that the treatment would cost around Rs160,000 a month and they did not have the funding.

The family was unable to pay the Rs3,285 a day needed for Aurangzeb. “They referred us to the Pakistan Baitul Mal, but even it refused,” he said. “Had the government lent us a supporting hand, we would not have felt as bad.”

The government compensated the family Rs100,000 but the treatment racked up a bill of Rs2.7 million. The family is now Rs1.7 million in debt.

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

PESHAWAR: A woman whose husband is behind bars in Afghanistan after being accused of spying, has demanded that Pakistani and Afghan governments take steps for his immediate release, saying that her husband is being punished for his Pakistani nationality.

Naseem Bilal, a resident of the Hashtnagri neighbourhood told The Express Tribune that her husband, Khalid Bilal Qureshi, had been working with an American company Contrack International as an air conditioning technician since 2007 at the Lashkar Gah Airbase in Helmand Province.

Naseem, who managed to meet her husband after two years in Kabul’s Pul Charkhi prison a week ago, said that Khalid was arrested by the Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS) in 2010 and was later sentenced to 16 years in prison on charges of spying for the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI). Later, a Kabul court added four more years to Khalid’s sentence.

She added that they only came to know about Khalid’s case some three months back, and by then he had already been sentenced. “One day I received a call from my husband after an absence of three months, and he told me of his incarceration in Lashkar Gah prison and of his conviction,” she said.

Naseem explained that her husband told her that one day, NDS personnel raided the premises where he worked and arrested an Afghan identified an Asghar. Some 10 days later, they returned and took away Khalid and a Nepali citizen. She insisted that her husband was falsely implicated in the case by the Afghan, adding that he was forcibly made to sign documents in a language which he did not understand — he was sentenced on the same grounds.

Naseem said that her husband spent the first two years of his detention at the Lashkar Gah prison, after which, on December 1, he was shifted to Pul Charkhi Jail in Kabul. She said that she, along with 10-year-old daughter and Khalid’s brother travelled to Kabul to meet her husband.

According to Naseem, she and her daughter were only allowed to meet Khalid for half an hour, after a weeklong wait. “First, when the prison authorities checked our Pakistani documents, they denied permission to see Khalid,” she said, adding they (the authorities) did not even check the Pakistani embassy letter which they were carrying. Khalid’s brother was not allowed to meet him in prison.

Naseem, who is a mother of three children, said that she and her children had run from pillar to post for the past two years and that until now, all their appeals to find and meet Khalid fell on deaf ears.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 31^st, 2012.

PESHAWAR: Political parties’ diverging views on terrorism were most apparent on Friday when Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain reiterated the need to shun terrorism while JUI-F lawmaker Mufti Kifyatullah showered praises on Taliban commander Mullah Nazir, who was killed in a drone strike on Thursday.

Interestingly, Mufti Kifyatullah’s eulogy for Mullah Nazir came right after his  condolence message for slain Awami National Party (ANP) leader Bashir Ahmad Bilour, who was killed in a suicide attack last month.

Speaking at the floor of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly, he said: “Those who do not attack Pakistani forces are killed, while those attacking Pakistani forces are roaming free,” adding that the government should engage in talks with militants.

Mian Iftikhar, on the other hand, said the federal government needs to put all issues aside and prioritise the worsening law and order in the country.

The ANP minister said there is no place left beyond the reach of terrorists. “They reach wherever they have to, although security agencies are fighting against them,” Mian said.

He added that the ANP is trying to get all political parties onboard to develop a single agenda over terrorism. Political parties will speak to the president, prime minister and the army chief after forging a consensus over the matter. Political groups should settle who they should start talks with and on what grounds, he said. “We need urgent steps to control terrorism.”

Mian Iftikhar said that if there could be talks in Afghanistan, then there could be negotiations in Pakistan too. “But if the problem is not resolved by talks, then strict action should be taken.”

Lawmakers also called for the removal of Swat varsity’s vice-chancellor.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 5^th, 2013.

PESHAWAR: Qazi Hussain Ahmed has left an imprint on Jamaat-e-Islami’s present and future politics during his 22 years at the party’s helm. He can be justly credited with JI’s current shape and political ethos.

Qazi took the party’s reins from Mian Tufail Muhammad in 1987. The following year, the country would start its transition to democracy after military dictator Gen Ziaul Haq’s over a decade-long reign came to an end with his death in a plane crash.

At the time, the JI faced two main challenges: On one hand, the party shifted from a pro-establishment to a more populist politico-religious group; while on the other hand the JI witnessed its influence waning in Karachi following the emergence of Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

While it proved to be an uphill task to shed the legacy of supporting Zia’s regime – Qazi himself steered the party into the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad, which was later revealed to be a ploy by the establishment to keep Pakistan Peoples Party from power – Qazi was somewhat successful on both counts.

Despite occasional fiddling with the establishment, the JI managed to muster some popular support. Meanwhile, the party compensated for the loss of Karachi by entrenching itself in rural Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).

JI, Afghanistan and MMA

Afghanistan and politico-religious forces in Pakistan, particularly in K-P, have historically been intertwined.

During the “Afghan Jihad” against Soviet forces in the 1980’s, the JI remained a close ally of Gulbuddin Hikmatyar’s Hizb-e-Islami. Due to Hikmatyar’s dominance among the Afghan resistance groups, the JI was able to exercise substantial influence in Afghan affairs.

JI’s clout in Afghanistan started to erode, however, due to the increasing strife among various Afghan warlords and resistance groups following the departures of the Soviets. With the emergence of the Taliban in Afghanistan, JI’s influence in the country was replaced by that of its rival Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F).

After the US invaded Afghanistan, the traditional rivals formed an alliance along with other right-wing groups in the country under the moniker Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA). The alliance outperformed mainstream political parties in K-P, forming a government in the province, and was able to grab a sizable number of seats in both Balochistan and National assemblies. MMA’s role in national politics triggered renewed suspicion of a “mullah-military nexus”.

Qazi tried to counter the perception by separating the JI from the K-P government during President Pervez Musharraf’s election bid in 2007 and boycotted the 2008 parliamentary elections. To some degree, this heralded the end of Qazi’s populist dreams.

Post-Qazi JI

Being JI’s longest serving leader, Qazi has left an indelible mark on the party that is likely to stay for a long time. His tenure corresponded with JI’s formative years – indeed, much of the party’s present leadership was mentored by Qazi.

While there is no denying the legacy he leaves behind, it is unclear, however, how much his leadership will influence JI’s future decision-making.

So far, Qazi’s successor Syed Munawar Hassan has not tried to re-orient the party from where his predecessor left it. He chose not to steer the JI towards the resurrected MMA and opted instead for Difa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC) – an alliance of right-wing groups which also includes banned outfits.

Given JI’s present slant towards the DPC, one wonders whether post-Qazi the party will relapse into the establishment’s closet ally.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 7^th, 2013.

PESHAWAR: Without directly referring to Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution against the controversial religious scholar.  

The resolution said that the assembly will reject all “undemocratic methods of unelected individuals to postpone elections.”

The resolution read out by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MPA Javed Abbasi, was also signed by Law Minister Arshad Abdullah, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl lawmaker Mufti Kifayatullah, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid parliamentary leader Qalandar Lodhi, Pakistan Peoples Party senior minister Rahim Dad Khan, Qaumi Watan Party’s Sikandar Khan Sherpao and PML-N’s Abdul Sattar Khan.

Abbasi said all political parties should demand the Election Commission of Pakistan to hold timely fair and free elections. He claimed Qadri’s arrival was a conspiracy against democracy.

Without naming the politician who has caused much unease among political groups, Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said any power which intends to derail democracy will be contested. Hussain said no one can ask for reforms when a nation is preparing for elections; such demands should have been made four years ago, he said,

He added that obstructing democracy and extending the caretakers’ tenure would pave the way for terrorist groups to create more trouble in the country.

JUI-F lawmaker Hafiz Akhtar Ali added there was a democratic way to reforms, and forces which planned to derail the setup should be discouraged.

Gas load-shedding

An argument about a protest in Karak against non-provision of gas to residents took most of the assembly’s time.

The issue was raised by QWP’s Israrullah Gandapur, who said he arrived late for the assembly session since protesters from Karak had blocked the Indus Highway for two hours. He said the protest was supported by a lawmaker of the house.

Gandapur said that by initiating such demonstrations, lawmakers show that laws are only for government servants and they are immune from restrictions. He asked the assembly speaker to frame the code of conduct for lawmakers so they do not resort to such tactics.

This infuriated JUI-F lawmaker from Karak, Malik Qasim Khattak,who had led the demonstration.

Khattak said that they were law abiding citizens but were forced by government’s actions to come to the streets. “I will continue to fight for the rights of my people on every floor no matter what comes,” he said. He added that the demand was justified, as the government was receiving billions of rupees in royalty of oil and gas production from the district and not providing gas in the area itself.

Dr Iqbal Din Fana also complained about non-provision of gas to residents in Shakardarra in his native Kohat district. He said authorities were not even paying attention to a unanimous resolution of the provincial assembly on the provision of gas to the village.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 8^th, 2013.

PESHAWAR: Friends and colleagues of the late Maulana Amir Bijli Ghar paid tribute to the controversial cleric at Nishtar Hall on Thursday.

Maulana Amir Muhammad, popularly known as Bijli Ghar, died on December 30, 2012 at 86.The condolence reference was arranged by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Peshawar chapter.

Addressing the gathering, JUI-F deputy general secretary Maulana Amanat Shah said that Bijli Ghar was one of the closest associates of late Mufti Mehmood, former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) chief minister and also chief of JUI-F.  He was among the few politicians who stood with the new JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman following his father’s death, Shah said.

Bijli Ghar was known for his outspoken views in the Pukhtun belt, including K-P, tribal areas, Afghanistan and Balochistan. No other religious figure can match his popularity, Shah said.

In his Friday sermons at the grid station mosque on Kohat Road, Bijli Ghar would be fiery in his criticism of politicians, political systems, education and women. His speeches were packed with sexual and misogynistic innuendoes and gestures against women frequenting public places.

JUI-F’s provincial chief Sheikh Amanullah termed Bijli Ghar’s death as a big loss and said that he always stood for truth and combated social vices.

Maulana Abdul Majeed Nadeem Shah, who had been a close friend of Bijli Ghar, said the country’s situation was out of control.  Indirectly referring to Dr Tahirul Qadri without taking his name, he said, “It is a doomsday scenario to impose such people on this nation who are being supported by a particular lobby.”

He said that Pakistan can only come out of its present predicament once it reverts to an ideology, which forms the basis of its creation.

Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai and other JUI-F leaders were also present at the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 11^th, 2013.

PESHAWAR: Treasury benches of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly restricted tabling a Child Marriage Restraint Amendment Bill 2013 on Friday.

The bill was moved by Awami National Party (ANP) lawmaker Munawar Sultana. Provincial informational minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain, who assumed the seat of parliamentary leader on Friday, opposed tabling the bill, saying that it will have far reaching social consequences.

Hussain was backed by Nighat Orakzai and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s Mufti Kifayutllah, who termed the legislation NGO-centric and requested that the bill be put on a pending status.

The opposition to her bill left Sultana infuriated, who lashed out saying that Islam prohibits too many things but no one wants to talk about it. However, on Mian Iftikhar’s insistence, Sultana withdrew the bill.

A bill on the prevention and control of women trafficking was also moved by Pakistan Peoples Party lawmaker Shazia Tehmash. She was told, however, to discuss it with the law minister first and table it again next week.

Law Minister Barrister Arshad Abdullah opposed it, saying that the assembly was not competent to enact legislation in this regard and that a human trafficking bill had already been passed by the National Assembly.

Speaker Kiramtullah Chagarmati, reading the law department’s view, said that because an anti-human trafficking law is being considered by the National Assembly, the provincial assembly cannot enact such a law.

Tehmash, however, stood her ground, on which the speaker asked the law minister to discuss the issue with her.

Other bills, including Labour Laws Application Bill 2012, Child Protection and Welfare Amendment Bill 2003, Medical Health and Institutions and Regulations of Health Care Services amendment Bill 2013 were opposed.

Political drone

Lawmakers also criticised Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain for declaring Quaid-e-Azam a British national.

In his speech Kifyatullah equated the MQM with the Taliban. He was backed by Orakzai and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Sardar Shamoon Yar Khan, who called for contacting the British government to ban Altaf Hussain’s telephonic speeches. Mian Iftikhar said that the MQM chief should have pointed out that it was not only Jinnah who had the British passport but everyone else at the time.

The house also offered fateha for victims of the Quetta and Mingora blasts.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 12^th, 2013.

PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa  (K-P) Assembly referred the issue of amendment to the Public Service Commission (PSC) Act to the concerned committee on Monday. If the amendment is approved, government departments will no longer need No Objection Certificates (NoC) for temporary appointments.

The issue was raised by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) parliamentary leader Abdul Akbar Khan through an adjournment motion. He told the house that the provincial assembly had passed a bill sometime back, which allowed government departments to make temporary appointments on vacant positions.

He said the aim of this bill is to make timely appointments in hospitals, colleges, schools and other departments till the PSC appoints regular candidates.

The NoC was made a requirement by then K-P governor Lt. Gen retd Iftikhar Hussain Shah in August 2002. Shah made his approval mandatory for all appointments from scale 11 to 15 and added the NoC requirement.

MPA Khan said due to this clause, government departments cannot make appointments because the commission delays NoCs for months, which causes more problems.

The PSC in K-P has more power compared to the federal level, which is unique to the province.

He said the federal public service commission makes appointment on vacancies of scale 16 and above, while the commission in K-P was doing the same for scale 11 to 15 as well, which is adding more to its workload. He proposed that the K-P PSC act should be amended to rectify these issues.

K-P Law Minister Barrister Arshad Abdullah also agreed with Khan. Abdullah said the government had overhauled the commission’s structure previously. He admitted, however, that the NoC restriction is causing problems.

He proposed that the matter should be referred to the concerned standing committee where members will try to forge a consensus on these amendments. Speaker Kiramatullah Chagarmati referred the matter to the standing committee for further deliberation.

Abdullah also assured that the government will look into the K-P Group Insurance Bill, which was tabled by Akbar around a year and half back.

The house referred three questions submitted by lawmaker Syed Murid Kazim Shah about appointments and other issues in the health department of DI Khan district after no opposition from the treasury benches.

The treasury benches defended the additional charges given to certain senior officials in different projects of the provincial government, after PPP lawmakers questioned these appointments.

The assembly also unanimously passed the K-P Universities Amendment Bill 2013, K-P Services Academy Bill 2013 and Travel Agencies Amendment Bill. The assembly session was adjourned till Tuesday afternoon.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 15^th, 2013.

Provincial information minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain maintained the army should clarify its position regarding any affiliation with Qadri. Hussain said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) had earlier stated the army has nothing to do with Qadri. “It should send out a message again.”

He also critcised the Supreme Court’s judgment calling for the arrest of Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf in the rental power plants case. Hussain said the apex court’s move will strengthen undemocratic forces in the country, adding that “everyone knows who is pulling Qadri’s strings.”

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) parliamentary leader Abdul Akbar Khan demanded the courts to take action against the MQI chief and alleged Qadri of trying to subvert the Constitution. “A high court declared him dishonest in the 1990s. How can he speak of implementing articles 61 and 63 on lawmakers.”

“It is not 1977 or 1999, when some political parties welcomed undemocratic forces. Today, all parties, media, intelligentsia and civil society are on one side and they are all against these forces,” he said.

Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid’s (PML-Q) parliamentary leader Haji Qalandar Khan Lodhi said Qadri was disregarding the mandate of the country’s 180 million people by calling lawmakers corrupt.

Lodhi also flayed the provincial government of Punjab and the federal government for allowing Qadri to march on to Islamabad. “Isn’t he challenging the state’s writ? It was the government’s weakness. It should not have allowed him [to carry on with the long march],” stressed Lodhi.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl leader Mufti Kifayatullah warned Qadri’s action could trigger a clash between institutions. He also questioned the decision to impose governor’s rule in Balochistan.

“It appears to be pre-planned. Qadri should explain whether he is Tahirul Qadri or Tahir Kiyani,” said the JUI-F lawmaker.

Taking a jibe at Qadri, PPP lawmaker Nighat Orakzai said there was no shortcut to becoming a prime minister.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 16^th, 2013.

PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly strongly condemned the killings of 18 Bara tribesmen found dead on Tuesday, and demanded an inquiry into the matter.

The issue, which has gripped the provincial capital for the past week, was raised in the assembly session on Friday by Awami National Party (ANP) lawmaker Saqibullah Khan Chamkani, following the assembly’s question hour.

In his speech, Chamkani informed the assembly the five family members killed in Bara hailed from Sheikhan village, which falls in his constituency, adding the deceased were family members of an ANP worker. He identified them as, Junaid, 9, Abdul Khaliq 14, Hazrat Ali 16, Minhaj 22 and Abdul Jalil 65. The sole surviving member of this family, Shabir, is employed in the paramilitary.

“Those nations inevitably fall, whose populace hates their security apparatus,” Chamkani said, adding the fall of Nazi Germany came at the hands of its security apparatus and the Soviet Union due to KGB.

He questioned whether the nation had forgotten the fall of Dhaka and pointed out that people of Balochistan fear their protectors. “People fear the security apparatus and this fear will be detrimental for this country,” Chamkani remarked.  He demanded an independent investigation into the killings.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUIF) lawmaker Mufti Kifayatullah pointed out that on one hand, the government allowed Tahirul Qadri to paralyse Islamabad for three days, while a justifiable protest in Peshawar was dispersed using force.“It seems there are separate rules for Quetta, Islamabad, Karachi and Peshawar,” he said.

He added that tribesmen were killed by security personnel and security apparatus was such a sacred cow that no one could utter a word about it.

Qaumi Watan Party parliamentary leader Sikandar Sherpao, also demanded an inquiry into the killings and said those responsible should be dealt with strictly. He said protesting was everyone’s right and asked the government to explain who ordered use of force against peaceful protesters.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) member Javed Abbasi asked the K-P government to explain its position on the issue.

K-P Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain termed the killings as untoward and said the provincial government also supports investigation and condemns killings.  He said what happened in Bara was outside the provincial government’s purview; however, the issue was amicably resolved when the governor and jirga held talks.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 19^th, 2013.

The current session started on December 10, 2012, with a 10-day recess following the death of senior provincial minister Bashir Ahmed Bilour in a suicide attack on December 22.

During this short session, K-P has witnessed a surge in violence, Lahore High Court’s controversial verdict on the Kalabagh Dam, a brazen attack on the Bacha Khan International Airport, the execution of 21 levies personnel, killings of polio workers, murders of NGO workers in Swabi and the most recent killings of 18 civilians in Bara.

In addition to these, the long march of Dr Tahirul Qadri also consumed much of the assembly’s time.

On Friday, the Bara killings were the most deliberated over issue. It was raised as a point of order following the question hour, and took over an hour of the proceedings.

When the session was adjourned at 7pm, discussions on a report about K-P affairs and an adjournment motion by MPA Ateefur Rehman on prolonged power cuts were deferred for later.

The K-P Transplantation Authority Ordinance 2012, Elimination of Custom of Ghag Ordinance 2012, K-P Payment of Wages Bill 2012 and K-P Private Schools Regulatory Authority Bill 2012 were all introduced in the assembly on December 10.

All the bills except the one on the elimination of Ghag were sent to concerned committees for further deliberation.

On January 8, K-P assembly passed the bill calling for elimination of Ghag. On January 14, the assembly unanimously passed three bills, including K-P Universities Amendment Bill 2013, K-P Services Academy Bill 2013 and Travel Agencies Amendment Bill.

The amendments made to Travel Agencies Amendment Bill were verbal. The bill’s presenter, provincial sports and tourism minister Syed Aqil Shah, agreed to the amendments to a section about fines, but asked MPA Saqibullah Khan Chamkani, who proposed the revisions, to decrease the amount of the suggested fines.

During this session, the one improvement the assembly has seen over the past few weeks is the regular attendance of ministers. At the beginning of the session, only a few ministers showed up. But now a majority of ministers attend sessions.

Questions, points of orders and adjournment motions, however, are still being deferred due to the absence of concerned ministers.

This is perhaps, a sign of decreasing interest because the session is likely to be the last before the end of the K-P assembly’s tenure, which is just 23 days short of completing its 100-day parliamentary year.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 20^th, 2013.

The locker at the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) is said to contain at least five rare gold objects in the possession of the provincial archaeology directorate, including a gold girdle weighing over 14 kilogrammes. According to sources, the locker had three keys, one each in possession of the SBP Peshawar branch, and the director and secretary of the archaeology department. However, the copies supposed to be with both officials are lost. All three keys are needed to open the locker.

The issue came to light following the death of former K-P archaeology director Saleh Mohammad when his office was sealed and his personal belongings and official documents sifted, a source informed. “Due to the explosive nature of this disappearance, the issue is still under wraps,” he added.

The source further said the key was searched for but could not be found and the other one in possession of the secretary is also lost. “It’s not clear how both keys were lost and who lost them. Secretaries usually come and go, that is how it might have happened,” he said.

Items stored in the locker include a gold stupa, a gold bracelet, Kanishka’s relic casket dating back to the 2nd century, a Pattan gold girdle and a gold stag. The girdle alone weighs around 14 kilogrammes (kg).  However, Ahmed Hassan Dani in his book “Human Records on Karakoram Highway,” puts its weight at about 16 kg. “The creatures depicted on this girdle link it to Scythian art of Trans-Pamir regions, and it has no Indian influence on it,” writes Dani.

The one of its kind Kanishka relic casket recovered from Shah Ji Dheri in Peshawar is said to be the first object with the city’s name inscribed on it.

Director Archaeology Dr Shah Nazar said the items were shifted to a SBP locker in 2006 because they were too precious. However, he expressed ignorance about the missing keys. “If the department doesn’t have the keys then the bank has them,” he said.

A source within the Archaeology Department said that rent was being paid to the SBP earlier, but for the past few years there has been no record of payment and the bank has not asked for locker rent either.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 21^st, 2013.

PESHAWAR: Following week long protests, the Provincial Ad hoc Lecturers Association (PALC) on Wednesday announced to go on a hunger strike from today (Thursday) to protest against delays in regularising ad hoc lecturers.

Addressing a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club, PALC chief organiser Qazi Zafar Iqbal said they were not going back to work and will sit outside the PPC till their demands are met.

“We have been on strike since the past six days and registered a peaceful protest across the city. However, the authorities did not pay any attention to the problem,” maintained Iqbal.

He said the ad hoc lecturers were recruited on merit in 2010, but accused authorities of adopting delaying tactics in regularising their services.

There are about 267 lecturers on contract across the province, including 54 female lecturers. PALC, however, said they have not been paid since November 2012.

While college principals were being hired on contractual basis, ad hoc lecturers are rendered jobless, said Iqbal, adding that the provincial government regularised about 137 employees in 2011. “The same should be done with lecturers,” he urged.

He said that despite the government’s repeated assurance of improving literacy rates and fighting extremism, teachers were ill-treated. Iqbal added that late senior minister Bashir Ahmed Bilour had also promised regularisation of services and the government should fulfil his promise.

If any of the protestors are harmed as a result of the hunger strike or a terrorist act, the provincial government will be responsible, Iqbal warned. “We will continue our strike and not move from Peshawar till our demands are met.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 24^th, 2013.

Aurangzeb Khan, 16, was a student of grade nine. He fell in coma after sustaining shrapnel wounds during a suicide attack targeting a funeral in his hometown of Sheena village in Samarbagh tehsil, Dir Lower on September 21, 2011. After being unconscious for over a year, Aurangzeb passed away on December 29, 2012. He was one of the 40 people who lost their lives as a result of the attack.

A letter by the health department offering free medical assistance to Aurangzeb was received by his family a few days earlier. It was, however, dated October 6, 2012.

“The postman delivered the letter at my house, but because I couldn’t read it, I took it to a school teacher,” said Aurangzeb’s elder brother Wahidullah. “The teacher told me this is a useless paper for you because your brother is no longer in this world.”

Wahidullah said they earlier tried reaching out to ministers and even the president, but their pleas fell on deaf ears. “We were not even able to provide proper food to my ailing brother, and now we have this useless paper.”

Wahidullah added he has a debt of Rs1.8 million, which he spent on his brother’s treatment. “I have no means of paying back such a huge amount.”

Aurangzeb initially remained in coma for 36 days following the attack. He then showed signs of recovery and was discharged from Lady Reading Hospital. This filled his family with hopes of a complete recovery. He, however, collapsed a month later and was readmitted to the hospital.

Doctors operated on him to treat an abscess, but told his family he would not regain consciousness for the rest of his life. After he was discharged for the second time and brought back home, the case caught the media’s attention. Provincial health minister also issued directives to the medical superintendent at District Headquarters Hospital, Timergarah to bear all of Aurangzeb’s medical expenses.

The medical superintendent constituted a medical board, which concluded that Aurangzeb’s treatment would cost around Rs160,000. The matter was then referred to Pakistan Baitul Mal.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 27^th, 2013.

Addressing his party members, Fazl, who had earlier refused to attend any APC convened by ANP, added his own touch to attempts aimed at holding a meeting of major political forces. He proposed that the services of a tribal jirga formed by his party could be used to begin the dialogue.

The ANP has called for major political parties to attend an APC to form a counterterrorism policy and strategy on talks with militants.

The JUI-F head said he had talked to ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khan and informed him about the grand tribal jirga that was formed in November after consultations with over 4,000 tribesmen. “Asfandyar told me that the presence of such a jirga means half the job is done.”

He claimed both the militants and government can approach this jirga for talks, as it is a tribal jirga “in the real sense of the word” and represents all tribesmen regardless of political affiliations.

Severely criticising the ANP government, the JUI-F chief said there was no writ of the state in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa resulting in the ongoing bloodshed. He added the province was under an undeclared martial law as the civilian government has failed to do its job properly.

Talking about his own party, Fazl said the JUI-F is against the use of force, whether it is from militants or military and only believes in peace. “Those sitting in Peshawar and Islamabad have no right to decide on the future of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas,” he said.

Fazl said that if the people want a religious alliance they should vote for the JUI-F keeping its parliamentary performance of blocking anti-Islam legislation and representing the Islamic point of view both inside and outside Parliament.

The forces ruling Pakistan have failed and turned the country into a security state  instead of a welfare state,  said Fazl. He added  the country’s internal debt had spiralled beyond acceptable limits. “This country is being run on foreign aid, according to the wishes of our foreign paymasters. Unless it has a leadership that can unite the nation and utilise its resources it cannot come out of its present predicament.”

He also lamented the current foreign policy saying that Pakistan can play an effective role in bringing peace in Afghanistan, but the political leadership has squandered the opportunity to do so.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 28^th, 2013.

The area now has paved streets, proper drainage, solar-powered street lights and water pumps. Villagers are also provided agriculture and livestock related training.

“Some good has come out of the Afghan refugees. We have these things [now], otherwise the government would not do anything for us,” said a local elder, Farooq Shah.

Shah added that unpaved streets made it difficult for villagers to venture out during the rain, adding that it would be completely dark at night because of long power outages.

The development efforts have been spearheaded by the United Nations’ Refugees Affected and Hosting Areas (Raha) programme funded by the European Union (EU). Shah said the residents of Haroonabad, which has about 160 households, are particularly happy about the programme and its implementation sans political interference.

Around 28 development schemes have been completed in the area in the past two years, including training for boys to repair mobile phones and for girls in handicrafts, Shah said. He, however, added that more emphasis is needed on repairing generators and setting up a computer lab for children at the village’s primary school.

“We have very suitable space to install two small micro-hydel stations which can cater to the electricity needs of villagers,” said another villager, Noorullah, who harbours greater ambitions.

Raha began in 2009 to tackle social, economic and environmental consequences faced by communities as a result of the arrival of three million Afghan refugees, said Raha’s provincial chief for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), Shukria Syed. She added the programme is engaged in six districts, including Buner, Haripur, Dir Lower, Nowshera, Peshawar and Swabi.

Residents of Nowshera said they never expected the refugees to stick around for more than 30 years, nor did they expect that the temporary human settlements would become a permanent feature. On the other hand, the camps seem to be thriving, accommodating more and more refugees. Located near the Jalozai refugee camp, Dag Behsud has traditionally been a cluster of non-descript villages mired with poverty and underdevelopment.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 30^th, 2013.

PESHAWAR: Amid growing skepticism over whether the Awami National Party (ANP) will be able to muster support from political parties to hold talks with the Taliban, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) has decided to give another shot to the ruling party’s initiative.

On Sunday, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman indicated he had discussed the issue with ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khan, and that they have both agreed to take the proposal forward.

JUI- F, however, has laid down a stipulation. It wants the grand jirga formed by the party over the past few months to play a central role in the process.

Fazl said both the Taliban and the government could approach the jirga, which would act as a mediator if other parties agree to empower it for the said purpose. This would indirectly make JUI-F the linchpin for any peace overture with the Taliban.

Fazl’s statement is a retraction of his January 13 declaration wherein he refused to be a part of any move of the ANP to hold an all-parties conference (APC) to negotiate with the Taliban.

“Policies that ANP pursued during its tenure resulted in the killing of countless innocent people and we will not become part of any such effort,” said Fazl.

The second salvo was fired by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) on the same day. A JI spokesperson issued a statement from its provincial secretariat saying his party was not going to attend the upcoming moot.

JI cited the government’s use of force against Bara tribesmen at a protest over the killing of 18 persons in Khyber Agency during which police dispersed demonstrators using tear gas and water cannons.

The refusal of the two largest politico-religious parties to participate in ANP’s proposed APC placed a question mark over the possibility of a political consensus to combat terrorism.

JUI-F’s change of heart has now revived ANP’s hopes of getting out of a situation where it is becoming extremely difficult for the party to be politically active while at the same time acting as a vanguard against Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Interestingly, JUI-F’s offer to use its sponsored jirga is a rather bizarre demand, which may catch ANP off-guard. If the provincial government does agree to JUI-F’s proposals, it will be fully dependent on the latter in the near future.

But ANP has learnt its lessons the hard way over the past few years. A peace deal signed with militants in Swat in 2008 collapsed and resulted in consequent military operations. The failure also resulted in Taliban continuing to target ANP leaders.

The assassination of senior provincial minister Bashir Ahmad Bilour then led to the party softening its tirade, saying they were not asking militants to lay down their arms, but only to shun violence. This was a significant change in the party’s years-old anti-militancy rhetoric.

It is likely the party realised it could not afford to continue with the vociferous stance, which may result in loss of public sphere. The party also seems adamant not to repeat its earlier failure in trying to unite political parties over power cuts.

However, given the proximity of elections, all quarters want to get the most out of any deals they cut. The ANP wants to carry out an unhindered election campaign, while JUI-F wants some stake in changing the scheme of things.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th, 2013.

PESHAWAR: Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan’s (TTP) offer is likely to cause more uncertainty as it hinges on the leaders of the main opposition party and two largest religious political parties.

Apart from TTP’s demand to release its senior leaders (likely to be unsuccessful), TTP’s video statement on peace talks is a calculated one – likely aimed to gauge public opinion, political response and to build pressure ahead of polls.

The TTP strategy seems two-pronged as they continue to carry out targeted attacks across the country to make their presence felt.

The latest attack was on security forces in Serai Naurang, Lakki Marwat, which left 13 security personnel dead. The attack followed a series of high-profile targeted operations carried out over the past few weeks.

TTP has made it clear they are not ready to trust government or military this time – therefore demand Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, and Jamaat-e-Islami chief Syed Munawar Hassan to underwrite the peace deal.

The question arises whether these leaders will be willing to act as guarantors, and the answer seems to be no.

This is not the first time the government and TTP will try and negotiate reconciliation. Over the past decade, these militants and different governments have made many attempts to clinch a truce. Every such effort resulted in more bloodshed.

There’s also the question of how much authority the guarantors would have if the militants and/or the government violate the truce – which is a common practice in such settlements.

If the government follows the TTP’s footsteps and expects PML-N, JUI-F and JI chiefs to underwrite the terms of the deal, the three wise men would be in a fix. If they refuse to participate, the parties of the ruling coalition can begrudge their refusal at this critical vote-gathering moment, when general elections are just around the corner.

Alternatively, even if they agree to act as underwriters, they are less likely to exercise any control over what happens in the rather inaccessible Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), where security forces and militants are engaged in battles.

So far, the response of the three political parties reinforces these assertions.

JUI-F wants the jirga of tribal elders it formed in November to mediate the ceasefire between TTP and the government. However, it seems JUI-F leaders have yet to formulate a plan if the militants demand Fazl’s direct involvement instead of the jirga.

Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) has a lot on its plate to deal with ahead of elections. They seem less likely to take the bait. JI has initially shown reluctance to act as a guarantor.

The only party which might benefit from this is ANP. ANP was campaigning to get all political forces on board for an anti-terrorism all parties conference without any major success.

Whoever agrees to mediate a peace deal between the TTP and government will, on the surface, be responsible for ending bloodshed in Pakistan. Such responsibility without any influence or power to determine the outcome of situation rings hollow.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th, 2013.

Driven out of their homes by militancy and consequent operations, the families were left feeling homeless for years. And as prospects of peace being restored in the region still appear dim, many have purchased property in Dag Behsud, a non-descript village in Nowshera located close to the Jalozai refugee camp.

Most of these families hail from the now troubled Khyber Agency. A resident of Landi Kotal, Ayub Khan said he shifted to Dag Behsud along with his family two years ago. His family purchased around 300 square yards of land at a rate of Rs595 per square yard to build a house on. “This area is very peaceful and we like it.”

Noor Zaman from Tirah valley left his native village along with his family two and a half years ago. Zaman said he and his five brothers purchased about 1,210 sq yards to settle in Dag Behsud. “We have built four houses on the property for our family.”

He added that around 12 families from Khyber Agency have brought property in Dag Behsud, but others estimated the number to be nearer 70.

Zaman said the biggest fear that compels IDPs to leave their homes is banned militant outfits. “Our people hate them,” said Zaman while referring to Mangal Bagh’s Lashkar-e-Islam.

He said locals of Tirah are under immense pressure from both militants and the government. Militants demand extortion money, while security forces shell their homes with artillery. He is also happy his children can go to secondary school, adding that there is no school beyond 4th grade in Tirah.

However, the memories of his native land are still vivid in his mind and Zaman hopes to return there someday. “We will return to our village when peace is restored and the roads are open.”

Adam Khan, who is also from Tirah, initially rented a house in Khan Bahadar Garhi area of Dag Behsud when he first moved here 10 months ago. He later sold family valuables, including jewelry, and took a loan to buy 907.5 sq yards of land to build his house.

Adam now works as a labourer and remembers the days he spent working on his fields, which earned him a better living. But he has not forgotten the price of comfort. “It is good to live in peace now; sleep carelessly and have no danger of being caught in crossfire.”

The residents of Dag Behsud have been supportive of the IDPs so far. A local, Muzammil Shah also donated a piece of land for the construction of a mosque for them.

Some, however, are resentful of the influx. “We will face problems because of these people,” said Wahid Ali Shah. He thinks there will be a sharp rise in kidnapping for ransom, thefts and other crimes in the village.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 7^th, 2013.