Any attack on Pakistan would be construed as an attack on China

Media Desk: The message was delivered during Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Gilani's recent four-day visit to Beijing, which celebrated no less than six decades of strategic relations --involving, among other issues, nuclear collaboration and support over the ultra-sensitive Kashmir question, reports Tehran times.

The Times of India reconstructed the message as a stark warning that: “any attack on Pakistan would be construed as an attack on China.”

Chinese diplomacy dwells on too much sophistication for such a crude outburst; but even enveloped in red velvet, the message -- in view of the non-stop U.S. drone war over Pakistan's tribal areas, not to mention the “get Osama” raid in Abbottabad -- was indeed a bombshell.

Whatever the merit of charges that Islamabad helps some Taliban factions -- such as the Haqqani network in North Waziristan -- the Pakistani politico-security-military establishment has had enough of being treated by Washington as a mere satrapy, or worse, a bunch of punks.

Pakistani popular opinion, from urban centers to tribal areas, roundly abhors Washington's drone war. And even before the Navy SEALS raid to get Osama bin Laden the sordid Raymond Davis case was configured as the ultimate humiliation.

Davis, a CIA asset, shot two Pakistanis dead in broad daylight in Lahore; an American “extraction team” killed another one who was trying to save Davis from arrest; and then the CIA paid blood money to finally extract Davis out of the country. Sovereignty? What sovereignty?

There's frantic spin in the U.S. especially among the right that Pakistan must be taught a lesson because it “harbors terrorists”. The mighty conceptual leap would be for these righteous, misinformed, armchair warriors to advocate teaching China a lesson.

Gwadar is an ultra-strategic deepwater port in the Arabian Sea, in Pakistani Balochistan, not far from the Iranian border and only 520 km away from the hyper-strategic Strait of Hormuz. Beijing financed close to 80 percent of the construction of the port via the China Harbor Engineering Company Group. The port is currently managed by Singapore. The lease will end soon -- and it will go to China.

Islamabad now wants the Chinese to build a naval base at Gwadar. That will be a monster geopolitical earthquake in a crucial node of “Pipelineistan” as well as the New Great Game in Eurasia.

Sleepy (for now) Gwadar has been building up for years as the key node of the IP (Iran-Pakistan) pipeline, which used to be the IPI (Iran-Pakistan-India) or “peace” pipeline, before New Delhi got cold feet. For Washington, the prospect of a steel umbilical cord linking Iran and Pakistan has always been anathema.

What Washington wants -- and has wanted badly since the Bill Clinton years -- is the TAP (Trans-Afghan) pipeline, which then became TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India). Even millennial rocks in the Hindu Kush know TAP or TAPI will only be built when the war is over in Afghanistan, with the Taliban an inevitable part of the government.

In this ongoing, epic IP (or IPI) versus TAP (or TAPI) battle, what is never mentioned is that the winner after all may be... China.

New Delhi knows a pipeline crossing Afghanistan is, well, a pipe dream. But still it has not committed itself to IPI -- in part because of relentless Washington pressure, in part because it does not trust Pakistan.

China, on the other hand, has already proposed itself for an IP expansion. This means that starting at Gwadar, another pipeline would be built, by the Chinese of course, crossing Balochistan and then following the Karakoram highway northwards all the way to Xinjiang, China's Far West.

Those who have already traveled the spectacular, 1,400 km-long Karakoram highway from Kashgar in Xinjiang, Western China, via the Khunjerab pass to, of all places, Abbottabad in Pakistan, know it for what it is -- a graphic example of strategic Sino-Pak collaboration. Further on down the road, Beijing engineering will connect the Karakoram highway with a railway across Balochistan towards Gwadar.

Pakistanis involved with the development of Gwadar love to bill it as the new Dubai. Well, it might as well become Western Hong Kong.

No wonder Beijing's strategic analysts are tasting what could be the geopolitical equivalent of the finest shark-fin soup; the Chinese Navy positioned at the heart of the Arabian Sea, a stone's throw from the Persian Gulf; a great deal of its Middle East oil imports shipped to nearby Gwadar -- and then by pipeline or railway all the way to Kashgar; and the Chinese economy profiting from extra gas supplied by Iran and, in a near future, Qatar.

It's not only China possibly winning a crucial “Pipelineistan” chapter plus an Arabian Sea base to add to its “string of pearls” network. In terms of its AfPak vulnerability, Washington may be contemplating a triple X defeat.

For obvious reasons the Pentagon cannot use Chinese or Iranian seaports to supply no less than 100,000 U.S. troops, 50,000 NATO troops and over 100,000 private contractors in Afghanistan -- legions of mercenaries included -- which dabble in over 400 military bases all across the country. Nearly 80 percent of this monstrous quantity of supplies transit through Pakistan. And that means, essentially, Karachi.

So one cannot imagine the “kinetic military action” (White House copyright) in AfPak without a non-stop serpent of trucks leaving Karachi and entering Pakistan via Torkham or Chaman every single day.

All the stuff Kabul -- and the immense Bagram Air Base close by -- needs goes through Torkham, at the end of the fabled Khyber Pass. All the stuff Kandahar needs goes through Chaman, in Pakistani Balochistan, not far from Quetta, where Mullah Omar theoretically lives when he's not being pronounced dead by the Pentagon.

The Pentagon of course could rely on alternative routes such as the interminable Northern Distribution Network (NDN) from Riga in Latvia to Termez in Uzbekistan, which connects via a bridge over the Oxus to Afghanistan. But NDN is not only long but also impractical; it does not allow too much cargo; and the Uzbeks forbid the transport of lethal weapons.

As for the Manas base in Kyrgyzstan, that's only for troops coming in and out, and for storage of jet fuel. The bottom line is that Islamabad knows the Pentagon simply cannot conduct the AfPak war without the Karachi-Torkham (300 trucks/tankers a day) and Karachi-Chaman (200 trucks/tankers a day) routes delivering like clockwork.

So if you break the balls of the Islamabad establishment to a tipping point and Taliban networks will have a free hand at attacking U.S./NATO convoys to Kingdom Come. Compare it with Beijing acknowledging Pakistan's “contribution and sacrifices in the war against terrorism”.

Beijing actively helped Islamabad's nuclear weapons program. Next August, China will launch a satellite into orbit for Pakistan. Roughly 75 percent of Pakistan's weapons are made in China. Soon 260 Chinese fighter jets will become the core of the Pakistani Air Force.

Even before Beijing delivered the message that Pakistan's sovereignty shouldn't be messed about, the Pakistani military had already delivered their own message.

It concerned that most photographed rotor of the stealth Black Hawk helicopter that crashed beside Osama bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad. The Pakistanis threatened they would let the Chinese tinker with it -- and that would certainly yield some ace reverse engineering.

It didn't happen. But still they didn't get the message in a Washington whose leeway over Islamabad is a strategic rent that goes basically to Pakistan's military. If the U.S. congress would cut it -- threats abound -- there's no question Beijing would be delighted to make up the difference.

Washington may still have a sterling opportunity to get the message next month, when the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meets in Astana, Kazakhstan. There's a strong possibility that Pakistan may be enthroned as a full member, upgraded from its current status of observer.

This means, in practice, Pakistan as a member of the still embryonic Asian answer to NATO. An attack on any NATO member is an attack on them all, according to its charter. The same would apply to the SCO. Ladies and gentlemen, draw your conclusions -- and start dancing to the sound of the Sino-Pak shuffle.

Pepe Escobar is the roving correspondent for Asia Times . His latest book is Obama Does Globalistan (Nimble Books, 2009). He may be reached at pepeasia@yahoo.com

Shopian Anniversary : 11th August Foundation

Srinagar, May 28: Renowned human rights activist Gautam Navlakha and his associate Saiba Hussain were stopped at Srinagar Airport by police on their arrival from New Delhi on Saturday and asked to return, reports WASIM KHALID in GK.

Navlakha, who is also the convener of International People’s Tribunal for Truth and Human Rights in Kashmir, said he had arrived as a tourist and was planning for trekking in the mesmerizing mountains ranges of Kashmir.

“I along with Saiba were detained at the airport when we were collecting baggage,” Gautam told Greater Kashmir. “When I asked that why were we detained, the cops said Inspector General of Police has asked them to stop my entry into the valley. When I asked for the written detention order, they had nothing to show. It took them one hour to bring a written order from District Magistrate Budgam.”

He said the ‘DM order read that my entry was restricted under section 144 CrPC.’ “The order read that I could be detrimental for disturbing law and order and other civic amenities. So I have to be prevented from entering,” he said.

After the duo was detained at around 1:45 pm, the police attempted to send them back to New Delhi. “However there were no tickets available,” Gautam said. “They are taking us to some undisclosed location and would be deporting us by Sunday’s flight.”

“We were supposed to leave early Monday morning for trekking,” he said. Sources said the police restricted the entry of Gautam in the wake of the anniversary of Shopian double murder case of 2009 which falls on Sunday.

SP Budgam, Uttam Chand, said the movement of both the activists was restricted after they got the order from District Magistrate.

“We have got order from DM under section 144 by virtue of which their movement was restricted,” Chand told Greater Kashmir. “We have kept them at airport and asked them to go back. Currently they are in police custody at the airport. If the plane tickets are not arranged, they would be sent back tomorrow.”

Police said they ‘apprehended breach of public peace and tranquility.’ Gautam has been traveling to the valley quite often for past 22 years. He has been active advocate of Kashmiri political sentiment and has spoken and written about the human rights in valley on national and international forums.

Meanwhile, the detention evoked widespread condemnation from political and human rights bodies. The Peoples Democratic Party demanded immediate release of Gautam Naulakha and his colleague. Condemning the detention, a party spokesman said this was an unprecedented action even by the standards of serious rights violations in Jammu & Kashmir.

“Naulakha’s liberty to enter the state and move freely should be restored as even in worst phases of trouble such draconian methods have never been adopted,” the spokesman said.

Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (M), Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, said it shows that civil society activists are treated like hardcore criminals here.

“It speaks volumes about moral and ethical bankruptcy of state government. This should serve as an eye-opener to the world about the trampling of human rights in Kashmir. What can common man expect in a state where human rights activists are not spared,” he said.

11th August Foundation spokesman Umar Kashmiri also denounced the act. “Even the non-Kashmiri rights activists are becoming the victims of state brutality for speaking the truth,” he said.

Peoples Rights Movement Chairman Abdul Kabir also condemned the detention. The International People’s Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice in Kashmir (IPTK) has condemned the denial of entry of one of its Conveners and prominent HR activist, Gautam Navlakha, into the Valley.

In a statement, Dr Angana Chatterji, Convener IPTK and Professor, Anthropology, California Institute of Integral Studies, said Navlakha’s “denial of entry raises urgent concerns about the status of freedom of speech and movement in Kashmir.”

“We understand that harassment, intimidation, and threats to IPTK members or their families are acts aimed to target and obstruct the work of the Tribunal. We remain gravely concerned about the physical and psychological safety and integrity of all Tribunal members. We remain gravely concerned about our ability to continue our work, and the ability of out-of-state Tribunal members to travel to Kashmir,” the statement said.

America is enemy number 1.

So is India still enemy number one? 

No, and I have said this publicly many times. America is enemy number 1. One decade of fighting their war has destroyed Pakistan. The enmity with India did not create the same kind of internal strife. The Kashmir issue is still very important for most Pakistanis but most Pakistanis feel that India and Pakistan are trying to reach some solution on Kashmir through peaceful talks. Some weeks back the United Jehad Council which is the umbrella organisation of all the militant groups issued a statement supporting talks. This undermined the JuD and LeT’s hard stance. The anti-India feeling is certainly fading here. Bollywood films have played a very important role in this. We have so much in common, but the trouble is we only project the short list of what is uncommon between us.

امریکہ دشمن 1 نمبر ہے.

نہیں، اور میں نے یہ کئی بار کہا. امریکہ دشمن 1 نمبر ہے. ان کی جنگ لڑنے میں سے ایک دہائی سے پاکستان کو ہلاک کر ڈالا ہے. بھارت کے ساتھ دشمنی داخلی انتشار کا ایک ہی طرح کی نہیں بنایا تھا. کشمیر کا مسئلہ اب بھی ہے ، زیادہ تر پاکستانی کے لئے بہت اہم ہے لیکن سب سے زیادہ پاکستانیوں کو لگتا ہے کہ پاکستان اور بھارت کے امن مذاکرات کے ذریعے کشمیر پر کوئی حل تک پہنچنے کی کوشش کر رہے ہیں. کچھ ہفتے پہلے اقوام متحدہ جہاد کونسل جس میں تمام عسکری گروپوں کی چھتری تنظیم ہے ایک مذاکرات کی حمایت کر بیان جاری کیا. یہ کمزور جماعت الدعوة اور لشکر کے سخت موقف. بھارت مخالف جذبات ضرور دھندلاہٹ یہاں ہے. بالی وڈ فلموں کی اس میں ایک بہت اہم کردار ادا کیا ہے. ہم دونوں میں بہت ہیں ، لیکن مسئلہ یہ ہے کہ ہم صرف کیا ہم دونوں کے درمیان غیر معمولی ہے کی مختصر فہرست منصوبہ

अमेरिका दुश्मन नंबर 1 है..
इसलिए भारत को अभी भी दुश्मन नंबर एक है?
नहीं, और मैं इस सार्वजनिक रूप से कई बार कहा. अमेरिका दुश्मन नंबर 1 है. उनके युद्ध लड़ने के एक दशक पाकिस्तान को नष्ट कर दिया गया है. भारत के साथ शत्रुता आंतरिक कलह की इसी तरह का निर्माण नहीं किया. कश्मीर मुद्दे अभी भी बहुत अधिकांश पाकिस्तानियों के लिए महत्वपूर्ण है, लेकिन अधिकांश पाकिस्तानियों का मानना ​​है कि भारत और पाकिस्तान को शांतिपूर्ण बातचीत के जरिए कश्मीर पर कुछ समाधान तक पहुँचने की कोशिश कर रहे हैं. कुछ हफ्ते पहले युनाइटेड जेहाद काउंसिल जो सभी उग्रवादी गुटों की छतरी संगठन है एक वार्ता का समर्थन बयान जारी किए हैं. यह कमजोर जमात और लश्कर के कठिन रुख. भारत विरोधी भावना निश्चित रूप से लुप्त होती यहाँ है. बॉलीवुड फिल्मों में यह एक बहुत ही महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका निभाई है. हम इतने आम में ज्यादा है, लेकिन परेशानी यह है कि हम केवल क्या हम दोनों के बीच असामान्य है की संक्षिप्त सूची परियोजना.

پس هند هنوز دشمن شماره یک است؟

نه، و من این بار علنا بسیاری است. امریکا دشمن شماره 1 است. یک دهه از مبارزه با جنگ خود پاکستان را نابود کرده است. دشمنی با هند انجام همان نوع منازعات داخلی را ایجاد کنیم. مسئله کشمیر هنوز هم بسیار مهم برای بسیاری از پاکستانی ها اما اغلب پاکستانی ها احساس می کنید که هند و پاکستان در حال تلاش برای رسیدن به برخی از راه حل در کشمیر از طریق مذاکرات صلح آمیز است. چند هفته پشت متحده جهاد است که شورای سازمان چتر از تمام گروه های شبه نظامی با صدور بیانیه ای حمایت سخن می گوید. این تضعیف JuD و موضع سخت بیایید. ضد هند احساس است که قطعا محو کنید. فیلم های بالیوود که نقش بسیار مهمی در این ایفا کرده است. ما چیزهای زیادی مشترک است ، اما مشکل این است که ما تنها پروژه فهرست کوتاه از آنچه که غیر معمول است بین ما.

KOTBULWAL IS ABU GHRAIB OF KASHMIR ADMITS HILAL WAR

Srinagar May 26 :  Peoples Polituical Party (PPP), Chairman, Hilal Ahmad War, has denouncing the continued inhuman torture to the Freedom Fighters of Kashmir and political prisoners detained in Kotbulwal Jail at the hands of Jail Superintendent, Rajni Sehgal on daily basis. The revealation made by Muslim League activists, Javaid Ahmad Najar before the Session Court on May 23rd, 2011 has exposed the Indiand authorities and is the eye opener for the International Human Rights Organizations and ICRC in particular. Mr. Javaid Ahmad Najar has opened his shirt and showed the marks of torture before the Court and narrated that detainees are not only being subjected to mental and physical torture but also undressed by Jail superintendent, Rajni Sehgal. The Kotbulwal Jail has been converted Kashmiri’s Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay.

Mr.War appealed the International Human Rights Organizations (Amnesty International, Asia watch, Human Rights Watch etc.) and U.N. Secretary General to take the serious notice of case and take up the issue in International Foras and also with New Delhi against gross Human Rights violations at the hands of Indian authorities either through its occupational forces stationed in Jammu and Kashmir or through Police and Jail authorities.

PPP Chief urged World Community to raise these issues with the Indian government, and in particular to express concern about the lack of accountability for human rights violations, which often results in an unending cycle of violence and retribution.

In Jammu and Kashmir the armed forces have committed torture, enforced disappearances, and targeted killings disguised as shoot-outs. These abuses are facilitated by Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), which gives the army widespread powers to search, arrest, and use lethal force, while assuring immunity from prosecution.

Mr.War, said the Government of India has forgotten that in times of war, certain humainitarian rules must be observed, even with regard to the enemy. These rules are set out maily in the four Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949 and their Additional Protocols of June 08, 1977. Once armed conflict breaks out, the Conventions and Protocols shall be applicable in all cincumstances.

Since ICRC is the custodian of Geneva Conventions, therefore, it is obligatory for ICRC to take a serious note of violation of Geneva Conventions by India which is the signatory of 4 Geneva Conventions.

In a statement issued here, War flayed the authorities for detaining Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai, Ghulam Nabi Sumjhi, ‘General’ Moosa, Peer Saifuullah, Mehraj-ud-Din Kalwal, Asiya Andrabi, Javaid Ahmad Najar, Shakeel Ahmad Bhat ( Islamic Rage Boy of Kashmir ) , Mushtaq-ul-Islam, Shakeel Ahmad Bakshi, Shakeel Ahmad Sofi, Shabir ahmad Bukhari, Dr. Qasim Faktoo, Masarat Alam Bhat, Abdul Ahad Parra, Imtiyaz Ahmad , Tariq Ahmad Molvi, Molvi Bashir and several other pro-freedom leaders despite their failing health.

“The government is flouting its own rules by denying these political prisoners proper medical and other facilities guaranteed to them under jail rules,” War said.

Mr.War said most of the leaders were detained under “false and concocted cases under raconian laws” despite court orders to release them.

PPP Chairman, Mr. Hilal Ahmad War , termed the detention of political prisoners under draconian law , Public Safety Act ( PSA) an inhuman act and asked Amnesty International and other international Human Rights Organizations to take serious notice of the issue and press Government of India for the prisoners’ release.(Writer-South Asia )

Medicinal plants in Kashmir Himalayas

The State of Jammu and Kashmir has been regarded as a heaven on earth, and is also called the bio-mass state of India. This area, located in the far north of the Indian republic, is a mountainous zone in the north-west Himalayas that shares international boundaries with Pakistan in the west, Chinese autonomous region of Xinjiang in the north and Tibet in the north-east. It is connected to the rest of the country through a 30 km long border with Punjab, and a 300 km long border with Himachal Pradesh. It has three main territories Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh that differ in terms of climate, physiography, ethnic groups and culture.
       
The terrain of these states generally follows the south-east to north-west trend of the Himalayas, its foothills and its attendant ranges. In the extreme south, the great north Indian plain gives way at Jammu to the Shivaliks, the outermost foothill range, a belt of erosion-prone low upland.

The Kashmir valley, a fertile basin whose soil is formed of deposits laid down on the floor of the lake that once covered it, is bounded in the north by the Great Himalaya and separated from the plains of northern India by the Pir Panjal range. The highest peak of the whole of Kashmir is the Nanga Parbat, rising to 8114 m.

Ladakh lies athwart four major ranges the northern flank of the Great Himalayas, the Zanskar range, the Ladakh range with its subsidiary Pang-Gong range and the eastern Karakoram. Few of the summits of the Zanskar and the Ladakh ranges exceed 6,000 m, but the eastern Karakoram has a whole complex of peaks over 7,000 m high.

All the three regions experience different climatic patterns. Cold desert-like conditions prevail in Ladakh, and alpine, temperate and sub-tropical types in the rest of the state. In Ladakh, daily and seasonal temperature variations are quite wide with maximum summer temperature reaching as high as 30C and minimum winter temperature dipping as low as -50C. Rivers and streams may freeze for a few weeks in winter. The sub-tropical climate of Jammu is characterised by a very hot summer, and monsoon rains between June-August. January is the coldest month of the year though the temperature never touches zero. There is an abrupt rise in temperature during March, and the heat reaches 44C during June.
Bio-diversity

The state is rich in the cultural diversity of the people, as well as diversity of flora and fauna in the forest areas, and domesticated species outside the forest. Plant diversity is the life support of almost all terrestrial eco-systems, with both humans and animals being entirely dependent on plants directly or indirectly. The state of Jammu and Kashmir has a fairly rich diversity of plant life, and on this the people depend for their daily needs of food, medicine, fuel, fibre, etc. The varied plant life also contributes to the food and habitat needs of the wild and domesticated animals in the state. Plants are also an integral part of the social fabric of the state. The environmental, social and economic values of plants are very well known. On the other hand, the faunal component of the bio-diversity of the state is rich, with interesting and unique forms both in the forest zones and above the forest-line. The variety of animal forms ranges from higher groups like vertebrates, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and lower groups like invertebrates including insects and even unicellular micro-organisms.
The flora

The flora of Himalayan Kashmir comprises about 3,054 species. About 880 species are found in Ladakh. The flora of the Jammu district comprises 506 species. These figures include only the angiosperms, gymnosperms and pteridophytes. The species lists of different districts are being continually updated in taxonomic publications. The lower plants like fungi and algae have not been studied exhaustively; information on the micro-flora of isolated regions is available for some plant orders and families only. The plants of the western Himalayas are well known for their medicinal properties.

This area is a storehouse of medicinal and aromatic plants, which are used in pharmaceutical and perfume industries. The list includes 55 species of important medicinal and aromatic plants. There are 11 medicinal plants in the temperate, cold, arid regions of Jammu and Kashmir. Several medicinal plants grow wild in the temperate and alpine habitats. Some native medicinal plants have been taken up for cultivation, e.g. Dioscorea deltoidea is now cultivated for its tubers which are rich in diosgenin and yield cortisone, a steroid hormone.

Phyto-geography and vegetation types
Within the Indian region, the area of Jammu and Kashmir is, phyto-geographically, the most complex and diverse. The flora has passed through various stages during the geo-morphological evolution of this region. This region has been colonised at different times by humid tropical Malayan forms, tropical African forms, temperate and alpine north Asiatic-European forms, sclerophyllous Mediterranean forms, temperate East Asian and semi-arid Central Asian forms. The rigorous environment has further acted upon this mosaic of geographical forms leading to the extinction of species, breaking up of distribution ranges, or induction of genetic variation with or without speciation. The flora of the surrounding regions has enriched the flora of Jammu and Kashmir. Floristically, the state of Jammu and Kashmir can be divided into three regions:

Alpine desert vegetation of Ladakh: The region is an almost treeless expanse. Due to the scarcity of precipitation the plants are generally found growing along moist river margins, or moist rock crevices. There are three main elements in the flora of Ladakh, viz. alpine, desertic and oasitic. A large proportion of the plant diversity exists in the cultivated state only. This includes crops like barley, wheat, gram, peas, lentil, onion, potato, etc.
       
Temperate vegetation of Kashmir: Though the vegetation of the Kashmir valley is disturbed due to extensive cultivation of grain crops like paddy and maize, one can see extremely rich vegetation in the beds and banks of the streams and canals.

The Kashmir valley abounds in lakes and swampy lagoons with distinctive hydro-phytic formations. The other Pir Panjal forests form a compact and linear strip-like area running from south-east to north-west and constitute the southern boundary of the Kashmir valley.

Sub-tropical vegetation of Jammu: The vegetation of the Jammu region is of a dry, mixed deciduous type. During the rainy season the low-lying areas become jheels that support a number of aquatic plants.

Aquatic vegetation
The high altitude lakes situated above 4,000 m in the Pir Panjal Range and in Ladakh are devoid of macro-phytic vegetation, whereas the lakes situated in the pine forest zone of the Pir Panjal and the Kashmir valley have well developed stratified vegetation. Most of the lakes of the Kashmir Himalayan range have typical zonation of plants. The innermost zone has submerged plants, which have their flowers and fruits above the water surface. In the shallower water there is a zone of plants that have their leaves floating on the surface of water. Along the lake margins, the plants stand in water with the greater portion of the plants being visible above water. Small free-floating plants occur in the shallow waters and along lake margins. Characteristic features of Kashmir lakes are the floating islands . These are strips of land artificially created and towed along from place to place. These floating islands are used for growing crops and horticultural plants.
Threatened plants

Many factors, both natural and man-made, have been responsible for extinction of species. It is well known that several plant species have become extinct due to certain natural phenomena, such as land upheavals, volcanic eruptions, glaciations, protracted periods of drought, spread of desert lands, forest fires and eutrophication in the geological past. In certain other cases species became too old or senescent and suffered genetic depletion, thus becoming unable to adapt to the new environment, leading to restricted distribution and, eventually, extinction.    
       
Normally for a species the processes involved in its evolution, spread and finally extinction are very slow. While such natural processes in the past had no doubt led to the extinction of species, they had also contributed to the evolution and speciation of plants. Anthropogenic factors, on the other hand, have accelerated rarity and extinction of plants species to a level where the very existence of the eco-system is threatened.

The bio-diversity of the rich area of Kashmir happens to be one of the 26 hotpots in India where there are high rates of deforestation and endemicity. The whole Himalayan belt is one hotspot mega centre, having 8 critical areas, which include two regions from the state, viz. Ladakh and Kashmir.
The fauna

The fauna of Jammu and Kashmir is diverse due to its unique location and climatic condition. About 16% of the Indian mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and butterflies are presented in the state. Birds contribute much to the chordate diversity following by mammals, reptiles, fishes and amphibians. The state is home to about 75 species of mammals, besides several sub-species, belonging to 54 genera, 21 families and 8 orders. Carnivores represent 32% of the total mammalian fauna in the state. Of the 19 species of the ungulates reported from the state, 13 have been listed as globally threatened.

The avian diversity of the state varies seasonally and available data suggests the existence of as many as 358 species of birds belonging to 179 genera, 51 families under 16 orders. The state is home to 14 species of amphibians belonging to 6 genera, 5 families and 1 order, and 68 species of reptiles belonging to 43 genera, 12 families and 2 orders. The available data suggests that 44 species of fishes belonging to 14 genera under 5 families occur in the state. The available data also reveals that as many as 225 species of insects, besides several sub-species, belonging to 136 genera, 35 families and 4 orders occur in the state.
Conclusion

The economy of Jammu and Kashmir is essentially based on bio-mass. With a rich biological diversity, and a people that are traditionally dependent on bio-mass based resources, it is easy enough to see that the subsistence requirements of the people for food grains, firewood, fodder, timber for housing, food, milk and medicines are derived from the plant and animal resources available in the state. Even the industrial and commercial sectors have large inputs from the bio-mass resources of the state. The exports from Jammu and Kashmir, i.e. fresh and dry fruits, the famous saffron and honey, timber, resin, medicinal items, handicrafts, including artefacts carved from walnut wood, shawls, carpets, etc. are items obtained from the bio-mass produce of the state. Tourists who visit Jammu and Kashmir and contribute to the economy are attracted largely by the scenic natural beauty of the state with its mountain ranges, towering snow-clad peaks, placid sparking lakes, bubbling streams and springs.

However, the development of the country depends on the enhancement of bio-mass productivity through sustainable management of the natural resources that ensures that conservation of species, including the genetic variability within them, and eco-systems. As such, sustainable management of natural resources along with environmental conservation has to be an integral element of the development process. The natural resources of the state have, over the years, been subjected to serious depletion owing to various factors, stemming mostly from anthropogenic activities. As elsewhere in the country, both land and water resources in the state are beset with environmental problems. Deforestation, overgrazing, unsuitable agricultural practices, especially on sloping lands, strip the land of its natural cover/ vegetation, making the land vulnerable to soil erosion and loss of major soil nutrients. The adverse impact of such denudation and soil erosion in the Himalayan watershed/catchment areas is a matter of grave ecological concern. Management of land and water and environment in general is governed and facilitated by a set of policies/legislations that, if implemented properly and effectively, should support bio-diversity conservation and sustainable


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'LeT strike in India can destabilise S Asia, threaten US'

Lavetra cashmeriana

Washongton, 25 May: Another major  attack in India by the Lashkar-e-Tayiba has the potential to destabilise the region, a powerful American lawmaker has said, adding that this Pakistan-based  outfit has increased its threat potential to the United States too, reports Rediff.

"This group (LeT), responsible for the vicious Mumbai attacks of 2008, is capable of not only destabilising the region with another attack against India, but through its extensive alumni organisation and network of training camps throughout Pakistan, it could threaten the United States homeland," said Senator John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Lashkar-e-Tayiba and Jaish-e-Muhammad continue to launch attacks that may spark a war between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan, he said.

Testifying before the committee, Christina Fair, an eminent expert of the region, said that Pakistan has raised and nurtured a number of militant groups, Lashkar-e-Tayiba being just one, to operate in India and in Afghanistan.

"These are distinct from the Pakistani Taliban, which has been ravaging the state, although part of the Pakistan Taliban does draw personnel from rebel erstwhile proxies," she said.

"Lashkar-e-Tayiba draws most of its recruits from Deobandis and other sectarian groups. This allows them to indoctrinate them into this worldview, and since it deploys relatively few people to Kashmir, this is an important part of its domestic outreach mission," Fair said.

In Modi’s Gujarat, Muslims assume Hindu names

Srinagar, 25 May: A shocking revelation by a leading English daily says that in Gujarat, Muslims are assuming Hindu names in order to find a job. The front-paged report narrated how Mehboob Pathan took the name “Jayenti Bhatti” in order to get a job in Surat. It was only when he was killed over a monetary dispute that his family members revealed that he was actually a  Muslim.

According to the report, Pathan’s story came to be known after his body was found in a farm at Antroli with the head smashed. The police registered a case and kept the unclaimed body in the Palsana Primary Health Centre mortuary. Then they arranged to give Pathan alias Bhatti a Hindu funeral.

His family, who had been looking for Pathan, had filed a missing complaint. Then, seeing news stories in local newspapers about an unclaimed body, Mehboob’s brother-in-law Iqbal Pathan decided to check. By that time, Pathan had been cremated, but the brother-in-law identified him from a photo of the body. Indian Express report further says, the family terms Pathan as a pious Muslim and the change of name was just so that he and his children could find and keep a job.

“We are too poor to do anything, but how could the police dispose of his body the Hindu way?” asked son Mushtaq. “A genital examination would have shown he was a Muslim.”

Sub-Inspector of Kadodara police V R Malhotra said they had kept the body in mortuary hoping someone would turn up. “We disposed it of according to Hindu rites not knowing he was a Muslim. The family turned up too late and we are now helpless,” Indian Express quoted the sub inspector as saying.

The report says, in the ledgers of Surat’s diamond units, there are many leading a double life like Pathan. His son Mushtaq is registered as Mukesh and daughter Samina as Sharmila, and both are afraid of losing their jobs if the fact was known.

The report further says, diamond industry sources and workers say many Muslims assume Hindu names to find work in the city’s lucrative diamond business. Though the report quoted Rohit Mehta, president of the Surat Diamond Association as denying knowledge of Muslims passing themselves off as Hindus for jobs.

Terming the day as a sad day for secular India, Mumbai-based commentator Ghulam Mohammad says, “I  will blame Congress, Nehru, Indira, Rajiv and now Sonia for this state of affair. It is they who had indulged in double game and systematically reduced 150-200 million Indian Muslims to such a level of desperation that  their very survival as Muslims at grassroots level has been so thoroughly become impossible.”

( This article appeared in The Milli Gazette print issue of 16-30 April 2011 on page no. 2)

How many US SEALs died?

Islamabad: In a sensational and explosive TV report, the Pakistani News Agency has provided a live interview with an eyewitness to the U.S. attack on the alleged compound of Osama bin Laden reports TT.

The eye witness, Mohammad Bashir, describes the event as it unfolded. Of the three helicopters, “there was only one that landed the men and came back to pick them up, but as he (the helicopter) was picking them up, it blew away and caught fire.” The witness says that there were no survivors, just dead bodies and pieces of bodies everywhere. “We saw the helicopter burning, we saw the dead bodies, then everything was removed and now there is nothing.”

I always wondered how a helicopter could crash, as the White House reported, without at least producing injuries. Yet, in the original White House story, the SEALs not only survived a 40-minute firefight with Al-Qaeda, “the most highly trained, most dangerous, most vicious killers on the planet,” without a scratch, but also survived a helicopter crash without a scratch.

The Pakistani news report is available on YouTube. The Internet site, Veterans Today, posted a translation along with a video of the interview. Information Clearing House made it available on May 17.

If the interview is not a hoax and the translation is correct, we now know the answer to the unasked question: Why was there no White House ceremony with President Obama pinning medals all over the heroic SEALs who tracked down and executed Public Enemy Number One?

The notion that Obama had to keep the SEALs’ identity secret in order to protect the SEALs from al Qaeda detracts from the heroic tough guy image of the SEALs, and it strains credulity that Obama’s political handlers would not have milked the occasion for all it is worth.

Other than on the Veterans Today and ICH Internet sites, I have not seen any mention of the Pakistani news story. If the White House press corps is aware of the report, no one has asked President Obama or his press spokesperson about it. Helen Thomas was the last American reporter sufficiently brave to ask such a question, and she was exterminated by the Israel Lobby.

In America we have reached the point where anyone who tells the truth is dismissed as a “conspiracy theorist” and marginalized. Recently, a professor of nano-chemistry from the University of Copenhagen made a lecture tour of major Canadian universities explaining the research, conducted by himself and a team of physicists and engineers, that resulted in finding small particles of unreacted nano-thermite in dust samples from the wreckage of the World Trade Center towers, in addition to other evidence that the professor and the research team regard as conclusive scientific proof that the towers were brought down by controlled demolition.

No American university dared to invite him, and as far as I know, no mention of the explosive research report has ever appeared in the American press.

I find it astonishing that 1,500 architects and engineers, who actually know something about buildings, their construction, their strength and weaknesses, and who have repeatedly requested a real investigation of the destruction of the three WTC buildings, are regarded as conspiracy kooks by people who know nothing whatsoever about architecture or engineering or buildings. The same goes for the large number of pilots who question the flight maneuvers carried out during the attacks, and the surviving firemen and “first responders” who report both hearing and personally experiencing explosions in the towers, some of which occurred in sub-basements.

A large number of high-ranking political figures abroad don’t believe a word of the official 9/11 story. For example, the former president of Italy and dean of the Italian Senate, told Italy’s oldest newspaper, Corriere delia Sera, that the intelligence services of Europe “know well that the disastrous (9/11) attack has been planned and realized by the American CIA and the (Israeli) Mossad . . . in order to put under accusation the Arabic Countries and in order to induce the western powers to take part in (the invasions).”

Even people who report that there are dissenting views, as I have done, are branded conspiracy theorists and banned from the media. This extends into the Internet in addition to newspapers and TV. Not long ago a reporter for the Internet site, The Huffington Post, discovered that Pat Buchanan and I are critics of the Iraq and Afghanistan invasions. He was fascinated that there were some Reagan administration officials who dissented from the Republican Party’s war position and asked to interview me.

After he posted the interview on The Huffington Post, someone told him that I was not sound on 9/11. In a panic the reporter contacted me, demanding to know if I disbelieved the official 9/11 story. I replied that being neither architect, engineer, physicist, chemist, pilot, nor firefighter, I had little to contribute to understanding the event, but that I had reported that various experts had raised questions.

The reporter was terrified that he might somehow have given a 9/11 skeptic credibility and be fired for interviewing me about my war views for The Huffington Post. He quickly added at the beginning and, if memory serves, ending of the posted interview words to the effect that my lack of soundness on 9/11 meant that my views on the wars could be disregarded. If only he had known that I was unsure about the official 9/11 story, there would have been no interview.

One doesn’t have to be a scientist, architect, engineer, pilot or firefighter to notice astonishing anomalies in the 9/11 story. Assume that the official story is correct and that a band of terrorists outwitted not only the CIA and FBI, but also all 16 US intelligence agencies and those of our NATO allies and Israel’s notorious Mossad, along with the National Security Council, NORAD, air traffic control and airport security four times in one hour on the same morning. Accept that this group of terrorists pulled off a feat worthy of a James Bond movie and delivered a humiliating blow to the world’s only superpower.

If something like this really happened, would not the president, the Congress, and the media be demanding to know how such an improbable thing could have happened? Investigation and accountability would be the order of the day. Yet President Bush and Vice President Cheney resisted the pleas and demands for an investigation from the 9/11 families for one year, or was it two, before finally appointing a non-expert committee of politicians to listen to whatever the government chose to tell them. One of the politicians resigned from the commission on the grounds that “the fix is in.”

Even the two chairmen and the chief legal counsel of the 9/11 Commission wrote books in which they stated that they believe that members of the military and other parts of the government lied to the commission and that the commission considered referring the matter for investigation and prosecution.

Thomas Kean, chairman of the 9/11 Commission, said: “FAA and NORAD officials advanced an account of 9/11 that was untrue . . . We, to this day don’t know why NORAD told us what they told us . . . It was just so far from the truth.”

Vice Chairman Lee Hamilton said: “We had a very short time frame . . . we did not have enough money . . . We had a lot of people strongly opposed to what we did. We had a lot of trouble getting access to documents and to people. . . . So there were all kinds of reasons we thought we were set up to fail.”

As far as I know, not a single member of the government or the media made an issue of why the military would lie to the commission. This is another anomaly for which we have no explanation.

The greatest puzzle is the conclusion drawn by a national audience from watching on their TV screens the collapse of the WTC towers. Most seem satisfied that the towers fell down as a result of structural damage inflicted by the airliners and from limited, low-temperature fires. Yet what the images show is not buildings falling down, but buildings blowing up. Buildings that are destroyed by fires and structural damage do not disintegrate in 10 seconds or less into fine dust with massive steel beams sliced at each floor level by high temperatures that building fires cannot attain. It has never happened, and it never will.

Conduct an experiment. Free your mind of the programmed explanation of the towers’ destruction and try to discern what your eyes are telling you as you watch the videos of the towers that are available online. Is that the way buildings fall down from damage, or is that the way buildings are brought down by explosives? Little doubt, many Americans prefer the official story to the implications that follow from concluding that the official story is untrue.

If reports are correct, the U.S. government has gone into the business of managing the public’s perceptions of news and events. Apparently, the Pentagon has implemented Perception Management Psychological Operations. There are also reports that the State Department and other government agencies use Facebook and Twitter to stir up problems for the Syrian, Iranian, Russian, Chinese, and Venezuela governments in efforts to unseat governments not controlled by Washington. In addition, there are reports that both governments and private organizations employ “trolls” to surf the Internet and to attempt to discredit in blogs and comment sections reports and writers who are out of step with their interests. I believe I have encountered trolls myself.

In addition to managing our perceptions, much is simply never reported. On May 19, 2011, the fourteen-decade-old British newspaper, The Statesman, reported that the Press Trust of India has reported that the Chinese government has warned Washington “in unequivocal terms that any attack on Pakistan would be construed as an attack on China,” and advised the U.S. government “to respect Pakistan’s sovereignty.”

As trends forecaster Gerald Celente and I have warned, the warmongers in Washington are driving the world toward World War III. Once a country is captured by its military/security complex, the demand for profit drives the country deeper into war. Perhaps this news report from India is a hoax, or perhaps the never-diligent mainstream media will catch up with the news tomorrow, but so far this extraordinary warning from China has not been reported in the U.S. media. (I had it posted on OEN.)

The mainstream media and a significant portion of the Internet are content for our perceptions to be managed by psy-ops and by non-reporting. This is why I wrote not long ago that today Americans are living in George Orwell’s 1984.

Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Treasury, associate editor of the Wall Street Journal, a member of the congressional staff, and held academic appointments at Stanford University, Georgetown University, VirginiaTech, Tulane University, George Mason University, and the University of New Mexico.

Muslim world were not ready to accept that Sheikh Osama was a terrorist

gulzar@journalist.com

Sheikh Osama’s neighbours said they were not aware he was living there but if they had known they would’ve defended him.  Journalist asked them why, when he was responsible for killing many innocent people in US & Pakistan. They said he was not our enemy, he was the enemy of America & India. He was not a CIA agent or Indian agent; he was killing Americans & Indians because they are killing Muslims in Palestine, Kashmir, India, Iraq, Checheniya and Afghanistan. People were not ready to accept that he was a terrorist. But if you talk about the Taliban, they will start abusing them, saying they are very bad, they are killers. Their logic is Osama was fighting America, the Taliban are fighting us. It was a real learning for me. Sitting in Srinagar and New Delhi, we are not aware of how 70 percent of muslims think.

Sheikh GULZAAR
Journalist/Research scholar
Writer-South Asia
POB: 667 GPO Srinagar SGR Jammu and Kashmir 190001
(Via New Delhi-India)
e-mail: writerasia@in.com
home: http://writerasia.blogspot.com

Pak will respond if drone strikes don’t stop: ISI chief

Islamabad, May 223 The ISI chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha has warned the US that Pakistan will be "forced to respond" if it does not stop drone strikes in the country's tribal belt, according to a media report today.

Pasha, who faced tremendous criticism after the May 2 US raid that killed Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in the garrison city of Abbottabad, made Pakistan's stand clear during a meeting yesterday between visiting CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell and senior ISI officials.

The ISI chief took a firm stance with the US on drone strikes, The Express Tribune newspaper quoted its sources as saying.

"We will be forced to respond if you do not come up with a strategy that stops the drone strikes," Pasha reportedly told Morell.

Pasha also described a recent incursion by NATO helicopters into Pakistani airspace as a "shock" for defence cooperation between the US and Pakistan.

Morrell also met operational leaders of the ISI and members of the spy agency's recently set-up counter-terrorism division.

Both sides reportedly discussed a way forward that will involve the US stopping drone strikes and expanding joint operations against militants.

Relations between the CIA and ISI were strained even before the May 2 unilateral American raid that killed bin Laden.

The ISI repeated the demand during yesterday's meetings, with Pakistani officials asking the US to provide a list of names of people employed by the CIA or other US intelligence agencies, The Express Tribune reported.

Why Propaganda against Pakistan Army - Detailed analysis

Lahore, 22 May: Our media is the traitor and everyone knows well only Army and ISI are the patriotic institutions of Pakistan. And the purpose of the OBL incident was to defame Pakistan. That has been achieved precisely. Their second move is to defame and ridicule the credibility of our defenders i.e., Pak Army and ISI. That's what they are working on currently. The 5th column of the enemy (Pak media) is doing the job easy for them, reports Shakil Ahmad from Lahore.

The Army and the establishment and practically the ONLY institutions left to safeguard Pakistan. Open your eyes and learn to differentiate between your friends and foes. Army has no comparison with corrupt politicians whatsoever.

you people still think America is your friend and didn't defame Pak Army and ISI. Mind you, Bob Woodwards has mentioned General Kayani in his book with sheer hatred for a reason. Why do you guys forget Army Khuda nahi hai? An army to run effectively needs the cooperation of the govt, the media and the economy in it's favour. Where as in Pakistan at the moment nothing's going favourable for the Pak Army. You stay in slumber and keep babbling against your only defenders meanwhile the enemy takes benefit from your slumber.

You sleep at night, just because your army is awake, you proudly call yourself Pakistan, just because Army is defending every inch of your land ,see what's happening in kashmir, see what is now happening in Libya! you are writing your ill0fate yourself.

For a reason America is desperate to label ISI as a terrorist organization in the UN. For a reason India is going wild to blame ISI as a terrorist organization too. Open your brain and THINK! They want to declare the establishment as rogue so that they can go wild on our land and there would be no one to save you since the paleed govt has already sold us to the enemies.

Now we can easily pridict the next move of this terrorist state i.e Aemrica, another fake drama will be done, it will be directly blamed on ISI, and Pakistan will be declared a terrorist state, and ISI will be declared a terrorist organization. and then , they will get the plea to attack Pakistan.

It all started way back will kerry-lugar bill, when government did agreement with US which ISI opposed but 7000 US citizens most probably CIA operants were allowed to enter Pakistan without any security, After that, these operants were working just like the way Raymond Davis, and this can also not be ruled out that may Faizan and Faheem were ISI agents, Raymond was kept in Pakistan for 50 days just because of ISI,
ISI forced the US and deported it nearly 500 operants in Pakitsan.

Now, they did this fals flag operation , which everyone knows that , it is fake. and They found no osama, we urge to wait till the whole picture comes out, which may convince you, It must be investigated that who shot down the heli, It must be investigated that , whether any US terrorist was killed that night or not?

Army will not expose its plans in public to convince you people, even in Raymond episode people turned their rage on the Army, many of them later on realized that they were wrong, its pitiable that many wise people often fall to the deception. Our media continuously talks about intelligence failure, but why doesn't it talk about the helicopter that was shot down on the night of 2nd May 2011. Can a helicopter has a technical fault on a such a high profile operation, why our media doesn't discuss as many of the residents of abbotabad are saying that reportedly Pak Army had a assault with terrorist US forces that night and sent many to hell, why doesn't media talk about investigating this, even the village which media says that Osama lived there, no solid evidence has been found, in short, use your wit instead of your enthusiasm because Sultan salhuddin ayyubi says that:
"To defeat a nation, make misunderstanding between its public and Army"do you want to get defeat ?, If yes, then keep blaming Army.

The only thing you must do is to prepare yourself for the upcoming war, that will be waged directly by US on Pakistan, support your Army. The troops have already been mobilized on the Line of Control in kashmir, Don't you smell a new war? If you do , then prepare yourself for it!!

ISI-Best Intelligence Agencies in the World – 2011

Sheikh GULZAR

e-mail: gulzar@journalist.com

An intelligence agency is basically a governmental agency which is made for information gathering. There purpose is the national security and defense. The information they gather can be about espionage communication interception, cryptanalysis, cooperation with institutions and evaluation of public sources.

An intelligence agency is a national power. These agencies normally work without the knowledge of public even their successes are not remembered by the people but their failure is always the HIGHLIGHTED news of the press, Well, here we have the list of top 10 intelligence agencies of the world and the ranking is based on their rate of success and taking care of the situations efficiently.
So, let us take a look!

10. CSIS, Canada

It was created in 1984, it is made on the same pattern of CIA and MI6, which are civil agencies but connected to the military and police.

9. ASIS, Australia

This agency was formed on 13th May,1952. Their annual budget is $162.5m AUD(2007). This agency is the Australian government intelligence agency which is responsible for collecting foreign intelligence. Its main purpose is the protection of country’s political and economic interests.

8. RAW, India

This was formed in 21 September, 1968. Their headquarters are in New Delhi, India. It was formed after the two major wars in India, first the Sino-India war in 1962 and then the Pakistan-India war in 1965. Its responsibility is the collection of external intelligence, counter terrorism and covert operations.

7. MOSSAD, Israel

This was formed on 13th December, 1949 as the Central Institute for Coordination. The Mossad  is responsible for intelligence collection and covert operations. Its director directly reports to the head of the state.

6. BND, Germany

This was formed on 1st April, 1956 and their employees are around 6,050. The BND acts as the early warning system to alert the German government. They depend highly on wiretapping and electronic surveillance f international communications.

5. DGSE, France

This was formed on 2nd April, 1982. They work under the direction os French ministry of defense, they provide intelligence and national security to the country.

4. FSB, Russia

This was formed in 3rd April, 1995 and their employees are around 350,000. These are involved in the counter intelligence, internal and border security, counter terrorism and surveillance. Their headquarters are in Lubyanka Square, Downtown Moscow. All the intelligence agencies including KGB and NKVD work under the instructions of FSB.

3. MI6, United Kingdom

This was formed in 1909 and their headquarters are in Vauxhall Cross, London. These are the british equivalent to the CIA and they are really effective.

2. CIA, United States

This was formed in 18th September, 1947 and their employees are around 20,000. This agency is responsible for gathering data from the other countries and national security.  They are also the advisors of the policy makers.

1. ISI, Pakistan

This was formed in 1948 and their headquarters are in Islamabad, Pakistan. This has the lengthiest record os success. After the Indo-Pakistan war of 1947 this was formed in 1948. This one is the GOLD MEDALIST even higher than the Mossad and KGB.

They have the highest number of agents all over the world, almost 10,000. It is one of the strongest intelligence agencies of the world. Pakistan is really proud of it!

Bitter memories of Hawal massacre still haunt survivors

Srinagar, May 22 In disputed state of Kashmir, the bitter memories of Hawal massacre still haunt the families who lost their loved ones despite the passage of two decades, reports Kashmir Media Service.

Over 67 innocent Kashmiris were killed on May 21, 1990, by Indian Border Security Force (BSF) personnel when they resorted to firing on the funeral procession of prominent liberation leader, Mirwaiz Moulvi Muhammad Farooq who was assassinated by unidentified gunmen at his residence in Srinagar.

Recalling the fateful day, Ghulam Qadeer Beig, an eyewitness of the carnage, said that after firing on the funeral procession the BSF personnel started entering houses and shooting people from point blank range. “We were helpless and at the mercy of those who had come to kill us. My brother-in-law, Farooq Ahmad Beig, and my son, who was just ten years old then, were among the killed in the carnage,” he added.

He said that later they went to the Nowhatta Police Station and lodged a complaint against the troopers. “One of the BSF trooper’s cap fell in our home. The name inscribed on it was Pokhla. The authorities have taken no tangible action against the guilty trooper despite our complaint,” he deplored.

Qadeer’s wife, Parvaiza said, “My brother was one among the people killed that day. He was participating in the funeral procession of Mirwaiz Moulvi Muhammad Farooq. He was just paying his respects to a dead man.” Recounting the events of the day, she said that on hearing gunshots, many people ran and hid themselves in a neighbour’s house and she was one of them.

Makhta Begum, 60, mother of Abdul Farooq who was killed by the troopers on the day, said, “The troops came and snatched my son from my arms. The troopers followed Farooq Ahmad right from the procession to his house and killed him.”

11th August Foundation pay tributes to Sheikh Aziz, Abdul Qayoom, Jalal-ul-din,Nasir Bakhtiyar, Sheikh Muzamil, Sheikh Zahoor, Shahnawaz Saleem

Pampore, May 21: 11th August Foundation Pampore on Sunday  paid rich tributes to late Mirwaiz Muhammad Farooq and Abdul Gani Lone, Sheikh Aziz, Abdul Qayoom, Jalal-ul-din, Nasir Bakhtiyar, Sheikh Muzamil, Sheikh Zahoor, Shahnawaz Saleem, Dr. Qazi Nisaar, Nasir-ul-Islam, Shamsul Haq, Mohd. Ashraf Dar, Sheikh Abdul hanid, Ashfaq Majeed Wani, Sheikh Ghulam Rasool Azad, Mushtaq Ahmad Lone, Abu Talha, Jamal Afghani, and all of our martyrs  at a seminar organized by 11th August Foundation here.   

Speakers highlighted the supreme sacrifices of Kashmiri martyrs and renewed their pledge to take their mission to a logical end. “They sacrificed their today for our better tomorrow,” speakers said. 

They also denounced the “unabated human rights violations” in Kashmir and appealed the international community to impress upon India to put an end to it.

Terming unity as key to success they said that it was high time that Kashmiri leaders should burry their hatchet and forge a broad based unity so as to take the people out from the dark prospects of despondency and chaos.  

Describing dialogue as a civilized way to resolve dispute they said that Kashmiris were not averse to dialogue, however, they maintained that bilateralism had miserably failed to resolve Kashmir dispute and emphasized the need for associating genuin. (Writer-South Asia)

Mothers Day: 'It wasn't dream, my sons had come'

Sunday, 08 May 2011 19:02 Bandipora - Shazia Khan (Pictures Yawar Kabli)

It was dark and silent at midnight. At one of the mud houses in Aloosa village, silence was broken by a loud bang at the door. A group of men knocked and called for Saida. Muaji, mauji they shouted in Kashmiri (Muaji is mother in local parlance). Saida was jubilant, her sons had returned. There was no electricity in the village, she looked for a candle, but the calling grew louder and she groped towards the direction. A wooden door stood between the much waited encounter. With feeble hands she tried to unbolt the door and in the event fell down and injured her knee. The sound of her falling woke her daughter, Shakeela, who immediately rushed to her. Saida insisted on opening the door. A dark silence was all she could feel.

“It was not a dream, my sons had come. I heard my sons outside the door. They were calling me.....but when I tried to open the door, my knee got hurt and I fell down," Saida says, while applying ointment to her knee that has turned blue. Then she murmurs and Shakeela, who sits besides, says, “No one was there outside last night.”

Shakeela slowly moves closer to her and in a consoling voice says, “you dreamt about them again because you don’t take medicines properly these days.”

But, Saida insists she heard her sons. Shakeela points towards a piece of land fenced with rusted wire at a few meters distance from their house. "They have been buried there...... don't you know that?" she questions her mother. Saida nods and replies, "My sons are resting there, how could I forget they are buried in mounds of mud."

With an injured knee and a crumbling gait, she walks towards the graveyard. "All of them were killed by army... some in encounters, and some in custody," she says and stops at a grave. “Here lays my elder son Bilal. He was born in 1965, but only after 29 years his father laid him to rest here. At the extreme left of Bilal's grave, a distance of few feet, is his younger brother Ayoub’s grave. He was killed by army too,” she says.

Between the graves of her two sons there is an empty space where she sits. "I have asked village heads not to bury anyone in between the graves of my two sons. I want my third son Aazad who has also been killed by army to be buried here. He was killed at border but police did not handover his dead body to me,” she says amid sobs. Aazad was seventeen year old when he was killed, she adds.

From last sixteen years Saida is in a state of disturbed bereavement - a mental ailment, her daughter Shakeela informs. "She is under treatment from past decade but medicines only help in reducing the intensity of her pain but  cannot cure her trauma."

Her doctor says she is physically fit but psychological she is depressed and there isn’t much possibility of recovery. “She has reached a stage now where she is neither ready to forget her past nor she able to accept the reality of her dead sons,” he says.

Saida, 67, had three sons. At the inception of armed insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir, her sons Bilal and Ayoub hailing from Bandipora decided to join militant outfits in 1990. “For about four years both of them were actively involved in militancy,” Shakeela says.  However, in August 1994, Ayoub was killed in an encounter at Kursu. “There was around more than ten bullets in his chest. We received his bullet ridden body from Bandipora police station,” she says.

That was the beginning of Saida’s mental illness. After Ayoub’s death, she forced Bilal to quit the militant ranks. “But he refused and only three months after Ayoub’s death, army arrested and killed him at Koyal Muqaam,” says Shakeela.

Saida was distraught; her only hope was her youngest son Aazad. But  Aazad at that time was training with the militant ranks in Pakistan administered Kashmir. “My mother after the death of her two sons started spending her days waiting for his third son’s return,” says Shakeela. Her wait ended with the news of Aazad’s death while he was crossing the Line of Control.

Aazad’s death paralyzed Saida mentally. “My old father was shattered after he shouldered the coffin of my third brother. There was nobody left in our house to take responsibility. We were facing the wrath of conflict and there was no source of income. To earn a living became hard,” says Shakeela.

In 1995, Saida’s husband Abdullah Bhat sensing the vacuum married Shakeela to Riyaz Ahmad Lone. Riyaz, a laborer, quickly filled the vacuum and supported the family for more than a year. “I was pregnant in 1996 and he also joined a militant outfit and a year later was killed in an encounter near LoC,” says Shakeela.

Lone’s death added to their agony. Saida lost the capacity to hear. "My father developed heart complications but to run the house he started working again and after five years he died of a cardiac attack,” she says.

The family since Abdullah’s death has been living in abject poverty. As Saida leaves the graveyard, she says with a sigh, “I do not know am I most fortunate mother or most  unfortunate mother in the world. Almighty bestowed me four sons including my son in law but they all got killed. I am waiting for the moment when I will close my eyes forever and will be together with my sons in heaven.”(Kashmir Dispatch)

Drones fuel terrorism, says Imran

KARACHI: Tehrik-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan has said that the “war on terror” is not Pakistan’s war and it is harming the country’s integrity. 

Addressing thousands of supporters at a rally held on Saturday at the Natives Jetty bridge leading to the Karachi harbour, he said that drone and other such attacks were breeding terrorism.

Imran Khan said had the leaders heeded his advice, taken a stand against the attacks and opted out of the American-led coalition, this situation would not have emerged.

He termed the sit-in the harbinger of a revolution and vowed to lay the foundation of a new Pakistan with the support of the people after emancipating them from plunderers of national wealth and honour.

He said the protest would convey to the US that “we will not be cowed down by drone attacks”. He said that if and when his party came into power it would finish the terrorists and assimilate the tribal people into the mainstream. He said it was the worst time for the country and the nation had been made subservient to the Americans.

Imran Khan said the drone attacks were being carried out with the connivance of the government and it was only making protests to hoodwink the people.

“It is a fixed match between the government, army and America,” he said. 

Representatives of some other parties and civil society groups also joined the sit-in held in protest against American drone attacks and to call upon the government to change its policy towards the US. The sit-in will continue till Sunday evening.

“Whenever the government wants, drone attacks will stop,” he claimed.

The PTI’s campaign is not only against drone attacks and Nato supplies through the country, but is also aimed at forcing mid-term elections as Imran says the government is not truly democratic and has capitulated to the 

US. He terms the drone attacks a breach of Pakistan’s sovereignty.

Imran Khan also mustered the support of some of the right-wing parties, including the Sunni Tehrik and Jamiat-i-Ulema Islam, and the Sindh National Front. Because of a strong line taken by him against American attacks that have killed people in the tribal areas, a large number of people from the northern region of the country who eke out their living here were also seen at the rally.

They were carrying PTI’s flags and photographs of Aafia Siddiqui and chanting anti-America slogans.

Kashmir’s ‘missing girls’

SRINAGAR,  India’s only Muslim-majority state is seizing ultrasound scanners and enlisting religious leaders in an effort to save unborn baby girls from a shocking rise in female foeticide, reports AFP.

The issue has united politicians, clerics and social activists in Jammu and Kashmir, a state best known for the deep, blood-stained divides caused by a 20-year-old Muslim separatist insurgency against Indian rule.

Provisional 2011 census data released at the end of March painted a bleak picture of India’s gender imbalance, with a national child sex ratio of just 914 females to 1,000 males, the lowest figure since independence in 1947.

By far the most dramatic decline was in Jammu and Kashmir, where the ratio plunged to 859 girls for every 1,000 boys in the 0-6 age group, down by 82 points from 10 years ago.

“We never expected such a drop,” admitted Yashpal Sharma, the Kashmir head of the National Rural Health Mission.

The global sex ratio is 984 girls to every 1,000 boys, according to United Nations population data.

But married women in India face huge pressure to produce male children, who are seen as breadwinners while girls are often viewed as a financial burden as they require hefty dowries to be married off.

The sharpest declines in the ratio were in the towns of the Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley, heartland of the armed insurgency against Indian rule that began in 1989.

“It is a matter of shame that Kashmiri Muslims are aborting their girl children,” said Kashmir’s top cleric, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, who heads an alliance of moderate political separatists.

Stressing that the practice was profoundly “un-Islamic” Farooq said everyone in the valley had to be conscripted in the battle against this “moral corruption.” Yasin Malik, head of the pro-independence Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, was equally forceful in denouncing an “undesirable and unethical trend” which he said was dragging the region back into the Stone Age.

“According to the Koran and traditions of Islam, foeticide is a grave unpardonable sin equivalent to murder. We cannot claim to be Muslims while indulging in this heinous crime,” he said.

The first reaction of the Kashmir authorities to the census figures was a crackdown on the unlicensed use of ultrasound scanners.

Determining the sex of a foetus is illegal in India, but many clinics offer the service for a small fee, fuelling the demand for sex-selective abortions.

Lightweight, portable ultrasound machines mean tests can be carried out even in the most remote villages.

Sharma said close to 100 scanners had been seized in the initial crackdown, but added that long-term solutions were also needed.

“We are roping in religious and community leaders in our campaign. We have already sent 700 letters to various leaders – both Muslims and Hindus,” Sharma said.

Kashmir’s chief minister, Omar Abdullah, promised harsher penalties for anyone aiding or abetting female foeticide.

“It is civil society as a whole, and religious, political and social activists in particular, who have to play their part and make the people aware of this crime,” he said.

But Nusrat Nazir, a college lecturer, said efforts to empower women and overcome the social bias towards sons were often undermined by the dowry system, which brought a stark financial factor into the equation.

“These are not issues of governance but ethos, culture and values that our society holds. We have to make efforts to change society, for the better,” Nusrat said. “Dowry is a resident evil.”