Pakistan leans on China in face of US slams

Lavatera cashmeriana: http://jkmpic.blogspot.com

New Delhi, May 16: First impressions often tend to be lasting ones. There were many first impressions I gathered during my recent first visit to Pakistan. At the invitation of Pakistan's Ministry of Information, for eight days, I, along with eight other journalists, travelled to several cities, reports Shastri Ramachandaran (Global Times).

Of the four themes that figured through the program, predictably, Pakistan's war against terrorism and India-Pakistan relations topped the agenda. But more off than on the record was Pakistan's troubled ties with the US, worsening by the day. On the margins, outside the frame of formal interaction, a topic of much interest was Sino-Pak relations.

In Lahore, the agreements signed during Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif's "successful" five-day visit to China from April 18 made headlines, but was routine nevertheless.

So, when Foreign Ministry officials and others spoke of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani's visit to China from May 17, no eyebrows went up. After all, it was part of the year-long celebration to mark the 60th anniversary of Sino-Pak ties.

Few expected that, within a matter of days China-Pakistan relations would evoke great interest and greater speculation worldwide.

When the US struck at Bin Laden, the world erupted in jubilant applause and Pakistan came under severe fire. Pakistan was pilloried as the fount of global terrorism.

China alone supported Pakistan and stood by it in the face of global opposition. China and Pakistan had completed a strategic dialogue on May 13 to deepen cooperation on counter-terrorism. True to its stance, in the aftermath of Bin Laden's killing, China reaffirmed its cooperation with Pakistan to combat terrorism. China focused on stability in Pakistan, defended Pakistan's record of fighting terrorism and criticized the Obama administration for violating Pakistan's territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence.

China drew the world's attention to Pakistan's sacrifices and sufferings in combating terrorism. Pakistan could not ask for more at a time when it feels besieged, and relations with the US have hit a new nadir.

"Pakistan is again in trouble, in a difficult situation. What it urgently requires is allies' support. And, among allies, Chinese support is critical to its lifeline," observed Amna Yusaf Khokhar, a research fellow at the Institute of Strategic Studies (ISS) in Islamabad.

"Instead of raising fingers at the time-tested friend's credibility, it showed support and, rather, criticized the Obama administration," she wrote in her role as editor of Asia Despatch.

More seasoned experts, too, adopted a similar stance to emphasize that China is much valued by Pakistan, and not only during a crisis.

Riaz Hussain Khokhar, former foreign secretary who has served as ambassador to China and High Commissioner to India, spoke strongly on these issues. "Pakistan and China never played games with each other. China does not really need Pakistan, but because of our sincerity, China has remained a strong friend," Khokhar told me.

Similar admiring views were expressed by others, including Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, director-general of ISS and a former ambassador toChina. Qazi, who served as Pakistan's High Commissioner to India, was also the UN Secretary-General's special envoy to Iraq and, later, Sudan.

What they don't say explicitly is more important: That Pakistan and China, even before Bin Laden's killing, but in preparation for the US drawdown in Afghanistan, have been striving to strengthen strategic cooperation in the region.

An expert at the ISS, speaking anonymously, said that Pakistan and China are joining hands to shape the region's security with Afghanistan at its center.

"The situation in Afghanistan calls for new alliances, new strategies." With US forces pulling out and Pakistan crucial for stabilizing the situation, China might emerge in a potent, new role, speculated a foreign affairs commentator.

As Qazi said, in a different context, "Every country has leverage," and the US should not take Pakistan for granted.

Gilani's four-day trip to China has assumed extraordinary significance amidst talk of a new strategic partnership with far-reaching implications, especially for the US but also for India, South Asia and the West.

In the history of China-Pakistan relations, rarely has a Pakistani prime minister's visit to Beijing attracted so much attention.

The author is a journalist based in New Delhi. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn

America, Osama and Kashmir

By: Hashim Qurashi
Many people are angry with the US dropping Osma’s dead body into the sea. They rubbish the US claim that the body was submerged according to Islamic rites. But why be cross with the US? It has always been oppressive to freedom loving but subjugated nations. Its policy is to enslave countries politically and economically in modern age.  Americans dropped atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 20th century taking a toll of the lives of more than three hundred thousand men, women and children. The soil there cannot grow any greenery even today. Children are born with various debilities and disabilities. Thousands of people were massacred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia in carpet bombing by the Americans. Rusted bombs are still recovered occasionally from the farms there. A scare of communism was created in Latin America, especially Chile. Widespread killings were done in African and Muslim countries, view point Hashmi Qurashi in GK.

Desecrating a dead body is such an insignificant event in face of these atrocities. US would not care for the living beings, leave aside the dead. But those who created the US did it on the basis of the principles of freedom and self-determination for the nations. Naturally the souls of those founding fathers must be turning in their graves on finding the US converting to a colonial country.

Innumerable write ups have been produced on the life and death of Osama bin Laden. From publicity point of view his death is the third biggest news of the  21 century. According to a conservative estimate the US spent tens of billions of dollars to locate him. Osama is the Frankenstein of the US being its creation. They used him against the Soviet Union in Afghan war. He was privy to many secrets of the US and its CIA. After the Afghan war was over, the US left Afghanistan leaving Afghans in lurch. When the Afghans realized that not Russia but the US and its colonialism were the real enemy of Muslims, they pledged to seek revenge from the US. They struck at the roots of the American interests.

Unfortunately Osama or Taliban could not realize that their actions did more harm to the cause of the Muslims. It was just because they were obsessed with hatred towards the US. Osama was an educated person and many of his comrades had received their education in western or American universities. They found that the US was out to enslave the Muslims politically and economically. In particular, the US wanted general loot of the oil booty of the Arabs. They saw that the US adopted divide and rule policy vis-à-vis the Muslims; they saw that it protected illegal occupation of Palestine by the Israelis, and they saw that it was privy to the massacre of the Palestinians by the Israelis. All this created lava of hatred in their mind against the Americans.

Thus not distinguishing between the oppressor or the oppressed, innocent or the culprit, Al Qaeda let loose terrible terror against the US and the European countries. The US did carpet bombing on Tora Bora hills, and deployed one and a half lakh American and European troops against war in Afghanistan which resulted in the killing of hundreds of thousands of Afghans.

Al Qaeda targeted American missions in foreign countries. In 9/11 attack the Twin Towers of World Trade Centre in NY and the building in Pentagon. This was the first attack of the enemies of the US on the American homeland which turned the US almost mad. The US began picking up anybody and every body in Afghanistan and Pakistan whom she suspected of involvement in 9/11. The arrested persons were interned in Guantanamo Bay prison.

Al Qaeda attacked a train in Spain that killed about 250 persons. On 7/7 it made the British underground rail system its target that resulted in the killing of many innocent people. Many of its horrible missions did not materialize. The US and the western countries got exasperated by these recurrent attacks. The US challenged Muslim countries, including Pakistan that “those who were not with the US in war on terror were against the US and would be sent back to Stone Age”. At the same time the US put a heavy prize of millions of dollars on the heads of Al Qaeda and Taliban leaders.

Pakistani governments made a good use of the situation. They picked up Al Qaeda and Taliban leaders, handed them over to the Americans and in return received billions of dollars. General Pervez Musharraf has described it fully in one paragraph of his book “In the Line of Fire”.

Rumours were floated during past one decade about the arrest and death of Osama. In 2003-4, I participated in a discussion in Europe. We talked about Osama, whether he was alive or dead and if alive, where was he hiding. I said with some analytical view that if he had managed to escape alive from Tora Bora bombardment then, surely he must be hiding in some city in Pakistan or must have taken shelter with some powerful elements in Pakistan. Now that we know he had been living first in Haripore and then in Abbatabad for last eight and a half years, it means that he had left Afghanistan as early as 2003 while the Americans and their allies were looking for him in Tora Bora and Waziristan. Drone attacks killed thousands of innocent Afghans and Pakistanis.

Conflicting reports are coming in in the aftermath of American raid on Osama hideout. On the one hand the US President and Pakistani rulers claim that Pakistan rendered significant service to CIA in getting Osama. President Obama thanked Pakistan for operation against Osama. But then the Pakistani’s suddenly made about turn and began saying that Pakistan was not informed about operation against Osama. It protested to Americans for violating Pakistani air space. But ours is the age of computers and everybody feels a compulsion to think that Pakistan was an accomplice with the Americans in their operation against Osama.  And if it was not so, then is Pakistan a paralyzed banana state?

I cannot believe it. Pakistani army and its ISI are a highly trained force and the ISI is one of the world’s most efficient organizations. Despite several challenges looking straight into Pakistan’s face, it has opted to be the standard bearer of jihad in the world. It is unthinkable that three American helicopters stay put in Pakistani air jurisdiction for two hours and neither the Pakistani army nor the intelligence has any information about it. It has to be remembered that the site of operation was Abbotabad where Pakistani Army has its Divisional Headquarter and Kakol Military Academy.  At a distance of just 20 kilometers from the site of operation is Kamrah air base. It is preposterous to say that Pakistan had no information of this operation.?

The fact is that Pakistan wanted to ward off the backlash from religious extremist elements among the Pakistani people, Taliban and Al Qaeda activists after the American operation was over. This was a gambit jointly contrived and executed by the Americans and Pakistanis. This has been confirmed by the statement of former Pakistani Corps Commander Salahu’d-Din Tirmizi who categorically said that “the entire operation was executed with full cooperation of Pakistan. Pakistan was forced to adopt this stand in order to escape the torment of terrorism. Now the US is not a foreign power for Pakistan. She is in fact the supremo of our rulers, and they are all the slaves who have no guts to say no to its diktat.”

Please come out of blind emotionalism. Don’t label them traitors who speak and write the truth. There are many around who could be on the pay roll of India or Pakistan. Imagine a man who carries a prize of 50 crores of dollars or 25 arab rupees on his head; here is a man who lives in a house in Abbotabad with three wives and eight children; here is a man who is a kidney patient and survives on the dialysis and needs medical support regularly, and here is a man who has to fulfill the daily needs of his household. And then Pakistani authorities aver that they had no knowledge on his being in Abbotabad. This is the biggest lie of 21st century.?

I am ready to accept that President Zardari and the Prime Minister, meaning political establishment and the bureaucracy had no wink of it but definitely the top brass of the army and ISI were in know  of it.  It has to be reminded that Pakistan has been an ally of the US in latter’s war on terrorism. Pakistan has given large sacrifices also. Pakistan even handed over to the Americans some top leaders of Al Qaeda like Khalid Shiekh and some Taliban leaders during the regime of Pervez Musharraf. Even an atomic scientist lady Arifa Sidiqe too was handed over to the Americans on accusations of supporting Al Qaeda.  All this was done to convince American masters that Pakistan was their ally in war on terrorism.  

As a person and as an entity, Osama is dead but his thoughts and his war against the US and the European countries will continue as long the US and the European countries do not stop exploitation of the entire world in general but the Muslims in particular. The British too had disposed the body of Bhagat Singh and his colleagues after hanging them but they had to leave India at the end of the day. Indira Gandhi ordered hanging of Maqbool Bhat and his dead body was buried within the premises of the Tihar jail. But today Maqbool Bhat is the brightest lighthouse for the people of the state.  An organization may be liquidated, leaders can be butchered, and their dead bodies can be disposed off clandestinely or thrown into the sea. But staunch followers of truth and fighters for the rights of oppressed peoples have their thinking and ideas which cannot be buried or submerged under water.The US contrived the death of Che Govera in 1960s. CIA buried him secretly. But his grave was identified after a lapse of thirty years and he was re-buried with full rites and with great respect.

Whether Osama bin Laden was a terrorist or a great mujahid is not the point. There is a UN resolution against him and Al Qaeda. It declared Osama as the chief of Al Qaeda a terrorist organization. The US and European countries, of who the UN is a puppet, spend over 3 billion dollars in locating Osama. They considered him responsible for the killing of thousands of civilians. If I open a discussion on whether Osama was a terrorist or not, I will provoke many followers of blind emotionalism against me. I would therefore remain content with the commentary of a famous Pakistani journalist Manu Bhai. This is what he says:

“There are many questions arising in the context of Osama bin Laden. In the name of service to Islam he became the prime cause for greatest decimation of Muslims and their destruction. He was the cause for humiliation of Muslim travelers especially Pakistani Muslim travelers at all international airports where they are required to undress and even take off their shoes for security reasons. There are many questions about projecting Osama first as a mujahid and then a terrorist.”There should be no need for any further comment on the subject. According to Quranic injunction, killing an innocent person is tantamount to killing all the humanity in the eyes of God.

It is true that after 9/11 event, Muslims came under great stress. They are being harassed at the airports under the pretext of security check. Western universities imposed a ban on the admission of Muslim students in universities and professional institutions. Even issuing of passport and visa too became very difficult.  Previously Muslim missionaries visiting western countries on propagation missions were given visas but now these too have been stopped. Now if somebody announces that namaze janazeh (prayer in absentia for a dead) be performed, is it not doing harm to the struggle of Kashmiris? Will not Kashmiris be associated with Al Qaeda? I cannot understand the logic of offering namaze juma for the dead Osama after five days of his death. Since Jamaate Islami Pakistan and Lashkar-eTaayyiba and other religious organizations offered prayer in absentia for Osama on Tuesday and Wednesday, Geelani and Shabir Shah found no justification in not following the suit. Reports say that Geelani’s appeal for prayer in absentia was by and large ignored by the people in Kashmir so much so that the Imam of Batmaloo mosque slipped out of the backdoor of the mosque without offering the prayer in absentia.Will Kashmiri leadership come out of egoism, urge for temporary popularity and thirst for media publicity? Will they not spare the helpless people of this state?

(About the writer: Hashim Qureshi is ChairmanJk Democratic Liberation party. Feedback at hashimquireshi@yahoo.com. Visit his blog hashimquireshi-jkdlp.blogspot.com)

The Osama-doctrine : Has the justice really been done?

By: Hassan Zaingiri

‘Justice has been done’ is how US president Barak Obama hailed and celebrated the killing of Al-Qaeda Chief Osama Bin Ladin who Americans say was hiding in Abottabad town of Pakistan and was killed in a commando action by US forces last week.

But the way Osama was “finished off” has woefully exposed the human face of ‘lone super-power’ who doesn’t stop from trumpeting its ‘belief’ in ‘human values’ and ‘free trial’ and ‘justice’, reports Hassan Zainagir.

 It is now an admitted fact that Bin Ladin was unarmed when the compound he was housed in was stormed. Apart from the surviving family members, now in Pakistan custody, even some officials in US have stated that Osama was unarmed when US troops shot him dead. And as the bullets pierced him, Obama watching the ‘live coverage’ of the momentous event in the Situation Room of the White House with his team-mates spoke up ‘we got him’.  The ‘Geronimo’.

CIA officials, who directed the ‘Geronimo EKIA’ operation, have also lent credence to the allegation. Giving details of the operation they have told reporters that prior to killing Osama they dropped the stunned bombs in the compound which on exploding produce shock waves, making the people incapable of any movement/action. That also reflects why there were no casualties on American side.

What the world wants to know from Americans is why in this backdrop – when he was unarmed or left “stunned” – Bin Ladin was not captured alive? That course taken, undoubtedly, would have proved a treasure trove and a more reliable source for the US to decipher the information, US believed, he possessed regarding 9/11 and other ‘anti-American’ ‘terrorist’ activities and the Al-Qaeda network.

That US chose not to publish the picture of Osama’s body as further added mystery to the issue. Washington says the pictures are gruesome as his face has been badly disfigured. (Beastliness of the so called champion of human values and its xenophobia knows no bounds). But was not hanging of Sadam Hussain provocative too? This raises the question was Osama shot beyond possible recognition or was the operation an eye wash? Did America fear that Osama would have walked free for lack of evidence if brought to trial. Osama dusted off his involvement in 9/11. 

Many a time America expressed their desire to get Osama alive. Guantanamo Bay prison they had chosen to incarcerate the Al-Qaeda chief in and ‘bring him to justice’ through a ‘fair trial’. The killing of the aged ailing leader with some of his family members, all unarmed, in the house he had taken shelter has echoed a strong resentment from civil society in Europe, United Nation’s and human rights groups all over the world. They have despised the American action as a ‘cold-blooded assassination’. Even condemnation is growing from some sections of media inside the US itself. Though Pakistan is maligned and mucked at for ‘providing a safe heaven’ for Osama but American action, under International Law and Geneva Convention, is held a flagrant violation of the territorial sovereignty of an independent country. Pakistan has protested on the US strike terming it ‘unauthorized unilateral action’ taken without its knowledge. Its anger is that on one hand, US didn’t share the intelligence with it, and brazenly violated its sovereignty, on the other it has directed all guns of arrogance against her, forgetting Islamabad’s role in handing over hundreds of Al-Qaeda and Taliban ‘terrorists’ including some high profile leaders like Khalid Sheikh, Amjad, Abu Zubaida, Libey, and never forget, the nuclear science knowing Aasiya Sidiqa.

As if murder of unarmed Osama was not enough to satiate the vengeance of the Americans, the hastily decision of the Washington (two hours after the completion of the ‘mission’) to dump his body, whom once Americans and the West glorified as ‘Mujahid-e-azam’, in the deep waters of the Indian ocean (they only know where) has enraged the entire Muslim world – including those who opposed his ideology. The noted Muslim scholars including grand Al-Azhar University have strongly protested over this brutality that has all the trappings of crusade mentality and Hitlarian mindset.

Howsoever drugged you might be in eliminating your enemy, once he is dead, it is obligatory for you to show respect to the dead body and hand it over to the next of his kin. In absence of his kins, the state is morally and legally bound to carry his last rites in strict compliance to the religious injunctions of the deceased. Muslims throw their bodies in sea under certain compulsions as when they are on board the ship and someone dies. Here, Osama was murdered in the house and the body was flown to Bagram air base. They were under obligation to first inform the descendants of the Osama, who they knew were residing in Saudi Arabia (Incidentally Umar bin Osama, one of the sons of the deceased Al-Qaeda chief, has strongly reacted to the manner his father was killed and dead body thrown into waters of Indian ocean. In a letter he asked Americans to come up with evidence of Osama’s death within 30 days, or, he threatened, he would approach the International Court of Justice). The statement of Umar clearly shows his family in Saudi Arabia was not approached.

The lurking fear in Americans that his land burial would have ultimately provided a sanctimonious site to attract Osama’s followers is said to be the reason for opting the “sea  burial” course . But that fear in no way should have insulated Americans to Muslim sensitivities, which is so arrogantly trumpeted under the hubris of technological advancement. For arguments sake let us presume burying site of Osama would have venerated into a Shrine, gravitating number of Muslim youth to it, what hampered Obama administration, as a last option, from having the last remains of a Muslim (whatever his ideological moorings) lay in rest in Guantanamo Bay, which the ‘civilized’ Americans have chosen to convert into an animal farm quarantined for those who it thinks dares to yell at its imperialist nudity.

Whether or not the burial site of Osama might have become a mausoleum for his followers is a debatable preposition, but the sacrilegious affront to Muslims by US and in the highly provocative and insulting way, has in it all the ingredients to fuel rage and hatred in Muslim world against the US. That way Osama eliminated would prove a ghost for her, haunting it again and again. Osama in person is ‘finished’ but in finishing him the White House has, unwittingly, given a new lease of life to the Osama-doctrine. That is how “justice has been done”! 
   
Hassan Zainagiree can be reached at : zainagiree@yahoo.co.in

Osama Bin Laden

By: Maqsood Ahmad 

Srinagar, 14 May: Pakistan has all along aligned itself with the US and NATO mainly for economic reasons and Kashmir policy as it is a historical fact that during the cold war era, India was aligned both militarily and otherwise also with the Soviet block and used to derive all kind of support from the Soviet Union particularly on Kashmir.

Soviet Union used to veto all resolutions moved in the UN Security Council on Kashmir and other Indo Pak issues in India's favour. After the disintegration of Soviet Union, it was expected that Pakistan would get all out support from the Western Block particularly the US in getting all its disputes with India particularly on Kashmir settled and would ensure implementation of the UN resolutions on Kashmir. Not only Pakistan but we Kashmiris also generated high hopes that our dispute  would get settled and we would be allowed to exercise of Right to Self Determination for determining the future political set up of our territory in accordance with the UN Resolutions.

Unfortunately this did not happen but instead it was US that blocked all chances Pakistan got in forcing a settlement of Kashmir dispute with India such as during the 1962 India’s China War when Pakistan was pressurized by the US not to bring any kind of military pressure on India to get the Kashmir dispute settled and also during the Kargil war when the US forced Pakistan to cease fire and return to the original positions held by it.

Besides, the US also used Pakistan against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan without giving it anything in return and has been using Pakistan against Taliban whom the US used to address as Mujahideen  when they were fighting the Soviet forces in Afghanistan, and are now calling them as terrorists. Not only that, instead of supporting Pakistan in getting its problems with India particularly on Kashmir  resolved, it is showing a tilt towards India for its economic considerations as well as its Anti Muslim and Anti Islam and Anti Kashmir policies. The United States went all out against Taliban and Osama bin Laden and killed thousands of innocent and unarmed Afghan men women and children through drone attacks on civilian population, travelers and jirgas which has even been acknowledged by the puppet ruler of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai. They killed hundreds of Civilians in  Waziristan area of Pakistan with these drone attacks. . What action it took against its forces. What action US took against the killers of thousands of Muslims by Modi & Co in Gujrat and Indian security forces in Kashmir. Just denying visa to visit USA is no action and is ridiculous. What action it took in the massacre of innocent and unarmed civilian population of Lebanon and Palestine by the Israeli troops. Even if it is accepted  that OSAMA BIN LADEN was a terrorist but he was just an individual. What about the  states like Israel and India who are resorting to state terrorism. 

The US wastes no time in mobilizing NATO and its other allies when any local uprising takes place in any Muslim country but when it happens in a country where there allies of friends are involved, they just do not bother and actually help the oppressor like in Kashmir, Palestine.The US is also trying to squeeze Pakistan by depriving it of its strategic depth in Afghanistan and giving India an increased role and space in Afghanistan. This goes to prove that US is not a reliable and trusted friend and is Anti Muslim, Anti Islam and Pakistan has had enough occasions to substantiate this argument. Pakistan has invited trouble in its own country and with its own people by pursuing the policies in the interest of US. Pakistan needs to rethink about its foreign policy and need not rely on the US. US is treating Pakistan like a prostitute and enters its territory and conducts military operations at its free will against some economic aid which is also tagged with so many conditions. Pakistani authorities shouls understand that Americans military operations within Pakistan soil are not going to stop here after the elimination of Osama. Americans will continue to conduct direct military operations inside Pakistan unilaterally on one pretext or the other. Sometimes, they will make an excuse of pursuing Mulla Omar, sometimes Al-Zuwahiri and so on and so forth. The only thing that will stop US from conducts military operations is when they suffer human losses and for that Pakistan needs to retaliate militarily. This is the only reason they pulled out from IRAQ and are now trying to find a face saving in coming out from Afghanistan.  It needs to make friends within its own country  rather than create enemies in the interest of US. 

The trouble in Pakistan started after 9/11 when Pakistan shifted  its Afghan policy  and went all out against Taliban to please the US administration during the Musharraf regime. Pakistan needs to assert and survive as a free and independent Nation. Pakistan needs to generate its own resources for its survival and not depend on the US economic aid and if they are unable to do it, they have no right to exist as an independent country . Pakistan should strictly adhere to and follow the sayings of its National poet Dr Sir Muhammad Iqbal:  “Aay Tair-I-Lahoti, Us Rizk sey Mout Achi Jis Rizk sey Aaati ho parvaaz mein kotahee”. Pakistan should not bother about any military misadventure of the US as the US cannot afford to intervene directly and invade any country they want. US has in the recent past intervened directly in IRAQ and Afghanistan and has met with failures and has not been able to fulfill its desires/objectives as envisaged/planned by it and is now trying to have a face saving to come out of Afghanistan. 

The US has refrained from intervening in other countries defying their dictates subsequently after Afghanistan such as Iran, North Korea etc in view of its bitter experience in Iraq and Afghanistan. US has also not taken a lead role against Libya and has left the Libyan crisis to be handled by NATO. It is a changed scenario. It has been established that it is not going to be a smooth sailing for the US to invade any country. US, instead of being a friendly country is an enemy of Pakistan. It has forced Pakistan Govt. to kill its own people and bombard them. It has also worked against Pakistan in respect of its relations with India.

Pakistan needs to enter into defence treaties and pacts with its friendly neighbouring countries like Iran, China etc and give up its dependence on United States and stand upright and live with honour, self respect and dignity.

Author : Er Maqsood Ahmad Shahdad can be reached at: maqsoodshahdad@hotmail.com