Background:

Since early March 2012 until 14 May Iranian security forces have intensified their policy of unlawful arrest, only from Sarbaaz district more than 15 people have been arrested, some of the people whom have been arrested in this district are:

1- MolawiFatehMohamadNaghshbandi, 55 years old arrestedin Rask
2- AbdulghafarNaghshbandi, arrested on 14 May, 2012, in Rask
3- MolawiAbdolaheMolazadeh 48 years old arrested in Parood
4- HamedMolazadeh 23 years old arrested in Zahidan
5- HabibalrahmanMolazadeh 29 years old arrested in Zahidan
6- NezamodinMolazadeh 18 years old arrested in Zahidan
7- JaberMolazadeh 22 years old arrested in Hiet
8- MalekMohamadAbadian 50 years old arrested in Hiet
9- AbdolhadiAbadian 20 years old arrested in Hiet
10- JavadAbadian 18 years old arrested in Hiet
11- FoaadAbadian 17 years old arrested in Hiet

These people have been arrested and charged from being supporter of armed groups, to Spying for foreign countries to planning to assassinate nuclear scientist. All these charges are in similar situation have been used to sentence people to death in close short court sessions.

According to online Kayhannews newspaper which is political organ of the conservative function of the establishment two persons referred as J. A. and M. A. have confessed being involved in the assassination of Molavi Janguzahi’s [1]. It is widely known such confession in Iran are being elicited under torture and can be used for sentencing the prisoners to death.
In a similar event after a demonstration in May 2009 in Zahidan people were arrested during that demonstration and were quickly trialed without access to defense lawyer and accused of “Mohabareh” (enmity against God) were executed some of these executed 19 people were already in prison, for other charges and could not have been in the demonstration.

According to Amnesty International even before summer’s 2009 unrest, “there were signs that President Ahmadinejad’s government was increasingly using the death penalty as a way of stemming unrest in areas with large ethnic minorities. Bomb attacks in the predominantly Arab province of Khuzestan and ethnic Baluch areas of Sistan-Baluchistan province in recent years were followed by a wave of often public executions. Some of the condemned men were shown on state television making “confessions” that are believed to have been extracted from them under torture or other duress.”[2]

Extra-Judicial Killings in Balochistan

Extra-judicial killings have been a characteristic of Iranian state policy in ethnic minority regions, especially in Balochistan, Kurdistan and the Arab Ahwaz region. This was clearly stated by the head of Mersad, a paramilitary, who said: “We have not been given orders to arrest and hand over those who carry weapons. On the basis of a directive we have received, we will execute any bandits, wherever we capture them (Ettela’at, 25 February 1998)”.[3]

In the recent years, especially in the recent months, extra judicial and target killing of Baloch people have increased in Balochistan, by Iranian regimes different, security forces:

1- On the 6th May 2012 a car carrying Mr Mohammad Nahim Talatof, Mr Muslim Talatof, and Yahah Baramazahi were fired on an attempt of target killing all the passengers were killed.

2- Sardar Heydar Barahuie, was assassinated in the City of Khash on the 2 April 2012. He was a prominent independent minded Baloch tribal leader.

3- On 27th February again Iranian security forces Mersad paramilitary group fired on a care which had left a small village called Pishamag, Mersad a paramilitary group which has order to kill, fires toward the car two women were killed. People in the village protested but authority gave no answer to their demand to arrest the killer.

4- On 21 February Mersad Paramilitary groups surrounded and attacked Gisk village in Lashar district, in which three person of same family were killed more than 10 more people were wounded.

5- On 26th January 6 Baloch nomads were killed in their way back from Chahbhar after they have sold their Camel in the market, they were fired at and killed by Revolutionary Guards patrol. In the news they said those people have crossed border from Balochistan in Pakistan, therefore they have been fired at. All of those people were Baloch from Balochistan in Iran.

6- Mulavi Mustafa Junguzahi was assassinated on 22 December 2011, and assailant escaped from crime scene. Before his killing he has criticized regime economic policy in the region which has led to worsening situation of traders in the border region.

ACTION REQUESTED

Based on the above, and on behalf of the Baloch people in Iran, BPP urges you to:

1- Raise with the Tehran authorities the issue of the current critical situation of the Baloch people and other minorities in Iran who continue to see their basic human rights violated.

2- Call upon the Tehran authorities to immediately investigate the extrajudicial killings of civilian Baloch and other minorities living in Iran; and to take immediate measures to ensure that the enforced displacement of the Baloch people is halted.

3- It should free all political prisoners and people who have in any case committed crime under the countries law should be given a fair, free and open trial and access to defense lawyer.

Balochistan Peoples Party

16 May 2012

[1] http://khabarfarsi.com/ext/2591153
[2] Amnesty International Report, March 2010: http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/iran-executions-send-chilling-message-2010-03-30
http://khabarfarsi.com/ext/2591153
[3] United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, Fiftieth session, 24 August 1998, quote of a Mersad commander in its declaration on Iran in August 1998 (Ettela’at, 25 February 1998), link to United Nations Report: http://www.unhchr.ch/Huridocda/Huridoca.nsf/TestFrame/e8fd3e68a3e4b563802566880051d10e?Opendocument

The protests and adverse events, in response to the arrest of Maulvi Abdul Ghaffar Naqshbandi son of Maulana Fateh Muhammad Naqshbandi, the emaan of Friday prays at Rask Masque, who also accompanied Maulana Abdullah, emaam of Friday prayers in Paarod area of Sarbaaz and 13 others from the region. They Baloch scholars have been arrested on their way back from Zahedan where they had gone to pursue the issue of Maulvi Abdul Ghaffar’s father’s case. The Baloch scholars and their companions were stopped at Rask check post by Iranian security forces and arrested immediately.

This action was met with reactions of women who had witnessed the incident and informed the public about the arrest of the scholars. Soon the people started to join the protest in bulks and the entire Rask city was in chaos.

According unconfirmed reports the Baloch women who witnessed the arrest of Baloch scholars were later arrested and taken away by Iranian security forces.

There has been reports of similar demonstrations in, Jakigwar region of Sarbaaz by the people.

According to reports the city of Sarbaz is still tense but the security atmosphere prevails over town.

It is to be noted that Iran security forces have arrested and executed several Baloch and Sunni Muslim scholars in bogus charges. Currently hundreds of Baloch are being detained by the Iranian regime. Several credible human rights organisations including the Amnesty International have expressed their concerns about illegal arrests and executions of Sunnis and Baloch by the Iranian Regime.

http://farsi.sunnionline.us/index.php … -ahl-al-sunnah&Itemid=198

In the past week reports indicate that the Iranian regime has arrested up to sixty Baloch people in the latest restrictions to be placed on the rights of the Baloch people to expression, free speech, and peaceful demonstration in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Following the arrest of Mr. Abdula Fatah on 14 May 2012, people gathered in front of the Sarbaz District governor’s office in the Sistan and Balochistan Provinces of south east Iran, demanding for his release. Upon not receiving any response, the group of people went and protested in front of the police station. Police responded violently to the protest with the result that at least one person is believed to have died.

The concern of the international community must now be focused on the health and access to legal representation of the protesters understood to have been arrested by the Iranian authorities.  Past protests against Tehran and its policies have shown that once arrested, detainees run a high risk of being subjected to torture and the death penalty if convicted of crimes that are often either fabricated or against which the accused have little legal support with which to defend themselves.

It is therefore in the strongest possible terms that I condemn this latest arrest of up to sixty Baloch people over the past month in Iran. The ongoing targeted policies against the Baloch people, which has resulted in mass displacement, killings, disappearances and mass imprisonment in Balochistan must cease.

Furthermore, the discrimination against the Baloch population and the denial of their linguistic rights and access to education in their mother tongue must end if the root causes of such discontent are to be addressed in any meaningful way.  I urge the Iranian authorities to account for the detained protesters, uphold Iran’s international obligations, and for the international community to arise their concerns with the Iranian authorities around the world.

Marino Busdachin

General Secretary

BACKGROUND ANNEX

In the absence of adequate state data, the Baloch population in Iran is estimated to be approximately four million people.  Over the course of several decades they have been systematically deprived of their cultural, social and economic rights. Within Iran they face discrimination, particularly with regards to political participation, education and employment prospects. The dissemination of Baloch culture and language is a declared act of treason against the state and therefore a crime.

List of recently arrested people whose identity could be traced:

Molawi Abdolahe Molazadeh, 48 years old.

Hamed Molazadeh, 23 years old, city of Zahedan.

Habib alrahman Molazadeh, 29 years old, city of Zahedan.

Nezamodin Molazadeh, 18 years old, city of Zahedan.

Jaber Molazadeh, 22 years old.

Malek Mohamad Abadian, 50 years old.

Abdolhadi Abadian, 20 years old.

Javad Abadian, 18 years old.

Foad Abadian, 17 years old.

Molawi Fateh.

Mohamad Naghshbandi, 55 years old.

Pesare molawi  Fateh.

Mohammad Naqshbandi.

Relevant links:

PDF file of the statement

Member profile West Balochistan UNPO

Balochistan Peoples Party

Baloch Unity

Amnesty International 2007 Report: ‘Iran: Human Rights Abuses Against The Baluchi Minority’

Amnesty International 2009 Report on Iran

That the US Congressman, Dana Rohrabacher, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation, has written a letter to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, condemning the recent violence in Balochistan and dubbing Pakistan a “failed state”, he has done the job well. Whatever the agenda he is pushing, he is executing with his own sincerity and belief. But one has failed to understand what he means by “it has become increasingly clear to members of the US Congress that Pakistan is a failed state and no amount of US aid money will ever change that”.

Does it mean that the US aid money is meant to help progress the other nations or to cause failures further? Do they help towards reliance and then self-destruction? What should be the cost of allying with the superpower in its supreme cause of fighting the war on terror? One way is to make that nation strong enough, giving it the world’s fullest backing and resources that it fights out the menace of terrorism. Had this been done, the result would have been much more different from now; the war against terror could have been ended much before.

When you place a government under Zardari and Gilani with your backing and endorsement, yes under the general elections, elected government and democracy, when your IMF and World Bank dictates the terms to raise tariffs and hike the prices to the level of your choosing, when Rohrabachers of your Congress consider Balochistan an international issue and do not speak on the massive corruption of its own installed government considering it “country’s internal affair”, how can it talk about the US money not well spent?

Who would understand why isn’t the war on terror a phony tactic to target Pakistan, its nuclear program and dismantling its armed forces? We are surely heading towards the brink and the agents of America have the lease enough to continue playing havoc with the nation. You would not let us even dub Dr Shakil Afridi a traitor because the countries and individuals serving the US interests or loyal protégés no matter to what extent they betray their own people and parameters. When shall the people at helm of affairs speak or act? Water has risen to highest levels.

The provincial government had increased the size of its development budget by 17 per cent to Rs31.24 billion (including a foreign component of over Rs2 billion) from last year because of its enhanced share from the divisible pool.

The official claimed that the province had created 7500 new jobs this year and liquidated its entire stock of federal cash development loans (CDL). “Additionally, we have not taken overdraft from the State Bank of Pakistan,” he said as he attributed the rise in expenditure and retirement of CDL stocks to the province’s substantially increased share from the federal divisible pool under the new National Finance Commission (NFC) award.

He said the additional funds for development would be made available by cutting non-development expenditure of the province. “With the province facing the prospects of a shortfall of around Rs6 billion in federal transfers, the government will have no choice but to try and control its non-development expenditure to spare funds for development,” he argued.

The finance department fears a loss of around Rs3.25 billion in Gas Development Surcharge (GDS) on account of its depleting gas reserves and reduction of around Rs2.8 billion in its share from the general sales tax collection due to disagreement amongst the federating units on implementation of value added tax.

The projected reduction in federal transfers, the official insisted, would be a big blow for the province. “A cut of five or six billion rupees does not matter for Punjab or Sindh. It would not matter much to Punjab, for example, if it has to curtail its development budget by a few billion rupees because of its sheer size. But for a province like Balochistan with its total budget size of Rs164 billion (carrying a deficit of just below Rs7 billion) or far less than even Punjab’s development budget of Rs220 billion,
it is a big deal. Even the slightest revenue shortfall can have serious impact on the provincial economy,” he contended.

The official was quite upbeat about creating space for additional demand for development funds through curtailment of non-development budget. “It would not have been difficult to finance the additional demand for development budget if the province were not facing the prospects of reduced federal transfers. Since we have to live with it, we will have to explore other options to raise the required funds.”

He was hopeful of covering the deficit shown in the budget for the current year through austerity measures and reduction in non-development spending.

“We were able to convert our deficit into surplus last fiscal by implementing strict fiscal discipline and slashing our revenue expenditure to Rs74 billion from the original estimates of Rs83.44 billion,” he said, adding, “we are trying to repeat the story this year as well although it would have been much easier if we did not have to face cuts on account of straight transfers (GDS) and GST.”

Political sources in the Balochistan government say the next budget will be an election budget. “With an election just round the corner, the provincial government will be under tremendous pressure to provide some relief to the people in the budget for the next year to help them cope with the rising cost of living and undertake massive uplift schemes to garner political support in various areas,” a provincial legislator said on condition of anonymity.

The Raisani government’s partners in the Balochistan assembly would also bring additional pressure on the chief minister in order to get allocations for development in their constituencies, he said. “How the government will manage its resources is the question,” he said.

He was critical of the federal government for “abandoning” the mega projects like Gwadar Master Plan, Quetta Greater Water Supply Project and Karachi-Chamman Highway scheme started under Gen Pervez Musharraf. “The federal government has made little progress on these projects during the last four years. Funds for these projects in the federal Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) have been curtailed drastically or not released at all. So much for Islamabad’s claims to improve the economy of the province rife with violence and political unrest,” he said. In 2009/10, he pointed out, Balochistan’s share in the PSDP was halved to Rs26 billion from Rs52 billion.

The government’s critics insist that the province was much better when it had fewer billions than today because of fiscal discipline. “Now the things seem to have changed drastically because of fragility of the coalition government in Quetta, Balochistan insurgency and financial mismanagement,” said a former bureaucrat who has served in Balochistan for several years.

He illustrated his point by drawing attention towards the provincial government’s failure to make the Balochistan Investment Board functional in the last two years.

The government had pledged to invest GDS arrears of Rs120 billion (to be received in 10 years as decided under the NFC award) in economic infrastructure, human resource, treasury bills and the stock market to leverage these funds for the development of the province in future. The funds were to be spent through the board.

“The board has so far not become operational because the person appointed as its vice-chairman — the board will be chaired by the chief minister himself — turned down the offer after seven months,” a government official explained. He, however, admitted that members of the provincial assembly had an “important role” to play in the development of the province.

”No government can afford to ignore the assembly members unless it no longer wants to retain their support because of the peculiar politics of the province. Nevertheless, only genuine schemes brought by them are approved,” he said.

The Baluchistan issue is a hot debate these days after a controversial bill was presented in the American House of Representatives by a US Congressman from California Dana Rohrabacher calling for the right of self determination to oppressed people of Baluchistan. On one side this bill has spoiled all the efforts been taken by the US for the resumption of its estranged relations with Islamabad. But on the other hand it has also accentuated the graveness of Balochistan issue in the eyes of many especially television anchorpersons.

The Balochistan conflict first surfaced soon after the inception of Pakistan in 1947 when Pak army troops were deployed to subdue insurgents based in Kalat who rejected the King of Kalat’s decision to accede to Pakistan.

A subsequent Baloch separatist movement gained momentum during the 1960s, and amid consistent political disorder and instability at the federal level, the government ordered a military operation into the region in 1973, assisted by Iran, and inflicted heavy casualties on the separatists. Insurgency, however, again gained strength in the 1990s and 2000s.

The issue gets imperiled further in 2005 when Baloch political leaders Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti and Mir Balach Marri demanded greater autonomy and presented a 15-point agenda to the Pakistan government. Their stated demands included greater control of the province’s resources and a moratorium on the construction of military bases. This led to a military operation in August 2005 where 79 year old Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti was killed during fighting with the Pakistan Army. He was charged by Pakistan’s government of a series of bomb blasts, killings of the people he professed to protect and the rocket attack on President Pervez Musharraf.

On August 12, 2009, Khan of Kalat Mir Suleiman Dawood declared himself ruler of Balochistan and formally announced a Council for Independent Balochistan. The council’s claimed domain includes “Baloch of Iran”, as well as Pakistani Balochistan, but does not include Afghan Baloch regions, and the council contains “all separatist leaders including Nawabzada Bramdagh Bugti.” He claimed that “the UK had a moral responsibility to raise the issue of Balochistan’s illegal occupation at international level.

Where many intellectuals when talking about the Balochistan issue are highlighting the human right abuses, more autonomy or economic dimensions (more royalties) to the conflict, the nature of the conflict is somewhat nationalist and self determination thirst and will of Baloch feudal lords to secede from Pakistan.

There is no doubt Balochistan was considered a neglected province where a majority of population lacks amenities, its ruling elite enjoyed glamorous lifestyles that provided a different perspective of the issue. Members of Balochistan’s elite society, including provincial government ministers and officials, owned pieces of land greater in size than some small towns of the country, and had luxury vehicles, properties, investments and businesses valued at millions of Rupees.

Covert presence of foreign intelligences is also jeopardizing Baloch conflict. Pakistani interior minister Rehman Malik has reiterated it many times that Baloch Republican Party chief Brahamdagh Bugti was operating terrorist training camps in Afghanistan that are responsible for training up to 5,000 insurgents who were causing unrest in Balochistan. He also noted that that the President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, had accepted that militants based in Afghanistan were fuelling terrorism in Balochistan.

Similarly Brahamdagh Bugti in an interview stated he would accept aid from India, Afghanistan and Iran which would help in the defense of Baluchistan. Pakistan has also repeatedly accused India, and occasionally the US, of supporting the Baloch rebels in order to destabilize the country that India has categorically denied. However, according to wiki leaks, British intelligence is said to believe that India was backing the insurgency in Balochistan as a result of suspected Pakistani support for Lashkar-e-Taiba.

The Americans do not want Chinese in Balochistan. The Chinese are interested in Gawadar port facilities for export of their goods and of gas. Iranians see Gawadar as a threat to their economy in the region.

Human rights violations including torture, enforced disappearances of those suspected of either terrorism or opposing the military, ill treatment of those suspected of criminal activity and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan are a major cause of concern to this very conflict. This has caused an economic brain drain in the province and if continued with the same rate will push the Baloch nation at least one century back because it has compelled large number of skilled manpower to leave the province for fear of attacks.

The Baloch conflict is too volatile, composite and the perplexed one and is worsening with each passing day. We will have to perceive the issue from multitude of directions to discern the origin and causing root of the conflict. The real issue of Balochistan was political one and couldn’t be resolved through use of force. It’s not what it looks to be.

Federal government and its bureaucracy seems are not mindful of the seriousness of the Balochistan issue. It will no more work to annunciate “Aghaz-e-Haqooq Balochistan” on one side but be imprudent regarding interference of foreign countries in Balochistan. This incautious attitude of government is encouraging anti Pakistan elements misguide jobless Baloch youths and use them for the accomplishment of their nefarious designs.

Baloch are our brothers through any angle if observed whether creed wise, geographically, country wise, culturally or even if considered the physiognomy. We need to pay serious heed to Balochistan issue and take concrete and result oriented actions like arresting the killers of Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti to win back the confidence of the Baloch people.

We will have to address the issue on three main directions. First to kick out the foreign presence either by hook or by crook. Second to address the economic dimension of Baloch people by obviously paying more royalties for their precious minerals being used by rest of Pakistan and third to replenish the educational scarcity of Baloch people through the bestowment of more educational scholarships to the Baloch students. The other provinces will have to relinquish in this regard as they are benefitting from Baloch resources.

If these steps were taken practically no Baloch Sardar would be able to misuse the educated and employed Baloch youth for his ill intentions.

Throughout the solution process time will play the most important and pivotal factor as if the issue once approached the point of no return and in result separatists disapproved to sit in talks with the government, this would lead to civil war and disaster for the province.

The writer can be reached at: fukhan90@gmail.com

In view of the unrest in Balochistan, the Democracy Assessment Group convened by PILDAT conducted a fact-finding mission to Quetta on April 13-14, 2012. Based on the important points raised by various stakeholders during extensive discussions, the following recommendations have been formulated: The Federal Government should deal with Balochistan situation with the seriousness and urgency it deserves by inviting the heads of all opposition parties, inside and outside Parliament and the Provincial Assemblies, to help formulate a reconciliation strategy strengthened by consensus.

The Prime Minister and Heads of all Opposition political parties must visit Balochistan preferably once every month. There is a need for a more explicit and candid articulation by the Federal Government of its approach to dealing with the unrest in Balochistan. The Federal Government should ensure that civil and military intelligence agencies operate strictly under the discipline of law and officially-declared policy and only for lawful action in support of internal and external security.

Development projects being implemented by the Federal Government should be completed on an accelerated basis. Amongst other projects, priority be given to Gawadar-Ratodero road and the Reko-Diq project. A code of conduct for the Frontier Constabulary as also the Police and the Levies to govern their dealings with the general public should be developed and its implementation should be ensured by the Provincial Government. The Election Commission should ensure the next Elections at the Federal, Provincial and Local levels are held in a free, fair and transparent manner.

The Federal and the Provincial Government should take special measures to ensure that all political parties and stakeholders are facilitated for their unfettered participation in the forthcoming Election. The elected Provincial Government which has so far failed to fulfill its mandate should acknowledge its own share of responsibility and ensure effective governance. Missing persons remain a burning issue. Controversial claims continue to be made with regards to actual numbers and elements responsible. The matter requires to be addressed by the Federal and Provincial Governments and their agencies on a high priority basis. Unless this issue is resolved normalcy is unlikely to be restored.

The size of the Provincial Cabinet should be decreased from its present disproportionate scale to its Constitutional limit. The excessive amount (e.g. Rs. 250 million to each legislator) being allocated for development fund quotas to MPAs should be substantially reduced and reallocated to the Public Sector Development Programme. Funds allocated to MPAs should be subject to rigorous audit. A transparent procedure should be applied for the utilization of such funds.

It is to be mentioned here that at least three people have been killed and over 40 including women and children injured in a blast near railway station in Lahore.

http://www.thenewstribe.com/2012/04/24/lashkar-e-balochistan-claim-responsibility-for-lahore-blast/#.T5fNpdXWW70

Militants blow up 2 gas pipelines, power transmission pylon in Eastern Balochistan

QUETTA: Unidentified militants blew up a gas pipeline near Pikoh area in the Bugti Tribal Territory on Tuesday. According to sources, an explosive device was planted along an eight-inch-diameter gas pipeline, which went off disrupting gas supply from the well No 29 to the gas purification plant. However, the Online news agency said the militants had blown up two 16-inch gas pipelines in Dera Bugti. Law enforcement agencies rushed to the spot after the explosion and cordoned off the area. Police also registered a case against unidentified men and started an investigation. Separately, a power pylon of 132KV transmission line was blown up in Kholu district on Tuesday. Sources said unidentified people had fixed an explosive device on the pylon. It was later blown up, disrupting power supply to Bharkhan and Kholu. A case had been registered against unidentified people and an investigation was underway. staff report

President, Asif Ali Zardari presides over a meeting to review law and order situation and development projects in Liyari, held at Bilawal House in Karachi on Tuesday, April 24, 2012. —PPI Images

KARACHI: President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday called for reorganising the Pakistan People’s Party cadre in Lyari — the party’s bastion — and implementing various projects there ahead of his intended visit to the area.Presiding over a special meeting held at Bilawal House to review the law and order situation and a development package for the strife-torn area, the president emphasised that law and order be maintained without fear or favour with the help of the law-enforcement agencies. He also asked party workers to refrain from taking the law into their own hands.

The meeting was attended by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, PPP lawmakers and local party leaders, including Faisal Raza Abidi, Nabeel Gabol, Rafique Engineer, Mohammad Saleem Hingoro, Ismail Brohi, Shakoor Shad, Arshad Naqvi, Kausar Aamir, Ghulam Mohammad, Khalil Hoth and Taimour Siyal, besides the president’s spokesman Senator Farhatullah Babar.

President Zardari expressed concern over recurring violence in Lyari over the last few months and said that residents of the PPP bastion were peace-loving people but some elements were out to disturb the peace.

According to sources, the president remarked: “Lyari is the bastion of Jiyalas of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto, and those who believe they can conquer Lyari live in fool’s paradise”. He said the people of Lyari had rendered great sacrifices for democracy and for the rights of the downtrodden, and expressed his confidence that they would again frustrate the designs of anti-PPP forces.

Senator Babar told the media after the meeting that the president ordered addressing the situation in Lyari both by use of force against criminal elements and by removing genuine grievances regarding development of the area.

The president said that maintaining law and order was a shared responsibility of the political forces, which must join hands to maintain the peace in Karachi.

Participants of the meeting gave their perspective on the reasons behind the volatile situation in Lyari and gave suggestions on how to tackle it.

The president asked the chief minister that the Rangers and Frontier Constabulary be directed to assist the police in maintaining law and order in the area.

The meeting also reviewed progress of various developmental projects in Lyari and the chief minister gave a briefing in this regard.

The Lyari Package, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University, Lyari Medical College, Kakri Ground development scheme and construction of the Lea Market flyover also came under review.

The president reiterated his call for innovative development plans for Karachi towns, especially the densely populated ones with limited and insufficient infrastructure, and directed that provision of educational and recreational facilities be prioritised.

He also directed the elected representatives from Lyari to hold open kutchehries at least once a week.

The volatile situation in Lyari has become a cause of serious concern for the party, which has been facing erosion of support at the grassroots level after use of force by the law-enforcement agencies for quelling recurring violence there. A large number of people have been killed and many more forced to migrate to safe places while criminals have been ruling the streets of Lyari for months.

President Zardari has already hinted that his son and PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto may seek a National Assembly seat from a Lyari constituency. However, the ongoing battle between the (now defunct) People’s Amn Committee comprising pro-PPP workers on one side and the mainstream PPP group as well as some other parties on the other side has pushed the PPP in Lyari on the defensive.

Party sources say that many PPP leaders and activists believe that the use of force to address the situation in Lyari was harming the party’s own interests.

Order to start work on M-9 project
President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday ordered immediate convening of a special meeting of the National Highway Authority and the contractors and consultants of the Karachi-Hyderabad (M-9) highway project.

He was reviewing the progress of road projects in the province at a meeting held in Bilawal House.

The meeting was attended by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Finance Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, the chief secretary, the NHA chairman and other senior officials of the departments concerned.

According to the president’s spokesman Senator Farhatullah Babar, the president said that roads and infrastructure projects in Sindh could be profitably undertaken on a public-private partnership basis.

He also suggested construction of a highway connecting Karachi with Thatta on the same basis. The officials concerned were told to work out modalities in consultation with the NHA.

QUETTA: Six people, including a father, his son and two members of a pro-government Amn force, were killed in separate incidents of landmine explosions and firing in Jaffarabad and Dera Bugti on Sunday.

The deceased include two Amn force members as well as a father and his son

Official sources said a pick-up vehicle ferrying Amn force personnel burst into flames when it hit a landmine near the Loti gas field. Two men identified as Mohammad and Wayzi, were killed instantly while two others Sabo Khan and his 14-year-old grandson were injured.

Law enforcement personnel rushed to the site and transported the bodies and the wounded to Sui hospital. Later Levies personnel registered a case against unidentified miscreants and launched an investigation into the matter.

Two dead in landmine blast

A landmine explosion killed two men in Jaffarabad district. According to sources, the two men were en route to Kandhkot when they hit a landmine planted along the road by unidentified persons.

Both victims sustained multiple splinter wounds and died on the spot.

Law enforcement agencies rushed to the spot and cordoned off the area. The deceased were taken to a nearby hospital for autopsy and their identities could not be confirmed immediately.

A case has been registered against the unidentified persons and investigations are under way.

Father, son shot dead

In a separate incident, a man and his son were gunned down in Goth Kareemabad area of Dera Allahyar. According to sources, armed men barged into the house and opened fire at Abu Talib and his six-year-old son Bashir Ahmed. Both sustained multiple bullet wounds and succumbed to their injuries. Police officials rushed to the spot soon after the incident, but the assailants managed to escape the crime scene.

The deceased were taken to the District Headquarters Hospital Dera Allahyar for an autopsy. According to a local police officer, it was a case of land dispute and the relatives of the victims have nominated seven people in their FIR. A manhunt has commences in the area to arrest the culprits.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/368643/balochistan-violence-landmine-blasts-shooting-claim-six-lives/

The list prepared by the Anti-Extremist Cell of the Crime Investigation Department (CID) has now been sent to the home department for its approval. It proposed a bounty of Rs 3 million each for Uzair Jan Baloch, Zafar Baloch and Noor Mohammad alias Baba Ladla, Rs 1.5 million for Jabbar Jhengu, Rs 1 million for Rashid Rekha, Rs 1 million for Omar Kutchi, Rs 1 million for Wasiullah Lakho and Rs 0.5 million each for Faisal Pathan, Sheraz Comrade, Sajid Khatri, Taj Mohammad alias Taju, Sohail Dada, Rashid Bengali, Mullah Nisar, Fahad Pathan, Shahid Mix Patti, Farhan Mota, Tariq Siyapaat, Fahim Badshah, Shakeel Badshah, Asif Niazi, Sikandar alias Sakku and Zahid Ladla.

Besides, a Rs 2.5 million bounty was proposed for the arrest of TTP terrorists, including Sher Zaman Mehsud and Khan Zaman Mehsud, Rs 1 million for Tayyab Mehsud, Rs 1 million for Fida Mehsud and Rs 2 million for Zubair Mehsud.
Sources said that first the suspects, whose names have been proposed for the head money, were required to be notified as proclaimed offenders. The head money could only be notified once the suspects were notified as proclaimed offenders, sources said.
The police department should first move the summary seeking notification of the proclaimed offenders followed by the summary seeking head money, sources maintained.

Police told to register FIR against MNA and SSP if a case is made out.

Earlier the court allowed an application filed by Bilqees, mother of Saquib, and directed Chakiwara police to register an FIR if a cognizable offence is made out.

The order came on a private complaint filed under section 22-A of CrPC, seeking direction to the police to register an FIR against Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik, MNA Nabeel Gabol and SSP CID Choudhry Aslam for killing Saquib in a fake encounter.

According to applicant, the man was kidnapped or taken into custody and after an hour his body bearing bullet marks was thrown in the locality.

While deleting Rehman Malik’s name, the court held that he apparently had no nexus with the case. But as for the other two, the court directed the police to record the statement of applicant Bilqees and if a cognizable offence were made out then for an FIR to be registered. The police was also asked to file a report after such an exercise.

The Karachi City Alliance has called for the city to be placed under the control of Army for 180 days to restore peace. PHOTO: IRFAN ALI/EXPRESS

The demanded came forward after a meeting of different stakeholders held at Sangu Lane, Lyari, attended by leaders of Lyari, civil society and members of some political and religious parties.

Habib Jan Baloch, a Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader, after the meeting told PPI that Sindh governor has shown through his actions that he is not representing the federation of Pakistan, rather he is part of his political party and working on the orders of his party leader.

He said that the meeting called for an impartial and even-handed operation across the city in light of instructions of the Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and reports presented by law enforcement agencies during the in-camera session.

He said that different stakeholders of Lyari have formed an alliance called “Karachi City Alliance” in an attempt to restore peace in the violence prone area.

The meeting announced an ad-hoc organising committee which will initially run the alliance for three months following which its formal office-bearers would be announced. The committee would comprise Sardar Uzair Jan, Malik Ayub Awan, Zaffar Jandher, Allama Muhammad Asghar, S M Altaf Advocate and others.

People belonging to Lyari living in various cities of the country will also participate in the alliance. Lyariites living in abroad including USA, Canada, UK and France will also make an Overseas Committee which will be led by Major (retd) Nadim Dar, while Barrister Ali Khan will be the legal advisor for KCA.

Habib Jan announced that the KCA will be staging a peaceful walk from Tower to the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam on April 27, 2012, after Friday prayers which will be attended by people from all walks of the life holding Pakistan flags and white ‘peace’ flags.