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Tuesday 20 August 2019

The spiteful propaganda campaign against the security forces


Lately, anti-Army content based on fabricated facts and incidents, unfounded allegations have been incessantly surfacing over the SMN. Stakeholders/participants including journalists, sub-nationalist and social media groups owned by political parties have adopted a strategy of vicious, false and misleading war propaganda to create an illusion of invincibility amongst the minds of people.
The sensational used of SMN by prominent journalists and activists such as Nasir Jibran, Gulalai Ismail, Matiullah Jan, Azaz Syed, Marvi Sirmed, Mohsin Dawar and Manzoor Pashteen etc to carry out smear campaign against the Pak and its, Armed Forces is a manifestation of their nefarious intent to hurt and disrupt the image of Pak and its Armed Forces in the regional and international arena. 

 It is imperative to mention that the claim that journalists and activists are using the garb of freedom of speech to spread ill will and malign the security establishment of our country on the behest of the enemies is not based on a patriots’ delusional rants. Rather, the recurring involvement of said journalists and activists in blatant anti-state activities established ties with the enemies of the state and the inability to say or do anything positive for Pakistan regardless of their influence and well-known presence in media circles have given solid grounds to critics to question where their loyalties lie.
India is using social media as the major battlefield as part of a Rs 7 billion media campaign exploiting all available platforms to paint our security forces and police in a bad light. Incentives and financial benefits are being given to Pakistan’s prominent social activists, ethno nationalists, human rights activists and politicians to promote India’s agenda as our public is predisposed to believe who we perceive as “one of our own”. Indian operated 350K+ “Bot” profiles on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter under Pakistani names (mostly Baloch and Pashtun surnames) follow and share any anti-Pakistan news that is posted online.

Indian radio stations broadcasting their transmissions in Pakistan’s local languages target gullible and isolated public through manipulative statements by senior RAW officials to incite hatred for our Army. The Indian TV channel “Zee Salam” broadcasted in Urdu and US-based “VOA Pakistan” both serve the same purpose. As was the case with the fall of Dhaka, such propaganda, if not countered effectively, can have disastrous outcomes. It is only through the due diligence of our armed forces and intelligence agencies and the strong faith of our countrymen in their protectors that enemy backed fake movements such as the Baloch Liberation Army were exposed for their anti-state false narrative.

Our enemies have shared 1000’s of fake photos/videos of Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and FATA that paint Pakistan Army in a bad light, systematically manipulating Pakistan’s social media with clever misinformation about alleged Army atrocities against minorities and ethnic groups. Propagandists fan the fire in a bid to malign Pakistan’s image in front of the international community but only a few Pakistanis have actively realized and tried to expose the enemy agenda.

Not only is our army constantly fighting insurgency and enemy advances on our borders, but it is also now faced with an even more sinister and well-organized threat in the form of 5th generation warfare via media. Unless we as citizens of this country do not step up and call out the propagandists hiding behind freedom of speech to malign our army, we will have failed our security forces. After all, Pakistan is a free country for the past 71 years despite constant threats because of the constant vigilance and sacrifice of our Army. Freedom has never come for free, and we have already asked for the blood and tears of our soldiers and officers many times before. It is now time to repay their sacrifice, shutdown anti-state voices and stand behind our brave men so that they continue to protect us with renewed zeal.



Monday 27 February 2017

hindus and muslims living together

In a remarkable display of communal harmony, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s residents stood shoulder to shoulder with their  Hindu compatriots as the three-day Maha Shivaratri celebrations opened at the Hindu Dargah in the heart of Peshawar’s old city on Friday night.


The gesture – whose precedent was set earlier by the province’s inhabitants as part of tradition – was all the more meaningful this year in the wake of a recent wave of terrorist attacks across the country.
The K-P police have maintained strict security and set up a special control room for the festival. Closed-circuit television cameras and scanning machines have been installed at the shrine.
The shrine – located inside the old city at Jhanda Bazaar – has been illuminated with decorative lights, welcoming hundreds of devotees from the city as well as from other parts of the province.
Ghulam Mustafa – nazim of the Union Council Karim Pura – who was sitting outside the shrine told The Express Tribune that they had arranged this festival even in the most difficult security situation. “This festival has never been cancelled even during the time, when Babri Majid was attacked and destroyed by fanatics in 1992,” Mustafa added.
Mustafa pointed out that Hindu and Muslims have been living together for centuries and they have held on to the centuries- old traditions of standing by each other without any difference of caste or religion. “It has become our religious and social responsibility to ensure their security and protection,” he said.
Shivaratri festival is celebrated by Hindus around the world as it is believed the day when Lord Shiva and Parvati got married. “Maha Shivaratri which also means ‘The Great Night of Shiva’ is celebrated in the beginning of the spring season,” Shiv Nath Sharma, the guardian of shrine, told The Express Tribune.
He said devotees worship and offer sacrifices as part of their prayers and the celebration continues for three days. “On the first day, we fast for half a day and then sing hymns, praising our God till late night. On the second day, we change the covering cloth of the shrine, and on the third day, we offer communal sacrifices,” he said.
Sharma said the sacrifice is not limited to an individual; rather, it is everyone’s sacrifice. “The devotees have brought with themselves over a hundred goats to offer them as sacrifices at the shrine,” he added.
Balwant Raam, an 80-year-old Hindu elder, said the celebration become possible due to the support of locals and the police. “It is not the first time that we have gathered to perform our religious rituals. We have always observed our celebrations without any fear,” he added.
Talking about the history of the Hindu site, he said the Astaana has been here for centuries. The temple building was constructed in the 15th century, but, he added, he was not sure about the actual date of its construction.
The custodian of the shrine expressed his satisfaction over the love and respect given by the people of the city, who have made the festival possible even during the time, when the security forces asked them not to allow any gathering.  “This year, like the past, Hindu women and men from across the province and the Federally Administered Tribal areas are celebrating their religious festival at the Dargah,” he added.

credits:tribune

Monday 6 February 2017

Kashmir day tidings



Major political parties on Sunday set up their camps side-by-side on The Mall Road to express solidarity with each other and the people of Indian-held Kashmir on Kashmir Solidarity Day.


PML-N and PPP set up their camps right in front of the Punjab Assembly on The Mall Road, while JIP erected its Kashmir Conference stage a few hundred yards away. Activists of Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were also there on the occasion to mark their party’s presence.
Addressing the participants who gathered from all four provinces and Gilgit-Baltistan, JI chief Sirajul Haq said the freedom struggle of Kashmir was neither an economic war nor a movement run on the basis of cast and creed.
“It is an ideological struggle. Hundreds of thousands of Kashmiri people have lost their lives in freedom struggle, while thousands others have been disabled but they are not ready to give up,” the JI chief remarked.
Criticizing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, he said India wanted to turn Pakistan into a barren piece of land by holding its water supply.
Addressing the PML-N rally, Federal Minister for Railways, Khawaja Saad Rafiq said India would starve to death if it did not give freedom to the people of Kashmir. He stressed that the United Nations must shun its double standards. Saad said his party would continue its support with the people of Kashmir.
PPP leader Azizur Rehman Khan led a rally on Mall Road in which a large number of party workers participated to express solidarity with the people of Indian-held Kashmir.
Meanwhile, in Faisalabad Kashmir solidarity day was observed at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) on Sunday. In this connection a seminar was held where the faculty members and students of the UAF expressed solidarity with Kashmiris.
Addressing the participants, UAF Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said independence was the basic right of all human beings. He urged the international community to take notice of human rights violations by India against Kashmiris.
Meanwhile, different government, social, religious, political, trader and other organisations also staged rallies, seminars, conferences and other programmes to express solidarity with the people of Kashmir. Faisalabad Arts Council arranged a photo exhibition at Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Auditorium Art Gallery on the occasion of Kashmir Day in which photographs pertaining to the aggression and excesses of Indian troops were displayed.
In Bahawalpur, the biggest gathering on Kashmir Day was held on Fareed Gate in which thousands of people from different political and religious parties gathered to express their solidarity with Kashmir.
The participants of the rallies carried placards and banners inscribed with slogans in favor of the Kashmiris and demanded of the United Nations to resolve the Kashmir issue according to aspirations of Kashmiri people.
Jamaat-e-Islami, Multan chapter organised a rally to mark Kashmir Solidarity Day on Sunday. The rally started from Clock Tower Chowk and concluded at the JI office in the city. On the occasion, JI, Vice Ameer, (South Punjab) Sheikh Usman Farooq said Kashmir Day was being observed to give a message to the people of Kashmir that Pakistanis were with them.
In Sargodha, a conference was organised to express solidarity with the people of Kashmir with a pledge to continue moral support in their struggle of freedom from Indian occupation.
The conference was attended by activists of major religio-political parties, members of civil society and people from all walks of life. On the occasion, speakers condemned India for not implementing the UN resolutions to resolve the core issue of Kashmir.
Meanwhile, Punjab Emergency Service Rescue 1122 and Regional Scouts office staged a walk to express solidarity with the Kashmiri people. The participants of the rally were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the atrocities of Indian forces in held Kashmir.

Wednesday 1 February 2017

Asif Ghafoor on Pakistan and India

The new DGISPR Asif Ghafoor spoke with the press yesterday and proclaimed great news for the people residing in Pakistan. The success of the army and the development of Pakistan as a nation is moving smoothly as per plan with the enemies against our state diminishing day by day.

The main concern rising was the issue of Kashmir at the line of control and the ceasefire violations that India had been committing since 2003. He stated that the neighboring country had spent a lot of time and resources trying to find a way in through Pakistan Defense to breach into Azad Kashmir but had failed miserably as Pakistan were always ready to give a befitting response. He also stated that Pakistan in the case of resolution would rather have peace than any sort of war to avoid bloodshed. He emphasized on the bravery and dedication of Pakistan defense and how it had successfully tested Ababeel and Babar-3 missiles to improve the situation from external threats for the country.
One of the main topics he talked about was India’s Cold doctrine. Previously the message from Indian soil was to verify all the facts and figures before actually going on to infiltrate and move against any sort of aggression has now recently turned into an all-out skirmish between forces. India giving knee jerk reactions to situations without any proof has been costly for them as well as their image. DG ISPR reiterated that India following this blind approach would be met by the strongest impenetrable defense possible and that Pakistan themselves would not make the first move. The commitment of the whole Armed Forces is dead on and they will serve to protect the civilians from any sort of threat.

Talking about the LoC, He stated that India had been terrorizing Kashmiri’s since the early days looking to get some sort of leeway on Pakistan, especially now that the CPEC project is underway. Admitting that Pakistani soldiers are fighting on two fronts, the other being the war on terror, it was hard on the soldiers who still manage to give their best for the country.

Monday 23 January 2017

General Qamar Javed Bajwa

Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, a career infantry officer belonging to the Baloch Regiment, was chosen as Pakistan's next Chief of Army Staff and Gen Zubair Mahmood Hayat as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) on Saturday. Gen Bajwa was promoted to the rank of four-star general.
Gen Bajwa was previously posted as the Inspector General for Training and Evaluation at the General Headquarters, the same post held by Gen Raheel Sharif before he took over as army chief.
Gen Bajwa was considered as a dark horse in the race for the army’s command and has now superseded Lt Gen Syed Wajid Hussain (chairman of Heavy Industries Taxila), Lt Gen Najibullah Khan (DG Joint Staff Headquarters), Lt Gen Ishfaq Nadeem Ahmed (Corps Commander Multan) and Lt Gen Javed Iqbal Ramday (Corps Commander Bahawalpur).
The succession may not immediately bring about a major change in policies, but it could still have important implications for ties with India and Afgha­nistan, and domestically for the civil-military equation and the ongoing fight against terrorism.
The army chief is credited with having spent a considerable part of his military service in the Rawalpindi-based 10 Corps, which is responsible for guarding the Line of Control (LoC). However, his time at the 10 Corps was a period of relative quiet following the 2003 ceasefire accord.
This experience could prove invaluable as he takes command amidst serious escalation on the LoC, which saw some of the intense skirmishes since 2003.
On a personal level, Gen Bajwa is said to be witty, accessible, well-connected with the troops and not fond of the limelight.

He is the fourth officer from the infantry’s Baloch Regiment to become the army chief. Before him, Gen Yahya Khan, Gen Aslam Beg and Gen Kayani rose to that position.

Credits: DAWN

Friday 20 January 2017

PAK and UN on Kashmir

DAVOS -  United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Thursday assured Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to play a very constructive and positive role for countries in the region including Pakistan.
The Prime Minister met the Secretary General here on the sidelines of the 47th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum at the Congress Centre.
The Prime Minister said Kashmir was an international dispute, which remained on the agenda of the Security Council. He said a sustained dialogue process on all outstanding issues, including the Jammu and Kashmir was vital to make progress.
It was in that spirit Pakistan invited India for discussions on the resolution of the Kashmir dispute, in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and in line with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. India did not respond positively, he added.
The Prime Minister said his government’s foremost priority was to build a peaceful neighborhood. “We are committed to lasting peace and security in our region and an environment conducive to economic cooperation; which is in the interest of all the people of South Asia,” he added.
“We are convinced that the welfare of the people of our region lies in economic progress and prosperity. This cannot be achieved if we are not able to resolve our problems and cooperate with each other,” he said.
He said New Delhi was fuelling instability in an already tense region by adopting a no-talks posture, vitiating the atmosphere through incendiary statements, and trying to muzzle the voice for the legitimate right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people.
The Prime Minister reiterated that the people of Kashmir were guaranteed a free, transparent and impartial plebiscite by the resolutions of the UN Security Council. This promise was yet to materialize, he added. “We look forward to your leadership and good offices. The United Nations has longstanding responsibility to play a role in the resolution of this issue,” he said.
The secretary general assured the Prime Minister that he was fully cognizant of the sensitivity of the issues between India and Pakistan which has security consequences for the region.
The UN Secretary General praised Pakistan’s contribution for the United Nations and peacemaking operations as well as hosting millions of Afghan refugees. He said that he would play a very constructive and positive role for the countries in the region including Pakistan.
The Prime Minister also raised the issue of Indus Water Treaty with the UN Secretary General. “I am pleased to meet you soon after your assumption of Office. It gives me great pleasure to see you leading the premier international institution,” he added.
The Prime Minister appreciated his inspirational role as the UN’s High Commissioner for Refugees. “Your visits to Pakistan in that tenure enabled you to understand our challenges in hosting millions of refugees.”
“Pakistan believes that you were the ideal candidate for Secretary Generalship. It needed a leader, to take it forward in to the 21st century,” he added.
The Prime Minister said that the priorities Antonio Guterres had set soon after assuming his office were also encouraging. The UN Member States need to put Peace First, he added.
“Pakistan assures you of its support and cooperation to enable you to fulfill your mandate”, the Prime Minister said, adding “We also support your call for prioritizing conflict prevention and sustainable peace.”

He also invited the UN Secretary General to visit Pakistan at his earliest convenience. “Your visit will showcase your support and commitment to peace and progress in the region,” he added.

Tuesday 3 January 2017

CPEC and its Benefits