Across the border incursions and atrocity

By Aliya Harir

ALBAMA (USA): Chitral has remained an area of peace, love and affection for Afghan refugees for over 30 years. Half million people of this part of the country opened their houses for over two million Afghan refugees and accommodated them just like their own brothers and sisters.

Many of the present Afghan leadership have born, grown and educated in Chitral. Our ancestors used to tell us that Afghan people have special respect for Chitrali people for the hospitality we extended to them during their stay in Pakistan.

The recent attack on the innocent Chitral Scouts, Chitral Police, Border Police posts and the civilian population of Chitral is a matter of serious concern for the humanity lovers, especially for the youth of Chitral. Over 60 people have been killed and many dead bodies of the slain security personnel have been thrown into the roaring river of Chitral which is a clear sign of shameful barbarism and naked aggression from the guests to their host families of Chitral.

The youth of Chitral is asking from their ancestors, is this the reward of our hospitality to Afghan brothers and sisters? Is this the message of Islam during the holy month of Ramadan?

I am sure this is not the act of Afghan brothers and sisters as they might have been exploited with the name of Jihad and if this is Jihad, it should be against aggression and not peaceful people of Chitral. I am sure Afghan people will hand over those elements to Pakistan and maintain our mutual trust and confidence without playing in the hands of outside forces.

May I wish to draw the attention of the Chitral Scouts, District Administration, Chitral Police as how they were prepared to cope with the raising security threats in the area? Why the forces are not trained to meet with such a situation? Why they were not equipped? Considering the past performance of Pakistani forces in many cases including GHQ Attack, Abbottabad operation, Karachi Naval Base attack, we have failed to find a solution to the persistent problems.

May I also ask NATO and Afghan National Army how they were not aware about the mounting foreign Taliban activities from their territory?

According to the ISPR, intelligence information was shared by Pakistan with the Afghan government and NATO about presence of terrorists in Kunar and Nuristan provinces and their local Afghan support network. Why action was not taken and why the information was ignored? If there were intelligence information available with Pakistani authorities, why Chitral Scouts and district administration failed to adapt preventive security measures?

Who will be held responsible for the loss of 60 precious lives of Chitralis? The reports of an unusual movement of NATO helicopters across the border in Kunar province during the attacks in the area, as reported by media, need to be answered.

I wish to appeal to United State of America to look into this continue aggression of Taliban from a cross the border into Chitral, which is historically a peaceful land in Pakistan.

Being a Chitrali daughter, I wish to appeal to our local leadership to learn lesson from our recent history and prepare our security personnel well trained and well equipped to cope with emerging security threats in our area to maintain the peaceful environment of Chitral. This part of the country is strategically of high importance for the security of Pakistan. We expect from the high-ups of the Armed Forces for establishment of permanent security posts of Pakistan Army, supported Pakistan Air Force in the southern and the western borders of Chitral, especially Nuristan and Kunar valley to counter any aggression into Chitral.

I wish to appeal to the Chief of International Human Rights Commission to take up the matter at appropriate level so the precious blood of Chitrali should not be wasted.

At last but not the least, we the students community in United States condemns in strongest possible term indiscriminate act of terror in Chitral. Our deepest sympathy is expressed at the death and suffering caused to the families and loved ones who have been the victims of this terrible atrocity. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. The evil people who planned and executed this attack on our beautiful and peaceful land to demoralize and divide Pakistan and Afghan brothers and sisters across the border will not be successful. It is vital that we stand together shoulder to shoulder and remain united in face of this evil terror and in this moment of crises.

The good race relations and bridges we have built over many years can only grow in strength and these evil deeds make victims of us all. Our humanity and our diverse community will grow stronger to oppose and overcome those who spread fear, hatred, divisions and death.

Furthermore, on the basis of humanity we also strongly condemn all other forms of terrorism in any form or shape throughout the world, as those could well be the direct result of such criminal attacks in our country.

Our unity and determination to overcome these crises as many others will show those who committed this heinous and cowardly act and those who wish to use this type of acts to incite religious and racial hatred that it will not divide us.



The writer is Goodwill Ambassador on US-Pakistan Relations, International Human Rights Commission.

Martyres' names: more bodies recovered from river?

Chitral Today Report

CHITRAL, Aug 27, 2011: More shocking but unconfirmed reports on Saturday night said 16 more bodies of Chitral Scouts personnel martyred and thrown into the Chitral River by the savage Taliban have been recovered near Arandu and there are fears that the number of casualties will further increase.

The whole valley of Chitral and Chitralis living all over the world are shocked over the barbaric killing of the Chitral Scouts and police personnel by the Taliban criminals and thugs. In this hour of tragedy for Chitral, some people instead of openly condemning the blood-thirsty Taliban have started to claim that the attackers were NATO forces deployed in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, according to chitraltoday.com report, the names of the Chitral Scouts and border police personnel who embraced martyrdom and whose bodies were taken to Drosh are as follows:

Subedar Niat Ghazi of Brep, Subedar Younis of Barenis, Naik Manzoor Elahi, Bakrabad; Sepoy Sheli Khan, Kesu; Hav Jalaluddin, Terich; Sepoy Ziaul Mulk, Shishi; Sepoy Hazrat Omer, Ashret; Sepoy Hashim Panah, Jinalikoch; Mohammad Shoib, Nasirul Mominin, (villages still unknown); Sepoy Rehmat Taib, Mastuj; Bashir Ahmed, Salahuddin, Sarir Ahmed, Qari Azam, M. Aslam, Sep Ameen Zafar, Ayun; Lance Naik Rehmat Nazir, Mulkhow; Sepoy Ali Hyder, Mulkhow; Zafar Khan, Hav Bajgi Khan of Bang, Nazir Ahmed, Sepoy Hazratullah, Koghuzi; Sepoy Tariq Mehmood, Muzgol; and Sher Akbar.

POLICEMEN: Jannat Gul, Sharrafuddin and Sarir Rehmat.

Border Police: M. Azam, Zahmi, Sub Karim, M. Yamin, Sultanuddin, M. Iqbal, Naib Sub Pokhtun Wali and Anwarul Haq.

Missing: Nazir and Tariq Jalal.

Attackers linked to Fazlullah and Maulvi Faqir groups: ISPR

RAWALPINDI, Aug 27, 2011: At least 25 security forces personnel embraced martyrdom when some 300 terrorists from across the border in the Aghan provinces of Kunar and Nooristan attacked seven checkposts of Frontier Constabulary (FC) in Chitral early Saturday morning.

According to ISPR, the martyred personnel included 16 Frontier Scouts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, four policemen and five Levies.

The security personnel defended the posts by engaging the attackers and reportedly 20 terrorists were killed. However, two border posts were overrun by the terrorists. Reinforcements had been sent to beef up the border posts.

Reportedly terrorists from Swat, Dir and Bajur organized by Fazlullah and Maulvi Faqir Mohammad with local Afghans attacked the security forces posts in Chitral.

Since their expulsion from their native areas, the terrorists have organized themselves in Kunar and Nooristan provinces with the support of local Afghan authorities.

Due to scanty presence of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and ANA (Afghan National Army) forces along Pak-Afghan border, the terrorists are using these areas as safe havens and have mounted repeated attacks against security forces posts and isolated villages of Pakistan.

It is pertinent to mention that since last one year accurate intelligence about large concentration of terrorists from Pakistan and their local Afghan supporters in Kunar and Nooristan provinces has been shared with NATO and Afghan authorities but no worthwhile action has been taken against them and attacks against Pakistani border posts have continued with impunity.--APP

Chitral under attack

CHITRAL, Aug 27, 2011: Around 400 Taliban from Afghanistan’s Nooristan province infiltrated into Chitral and eliminated three checkposts in Arandu and Mirkhani areas, killing about 16 Chitral Scouts and 10 border policemen early Saturday.

Besides, over a dozen security personnel were also kidnapped by the fleeing Taliban militants.

The Chitral Scouts sources said 12 personnel of the force were martyred while the district coordination officer of Chitral put the figure at 15. Officials said nine of the attackers were also killed by the Chitral Scouts.

The militants targeted the checkposts in Kahuti after destroying the Kahuti bridge and targetted the Mirkhani, Parashut, Langorbut and Gudibar posts of the Scouts. In all, four bridges over the Chitral river were destroyed by the Taliban attackers. Some reports said that the bridges were blown up by the security forces themseves to stop the militants from fleeing back to Afghanistan.

The sources in Chitral Scouts said that they had called reinforcement and planned to launch an operation against the Afghan criminals and thugs who were still present in the hilly areas. As a result, traffic from and to Chitral town remained suspended and people living in the targetted and nearby areas are confined to their houses.

They said the situation in the area was very tense and exact figure about the dead and injured could not be ascertained. According to latest reports, the Scouts were carrying out operation using helicopters to flush out the remaining militants in the areas.

The identities of the martyred Scouts and border police personnel could not be ascertained.

Govt warned against auctioning of Chitral's mineral sites

By Zar Alam Khan

ISLAMABAD, Aug 18, 2011: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s plan to auction sites for mineral exploration in Chitral without guaranteeing the local people’s rights and bypassing the native miners has drawn widespread criticism and opposition in the valley.
Talking to Dawn on telephone from Chitral, Col Sardar Mohammad Khan, a representative of Chitrali miners, said the plan to auction the sites spread over 50 per cent area of the district would deprive the local miners of their rights because they would not be able to compete in the bidding with resourceful companies belonging to other parts of the country.
The sites being put up for auction were earlier vacated after cancellation of mining licences issued to one of the two Pakistani firms registered in Australia and US, as it failed to carry out any exploration even after lapse of eight years.
The local miners’ representative said there was already a sustainable and practical model of mining in Chitral under which leases were awarded to the locals who then teamed up with Chinese and Korean parties to run successful operations. Besides protection of both the stakeholders’ rights, this model also ensured steady revenue and cash streams for the government.
He alleged that it seemed the bureaucracy wanted to adopt short-cuts to achieve their own objectives at the cost of long-term investment stability, unimpeded sustainability of operations and socio-economic development of the locals.
The Chinese and Koreans are approaching Chitral-based parties as they learned bitter lessons in Balochistan where similar misguided policies pursued by successive governments ignored local stakeholders which backfired, forcing he investors to leave the area, he added.
He appealed to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Mines, Minerals and Industries Mehmood Zeb Khan to cancel the auction plan to ensure the rights of the locals and avoid unrest among the people.

Bid to deprive Chitral of its mineral resources

CHITRAL: President Chitral Miners Association Col (rtd) Sardar who has also been designated as Member Mining Committee by All Parties Chitral including PPP, PPP Sherpao, JI, JUI, ANP, PMLQ and PML-N through a press conference on 9th August appealed to the KP Minister of Mines Mehmoodzeb Khan to cancel the plan of auctioning Chitral’s mines a move that is fraught with unforeseen dangers.
It is implausible that 40% of Chitral is being put under the hammer after an earlier cancellation of exploration licenses of two bogus Pakistan origin firms registered in Australia and the US. After lapse of eight inactive years with no exploration and not a single penny invested by companies such as Central Exchange a new game plan is being devised by DG Mines to auction thousands of square kilometers of Chitral to outside parties at the expense of locals. The move is both unprecedented and mind boggling. By nature, Chitral's mineral deposits are fragmented and exist in small pockets and are not the world class types as is the case with Baluchistan or Waziristan. The self styled investment savvy bureaucrats seem to overlook the mess the “highest bidder gets all policy” will create in an otherwise peaceful area. Instead of redressing local grievances another conspiracy is being hatched to push local residents to the wall.
If the true motive behind the DG Mines' auction plan was to attract foreign investment or earning revenues for the government, then, an excellent and most practical and sustainable model already exists in Chitral where local Lease Holders have teamed up with several Chinese and Korean parties who are running successful operations there. Besides protection of both the stakeholders’ rights, this model also ensures steady revenue and cash streams for the government. This indeed is the only sure fire guarantee that the foreign parties are themselves actively encouraging to strengthen local stakes as a safety valve before arriving at an investment decision in Chitral.
It appears a holistic approach involving long term investment stability, unimpeded sustainability of operations and socio economic cohesion are not a priority for those at the helm of affairs at faraway Peshawar as they pay scant attention to the grey areas of investment. Their callous emphasis is on short cuts where an auction leads to the highest bidder collecting the booty but that policy is silent on the need for long term continuity considered a prerequisite for success the world over. Local rights denied will lead to further disillusionment of Chitralis and create a tsunami that will wipe out any traces of the shortsighted day dreamers and would-be outside investors. Long term and inclusive economic stability is being sacrificed for short term exclusive gains and an otherwise peaceful people are being instigated to resort to violence.
Smart Chinese and Koreans are eagerly approaching Chitral based parties as they learned bitter lessons in Baluchistan where misguided policies pursued by successive governments ignored local stakeholders which backfired and forced investors to run for their lives and flee. Accounting for 20% of KP's landmass and guaranteeing unparalled peace, Chitral also remains a crucial test case for the provincial government's policy of attracting investment. After a decade of lost opportunities, the new game plan calls for auctioning the areas to the highest bidders under the pretext of the open competition when local miners have already applied in the same areas. One hopes that the ill advised policy makers stop the cruel joke with the locals by pushing remote Chitral to a point of no return.
If mishandled, this could become a major flash point pitting Chitral's residents against the vested interests eying a share of the its mineral pie while sitting faraway in cozy drawing rooms of Peshawar. Proactive handling by the KP Minister of Mines can amicably resolve this issue that is fast spiraling out of control as politicians from all shades of opinion in Chitral have joined common cause to defend locals’ rights.—Zar Alam Khan

Funds for Lowari Tunnel soon: MNA

Zar Alam Khan

ISLAMABAD, Aug 3: MNA from Chitral Shahzada Mohiuddin on Wednesday said construction work on the Lowari Tunnel in Chitral would restart soon.
Talking to Dawn here, the MNA said he had conveyed the resentment of the people of Chitral over the suspension of work on the mega project to Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani who assured him that the required funds would be released to the executing company soon.
According to the latest estimate of the National Highway Authority (NHA); Rs17 billion would be needed to expand the width of the eight-km-long tunnel from the current 11 feet to 23 feet and construct roads on its both northern and southern portals. These modifications are being made after the project design was changed from rail to road tunnel.
The MNA said the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) in its next meeting would approve the funds for completion of the project without further delay.
It may be noted that work on the tunnel connecting Chitral with other parts of the country was inaugurated by former President Pervez Musharraf in July 2005 and the project was to be completed in four years.
The contractor, Korean Sambu Company, after completing the digging work, however, withdrew its staff and machinery from the site as the PPP government stopped funding for the project about two years back.