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                        <title>The Express Tribune</title>
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			<title>Jamaatud Dawa - coming to an App Store soon</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/467046/jamaatud-dawa-coming-to-an-app-store-soon</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/467046/jamaatud-dawa-coming-to-an-app-store-soon#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 17 Nov 12 04:59:34 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[saba.imtiaz]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[App will include 'educational, informative, philanthropic games to infuse positive thoughts such as helping others'.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Encouraged by the response to their active online presence, the Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) is now looking to expand its digital footprint and develop games and mobile phone apps. The project, still in its initial stage, is set to launch mid next year.


It envisages making “educational, informative and philanthropic kind of games that will infuse positive thoughts such as helping others in need, emergency situations, Islamic ethics and learning of the Holy Quran and Sunnah,” according to Abdul Rehman from JuD’s information technology and social media department.

The Ahle Hadith group’s acceptance of technology, and particularly digital games, may raise some eyebrows, but Rehman told The Express Tribune in an e-mail interview that, “We have also learned from the life of Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him), that he has always forbidden from things that waste time and have no benefit as such. Games and cell phones are few of those factors. So the best way forward is to provide a replacement that does provide entertainment but with sound learning and information - anything that helps an individual or the society.”

In the past couple of years, JuD has developed an extensive online presence, which includes websites for JuD and its philanthropic arm, the Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation, and Facebook and Twitter accounts. The managers of Twitter accounts for the JuD and its head, Hafiz Saeed, engage actively with users – including its many detractors.

After the JuD offered assistance to the US to help those impacted by Hurricane Sandy, the US Embassy in Islamabad wrote on Twitter: “We respect the Islamic tradition of help to the needy, but we can’t take Hafiz Saeed’s offer seriously. Saaed is wanted for suspected involvement in the Mumbai attacks, which killed 166. JuD is a UN and US-designated terrorist organisation.” The US offered a reward this April for up to $10 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Hafiz Saeed. The group, however, works openly in Pakistan and has expanded rapidly after its leadership was implicated in the 2008 attacks in Mumbai.

The digital project, ambitiously, will also try to provide an alternative to the “damage that has been done by violent games that most gaming giants have made throughout these years, by incepting [sic] all the wrong ideas and concepts.”

“Our vision behind these games would be to make the player a better human being, Muslim and a person who is equipped with the art of helping others with real-time information and practice in these games,” Rehman said. They also might have a brief introduction to JuD or Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation, but will use the experience of these two groups in games related to education, rescue and relief.

Given that there are a considerable number of smartphone applications available with religious teachings, Hadiths and prayer timings, JuD will need to differentiate its product. “We know that a lot of work has been done already,” Rehman said. “For instance, authentic supplications with related keywords are something that can tremendously help people finding solace whenever and wherever they need, not sure if this kind of app is already available but we will ensure that wheel is not reinvented.”

Other religious groups in Pakistan have also upped their online presence. The banned Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat has a number of Twitter accounts and Facebook pages. Other banned organisations, such as the Masood Azhar-led Jaish-e-Mohammad, have a number of their publications available online. The Jamaat-e-Islami also has separate Twitter accounts for its head Syed Munawar Hasan and Liaquat Baloch, its secretary general.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 17th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Despite international ban, JuD asks for Ramazan donations online</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/413806/despite-international-ban-jud-asks-for-ramazan-donations-online</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/413806/despite-international-ban-jud-asks-for-ramazan-donations-online#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 27 Jul 12 14:10:47 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[mohammad.rizwan]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[JuD sends out message on Twitter, Facebook - says it can collect funds as JuD is not banned in Pakistan.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Despite a worldwide ban, the Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) has sent out messages on Twitter and Facebook asking Muslims across the world to donate zakat and fitra during Ramazan.

JuD, through its official Twitter account, not only appealed for donations for itself but also for Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation, an organisation of JuD formed in the aftermath of the UNSC sanctions. JuD, which is allegedly the charitable front and the political arm of al Qaeda-linked Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), had earlier disowned Falah-i-Insaniyat.

JuD's message on Twitter, which had a link to Facebook as well, called people to donate zakat in any form either by cash, by donating an ambulance or by sponsoring medicines or meals for Sehr and Iftar.

When Interior Minister Rehman Malik was recently asked about the collection of funds during Ramazan, he had categorically denied that any unregistered organisation was involved in such activities. He had also vowed to take action against such organisations involved in collecting funds.

It remains unclear whether the JuD is registered to collect funds within the country or not.

JuD, when contacted by The Express Tribune, said that since the organisation was not banned in Pakistan, it could collect funds. “Everyone knows that when the UNSC placed sanctions on Jamaatud Dawa, we went to the court against the ban and the Lahore High Court had decreed in our favour, categorically saying that the JuD is not a banned organisation,” said Khalid Waleed, the chief coordinator of JuD’s political cell headed by Abdur Rehman Makki.

Makki was recently placed on the US State Department’s Reward for Justice Programme list which offers $500,000 for evidence leading to his role in Mumbai 2008 attacks. JuD chief Hafiz Saeed is in the category of $1 million reward.

He, however, could not explain why the JuD is also collecting funds in the name of Falah-i-Insaniyat. “They are just two different heads of the same account. If someone wants to donate to JuD or Falah, we welcome it,” he said.

On Twitter, JuD has 2,188 followers and the profile says that the aims of the organisation include spreading knowledge, practicing dawah (spreading the message of Islam) and jihad.]]>
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			<title>Hafiz Saeed asks High Court to ban ‘VIP culture’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/407506/role-models-hafiz-saeed-asks-high-court-to-ban-%e2%80%98vip-culture%e2%80%99</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/407506/role-models-hafiz-saeed-asks-high-court-to-ban-%e2%80%98vip-culture%e2%80%99#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 12 Jul 12 20:03:43 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Says David Cameron following Sunnah, Zardari not.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Jamaatud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed has filed a petition in the Lahore High Court challenging “VIP culture”.


The petitioner, through his counsel AK Dogar, submitted that public functionaries “living like kings and princes in palatial government houses” were not following the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and were contravening the Constitution.

He said the governor of Punjab alone lived in a “palace” on 68 acres. He said commissioners lived in properties of 100 kanals each. “Let them be accommodated in residences of 5 marla each ... the battalion of servants who are dancing attendance on them must go,” read the petition.

Saeed noted that the British prime minister lived in a four-bedroom house built in the 17th Century and located in a small street. “When the sun never set on the British empire the chief executive of that great country lived in the same house of a few marlas in a small street. That is truly Islamic, that is like following the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (pbuh),” he said.

He said Pakistan’s rulers built air-conditioned stables for their horses and gave them costly jam to eat. Meanwhile, he said, hundreds of Pakistanis sifted through garbage to get food. He said there was a 75-year-old man named Lateef Khan who had been scavenging at Khyber Teaching Hospital for the last 30 years.

The petitioner said that the government spent Rs1 million per day on the staff, household and allowances of the president, Rs1.2 million on the prime minister’s secretariat, Rs2 million per day on the Senate, Rs4 million per day on the National Assembly and Rs200 million per day on the cabinet secretariat.

He said Pakistan was printing Rs3 billion per day in cash and that was why the inflation rate was so high. He said over the past four years, public debt had risen from Rs6 trillion to Rs12 trillion. He said now every man, woman and child in Pakistan was indebted to the tune of Rs 61,000 each.

The petitioner said that David Cameron used to ride a bicycle to the UK parliament before he became prime minister and had to switch to using an official car because of security concerns. He said London Mayor Boris Johnson went to work by bicycle.

Meanwhile, he said, President Asif Zardari had travelled to London in a private jet on Wednesday morning. He said that the jet had been parked at the airport at a cost of 600 pounds (Rs87,257) per day. The Pakistan High Commission booked a jet at 20,000 pounds (Rs2.908 million) per day to take the president and his family as well as High Commission officials from London to Edinburgh, a 40-minute plane ride, for Bakhtawar Bhutto’s graduation ceremony.

He said that customs and usages which were a legacy of the colonial era needed to be declared void under Article 8(1) and (2) of the Constitution.

He said that VIP and VVIP status was ultra vires of the constitutional provisions of equality, social and economic justice and principle of democracy as enunciated by Islam. He said the closing of roads for VIPs was a violation of fundamental rights. He said the presidency, prime minister’s house, governor’s houses, CMs’ houses, ministers’ enclave and “palaces of all state functionaries” should be declared a violation of the principle of social justice.

He said that the court should direct the government to abandon “luxurious living” in light of Article 38(b) of the Constitution. He said that all schools like Aitchison College in Lahore must open their gates to the children of the poor and the children of the rich and the poor must sit in the same class room and study the same syllabus. He said that no privileges of any kind including free electricity, gas or petrol should be provided to any person from the public exchequer.

The petitioner asked the court to direct the respondents – including the federal law secretary, the interior secretary, the Punjab chief secretary, the president and the prime minister   to follow the example of state functionaries in the UK, who travelled in buses and trains. “Even though they are not Muslims they can be deemed to be followers of the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (pbuh),” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 13th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Hafiz Saeed's latest jihad: End VIP culture</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/407394/hafiz-saeeds-latest-jihad-end-vip-culture</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/407394/hafiz-saeeds-latest-jihad-end-vip-culture#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 12 Jul 12 16:05:28 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[rana.tanveer]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=407394</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Why does the president's daily allowance amount to Rs1 million per day, questions JuD chief.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[For Jamatud Dawa chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, on whom the US has set out a $10 million reward, those enjoying government perks are not only violating the Constitution, but also principles outlined in Islam.

On Thursday, the Lashkar-e-Taiba founder, an outfit later banned by the Pakistan government, filed a petition before the Lahore High Court challenging VIP culture for officials enjoying the top most government posts in the country.

Saeed filed through his counsel AK Dogar that all public functionaries who are "living like kings and princes in palatial government houses" are not only committing a grave violation of Sunna of the holy Prophet (PBUH) who preached humility, modesty and contentment with available resoures, but are also guilty of direct contravention of the dictates of the Constitution of Pakistan.

He lamented that governor of Punjab lives in a 68 acres palace.

He submitted that provisions of the constitution need to be implemented to convert the ‘public rulers’ into ‘public servants’.

The petition went on to identify serving commissioners who all lived in houses of 100 kanal each. Saeed said that these officers need to be accommodated in five marla houses and their army servants must go.

As reference, he pointed to the residence of the British prime minister - a small four bedroom house built in the 17th century.

Saeed contested that the way the British prime minister lives is ‘truly Islamic’ and follow the guidelines enshrined in the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH).

The petition added that government officials enjoyed "air conditioned residential quarters with costly fruit jam" while people in the country scavenged for food from garbage dumps.

The cost of VIPS

Giving details of expenses of different government functionaries the petition said staff, household and allowances of the president amounted to Rs1 million per day, prime minister’s secretariat Rs1.2 million per day, the National Assembly Rs4 million per day, Senate Rs2 million per day and the cabinet secretariat Rs200 million per day.

He said Pakistan in printing Rs300 million per day of the calendar year has driven up inflation. He said over the past four years the public debt has doubled from Rs6 trillion to 12 trillion, with every man, woman and child in Pakistan owing debt to the tune of Rs61,000.

He said that the customs and usages which are a legacy of the colonial era part need to be declared void under Article 8(1)&amp;(2) of the Constitution.

He prayed the court rule that VIP and VVIP status is ultra vires of the constitutional provisions of equality of status, social and economic justice and principle of democracy as enunciated by Islam. He added that the closing of roads for VIPs is in utter violation of fundamental rights of the people. He said the presidency, prime minister house, the governor houses, the CM houses, ministers enclave and the places of all state functionaries be declared violating the principle of social justice.

Extending his grievance beyond offices of government high ups, he further prayed that all elite schools such as the Aitchison College Lahore must open their gates to the children of the poor and under privileged, with children from all social classes sharing the same class room, studying the same syllabus.]]>
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			<title>For arrest and conviction: India hails, JuD mulls challenging bounty on Saeed</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/359489/for-arrest-and-conviction-india-hails-jud-mulls-challenging-bounty-on-saeed</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/359489/for-arrest-and-conviction-india-hails-jud-mulls-challenging-bounty-on-saeed#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 04 Apr 12 01:00:32 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[zia.khan]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Rehman Malik refuses to comment; JuD chief says move is at India’s behest.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Jamaatud Dawa fumed as India welcomed the announcement of up to $10 million bounty on its chief Hafiz Saeed and an associate on Tuesday.


Islamabad, meanwhile, offered little response.

The bounty was announced by US Undersecretary of State Wendy Sherman in India on Monday and posted on the US government’s Rewards for Justice website.

Washington also posted a $2 million reward for Saeed’s brother-in-law Hafiz Abdul Rahman Makki, described as second-in-command of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the militant outfit that New Delhi has blamed for the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai.

Saeed said the move has come at the behest of India, and his party announced it will initiate legal consultations to determine if the bounty can be challenged in the international court.

India’s elation

The Indian government welcomed the announcement.

“It reflects the commitment of India and the US to bringing the perpetrators of the Mumbai terrorist attack to justice,” the Indian foreign ministry said in a statement.

“It also sends a strong signal to LeT and also its members and patrons that the international community remains united in combating terrorism. The foreign secretary expressed India’s sincere appreciation for US step to target Saeed and Makki as well as LeT,” the statement added.

‘At India’s behest’

The JuD chief, meanwhile, appeared on television channels and railed against India on Tuesday.

“The action against me is also an act of terrorism and America is doing it at the behest of India,” Saeed told AFP.

He said the US had slapped him with the bounty because of a campaign he was leading to stop the Pakistani government from reopening Nato supply routes to Afghanistan.

“The movement that we have organised after the formation of Defence of Pakistan Council is becoming very effective and it is impacting Parliament’s decision about Nato supplies and this factor is disturbing for America and that is why they have announced a bounty on me,” he added.

Challenging the decision

Saeed’s party said it will initiate legal consultations to determine if it can challenge the announcement in the international court.

“Our legal experts will soon meet to consider if it is possible … we will use this option, though we don’t take this seriously,” JuD Information Secretary Hafiz Muhammad Masood told The Express Tribune.

Masood, however, did not explicitly say whether the JuD would also challenge the decision in an American court as well.

“We don’t expect justice from them. For Americans, they consider a person innocent unless proven guilty … but for Muslims, they think [of] them [as] guilty unless proven innocent,” he said when asked about approaching US courts.

However, international law expert Ahmer Bilal Soofi told The Express Tribune that the JuD would have to move an American court if it wants to challenge the decision.

“Had it been through the UN Security Council, it would have been challenged in the International Court of Justice … but because it is a decision by an American official agency, a domestic court in the US is the only legal platform where it can be raised,” Soofi said.

Muted response

There was little reaction to the announcement from Islamabad.

“We have not received any official communication in this regard,” Interior Minister Rehman Malik told Geo television.

“I cannot comment on it until there is official verification. Let us say that if it is confirmed, then we can ask them on what basis the bounty has been announced,” Malik said, adding that he has requested the foreign ministry for confirmation.

‘Hastening judicial process’

The bounty has been in the works for quite some time and the reward announcement may hasten the judicial process by making citizens come forward, State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said on Tuesday.

The reward is for information leading to his arrest or conviction, Nuland said at a press briefing.

“There is a review process to determine if offering bounty in this case is likely to lead to any results … the announcements were posted when the process was complete,” she said.

Hinting that this issue is likely to come up during Deputy Secretary of State Thomas Nides’ visit to Pakistan starting on Wednesday, she said the US has been in communication with Pakistan on this issue while the affected government [referring to India] has been advised, but is not consulted in the process. (With additional input from agencies)

(Read: A reward for nabbing Hafiz Saeed)

Published in The Express Tribune, April 4th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>A reward for nabbing Hafiz Saeed</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/359172/a-reward-for-nabbing-hafiz-saeed</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/359172/a-reward-for-nabbing-hafiz-saeed#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 03 Apr 12 20:02:12 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[editorial]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Editorial]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Mr Saeed is a national symbol of Pakistan’s defiance of the US.]]>
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				<![CDATA[The United States has put a price of $10 million on information and evidence leading to the arrest and conviction of Hafiz Saeed, the founder of the banned group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and leader of the Jamaatud Dawa (JuD). He is now on a par with Mullah Omar and the al Qaeda chiefs of Iran and Iraq, all of whom carry the same reward. His brother-in-law and co-founder of the LeT, Abdul Rehman Makki, now carries a reward of $3 million.

Hafiz Saeed is arguably a most powerful man in Pakistan, heading the country’s biggest charity organisation called Jamaatud Dawa (JuD), a new name for the LeT which Pakistan accepts as “not banned”. The JuD runs schools and colleges — from kindergarten upwards — and has actually made a name for itself among the country’s poor caring for populations struck by natural calamities. As the mover and shaker of the Defence of Pakistan Council, a coalition of 40 religious parties and pro-jihad political parties, Mr Saeed is perhaps the spearhead of Pakistan’s non-state actors who will prevent the state from allowing the resumption of the Nato supply route through Pakistan.

The world believes that Hafiz Saeed masterminded the Mumbai attack of 2008 and, led by the US, wants Pakistan to prevent him “from moving freely in the country, freeze the assets of the groups associated with him and stop allowing LeT from acquiring weapons — in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1267/1989”. In Pakistan, the JuD is not considered the same as the LeT (because of the varying nomenclature) and Hafiz Saeed seems to be a highly respected person because of his jihadi slogans against the “enemies of Pakistan”, which at the present moment are the US and India. Of course, the 10-million-dollar reward is going to make him more popular among his particular constituency, since it’s primary uniting ingredient is hate for America. In fact, it will not be an exaggeration to say that for his supporters, Mr Saeed is a national symbol of Pakistan’s defiance of the US. International reports about the “connectivities” of JuD with al Qaeda and Hafiz Saeed’s past associations with the founders of al Qaeda are hardly discussed in Pakistan’s media. The latest revelations made about the various sojourns of Osama bin Laden before his death — in Kohat, Swat, Karachi and Abbottabad are also dismissed without comment.

Why the head money now? Without a doubt Washington has become wary of the gravitation of Pakistan’s jihadi non-state actors to Afghanistan after the exit of American-Nato troops. The US is leaving behind what is rated as the largest Afghan Army in history numbering over 200,000. US Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta has said that the Afghan Taliban are on the run after having suffered reversals inside Afghanistan. What he doesn’t say is that he fears that just as the Soviet Union was defeated by a combination of Afghan mujahideen and Pakistani warriors, this time too Pakistan could infiltrate its non-state actors to achieve the ‘strategic depth’ it requires to feel safe about its northwestern neighbour. What is scarier for the world is the perception that Pakistan doesn’t control its non-state actors hundred per cent, as demonstrated by the Punjabi Taliban fighting the Pakistan Army in parts of Fata.

Pride and honour breed defiance no matter what the odds. Defiance in foreign policy when no one in the world backs you is called isolationism which is another name for defeat in the given international order. When our non-state actors defeated the Soviet Union the world was on our side in the proxy war; in Kashmir the world was not with us, and we were not successful in humbling India. The blowback from the coming ‘victory’ against the US will be far more lethal than the blowback from the victory against the Soviet Union. The problem is not only that foreign policy is being handled by parliament in Pakistan but that foreign policy will be spearheaded by elements who have their own agenda which may not be the same as what is best for the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 4th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Only God can end my life, not United States: Hafiz Saeed</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/359232/only-god-can-end-my-life-not-united-states-hafiz-saeed</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/359232/only-god-can-end-my-life-not-united-states-hafiz-saeed#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 03 Apr 12 19:10:05 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[zia.khan]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[JuD to challenge US bounty on Hafiz Saeed in international court.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) has decided to challenge United States (US) announcement of placing a bounty on the group’s chief, Hafiz Mohammad Saeed and Lashkar-e-Taiba co-founder Hafiz Abdul Rahman Makki, in international courts. The group has initiated legal consultations in this regard.

Earlier while speaking on Geo News, a defiant Saeed said that, “only God can end my life and not the United States.”

Responding to a question regarding a possible unilateral raid by the US to eliminate him, declared as one of the most wanted terrorists, he said that he is not concerned about death since only God had control over his life and death and he will die according to His will as and when his time comes.

Dismissing the recent US announcement of declaring him a wanted terrorist, with a $10 million bounty placed on his head for information leading to his arrest, as propaganda, Saeed said its purpose was to hinder the cause of the Difa-e-Pakistan movement by tarnishing his image in Pakistan.

Vowing to continue his movement, Saeed said, “We will continue to stand up for our rights and justice.”

As a concluding remark, an eloquent Saeed humbly ‘advised’ the US to stop its oppression and pull out its troops from Afghanistan, while curtailing its influence in Pakistan. “Live in peace and let us live in peace,” adding that US’ intervention in the region was causing an economic crisis.

He requested the politicians in the country to rise above party politics and unite in defending Pakistan. "This is not about me, its about Pakistan".

India has an agenda against me: Saeed

Responding to another question regarding India’s persistent pressure on Pakistan to bring Saeed to book for his alleged involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, he said that India has always maintained a hostile stance against him because he spoke about the Kashmir cause, the water issue and India’s alleged intervention in Balochistan, vis-à-vis fueling the separatist movement. Therefore, India considered him as a hindrance in their ulterior motives.

Talking about the 26/11 Mumbai attack investigation, Saeed said that India had sent at least four dossiers against him, 300 to 400 pages each, but could not prove his involvement in the attacks.

“A Lahore High Court full bench had acquitted me, saying that I was not involved in the Mumbai attack, along with clearing me of all terrorism charges. JuD is not a banned outfit.”

He added that India was not ready to acknowledge the existence of Pakistan, much less a decision by a Pakistani court of law.

The JuD chief challenged India to face charges levied against him in any court of law in the world.

Earlier on Tuesday, JuD spokesperson Yahya Mujahid said the US had offered a $10 million bounty for the chief of Jamaatud Dawa, a charity wing of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), due to the Difa-e-Pakistan Council’s (DPC) strong resolve against the reopening of Nato supply routes through Pakistan, drone strikes in the country’s tribal badlands and trade with India.

Mujahid went on to claim that the move by the US was politically motivated and it was evident who the US government was trying to gratify.

“Yes, the Americans wanted to please India and they did it.”

The Indian government had welcomed the US bounty for Saeed with a sense of vindication.

“It reflects the commitment of India and the United States to bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai terrorist attack to justice,” India's foreign ministry said in a statement.

Meanwhile, prominent religious parties in the country, including Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ), Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam- Samiul Haq (JUI-S), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Dawat Ahl-e-Hadees, Majlis Ahrar-e-Islam, International Khatam-e-Nabuwat and Jamiat-e-Ahl-e-Hadees, had also criticised the US' move.]]>
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			<title>US bounty on Hafiz Saeed is attack on Islam: Jamaatud Dawa</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/359161/us-bounty-on-hafiz-saeed-is-attack-on-islam-jamaatud-dawa</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/359161/us-bounty-on-hafiz-saeed-is-attack-on-islam-jamaatud-dawa#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 03 Apr 12 12:18:37 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[asad.kharal]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=359161</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[JuD spokes­person condem­ns US terror bounty of $10 millio­n for the chief of Jamaat­ud Dawa.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) officially condemned the US bounty on LeT founder Hafiz Saeed on Tuesday, terming it “another attack by the US government on Muslims and Islam”.

JuD spokesperson Yahya Mujahid said the United States had offered a $10 million bounty for the chief of Jamaatud Dawa, a charity wing of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), due to the Difa-e-Pakistan Council’s (DPC) strong resolve against the reopening of Nato supply routes through Pakistan, drone strikes in the country’s tribal badlands and trade with India.

Defending Hafiz Saeed and Hafiz Abdul Rahman Makki, described as LeT's second-in-command, Mujahid said the whole world was aware of their whereabouts since they were are not living in the forests, hills or caves.

“Hafiz Saeed and Hafiz Abdul Rehman Makki are the most popular religious leaders of the motherland of Pakistan and their relief and religious activities are not hidden from anyone,” the JuD spokesperson said.

Mujahid went on to claim that the move by the US was politically motivated and it was evident who the US government was trying to gratify.

“Yes, the Americans wanted to please India and they did it.”

He went on to add that the DPC was fully aware of the conspiracies being hatched by the US, India and their allies against Pakistan’s sovereignty, adding that the move by the US to announce a bounty for Saeed indicated "the negative tactics being adopted by them in frustration of their ulterior motives and plans being foiled by the DPC".

Mujahid vowed that the JuD and the DPC would defend Pakistan and play a pivotal role in the fight against foreign elements meddling in the country’s affairs, adding that even though Saeed hadn’t been distressed by the US’ negative tactics, their actions would further stoke anti-American sentiment in Pakistan.

Religious parties extend support to Saeed 

Condemning the US bounty on Saeed, leaders of different religious parties in Pakistan said the JuD chief is a hero of Pakistan and allegations against him were in fact allegations against the Muslim Ummah and the country.

The leaders of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ), Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam- Samiul Haq (JUI-S), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Dawat Ahl-e-Hadees, Majlis Ahrar-e-Islam, International Khatam-e-Nabuwat and Jamiat-e-Ahl-e-Hadees criticised the US move.

JUI-F senior leader Khursheed Abbas Gardezi said that this step by the US will only generate hatred amongst millions of Muslims all over the world. He said, “an attack on Saeed is an attack on Islam and Muslims countries will retaliate in this case soon.”

Bashing India for the US announcement, JI senior leader Ashraf Ali said that India was waiting for this moment. “We would like to tell India and the US that Saeed and Makki are not hidden anywhere and have been serving Muslims openly. The JuD welfare activities can be witnessed by everyone and both the leaders will continue to serve the people of Pakistan and Muslim ummah,” he said.

A JUI-S senior leader added that Saeed was not a criminal and had never been a part of any terrorist activity. “The US is only serving Indian interests and if it dares to arrest Saeed, it will have to present proofs” he stated.

Calling Saeed the most favourite religious and social leader of Pakistan, International Khatam-e-Nabuwat leader Ismaeel Shujabaad said he is equally respected across the Muslim world.

Senior leader of Majlis Ahrar-e-Islam Kafeel Bukhari said that despite opposition and allegations, Saeed will not stop opposing drone attacks and Nato supply via Pakistan.

An Jamiat-e-Ahl-e-Hadees leader said that the LeT founder, along with JuD, has been struggling for the sovereignty, respect and integrity of Pakistan. “We will support him till our death,” he said.

Praising Saeed for leading a movement against India’s cruelty, ASWJ leaders offered to provide protection to him. “We will not let India become Pakistan’s most favoured nation in any case,” he added.

_____________________________________________

[poll id="709"]]]>
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			<title>Most wanted: $10 million bounty on Hafiz Saeed, says US aide</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/359020/most-wanted-10-million-bounty-on-hafiz-saeed-says-us-aide</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/359020/most-wanted-10-million-bounty-on-hafiz-saeed-says-us-aide#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 03 Apr 12 00:27:10 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[news.desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=359020</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[LeT, and principally Saeed, are accused of planning and executing the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Hafiz Saeed, the founder of banned group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), now carries a $10 million bounty on his head, The Times of India and Hindustan Times reported on Monday.


The US has announced the reward for the capture or any information leading to the capture of Saeed, making him one of the most wanted persons in the world.

In her maiden visit to India, US Undersecretary of State for political affairs Wendy Sherman told officials and a select audience at the Aspen Institute that apart from Saeed, his brother-in-law and co-founder of LeT Abdul Rehman Makki now carries a bounty of $2 million on his head.

LeT, and principally Saeed, are accused of planning and executing the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai. The US has also placed a bounty of $25 million on the head of Ayman al Zawahiri, the head of al Qaeda, after the killing of Osama bin Laden, making him the most wanted terrorist in the world. Saeed is now in the second tier as he will join the links of Mullah Omar and the al-Qaeda chiefs of Iran and Iraq, all of whom carry a reward of $10 million.

Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) spokeperson Yahya Mujahid was not willing to comment on the development despite repeated attempts to contact him.

Earlier, the US State Department had strongly urged Pakistan to prevent Hafiz Saeed from moving freely in the country, freeze the assets of the groups associated with him and stop allowing LeT from acquiring weapons.

“The US government is concerned about the recent public appearances of Jamaatud Dawa leader Hafiz Saeed, including at a recent rally in Karachi,” said the department’s spokesperson Victoria Nuland.

“Lashkar-e-Taiba, and its front group Jamaatud Dawa, are internationally sanctioned because of their associations with al Qaeda. We have and continue to urge the government of Pakistan to uphold its obligations in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1267/1989,” she said. She recalled that this resolution called for all countries to “freeze assets of sanctioned groups, prevent the transfer of arms to them, and prevent sanctioned individuals from entering or transiting their territories”.


Published in The Express Tribune, April 3rd, 2012.]]>
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			<title>US announces $10 million bounty on Hafiz Saeed: Report</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/358966/us-announces-10-million-bounty-on-hafiz-saeed-report</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/358966/us-announces-10-million-bounty-on-hafiz-saeed-report#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 02 Apr 12 21:00:49 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[asad.kharal]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=358966</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Saeed's brother-in-law and LeT co-founder Abdul Rehman Makki carries a $3 million bounty.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The United States has placed a $10 million bounty on the head of banned militant outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder, Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, the Times of India reported early Tuesday morning.

US undersecretary of state Wendy Sherman while addressing a gathering at the Aspen Institute on her maiden visit to India, said that both Saeed and his brother-in-law Abdul Rehman Makki carried a bounty on their head. The latter was a co-founder of the banned outfit and carries a smaller $3 million bounty.

The reward is for the capture or furnishing information which leads to their capture.

Saeed is considered by the US and India to be involved in orchestrating the November 26, 2008 Mumbai attacks under the alleged tutelage of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The attack has soured relations between Pakistan and India.

Repeated attempts by The Express Tribune to contact the JuD spokesperson Yahya Mujahid for a reaction went unanswered.

According to the report, LeT’s has grown over time, becoming a lethal terror group, expanding its reach as far as Europe and Australia, besides having a large circle of influence within the sub-continent.

Pakistan had banned the LeT in January 2002, and its charity group, the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), a month after the November 2008 suicide terror assault on Mumbai. Saeed had at one point been placed under house arrest, but was freed by the Lahore High Court, which said there was no evidence that he was involved in any wrongdoing.

In December 2011, a Virginia, US resident pleaded guilty in a US court for 'providing support to a foreign terrorist organisation' by making a propaganda video for the LeT.

Recently, the JuD chief has joined the Difa-e-Pakistan (Defence of Pakistan) movement, which comprises of other alleged militant groups, politicians and prominent former army officers.]]>
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			<title>Pakistan-US relations: JuD chief wants referendum</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/356946/pak-us-relations-jud-chief-wants-referendum</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/356946/pak-us-relations-jud-chief-wants-referendum#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 29 Mar 12 10:38:45 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[saba.imtiaz]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=356946</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Hafiz Saeed sends letters to parliamentarians, calls on them to 'break away from party policy'.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Jamaatud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed has sent letters to members of parliament calling on them to “break from party policy” and make a decision keeping “Pakistan’s future in mind”. He has also asked for a ‘referendum’ to understand what Pakistan’s people want.

The letter, which is in the context of the current debate in the parliament on recommendations on foreign policy and US-Pakistan relations, offers five main points:

Firstly, Saeed states, that it would be a dangerous step for the parliament to amend and accept the alleged secret agreements between the US and Pakistan made during General (retd) Pervez Musharraf’s regime. It compares the agreements to those between the East India Company and Mughal leaders, and says this would lead the way to ‘American and European slavery’.

He argues that reopening Nato supply routes would “damage relations with China” and that the government should not reverse the steps taken after the attack on the Salala check post. He also claims that offering India trade routes would affect the China-Pakistan relationship.

Saeed says that if the attacks on Nato containers continue after the government reopens routes, the US/Nato forces will use this as a pretext to send its forces into Pakistan. He also alleges that the US has never respected any agreements with Pakistan or parliamentary resolutions, and says that the US wants to continue drone strikes which will lead to suicide attacks in Pakistan.

A copy of the letter can be seen here.]]>
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			<title>Difa-i-Pakistan: ‘Reopen the NATO supply line at your peril’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/354269/difa-i-pakistan-%e2%80%98reopen-the-nato-supply-line-at-your-peril%e2%80%99</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/354269/difa-i-pakistan-%e2%80%98reopen-the-nato-supply-line-at-your-peril%e2%80%99#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 24 Mar 12 01:48:57 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=354269</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Protesters pledge their lives for the cause.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[If the parliament reopens the NATO supply line through the courts, the Difa-i-Pakistan Council (DPC) will stop the supplies any which way it can, said Jamatud Dawa (JD) leader Dr Hafiz Abdul Rehman Makki on Friday. Dr Makki was addressing a protest demonstration in front of the Lahore Press Club.

Calling the parliament, ‘affected by the NRO,’ Dr Makki said it had no mandate to reopen the NATO supply. Also, he said, if it did, it would be legalising an illegal step taken by former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf.

Dr Makki said the president, prime minister and the parliament could not be trusted to take a decision in national interest.

He said PPP members of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security, formed to provide recommendations on whether NATO supplies should be reopened, were sworn to secrecy regarding the proceedings of the committee which was in favour of the restoration of the facility.

Close to 200 protesters gathered in front of the Lahore Press Club after Friday prayers. Similar protests were organised by the DPC in other parts of the country.

America ki barbadi tak, jang rahay gi, jang rahay gi; India ki barbadi tak, jang rahey gi, jang rahey gi; and Sabilana, Sabilana, Aljehad Aljehad were some of the slogans that rang out. Defence of Pakistan is only possible through Jehad was the banner under which the rally was taken out. On buses and trucks, protestors headed from Jamia Qadsia and ended up at the Lahore Press Club.

On the call of the speakers, the protesters pledged to sacrifice their lives to stop the NATO supply line from being reopened.

JD secretary general Qari Muhammad Yaqoob Sheikh said they would stop the NATO supply through jehad. He said the people of Pakistan were ready for jehad and were waiting for a single call.

Jamaat-i-Islami leader Dr Farid Paracha said the US was asking Saudi Arabia and Qatar to mediate a dialogue with the Taliban. He added that the Pakistani government would strengthen the US hand if it agreed to reopen the supply route.

Dr Paracha warned all parliament members to be ready for the consequences if they legalised the NATO supply route. He said none of them would be able to face their constituents.

Jamiat Ahle Hadith leader Hafiz Abdul Ghaffar Ropari said its workers would bomb any NATO containers that travelled through Pakistan. He said the supplies would be stopped regardless of the parliament’s decision.

Jamiat Mashaikh Ahle Sunnat president Pir Saifullah Khalid said the opposition and government were hand in glove with regard to the reopening of the NATO supplies. He said Ahle Sunnat youth were trained for jehad and had no links with any terrorists. However, he added, that the youth were waiting for orders to carry out resistance. He said the government would not be able stop them.

Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Ameer Syed Munawar Hasan said the JI would join patriotic forces in blocking the NATO supply line. He warned the government of serious consequences if it tried to prevent political and religious parties from protesting.

Commenting on official statements to reconsidering Pak-US relations, he said all such statements were pointless as the government leaders wanted to use the parliament like a rubber stamp.

“The real issue is the restoration of the NATO supplies. The government wants to make the parliament an instrument to get the supply line restored,” he said.

He warned that if the parliamentary decisions did not reflect the national spirit, people would take to the streets.

The JI ameer said that if the NATO supplies continued, drone attacks and Salala-like incidents would also continue to take place.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 24th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>'We hate NATO forces': JuD, JI protest potential reopening of supply routes</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/354033/we-hate-nato-forces-jud-ji-protest-potential-reopening-of-supply-routes</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/354033/we-hate-nato-forces-jud-ji-protest-potential-reopening-of-supply-routes#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 23 Mar 12 12:07:29 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[saba.imtiaz]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=354033</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Jamaat-e-Islami led rally in Gulsha­n-e-Iqbal, Jamaat­ud Dawa (JuD) protes­t at Karach­i Press Club.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Religious parties in Karachi protested against the potential reopening of Nato supply routes in Pakistan on Friday afternoon.

The Jamaat-e-Islami led a rally in Gulshan-e-Iqbal from Baitul Mukarram mosque to Hasan Square, while Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) protested at Karachi Press Club.

JuD protesters held placards proclaiming that "Pakistan will be defended by jihad" and "We hate Nato forces".

JuD organiser Hafiz Kalimullah said, "We are with the mujahideen", as he accused US and Nato of atrocities in Afghanistan and condemned the recent desecration of the Holy Quran in Afghanistan.

JuD's Professor Mehmoodul Hasan said, "Resuming Nato supply is a bargain of our faith."

"We do not call this trade, we call this a dishonour. We will not let this happen."

A hundred to 150 people, carrying JuD flags, chanted slogans against the US, India and Nato.

Hasan threatened that containers carrying Nato supplies would not reach their destination.

Engineer Naveed Qamar, the head of JuD in Karachi, said parliamentarians should abandon the idea of reopening Nato supply routes.

"Keep the supplies closed, the Pakistani nation is with you," Qamar said, addressing parliamentarians. He said the Difa-e-Pakistan Council is writing letters to members of parliament urging them not to change their decision.

"This bill (on recommendations about US ties) will be presented on March 26. On March 27 we will rally outside the parliament and record our protest."

"Be brave," he said, addressing Afghans and Pakistanis. "The US cannot ruin you."

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Samiul Haq) leader Maulana Abdul Manan also spoke at the event and asked the crowd who elected their representatives.

"America!" responded protesters. "No, its you who elected them. This is not an American government, this is a government of Muslims in Pakistan. Do not be friends with the US."

"Every non-believer is an enemy of Pakistan," he declared.

Protesting the reopening of Nato supply routes is the current issue of choice for religious-political parties, but the logistics of the protests haven't been smooth.

According to a spokesperson, JuD's protest was slightly delayed because their leadership and members had gotten stuck in traffic jams caused by Jamaat-e-Islami's rally and a rally by the Sindh nationalist party Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz at Tibet Centre.]]>
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			<title>Warning from afar</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/338720/warning-from-afar</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/338720/warning-from-afar#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 19 Feb 12 17:57:09 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[editorial]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=338720</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[It seems a bit bizarre that the US State Department should need to warn Pakistan about groups operating in its midst.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[It seems a bit bizarre that the US State Department should need to warn Pakistan about groups operating in its midst. In a short, but to-the-point press release, Washington has expressed concern over the appearance of Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) chief, Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, at a rally in Karachi, once again affirming that the JuD is simply a front for the Lashkar-e-Taiba, against which international sanctions exist. The US has also stated that Pakistan is a signatory to the UN Security Council Resolution 1267/1989, which calls for all countries to freeze assets of sanctioned groups and prevent sanctioned individuals from entering their territories.

The Jamaatud Dawa and the Difa-e-Pakistan Council — ­­of which it forms a part — has immediately denied the US charges. But looked at from a more realistic angle, there can be no doubt that there is some truth in what was said in the US press release. Why Pakistan was unable to seek out this truth for itself and istead rely on overseas warnings regarding Hafiz Saeed is a matter of concern. The fact that we have failed to look into the threat posed by various militant groups  raises  many questions which need immediate answers.

It should not have been the responsibility of the US State Department to tell us that Hafiz Saeed presents a risk; or that the JuD, as a renamed version of a banned group, should never have been allowed to act in public with its leaders addressing large public rallies. The matter is really one of our commitment to tackle extremism. If that commitment does not exist, then we are in deep trouble. Pressure from abroad will never be enough to help us overcome terrorism, extremism and all the dangers that come with this evil. So far, there is no real evidence that we are willing to act to save ourselves and escape the web of militant thoughts we seem to have become tightly caught up in. As a result, the embarrassing reminders from far away pour in, leaving us looking less and less earnest about solving what is surely our problem.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 20th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>JuD, ASWJ leaders' entry banned in Islamabad</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/338358/dpc-leaders-entry-banned-in-islamabad</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/338358/dpc-leaders-entry-banned-in-islamabad#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 18 Feb 12 17:08:57 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[asad.kharal]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=338358</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[ASWJ member­s say ban impose­d on US asking, MPO to be challe­nged in court.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Islamabad authorities, following directions from the federal government, have imposed a seven day ban on some leaders of the Difa-e-Pakistan Council, including Jamaatud Dawa’s (JuD) Hafiz Saeed, Ahle Sunnat wal Jamat (ASWJ) chief Maulana Ahmed Ludhianvi and General Secretary Dr Khadim Hussain Dhillon from entering the capital.

Express News reported on Saturday that the ban has been imposed with a view to stop the leaders from attending DPC’s February 20 gathering, to stage a sit in front of parliament house, hence obstructing the public gathering.

According to sources, the leaders could be arrested if they entered Islamabad.

Meanwhile the traders community of Aabpara Market has also appealed to the DPC from staging a rally in Aabpara market.

Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik had earlier suspended the Station House Officer (SHO) Margalla after the police failed to stop the three leaders from making an appearance at a Milad-un-Nabi gathering.

Following the imposition of the ban by the federal government on the DPC members, a spokesperson of the ASWJ while speaking to The Express Tribune called it a ‘shameful act’.

The ASWJ further claimed that they will contest the imposition of the ban, imposed under the Maintenance of Public Order, in courts.

Reacting to the ban, Maulana Ludhianvi said that this decision had been taken by the government only to appease the American government.

The ASWJ spokesperson said that Islamabad administration as well as Capital police had informed them of the ban and that this was being enforced after they received written orders from the Ministry of Interior.

Earlier, Interior Minister Rehman Malik had said that the government would not allow banned organisations to stage sit-in in Islamabad under the cover of DPC, adding that strict action would be taken if DPC tried to violate the law. Though, those groups who are not banned, would be allowed to protest.

Earlier this week, the US State Department had issued a brief press release, raising concerns about Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed’s public appearances, including at the Difa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC) rally held in Karachi.

The release further stated that the UN resolution “calls for all countries to freeze assets of sanctioned groups, prevent the transfer of arms to them, and prevent sanctioned individuals from entering or transiting their territories.”]]>
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			<title>Malik Ishaq was at Difa-e-Pakistan rally: JuD</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/338191/multan-rally-malik-ishaq-was-at-difa-e-pakistan-rally-jud</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/338191/multan-rally-malik-ishaq-was-at-difa-e-pakistan-rally-jud#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 18 Feb 12 00:54:18 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[rabia.mehmood]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=338191</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[JuD spokesperson said that it was the DPC’s unanimous decision that Ishaq will not address the rally.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Spokesperson for Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD) Yahya Mujahid told The Express Tribune on Friday that Malik Ishaq was present on the stage of the Defense of Pakistan Council (DPC) rally in Multan.


Mujahid contradicted ex-spymaster Hamid Gul’s statement in a TV interview in which he had denied Ishaq’s presence – going as far as calling a photo in The Express Tribune “doctored” and then questioning the credibility of the paper’s reporter.

Mujahid said Hamid Gul was wrong, and added that it was the DPC’s unanimous decision that Ishaq will not address the rally. Malik Ishaq is one of the founders of the banned militant outfit Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.

Mujahid added the rule was that any person addressing the DPC rally will not be a member of a banned outfit.

Threatening the media

The JuD spokesman also apologised on behalf of Qari Sheikh Yaqoob regarding his statement against the media at the DPC Karachi rally. Yaqoob had said that in case of lack of coverage of PDC events, the venues will be converted into grave yards for the media. Mujahid said: “one should condemn the statement of Qari Yaqoob as much as one can.”

He added that he has written apology letters to the media in the capacity of a representative of JuD.

Mujahid said the DPC rallies were being conducted in a very organised manner. Funding is provided by member parties, and host parties for different rallies funded the respective events in their cities.

JuD hosted the Lahore rally, Ahle-Sunnat-Wal-Jamat organised the one in Multan, Sheikh Rasheed hosted the Rawalpindi event and in Karachi Jamat-e-Islami was the DPC host. Mujahid said all involved parties have nationwide networks which support them in managing events.

Mujahid was attending a protest called by the JuD outside their main mosque Jamia Qadsia in Chauburgi, Lahore. The protest was called under the banner of the Defence of Pakistan Council to protest against the impending recommencement of Nato supply routes and trade with India.

A senior leader of JuD, Amir Hamza said the reason the United States has a problem with JuD chief Hafiz Saeed is because, “He (Saeed) speaks against the violation of human rights by the US allied forces in this region.”

A gathering of a few hundred supporters, who were at the Jamia to say Friday prayers, were the primary attendees. DPC has called for a meeting of the heads of the member parties on February 19 in Islamabad.

(Read: The very excellent Difa-e-Pakistan Council)

Published in The Express Tribune, February 18th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>'US demand to put curbs on JuD, Hafiz Saeed disrespects Pakistan's SC'</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/338208/us-demand-to-put-curbs-on-jud-hafiz-saeed-disrespects-pakistans-sc</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/338208/us-demand-to-put-curbs-on-jud-hafiz-saeed-disrespects-pakistans-sc#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 17 Feb 12 21:51:06 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[owais.jafri]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=338208</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[JuD spokesperson says that Hafiz Saeed is a respectable man, cleared by the Supreme Court of Pakistan.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) has called statements of the US State Department, which called on Pakistan to put curbs on the group in compliance with international sanctions, as disrespecting the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

A spokesperson for the JuD claimed that the group has never been banned in Pakistan and had won legal independence by the Supreme Court of Pakistan because they were working for the welfare of Pakistan.

The US State Department had issued a press brief on Thursday, which raised concerns over the public appearances of JUD president Hafiz Saeed. It called the group a front for the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba. The statement urged Pakistan to freeze JuD’s assets, and impose travel restrictions on its leaders.

The JuD on Friday defended their chief Hafiz Saeed, insisting that he was a respectable and independent citizen of Pakistan. “If United States blames our organisation or our chief, it is a direct disrespect of the decision given by the Supreme Court of Pakistan and intervention in the internal matters of Pakistan,” a JuD spokesperson said.

JuD was cleared by investigative authorities n Pakistan of all allegations of supporting terrorism or sectarian activities. “We have always worked for the prosperity of Pakistan and Muslim Ummah,” the spokesperson said.

He added that the Difa-e-Pakistan council was working for the solidarity, progress and an independent foreign policy of Pakistan.

The JuD, he said, is the biggest hindrance in not only resuming NATO supply routes, but all conspiracies orchestrated by the US against Pakistan. He added that the JuD will remain till the destruction of the United States.

The demand to ban Difa-e-Pakistan Council conventions, was in violation of the constitution of Pakistan.

The spokesperson said that if the DPC executive council so decides, they may challenge the US statement on in the international court of justice. He reiterated that the JuD will continue to organise gatherings and processions for a complete ban on NATO supply through Pakistani territory.

JuD had organised protests all over Pakistan against granting approval for NATO supplies passing through Pakistan. Participants raised slogans against United States and government of Pakistan for supporting US policies. They observed a peaceful black Friday all over the Pakistan.]]>
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			<title>Malik Ishaq attended Multan rally: Jamaatud Dawa</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/337998/malik-ishaq-attended-multan-rally-jamaatud-dawa</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/337998/malik-ishaq-attended-multan-rally-jamaatud-dawa#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 17 Feb 12 16:36:36 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[rabia.mehmood]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=337998</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[JuD spokesperson rubbishes General (retd) Hamid Gul’s claim that former LeJ leader was not present.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Chief of banned militant outfit Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Malik Ishaq was in attendance at the Difa-e-Pakistan Council rally in Multan, a spokesperson for the council’s member organisation Jamaatud Dawa has said. 

“General (retd) Hamid Gul was wrong in denying Ishaq’s presence at the rally. He was present on stage,” said Yahya Mujahid, a spokesperson for Islamic chairty, which is blacklisted by the United Nations for its alleged ties to LeJ but not by the Pakistan government.

Gul, in an interview with Express News television channel, had categorically denied that Ishaq was present at the rally.

“It was DPC’s unanimous decision that Ishaq will not address the rally,” Mujahid told The Express Tribune on Friday. “It’s a simple rule that whoever addresses the people from stage at a DPC rally cannot be a member of a banned militant outfit.”

Mujahid was attending an emergency protest, called by the JuD outside their main mosque Jamia Qudsia in Lahore under the DPC’s banner, against resumption of Nato supply routes and trade talks with India. The council has also called a meeting of heads of member parties on February 19 in Islamabad.

Apology to media

He also apologised for statements made against the media at the council’s Karachi rally. “The statements should be condemned in the strongest terms. I, as a representative of JuD, have written letters of apology to media organisations.”

Funding

The spokesperson said that the DPC is an organised platform. “Funding [for the organisation] is provided by member parties while host parties for different rallies fund events in their own cities,” he explained. For instance, he said, JuD hosted the Lahore rally, Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat organised the one in Multan, Sheikh Rasheed hosted the Rawalpindi event and Jamat-e-Islami hosted the Karachi rally.

“The nationwide networks of all member parties provide support in organisational procedures.”

In defence of Hafiz Saeed

Amir Hamza, a senior leader of the JuD, said that the reason the US is against JuD chief Hafiz Saeed is because he speaks out about human rights violations by US allied forces in the region.

He also blamed former president Pervez Musharraf for joining hands with the US in the ‘war on terror’ and the Balochistan crisis.

CORRECTION: Former president Pervez Musharraf's name was erroneously written as Pervez Sharif. The error is regretted.]]>
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			<title>US express concern over Hafiz Saeed's public appearances</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/337705/us-express-concern-over-hafiz-saeeds-public-appearances</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/337705/us-express-concern-over-hafiz-saeeds-public-appearances#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 16 Feb 12 20:42:28 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[huma.imtiaz]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=337705</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[State Department issues statement, urging Pakistan to uphold international sanctions on JuD.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The US State Department has raised concerns about Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed's public appearances, including at the Difa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC) rally held in Karachi earlier this week.

The State Department issued a brief press release on Thursday, In response to a question submitted earlier in the week, which said that, "Lashkar-e-Taiba and its front group Jamaatud Dawa, is internationally sanctioned because of its associations with al Qaeda.  We have and continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to uphold its obligations in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1267/1989."

The release further stated that the UN resolution "calls for all countries to freeze assets of sanctioned groups, prevent the transfer of arms to them, and prevent sanctioned individuals from entering or transiting their territories."

JuD has been functioning in the country as a religious and charity organisation. Post Mumbai attacks in 2008, the organisation was declared a terrorist organisation by the West, UN and India.

Talking to Express News, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) senior leader Liaquat Baloch said that the DPC opposed the sanctions. He said that certain organisations, which were a part of the council, had been wrongly banned by a dictator, hinting at former President Pervez Musharraf.

Baloch justified his claim by saying the if a certain exile agreement - with former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif - and the NRO by the same dictator had been declared illegal, why should this ban be considered valid.]]>
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			<title>Hafiz Saeed had the same teacher as bin Laden, Zawahiri: Report</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/333125/hafiz-saeed-had-the-same-teacher-as-bin-laden-zawahiri-report</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/333125/hafiz-saeed-had-the-same-teacher-as-bin-laden-zawahiri-report#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 07 Feb 12 19:32:56 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[web.desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=333125</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Calls it an honour to have the same teacher as bin Laden and Zawahiri. Waved to bin Laden in 1982.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed in an interview revealed that he had been taught by the same teacher who had taught al Qaeda supremos Osama bin Laden and Ayman Al Zawahiri, Dawn.com reported late on Tuesday.

JuD, listed as a charity organisation in Pakistan, is labeled by India and the United Nations as a terrorist organisation.

In an interview to Dawn.com, the JuD chief revealed that he had studied under the tutelage of Sheikh Bin Baz, who had also taught bin Laden and al-Zawahiri.

Bin Baz was the grand mufti (scholar) of Saudi Arabia from 1993 until his death in May 1999.

AfPak head and a retired Central Investigation Agency (CIA) officer, Bruce Riedel in his book titled “The Search for al Qaeda” described Bin Baz as one who “preached a very reactionary brand of Islam, proclaiming the earth is flat, banning high heels for women as sexually provocative, barring men from wearing Western suits and imposing other restrictions on behavior.

When asked whether it was a coincidence that he studied under the same cleric who taught bin Laden and Ayman al al-Zawahiri, Saeed called it an "honour" for both the students and the teacher.

The most wanted man by India; Saeed holds a master’s degree in Islamic Studies and also was a teacher at the Engineering University, Punjab.

Saeed also mentioned about his meeting with al Qaeda leader bin Laden.

“Yes once I had met Osama Bin Laden but that is an old story I met him probably in 1982 in Saudi Arabia and in that meeting we just waved at each other.”

Responding to a question about about reports regarding financial help by bin Laden to establish Lashkar-i-Taiba back in 1989-90, Saeed denied it, calling it a “baseless allegation.”

On being asked whether how it was possible that he could not have met bin Laden in Afghanistan while he was waging jihad next door in Indian Kashmir, Saeed brushed aside the question saying, “put this matter aside.”

Doubt over bin Laden's presence in Abbottabad

Speaking about the May 2 raid by US Navy SEALs in which bin Laden was killed, the JuD chief, said that the US was the biggest terrorist who were yet to prove any of the allegations against the slain al Qaeda leader in a court of law. He declared his killing as an extra judicial act, expressing doubt over bin Laden’s presence in the Abbotabad compound, at all.]]>
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			<title>The very excellent Difa-e-Pakistan Council</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/331421/the-very-excellent-difa-e-pakistan-council</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/331421/the-very-excellent-difa-e-pakistan-council#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 03 Feb 12 16:06:59 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[tazeen.javed]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=331421</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[What are the dire consequences Difa-e-Pakistan threaten? Chaos, anarchy and suicide bombings.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[One cannot be faulted for assuming that the Difa-e-Pakistan Council may perhaps comprise of officials of the defence ministry, four-star generals and decorated admirals who wish to ponder over the defence needs of the country and make major strategic decisions.

To find out that it is actually a motley crew of fourty-odd religious parties, banned terrorist outfits like the Jamaatud Dawa (JuD), a few other political has-beens like Sheikh Rasheed and Ijazul Haq, and former spymaster Hameed Gul, among others, can be shocking. To figure out what it stands for can be even more astounding. Let’s try and figure that out by asking a few questions.

So what does the Council stands for? According to Hafiz Saeed of the JuD, it is a coalition with the aim to “defend Pakistan”. What do they actually do apart from claiming to defend the country? Not much besides holding rallies in different cities and threatening the government of dire consequences if their demands are not.

What are those dire consequences? Chaos, anarchy and suicide bombings. But don’t we have them — anarchy, chaos and suicide bombings — already? Yes, but they have promised to scale up the operations if their demands are not met.

And what are those demands? For starters, they want parliament to not restore the Nato supply lines. But those supply lines have always been open and were blocked only some weeks back — why this sudden realisation that it undermines the sovereignty of the country? Better late than never, isn’t it?

What else do they want? Surely they cannot spend millions of rupees on all those public gatherings to demand that the government does not restore the Nato supply lines? The ultimate goal is to sever all diplomatic, cultural, political and economic ties with the United States of America. Errr, can our country survive this ultimate isolation? Most probably not, but the Council would surely like the government to try that. Is it just America that they want to cut ties with, or has any other country faced a similar wrath? They hate India just as much and are angry with the government for awarding it ‘Most Favoured Nation’ status.

But by regularising trade with India, the government will not only discourage cross-border smuggling of goods, it will also gain from taxes and duties levied on the increased imports — revenue which can then be used for public welfare. Surely that cannot be bad? The Difa-e-Pakistan Council is not concerned with the public good; according to its chairman, “the council’s sole agenda is to ensure the integrity and sovereignty of Pakistan”.

What legitimacy do they have, if any, to demand all that? Between the 40 parties and organisations that make up the Council, only the JUI-F is represented in parliament and it too has a handful of seats. One can surely ascertain the Council’s legitimacy by seeing its underwhelming electoral performance. The Council, of course, would like to think otherwise. According to Maulana Sami-ul Haq, its chairman, their gatherings are a clear message to US and a referendum for the government of Pakistan to immediately review its relations with America and other western allies.

Does any of this make sense? No, not really — but then our politics has never been about logic, finding solutions and peace and harmony. It has always been about rhetoric, confusion, demagoguery and posturing and the Difa-e-Pakistan Council is doing one hell of a job as far as this is concerned.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 4th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Media should dutifully cover Difa-i-Pakistan Council’s events: Hafiz Saeed</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/329350/media-should-dutifully-cover-difa-i-pakistan-council%e2%80%99s-events-hafiz-saeed</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/329350/media-should-dutifully-cover-difa-i-pakistan-council%e2%80%99s-events-hafiz-saeed#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jan 12 14:46:26 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=329350</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[JuD chief says journalists, as Pakistanis, should use the opportunity to defend the country.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Joining in the chorus of Jamaat-i-Islami and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl, the Jamaatud Dawa has also chastised the media for ‘inadequate’ coverage of its events and activities.

“Media should consider it a duty to provide coverage to events of JuD and Difa-i-Pakistan Council,” Hafiz Saeed, chief of the religious charity organisation, said on Monday.

He was speaking to reporters in Multan after attending a rally organised by the council on Sunday.

“They [journalists] are part of Pakistan and must defend the country. They can do it in this way,” he said.

Speaking about the council’s ideology and aims, he said that through the council, the JuD aims to unite people from Peshawar to Karachi under one umbrella to protest US aggression in Pakistan. “It is regrettable that religious scholars do not highlight this teaching of the Shariah that greatness lies in unity,” he said, adding that the Difa-i-Pakistan Council’s next gathering in Karachi will be the biggest rally in Pakistan’s history.]]>
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			<title>Current situation retribution for allowing our soil’s use against Afghans: Hafiz Saeed</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/325492/current-situation-retribution-for-allowing-our-soil%e2%80%99s-use-against-afghans-hafiz-saeed</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/325492/current-situation-retribution-for-allowing-our-soil%e2%80%99s-use-against-afghans-hafiz-saeed#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 22 Jan 12 13:49:07 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[mudassir.raja]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=325492</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan condemned to these problems until we repent for the 10-year-old sin, says JuD chief.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The current clash of institutions is the result of a sin that we committed 10 years ago by allowing our territory to be used against Afghan Muslims, Jamaatud Dawa chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed has said. 

“Until we repent for that grave mistake, we will never be able to overcome these issues,” he told a rally in Rawalpindi on Sunday, organised under the aegis of the Difa-i-Pakistan Council, which is an alliance of 40 religious and political parties.

The rally, which managed to pull as many as 20,000 people to the well-known Liaqat Bagh, was also attended by Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rasheed, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Sami chief Maulana Samiul Haq, former Inter-Services Intelligence chief Hamid Gul, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Munawar Hasan and Ahmed Ludhianvi, Pakistan Muslim League-Zia’s Ijazul Haq and former army chief General (retd) Mirza Aslam Baig.

Saeed, whose organisation is banned by the United Nations but continues to operate as a charity in Pakistan, said that closing Nato supply routes is not enough and Pakistan must re-evaluate its entire defence policy.

He said he had told Prime Minister Gilani that he will ask him a question in the Rawalpindi rally. The question, he said, is when will he announce the date that Pakistan will severe all its ties with the United States. “This is America’s war and we only want to fight Pakistan’s war.”

Saeed, whose JuD is believed to be linked to anti-India militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, said that India is a greater threat to Pakistan than even the US. “The current government is conspiring with the US to give in to Indian supremacy [in the region]. Granting the Most Favoured Nation status is part of that plan. We must practically oppose this.”

He said that the Difa-i-Pakistan Council is working to agglomerate all political and religious parties to fight these conspiracies and tackle the difficulties that Pakistan is embroiled in.

&nbsp;]]>
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			<title>JuD promises Imran Khan treat at Difa-e-Pakistan convention</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/323588/jud-promises-imran-khan-treat-at-difa-e-pakistan-convention</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/323588/jud-promises-imran-khan-treat-at-difa-e-pakistan-convention#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 18 Jan 12 17:11:45 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[owais.jafri]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=323588</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Imran Khan, Jamaat-e-Islami chief Munawar Hassan, Awami League chief Sheikh Rasheed to attend rally, say JuD.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[The Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) said on Wednesday that their January 29 Difa-e-Pakistan gathering would be attended by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan,  Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Munawar Hassan  and Awami League chief Sheikh Rasheed among other religious and political party leaders. The JuD added that they had confirmed their presence for the rally.

Addressing a gathering in Multan, the JuD leadership vowed that they would not step back and demanded the political and military leadership devise their decisions and policies keeping this in mind.

JuD has been very active recently in trying to unite people for the Difa-e-Pakistan convention in Multan on January 29.

JuD added that only an nuclear capable and armed Pakistan can survive in the future and that it should be defended at every cost.

They said that conspiracies were being hatched against Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, in the shape of declaring the country a failed or terrorist state.

'Secular forces have no attachment to Pakistan'

Hafiz Saeed, President JuD, said "we will not let Pakistan slide into the hands of secular forces in Pakistan as they have no attachment or relation with Pakistan.”

He added that the nation had come out of its ‘slumber’ and the government too should also come out from "US slavery".

“The drone attacks are proof that the level of loyalty of the government to the US and western powers is incomparable but at the same time, the fury of the people of Pakistan has also become immeasurable and it will sweep away the government.”

Saeed further said,“ I am happy to see the response of registration from the students, lawyers and civil society and farmers from Punjab for the biggest convention in the history of Pakistan to be held in Multan. We only want to show our hatred for the US and India through this gathering...we want them to etch it on their coffins that the nation is united and will defend the nuclear capability of Pakistan at any cost.”]]>
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			<title>Tribune’s Gamechangers 2011: Hafiz Saeed</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/317602/tribune%e2%80%99s-gamechangers-2011-hafiz-saeed</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/317602/tribune%e2%80%99s-gamechangers-2011-hafiz-saeed#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 13 Jan 12 13:00:58 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[express]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=317602</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[A permanent irritant in Pak-India ties.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[For the leader of a group officially labeled a terrorist organisation by the United Nations Security Council, Hafiz Saeed certainly doesn’t look worried. Able to operate as chief of the Jamaatud Dawa in Pakistan, this darling of the religious right staged a significant show of strength this year at the "Difa-e-Pakistan conference" at the Minar-e-Pakistan in December, where he called for jihad against India for the first time since the Mumbai attack.

Quote: "As long as Indian troops do not leave Kashmir, the jihad will continue."]]>
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			<title>Free to pursue jihad: Saeed appreciates Pakistan’s unique freedoms</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/315046/jud-chief-appreciates-freedom-in-pakistan</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/315046/jud-chief-appreciates-freedom-in-pakistan#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 01 Jan 12 14:09:31 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[rana.tanveer]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=315046</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Jamaatud Dawa chief says Pakistan’s struggles similar to Medina’s during Islam’s early years.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan is unmatched in terms of the freedom it allows for the pursuit of jihad and for the spread of Islam, said Jamaatud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed on Sunday.

In a statement released in English, Saeed said that he did not believe in modern nationalism, but no other “territory” in the world matched Pakistan and it was a great blessing from Allah.

He said Pakistan’s defence “lies in the Kalima Tayyaba”. He said non-Muslims were conspiring against Pakistan both internally and externally. They could only be defeated by “acting upon the methodology of the state of Medina”.

“Islam is not only a set of a few prayers and teachings. Islam is a complete code of life. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) has also taught us a strategy for the defence of countries, as he has taught us prayer, fasting and zakat ... the state of Medina had to face the treason and conspiracies of the non-believers of Mecca.”

“The Holy Prophet (pbuh) of Allah Almighty had to fight multi-dimensional and multi-faceted wars with non-believers,” he said. He said Pakistan faced the same geo-political circumstances.

He said Pakistan’s rulers valued their relationship with Europe and America too much. He said US allies India and Israel feared Pakistan because “they know very well” that when Muslims are ready to sacrifice themselves for their cause, no power in the world could stand in their way.

He said that the US, India and Israel had “evil and sinister” designs all over the world. “But all those traps and nets are breaking down as a result of the sacrifices of Muslims,” he said.

Saeed said there was a growing hostility between non-Muslims and Muslims. He said Islam would emerge as a great power in the coming days.

He said Pakistan was being targeted by conspirators because it had been established in the name of Islam. He said the memo scandal, drone attacks, the Abbottabad operation, bomb blasts and the attack on the Salala check posts were part of “the so-called war being fought in this region for the last decade”.

“Our rulers are trying to avert this war instead of taking counter measures against their conspiracies. They should not play with national solidarity and sovereignty. They should play a brave part in the defence of Islam and Pakistan,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 2nd,  2012.]]>
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			<title>JD vows to make Pakistan a Taliban state</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/299747/lash-back-jd-vows-to-make-pakistan-a-taliban-state</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/299747/lash-back-jd-vows-to-make-pakistan-a-taliban-state#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 29 Nov 11 21:16:57 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[express]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=299747</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[School kids brought to rally from Faisalabad on pretence of field trip for science exhibition.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Jamaatud Dawa (JD) has vowed to convert Pakistan into a Taliban state and to train young people to wage jihad against America and India, in the latest rally by the outlawed group here in the city.


JD activists as well as school children as young as 10 from various districts were brought to the Lahore Press Club in buses and vans for the ‘Talaba Jamaatud Dawa’ (Jamaatud Dawa Students) protest against the Nato attack that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.

Students aged 10 to 15 from Jhumra Sandal Islamic School, Faisalabad, and Tameer-i-Seerat Model School Sharaqpur, Sheikhupura, said that they had thought they were going to a science exhibition and that’s what they had told their parents.

One student from Sandal Islamic School gave this correspondent a form titled ‘Field Trip Permission’ that was signed by his mother. “Dear Parent or Guardian,” it reads. “Your child is going on a field trip. Please read the information at the top of this form, then sign and return the permission slip at the bottom of this form.” It goes on to say that the students would be taken to a science exhibition at Al-Mizan School, Faisalabad, and they would be back by 3pm. The protest did not end till 4:20 pm, when the participants got back in the vans and buses and drove to Nasser Bagh.

Speeches

Addressing the rally at the Press Club, JD leader Maulana Ameer Hamza said the army chief should know that he had the full support of the JD, which would turn its followers into skilled fighters. “JD will make all of its fighters into Taliban. There will be Taliban in Punjab University, in Government College, in Agriculture University Faisalabad,” he said.

Hamza demanded that the government must kick the Americans out of not just Shamsi airbase, but Shahbaz airbase as well, otherwise the JD would do so itself.

JD leader Hafiz Abdul Rehman Makki said Allah wanted them to get revenge from Christians and Americans. “We will kill Americans,” he said, adding that JD had trained hundreds of thousands of people for jihad.

He said the attack on the Pakistani check posts was intentional and an act of war against Pakistan.

He said it was the 32nd attack by US forces on Pakistan. “If the government does not get revenge from the US, we will,” he said.

He said that the United Arab Emirates should not have asked Pakistan to reconsider its decision to kick the Americans out of Shamsi.

Makki said it is 32nd attack of US forces on Pakistan and Pakistan should come out of war against terrorism. He accused the media of spreading propaganda against Islam and jihad and in favour of the United States.

JD leader Hafiz Saifullah Mansoor said they would kill 100 Americans for every Muslim killed. “Thousands of fighters are ready and waiting for a call from our leader Hafiz Saeed,” he said.

Abdullah Gul, son of former ISI chief Gen (retired) Hameed Gul, said it was time to “complete the revolution”. He said the people of Pakistan aspired to wage jihad and it was time to take up the sword,” he said. Jamaat-i-Islami Lahore Ameer Ameerul Azeem said Nato forces had reminded them all of the many wounds the country has suffered at the hands of America. He said Nato leaders were lying when they said the attacks were unintentional.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30th, 2011. ]]>
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			<title>Third rally in a week: Prepare for jihad, Jamaatud Dawa says</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/298508/jud-ji-raise-calls-for-jihad-against-us</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/298508/jud-ji-raise-calls-for-jihad-against-us#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 27 Nov 11 15:49:27 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[rana.tanveer]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=298508</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Fareed Ahmed Paracha, Syed Ali Gilani also address protestors.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Banned group Jamaatud Dawa (JD) protested in front of the Lahore Press Club on Sunday – its third demonstration in the city in a week – against the granting of most favoured nation (MFN) trade status to India and the NATO attack on Pakistani troops.

Some 800 protestors from Al Muhammadia Students Pakistan, JD’s youth wing, gathered at the press club carrying banners and placards calling for, among other things, Pakistan’s withdrawal from its alliance with the United States. Some young men wielded daggers. They later travelled in buses to Nasser Bagh and offered prayers for the Pakistani soldiers.

Addressing the rally, JD leaders urged the young protestors to prepare for jihad and urged the Pakistan Army to give a “befitting response” to the “NATO aggression”.

Maulana Abdul Rauf Farooqi said the Taliban, Muslims and Islam would succeed and their enemies would fail. He said “the enemy” had challenged Pakistanis by attacking the soldiers on Pakistani soil. He said if Shamsi Airbase was not vacated in 15 days, as the Pakistan government has demanded of the US, they would announce “a new war and jihad” against the Pakistani government.

He said this “new jihad” would be formally announced at the Defence of Pakistan Council rally at Minar-i-Pakistan on December 18. He said the US was “the mother of all evils” and the root of all Pakistan’s problems.

JD leader Maulana Ameer Hamza said the US was not an ally but an enemy. He said the US had been responsible for acts of terrorism in Pakistan for many years. He said instead of issuing “mere condemnation statements”, the government should force US citizens to leave Pakistan. “We have to eliminate all stations and bases given to the CIA if we want to end terrorism in Pakistan. All Pakistanis must get ready for jihad,” he said.

Jamaat-i-Islami leader Farid Ahmed Paracha said jihad was the only answer to “terrorism of any form, including drone attacks and attacks on checkpoints”. He said only jihad could rid Pakistan of external intervention. “We should go for an eye for an eye,” he said.

Syed Ali Gilani, leader of the Hurriyet Conference in Indian-held Kashmir, said in a telephone address that Pakistan’s problems lay in its alliance with the US. He said instead of giving India MFN status, Pakistan should help the Kashmiri people. He said Pakistan’s friendship with India hurt Kashmir’s struggle for independence and Pakistan’s sovereignty.

Professor Hafiz Abdul Rehman Makki led the funeral prayers at Nasser Bagh. He said every Pakistani had a duty to fight to defend the country’s borders and avenge the death of the soldiers in the NATO strike. “We urge the people of Pakistan to rise against the enemies of Pakistan and Islam. We will visit every nook and cranny of the country in this regard,” he said.

Jamaat-i-Islami Punjab Ameer Dr Syed Waseem Akhtar in a statement condemned the NATO attack as “an act of extreme cowardice” that must be answered “bluntly”. He said Pakistan’s people stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the army. He said the NATO supply line must be cut and airbases vacated permanently.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 28th, 2011.]]>
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			<title>Jamaatud Dawa to protest against India's MFN status</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/289103/jamatud-dawa-to-protest-against-indias-mfn-status</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/289103/jamatud-dawa-to-protest-against-indias-mfn-status#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 09 Nov 11 13:10:40 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[owais.jafri]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=289103</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[JuD announ­ces countr­ywide protes­ts and black days if India is grante­d Most Favour­ed Nation by Pakist­an.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Religious organisation Jamaatud Dawa on Wednesday announced organising countrywide protests and marking Fridays as black days if the Pakistani government opts to grant the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India.

Jamaatud Dawa calls itself a charity group and denies having anything to do with militancy, but many of its leaders and workers were formerly part of banned group Lashkar-i-Taiba (LT)

The leadership of the party blamed the government for not showing sympathy for the people of Kashmir and claimed that it has no right to declare India as MFN without the approval of the people of Kashmir.

“The peace in the region is related to the peace in Kashmir, not by building terms of friendship with India and increasing economical relations with India. Our government has been preferring destruction. If they have to do so, they had to declare it in their mandate,” the party said.

Ameer Hamza, a top party leader, said that it was Mohammad Ali Jinnah who had a vision about Kashmir and its importance for the people of Pakistan.

He said that the government has bargained nothing with India over granting the MFN status to it, as the armed forces of India will still hold their same positions on the borders.

“Their (Indian army’s) brutalism and barbarism is harsher in occupied Kashmir but our government is silent.”

“If India can give freedom to the people of Kashmir and will leave it, then India would be MFN not only for us but for the whole Muslim ummah and nations of the world,” Hamza added.

Earlier, a hardline Kashmiri leader also rejected the MFN status saying that Pakistanis should compel their government to take back their decision. Leaders in the Indian-administered Kashmir rejected the deal saying it was being done under pressure from the United States.

Pakistan’s cabinet last week announced that it had approved a proposal for normalising trade relations between the two neighbours and the eventual granting of the MFN status to India.]]>
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			<title>Food and faith</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/282677/food-and-faith</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/282677/food-and-faith#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 26 Oct 11 19:27:39 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[editorial]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=282677</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Orthodox forces should not be permitted to exploit the helplessness of people caught up in a natural disaster.]]>
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				<![CDATA[We have seen it happen before and we see it now again. Religious forces, acting with the immense dexterity and good strategy that they have become expert at, have taken up what should be the role of government and are providing food and other assistance to some 2,000 flood victims in camps in Badin. The Falah-e-Insaniyat (FeI), the philanthropic wing of the Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) — accused, among other things of involvement in the 2008 Mumbai attacks — is reported to be the organisation primarily engaged in the relief effort, with their activists also playing a role in rescuing people at a time when the waters in Badin rose high.

It is, of course, the inadequacy of the official machinery which allows forces like the FeI and its parent body to move into people’s lives in this fashion — and, for quite natural reasons, win favour with them. Precisely the same sequence of events took place after the 2005 earthquake and the 2010 floods. It is unfortunate that the government has not learnt its lessons and has allowed this to happen again. Of course, victims of natural disaster need help, but it should come from state agencies and their humanitarian partners, not those who seek to use occasions such as these to put across their own message, even while doing good work. This is especially significant in our context, where extremism has spread like wildfire.

There are indications the JuD is using the opportunity offered up to it on a silver platter, to present its message, which may not necessarily be to everyones benefit. Residents at camps say they are reminded to pray, while prayer mats and copies of the Holy Quran have been generously distributed. There is, despite JuD denials, obviously some degree of coercion involved. Hindu families have also been made to attend some preaching sessions. This is a situation that needs to be addressed. The many orthodox forces which still operate in our midst should not be permitted to exploit the helplessness of people caught up in a natural disaster, and this can happen only if the government agencies responsible for such tasks take their duties more seriously and prevent other forces from moving in.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 27th, 2011.]]>
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			<title>JuD includes religious lessons with flood relief</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/282160/flood-relief-camps-the-fine-line-between-banned-and-beneficent</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/282160/flood-relief-camps-the-fine-line-between-banned-and-beneficent#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 26 Oct 11 00:25:53 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[saba.imtiaz]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=282160</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Jamaatud Dawa doesn’t proselytise, discriminate or recruit at relief camps, says leader.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The two thousand people sheltering in tents are grateful to the young men who rescued them as the waters came. Now they live at the relief camps and are fed twice a day - a daily dose of food peppered liberally with religious teachings.


The camps in focus were set up by the Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FeF) — the philanthropy wing of the Jamaatud Dawa.

“They come and remind us again and again to pray namaz,” said Mazhar*, who fled Malkani and ended up at the Badin flood camp.

“Namaz parho, Quran parho, safai karo!” exclaimed one of the women, mimicking a female instructor at the camp. Say your prayers, read the Quran and keep clean.

“We are not forced to pray though,” Mazhar hastens to add. But there is plenty of encouragement. Families have been given prayer mats and copies of the Quran.

‘Educating’ the displaced

At the Golarchi relief camp, coordinator Mohammad Ashraf spoke at length about the classes in Islamic syllabus that are being imparted to the 60 families who reside there, 18 of them belonging to the Hindu faith.

“The biggest problem here,” he said, “is the lack of education.”

When asked to elaborate, Ashraf let forth. “There were old, bearded Muslim men who did not know how to recite the Kalima!”

“Now, Masha Allah, there is no one who does not. We have taught them the namaz, as well as the required prayers to recite before and after a meal.”

“Even the Hindus sit in the session because we tell them about cleanliness and also, it is consistent in all faiths to say God’s name before starting a meal.”

He evaded the question of whether camp residents are mandated to attend these sessions on religious education, which are held after Maghrib prayers for men and during the day for children.

However, JuD chief Hafiz Saeed told The Express Tribune, “We do not forcibly make children go to jihad or pray namaz. This is propaganda against us. You can go in and ask anyone at the camp. Firstly, you cannot ‘force’ anyone, and even if we did, no one would then come to our camps.”

‘Equal opportunities for all’

For a religious organisation which spends its time railing against the US and India, Saeed and other FeF members were quick to emphasise its ‘equal’ approach in rehabilitating flood victims of all faiths.

Saeed, who addressed hundreds of flood victims at Badin, said that the FeF had not differentiated because this was a tragedy and showed how ‘united’ the country was in this crisis.

Even though the Badin relief camp residents said there were no Hindu families at the camp – “This is a Muslim camp, the Hindus are across the road” - in Golarchi, there were 18 families and one woman insisted she had been treated well.

FeF workers also said they did not know why there had been discrimination in providing relief goods to Hindu flood victims. “In one case,” JuD’s public relations officer Nadeem said, “We had Hindu traders who would give us food and supplies directly because they trusted our distribution system.”

But, at the same time, Ashraf highlighted the case of Karhio Ghanhwar, a city where over 200 Hindu families had not been provided any aid by the government.

Even though the spotlight has been firmly trained on the JuD since its alleged role in the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai, Saeed believes that the organisation’s exoneration from the courts has helped improve its standing in Pakistan. However, the organisation’s role in relief work - including in the 2005 earthquake, 2008 IDPs crisis and the floods in 2010 - have prompted scrutiny, particularly from the foreign press. But does radicalisation happen when disaster strikes and FeF steps into action, or is it a long-term process?

Analyst Mosharraf Zaidi says it is the latter. “The thing that needs to be examined is radical organisations providing services that the government provides. So a non-state actor becomes a viable alternative to the state. There is a lot of chest-thumping and handwringing over this, but can the state writ be maintained when non-state actors have greater credibility than the state?”

(Read: Militant charities versus US aid)

*Names have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that the Jamaatud Dawa is a banned outfit.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 26th, 2011.]]>
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			<title>Deobandis, Wahhabis to join Qadri protests</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/267875/deobandis-wahhabis-to-join-qadri-protests</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/267875/deobandis-wahhabis-to-join-qadri-protests#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 06 Oct 11 02:39:19 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[rana.tanveer]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=267875</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Jamaat-i-Islami and Jamaatud Dawa among 40 parties backing protests.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Deobandi and Ahl-i-Hadith (Wahhabi) parties have jumped on the blasphemy bandwagon, with 40 religious parties resolving to start a countrywide protest movement against the death sentence handed to Mumtaz Qadri, assassin of Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer, at an “all parties conference” on Wednesday.


Barelvi parties such as the Sunni Tehreek and Jamiat Ahl-i-Sunnat had been protesting against the anti-terrorism court’s verdict since it was announced on October 1.

On Wednesday, more than 40 parties including representatives of Deobandi groups   Jamaat-i-Islami, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl and Sami groups), Aalmi Majlis Tahaffuz Khatam-i-Nabuwat, Tanzeem-i-Islami, Tehreek-i-Islami, Ittehadul Ulema Pakistan and Jamia Ashrafia – as well as Wahhabi groups   Jamaatud Dawa, Tehreek Hurmat-i-Rasool, and Muttahida Jamiat Ahl-i-Hadith – met to discuss a coordinated response to the sentence. Tehreek Namoos-i-Risalat and Tanzimul Madaris, both Barelvi groups, also attended.

The speakers criticised the court’s decision to sentence Qadri to death as against Islamic injunctions and the ideology of Pakistan.

JI Ameer Syed Munawwar Hassan said that the court’s verdict reflected an “unfortunate secularist atmosphere” in Pakistan. He urged the participants to unite against the judgement. He said there would be protests all over the country on Friday.

Tahaffuz Namoos-i-Risalat Mahaz, an alliance of Sunni Barelvi parties, has already called a strike on Friday.
Jamaatud Dawa Ameer Hafiz Saeed said the court’s decision was part of “the conspiracy against Islam” and an attack on Pakistan’s ideology. He said Muslims should stand up and tell the world that they are ready to die but not ready to allow blasphemy. He said all Muslims felt just like Mumtaz Hussain Qadri about the issue.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 6th, 2011.]]>
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			<title>Media downplaying our anger: Qadri backers</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/265539/media-downplaying-our-anger-qadri-backers</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/265539/media-downplaying-our-anger-qadri-backers#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 03 Oct 11 01:50:29 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[rana.tanveer]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=265539</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[More protests planned for coming week, Ahle Sunnat group issues fatwa.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Hardcore supporters of Mumtaz Qadri protested against his death sentence for a second day on Sunday, but in far fewer numbers and with much less disruption to routine city life.

Some 150 people marched in a Jamiat Ahle Sunnat Pakistan (JAS) rally that culminated at the Lahore Press Club. They voiced their anger at the sentence handed to the killer of Salmaan Taseer. They held banners and placards and chanted slogans condemning the government, the courts and the media, as well as America and the Catholic Church for good measure. Clerics made speeches accusing news organisations of downplaying Saturday’s protests and made thinly-veiled threats about the security of their owners. Addressing the protestors, JAS Lahore Ameer Professor Muhammad Abdul Aziz Niazi said that the federal government had put pressure on the court to sentence Qadri to death. He said ‘Muslims’ would not accept this and demanded that Qadri be released immediately.

He said the court should change its verdict, or they would boycott the courts as well as any politicians who did not join them in their protests. He said they would not vote for politicians who supported blasphemers. He said they would not let Qadri go to the gallows, “even at the cost of our lives”.

JAS leader Qari Ghulam Nabi Chishti said the president should pardon Qadri.

Maulana Muhammad Naeem said the court verdict was meant to “appease the US”. He said the owners of media outlets would “only be spared if they start giving coverage to our protests against blasphemers”.

Qari Muhammad Nawaz said anyone who blasphemed or supported blasphemers would meet the same fate as Taseer and Shahbaz Bhatti. “If killing a blasphemer is illegal under Pakistani law, we reject this law,” he said.

Munir Chishti, a JAS member from Nankana, said if Qadri were not released, “the rulers” would be assassinated.

More protests

Meanwhile, the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) and Tahaffuz Namoos-i-Risalat Mahaz announced that they would mark October 7 as a “black day” and organise protests all over the country.

SIC leader Sahibzada Fazle Karim said October 7 would mark the start of a ‘Movement for Qadri’s Release’. He said the SIC would also support Qadri’s legal defence. He warned the government that hanging Qadri would “light the country in an uncontrollable fire”, and warned: “don’t play with this fire”.

The TNRM said it would hold a demonstration on Monday in front of Data Darbar at 11am. The Anjuman Talaba-i-Islam plans to protest at the Press Club at 4pm today.

Maulana Ameer Hamza, convener of Tehreek Hurmat-i-Rasool Pakistan, an offshoot of Jamaatud Dawa, said they would announce a “comprehensive protest plan” after consulting with other religious parties.

Fatwa

More than 500 Ahle Sunnat muftis signed an edict (fatwa) declaring that the sentence given to Qadri violated the Quran and Sunnah. They said that Islam permitted the killing of blasphemers and their supporters.

They said the judge should have consulted religious scholars before deciding the case. They said the president should pardon Qadri under Article 45 of the Constitution.

They said the chief justice of Pakistan should take suo motu notice, summon religious scholars for assistance, and then give a decision in favour of Qadri.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 3rd, 2011.]]>
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			<title>Public speaking: Hafiz Saeed spearheads JuD charity drive</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/236654/public-speaking-hafiz-saeed-spearheads-jud-charity-drive</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/236654/public-speaking-hafiz-saeed-spearheads-jud-charity-drive#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 22 Aug 11 06:06:14 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[rana.tanveer]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=236654</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Banned group hosts Fajr gatherings to collect funds ‘for flood relief’.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Jamaatud Dawa (JD), which has been outlawed as a group that supports terrorist organisations since December 2008, has been holding regular Fajr gatherings in the city this Ramazan to solicit and collect donations for its activities, The Express Tribune has learnt.


JD was banned after the terrorist attack on Mumbai in November 2008 that was blamed on Lashkar-i-Taiba (LT). Its chief Hafiz Saeed insists that JD is a welfare organisation with no links to militant groups, but according to the United Nations, the Jamaat is a front for the Lashkar.

And on August 5 this year, the Interior Ministry issued a list of 25 religious and welfare groups that are not allowed to take part in alms collection activities in Ramazan – usually the most rewarding time of the year for collecting charity.

In previous years, the JD set up camps all over the city soliciting donations during Ramazan. This year, the group has been arranging speeches by Hafiz Saeed at various places and advertising them via poster, pamphlet and mass text messages. Hizbut Tahrir, another group banned from collecting charity in Ramazan, has also put up banners on The Mall.

On August 7, the JD organised such a gathering at Shahdara Stadium where Hafiz Saeed asked the audience for donations to help people affected by floods. Another was held yesterday at a marriage hall in Moon Market, Gulshan-i-Ravi.

Saeed started his speech on Sunday with a condemnation of India for “trying to flood Pakistan by deliberately releasing water in its rivers” and ended it with a plea for donations. He accused India of trying to flood Pakistani agricultural land and destroy thousands of acres of standing crops, and the government of letting India get away with it.

He said the JD had organised a special programme to give people affected by floods a brighter Eid. He said JD volunteers were active in flooded areas arranging for meals at sehar and iftar and distributing food and medicine. New clothes were being sent to the flooded areas for Eid. He said thousands of people left shelterless in Khoski, Shakurabad, Diplu and Golarchi awaited aid and appealed to citizens to donate to the cause.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 22nd,  2011.]]>
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			<title>Rationalising jihadi discourse</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/230632/rationalising-jihadi-discourse</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/230632/rationalising-jihadi-discourse#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 13 Aug 11 15:36:38 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[ayesha.siddiqa]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=230632</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[A visit to any elite university shows how increasingly radicalised is Pakistan’s affluent, exposed and educated youth.]]>
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			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A popular perception in Pakistan is that extremism, radicalism and militancy are primarily driven by poverty and lack of education. Give the boys jobs and you will detract them from going the jihadi route. This may be true for foot soldiers but militancy itself grows due to radicalism which has rapidly spread amongst the middle and upper-middle classes as well. Today, radicalism is part of an emerging pop culture. Under the circumstances, it would in any case become difficult to stop the poor from turning into foot soldiers not just because of financial reasons but also due to their desire to ape those socially above them.

Hizbut Tahrir’s penetration in the military and other segments of society indicates the acceptance of radical ideology amongst the upper-middle and middle classes which are targeted by entities like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Al-Huda as well. A visit to any of the elite universities will show how increasingly radicalised is Pakistan’s affluent, exposed and educated youth.

In these conditions, one wonders if authors like Humaira Iqtidar may contribute to further radicalisation by presenting the militant narrative as a rationalised discourse. Her book based on interviews with women of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) is an anthropological presentation of an intensely political matter, and this is part of the problem with her narrative.

Iqtidar uses the formula of certain scholars like Talal Asad in treating culture as a fixed variable in which religion, in turn, is a given. While searching for explanations to the presence of militant structures, the author of Secularising Islamists finds modern rationality in both the JI and the JuD. In doing so, she completely confuses modernity with secularisation and proffers the argument that the JI and JuD may oppose secularism but will end up secularising society. Furthermore, secularisation is the process of bringing religion in the public space. The contestation between the JI and JuD is seen as feeding the process of secularisation in the country.

Based on conversations with members of these two entities, the author concludes the behaviour of these people as expressions of freethinking and hence rationality. Strangely, Iqtidar’s ethnography does not include laments of JuD mothers who have unwillingly or half willingly lost their sons to jihad. Where does the story of that mother fit into her study who still hopes her son might be alive because the JuD did not return his dead body or clothes? Obviously, the author confuses the power of making a choice with the absence or presence of an environment that constraints free choice. Freedom of thought is seriously constrained when laws, even man-made, seem to have divine sanction. It is very difficult to challenge religious norms or even argue about the possibility of variation in interpreting holy text.

Conditions become even more problematic when states like Pakistan and Saudi Arabia mix religion with politics or use religion to legitimise political decisions. This is akin to standing in a race ahead of the starting line. The author believes that the JuD espouses pluralism, the evidence being greater tolerance of Shias. But other organisations have done similar things like Jaish-e-Mohammed opting to deviate from Maulana Fazlur Rehman Khalil’s Hizbul Mujahideen on the issue of sectarian violence because the state wanted it to.

Nor does pursuing non-religious activities like relief and welfare by militant outfits or use of modern technology increase the space for secularisation in a society. Non-militant acts are mere tools to attract people or hide the real objective, which is to expand globally. Looking at some of the recent work produced by British academia, which now claims to understand Islam, the Islamists seem successful. Their power has grown even more due to consistent help from the Pakistani state, an issue that the author does not discuss at length. With tremendous state patronage, the question of free will does not really arise.

Anthropologists risk getting entrapped emotionally by their subjects, which has happened to Iqtidar as well. Thus, she fails to discuss at length the myth of jihad and what it does to a society. One wonders what this discourse means for the youth already on the path of radicalisation.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14th, 2011.]]>
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			<title>Looming storm: Banned outfit’s leader whips up crowds in Khairpur</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/220872/looming-storm-banned-outfit%e2%80%99s-leader-whips-up-crowds-in-khairpur</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/220872/looming-storm-banned-outfit%e2%80%99s-leader-whips-up-crowds-in-khairpur#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 30 Jul 11 23:39:45 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[saba.imtiaz]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=220872</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Sectarian groups are becoming more entrenched in rural Sindh.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Malik Mohammad Ishaq, a leader of the banned Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, made an appearance in Khairpur on Friday to address the ‘Difaa-e-Sahaba’ conference in the city. The event was organised by Jamia Haidriah.


Ishaq was recently released on bail from Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail after serving 14 years of imprisonment. Ishaq was accused of killing 70 people in 44 cases. He was acquitted in 34 and granted bail in 10 cases, including one in which he was charged with plotting the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore.

Ishaq’s presence in Khairpur is significant since the city was home to SSP leader Allama Sher Hyderi, who was assassinated in August 2009. A speaker at the conference invoked Hyderi’s memory while introducing Ishaq.

Ishaq spoke of his resolve to continue with his mission, he praised the leadership of the SSP and said he would continue to make sacrifices and work to defend Islam.

Ishaq has been on a publicity tour of sorts after his release and has even addressed people in his hometown of Rahim Yar Khan. “He is re-establishing himself as a leader,” says analyst Ayesha Siddiqa. “Even though there was no curb on his activities when he was in jail - there was his involvement in the Sri Lankan cricket team attack and other plans as well - but his physical presence means that he can organise things better. He is strengthening his base and we do know that the SSP is spreading rapidly in Sindh. For example, Ghotki and Jacobabad are very affected - you see SSP graffiti and flags there.” Siddiqa offered a grim view of militancy in the province, where she says Jamaatud Dawa is also making inroads. “While we are talking of peace in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, the centre of militancy and radicalisation is in Sindh and Punjab.”

While he may have been in jail for 14 years, Ishaq appeared to be quite updated with the news of allegedly blasphemous content available online. He riled the crowd by describing blasphemous images in graphic detail. He also questioned the categorisation of religious leaders as being involved in militancy and sectarianism. The crowd waved flags and chanted slogans against a particular sect during his speech.

A video of Ishaq’s speech in Khairpur was uploaded to the official YouTube channel of the Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat (the SSP’s new name). Scores of men can be seen attending the event and chanting slogans.

The Express Tribune previously reported that Ishaq’s family received a stipend from the Punjab government while he was in jail. Ishaq has also been provided with two police guards. According to Interior Minister Rehman Malik, the man is under observation.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 31st, 2011.]]>
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			<title>Interview: JuD says it has no political ambitions</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/193807/interview-jud-says-it-has-no-political-ambitions</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/193807/interview-jud-says-it-has-no-political-ambitions#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 22 Jun 11 05:04:44 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[saba.imtiaz]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=193807</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Hamza says his party has not been charged with any wrongdoing.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) leader Maulana Ameer Hamza says the party has “no plans of entering politics”.


Despite helming a ‘Defence of Pakistan’ forum with religious and political parties on board, Hamza says JuD will not be a part of the political process.

“Politics is very dirty, it’s a business. If we enter politics we will be dirty too,” he told The Express Tribune during an interview at the Jamia al Dirasat Islamia seminary. “Our politicians do all sorts of dirty things under pressure from the US.”

“We see ourselves as being a pressure group that can have an impact on the government’s policy. Even in the Raymond Davis case, we consider it a success on our part that because of our pressure, Davis had to spend days in a Pakistani prison.”

Despite being placed on the United Nations’ consolidated list, the JuD sees no impact of the move or the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai, which were allegedly carried out by the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), believed to be JuD’s militant wing.

“We did face difficulties but support has increased,” Hamza said, “People have seen that the courts in Pakistan have cleared us and were not able to prove any wrongdoing, and there has been no proof against us in India either. They have also seen the humanitarian work we have done during the 2005 earthquake and the 2010 floods. Pakistanis from all over the country give us funds, including Pakistanis abroad who send money through their relatives.”

When asked about the case against JuD leader Hafiz Saeed, which has been filed in a New York court on behalf of a victim and families of victims of the 26/11 attacks, Hamza says, “This is not a legal case, this is politics. This case has been drummed up by the ‘Indian lobby’.”

He repeatedly refers to the ‘enemies of Pakistan’ – India, Israel and the US – as being responsible for terrorist attacks and claims that their target is the break-up of Pakistan and seizing its nuclear assets. Hamza also denied charges that the JuD is providing training to militants in Kashmir. “We only provide humanitarian assistance,” he says. “Now if someone wants to go take revenge, that’s their call.”

Why the JuD? “I don’t know. The LeT is believed to be doing this.”

And aren’t they one and the same? “No,” Hamza says, smiling. “We’re completely separate. The LeT is one group. There are many others.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 22nd, 2011.]]>
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			<title>We will defend ISI chief, not Hafiz Saeed: Foreign ministry</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/179218/we-will-defend-isi-chief-not-hafiz-saeed-foreign-ministry</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/179218/we-will-defend-isi-chief-not-hafiz-saeed-foreign-ministry#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 31 May 11 05:19:13 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[express]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=179218</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Jamaatud Dawa head wanted government’s help in US lawsuit.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has informed the Lahore High Court (LHC) that they will defend Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt-Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha in a civil lawsuit filed in a US court. However, they will not defend Jamaatud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed, who has been named as a co-defendant in the suit.


Deputy Attorney-General Naseem Kashmiri submitted the reply before the court. He said that the ISI chief is a part of the state machinery and so the government of Pakistan would provide him legal assistance. Justice Umar Ata Bandial of the LHC directed the counsel for Hafiz Saeed to file his rejoinder to the foreign ministry’s reply by June 30.

The Brooklyn court has issued summons to JuD chief Hafiz Saeed, ISI chief Ahmad Shuja Pasha, and ISI officials Major Iqbal and Major Samir Ali after a lawsuit was filed by relatives of US nationals killed in the Mumbai attacks. Through its lawyers, the government filed a response that the ISI and its officials enjoyed sovereign immunity from prosecution.

The suit was filed in November 2010 by the son of US nationals Rabbi Gabriel Noah Holtzberg and his wife Rivka, who were killed in the Mumbai attacks. Apart from the ISI officials, the suit names the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), widely believed to be responsible for the attacks, as a defendant.

Hafiz Saeed, through his counsel AK Dogar, submitted a petition that he is the head of Jamaatud Dawa, a charitable organisation, and has no links with the LeT. Saeed says that he was released by a full bench of the LHC after the government detained him in 2009, proving that he is not linked to any terrorist organisation.

Saeed says that as a citizen of Pakistan he should enjoy the same rights as any other individual. He asserts that the government should defend him in the same manner as the ISI chief and other officials.

The LeT was designated a foreign terrorist organisation by the US State Department in 2001 and declared an entity associated with al Qaeda by a UN Security Council Resolution in 2008. The same resolution also declared that the Jamaat-ud-Dawa is a front for the LeT.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31st, 2011.]]>
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			<title>Right-wing reaction: Denials, praise for Bin Laden in Friday sermons</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/163582/right-wing-reaction-denials-praise-for-bin-laden-in-friday-sermons</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/163582/right-wing-reaction-denials-praise-for-bin-laden-in-friday-sermons#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 07 May 11 05:03:47 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[rana.tanveer]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=163582</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Lashkar-e-Jhangvi threatens to launch revenge attacks, targeting ministers.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Even as al Qaeda leaders confirmed the target killing of their leader Osama Bin Laden, sermons in several mosques across Pakistan praised the international terrorist mastermind and railed against the United States for having conducted a raid on Pakistani soil.


The sermons were followed in many cities by small rallies organised by the Jamaat-i-Islami and the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI). The JI held rallies in Abbottabad, Peshawar, Lahore and Rawalpindi.

The Quetta and Karachi rallies were organised by the JUI. Minor demonstrations were also reported to have been held across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Several militant leaders gave pro-al-Qaeda sermons on Friday afternoon, including the former head of the Red Mosque in Islamabad, Maulana Abdul Aziz, who railed against the US attack and said: “‘Tum jitnay Osama maro gay, har ghar say Osama niklay ga” [no matter how many Osamas you kill, every household will produce another Osama].

Leaders of the banned Jamaatud Dawa – a group affiliated with the militant Laskhar-e-Tayyiba – during their Friday sermons claimed that the attack on Bin Laden in Abbottabad was a “drama staged by the United States”. Yet, even as they cast doubt over whether or not he was actually killed, JuD leaders kept referring to Bin Laden as a “martyr”.

JI Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chief Senator Ibrahim Khan, while leading an anti-US rally in Abbottabad called Bin Laden a “warrior of Islam” and a martyr, even as he kept casting doubts on whether or not the al Qaeda leader was dead.

JI leaders were also highly critical of the government, including the president, the prime minister and the military leadership for having failed to prevent what they referred to as a “violation of the country’s sovereignty”.

Many people attending Friday prayers were also sceptical that Osama Bin Laden was dead and seemed to put more credence in outlandish conspiracy theories.

The rally in Karachi was organised by a veritable who’s who of sectarian and militant organisations, many of which are banned, including the Jamaatud Dawa, the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, the Ahle Sunnat wal Jamat (ASWJ), formerly known as Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, and the anti-Ahmedi Majlis Tahafuz-e-Khatam Nabuwat (pbuh). They were joined by political parties such as the JUI and the Jamiat Ahle Hadith.

The rallies and pro-Bin Laden sermons come against the backdrop of increased threats by several banned militant organisations, including the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, an anti-Shia sectarian outfit, which said that it would carry out attacks to avenge the killing.

A spokesperson for the group, who preferred to be called Ali Sher Haideri said: “The Lashkar-e-Jhangvi will avenge the killing of the great leader [Osama Bin Laden] and now will target ministers of the incumbent government and security personnel.”

With additional reporting by Faraz Khan in Karachi, Obaid Abbasi and Azam Khan in Islamabad, Mudassar Raja in Rawalpindi, and Shehzad Baloch in Quetta

Published in The Express Tribune, May 7th, 2011.]]>
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			<title>Mumbai attacks case: FO becomes party in Hafiz Saeed’s petition</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/162908/mumbai-attacks-case-fo-becomes-party-in-hafiz-saeed%e2%80%99s-petition</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/162908/mumbai-attacks-case-fo-becomes-party-in-hafiz-saeed%e2%80%99s-petition#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 06 May 11 05:44:11 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[express]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=162908</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[LHC allows JuD chief to make Foreign Ministry party in a petition seeking directions for the govt to defend  Saeed.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Lahore High Court on Thursday allowed Jamat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed to make the Foreign Ministry a party in a petition seeking directions for the government to defend Saeed before a US court in the Mumbai attacks case.


The US court issued summons to Hafiz Saeed, ISI chief Ahmed Shuja Pasha and some other officials as a result of a lawsuit filed by relatives of US nationals killed in the Mumbai attacks. During Thursday’s proceedings, Deputy Attorney General Nasim Kashmiri said Saeed’s case falls in the domain of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs but he has not made the ministry party in his petition and instead wrongly put the Ministry of Defence and the ISI in the respondent memo.

Judge Umar Ata Bandial, giving time to the petitioner to file a new respondent memo in this regards, directed the Lahore High Court office to issue a notice to the Foreign Ministry seeking a reply on the matter immediately. The court then adjourned further proceedings on the matter till May 30.

US nationals Rabbi Gabriel Noah Holtzberg and his wife Rivka were killed in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Their son Moshe however survived and he along with others filed nine claims against banned outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) of which Saeed’s Jamaatud Dawa is said to be an affiliate.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 6th, 2011.]]>
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			<title>Mourning Osama in absentia: JuD calls off funeral in Pindi, makes fiery speeches in Karachi</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/161408/mourning-osama-in-absentia-jud-calls-off-funeral-in-pindi-makes-fiery-speeches-in-karachi</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/161408/mourning-osama-in-absentia-jud-calls-off-funeral-in-pindi-makes-fiery-speeches-in-karachi#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 04 May 11 05:12:52 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[umer.nangiana]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=161408</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Bin Laden supporters take part in the special prayers and then shouted slogans against the US.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) activists in Rawalpindi cancelled a planned funeral in absentia for Osama bin Laden, after contingents of police were deployed at the proposed site.


Claiming the government was pressurised by the US to stop them from holding the funeral, the activists claimed they dropped the plans to avoid any untoward incident since they were requested by the local administration.

‘Besides, we have already observed proper funeral in-absentia for [Osama bin Laden] in Lahore,” said an official of JuD while talking to The Express Tribune.

“[Bin Laden] deserved a proper burial, even if he was a terrorist for US,” said the official.

Even Indian soldiers in Kashmir used to hand over bodies of Mujahideen, who were terrorists to Indians, to their families for proper burial, he added.

The official, however, contended that Bin Laden’s grave would have turned into a shrine.

“Regardless of the fact that [Bin Laden] was against visiting shrines, followers were bound to give his grave conventional respect like they gave to his ideological predecessors,” said the official.

Sources told The Express Tribune that JuD’s second-in-command Abdur Rehman Makki had to lead the funeral prayers, a claim denied by JuD officials.

Meanwhile, scores of Bin Laden supporters attended his funeral prayers in Karachi, vowing to continue his mission against ‘foreign elements’ for ‘the sake of Islam’.

For the first time since the US claimed to have killed the al Qaeda chief on Monday, bin Laden’s funeral prayers in-absentia were offered in Karachi Tuesday evening.

The prayers were held by JuD activists on Gulshane Iqbal’s Main University road. Several other religious parties were also in attendance.

Waving their organisations’ flags, Bin Laden supporters took part in the special prayers and then shouted slogans against the US, and other Western countries, that have declared war against al Qaeda.

“Osama is a mindset. You can kill the person but cannot kill his mindset,” said a participant at the gathering.

The leaders addressed the participants after the prayers.

“Martyrdom is not a loss, but a matter of pride for Muslims,” said one of the leaders during the address, declaring the al Qaeda kingpin as ‘shaheed-e-inqilab’.

They vowed to not just continue Bin Laden’s mission but also accelerate it.

“[The US] has made a major mistake by killing him, because now more Osamas will be born,” said one of the speakers.

The JuD leaders added it was regrettable that Pakistan’s rulers expressed pleasure at Bin Laden’s death to please their “masters in America”, adding that they “should not invite the wrath of God” and that Bin Laden acted as a “spokesman of the people of Pakistan”.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 4th, 2011.]]>
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			<title>SSP, JuD call Osama Bin Laden a ‘martyr’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/160786/ssp-jud-call-osama-bin-laden-a-%e2%80%98martyr%e2%80%99</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/160786/ssp-jud-call-osama-bin-laden-a-%e2%80%98martyr%e2%80%99#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 03 May 11 14:40:33 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[rana.tanveer]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=160786</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Senior clerics, mostly belonging to the Deobandi sect, have come out strongly against reports of Osama's death.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Senior clerics, mostly belonging to the Deobandi sect, have come out strongly against reports of al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden’s death.


Chief of the proscribed Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), which has been renamed Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat, Maulana Muhammad Ahmed Ludhianvi has strongly condemned what he called “illegal interference into Pakistani territory” by American military forces and termed Bin Laden’s death an “act of martyrdom”.

Ludhianvi questioned the need for killing Osama when he could ‘easily’ have been captured alive. He said that, like every other Muslim in the world, he too supported Osama’s declared opposition to “Dunya-e-Kufr” (land of infidels). Jamia Binoria Karachi’s senior Deobandi cleric Mufti Muhammad Naeem said that individuals die but the movement they leave behind continues on. “I think Sheikh Osama’s death won’t have any effect on his movement,” he said.

Senior Deobandi cleric and leader of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Sami (JUI-S) Maulana Asad Thanvi said one shouldn’t forget the sacrifices that Bin Laden made in the global jihad against Soviet forces in Afghanistan in the 1980s, adding that Bin Laden’s role in the 9/11 attacks was never proved.

Meanwhile, Senior Sunni Tehreek and Barelvi leader Shahid Ghauri said the Foreign Office needs to clarify a number of details.

Senior Shia cleric Abbas Kumaili said that although it is true that al Qaeda provided an umbrella to anti-Shia militant groups, it was also true that “the blood of Shias in Pakistan was spilling even before Osama’s organisation was formed so I think danger still lurks. In fact, there might be a strong backlash,” he said.

Meanwhile, in Lahore, Deobandi, Wahabi and Barelvi parties have also condemned the operation. Proscribed Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) also condemned the killing and termed it “martyrdom after a courageous retaliation” with US forces. JuD head Hafiz Saeed also held a funeral in absentia for Bin Laden at Markizul Qadsia in Lahore, in the presence of hundreds of JuD activists.

Jamaat-i-Islami Chief Munawar Hasan condemned Prime Minister Gilani’s statement endorsing the US action and said this only showed how rulers were happy on being US slaves. “Islamabad’s reaction is totally ignorant of the nation’s mood as the nation is in a state of shock,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 3rd, 2011.]]>
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			<title>In defiance: Banned outfit challenges government writ</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/149661/in-defiance-banned-outfit-challenges-government-writ</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/149661/in-defiance-banned-outfit-challenges-government-writ#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 15 Apr 11 05:11:19 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[azam.khan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=149661</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Police sieged the press club where Hizb-ut-Tehrir had planned a seminar.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[In defiance of the writ of the government, Hizb-ut-Tehrir, a banned outfit, had planned to hold a seminar at the National Press Club on Thursday to rally for a Khilafat system in the country.


This was among numerous other attempts by the organisation to challenge a government ban on its activities.

The capital police, however, foiled the attempt. Attired in riot gear, the police laid siege to the National Press Club where an exhibition was to be held to promote and rally for “Khilafah - the alternative system the world is waiting for”. The police stormed the press club and confiscated books, charts, CDs and other material.

The organisation has successfully held numerous protests and rallies in recent days, attracting attention and media coverage. However, by holding a planned seminar and that too at the National Press Club, the organisation demonstrated how organised and well-funded it is despite a several year ban on its activities.

When contacted on phone, workers of the organisation termed the police action a “conspiracy of Kuffar (non-muslim) against the Khilafat”. The text message read, “This [police action] proved that the [present] Kuffar regime does not want the Ummah to know about the system of the Khilafah.” Another text message sent by the organisation members said, “We urge media not to be a silent spectator.”

An official of Interior Ministry raised questions as to why the banned outfit was allowed to hold a seminar at the National Press Club. To this, the president of the National Press Club, Afzal Butt, responded, “That was a mistake of some of my friends.” He added, “It is against our policy to allow such organisations to hold functions at the club.” However, invitation cards of the seminar, also sent to all major news agencies, bore signatures of the National Press Club Secretary.

According to sources, the banned outfit is planning countrywide rallies with the slogan “Eject America, remove the treacherous rulers and bring back the Khilafah”. A pamphlet of the outfit read, “A huge wave of change has spread throughout the Ummah. Muslim youth have taken to the streets against tyrant and treacherous Muslim rulers.”

A recent gathering outside the National Press Club on Monday raised concerns when, Hafiz Saeed, the chief of another banned outfit Jamaatud Dawa, addressed a gathering while being provided security protocol from the city police.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 15th, 2011.]]>
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			<title>Kashmir dispute: Hafiz Saeed demands nothing less than troop pullout</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/147967/kashmir-dispute-hafiz-saeed-demands-nothing-less-than-troop-pullout</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/147967/kashmir-dispute-hafiz-saeed-demands-nothing-less-than-troop-pullout#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 12 Apr 11 05:24:58 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[azam.khan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=147967</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Chief of proscribed Jamaatud Dawa rejects Indo-Pak diplomatic channels.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Chief of proscribed Jamaatud Dawa Hafiz Muhammad Saeed has said that he will accept nothing less than the withdrawal of Indian troops from Kashmir.


“We don’t believe in cricket diplomacy or any other backdoor channel that the government adopts with India,” Saeed said in a fiery speech at the National Press Club, Islamabad, where scores of JuD activists had gathered to hold a memorial for slain Kashmiri leader Maulana Shaukat Shah.

Saeed asked parliamentarians to adopt a clear Kashmir policy and become the voice of millions of Pakistanis and Kashmiris in the freedom movement. “Mujahideen (freedom fighters) are determined to continue their struggle till the logical end of the Kashmir movement,” he said.

Saeed dispelled the impression that the Kashmir freedom movement has lost its momentum but admitted that since 9/11, it had slowed down to an extent. He said that the successive governments of Pakistan had bowed to pressure from India and the international community as far as the Kashmir issue is concerned. “But I want to make one thing clear. If Russian forces had to leave Afghanistan and now the Americans are looking for a safe exit, then Indian forces will have to leave soon,” he said.

He chose not to reply to a question regarding assistance from the armed forces to the Kashmir movement.

New Delhi believes that Saeed’s JuD is linked to the Lashkar-e-Taiba, which it blames for the 26/11 Mumbai attacks that killed as many as 163 people. The attack halted the composite dialogue between Pakistan and India, which has only recently resumed. Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani also met Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the sidelines of a recent World Cup semi-final match between the Pakistani and Indian cricket teams.

Since its establishment in 1985, the JuD has established several departments to systemise and regulate its activities. The organisation has a special emphasis on relief activities and actively participated in relief work after the devastating earthquake that hit northern Pakistan, including Azad Kashmir, on October 8, 2005.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12th,  2011.]]>
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			<title>Counter-terrorism strategy: The impact of ‘banning’ an organisation</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/147962/counter-terrorism-strategy-the-impact-of-%e2%80%98banning%e2%80%99-an-organisation</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/147962/counter-terrorism-strategy-the-impact-of-%e2%80%98banning%e2%80%99-an-organisation#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 12 Apr 11 05:18:59 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[saba.imtiaz]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=147962</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Analysts believe bans, raids and arrests are merely for show.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[During a Senate session last week, Interior Minister Rehman Malik inadvertently highlighted the issues with Pakistan’s counter-terrorism strategy.


In response to a question about bans on ‘religious and welfare organisations’, Malik told the Senate that only four groups have been banned over the past three years for their involvement in terrorism.

The answers to other questions revealed what the ‘impact’ of these bans has been. Over 8,000 people were injured and 3,169 were killed in 2,148 terrorist attacks during 2008-2010, excluding the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).

There are also issues with prosecuting suspects – Malik said 352 of the 606 suspects of terrorist attacks were acquitted by the courts in the same time period.

Well-known organisations were first banned in the early 2000s, but others remained off the radar. Al Qaeda was banned in 2003, two years after the 9/11 attacks, and the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan was banned in 2008. Religious groups who fundraise for militant organisations or groups like Jundullah – which Malik blamed for the Ashura attack in Karachi in 2009 – did not make the list.

Banning organisations does not signal an end to their activities. The government has previously claimed that thousands of activists of banned organisations are being monitored and have been placed on the fourth schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).

In its assessment of the security situation in 2010, the Pakistan Institute of Peace Studies stated, “Better coordination among intelligence agencies, capacity building of law enforcement agencies, curbs on terrorism financing and, most importantly, adequate measures to prevent banned militant groups from operating across the country remained persistently lacking.”

“The bans have had no major impact,” says analyst Imtiaz Gul. “Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad have continued their activities under different names. The government has not banned Jamaatud Dawa (JuD), even though the United Nations has banned it. There is a tacit acceptance of their activities.”

According to the ATA, when an organisation is banned, its accounts are frozen, its literature and digital material is seized and the publication of literature, issuing statements to the press or addressing public gatherings is banned. The organisation has to submit income and expenditure accounts for its political and social welfare activities and disclose funding sources to the government.

Last year, five armed groups in Balochistan were banned, which has not served to quell the insurgency in the province. Banned organisations openly operate with new aliases, fundraise and channel funds, distribute literature and run charity wings. Their websites, statements and videos are easily accessible.

While the government did ban organisations again which had regrouped with new names, this does not appear to be a uniform policy. JuD operates openly as the Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation and has at least seven other aliases. The US added the foundation to its list of blacklisted organisations in 2010, recognising that LeT used the name to evade scrutiny.

Since the bans are not effective, financing and recruitment continues. According to a US embassy cable released by WikiLeaks, LeT’s annual military operations budget was Rs365 million. A suicide bomber recently arrested in Dera Ghazi Khan revealed that over 400 suicide bombers were being trained in North Waziristan.

Banning an organisation is a first step, which needs to be followed up by a comprehensive strategy and enforcement. But while the bans, raids and arrests are loudly touted as Pakistan’s commitment to combating terrorism, analysts believe they are merely for show, given how these ‘banned groups’ work and recruit openly.

Outlawed entities

2001

August 14, 2001     Lashkar-e-Jhangvi

August 14, 2001     Sipah-e-Mohammad Pakistan

2002

January 14, 2002   Jaish-e-Mohammad

January 14, 2002   Lashkar-e-Taiba

January 14, 2002   Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan

January 14, 2002   Tehrik-e-Jafria Pakistan

January 14, 2002   Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi

January 14, 2002   Tehrik-e-Islami

January 14, 2002   Sunni Tehrik (Watch list)

2003

March 17, 2003      Al Qaeda

November 15, 2003                Millat-e-Islamia Pakistan

November 15, 2003                Khuddamul Islam

November 15, 2003                Islami Tehrik Pakistan

November 20, 2003                Jamiatul Ansar

November 20, 2003                Jamiatul Furqan

November 20, 2003                Hizbul Tehrir

2004

October 27, 2004   Khairun Naas International Trust

2006

April 7, 2006           Balochistan Liberation Army

August 21, 2006     Islamic Students Movement of Pakistan

2008

January 30, 2008   Lashkar-e-Islam

January 30, 2008   Ansarul Islam

January 30, 2008   Haji Namdar group

August 25, 2008     Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan

Source: National Assembly Question &amp; Answers session, August 5, 2009 – na.gov.pk

&nbsp;

Jamaatud Dawa (JuD), Al Akhtar Trust and Al Rashid Trust were enlisted under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1267 on December 10, 2008, but it is unclear if they are officially banned in Pakistan. According to an old list of banned organisations, JuD was banned in 2003. The UN Consolidated List includes organisations based in Pakistan, or which have/had offices in the country: the alHaramain Foundation, Benevolence International Foundation, Global Relief Foundation, Harkatul Jihad alIslami, Rabita Trust, Jamiat Ihia alTurath alIslamiya, Ummah Tameer-e-Nau and the Wafa Humanitarian Organisation.

In September 2010, Interior Minister Rehman Malik announced that five armed groups in Balochistan had been banned: the Balochistan Liberation Army, Baloch Liberation Front, Baloch Mussalah Difaah Tanzeem, Baloch Republican Army and the Baloch Liberation United Front.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12th,  2011.]]>
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			<title>WikiLeaks: ‘LeT’s annual budget for operations is Rs365 million’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/86849/wikileaks-%e2%80%98let%e2%80%99s-annual-budget-for-operations-is-rs365-million%e2%80%99</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/86849/wikileaks-%e2%80%98let%e2%80%99s-annual-budget-for-operations-is-rs365-million%e2%80%99#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 07 Dec 10 04:33:01 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[saba.imtiaz]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=86849</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Leaked US State Department memo details the relationship between JuD and LeT.]]>
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				<![CDATA[A leaked US State Department cable features details of the financial workings of Jamaatud Dawa (JuD).

The cable discusses a de-listing petition submitted by JuD and its leader Hafiz Saeed to be removed from the UN 1267 committee list and features details of JuD’s financial workings.

The UN 1267 committee is also known as the al Qaeda and Taliban sanctions committee.

The August 10, 2009 cable features a ‘non-paper’ prepared by the US in February 2009, detailing the links of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) with JuD. A non-paper is an unofficial representation of government policy.

The document notes that Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, LeT’s military operations chief, is responsible for the organisation’s military operations budget of Rs365 million ($5.2 million) annually. “He reportedly used the money to purchase all materials required for LeT operations other than weapons and ammunition, according to a source claiming direct and ongoing access to LeT leaders.”

The cable states that JuD relies heavily on private donations, NGOs, madrassas and businesses spread throughout South Asia, the Middle East and Europe. While JuD and its aliases use “funds raised both from witting donors and by fraud” to pay for social services or humanitarian relief projects, the money is also siphoned off to finance LeT operations. “To demonstrate results to donors, JuD would finance the cost of building a new school or upgrading facilities at a madrassa, but would inflate the cost to siphon money to LeT.”

It claims that despite being detained after the 26/11 attacks, Lakhvi and Saeed continue to run the organisation.

Lakhvi and Saeed have been named in a lawsuit filed by Mumbai attack victims’ families in New York. Lakhvi is one of the seven accused in a trial under way at the Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court on the Mumbai attacks. He was listed by the UN 1267 committee in December 2008 as an individual associated with al Qaeda.

According to a leaked February 2009 cable, the US ambassador to Pakistan wrote that the Pakistan government has reassured them that “prosecutors will win convictions against all the defendants after a trial lasting several months, though it has a stronger case against the five LeT operatives than against the two terrorism financers.” Indian Home Secretary GK Pillai has called the case a “facade”.

The JuD and Saeed were placed on the UN 1267 list after 26/11. The cable notes that a request to place them on the list prior to the attacks was “placed on hold by China at the behest of Pakistan.”

Aliases used by JuD

Tehreek-e-Hurmat-e-Rasool

Tehreek-e-Azadi-e-Kashmir

Paasbaan-e-Ahle Hadith

Paasban-e-Kashmir

Al Mansoorian

Al Nasaryeen

Idara Khidmat-e-Khalq

Falah-e-Insaniyat

Sources: US State Department cable dated August 10, 2009, Consolidated List maintained by UN 1267 committee

Published in The Express Tribune, December 7th, 2010.]]>
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			<title>WikiLeaks: US suspected ISI, military of supporting LeT, JuD</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/86150/wikileaks-us-suspected-isi-military-of-supporting-let-jud</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/86150/wikileaks-us-suspected-isi-military-of-supporting-let-jud#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 05 Dec 10 07:23:29 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[saba.imtiaz]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=86150</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Cable reveals US shared concerns about Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jamaatud Dawa two years before Mumbai attack.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Precisely two years before Lashkar-e-Taiba linked militants attacked Mumbai, the US had shared concerns about Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) with the Pakistan government.

In a November 27, 2006 cable, the US ambassador to Pakistan wrote that there was a growing concern in the US government about LeT/JuD support towards the insurgency in Afghanistan.

Documents released by WikiLeaks also reveal that the US and the UK were unclear whether the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was directly involved in the attacks. On the other hand, other leaked documents highlight the military and ISI’s willingness to prevent another attack in India.

In a February 2009 memo, issued prior to Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani’s visit to Washington DC, US ambassador to Pakistan Anne Patterson wrote that the military and ISI, “continue to provide overt or tacit support to proxy forces (including the Haqqani group, Commander Nazir, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and LeT) as a foreign policy tool. The single biggest message Kayani should hear in Washington is that this support must end.”

Former UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband is quoted in a memo as having told President Zardari that the LeT needed to “feel the full force of the law”. UK officials feared a military response to the 26/11 attacks from India.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 5th, 2010.]]>
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			<title>Banned outfits defy ban on hides collection</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/79065/banned-outfits-defy-ban-on-hides-collection</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/79065/banned-outfits-defy-ban-on-hides-collection#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 20 Nov 10 02:32:42 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[express]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=79065</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Some 31 banned outfits launched hides collection campaign under the guise of welfare organisations during Eidul Azha.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Banned outfits in defiance of restriction on their activities imposed by the authorities of the twin cities  of Islamabad-Rawalpindi collected hides of sacrificial animals.

Some 31 banned outfits successfully launched hides collection campaign under the guise of welfare organisations during Eidul Azha, The Express Tribune learnt.

The focus of concerned authorities remained on security related issues, an official in Islamabad administration told The Express Tribune. He said that the administration did not take any stern action against these banned outfits due to prevailing security threats.

The administrations of the twin cities had made an agreement before Eid to ensure strict action against outfits that were found involved in hide collection. Police in the twin cities were instructed to take action against any banned organisation that tries to collect hides of sacrificial animals.

Deputy Commissioner Amir Ali Ahmad denied the information and said due to the administration’s efforts, a very small number of organisations set up their camps to collect hides of sacrificial animals this year. To a query, he said if a banned outfit operated under its changed name, it was an exception. He said one should point out such illegal camps and the administration would direct police to take action against them.

DC said it was quite difficult to differentiate between welfare organisations and banned outfits, but if such organisations come in the administration’s notice, stern action would be taken against them.

Yahya Mujahid, spokesperson for Jamaatud Dawa (JuD), said under Falah-e-Insaniayat’s banner, JuD set up seven camps in the federal capital city and ten such camps in the adjacent city of Rawalpindi.

To a query, he said that JuD was not a banned outfit. “But yes, we are under observation,” he added. He claimed that JuD was not involved in any terrorist activity.

Mujahid said his organisation was unable to collect a considerable number of hides for their welfare activities.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 20th, 2010.]]>
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			<title>Banned outfits set to collect hides</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/78335/banned-outfits-set-to-collect-hides</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/78335/banned-outfits-set-to-collect-hides#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 17 Nov 10 10:06:41 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[umer.nangiana]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Police has been directed to stop any banned outfit from setting up hide collection points.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Police in the twin cities have been instructed to take action against any banned religious organisation that tries to collect hides of sacrificial animals during Eidul Azha. However, the representatives of the banned outfits claim they are “all set to collect the hides under the guise of welfare organisations.”

“No banned religious outfit will be allowed to establish their camps or collection points anywhere in the city,” said Commissioner Rawalpindi Zahid Saeed. “We will keep a check on the activities of these organisations during Eid days.” He said that unlike past years, their attempts to collect hides will also be resisted in the federal capital.

Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Amir Ali Ahmed said that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has been directed to prevent any outfit from establishing hide collection points in the city without prior permission from the administration.

With the agreement made by the administration of the twin cities barring outfits from collecting hides freely, not many banners and posters appealing for hides were seen in the two cities. However, a member of Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) said, “If they prevent us from collecting hides openly, we will do it under the umbrella of our welfare organisation called Falah-e-Insaniyat.” Other banned outfits will also operate under the their welfare organisations, he added.

JuD, the largest collector of hides of sacrificial animals on Eidul Azha, was banned for its alleged links to militants involved in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. The organisation was also involved in Kashmiri Jihad.

A spokesperson of JuD maintained that the organisation was no longer banned since the government was unable to prove the allegations against their chief Hafiz Saeed . “Due to the false cases against us for our alleged involvement in terrorism cases, we are closely monitored and cannot campaign for the collection of hides openly.”

The religious outfits — banned or not — claim they utilise the collected hides of the animals to generate money for the needy and for welfare projects. However, sceptics allege that the funds generated through selling hides are used to purchase logistic support including weapons for their “Jihad” missions.

Despite being aware of this, no city police or administration official can take any action against such organisations who claim to work for the welfare of the people through their campaigns.

There are over 30 welfare organisations working under the umbrella of the religious outfits that were banned for their suspicious activities.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 17th, 2010.]]>
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			<title>Hafiz Saeed speaks at LHC Bar Association</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/75920/hafiz-saeed-speaks-at-lhc-bar-association</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/75920/hafiz-saeed-speaks-at-lhc-bar-association#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 12 Nov 10 03:22:30 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[rana.tanveer]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=75920</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[He said that Obama’s visit to India was part of a conspiracy against Pakistan and China.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Ameer Jamaatud Dawa Hafiz Muhammad Saeed said that Obama’s visit to India was part of a conspiracy against Pakistan and China. “America wants India to stand against China, but India will never comply as it has been exploiting America,” said Saeed.

Saeed expressed his views, on Thursday, while addressing a seminar organised by Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) at the Karachi Shuhada Hall. Saeed said the politics of Pakistani rulers revolved around America and the rulers conceded to anti-Islam policies. He said no international organisation was working on the behalf of Muslims which had led to coercion in Kashmir and the conviction of Dr Aafia Siddiqui. “I have cogent evidence of Aafia’s abduction from Karachi but Pakistani agencies have become the slave of America.”

He said America always imposed war on Muslims and no international organisation had the courage to resist. He said that the Pakistani government must take all parties in confidence before taking any decision about Kashmir. He said according to United Nations resolutions, Kashmir was a disputed area that had been occupied by India.

Ameer Jamaat-i-Islami Syed Munawar Hassan said that America always supported the Indian point of view on Kashmir and could not be an impartial arbitrator. He said, “Obama’s visit to India was a total eyewash. America has always hurt Pakistan in the name of friendship.”

Hassan was speaking at a seminar organised by the Hurmat-i-Rasool Committee of the Lahore High Court Bar Association on Thursday. The seminar was held to highlight the Kashmir issue, American interference in Pakistani affairs and the conviction of Dr Aafia Siddiqui. Hassan said Muslims had been held responsible for every terrorist attack in the world without any investigation or evidence. He said America, with the help of anti-Islamic forces, had placed Muslims in the category of terrorists while in reality America was playing the role of international terrorist under the garb of war against terror. He said America had always violated human rights and dragged Muslim countries into wars.

The JI chief said American oppression and cruelty was the reason behind Muslim extremism. He said Americans never condemned the violation of the religious sentiments of Muslims even when blasphemous caricatures of the Holy Prophet were made and pages of the Holy Quran were burnt.

He said 9/11 showed the complete failure of the American administration but only one man, Osama Bin Laden, was held responsible. Not a single non-Muslim, he said, was punished for hurting Muslims. He criticised the conviction of Dr Siddiqui after an ‘unfair trial’.

He said Pakistani rulers yielded to American pressure and urged them to change their policies.

Hassan said there was a great philosophy behind the slogans of ‘Go America Go’ and ‘No to American slavery’. “We have to change our deeds to end the American monopoly,” he said.

LHCBA Hurma-i-Rasool Committee senior vice president Sardar Mohabat Ali Dogar, secretary Jamil Faizi, bar president Mian Abdul Qaddus, secretary Babar Murtaza, columnist Altaf Hassan Qureshi and Advocate Muhammad Azhar Siddique also spoke at the seminar.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 12th, 2010.]]>
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