Pakistan

Malik asks JI to prove Blackwater/Xe presence in Pakistan

Malik says there is no presence of Blackwater or any other foreign agency in the country.

Express October 30, 2010

MANSOORA:

Interior Minister Rehman Malik requested the leadership of Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) to provide solid evidence, if any, concerning the presence of Blackwater/Xe – a private security company – in Pakistan during his visit to Mansoora, the party’s headquarters, on Friday.

Dr Farid Ahmed Paracha, the JI spokesperson, said the party leadership pointed out during the meeting that the name of Blackwater/Xe was being discussed in the context of the prevalent terrorist attacks across the country.

He said that Malik categorically rejected the impression that Blackwater/Xe was working in the country, as he had earlier stated that some other organisations were actually responsible for the wave of unrest.

The interior minister urged the JI to share information, if they had any, assuring that the government will take stern action against such elements.

While talking to The Express Tribune, Paracha, however, said that Malik’s request lacked seriousness.he said it was not possible for the interior ministry to remain ignorant about the existence of Blackwater/ Xe when his party had solid information in this regard.

“The act of seeking information about Blackwater/Xe from JI is a ploy used by the interior minister to deflect the JI’s demand,” Paracha said.

Earlier, Interior Minister Rehman Malik met JI chief Syed Munawar Hasan at Mansoora to discuss the prevalent terrorist activities, targeted killings in Karachi and the attacks on shrines besides the domestic political situation in the country. Qazi Husain Ahmed, the former Jamaat chief, was also present at the meeting.

Munawwar Hasan remarked that he had suggested to the interior minister to establish a PPP-led single party government in Sindh to avoid instability and also establish a single entity responsible for security in Karachi. Talking to the media after the meeting, he said that foreign organisations such as the Blackwater/Xe and Indian secret agencies were behind terrorist activities, adding that collective efforts were required to foil such activities.

Qazi Hussain Ahmed said that mere apprehension of elements involved in attacks at shrines was not enough, adding that forces behind such incidents must also be exposed.

Malik also attended a high level meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Shairf on the law and order at the chief minister’s secretariat in Lahore. Malik briefed the participants about the law and order situation, growing challenges and strategy to curb terrorism.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 30th, 2010.

COMMENTS (10)

Tanzeel | 14 years ago | Reply Malik makes sense, its time for JI to share information on the basis of which they drag Blackwater in every other issue.

ADIL | 14 years ago | Reply Blackwater/Xe may have presence in Pakistan but it is gross naivety to blame them for terrorist activities for whihc TTP have claimed responsibility.

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Ahmer Ali | 14 years ago | Reply Assalam-o-Allaikum Warahmatullah.Very funny statement given by Rehman Malik but in today's (30/10/2010) urdu newspaper "Daily Express" this confessional news has been on last page published by US defense ministry that Black Water's activities are in full swing in Pakistan.Then how can Rehman Malik's statement can be considered to be true and credible in which he said to prove Black Water presence in Pakistan?Our leaders are fooling and deceiving the whole nation.Our leaders this hypocritical attitude is impossible to understand.

SKChadha | 14 years ago | Reply Ha Ha Ha, JI is requested to make a public announcement, for all foreign agencies and terrorist groups, inviting them to sign and put their seal on visitor's books kept at President's house or at Minar-e-Pakistan on a red carpet for proof to Hon'ble Malik Sahib ... ???

amjad | 14 years ago | Reply No responsible person should make any blankets based on heresay. As long as these people are not interferring in Pakistan' affairs no one should care. American.s do contract out lot of services. This Afghan war is a financial blessing for lot of Afghanis, Pakistanis, and Americans. Their hope is, this war never ends, and American tax payers and their future generations keep backing this war even if they go broke.

Pashtun | 14 years ago | Reply Has any one seen any Blakwater operator in Pakistan?You believe their presence because you want to believe it.Rehman Malik has made a logical offer, if any one know about their presence ,they should inform the ministry,and in case no action is taken then the Government should be blamed.Our problem is that our degree holders are uneducated.The people who have commented above must be having degrees.They do not bother as to why Blackwater is here?Their objectives?Where do they reside?The reason is that all the above can not think clearly.The illiterate of villages are more wiser than these parha likha unparh from the largest Province.

Sultan Ahmed. | 14 years ago | Reply It is wrong to say, American interference has been finished and there is no American or black water agency in Pakistan. The fact is that American don't believe any third person, O would like to advice our interior minister to check foreign media what is writing Washington Post and Financial times now a days.

Jehanzeb Malik | 14 years ago | Reply The following was published by the New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/12/us/politics/12blackwater.html December 12, 2009 Blackwater Loses a Job for the C.I.A. By MARK MAZZETTI WASHINGTON — The Central Intelligence Agency has terminated a contract with the security company formerly called Blackwater Worldwide that allowed the company to load bombs on C.I.A. drones in Pakistan and Afghanistan, intelligence officials said Friday. The contract gave employees with the company an operational role in one of the Central Intelligence Agency’s most significant covert programs, which has killed dozens of militants with Predator and Reaper drones. The company’s involvement highlighted the extent to which the C.I.A. had outsourced critical jobs to private companies since the 9/11 attacks. The contract with the company, now called Xe Services, was canceled this year by Leon E. Panetta, the C.I.A. director, according to a C.I.A. spokesman. In August, The New York Times first revealed the existence of the contract, which was run by a division of the company called Blackwater Select, which handles classified contracts. George Little, the C.I.A. spokesman, said that Mr. Panetta had ordered that the agency’s employees take over the jobs from Xe employees at the remote drone bases in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and that Mr. Panetta had also ordered a review of all contracts with the company. “At this time, Blackwater is not involved in any C.I.A. operations other than in a security or support role,” Mr. Little said. The disclosure about the terminated contract comes a day after The Times reported that Blackwater employees had joined C.I.A. operatives in secret “snatch and grab” operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Blackwater’s role in the raids grew out of contracts that the company had with the spy agency to provide security for the C.I.A. in Kabul and Baghdad. The company had a dual role in the drone program, said current and former employees and intelligence officials. Contractors on the secret bases assembled and loaded Hellfire missiles and 500-pound laser-guided bombs onto drones, and they also provided security at the C.I.A. bases. The C.I.A. did not allow contractors to select targets for the drone attacks or pull the trigger on the strikes. That work was done at the C.I.A.’s headquarters in Langley, Va. But Blackwater’s direct role in the drone operations sometimes led to disputes between the contractors and C.I.A. employees, as the spy agency sometimes accused Blackwater employees of poor weapon assembly if the missile or bomb missed a target. In one instance last year, a 500-pound bomb dropped off a Predator before the drone had launched its payload, leading to a frenzied search along the Afghan-Pakistani border. A company employee said the bomb was eventually found not far from the intended target.

Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad | 14 years ago | Reply Mr. Rehman Malik may be 100% right, but what option we have after statement of BW chief, admitting its presence in Pakistan. Moreover, Mr. Malik should also throw some light on the reports that 3000 Special Ops US troops are hunting terrorists in Pakistan.

Asad Beg | 14 years ago | Reply oh there we go again. The other day I was browsing the channels when I heard an old guy talking about the freaky appearances of "Kala Bandar" on a Indian movie channel. I stopped there which was an Indian movie and apparently there was a ghostly character by the name of "Kala Bandar" in it, sort of a phantom who would randomly appear to loot people of their valuables. The appearances of the phantom was largely based on rumors with a hint of folk lore. Nobody had ever actually 'seen' it but yet the whole 'mohalla' was drenched into the fear of being robbed or worst. People were not only coming up with grotesque tales of horror about this so called phantom but also suspected a super natural involvement. Personally, I think we have the same case at hand when we talk about the presence of Black Water in Capital or in the other regions of Pakistan. We really should rise above the rumors and look at the facts. How many reported cases are there of abduction recently, against Black water? How man people have actually seen them operating around? How many people have seen them training? The high end tactical weapons and signature ear pieces that the American security escorts wear, somehow give masses a feeling that they are more than just security personnel, which fortunately is not true! But people nonetheless, mostly journalists, come up with obscene and rather stupid stories. Accompanied by a handful of journalists, people from Jamat-e-Islami and other Islamic organizations, the flag bearers of their own 'customized' brand of Islam, working under their new "less violent and extreme" names are always going about yelling about the horrific presence of Black Water and Z corp on top of their voices, which I think is a rather futile practice. Why wouldn't they go to security officials if they have concrete proofs? Ofcourse they wouldn't do that now would they? If the case is solved and its PROVED that there are no such mercenaries operating on our soil, what would they talk about then? How would they provoke the naive teenagers and students to work for their maligned intentions then? Sort of reminds me of the Pirate and the white whale ... if you have read the story! How bloody hypocrite can one get? They are the same extremists who used to support the presence of lethally armed Taliban in "laal masjid" who were not only harassing the local public but also used to carry around and use the deadliest of weapons in the name of Jihad, that being in the name of Allah and most importantly there was nothing phantomic about 'their' presence.

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