Balochistan Great Game Alarms Sirens

Posted By Dr Muhammad Faheem Belharvi

When during the Musharraf regime, Pakistan government initiated the construction of Gwadar deep-seaport in Balochistan province in March 2002 with Chinese assistance, sirens went off in the capitals of foreign countries, especially the United States, India and Israel. The US took it as a threat to its global plans, and India felt that it threatened its integrity. Israel took it as a greater threat from an Islamic country.

Located on the southwestern coast of Pakistan, Balochistan’s Gwadar seaport is close to the Strait of Hormuz from where more than 17 million barrels of oil passes every day. Its ideal location among three key regions, South Asia, the oil-rich Middle East, and oil and gas-resourced Central Asia has further increased its strategic significance. Its development has shifted the Great Game of Central Asia to Pakistan. Hence, sirens still continue alarming in the foreign countries.

However, Balochistan’s abundant mineral resources like gas, coal and gold, entailing Pakistan’s close ties with China pinches the eyes of the US, India, Israel and some western countries which intend to destabilize Pakistan for their collective aims. Besides, Gwadar’s development has created strategic irritations among certain powers including USA, India, Iran and Afghanistan. Chinese signatures in Gwadar are perceived as a threat to the US influence in the region by monitoring US in the Persian Gulf and Central Asian Republics. India watches Gwadar with an oblique angle, as it hinders India's influence in Iran and Afghanistan.

These hostile powers are trying to create fissures between Islamabad and Beijing so as to sabotage their strategic alliance. They are also creating differences between Pakistan and Iran. In this regard, Balochistan’s business and trade opportunities have also made it important for US, EU, Russia, China, India, Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asian Republics to play the great game, while anti-Pakistan powers are secretly working to create conditions to control and influence the resource-rich zones, disregarding the compulsions of mainland integration.

If once becomes fully operational, Gwadar seaport could connect the landlocked Central Asian states with rest of the world. Being the commercial hub, the port is likely to increase volume of trade, bringing multiple economic and financial benefits to Pakistan like the Suez Canal which changed the destiny of Egypt when Israel returned it to the former. It will enable high-volume cargo vessels to move in the major oceans. Gwadar project will not only uplift the impoverished people of Balochistan by providing thousands of employment opportunities and is likely to develop whole the province by redressing their grievances. The resulting prosperity would trickle down to the Baloch people and damp the separatist sentiments.

Nevertheless, Balochistan’s Gwader project irks the eyes of India, US and Israel who have been internationalizing the Balochistan issue in accordance with their secret goals. In this respect, in connivance with the Baloch separatist leaders who have taken refuge in Switzerland, Sweden, US and London, these external elements use media, various NGOs and human rights organizations for false propaganda against Pakistan’s security  agencies in relation to extrajudicial killings, mutilated bodies and the missing persons. 

As regards the deteriorating situation of Balochistan and the missing persons, everyone knows that Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and their affiliated outfits including another group, Jundollah (God’s soldiers) which have been fighting for secession of the province gets logistic support from American CIA and Indian RAW—these militants kidnapped and killed many innocent people and the security personnel in the province. They also massacred many persons through suicide attacks, bomb blasts, targeted killings and sectarian violence. Therefore, they are responsible for dumped bodies and extrajudicial killings in the province. On a number of occasions, these insurgent groups claimed responsibility for their subversive acts. The main aim behind is to discourage Beijing for the development of Gwadar port.

Unfortunately, Balochistan lacks technological prowess and economic resources to exploit its minerals and untapped resources. In this context, government of Pakistan has made considerable progress to develop Gwadar into an international port with a future plan to link it with Kashgar (China). 

Observing the intentions of the hostile powers which have eyes on mineral resources of Balochistan and its significance due to geo-strategic location, during his trip to Beijing, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang signed eight agreements on July 5, 2013 in various fields. The most important one envisages the establishment of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) between deep Gwadar seaport of Balochistan and the historic Silk Road city in western regions-Xinjiang of China—connecting to Gilgit-Baltistan through Khunjerab Pass.

India is facilitating Iran to build Chah Bahar deep seaport which will neutralize due to Gwadar. Afghanistan feels to be isolated, if Gwadar-Kashgar linkage gets completed. Afghanistan also opposes development of Gwadar owing to pro-Indian policies

Regrettably, as part of the Great Game, certain foreign entities are using Baloch dissidents and anti-Pakistan NGOs like “American Friends of Balochistan”, and individuals with hideous personal reputation like Ahmer Masti Khan-a known passive gay, to promote their agenda in Gwadar. In this context, Ahmer Masti Khan writes letters to Oman embassy in Washington seeking help of Sultan Qaboos to defeat the alleged “Pak-China Plan” to takeover Gwadar. He also distorts history that Gwadar was part of Oman, disregarding the fact that Gwadar was purchased from Oman by Pakistan in 1958 during the era of Ayub Khan.

In fact, “American Friends of Balochistan” is a Washington based NGO which works for the Indian lobby to promote dissent and provoke insurgency in Balochistan. The aim is to destabilize Balochistan and disseminate false information to the audience using social media. While, Baloch members of this NGO are those who have hideous reputation and shady character traits like Ahmer Masti Khan who is actually a passive gay, and has least self- respect. He has no association with Baloch people, as he was born in Burma and his family lived in there for a very long time. He is still living in USA and does not come to Balochistan very frequently. His real face should be shown to the loyal and noble people of Balochistan who accord high value to self-respect and dignity.

People like Ahmer Masti Khan cannot be the spokespersons for Baloch people. They are simply available for few pennies and are always   on   sale.  Such   disgraceful   people   must be condemned through own media.The people of Balochistan must be educated on conflicting strategies and dynamics of the Great Game, being played in Balochistan and Gwadar by anti-Pakistan regional and international powers. They must remain calm and resist external pressures including any foreign mischief.

Media should present true historical perspective of Gwadar and Balochistan, taking reference from history in order to refute the false propaganda not only of the external elements, but also of the Baloch Sub Nationalists.Undoubtedly, the Baloch are loyal, patriotic and respectable people with political will and inner strength to stand against any propaganda, conducted to tarnish their dignity and damage their unity. They would not allow the passive gays to exploit them and damage their reputation.

Nonetheless, Balochistan Great Game alarms sirens in foreign countries. Therefore, it is the right hour that Pakistan government must implement a well-considered plan so as to respond to the hostile powers and those lobbies which have been weakening the country and are trying to create differences between Pakistan and China with a view to negatively impact their time-tested friendship, while working against Pak-Iranian ties.(By Sajjad Shaukat)

The Wrong Ally: 1949 -2014

By Sohail Parwaz

It has always been a problem with the American establishments of all times that they would go to any extent, when they need a support, even if it’s beyond morality but when the job is done, out of nowhere the moral values and ethics pop up. When the Americans had to avenge the 58000 US soldiers’ death in Vietnam then the Congressman Charles Wilson would not vacillate while confessing in front of media, “We owe the Russians one……. I have a slight obsession with it because of Vietnam. I thought the Soviets ought to get a dose of it.” But when they are out of troubled waters and missions achieved then precipitously the state’s mouth pieces like Carlotta Gall and many other would start preaching the ethic and morality lessons. What one is failed to understand is, that why it always happen late-night? And why so, when the affairs are concluded? Where these preachers and their sermons were during all the time of Afghan Jihad? Why the intelligence people of Pakistan, declared as angels during the 80s era, are knighted as the thugs by Carlotta now after three decades? William Casey must have had some firm grounds to snatch a heavy fund out of Congress’s mouth and was compelled to say that, “To hell with politicians. We are fighting a war.” Why it’s so that the Americans always tuck the napkins around their necks nicely, politely and passionately, before the feast but when the party is over the first thing one would notice is a rude hurling away of the ‘Napkins’ by them.

Carlotta Gall is a British journalist; the spawn of Sandy Gall, an English journalist, who started her newspaper career with the Moscow Times in Moscow in 1994. If one disparagingly analyzes her journalistic career then it would be found shuttling between London, Moscow and New York while covering the ‘Bermudian Triangles’ of Chechnya, Afghanistan and Serbia. One fails to understand that how come a reporter who dug-out the real cause of an Afghan taxi driver Dilawar’s shadowy murder during his confinement at Parwan Detention Facility at Bigram Airbase is failed to assess the root causes of the US failure in Afghanistan?It can only be wished that she should have addressed the controversies about Osama’s death also as the world has refused to buy the story of his killing in an Abbottabad Compound for a number of hypothesizes, which were and still are being discussed by people including one I fictionalized in my 2011’s novel “The Cornered Rogue”. 

What Carlotta forgot to mention is, that in case the Pakistani authorities were involved in aboding Osama’s at Abbottabad then couldn’t they find some other safer, more common and least expected place to merge him with the routine life? Of all the places, why Abbottabad on earth only? Especially when hundreds of Caucasians are busy in clandestine operations here in Pakistan and are successfully still untraceable?

Its felt important to know that why Carlotta hastily scribbled a book before finding the answers to many critical questions, like; what tussle was going on between President Obama and General Petreaus and why he was made to takeover CIA just a day before Obama signed the orders for operation Geronimo? Why a large number of American generals and other key officials were coming to Pakistan frequently and fleetingly and meeting military high ups here just a week before this operation? Why this operation was planned only after Raymond Davis’s clean exit and why not when he was still around? Is that because his presence in Pakistan could spoil the storyboard? Why one of the Black Hawk choppers was deliberately torched in the compound of Osama’s alleged residence? Why Bruce Riedel, a Whitehouse advisor, showed nervousness over Pakistan’s nukes weeks before this controversial operation and sent on air an indirect threat to neutralize them? What general Mullin was doing in Pakistan days before this operation?

There is another question lurking in everyone’s mind that why every major meddlesome operation planned by the US authorities is named after Geronimo, may that be the 2007’s counterinsurgency operations in Iraq (OG-I & II), the 2007’s strike against Al-Qaeda in Iraq, northwest of Iskandariyah, Iraq(OG- III), the 2009–2010 operation in Afghanistan, the 101st Airborne Division’s search operation during Vietnam war or the so called operation ‘Get Osama’ which was confidentially named as Operation Neptune Spear, to be more exact.

Carlotta Gall has reported from Afghanistan and Pakistan for almost the whole length of the American invasion and occupation, beginning shortly after 9/11. She claims to know that “How much this war has cost the Afghan people and how much destruction can be traced to Pakistan and its ‘duplicitous’ government and intelligence forces”. Well if she claims so then she should also know about the way this ‘twofaced’ government and its prime intelligence agency had been looking after a ‘Wrong Ally’ during the full length of Afghan Jihad in 80s. This intelligence agency also reserves the right to repent for sponsoring and abetting a wrong confederate all along. They must be cursing those times when they would receive huge C-141 Starlifters in the middle of the nights without letting anyone having a wind of them even. If she honestly go through the facts omitted by her wittingly or unwittingly then during the coming days Carlotta may decide to write the next account about the “Wrong Ally”.

Ms. Gall intends revealing in her upcoming book that how Osama was hiding inside Pakistan with the consent of Pak Army and ISI, whereas, on the other hand a Turkish politician and former US intelligence agent Berkan Yashar has a different story to tell us. He claimed some time ago that the American did not kill the al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and in fact, he died naturally. According to him, in September 1992, he was in Chechnya, when he met Bin Laden for the first time. This meeting took place in a two-story house in the city of Grozny and Osama was given the name Abu-Bakr, by CIA. Berkan also claims that Osama was protected by the Chechen nationals since he trusted them entirely, and knew that they would never betray. Berkan revealed some astounding facts when asked about bin Laden’s death in Pakistan on May 2 last year. He said: “Even if the entire world believed I could not possibly believe it. I personally know the Chechens who protected him, they were Sami, Mahmood, and Ayub, who were with him until the very end. I remember that day very well, there were three sixes in it: 26/6/06. These people, as well as two others from London and two Americans, all seven of them, saw him dead. He was very ill, he was skin and bones, very thin, and they washed him and buried him. According to his will, only three Chechens buried him in the mountains on the Pakistan-Afghan border.

Berkan was sure that, “There was no assault. I know the American operations from the inside: they find the grave, dig out bin Ladenand tell everyone about this. They need to show how technologically the security services worked, how each step was controlled, and then present it as a great victory to show that taxpayers are not paying taxes for nothing.”

Berkan was the first one who announced the date of Osama’s death in November of 2008 at a conference in Washington, not naming any names, and it looks like it was when the Americans began to track his contacts. According to him, the last security he saw was Sami, who was abducted by the CIA before bin Laden was declared killed and most likely it was Sami who disclosed to them the exact place of burial in the mountains on the Pakistan-Afghan border.

Now, when the American troops are withdrawing from Afghanistan and Carlotta has considered it as a right time to tell the full history of how the US have been fighting the wrong enemy, in the wrong country then how could she overlook the other side of the story before declaring Pakistan army and the intelligence agency a rogue? Were there not the chances that Pak intelligence agency was tipped to accommodate the already deceased Osama’s family at Abbottabad’s ill-fatted compound for a greater plot to be executed in the coming months? Knowing our war ally’s modus operandi well, it’s just a thought that is given.

Carlotta Gall is currently the New York Times’ North Africa correspondent and “The Wrong Enemy: America in Afghanistan, 2001-2014″, is her new book. It could only be wished that she should have written few more, prior to this, to make it a sequel; The Wrong Enemy: America in Vietnam, The Wrong Enemy: America in Iraq etc. The lady may not be sure about the America’s enemy but in Pakistan people are convinced about their ‘Wrong Ally’.

It’s quite strange that after launching a multi-dimensional attack on Pakistan and its security institutions our dear American friends asks us that why the American governments are hated in Pakistan. “I did kill my dad but I am failed to understand that why I am called an orphan?”

SECTARIANISM: PAKISTAN’S GREATEST SECURITY THREAT

By Muhammad Faheem Belharvi

         Pakistan is experiencing a sharp resurgence in sectarian violence and targeted sectarian killings are taking place even in twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. On 12 March 2014, 2 activists of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) were killed in Rawalpindi. In January 2014, two other activists of the same group were killed in Islamabad and Sargodha. 

This wave of violence is not dying down since November 2013 when large scale violence broke out in Rawalpindi during Muharram and the Government had to impose curfew. The law enforcing agencies then got success in maintaining the law and order with the help of Army however, sectarian tensions are still heightened by killings of local leaders of sectarian outfits and protests of their activists. 

        According  to ‘Pakistan Security Report 2013’ launched by Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS),  total 208 sectarian-related terrorist attacks were reported in 2013 across Pakistan, which claimed lives of 658 people and injured 1195. The report claimed that nine suicide attacks in 2013 were related to sectarian clashes and were mainly carried out by Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, a proscribed extremist group.  

        The worsening sectarian situation in the country is also engulfing Punjab which had comparatively good record in recent years in this regard. In August 2013, large scale violence took place in central Punjab and the government had to impose curfew in district Bhakkar to control the sectarian riots. The capital city of the province Lahore also experience targeted killings of some of the senior leaders of rival sectarian groups in 2014.  It indicates that we need to take some extra ordinary steps to deal with this type of threat besides tackling the problem of Pakistani Taliban. 

        No doubt, hostile agencies are also responsible for this sectarian situation in the country. According to investigation reports anti-state elements are staging assassinations of rival sectarian parties to disrupt inter-sect harmony in the country. This finding is based on forensic investigations of sectarian killings which indicate that same weapons and killing patterns are used in targeting the leaders of various sects in the country. 

              The attacks on Hazara Shia community of Balochistan have also been a major contributing factor in overall sectarian tension in the country. In January 2014, the protests of this community brought the whole country to standstill. Balochistan shares border with Iran and Afghanistan and attacks on Hazara Shias are mainly linked with their influence and the presence of hostile agencies. The overall deteriorating situation of law and order in the province is also contributing factor for the brazen attacks of LeJ on the members of Shia sect. In fact, it is the part of strategy of Al-Qaeda, TTP and LeJ to break the social fabric of Pakistan through sectarian violence and Balochistan is feeling the heat.

        Unfortunately, the country became a battleground in a proxy sectarian war between Saudi Arabia and Iran as the two countries offered financial and logistical support to Sunni and Shia groups, respectively, as part of a wider tussle for influence in the Muslim world. Other Arab Muslim states are also involved in promoting and strengthening of sectarian based medrassah system in the country as well. Iran is backing Shia organizations and Arab states are financing Sunni sectarian groups to further their own interests. The Western countries are also providing funds to moderate religious groups as part of their strategy to counter radicalization in Pakistan since 9/11. These foreign interventions are major agents of sectarianism in the country, which are eventually harming the cause of national integration. 

             The sectarian violence remains limited only to the members of sectarian groups and the general public in Pakistan is living in religious harmony. In fact, people never became involved in religious riots on community level. However, the heightened sectarian violence is becoming the greatest security threat for Pakistan. Most frequently, such violence involved clashes between members of the two main sects of Islam Sunnis and Shias. But violent incidents between the Barelvi and Deobandi sub-sects of Sunni are also on the rise after 9/11. Sunni Tehreek’s militant and political wings are major Barelvi organizations which are increasingly becoming involved in the sectarian violence. Hundreds of Barelvi (Sufi) worshippers were killed in more than 70 suicide attacks at shrines since 2007. 

           Escalation of country’s sectarian conflits is needed to be tackle at all levels.  The sectarian terrorist organizations can be countered through effective strategy. However, the organization that has operational relations with TTP and Al-Qaeda needs to be neutralized through intelligence operations. Extremist organizations working under the clout of Punjabi Taliban are such complicated threats.  Finally, Madrassah reforms with special emphasis on removing hate material from the curriculum are essential for achieving sectarian harmony in the country. The government needs to expedite this process so that the threat of sectarianism can be tackled appropriately and inter-sect harmony can be maintained throughout the country. 

Moles in Sikh Organizations

By Zaheerul Hassan

Sikhs although started struggle of their rights just after the partition of Hindustan but it took new dimension in 1984 when Indian armed forces with their boots on, entered into Golden Temple and killed thousands of people.


According to the independent sources, in that tragic incident more than 20,000 Sikhs had been murdered by the order of late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who was assassinated on October31, 1984. Later on, Sikh nation probably decided to speed up “khalistan Movement”, so that they are able to live according to their own customs and free to perform their religious obligations.


Ruling Congress Party of India though elected Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister just to suppress the demand of punishing culprits of Golden Temple attack. He failed to provide to justice his community. Thus, Indian secularism is just not more than deception. Notably, Sikhs population in the world is around 27 million that’s makes them 0.39% of the world population. However, out of these 27 million approximately 83% live in India with 76% of all Sikhs living in Punjab. Other Indian states where Sikhs have sizeable population i.e. greater than 200,000 are Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttaranchal, Assam and Jammu & Kashmir.


It is again a misery that Sikhs who ruled over Punjab for many years but remained failed to even enjoy the status of autonomous nation after partition of India. Moreover, like Muslims and Christians communities, Sikhs can’t perform their religious obligations openly and freely. The extremists Hindus even do not feel hesitation in playing with the lives of minorities whenever they find a chance. In this connection the incident of Babri Mosque is true story of brutality and Hindutva mind. A per Times of India report of April 8 ,2013 “polit bureau member Brinda Karat stated that the BJP manifesto is a blueprint to take forward the Hindutva agenda. "Under Atal Bihari Vajpayee's leadership there was a commitment to nation that issues of Ram Mandir, Article 370 and uniform civil code will be put on the back burner. The brutality against Christians in Urisa, bleeding Tamils in Maoists and Tamils, Crush Sikhs in Amritsar and firing Kashmiris in Indian occupied Kashmir, blowing up Samjota Express and violence against Muslims by BJP nominated Narendra Modi are enough examples of unveiling of Indian secularism.


Recently, to show of solidarity the global Sikhs community stood up to save Professor Bhullar and after continues protests able to commute the death sentence of Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar (Prof. Bhullar) to life imprisonment on March 31, 2014. After 19 years of trial finally, the Supreme Court of India based their decision on the grounds of the inordinate delay in deciding his mercy plea and his present mental condition. It is notable that between 1984 and 1994 around 250000 Sikhs disappeared in Punjab. As per credible sources of Sikh organizations the disappearances have never been accounted for. Would that mean that there are 250000 souls waiting for the Panth to give them closure by bringing justice to them.


His arrest and conviction raised several human rights issues; since he was arrested and tried under the notorious law, “Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA)” The law contains provisions incompatible with international fair trial standards; a lack of evidence proving his involvement; and an involuntary and forced ‘confession’, which he later retracted. Prof. Bhullar was sentenced to death in 2001 by a Delhi trial court for triggering a blast in New Delhi in 1993.


Nevertheless, the minorities in India are feeling deprive of their rights. To crush the minorities’ voice, Indian intelligence agencies keep on devising plans like killing, arresting, raping women and disappearing leaders of minorities. In this regard RAW have penetrated many moles in the organizations fighting for the minorities’ rights. They are being tasked to create rifts among the lines of the organizations and provide day to day information to controlling desks of RAW. They even are being making part of the Sikh contingents visiting Nankana Sahib, Pakistan.


According to one renowned Sikh scholar Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh disclosed that the Indian government has used many tactics to undermine the Sikh struggle for freedom. It has infiltrated organizations such as the World Sikh Organization. It even infiltrated and continues to control Babbar Khalsa, the organization that India accused of carrying out the Air India bombing. By accusing Babbar Khalsa, it is essentially taking the blame itself. The organization’s primary backer received a $2 million loan from the State Bank of India just before the Air India attack, according to Kashmeri and McAndrew.


Many other Sikh organizations have been heavily infiltrated by Indian. He further stressed that the Indian tactic is to set up parallel organizations. One such organization is the so-called Khalistan Affairs Center, set up by the mysterious RAW agent Amarjit Singh. Amarjit Singh, who claims to be a doctor but is neither a Ph.D. nor an MD, will not reveal where his family is from in Punjab or when he came to America. He will not let anyone know anything about his background. Nor can he say where his money comes from. Yet he is able to afford an office in the expensive National Press Building in Washington, DC, an office which is usually unoccupied, and he is able to afford expensive newspaper advertisements. Amarjit Singh was recently banned from Canada. Perhaps he would like to explain to the Sikh Nation why he was banned. When will the United States ban him and send him back to his Indian paymasters?


Anyhow, Hindus mindset would never be changed due to extremist approach of Indian rulers. Therefore, Sikhs struggle for independents state “Khalistan” would only be the answer of getting their rights.

Judiciary abets terrorism

By Muhammad Faheem Belharvi

The menace of terrorism is terrible and painful. The unending terrorism and neglect on arresting extremist trends and ideologies that are posing a serious challenge to the security of Pakistan. Interpreting these trends and ideologies by their sponsors through acts of violence against the people and the state is shaping up into a common norm. This sole critical security challenge to the state from extremists and terrorists remains unaddressed because of the existing weaknesses in our judicial dispensation of justice.

The terrorist strikes remain predictable as it brings destruction and social disorder with awful human tragedy. The entire society earnestly looks towards the Security Forces and LEAs to undertake steps to provide immediate relief to the victims break terrorist networks and make life safer.

Undoubtly, LEAs have been working very hard to fight the menace of terrorism and have paid heavy price by sacrificing their lives while fighting the terrorists. Unfortunately the terrorists have launched clever propagated to promote their agenda by associating themselves with Islam and creating sympathizers in social milieu knowing that majority loves Islam. Hence, a united national front could not be created to fight and eliminate the threat posed by terrorists. In this context Judiciary as part of national segment appeared more independent and did not join in the fight against terrorism. Although it is essential for the entire nation to get united to defeat the enemy, yet certain segments / institutions maintained their alienation.

Terrorism for sure is a potent tool at the disposal of belligerent powers to coerce, degrade and totally mutilate the society of the target state. Like war, it is also an instrument to continue state policy through other means. Wars have been fought for immediate results. In that warring parties confront each other on the battle ground. The valiant’s and powerful carry the day while weak get humiliated and are subjugated. War in spite of its evils has its norms; cruel yet noble. What we see in terrorism is nothing but cunning and deceitful manipulations of perceptual mosaic of the people. Dissent is created to mislead masses and to push them towards ultimate disaster. This is often done in the name of religion. Religion provides the strongest motivating force especially once people are already disillusioned due to deprivation and poverty. Such a situation is taken advantage of by the adversaries. They just continue to fund and arm such rouge outfits so that they could continue to degrade the state to a level where it collapses under its own weight.

Consequently the terrorists were glorified and felt encouraged to continue with their criminal acts of violence. Islamabad District Court was hit by terrorists and a honorable Session Judge (Rafaqat Hussain Awan), a young female lawyer (Miss Fiza) and many others lost their lives. It was a stunning shock for the entire nation as the awful event occurred when negotiation process with Taliban was being vigorously pursued by the Govt. The commonsense suggested that glorification of terrorists through media coverage of their pledges / claims etc provides them confidence and resilience to continue with their violent activities.

Moreover, it would not be wrong to state that the terrorists can get space media more conveniently and free of cost as most of the domestic channels appear more motivated and obliged to project their crimes while businessmen and state officials are required to make extra efforts to get their advertisements, stories and themes published through media. The war on terrorism has to be fought by the entire nation and Judiciary being part of the state will have to realize the threat. Terrorists must not be allowed to get freed and rejoin their main groups.

Meanwhile, media must not project the terrorist stance frequently. In this way they get encouraged and their pledges get glorified irrespective of their evil nature or wicked designs. All sections of society must get united against the terrorists to defeat them and eliminate the threat. Otherwise LEAs alone will not be able to eliminate the threat.

Simultaneously, the entire nation pays homage to those who lost their lives in Islamabad District Court in the hands of terrorists. The nation demands that terrorists produced before the courts must be punished for their crimes. Concluding, it is a collective responsibility of government, judiciary and media to bring these rogues to justice. Media has an important role in educating people and in removing the dissension from the minds of the public. It is through the collective effort that we can get out of this difficult situation.