Read page 1 and 2

A bleak Ghazni Province seems to offer little, but a Pentagon study says it may have

among the world’s largest deposits of lithium. (Curtsy to The New York Times)

[read more]

Authoritarianism need ignorance, ignorance need hatred the best tool to promote hatred religious sentiments, religious hatred need fear, fear create intolerance and manipulate individuals into violence and terror, violence and terror give birth for new opportunities for legal and  illegal profit making, profit making attract all kinds of illegal activities involving both state and non-state actors.  The writer is exploring some of the aspects in his article 'Terrorism's real nature'.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=241182

Kashmir International Front (KIF) strongly condemned the use of force and violence against unarmed and peaceful protestors in Azad Kashmir (PoK)  http://www.facebook.com/jklf.london?ref=mf

There has been dozens of ideas, solutions and working papers surfaced time to time in the name of pragmatism and changing ground realities in order to imposed a foreign inspired agenda or political system over to Jammu and Kashmir. The bilateral treaties that had been concluded time to time whether an out-come of a war or a realization to improve bilateral relationship, never reflected an indigenous aspirations, urges, ideals and contradictions. There fore any agenda, plan or ideals that contradict indigenous realities would never produce any conditions conducive for a better environment. The situation in Jammu and Kashmir on both sides had been and has been gone bade to worse.

The concept of the United States of Kashmir; that reflect the declaration of our forefathers that was adopted during 1944, gaining ground for acceptance with every passing day and we hope that all stake-holders would ultimately converged around this idea. Though, there are much visible quarters even this day and age, unable to distinguish the inclusive values of human life from exclusive one, and see religion as a determining factor in the political landscape of Kashmir. They try to understand and visualize situation in an absolute and static terms by putting Jammu, Laddakh verses Valley of Kashmir (Imran Gazi facebook). They argued that Jammu and Laddakh, would never join and prefer to remain with Indian Union, because historically they had never been supportive of “liberation movement”. They further argued and in fact alleged that non-Muslim, popularly known as pundits of Kashmir valley, never supported the movement even at the time of Sheikh Abdullah, in fact, they had been the “collaborators and conspirators” of India. This line of thinking based on religo-historical prejudices pre-dominates in the Valley and similar prejudices among non-Muslims predominate in Jammu and Laddakh. [Read more]

The controversy over Kerry-Lugar Bill in Pakistan, was the intention of the Army Chief of the Country in order to extend his job, revealed by Hamid Mir, a Pakistani journalist in his urdu article published in daily Jang London on 22 Oct. 2009 by quoting a US Journalist.

The irony that a Country seeking economic assistance is bent on to impose their conditions on the donors in spite of the fact that historically all the assistance that had been obtained by military governments, more or less on the same conditions. This question why this time around, they were all of a sudden woke-up and raise the flag for honour and dignity first?  There are number of assumptions, to understand Pakistani ruling junta are as follows:-

1)      This time a civilian government is in office and they are more incline towards social spending and public welfare rather than military corruptions in the name of civilian development.  In past all the assistants even for civilian was used for military purpose and this time there is a clear distinction and pre-conditions to safe guard the civilian assistance so that military wouldn’t be able to steal the money.

2)      To use it (assistance bill from US) as a slogan of honour and dignity to under mine the civilian government so that military could get its loosing-grip-back-on the  State and Society.  It is well know fact, in Pakistani historical context, that many law makers are in the Parliament, just because they been the people among political class supported and promoted by military and ISI and they wanted them to be there.

3)      The 62 years of history of Pakistan, tells us that all the assistance whether in the shape of assistance or loan, never reach to the common  people, and mostly consume by Army establishment. There fore people do not trust any foreign assistance to have any positive impact on public life that could reduce poverty, improve investment and to increase job opportunities. For example one of Pakistani journalist Salim Safi, wrote in his article in daily Jang, “I have no interest in Kerry-Lugar Bill because the money would never beneficial to the common people and would go back to the western banks.  My village in FATA even today does not have radio signals”.     

4)   There is a lot of public out-cry for the money in the name of people either given in the shape  of assistance or loans, had been unaccounted for. For example even the International assistance for earth quick-victims, is not visible on the ground or any evidence duly confirmed by the victims. The government is still struggling to cover it up from the world community. Further more, people are questioning the assistance given in the name of war-on-terror, is also gone missing.  Following is the reflections of Pakistani society appeared on Pakistani Press discussion forum:-

 quote: "Dear all,

I am from a middle class family, and always gave respect and honor to the Pakistan Army. But facts and ground realities are not that which seems. I am agree, Politicians are not good, but prove that they are going to sell our motherland, they are not but the others. Please review, and rethink the roles of our institutions, which actually are the department not institution. Another thing about me, it depends on you, believe or not, I have no commitment with any political party, but with the constitution.

Regards, Syed Imran shafqat, Content Editor, Samaa tv,Lahore." unquote.

Now it is revealed that all the fuss, was just for a job.

The historical accounts tell us that the Egypt was conquered by Muslims in 641, Alexandria, intellectually was still the centre of influence in Greek philosophy.  The town originally founded by Alexander the Great, attracted an extraordinary passion for the translation of Greek philosophers of the Classical period that carried out by Greek, Jewish and Christian scholars providing the best inspiring commentaries.

It was Jewish philosophers turned to Alexandria, after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, because free spirit of enquiry as well as many Christians were fascinated by a philosophy which upheld the idea of the unity of the spirit that unites humanity in the fatherhood of God and the main principle of monotheism expounded too by the Jewish prophets under the notion “Israelis” are children of God.

Justinian closed the School of Athens AD 529 almost 112 years before the Muslim conquered Alexandria. The Greek philosophers found a refuge in Alexandria; because of its wide spread fame and flourishing as the centre of Greek philosophy, medicine and science and so is the case with Muslim thinkers who produce a fresh spiritual foundation for Islam in response to the conflicts that had beset it.

The Greek philosophy’s contribution to the perennial question of what is truth: how do we find the answer to the relation of the human intellect to the concept of God, the universal power behind the flux of events in the world around us?

This aspect developed a co-operation among the Jews, Christians and Muslims in the translations of the Greek philosophers. This is where the Arab and Greek culture started integrating. The present Arab dresses male and female skirt (Thope), very similar to that of the Greek Orthodox Church.  The most important translations such as Plato’s Timaeus in Galen’s synopsis of that great dialogue, Aristotle’s De anima, Analytica priora, and the apocryphal Secret of Secrets (ascribed to Aristotle) during the reign of Harun al-Rashid (786-809).

History bear witness the fact the that first philosophical texts to be translated into Arabic was a summary of the last three books of Plotinus’ Enneads. The great works of Aristotle as well as the synopses of Plato’s Sophist, Parmenides, the Republic and the Laws, Aristotle’s Categories, Hermeneutica, the Nicomachean Ethics, and parts of Physics were translated and distributed in many centers of Syria, Iraq, Persia and Arabia.

Though there was an appeal of Plotinus to Islamic theology, many Islamic philosophers such as al-Kindi (died c.866), who was as anxious to defend the Qur’anic view as well as the Greek, and al-Razi (died c.925), were more closer to Plato than to Plotinus, while others, like Ibn Rushd (died 1198) regarded Aristotle as the paragon of wisdom.

The Sunni Muslim called the closure of Ijth’ad in spite of common purpose in the pursuit and elucidation of religious truth, the philosophers and theologians were increasingly at loggerheads; the Aristotelian world-view with its twin principles of causality – everything that is must have a cause of its being, and the uniformity of nature which ‘does nothing in vain’, as Aristotle put it – appeared to Islamic theologians inimical to the Qur’anic view of the world.

The irony is that on one hand the English Philosopher John Lock of modern time gave a telling blow to the Aristotelian world-view where as the modern Islamic Theologians, based their argument of Aristotelian world-view. From Literalist, such as Wabby, Tabligee, Salfi, Toheedi, Deubandi as well as Brailwi, Suffi and Shia, all based their argument on the point that “everything that is must have a cause for its being, and the uniformity of nature which “does nothing in vain”.  For example when you will encounter with a Tabligee man on your door steps or any conservative Muslim, they would immediately started giving reasons for human beings, being here in this world. There fore inviting him only not her to follow them for prayer otherwise there would be a punishment after the death. They always resort to Aristotelian world-view against any Rationalist, Agnostic or Atheistic point of view without knowing the fact that the Aristotelian world-view received major reverses at the hands of Asharite, Hanbalite and Literalist theologians after four hundred years of it’s inceptions.

It is very similar to that of the people of other faiths. If we study Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jews or any other faith, the fact would reveal that there are people who are Conservative, Fundamentalists, Rationalists, Agnostics and Atheists.  Same is the case with Muslims of today; there are Muslims who are Fundamentalists, Conservative, Liberals, Rationalists, Agnostics and Atheists.  For example in the modern history, Syed Ahmed Khan in India was rationalist. The Poet Al-Iraqi was evolutionist and many more. There fore it is wrong to put one billion Muslims in a basket and put them behind a Mullah in the Mosque. Certainly they borne and brought-up in Islamic traditions but again the traditions, culture, values, norms and habits are not of universal Islam. These value systems are very local and constantly evolve. Even one can notice the variables between the people of Mekka and Medina.

There fore the culture of today’s Mosques and Madras represent very tiny minority of the Muslim society but they receive the share of publicity because of political reasons, out of all proportions. The early work of Islam lost with it’s substance and contents. The fact that Ibn Rushd, known in the West as Averroes, was the supreme figure in philosophy in al-Andalus and Chief judge of Cordoba in 1171, produced extensive commentaries on the works of Aristotle. Arabs together with the Jews provided the West with the inspiration of Athenian philosophy and opened up the message of humanism to the world, but refuse to drink from the well of wisdom they had discovered by themselves, declaring philosophical questions anathema to develop and refine their ideas and participate in the transformation brought about the Western world. 

The backwardness, poverty, illiteracy, corruptions, violence, unemployment and force migration are the normal part of the life where the mosques thunder with voice of Alla-o-Akbar, through powerful load-speakers regardless of any sense of creating any disturbance to others in this day and age. http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/   

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1214848/Britain-obsessed-asylum-seekers-let-UK-earliest-convenience-says-Europes-Justice-Commisioner.html

Note: Mr. Syed Ahmed raised a question "tell us who trained you off the course and track?? Are you a salafi, wahabi, a najadi, a kharji, a ghyr muqallid, an ahlehadas, a maudoodi, a tanzeemi or an ikhwani or a takfiri or an atheist???" in one of Pakistani Press discussion forum. Certainly I am non of them.  Had Mr. Ahmed read my write-up in the links, there is sufficient informations telling about my training and who am I? For your information, I had never been trained by any school of Jhaliya.  Further more what about Abu Bakkar, (r) Umar, (r)  Ali (r) and many more. Which Madras they had been taught or did they built any money making institutions in the name of religion where people's sentiments been exploited. I hope the answer would be no? To remain an ignorant is not so harmful for a society as to spread the ignorance.    http://www.unitedkashmir.org.uk/islam.html

Afzal Tahir

The Kashmiri community in Britain always been very vocal and have sense of attachment to the socio-political, socio-cultural happenings of the Indian subcontinent, specially the politics of the divided State of Jammu Kashmir. The announcement by the Government of Pakistan of an “empowerment” package for Gilgit Baltistan attracted Kashmiri attention in Britain too. 

The cross section members of Kashmiri community in Britain meet on 13 Sep. 2009 to chalk-out a strategy and in the subject meeting Prof. Nazir Nasih, Mr. Gulam Hussain and Shams Rehman were deputed to make the draft resolutions to be approved in the next meeting on 27^th Sep. 2009.  Certainly the resolutions to be adopted was the document providing bases for unity among community to exert appropriate pressure in the best of interest of the people of Gilgit Baltistan in particular and people of the State of Jammu Kashmir in general.

The draft that was prepared by Shams and others was in need of some improvement.  I raise my concern and Shams asked to send my proposal.  I had review the whole document and e-mail to all.  The subject draft resolutions approved in the meeting on 27^th September 2009 including the representative from NAP.  The interesting aspect is that two members of NAP Prof. Sajjad Raja and Prof. Nadeem Aslam opposed the draft resolutions but failed to attend the meeting in order to defend their argument.

Sajjad Raja wrote;  “I have read the draft resolutions done by Mr. Afzal Tahir, but I am sorry to say that I cannot support these resolutions as they do not mention anywhere the truth that we Kashmiries are seeking total and unequivocal independence from both India and Pakistan. The resolutions support UN stand onKashmir which again we cannot recognize and the resolutions also have very soft tone for India. If we do not talk about total independence, support UN resolutions on Kashmir and just unilaterally and aggressively condemn Pakistan, that means we are indirectly supporting India. This situation is unacceptable to me”. 

Please refer to: http://www.unitedkashmir.org.uk/kashmir.html#Conflict    and also   http://www.unitedkashmir.org.uk/analysis.html?part_id=8957&post_id=1439&action=view_comments 

I wonder if it is the official policy of the NAP.  The fact of the matter is that every successive Government in Islamabad, day-in and day-out, making reference to UN resolutions. In fact it the official position of the Government of India, that the UN resolutions are not valid any more.  

Nadeem Aslam wrote; “Do we still believe that UN resolution`s on Kashmir are providing a  comprehensive solution for the forcibly divided Jammu Kashmir  (IOK,POK,OGB,Chinese possessed area). If we can read UN resolutions in conjunction with Simla Agreement 2nd July, 1972,and the similar statements made by the two UN Sec. generals Kofi Annan and Ban Ki Moon.Its turn international to bilateral and not any more in the UN.Please read them below? Simla Agreement 2nd July, 1972 Most importantly, it bound the two countries "to settle their differences by peaceful means through bilateral negotiations".

4. In order to initiate the process of the establishment of durable peace, both the Governments agreed that:

(i) Indian and Pakistani forces shall be withdrawn to their side of the international border.

(ii) In Jammu and Kashmir the line of control  resulting from the cease-fire of December 17, 1971 shall be respected by both sides without prejudice to the recognized position of either side. Neither side shall seek to alter it unilaterally irrespective of mutual differences and legal interpretations. Both sides further undertake to refrain from the threat or the use of force in violation of this line.

Former Sec. Gen. United Nation`s  (UN) Koffi Annan said :  UN resolutions on Kashmir did not come under  chapter  7(vii) of the UN  charter and where , therefore , not self enforcing.Unlike  the resolutions on East Timor and Iraq,which come under that particular chapter,the Kashmir resolutions require   the cooperation of both parties  (Ind.Pak) for implementation ?”

Again, I wonder what Nedeem is trying to tell us, if it is the official position of the NAP?  I have noticed from the Invitation Card received from NAP for their function where Sajjad Raja is Chairman Convention Committee  while Nadeem Aslam Spokesperson IC JK NAP.  

The draft resolutions had been adopted in the meeting held on 27/09/09 where the rep from NAP was also present:-

Changes proposed by KIF and adopted on 27/09/09

Draft Resolution on Gilgit Baltistan  13^th September 2009

We the representatives of the British-Kashmiri political Parties and Organisations (based in the UK) gathered here in Birmingham, UK on 13^th September 2009 under the name Campaign against Annexation of Gilgit Baltistan agreed that

We:-

reaffirm the fact that Kashmir means Jammu, Valley, Ladakh, Baltistan,Gilgit and Poonch (AJK), officially known as Jammu Kashmir State is comprising of 85,000 square miles of it’s territory dully recognised by Pakistan, India and the UN through various bilateral treaties and resolutions.  That the successive governments of Pakistan have since accepted the UN, and UNCIP resolutions according to which Pakistan is to facilitate self governance of all the territories under its control under UNCIP Commission’s supervision and withdraw its presence from the territory of the State so that the Commission should take appropriate steps.

 We are united with and in support of the on-going struggle in Gilgit Baltistan for the self-government by the people of the territory according to the terms lay down in the UN and UNCIP resolutions and an improvement by the authority in terms of fundamental, human, political, economic, cultural and national rights would be welcome.  However, we are totally opposed to the forms and methods adopted by Pakistan for the Governance of these areas as they are in breach of the International Law and it is an empowerment  to the Government of Pakistan rather than the people of Gilgit Baltistan, of its pursuit of expansionism. These latest measures exposed Pakistan of its territorial greed and expansionistic motives.  

·        categorically state that Pakistan has no right under International Law, and this fact clearly mentioned in it’s own  law (1973 Constitution of  Pakistan).  The non compliance of the International Law that was and is dully recognised by every successive government in Islamabad and regularly been used as reference, created vacuum of non-availability of any system to safe-guard the basic, human, political, cultural, economic and national rights of the people. The present government, too, failed to address the issue, that is to implement the UNCIP resolutions. The People of Gilgit and Baltistan and Azad Kashmir together have the right to determine the best way of Governance under the supervision of the UNCIP Commission.

 ·        firmly reiterate the territorial integrity and unity of the State, that is 85,000 square miles dully identified and recognised by UN, the Government of Pakistan and the Government of India. Any attempt by any foreign force,  to alter or change it’s  political and geographical entity, that is legally and historically recognised, would be resisted at all cost with full unity and vigour.   

·        Warn the puppets in Muzaffarabad that displaying only the title of “Azad Jammu and Kashmir Government” is no benefit to the people at all. They must not be the part of the Government of Pakistan’s expansionistic move over the territory of our country. 

·        strongly urge the government of Pakistan to stop violating the State Subject Rule with immediate effect in Gilgit and Baltistan and call a Political Convention of the representatives of the peoples from all the territories of the State under its control, to agree upon the constitutional and political forms of self-governance for these areas.  

·        request all the democratic countries and powers of the world to support the people in all parts of divided Kashmir State including Gilgit and Baltistan to achieve the goal of political emancipation by acquiring genuine substantive  socio-political and economic rights deemed necessary for free and independent people in modern times.

·        urge the United Nation organisations to support this resolution and call upon the government of Pakistan to implement the pending UN and UNCIP resolutions so to break the stalemate in the Conflict resolution of Kashmir.

Urge all the Human Rights organisations and institutional bodies for justice and fairness to support this resolution and write to Pakistan Government to withdraw its presence by implementing the UN and UNCIP resolutions in its letter and sprit over the territory of the state known as AJK and Gilgit Baltistan.