PAKISTAN: MUSLIM FORCES 12-YEAR-OLD GIRL TO CONVERT, MARRY HIM

Police ridicule Christian mother for kidnapping complaint; others demand money, labor.

LAHORE, Pakistan, June 4 (Compass Direct News) – The Christian mother of a 12-year-old girl in Punjab Province who was kidnapped, coerced into converting to Islam and forcibly married to a 37-year-old Muslim hopes to recover her daughter at a court hearing next week.

The reaction of Pakistani law enforcement authorities to Sajida Masih’s complaint so far – ridiculing her and asserting that there is nothing she can do because her daughter is now a Muslim – does not encourage her hopes of recovering her daughter Huma at next Thursday’s (June 11) hearing.

Masih said that Muhammad Imran abducted Huma at gunpoint on Feb. 23 from Hanif Kot village in Gujranwala district, forcibly converted her and then married her. Imran has since disappeared along with his first wife, three children and new child-bride.

Masih, who worked alongside Imran as a farmhand, said the kidnapping occurred on her son’s wedding day. Masih said that when she sent Huma and the child’s aunt out of their home to see if transportation had arrived for the wedding party, Imran – who had helped in preparing for the ceremony – was waiting and told her to sit on his motorbike.

Huma did not understand and, with her concerned aunt tightly holding her hand, she refused.

Masih’s attorney, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said Imran took out a pistol and told Huma that he would shoot her as well as her parents if she did not obey; he also pointed the weapon at her aunt and said that he would kill her. Huma got onto the bike with him; her family has not seen her since.

Masih immediately ran to the owner of the farm where she and Imran work, Khan Buhadur, who told her to first finish the wedding and then see him in the evening. Masih’s attorney said that when she and relatives went to Buhadur after the ceremony, however, he said only that Imran had fled with his family along with the girl, and that he did not know where they were.

Suspecting that Buhadur was complicit in the kidnapping, Masih went to Sadar police station in Gujranwala. Police officers first ridiculed her, the attorney said, and then told her to go back to Buhadur because “only he could do something.” For several days officers and Buhadur shuttled her back and forth between them.

Unable to get police to register the case, Masih submitted a report with the help of a lawyer and took it to the police station, where officers consigned it to the dustbin.

Three days after the kidnapping, police finally registered a First Information Report (FIR) on Feb. 26 – but changed the age of the kidnapped girl from 12, as her mother reported, to 16. Moreover, Investigating Officer Niaz Khan told Masih that the FIR was useless since she was too poor to hire a lawyer, and that she should try to reach an out-of-court agreement with Buhadur – implying that he knew of the child’s whereabouts.

The Masih family learned from a friend of Imran, identified only as Javed, that Huma had converted to Islam and had married the fugitive father of three. Javed further said that Imran had told him police would do nothing as he had paid them 50,000 rupees (US$620).

The family subsequently received a court notice, the attorney said, stating that Imran had requested nullification of the FIR on Huma’s abduction, claiming she was an “adult” and had “willfully” converted to Islam and married him.

According to Huma’s birth certificate, issued by St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Gujranwala, she was born on Oct. 22, 1996. The attorney said that Imran had submitted a fake birth certificate stating she was born on Dec. 23, 1990, which would make her 18 years old. The legal marriage age for girls in Pakistan is 16.

Only then did Masih obtain the services of the lawyer now handling the case, who is supported by the American Center for Law & Justice.

A hearing on the case had been scheduled for May 6, but because of a change of judge a new date was set for June 11. Unwilling to wait, the family and their lawyer went with a court bailiff to a factory owned by Buhadur in Gujranwala on May 14, hoping to get help in recovering Huma, but Buhadur did not cooperate.

Buhadur had been demanding that Masih pay him 100,000 rupees (US$1,240) that she had supposedly borrowed from him, but this demand only surfaced after the kidnapping – an implied attempt to extort money from her in exchange for information on the whereabouts of her daughter, according to the lawyer. Buhadur withdrew this pressure on Masih after the visit from the court bailiff and efforts by the attorney.

At a meeting of villagers on May 16 at the Sadar police station, Buhadur said that Imran owed him money and that he would inform officers if he learned anything of his whereabouts.

Another land owner, Karamat Ali Saroyya, subsequently called Masih saying that Huma was in Muridke, near Lahore, but when Masih and her lawyer set out again and met with Muridke police, they were unable to find her.

Saroyya later demanded that Masih work his fields for one year in order to get her daughter back.

Masih’s lawyer and other legal representatives said police and officials at the Municipal Corporation’s office, which keeps birth and death records, have been reluctant to help, saying that Huma had converted and that therefore there was no reason that she should be returned to non-Muslim parents.

(Compass Direct)

Khyber Agency not issuing domiciles to tribal Christians

* Landikotal APA says Christians not issued certificates because they are not permanent tribal residents
* Agency MNA says he will discuss issue with Zardari soon

By Sami Ullah

LANDIKOTAL: The Khyber Agency political administration is not issuing domicile certificates to Christian inhabitants, tribal Christians told Daily Times on Wednesday.

Khyber Agency Christian Community Chairman Arshad Masih said, “We have contacted the political agent, the (NWFP) governor and (Federal) Minorities Affairs Minister Shahbaz Bhatti for issuance of domicile certificates, but no action has been taken so far. We cannot apply for jobs without our domiciles.”

Permanent: Landikotal Assistant Political Agent (APA) Azam Jan Khalil said, “The Christians are not permanent residents of the Tribal Areas. That is why we have not issued them domicile certificates. The tribal people were also against the issuance of the certificates to the Christians, he added.

A senior member of the community said the government had given permanent residential rights to the Sikh community of the agency, but the Christians had been denied the same right.

There were a total 180 Christian families in the agency, a tribal Christian, Manzoor Masih, said.

The Christians said they had supported the Khyber Agency Member National Assembly (MNA) Noorul Haq Qadri in the February 18, 2008 polls.

Qadri said, “I am trying my best to provide alternative residence to the Christians. I discussed the domicile issue with the former political agent and former NWFP governor Ali Muhammad Jan Orakzai but no one has given a solution. I will discuss the issue with President Asif Zardari soon.”

(Daily Times)

SCENARIOS: Potential outcomes in Pakistan's war with Taliban

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan's military is pressing ahead with an offensive to try to crush the Taliban, following warnings from Washington that the militants pose an existential threat. Following are some scenarios of how events could unfold:

WEAK PAKISTANI GOVERNMENT STRUGGLES TO PUSH BACK TALIBAN

Even if Taliban fighters melt away from their strongholds in Swat in the face of the latest army offensive, they can regroup. Militants could stealthily widen and consolidate their territorial grip as long as they were careful not to overreach and provoke another major army offensive.

"The Pakistan Taliban are effectively taking advantage of the lack of governance and development. Neither appeasement nor military assault is likely to prove effective for handling the long-term threat posed by these groups," said Maria Kuusisto, Pakistan analyst at Eurasia Group in London.

The outlook would be more of the same -- instability, a continued terrorist threat, and a divided Pakistani leadership. But this relatively negative outlook is already priced in, analysts say, meaning local markets will largely ignore the poor security situation and focus on the brighter economic picture. There would be room for gains by local stocks, and the rupee would stabilize, seeing an orderly depreciation over time due to exchange rate reforms. There would be little or no impact on global markets.

MILITARY OFFENSIVE DEALS SIGNIFICANT BLOW TO TALIBAN

The Pakistani government and army so far retain considerable public support for their offensive against the Taliban in Swat. If they can press home their advantage and deal a significant military blow to the Taliban, stocks could see strong gains.

"We reiterate that investors keep an eye on the bigger picture and any progress on the political and military front should be taken as a bullish signal," Credit Suisse said last week. Analysts said the stock market upside could be 25 percent.
The military has also shown success in dealing with militants in tribal areas earlier this year. But crushing an insurgency is notoriously difficult.

"Pakistani military forces already are privately expressing their concerns that many of the Taliban have blended in with the refugees fleeing the district, likely making it a matter of time before Taliban forces are able to reconstitute themselves in the area," risk consultancy Stratfor said in an analysis.
Furthermore, a sustained campaign against the Taliban would worsen an already severe refugee crisis and send the civilian death toll sharply higher, undermining popular support. "If the war against militants becomes a prolonged one, and with heavy civilian casualties (as can be expected), public resentments against the government may well serve to break up the unity, laying the groundwork for both social and political unrest," said Jan Zalewski, analyst at IHS Global Insight.

TALIBAN MAKES DRAMATIC TERRITORIAL GAINS

If the Taliban was able to make significant inroads into the key provinces of Punjab and Sindh, the implications would be highly bearish for local stocks and the rupee, and global markets could be rattled by the rising risk that Pakistan could implode. But the chances of this happening are minimal.

The Taliban remains a loose coalition of disparate militia groups, able to muster at most up to 10,000 fighters who are expert at insurgency warfare in their tribal strongholds but would be quickly crushed in a conventional war with the army. Their popular support in Punjab and Sindh is minimal.

"We may see pockets of Talibanization -- parts of Karachi are vulnerable," said Chietigj Bajpaee at Control Risks. "But the whole country falling under Taliban rule is an exaggeration."

MILITARY TAKES POWER AGAIN

Given the increased popular resentment that forced former President Pervez Musharraf to relinquish power, analysts say the Pakistani military has little appetite for another coup. But if the situation deteriorates badly, that could change.

"Over the six months or a year, another military intervention is unlikely, given the backlash against the Musharraf government," Bajpaee said. "But if there is seen to be significant political gridlock, and the government is not seen to be taking action, then there is a possibility."

Analysts say that given the unpopularity of President Asif Ali Zardari, a coup would be positive for markets. "Given Pakistan's unfortunate history of coups, it would be a very unwise person indeed whoever ruled out a coup in Pakistan," said Nomura senior political analyst Alastair Newton. "But I don't see that as a bad thing in terms of market perceptions."

STRONGER GOVERNMENT EMERGES

Zardari's approval ratings have tanked and opposition leader Nawaz Sharif enjoys far higher popularity -- a poll this week gave him 75 percent approval versus Zardari's 19 percent.

Sharif appeals to a religious conservative constituency, and was a "bete noire for Washington" in the past, Newton said. But there are signs that the United States, exasperated by Zardari, is starting to make overtures to Sharif.
Analysts say that if a way can be found to bring Sharif and his supporters back into the government fold, either through an accommodation with Zardari or by removing him probably with the army's help, this would be positive for stability and markets.
(Editing by Sugita Katyal)

(Reuters)

Sikhs & others sccumb to militants Jazia demand

Our correspondent

LANDIKOTAL: The non-Muslim communities — including Sikhs, Hindus and Christians living in Khyber Agency — have agreed to pay tax to the Bara-based Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) in exchange for ensuring their security in the area.

Sources said LI had asked the non-Muslim communities in Bara, Chora, Karamna, Bazaar Zakhakhel and Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency to pay tax or leave the agency.The sources said the warning came from LI two days back following which the community agreed to pay the tax instead of leaving the area, where they are living for decades.

Several jirgas were held to settle the issue and finally a jirga attended by the leaders and elders of the Sikh, Hindu and Christian community at Tirah Valley decided to pay tax to LI.

Under the decision, only women, children and handicapped persons had been exempted from paying the tax, while other members of the communities would be bound to pay Rs1,000 per head annually.

(The News International, June 3)

Jazia tax imposed on Sikhs of Khyber Agency

BARA: Lashkar-i-Islam (Army of Islam) has imposed Jazia tax on non-Muslims at the rate of Rs1,000 per year per person on Sikhs living in Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency.

The decision was taken at a meeting between Lashkar-i-Islam chief Mangal Bagh and a delegation of the Sikh community held in Speen Qabar on Tuesday.

Lashkar Islam chief assured the delegation that if they paid the tax they would be fully protected from any threat.

About 7,000 Sikhs live in the Khyber Agency.

(More than 300 Sikhs were among those who fled fighting in the districts of Swat and Buner after the Pakistan army launched an operation in those areas.—AP/File)

(Dawn, June 3)

Taliban recruits teenage suicide bombers for revenge attacks

Video films made by the Taliban in Pakistan's troubled Swat valley show teenage boys being groomed as suicide bombers for revenge attacks against local security forces.

By Nick Meo in Peshawar


After the army began an operation to clear Taliban from the valley in May, fighters went from house to house demanding a boy or young man from each family, with recruits encouraged to volunteer for martyrdom missions.

Last week 24 people died and more than 300 were wounded when a suicide car bomb exploded outside a secret police headquarters in Lahore, and six policemen were killed when an attacker detonated explosives at a checkpoint in Peshawar.

Taliban spokesmen said the attacks inside Pakistan's main cities were revenge for the army's assault.

Propaganda films obtained by The Sunday Telegraph in Peshawar, the capital of North West Frontier Province, show boys of 14 or 15 recording farewell messages before climbing into vehicles filled with explosives.

Suicide bombings were extremely rare in Pakistan but have increased dramatically since the Taliban took control of Swat in the aftermath of a bungled government crackdown on extremists launched in 2007.

One film which Pakistanis have been watching with horrified fascination shows a boy of about 15, named in the video as Arshad Ali from Swat, who attacked a polling station after the Taliban banned voting last year.

Sitting with an AK-47 cradled in his lap and fiddling with prayer beads, he stares into the camera. Speaking calmly, he said that the people of Swat were living in evil times and that sacrifice was called for.

"Some hypocrites say that we are doing this for money - or because of brainwashing - but we are told by Allah to target these pagans," he said, in a reference to government claims that the families of suicide bombers were paid after the attacks.

He said: "I invite my fellows to sacrifice themselves".

His final message was for his father, who he urged to stop working in a bank which paid interest, a practice which extremists consider to be usury and unIslamic.

The film then switched to the scene of devastation after the attack, with demolished buildings and piles of rubble-strewn with corpses. The two-minute clip has become the latest hit in a craze for jihadi videos that has swept Pakistan's north-west. DVDs and CDs are openly sold in bazaars, replacing Bollywood films which the extremists have banned.

Films are also swapped between mobile phones or on social networking sites.

Many of them feature the last messages of young suicide bombers, and footage shot of their attacks from a distance – with the cameraman heard chanting "Allah Akbar" (God is great) after each explosion.

The films also show gruesome "trials" and beheadings of alleged spies and captured policemen, whippings of criminals, the aftermath of attacks by guerrillas, and scenes of young jihadis preparing for holy war in training camps.

Another boy, who looks even younger than Arshad Ali, tells the camera: "If I die, do not cry for me. I will be in Heaven waiting for you."

Soon afterwards he killed himself in an attack in which dozens of security personnel died or were wounded.

Sermons from firebrand leaders, jihadi songs about revenge, or chanting of Koranic verses are played as a soundtrack over the footage.

In one sermon, Maulana Fazlulla, one of the movement's leaders in Swat, who is also known as Maulana Radio from his liking for broadcasting, said that the Taliban has set up their own media wing because Pakistani journalists were biased against them.

Maulana Fazlulla is believed to be the commander chiefly responsible for the Taliban's strategy of using young suicide bombers. Last year he told Pakistani journalists: "I am so proud that our boys use their flesh and bones as a weapon for Islam".

On one of the videos he is heard to say: "A lot of people have given us everything for jihad, their homes, their money, their children too."

Another video showed Pakistani planes bombing villages. Such bombardments have killed large numbers of civilians. As the pictures of burned victims and charred villages are played, the maulana says: "To revenge our children we will send out regiments of suicide bombers."

The suicide attacks, which seem to be modelled on al-Qaeda's tactics in Iraq, have spread fear through the ranks of the military and silenced many of the tribal leaders who oppose the Taliban.

"They have ruined our Pushtun culture," one Peshawar businessman said. "They attack mosques at prayer times, murder elders, and recruit boys to kill themselves. All of this is forbidden in Islam."

The man did not want to give his name for fear of falling victim to the Taliban's assassination campaign.

"Not even in the bloodiest battles in the past have we seen this. It is the Arab al-Qaeda way of jihad. It is poisoning our lands."

One of the few leaders from Swat who is prepared to speak out against the Taliban is Riaz Khan, a political worker for the PML-N opposition party who described how the Taliban had taken over the valley. "The Taliban says to people, if you want to live here you will have to support us with money or give us one person from your family.

"They brainwash boys in madrassas. They prepare them mentally for suicide bombing. There has never been anything like this in Swat before – before this the people of Swat were religious but peaceful."

The British government is so worried about the spread of radicalisation among young people in NWFP that in April it announced the quadrupling of spending on development in Pakistan to more than £600 million over four years

The government has been so concerned about propaganda videos that Pakistani television stations have been forbidden from showing them.

But they can also backfire on the groups who make them. When ordinary Pakistanis watched the films that they can buy in bazaars, they see what life under Taliban rule is like.

"I always had a soft corner of my heart for the Taliban because I thought that they were good Muslims and they were fighting against government injustice," said Mohammed Khan, a shopkeeper who lives in Islamabad.

"But when I saw men being slaughtered like beasts in executions, and boys going to kill themselves, I was shocked."

There have been growing signs in the past week of a new bitterness in the battle between the Taliban and the Pakistan government. The price on the head of Maulana Fazlulla was increased to 50 million rupees (£372,000) alive or dead, ten times the original bounty that was offered for him. In return, the Taliban have threatened new revenge attacks.

A telephone intercept of Muslim Khan, a Taliban spokesman in Swat, was released in which he urged attacks on the families of soldiers. "Strikes should be carried out on their homes so their kids get killed and then they'll realise," he was quoted as saying.

The army appears to have been successful in driving Taliban back in large areas, and it claimed yesterday that it had regained control of Mingora, the capital of Swat. However, the battles have resulted in an exodus of 2.4 million refugees. In turn this has created a new security problem - hundreds of terrorists are feared to be hiding among those who have fled.

Police have so far arrested more than 30 suspected Taliban in refugee camps, but there was concern that many more may have used the chaos to slip into Pakistan's cities. Fears of suicide bombers striking crowds are running so high in Peshawar that gatherings of more than 10 people have been banned.

See the Taliban's film of Arshad Ali on Telegraph TV

(Courtesy Daily Times, Telegraph)