Hafiz Saeed calls for jihad against America

By AFP / Rana Tanveer

MUZAFFARABAD / LAHORE: In a fiery Friday sermon, Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed called on the people to wage jihad against America in order to save Pakistan and Islam. “Come to us. We will teach you the meaning of jihad… The time to fight has come.”

The sermon was held at the JuD head office Jamia Markaz al-Qadsia in Lahore, where Saeed had his own security. Some of the security personnel were also seen carrying weapons with silencers. A box was placed at the exit and men asked for people exiting the mosque to give funds for jihad.

Saeed, who recently became the centre of attention after the US announced a $10 million bounty on him for his affiliation with the banned Laskar-e-Taiba (LeT), said that the JuD is not afraid of anyone and will continue with its jihad. “They [US] are even scared of my name.”

“This is the same jihad which caused the USSR to break and now America is failing because of it. Analysts and journalists don’t realise why America is failing, the only reason is jihad.” he remarked. “There are many parties in Pakistan, but America has only sent a message to Jamaatud Dawa, because we do jihad.”

Commenting on the Raymond Davis saga, Saeed said that everyone knows what he was doing in the country and what the American spy agency Central Investigative Agency (CIA) is trying to accomplish in Pakistan. “America should leave Pakistan and Afghanistan peacefully. Then, we will not come to you with guns but will instead invite you to Islam.”

Saeed added that the reason why the media is against jihad is because it is influenced by the west, and the western education makes them degrade jihad.

After the sermon, a rally was taken to the Lahore press club which was joined by union traders, some Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz leaders, other Difa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC) leaders and was led by Convener of Hurmat-e-Rasool Committee Ameer Hamza. Saeed himself did not participate in the rally.

Difa-e-Pakistan activists protest US bounty on Hafiz Saeed

Hundreds of Difa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC) activists took to the streets Friday, calling for “holy war” and torching a US flag to condemn a $10 million US bounty on Jamaatud Dawa’s (JuD) founder Hafiz Muhammad Saeed.

DPC, an alliance of religious groups, has called for rallies to denounce the move against Saeed, whose Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) group was blamed for the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

In Muzaffarabad, around 500 activists shouted “Al Jihad, al Jihad (holy war)” as they marched on the city and set fire to a US flag in a main square.

DPC activists also staged demonstrations outside Lahore Press Club and Faisalabad.

Speakers asked President Asif Ali Zardari to cancel a planned visit to India on Sunday and demanded an American apology for the bounty.

Al Qaeda and its apologists in Pakistan

Al Qaeda and its apologists

By Raza Rumi

The new al Qaeda chief, Ayman al-Zawahiri in his new video statement has urged the people of Pakistan to overthrow the “corrupt” government in Islamabad. Interestingly, he has also asked the people to rise against the Pakistan Army, which has been fighting a battle against some extremist groups in the north west of the country. Al Qaeda has been making such desperate calls for a decade now. But the worrying part is that the message — or its operative part — has gained currency in many middle class Pakistanis. Despite the crackdown, Hizbut Tahreer (HuT) continues to operate like several other militant groups. The extent of its advocacy for overthrowing the generals and the politicians is such that a HuT affiliated senior army official is on trial these days.

But these trials and military interventions are pointless when Islamabad, virtually a security zone, displays HuT posters and stickers almost everywhere. Why are the activists not tracked down and why do the government and the all-powerful intelligence agencies allow proliferation of such propaganda? A partial explanation is that elements of the state are also steeped in this a similar mindset. It is an established fact that the composition of the officers’ corps in the army and civilian bureaucracy is overwhelmingly middle class.

In his latest statement, again al-Zawahiri has mentioned the 70-year-old American aid worker Dr Warren Weinstein, who was kidnapped in August 2011 from Lahore. The message from al Qaeda is that Weinstein will not be released until their demands are met. Among others, a key demand is the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani scientist sentenced by the US courts and currently languishing in an American prison. Ms Aafia’s story is still incomplete and there are competing claims over her role in perpetrating ‘terrorism’ as well as her innocence. ….

Read more » The Express Tribune

Petition calls for SC to declare President Zardari, PM Gilani ineligible

ISLAMABAD: A petition requested the Supreme Court to declare President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani ineligible for their posts, DawnNews reported. The petition was filed in the apex court on Monday by senior lawyer Wahab Al Khairi. ….

Read more » DAWN.COM

via » Twitter » NFP tweet

Pakistan’s Army Chief Calls for Zardari Investigation

Written by TOLOnews.com

Pakistan’s army chief has called for an investigation into the claim that President Asif Ali Zardari asked the US for help in curbing the power of the country’s generals following the killing of Osama bin Laden, the Financial Times reported.

Mr Zardari is alleged to have authorized a memo asking the US for help in strengthening the civilian government vis-à-vis the military.

Army chief General Ashfaq Kayani said in a statement to the Supreme Court that the memo threatened national security, the FT reported.

The call for an investigation may harm Mr Zardari, who left Pakistan for medical treatment in Dubai last week.

Courtesy »TOLOnews

http://tolonews.com/en/world/4701

Amnesty calls on Canada to arrest Bush

- By AFP

OTTAWA: Amnesty International called on Canadian authorities Wednesday to arrest and prosecute George W. Bush, saying the former US president authorised “torture” when he directed the US-led war on terror.

Bush is expected to attend an economic summit in Surrey in Canada’s westernmost British Columbia province on October 20.

In a memorandum submitted last month to Canada’s attorney general but only now released to the media, the London-based group charged that Bush has legal responsibility for a series of human rights violations.

“Canada is required by its international obligations to arrest and prosecute former president Bush given his responsibility for crimes under international law including torture,” Amnesty’s Susan Lee said in a statement.

“As the US authorities have, so far, failed to bring former president Bush to justice, the international community must step in. A failure by Canada to take action during his visit would violate the UN Convention Against Torture and demonstrate contempt for fundamental human rights,” Lee said. …

Read more » The Express Tribune

MQM worker calls “Altaf Kutta” Mistakenly!

The Problem With Hired Protesters

Credit for digging up this Video of the Day, and even inspiring the title should go to @shahidsaeed on Twitter…

This is from the anti-Zulfiqar Mirza protests outside the Karachi Press Club on October 10, which followed the return to Pakistan of the former Sindh Home Minister and his attempts to stoke controversy yet again by bilious rants against his bete noire, the MQM and its leader Altaf Hussain. The MQM castigated the media for giving too much importance to the “nobody” Mirza and pretended it had nothing to do with the “spontaneous” protests while at the same time, through its testy reactions, it probably gave Mirza exactly the importance he craved. In any case, do not miss this hilarious clip where the chant leader begins with slogans of ‘Altaf Kutta’, which he belts out twice before realizing what protest he’s at, upon which he slaps his head and does a ‘tauba’. Unfortunately, it still doesn’t prevent him from receiving a reproachful whack and being dragged away… As I said, bloody hilarious!

Courtesy: CafePyala » YouTube

New York Times: Seized Cell phone Suggests Bin Laden Link to Pakistani Intelligence

- Seized Phone Offers Clues to Bin Laden’s Pakistani Links

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — The cellphone of Osama bin Laden’s trusted courier, which was recovered in the raid that killed both men in Pakistan last month, contained contacts to a militant group that is a longtime asset of Pakistan’s intelligence agency, senior American officials who have been briefed on the findings say.

The discovery indicates that Bin Laden used the group, Harakat-ul-Mujahedeen, as part of his support network inside the country, the officials and others said. But it also raised tantalizing questions about whether the group and others like it helped shelter and support Bin Laden on behalf of Pakistan’s spy agency, given that it had mentored Harakat and allowed it to operate in Pakistan for at least 20 years, the officials and analysts said.

In tracing the calls on the cellphone, American analysts have determined that Harakat commanders had called Pakistani intelligence officials, the senior American officials said. ….

Read more: The New York Times

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More details: BBC urdu

A Sindhi cameraman of AWAAZ TV, who recorded TV FOOTAGE of the killing of unarmed youngster by Rangers in Karachi, has been receiving threatening calls

KARACHI: A cameraman who recorded the shooting to death of an unarmed youngster by Rangers personnel received threats on Thursday from unknown callers, according to the organisation he works for and media houses and journalist bodies.

The cameraman of Awaz TV, a Sindhi news and entertainment channel, started receiving threatening calls on Thursday morning after the footage he had recorded was broadcast by almost all news channels. …

Read more: DAWN

Journalist Saleem Shahzad goes missing – Days before his disappearance, Shahzad had authored an article that alleged links between navy officials and al Qaeda.

ISLAMABAD: Syed Saleem Shahzad, the Pakistan bureau chief of Asia Times Online, went missing Sunday evening, DawnNews reported.

Days before his disappearance, Shahzad had authored an article that alleged links between navy officials and al Qaeda.

Ali Imran, a Coordinator at the South Asia Free Media Association (Safma) in an email stated that Mr Shahbaz had left his house in Islamabad to participate in a television program but that he did not reach the TV station.

He did not contact his family and friends either, Mr Imran said, adding that Mr Shahzad’s mobile phone and car had not been traced yet.

Courtesy: DAWN.COM

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Missing journalist in ISI custody, says HRW

By Afnan Khan

LAHORE: The Human Rights Watch (HRW) has, through credible sources, learnt that journalist Saleem Shahzad is in custody of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), HRW’s Pakistan representative Ali Dayan Hasan told Daily Times on Monday.

Dayan remarked that the ISI remained a major human rights abuser in Pakistan and it frequently kept abusing and torturing those journalists it disagreed with. He further said the HRW had previously documented similar cases of abduction and torture on journalists by security agencies.

People close to Shahzad told Daily Times that he was picked up by officers of an intelligence agency who have promised through anonymous calls to release him soon. Shahzad, who was working as bureau chief of the Asia Times Online in Islamabad, was whisked away by unidentified people on Sunday evening when he left his F-8 Sector residence to participate in a television talk show. His mobile phone remained switched off and his car could not be traced.

People close to Shahzad stated that he had received numerous warnings from security agencies for his reporting in the past, adding that his recent reporting on the issue of terrorist attack on PNS Mehran might have become the reason of his abduction.

Meanwhile, a case has been registered against the unidentified kidnappers in the F-8 Sector Police Station.

Courtesy: DAILYTIMES.COM

http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=20115\31\story_31-5-2011_pg1_2

Saudi Arabia police ‘fire at rally’

Police have reportedly opened fire at a rally in Saudi Arabia in an apparent effort to stop planned protests there, AP news agency has reported.

A witness in the eastern city of Qatif told AP that gunfire and stun grenades were fired at several hundred protesters marching in the city streets on Thursday.

The witness, speaking on condition of anonymity because he feared government reprisal, said police in the area opened fire. The witness saw at least one protester injured.

Government officials have warned they will take strong action if activists take to the streets after increasing calls for large protests around the country to press for democratic reforms. …

Read more : Aljazeera