With no economic decisions on the cards from the caretaker government, the local entrepreneurs have got two months relief on the issue of granting MFN status to India that the last government approved in its cabinet meeting but did not officially notifiy.

Meanwhile, the industrialists continue to be skeptical about MFN status to India, pointing out that besides a most restrictive Indian import regime and its various non-tariff and technical barriers, Pakistan's policy of facilitating imports and increasing production costs of local industries, favors imported products. They want the next government to revisit the issue threadbare before taking a final decision.

Chairman, All Pakistan Business Forum, Nabeel Hashmi said that free trade is beneficial for all economies but only if the rules of the game are equally applied on both trading partners. When the World Trade Organization was formed, its founding fathers took it for granted that all members would operate fairly and would not twist the rule to deny genuine benefit to the other party. He said that unfortunately most of the member countries tried to take undue advantage of the WTO regime.

He said that under the WTO regime, when a country is granted MFN status, then it has the right to export its goods to the country that conferred this status on it at the general import tariff of that country. He said this law was misused by both developed countries and some over clever developing economies. He said that the developed economies in their general tariff imposed high duties on textiles manufactured in the developing economies. This was done to protect jobs at home.

The developed economies added, produced apparel and fabric at high cost because of 30 to 40 times higher wages than in developing economies. Influx of cheap apparel would have made millions of their workers jobless, he added. This is the reason that against their average import tariff of 6-9 per cent, the tariff on textiles and clothing in these countries varies from 19-27 per cent. He said to accommadate some friends, these economies allowed zero-rated import of textiles and clothing from countries like Bangladesh and Africa. Even this, he added, had adverse effect on neighbouring developing economies like Pakistan, as jobs from their textiles and clothing sector were transferred to low cost countries.

Hashmi said that Pakistani planners acted in haste and reduced their tariff according to the actual spirit of the WTO. Indian planners, on the other hand, acted cleverly. They knew that they would be facing competition on low-cost products from their neighbours, so they designed their tariffs in a way that all products, including textile and clothing, light engineering and home appliances are subjected to prohibitive tariffs. This was done in a technical way such as in the case of fabric, the import duty is only 10 per cent, but with the condition that the minimum duty would be Rs. 150 or 10 per cent, whichever is higher. He said the average cost of Pakistani fabric is $3 per square meter and at 10 per cent the duty should be 30 US cents. But Indian condition of minimum Rs. 150 duty means that the importer of Pakistani fabric would have to pay $3 or 100 per cent duty as 50 Indian rupees are equivalent to one US dollar.

Vice-Chairman, Pakistan Association of Auto Parts and Accessories Manufacturers, Usman Malik, said that the issue of Indian NTBs and restricted Indian import regime is now well known to the government. He said that this awareness was created by the Pakistani exporters, who pointed out the difficulties they face in exporting to India, that they do not face in other export markets.

He said that many government functionaries assured that Indians would be asked to remove these barriers before granting it MFN status. He regretted that the cabinet approved granting this status to India without any step taken by the Indians to remove trade barriers or soften the restrictive import regime.

Chairman, All Pakistan Textile Mills Association, Ahsan Bashir, said that there is no duty on import of cotton and blended yarn in Pakistan. Under the MFN tariff, the import duty on yarn in India is 10 per cent. He said Indians thus enjoy advantage over Pakistani industries. Another factor worth noting is that there is a 7.5 per cent duty on import of polyester fiber that is the basic raw material for producing blended yarn. The local polyester manufacturers adjust the prices of their yarn, taking into account the duty on imported yarn.
Bashir said that this means that the polyester yarn and blended yarn in Pakistan is produced after incurring 7.5 per cent extra cost, while the import of polyester or blended yarn is allowed at zero duty. He said this is a rare example where the home government is providing advantage to the foreign manufacturers. Such anomalies hurt the local industries, irrespective of the fact whether we grant MFN status to India or not.

A motorcycle manufacturer said that this brings in to question the domestic industrial policies that provide advantage to imports and penalize local industries. Elaborating his point, he said that in case of motorcycles, the Indian government allows import of motorcycle components at 10 per cent duty irrespective of the fact whether these components are produced or not in India. In Pakistan this duty is 57.5 per cent for parts that are produced in the country and 32.5 per cent for parts that are not produced in Pakistan.

He said this provides advantage to the Indian industry that produces the motorcycles at low cost even if it uses imported parts. Pakistani industry, he added, produces bikes at higher cost even when importing those parts that are not produced in the country.

India produces 15.7 million bikes per year, China 33 million and Pakistan 1.8 million motorcycles per annum. Logically, the import duty on bikes should be lower in India and China than Pakistan because of the economies of scale. "It is the other way around, as the import duty on motorcycles in India is 90 per cent, China 90 per cent and Pakistan 57.5 per cent. He said with this duty structure, the imports in Pakistan would be easier than in India or China.

Auto vendor Syed Mansoor Abbas said that very few people are aware that a leading car manufacturer established its car plant in Pakistan in the mid-90's with the aim of exporting its brand to India which had indicated to grant MFN status to Pakistan. He said the Japanese that established the plant, were extremely disappointed when they were unable to export a single car for almost a decade before they decided to establish another plant in India.

http://www.weeklycuttingedge.com/

Hans J. Morganthau, who is known as father of modern realism and pope of international relations, in his classical work, Politics among Nations, states that policy of status-quo suits the imperialists because they have got some interests in course of their imperialist pursuits which they want to perpetuate while the loser side seeks to revise it so as to get right the injustice done to it. That is why the aggressors and oppressors have always sought to maintain the status quo and the oppressed parties have endeavored to challenge it.

The tension ridden history of India and Pakistan may be understood in this context. India, due to its strong military and economic superiority and true observance of Chankean traditions, not only occupied the princely states of Junagirh and Hyderabad Deccan on the plea that majority of the populations of these states were Hindus despite the fact that the ruler of the former had acceded his state to Pakistan and that of the latter had announced independence of his state. But in case of Kashmir disregarding religious, cultural and economic ties and sensitivities of the Kashmiris, occupied the state on the plea that they were within their right to do so because the ruler of the state, the Maharaja of Kashmir, had made accession of the state to India.

Later on, it blocked supply of those rivers to Pakistan on whose water the right of Pakistan had been accepted under the Redcliff Award during partition of India. The water issue between the two states was resolved in 1960 through the mediation of the World Bank, the United States and some other western countries but India, latter on, started constructing dams and diverting waters of these rivers in violation of the Indus Basin Treaty.

In the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war, in addition to getting the then East Pakistan detached from its Western wing, India also occupied some important points from Pakistan along the Cease Fire Line (CFL) established in 1948 and imposed it as a new ground reality upon Pakistan in the shape of the Line of Control (LoC) in the Simla Accord. In 1984 it occupied Siachin Glacier in Kashmir and since that time has retained it despite Pakistan’s protests that its occupation by India is illegal.

India’s policy on these and many other issues with Pakistan is that of maintaining the status quo because it has got the upper hand over the latter by occupying the State of Jammu and Kashmir in 1948 and Siahin Glacier in 1984 and constructing dams on and diverting waters from the rivers which have been allotted to Pakistan under the Indus Basin Treaty. Pakistan has always endeavored to resolve these issues with its powerful neighbor through bilateral negotiations or mediation of other countries.

If past history might be taken as a source for judging behavior of states, then India is in no mood of showing any flexibility on any of these issues. Sir Creek and Siachin Glacier are the minor and insignificant issues as compared to the strategically and politically more important issue of Jammu and Kashmir which is the root cause of the conflicts between these two countries but India has not shown even an iota of flexibility over these comparatively minor issues.

From this we may judge to what extent it may go with Pakistan in resolving these issues and the most important question of Jammu and Kashmir. All the past bilateral negotiations and parleys have failed to deliver anything due to the inflexible and intransigent attitude of India.

Resolving any issue between them is a far cry, they have not even fully agreed on the modalities to be followed for the resolution of these issues.

The logic for understanding this attitude of India is very simple; it is not prepared to give up the gains which it has made in the past by dent of its superior military might.

And that is why it has always shown its resentment to Pakistan’s suggestions of third party mediation for the resolution of these issues because the third party, whoever it may be, would, most probably, decide the cases in favor of Pakistan for the simple reason of justice being on its side, an eventuality which India is not prepared to accept.

It will strive hard to retain whatever it has gained so long as it has the requisite power to retain it. The military power it has, and is augmenting it by acquisition of the latest and most sophisticated weapons from the United States, Russia, France and Israel. Over the last so many years it has maintained the privileged status of being the biggest importer of modern weapons.

These weapons are not meant just for defense against China, as is the widespread belief although it may be one of the underlying factors.

The main purpose of the acquisition of these weapons by India is to augment its offensive capabilities against Pakistan furthermore, notwithstanding the fact that the balance of power is already heavily tilted towards the former. The main evidence of this contention is that more than seventy percent of its war machinery is directed and positioned towards Pakistan.

This is not just the case with India and Pakistan. History is evidence to this unfortunate fact that weaker nations have sought justice and fair play through principles and equity but the mightier ones have relied upon their superior power for perpetuating their illegal occupations.

Pakistan will have to rely on its own might, along with skillful and manipulative diplomacy, for the resolution of its disputes with India.

http://www.thefrontierpost.com/category/40/

The issue of water scarcity in Pakistan in the coming years was, once again, highlighted at a seminar in the first week of the current month in the federal capital. Various water and agriculture related organisations and water experts attended the programme and warned in their presentations that the unchecked construction of run-of-the-river hydro-electric projects by India on Pakistan's rivers posed an existential threat to the country.

The representatives of the Punjab Water Council (PWC), Farmers Associates of Pakistan (FAP), Research Institute of Natural Resources of Pakistan (RINP), and Water Resources Development Council (WRDC) participated in the crucial seminar. They discussed in detail the future impact of the Indus Basin Water Treaty of 1960 on the water availability to the farmers, in the light of the decisions on the Baghlihar and Kishanganga Hydroelectric Projects of India.

Though they interpreted the Treaty in different ways, they all were unanimous on one point that there was an urgent need to develop a larger base of legal and technical expertise on the issue, so that the future developments are addressed through domestic human resource. They stressed the need for keeping a watchful eye on the developments planned by the upper riparian, India.

The attitude and actions during the past decades clearly shows that violation of the Indus Basin Treaty is in line with India's national policy of backtracking from its pledges and breaking international agreements and defying the UN. It seems India intends to complete its water denial plan to Pakistan by 2016 after which Pakistan will get deprived of its share of water. Pakistan's condition will become worse than Somalia and Ethiopia, the two drought-ridden countries. And if India opens the gates of these illegal dams, it can sink Pakistan within 48 hours, believe water experts.

In 2011, India released 80,000 to 100,000 cusecs of water after its dams were filled and could no longer accommodate additional water. On August 16, 2011, India spilled more than 70,000 cusecs of additional water into River Sutlej without prior information to Pakistani authorities, inundating dozens of villages in Ganda Singhwala area of Kasur district, which caused billions of rupees losses to the farmers of the area. Water experts say that New Delhi, in sheer violation of the Indus Water Treaty, released more than 70,000 cusecs of water into River Sutlej on the Pakistani side, which raised its level to an alarming extent and washed away dozens of villages in Kasur after creating an emergency flood situation in the entire area.

The participants in the April 2, 2013, seminar reiterated that the issue should be taken up at all world forums of environment, ecology, human rights and poverty alleviation. The future government, formed after the May 11 elections, should be proactive in its role to protect the water rights of the country and also be mindful of the various forums in the country, funded by foreign think tanks to mould public opinion.

The experts told the seminar that the Kishanganga Hydroelectric Plant would divert a portion of the Neelum River from Pakistan, which will reduce power generation at the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Plant of Pakistan. India claims the project will divert 10% of the river's flow while other estimates stand as high as 33%. Nevertheless, water flow below the Neelum-Jhelum Dam, in Pakistan's Neelum Valley, is expected to be minimal as both projects are diverting water to the Jhelum River. This has the potential to have adverse impacts in the Neelum Valley.

The water experts also regretted the fact the successive governments in Pakistan have failed to protect the country's water rights on the three rivers, Indus, Jhelum and Chenab on which the country has exclusive rights under the 1960 Treaty.

Pakistan, in the past, moved various world forums, though no favourable result could be obtained for various reasons. In 2010, Pakistan appealed to the Hague's Permanent Court of Arbitration (CoA), complaining that the Kishanganga project violates the Indus River Treaty by increasing the catchment of the Jhelum River and depriving Pakistan of its water rights. In June 2011, the CoA visited both the Kishanganga and Neelum-Jhelum projects. In August 2011, they ordered India to submit more technical data on the project.
In a talk with the writer recently, Hafiz Zahoorul Hassan Dahar, the chief coordinator of the World Water Assembly, warned that Pakistan is about to become barren because of water terrorism on the part of India. He believes that India has launched a water war against Pakistan by blocking the water of rivers like Chenab, Jhelum, Indus and their tributaries coming to Kargil from Occupied Kashmir. It is obvious that the third world war will take place on water.

Experts say with the climate change and, as a consequence, shrinking water availability across the Middle East, Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, violent conflict between states is increasingly likely. It has been estimated by the experts that by 2025, more than two billion people are expected to live in countries that find it difficult, or impossible, to mobilise the water resources needed to meet the needs of agriculture, industry and households. Population growth, urbanisation and the rapid development of manufacturing industries are relentlessly increasing demand for finite water resources. Symptoms of the resulting water stress are increasingly visible. In northern China, rivers now run dry in their lower reaches for much of the year. In parts of Pakistan and India, groundwater levels are falling so rapidly that from 10% to 20% of agricultural production is under threat.
The only way to stop this water war in the Subcontinent region is to restrict India from constructing dams on Pakistani rivers and blocking their water. Dahar feared that India could drop a water bomb on Pakistan in terms of drought and famine after the completion of its dam projects.

According to information available on various official websites, India has ventured upon an ambitious plan worth $120 billion to divert waters of Jhelum, Chenab and Indus flowing from north to south. So far, it has built 65 dams and headworks, but has plans to build a total of 300 small and big size dams so to get total control over the three rivers. It is constructing a 3,800-km long canal in order to divert water from River Indus to River Sutlej. This project will be completed by 2014. In addition, construction of series of canals measuring 14,000-km is also in the pipeline, which will help connect 14 rivers of India. Since 2008 onwards, Punjab's crops are getting severely damaged due to water shortage, caused by the Baghlihar dam.

According to latest reports, India, with no end to its water terrorism against Pakistan, has now managed to coax Afghanistan to build dams over River Kabul and has offered its full assistance. The Hamid Karzai government has planned to set up Kama Hydroelectric Project using 0.5MAF of Pakistan water. This would further worsen the water problem of Pakistan.

On the other hand, India has, it appears, full backing of the USA, the UK and Israel as well as the Western world, as none of them has ever taken notice of this pitiless form of terrorism against humanity. Among a host of coercive tactics applied by India, with the help of various world powers, water terrorism is one of the most cruel forms to overawe Pakistan and break its will to resist.

http://www.weeklycuttingedge.com/

Sarabjit Singh was perhaps the most high profile Indian prisoner being held in Pakistan’s jails. The fact that the death row prisoner was attacked while in Kot Lakpat Jail and is now fighting for his life is beyond ridiculous. Jail authorities are aware that Indian prisoners remain at the centre of diplomacy between the two countries and Sarabjit was a special prisoner at that, with an almost 23 year long international campaign around securing his freedom. With today having been declared crucial for his survival, Pakistan risks another diplomatic tussle with India if Sarabjit Singh dies.

With protests having erupted in Jammu in Indian-administered Kashmir, it appears that prison authorities were unaware of the diplomatic consequences of not upping security for Sarabjit after a tussle occurred in the jail involving him in the last week. The former Indian foreign minister SM Krishna has asked the Indian government to lodge a strong protest with Pakistan and that such brutality has “no place in a civilized world.” The Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has also chipped in his two bits and called it a “very sad” incident. For those who do not remember, earlier on June 26, 2912, news of Sarabjit’s release was flashed by news outlets before it emerged his name had been mistaken. His sister, Dilip Kaur, had also visited Pakistan to attempt lobby Pakistani authorities to release him. She and three other members of Sarabjit’s family have been issued immediate visit visas to attempt to dissipate the consequences.

However, it is beyond one’s imagination, why Kot Lakpat jail authorities and the Home Department had not responded to the “threats” Singh’s lawyers reported after Kashmiri separatist, Afzal Guru, was hanged in New Dehli. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has also condemned the “dastardly act” and called on the government to start an inquiry into the matter and punish the guilty. Singh had been sentenced to death in 1990, a sentence upheld by the Supreme Court (SC), over spying and being involved in an attack in Punjab in which 14 people were killed. The controversial sentence was also upheld after former president Pervez Musharraf also refused Sarabjit’s mercy petition. Singh’s family has continued to maintain that he was a farmer who accidentally crossed the border while drunk, as so many others do. Matters pertaining to a possible release were complicated by the last high profile Indian prisoner to be released, who claimed he was a spy as soon as he crossed the border, but then what is the value of a spy after 20 years in prison? Sarabjit was for India like Afzal Guru for Pakistan – perhaps even more. An attempted murder case against two prisoners and the suspension of two jail officials are an inadequate response to the brutal attack on him. Accountability should be higher to save the diplomatic impasse between the two countries.

- See more at: http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2013....X1hUQ5Ik.dpuf

49 years old Indian terrorist and RAW Spy Sarabjit Singh died of cardiac arrest at Jinnah Hospital Lahore late on Thursday after being comatose for nearly a week following an assault by other inmates identified as Rizwan and Amir who attacked Sarabjit - were on the death row. His mercy petitions were rejected by the courts and former President Pervez Musharraf.

According to Mahmood Shaukat the doctor on duty, head of a medical board that was supervising Sarabjit’s treatment, he received a call from the doctor on duty (at Jinnah Hospital) at 1 am (1:30 IST) informing me that Sarabjit is no more. He also added that Singh died of cardiac arrest, despite doctors several unsuccessful attempts to resuscitate him. The officials of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad said they had been informed by officials of Jinnah Hospital about Sarabjit’s death. However, the authorities were yet to decide on conducting an autopsy on Sarabjit’s body.

Rizwan and Amir reportedly told the investigators that they had attacked Sarabjit because he had allegedly carried out bomb attacks in Lahore and killed many innocent people and left several other injured.

Later, the Kot Lakhpat Police registered a case against two prisoners under the offence of murdering Sarabjit.

Singh was convicted for his involvement in serial bomb blasts in Lahore and Faisalabad in 1990. In these bomb blasts 14 innocent individuals were killed and several injured. He also confessed of carrying out the bomb blasts as directed by RAW. Therefore, basing on his confessional statement in the courts, he was awarded death sentence in 1991. The relatives of victims of Indian Spy’s terrorism have many times demanded his speedy trial and hanging in the case of brutally killing innocent Pakistanis.

Sarabjit’s wife Sukhpreet Kaur, daughters Poonam and Swapandeep Kaur and sister Dalbir Kaur, reached Lahore on April 28 on a 15-day visa - but abruptly cut short their visit and returned to India citing the poor health of one of Sarabjit’s daughters as the reason. Reportedly, Sarabjit’s sister Dalbir Kaur returned to India to campaign for her brother’s release.

From the entire episode, starting from blasts and subsequent killings of Sarabjits, one can conclude how painful for a family is to hear the news of the death of their loved ones (whether it is the Singh’s family or the families of his bomb blasts victims).

In fact, Indian Intelligence has deliberately selected and launched an individual from Sikh community for carrying out bomb blasts in neighbouring Pakistan. In this regard RAW is likely objectives were to foment terrorism in Pakistan and at the same time to pitch Muslim and Sikh community against each other.

It was a classic eye opener case that reveals the true Hindutva mindset of Indian elite. Devender Pal Singh death sentence does endorse my observation about prevailing extremism in Hindu community. Indian media always becomes vibrant against Pakistan but is deadly quite over Indian Supreme Court awarding death sentence to Devender Pal Singh and hanging of Afzal Ghru and his illegal burial in Jail courtyard.

Notably, on 12 April 2013, India’s Supreme Court ordered the execution of Devender Pal Singh Bhullar liberator and rejected his mercy appeal. This verdict of court will lead to more death sentences being carried out.

Devender Singh is from North-Western Punjab who was convicted over a car bombing in New Delhi in 1993. He had appealed for his sentence to be commuted to life imprisonment on the grounds that he had spent two decades on death row. He was an active hardcore member of Khalistan movement and always opposed Congress Government’s policies against minorities.

Indian media has turned blind eye towards the demand of punishment for another RAW’s agent Col Prohit who was involved in Samjhota express blasts, but it was progressive enough to start yelling for a terrorist who killed 14 individuals in Pakistan. Here, I would like to ask our electronic and print media to do their part of job and air the interviews of relatives of those innocents who became the victims of the terrorist act of Sarabjit and Col Prohit instead only projecting the programs like; Aman kee Asha, Indian ads, Indian culture promotion and Indian movies for the sake of money.

The family of Sarabjit Singh should highlight this tragedy within Sikh community that Sikhs might not be launched for espionage and militancy in Pakistan. Any such like activities create hatred and fissures in Sikh and Muslim communities in Pakistan where most of their sacred religious places are located. As result of Indian policy of fomenting terrorism and launching Sikhs individuals for espionage activities in Pakistan, Pakistani might start doubting those Sikhs who come for pilgrimage and other religious ceremonies. Sikh and Muslim community located all over the world should also raise voice against Indian policy of killing two birds with one stone.

http://www.thefrontierpost.com/category/40/

The act of the inmates of the jail where Sarabjit was imprisoned is indeed condemnable, but the way India bestowed on him the honors proves beyond doubt that he was a spy and a terrorist. Sarabjit Singh was given the best possible treatment, but he died of severe injuries on 2nd May.

On May 3, in what was a tit-for-tat assault, a 52-year old Pakistani prisoner named Rana Sanaullah Haq, who was serving a life term in a jail in Jammu, was attacked on the head by Indian inmates, suffering serious injuries, and was reported to be in critical condition. Sanaullah was admitted to the Government Medical College hospital in Jammu and his condition was reported to be serious. One should ask the question why India had not taken steps to avoid such attack when it knew that there could be reaction against Pakistani prisoners in Indian jails. This could be a planned act of quid pro quo; but one can look at the treatment to Pakistani prisoners in India.

In 2009, two Pakistani prisoners had died in Indian custody - one was Mohammad Akram, and the other one Mehmoud Khalid, a Pakistani citizen, who had gone to India to watch a cricket test match where he lost his passport for which he was subjected to sever torture resulting in his death.
According to his elder brother Siddiq, Khalid had sent them a couple of letters and messages from the Indian prison to the effect he had been facing torture at the hands of Indian authorities. Unfortunately nobody could save Khalid - neither any lawyer like Ansar Burney, nor any human rights organization.
Pakistani prisoner Akram had expired in Indian custody, who had crossed the border in the Kasur area on 8th February 2007and was arrested by the Indian authorities. He was a patient of schizophrenia as claimed by his family. What was shocking for most of Pakistanis was the post-mortem report of Muhammad Akram, according to which, his heart, kidneys, lungs, liver and intestines were taken out from the body before handing it over to Pakistani authorities.

Earlier, a Pakistani sepoy Maqbool Hussain was released after forty years of incarceration by Indian authorities in a condition that he had a paralyzed body, cut tongue and imbalance mind, as he had gone through the worst kind of torture and cruelties. On the other hand, Pakistan had released an Indian spy, Kashmir Singh, on humanitarian grounds.

Later, on arrival in India, Kashmir Singh confessed his crime, and it transpired that he had lied that he was not an Indian spy. Watching media coverage of a hale and healthy Indian spy going back to his country amid warm farewell with ‘protocol’, and receiving the dead bodies of Pakistani prisoners in return, was heart-rending not only for the families of deceased prisoners but also for the whole nation. Anyhow, Sarabjit Singh was awarded the death penalty by the Anti-Terrorist Court in 1991, based on the original confession he had made before a magistrate.

Pakistan had not executed for 22 years despite the fact that his sentence was upheld by the High Court and later by the Supreme Court. The government of Pakistan was inclined to show leniency towards his case on ‘humanitarian ground’ but could not do so due to the people of Pakistan’s demand for stern action against him. The case of released Indian prisoner Surjeet Singh from Pakistani jails uncovered the real face of Indian Government, RAW and Military Intelligence (MI). India had denied that Surjeet Singh, freed after serving three decades in Pakistani jails on espionage charges was a spy working for New Delhi. It is worth mentioning that Surjeet Singh had confessed before the Indian media that he was spying for India when he was arrested by Pakistani authorities in the 1980s. On the other hand, Indian agencies’ cruel treatment and torture have resulted in quite a few deaths of Pakistani prisoners. Most of the prisoners incarcerated in Indian and Pakistani jails are those who are involved in minor offences such as crossing the border unwittingly, staying with an expired passport, over-staying than the period allowed in the visa, or fishing in the territorial waters of the other country mistakenly.

Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving attacker of the November 2008 terror siege, was hanged till death at Pune’s Yerawada Jail in 2012 i.e. within 4 years of his arrest. After rejection of appeal first in the Indian Supreme Court and later rejection of mercy appeal by the President, it was a foregone conclusion that he would be hanged. But it never occurred that it would be done so soon.
One would not know why the date and time of Ajmal Kasab’s hanging was kept as a secret from the media and the people at large; but his execution five days before the fourth anniversary of the Mumbai attacks could be a well thought-out plan by India’s ‘deep state security apparatus’ to unleash propaganda campaign against Pakistan’s ISI and describe Pakistan as a state that sponsors terrorism.

The other alleged mastermind of attack on Indian parliament, Mohammad Afzal Guru was sentenced to death by the trial court on 18th December 2002, and the sentence was upheld by the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court. Anyhow, he was hanged within 11 years of his arrest and verdict. One could compare between India and Pakistan as to who is more compassionate, and who executes the prisoners in a hurry without transparent court proceedings. Sarabjit Singh was a terrorist and spy, arrested by Pakistani officials in 1990. He was tried and convicted by the Supreme Court of Pakistan for a series of bomb attacks in Lahore and Faisalabad that killed 14 bystanders, in 1990.
After the trials in Lahore High Court and the Supreme Court of Pakistan, he was sentenced to death in 1991. Five of his mercy petitions were rejected by the courts and the President of Pakistan.

http://www.thefrontierpost.com/category/40/

On May 3, 2013 Sanaullah Ranjay, a Pakistani prisoner slipped in Coma when, was beaten by Vinod Kumar, a court-martialed Indian soldier who is also serving a life term for murder. Ranjay, has also been declared clinically dead by the medical board. Family and locals of Indian occupied Kashmir protested over ruthless and inhuman act of Indian inmate. Pakistani authorities appealed that Sanaullah be released for further treatment to Pakistan.

In fact, brutal action against Sanaullah is linked with the death of convicted Indian terrorist Sarabjit Singh who expired when his fellow inmates had stricken him with a brick in Lahore jail. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry called the Kashmir jail attack an “obvious retaliation” for the killing of the Indian prisoner.
Indian officials stated they would investigate the attack and had issued an advisory to strengthen security for Pakistani prisoners in Indian jails. Notably, Pakistan has already ordered and started the investigations in the case of Sarabjit Singh’s death.

Unfortunately, as usual Indian Foreign Office and media without having any solid evidence have alleged Pakistani Prime Intelligence agency for the death of Indian terrorist.

Similarly, some of Pakistani analysts have also responded that RAW is involved in thrashing out prisoner Sanaullah who by mistake crossed the LOC in 1999.
Attacking of prisoners by their inmates no doubt are inhuman acts, which need to be out rightly condemned. But before alleging the state or involvement of intelligence outfits of both the countries in these cases one has to analyze the circumstances under which incidents occurred. Let’s assess one by one both the prisoners.

Sarabjit Singh was a regular spy of RAW who was launched after giving proper training with a view to spread terrorism in Pakistan. In 1990 he crossed the international border and completed entrusted tasks of carrying out serial bomb blasts in Lahore and Faisalabad in 1990, He was convicted basing on his confessional statement in the courts, he was awarded death sentence in 1991 by the Supreme Court.

In these bomb blasts 14 innocent individuals were killed and several injured. He has also confessed of carrying out the bomb blasts as directed by RAW. Now, some words about the occurrence of his beating by his jail intimates. Reportedly, he was habitual of drugs and used to agitate others prisoners on death row, while saying that he would soon be free and you people would be hanged.
Moreover, he was in the habit of using abusive language even against Indian government and launchers that his masters are not taking care of his family. On May 2, 2013 he stirred up fellow intimates Rizwan and Amir while abusing in the same old fashion. Therefore, resultantly Rizwan and Amir got furious and scuffle took placed between them. His fellow Pakistani prisoners suddenly picked a brick and hit Singh’s head. He was timely evacuated to the hospital but died due to cardiac arrest. Thus, entire episode did not prove the involvement of any Pakistani intelligence hand. Since there was no need to eliminate an individual has already been awarded death sentence.

Moreover, according to the media reports an Intelligence officer of RAW has also confirmed that Singh has been pushed to Pakistani territory for carrying out multiply terrorists and sabotage activities. Sikh community must be mindful now that Indian intelligence agency is pitching Sikh against Muslims.
Now some words about Pakistani prisoner Sanaullha Ranjay who was imprisoned in 1999 and was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2009 for being a Kashmiri freedom fighter operating in Indian held Kashmir. The charges against him included murder and waging war against India. He crossed LOC by mistake but given life imprisonment without listening to him properly by the court.

Apart from discussing the legality of punishment of Sannulalha, it is one of the fact that Pakistani prisoner was hit by designed, and deliberately as tasked by RAW. A day before this incident, meeting between RAW and Vinod was carried out in the office of Jail Superintendent. On the promise of anonymity a prisoner from Jail uncovered the truth of Sannuallah beating episode, Indian jail staff deliberately did not take any measures after the episode of killing of terrorist Sarabjit Singh.

He also exposed that Vinod Kumar who was a court-martialed Indian soldier as reward would be soon released. Nevertheless, Indian occupied Kashmir’s Home Secretary Suresh Kumar said Ranjay got into an argument with an Indian prisoner as the two smoked in the jail compound. The facts narrated above are enough to say where Pakistani Jail staff failed to take care of foreign prisoner Sarabjit Singh. At the same time it is also proved that Vinod Kumar deliberately hit Pakistani prisoner on the direction of Indian authorities (RAW). Indian agency has also made an attempt to further spoil the already deteriorated Indo-Pak relations.

According to reports, there are 272 Pakistani prisoners in Indian jails. Pakistani authorities should take up case to return or exchange the prisoners.
According to Pakistan Foreign Officer many Pakistani prisoners have completed their punishment tenure, but despite reminding time and again India has not yet released them.

At the end, leaving behind a question for the readers to decide that which intelligence agency is busy in fomenting terrorism or involved in inhuman act of targeting innocent prisoners?

http://www.thefrontierpost.com/category/40/

Who was Sarabjit Singh? According to a former Indian Intelligence Service official who later became the external agency’s chief as well, Sarabjit Singh was an Indian spy who worked for India’s premier agency ‘RAW’.

The official also conformed that the ‘RAW’ had organized many terrorist activities in Pakistan in the late nineties. The official also confirmed that Sarbjit Singh was operating in Pakistan on an official assignment of Indian external agency ‘RAW’ and was tasked to carry out terrorist activities in Punjab. He planted bombs in Lahore and Faisalabad in late nineties killing fourteen innocent Pakistanis.

He was caught for his crimes near Kasur while trying to escape Pakistan. He was later tried by Pakistani courts and convicted of terrorism and espionage. He was awarded death sentence in 1991. Since then a number of mercy petitions were filed on his behalf that had kept him alive till wee hours of 2nd May, 2013 after some inmates at Kot Lakhpat Jail near Lahore fatally wounded him with bricks and iron rods on 26th April.

No sooner the news of his death reached India, a rage of fury followed. Threats and accusations were hurled against Pakistan. Some referred to Sarabjit’s death as handiwork of Pakistani intelligence agencies; some called it a deliberate failure of the Pakistani state to prevent attack on Sarabjit. Hate mongers and vociferous voices pressed upon the Indian government to recall its ambassador to Pakistan and called for stern action against Pakistan stopping short of launching a full scale war.

Coupled with the all too familiar reactions on conflicting incidents wherein Pakistan and its intelligence agencies are dragged into, the reaction in India over Singh’s death was extremely tantalizing. Such reactions and the arrangements made by the state are normally seen for heroes or high state officials who lay down their lives in service of their country. But Sarabjit Singh, a proven terrorist and a condemned convict was no hero.

He took away fourteen lives of innocent Pakistanis and still the Indian state decided to give him a state funeral. Government of the Indian Punjab officially observed three-days mourning wherein Indian flags flew at half mast and official work suspended for the duration. Punjab assembly also passed a unanimous resolution terming Sarabjit as ‘a national martyr’. Prime Minister of India referred to him as a ‘brave son of ‘India’ and regretted that the government in Pakistan did not heed various Indian pleas of taking humanitarian approach to Sarabjit’s conviction on murdering fourteen Pakistanis.

His family that knew about his links with ‘RAW’ was also compensated with ten-million Indian Rupees. The fact gets confirmed as his family did not file any police complaints when he went missing and did not return home for over two months.

His funeral was attended by various ministers, representatives of major political parties and officials from the center and the province. Rahul Gandhi, son of Sonia Gandhi also utilized the occasion for a photo shoot. With so much importance given to a convicted spy and a terrorist’s death, confirmation of his spy status by his handler at ‘RAW’, state funeral and huge compensation to the family leave no doubt that Sarabjit was an Indian agent who carried out espionage and terror activities.

Sarabjit was not the only Indian that spied for India’s premier intelligence agency ‘RAW’ in Pakistan. Amongst the ones that were apprehended and released on the charges of espionage included sixty-nine year old Surjeet Singh who admitted to being a spy working for the Indian Army as soon as he landed in India after release from prison in Pakistan in June, 2012.

Then there was Gurbax Lal, a CBI mole who was released after 17 years of imprisonment in Pakistan. There was another spy Kashmir Singh who remained imprisoned in Pakistan for 35 years and returned to India as a hero and a true patriot. We still have many Indian spies in our ranks that are operating with fake Muslim names and follow Islamic injunctions to hide their identities.
Most of the spies apprehended by Pakistani authorities turn out to be Sikhs.
The Sikh community in India is institutionally taken as a weak segment of Indian society and gets exploited too often by the state for its ulterior motives against foreign countries, especially Pakistan. The poor Sikhs fall to the lucrative offers of the Indian intelligence agencies and agree to work for them. Once they return to their home land they are usually disowned by the intelligence agencies, a common norm of the intelligence outfits anywhere in the world.

Irrespective of the dynamics of Sarbjit’s killing of fourteen Pakistanis and other espionage activities and the fact that he crossed over into Pakistan seventeen times before he was finally apprehended, the attack on him was highly condemnable. The attack cannot be justified through any legal or moral code. In a tit for tat reaction visibly orchestrated by Indian intelligent agencies, Sanaullah, a Pakistani prisoner in Kot Bhalwal jail in Jammu, was fatally wounded by another inmate who happened to be a retired Indian army man. Sanaullah was neither a criminal nor a spy or a terrorist. A spike or an axe is said to have been used as a weapon for the attack. How did either of the two weapons reach the prison and the place of attack, speaks of the hastily planned attack on Sanaullah. He lies in a state of coma at a Chandigarh hospital battling out life on ventilator with his doctors loosing hopes of his recovery.

Indian external affairs minister Salman Khurshid had immediately castigated Pakistan on Sarabjit’s incident, who was a confirmed ‘RAW’ agent who operated in Pakistan for carrying out subversive activities therein. He, in a statement referred to the incident as a ‘setback’ to the efforts in building up relations with Pakistan and that there will be a ‘pause’ in the engagement with that country. Doesn’t the statement reflect that India supports and feigns terror activities in Pakistan through a vast infrastructure of spies and terrorists laid out in Pakistan by its intelligence agency ‘RAW’?
Despite the unfortunate incidents that threaten bilateral relationship between India and Pakistan, both the countries must not allow Track-11 diplomacy between the two countries to be hijacked on such incidents wherein a proactive Indian media predominantly builds up an anti-Pakistan public opinion in India through a ceaseless rhetoric. In contrast Pakistan media restrains itself when it comes to Indian high handedness towards Pakistan.

Even on Sarabjit’s incident, Pakistani media gave more of its air time raising hue and cry over his death as compared to the air time it gave to a state sponsored brutal attack on Pakistani prisoner Sanaullah in Jammu’s jail. The need of the time is to have balanced approach towards issues that endlessly prop up on both sides of the border leading to exchange of accusations and media hypes ultimately affecting reconciliation efforts between the two countries.


http://www.thefrontierpost.com/category/40/

Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was interviewed by a foreign journalist who was unable to fathom the philosophy of the Two-Nation Theory and was insisting that Hindus were docile people and Muslims had nothing to worry from them.
The Quaid replied “You have only seen slave Hindu, you have no idea what Hindu is when he is a master”. Well, those who did not respect the Quaid should start paying homage to his vision. Sana Ullah, a Pakistani imprisoned in Indian jail is the latest testimony to the vision of the Quaid.
Ajmal Kasab was a Pakistani national. He chose to commit atrocious acts, under whatever motivation or direction, was a lone wolf and a non state actor. He met his fate through judicial process in India. His family must have mourned him since he must have meant a lot to them. But Pakistani nation and our media did not raise hue and cry on it. Not that whole Pakistani nation divorced a fellow Pakistani. But we collectively sided with law, morality and displayed our contempt for acts of terrorism. In fact, our own channels were responsible to break Ajmal’s identity and his native town to the world.
Take late Sarabjit Singh, who met an unfortunate and violent death while imprisoned in Pakistan. He was a terrorist of a superior class than Ajmal Kasab. He was sent by RAW which is now acclaiming him as one of their fallen hero. Does this divulge what is being said in between the line? Well, the official and ceremonial burial bestowed on Sarabjit Singh is the further testimony to the fact that he was acting not as a lone crusader but under direction and tutelage of state agency. But world still remembers Ajaml Kasab as Pakistani terrorists and Sarabjit is just an innocent Indian who mistakenly came to Pakistan? This world has never been a just place, to begin with.
But when our courts handed death sentence to Sarabjit Singh, he is suddenly turned into a case of testing our compassion. And all kinds of appeals for clemency start to flood Pakistan. His family members are covered in our media begging for mercy. Mercy? Clemency? What on earth was that for? Sarabjit Singh was a terrorist convicted by courts and sentenced to death as was Ajmal Kasab. But Ajmal Kasab was an unfortunate man, son of a lesser god. He was not granted the clemency and his plea for mercy was rejected by Indian President in 2012.
But then who would call us Pakistani if we did not create a problem out of a solution. Sarabjit Singh’s death sentence was changed to life imprisonment by President Zardari in Jun 2012 (giving a favour which India refused to return). That decision laid the foundation stone of the current state of affairs we are into. Had Sarabjit been executed as per the court verdict, we would have been saved of the awkwardness of his unfortunate and violent death by his inmates. The fact that Sarabjit met with a violent end cannot be condoned. He should have been kept in safe custody to complete his punishment term. His death has brought negative focus on Pakistan and our state apparatus. What is surprising however is our media covered Sarabjit day in and day out from the time he was injured till his death and subsequent ferrying of his corpse to India. Breaking news was aired about any trivial aspect of Sarabjit’s health or state. But unfortunately, same media is maintaining relative silence when it comes to covering a poor Pakistani, brutally assaulted in Indian prison. Is it that media busy covering the buildup to election? Or perhaps we “care” for “guests” more than our own people?
It is state TV channels that are keeping the story of Sana Ullah alive. Left on to our private channels, Sana Ullah could have been easily brushed aside. Election hype could have conveniently overshadowed the plight of a fellow Pakistani. This by no means is an exception rather a pattern that anything which portrays us as unholy, savage and extremist gets out of proportion coverage. But same act committed by India is brushed under the carpet. Take the case of match fixing or corruption in cricket. When it involves a Pakistani, whole world media, and our media is no exception, shout foul. But when the same allegations are leveled against Indian players, the matter is tactfully silenced. It is good to be self critical with intent to improve but not to project one’s self through the lens of our enemies.
Though this may seem too bizarre, it is considered that Indian authorities are seeking time to on this issue. Sana Ullah has been declared clinically dead but is reportedly on life support equipment. If he is declared dead now, Pakistani media and to some extent foreign media will also cover the story. May 11 has approached and to mitigate the negative coverage in media, Indians declared him dead around May 11 and his death has been lost in the hype of election results and analysis. Week from May 10-17 will be devoted to news and views on elections and no other news can compete for attention. Since death of Sana Ullah has not been covered effectively, he will be soon forgotten and consigned to the dust bin of history. Aren’t we reminded of a famous line of stanza “Khoon e Khaak Nasheena tha, Rizqe Khaak” loosely translating as death or sorrows of the downtrodden are conveniently forgotten.
This brings back the sour question in focus again; why do Indians maltreat our nationals so conveniently and get away with it and no eyebrows are raised by our media and human rights activists. Where are all those cohorts of Sarabjit Singh’s, pleading mercy for him, declaring Sarabjit as a case to normalize relations with India? Sarabjit’s sister would never have imagined such generous media coverage in any other country. Can someone point out any other country which gives coverage to an enemy of the state and its innocent people? Why are our liberals maintaining silence now? Is it beyond their mandate to raise their voice for one of their own? Who on earth is asking for exoneration of Sana Ullah. The only demand of any thinking mind is that our media, “liberals and human rights activists” should maintain uniform set of values and standards.
What the Quaid had foreseen and assimilated by living within and among Hindus, our pseudo liberals are not ready to accept despite tons of evidences. Be it desecration of Babri Mosque, Indian Gujarat carnage of 2002 or unfortunate but very well planned terrorist attack on Samjhota Express in 2007, these all are the manifestation of mindset which was vivid on our Quaid but has not permeated in the minds of our liberals and activists. India will use its media to give some ugly twist to Sana Ullah’s gory episode and will still declare itself as righteous and noble. We on the contrary will continue to be made fool by our neo liberals and Aman Ki Asha.

http://www.thefrontierpost.com/category/40/

I never knew that there is no difference between a spy and a terrorist but the recent reporting of some of our own national media houses on the Sarabjit Singh’s death revealed upon me that a spy could be called a terrorist and a terrorist could be a spy. According to my knowledge, a spy is a person who secretly collects and reports information about an enemy or competitor.
A spy is usually employed by a state or institution to obtain secret information from rival countries, organizations and companies. In short his sole responsibility is to keep secret watch on others and he is never involved in any act of terrorism. In most of the countries a terrorist is not treated in the same manner as a spy is treated because the working of a spy is altogether different from that of a terrorist.
We can say that a spy is considered an ambassador of his country taking care of mischievous rather roguish interests of his country in a foreign land. The main objective of a spy is to get secret pieces of information and manipulate and exploit the situation in the larger benefits of the country he belongs to. He himself is never directly involved in any act of terrorism. Most of the time his identity remains concealed.
Unfortunately in Pakistan, the situation is otherwise; here a spy from another country acts as a terrorist as well. A few years back, we had been hosting Raymond Davis, who was apparently a spy but later on by killing three Pakistanis he proved that he was a terrorist as well. Same is the case with Sarabjit Singh.
The Indian hi-ups as well as the Indian media claim that he was a spy but the honuorable Supreme Court of Pakistan said he was a terrorist directly involved in a series of bomb attacks in Lahore and Faisalabad that killed 14 innocent Pakistanis, in 1990. He was sentenced to death in 1991.
Five of his mercy petitions were rejected by the honuorable courts and the President of Pakistan. It was because of the loose-administration of the jail authorities at Lahore that Sarabjit Singh got involved in illegal and immoral practices including the sale and transaction of narcotics with his fellow prisoners. It was 26th of April 2013 when he was attacked by his fellow prisoners and got seriously injured.
The jail authorities at once sent him to the Jinnah Hospital Lahore where he died on 2nd May 2013. His body was sent to India so that his relatives may not lament as those of Afzal Guru whose body was not handed over to his family.
Instead of being thankful to Pakistan for returning the body to India, the Indian authorities started a blame game against Pakistan. Amber Sen, a former special secretary in the Research and Analysis Wing of India said delivering a lecture on terrorism at the International Centre in Panaji, “The Indian state over-reacted over the death of Sarabjit Singh.” Sarabjit was a terrorist who took lives of more than 14 innocent Pakistanis; he must not be treated as a national hero in India.
The ‘Incredible India’ must have treated him as a national hero if he was simply a spy which he was not. Showering honours upon a terrorist is something very immoral and unethical.
Moreover some of the Indian newspapers have admitted the fact that Sarabjit was a terrorist hired by the RAW. Parmjit Singh reports in the Hindustan Times of 5th May 2013,” Sarabjit was sent to Pakistan for an operation managed by an official of Research and Analysis Wing. This official later became the intelligence agency’s chief as well. Sarabjit managed to accomplish the task given to him but was caught while trying to flee.
The RAW had executed many such missions in Pakistan in the early and mid 1990s.” Parmjit Singh further says “Some of the operations executed by the RAW during the period were totally mindless.
Terrorists such as Sarabjit and their families have paid a huge cost for it. Sometimes, the agency officials executed operations out of personal bravado that they can get ‘something’ done in Pakistan.”
More pathetic is the fact that in response to Sarabjit’s death a fifty two years old Pakistani prisoner named Sanaullah Haq was attacked by Indian inmates in Jammu jail.
He was serving a life term there for mistakenly crossing the Line of Control. Sanaullah succumbed to head injuries. Unfortunately, the Indian authorities, the Indian media and some of the media men from Pakistan who had been raising huge hue and cry on Sarabjit’s death remained in complete state of silence on Sanaullah Episode.
Such a cruel behaviour of the Indian authorities, the Indian media and their sympathizers in Pakistani media would simply mar the ongoing peace process between Pakistan and India. The desire or struggle for peace must not allow any one forget the difference between a spy and a terrorist.
The terrorists deserve no sympathy whether they belong to India, USA or Pakistan and any one having a soft corner for a terrorist must also be dealt in the same way.

http://www.thefrontierpost.com/category/40/