Stolen Childhood report by Save the Children and FATA

Stolen Childhood a Report issued by Save the children on May 31, 2017 where 700 million Children wold wide have been snatched their childhood. Total 172 countries are included in this report. Pakistan is on 148 number. Norway is on top while Nigeria has been termed as worst country regarding child rights. Jill Biden who chairs Save the children presented it. Unfortunately the Institution which prepared this report has been bared in FATA , Khyber Pashtunkhwa and Baluchistan by government and security agencies of Pakistan. Here I and Imran Takkar were guests of Radio/TV Dewah Pashto of Voice of America or VOA with Naseer Kakar where i have talked on state of child rights in FATA, Imaran Takar talked on Child situations in Khyber Pashtunkhwa
https://web.facebook.com/voadeewa/videos/1489387831119428/?fref=mentions&pnref=story

Doctor Shakeel Afridi is deprived of basic facility in Jail and his life is under threat.

https://medium.com/@ZarAliAfridi/doctor-shakeel-afridi-is-deprived-of-basic-facility-in-jail-and-his-life-is-under-threat-c58ec2a31ff8

By Zar Ali Khan Afridi

20^th April, 2017

There have been six years after Dr Shakeel Afridi an Agency Surgeon of Khyber in FATA. Doctor Shakeel Afridi was alleged to have helped US intelligence agency CIA tracked down Osama bin laden from Abbott bad a garrison city of Pakistan. He was arrested on May 23, 2011 from Industrial state Hayat abad Peshawar which is a settled area of Pakistan. Osama bin laden was hit by US forces on May 2. 2011.

Doctor Shakeel Afridi remained in custody of Pakistan intelligence Agency ISI and reappeared on 23^rd May, 2012. He remained in custody of ISI for long one year. He was brought to office of Political Agent Khyber Agency situated in Peshawar Cantt where Assistant Political Agent Bara sub Division announced to him 33 years rigorous imprisonment. APA sent him to Peshawar central jail where he was put behind bar in a tiny room which had no facility like newspaper, gas, cold water, fan and above all he was quite unsecure. There was abundance of mosquitoes which could not leave him to sleep. Latter on his brother Jamil Khan Afridi through his lawyer submitted an appeal against his brother punishment in court of the Commissioner Peshawar Division as people of FATA have no right to appeal in Peshawar High Court or any superior court of Pakistan according to constitution of Pakistan of 1973 which bars residents of FATA to appeal in courts. This is a fundamental human right but in Pakistan a tribal has no such right to appeal and to get justice.

The case could not be heard for long one year due to unknown reasons. After Commissioner Jamil was transferred and he was replaced by another commissioner Sahibzada Anees he took decision and suspended punishment of 33 year and sent back case to PA Khyber for fair retrial. Soon after he sent back case then Commissioner was found dead in Islamabad. PA Khyber kept case intact and did not decrease punishment. New Commissioner Peshawar Division Captain Azam decreased punishment of Doctor Shakeel Afridi from 33 year to 23 year mentioning some technical reasons. Few reasons mentioned were non applicability of some articles of frontier Crimes Regulations of 1901.  His brother submitted appeal for revision through his lawyer in FATA Tribunal in May, 2015. Office of the Commissioner could not provide record to FATA Tribunal for long 16 months. In September 2016 record was obtained by FATA Tribunal. For long 7 months government prosecutor or lawyer did not present before FATA Tribunal and each time hearing was to be postponed which hurt entire family of Doctor Shakeel Afridi. No one from his family including his brother, sisters and other close family members were allowed to meet him since 2012 upto July, 2016. Despite Peshawar High Court verdict where Honorable  Court had issued order for allowing his family members meeting with Doctor Shakeel Afridi. This order was issued on June 3, 2015 after writ petition was submitted by Jamil Khan Afridi elder brother of Doctor Shakeel Afridi through his lawyer.

In September, 2016 his brother Jamil Khan Afridi was allowed to see his brother in Jail. He was accompanied by his sister who was not permitted to meet her jailed doctor brother. Jail authority refused her meeting on reason that they were not authorized by Home Department KP  though High Court had clear order for his close family to meet Doctor Shakeel Afridi. His sister went back without meeting her brother whom she had not seen since he was jailed in 2012. It is also interesting to be noted that even lawyer of Doctor Shakeel Afridi could not meet him. What kind of justice is it?

According to Jamil Khan Afridi who met him yesterday dated 19^th April, 2017 shared his details saying that his brother had no facility in Jail. He was kept in a small dark room where there is no light facility and he is derived from sun light and he is quite unable to differentiate between day and night. Room is very suffocated and due to bad smelling his health has been deteriorated. He faces health issues due to dirt and dark. He is treated very badly by Jail high ups including Jail Superintend Masood Ul rehman. Doctor Shakeel Afridi complained and feared he might be hurt or killed by said Superintendent. His life is under threat, his brother remarked. However he appreciated treatment meted out to him by sub ordinate staff of Jail. His brother says, My brother has no facility in Jail. He is kept like an animal in a dog house. He gets no newspaper. He has no refrigerator facility to drink cold water in this sizzling season of summer. Due to continued load shedding there is no alternate system. He is deprived to watch TV. He has no cell phone or even a piece of paper where he could write something on to his family members.

According to information The Computerized National Identity Card CNIC of Doctor Shakeel Afridi is expired in year 2014. He submitted a request for renewal to Jail authority but despite passing of 3 years his card was not renewed. His name and his children names have been put on ECL or Exit Control List by concerned authority of Pakistan. His children needed passports but were denied for being on ECL. What is their crime? asks Jamil Khan Afridi.

About 3 months ago Jamil Khan Afridi applied for domicile certificates of Khyber Agency FATA for his remaining three children and he could not get a positive response yet.

Jamil Khan Afridi appealed to all National and International Human Rights organizations to extend their all possible assistance and to pay a jail visit where they could meet Doctor Shakeel Afridi and get them apprised of what type of bad and inhuman treatment meted out to my brother Dr Shakeel Afridi.

The writer is Chairman

FATA Commission of Human Rights and can be reached at fatacommissionofhumanrights@gmail.com, or zaralikhanafridifata@gmail.com

Farmers in Mohmand Agency FATA were stopped to grow maize crop.

Farmers in Mohmand Agency FATA have been instructed by Political Administration and security forces not to grow maize crop or fodder for cattle. This is only source of income of people of area in question. In most parts of the FATA security forces cut all types of herbs and shrubs and trees. This was exercised in an area where state has neither provided electricity nor gas facility to inmates. on one hand almost all leading and famous crossing points at Durand line with Afghanistan were closed by Pakistan across the FATA and other Pashtun areas. These crossing points were used for trade purposes by people of FATA. On other hand people of FATA were ordered not to grow maize crops on pretext of security though all terrorists are roaming freely in streets and roads of all big cities of Pakistan and their centers are also known. Racial profiling of people of Pakhtunkhwa province and FATA is also a continued process in almost all cities of Punjab and sindh alike. In own villages and home towns people of FATA are not allowed to grow crops. What people will do in such circumstances?. It means social and economic death of people is committed by state and its institutions. State must differentiate between terrorist and common people. We demand government to provide electricity, gas facility and internet so that people of FATA could be in contact with world out side of FATA. 
By Zar Ali Khan Afridi

A brief history of terrorism in FATA and future of region

By

Zar Ali Khan Afridi

There are reports that Chinese President is going to meet American President Donald Trump in Washington in first week of April. It is expected that they would discuss wide range of international politics around the globe. Hopefully they will also talk on politics and conflicts going on in an area situated between Afghanistan and Pakistan called Pashtun and Baluch region both sides of Durand line and FATA in particular.

For last 17 year the region in question is in conflict. Hundred of thousand innocent civilian were brutally killed in war against terror. More than 4000 tribal elders, political and social workers and Human Rights Defenders were assassinated. In 2001 when American towers were hit by terrorists under command of Osama Bin Laden entire free world and humanity were shocked to hear and watched that innocent civilian were martyred for no crime they ever had committed. This was indeed a shocking time and we all shed tears over dead and littered bodies. Then American President Bush declared war on terrorists and his forces perched in Afghanistan where terrorist Taliban and Alqaeda were stationed for last several year after so called Mujahideen were abdicated in 1992. Taliban were strongly supported by Pakistan and only two more countries ie Saudia Arab and United Arab Emirate recognized them along with Pakistan. Now it is not secret any more what happened by that time and who supported Taliban proxy and Alqaeda.

Subsequently a Loya Jirga was held where Hamid Karzai was chosen or elected as President of Afghanistan. Few year of his government were quite silent but slowly and gradually situations started bad and with passage of time got worst. In areas adjacent with Afghanistan this side of Durand line towards Pakistan Islamic groups re-emerged under umbrella of Mutahidda Majlis Amal MMA or a coalition of politico religious and Jehadist parties and out fits of Pakistan. This alliance ruled for 5 year and during this time Jehadist accumulated weapon, recruited fighters and got wealth and pelf.

In year 2007 Pakistan former PM Benazir Bhutto was assassinated who was committed to eliminate terrorism from FATA. Elections were postponed in Pakistan under then Army Dictator Pervaiz Musharraf and next year in 2008 elections were announced. Pakistan People’s Party and coalition formed government in center and in provinces except Punjab. Yousaf Reza Gillani of PPP was appointed as PM of Pakistan and after some time Party Co Chairman Asif Ali Zardari was declared as President of Pakistan. In province of then NWFP now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa coalition government of PPP and ANP was formed and Ameer Haider Khan Hoti of ANP was posted as Chief Minister of the province.

Soon Pakhtunkhwa province witnessed an abrupt increase in terrorism by so called religious Taliban. More than 3 million people were forced to leave Swat and resided in camps in Peshawar valley as Internally Displaced Persons or IDPs. Terrorists under command of Fazlullah a religious cleric and son in law of Chief of a religious out fit  Tehreek Nifazi Sharia Muhammadi Sufi Muhammad. Sufi Muhammad was the same person who just after American forces came to Afghanistan along with NATO declared Jehad and took hundreds of thousand of Jehadists to Afghanistan to fight against allied forces. Many got killed in Afghanistan and Sufi Muhammad and few of his colleagues crossed over to Pakistan through Kurram Agency where this man was arrested by Pakistan security forces and was kept behind bar for several year for reasons many  know better.

Almost all population of FATA was forced by security forces to leave their homes so that Pakistan military could launch a war against terrorist Taliban to eliminate them who happened to be 3000 latter on increased to 5000 and as time passed their number was shown more and more by Pakistan. Then American administration started assistance to Pakistan military to eliminate terrorism in Pakistan in general and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA in particular. Though terrorists’ networks, seminaries and centers were situated away from FATA in Punjab and other parts of Pakistan but security forces started fight against them in FATA. Out come of entire military exercise in FATA yielded no better results and goal was never achieved.  

In year 2011 Osama Bin Laden was tracked down in Abbott bad a garrison city of Pakistan. American forces which came to attack and kill Osama bin Laden turned back to Afghanistan and Pakistan got arrested a Pakhtun Doctor of Khyber Agency in FATA Dr Shakil Afridi on suspicion of helping American in tracking down Osama bin Laden. Dr Shakil was questioned for years and then he was appeared and latter on put in central jail Peshawar where he still has been languishing there.

During election campaign incumbent President Donald Trump claimed that he would get Dr Shakil Afridi in two minutes time after he takes oath of President of US. 

In recent past situations were changed when Pakistan and Chinese came closer after China Pakistan Economic Corridor or CPEC was announced. Known Jehadist organization Jesh Muhammad and its leader was supported by China and China vetoed resolution of India in UN.

A tripartite summit Conference was held in Moscow Russia on future plan for peace in Afghanistan but ironically Afghanistan was not invited there. Russians supported Afghan Taliban and called them National force which encouraged religious terrorism in region once again and democratic government of Afghanistan was also hit hard.

Russian forces generals visited Miran shah and Wana both North and South Waziristan and inspected area. This also created fears for future in region.

The region and its inmates in question once again is going in turmoil and big powers are in conflict like situations. In Pashtu language a very famous proverb says that frogs are crashed in fight of elephants.

Regards

Written by

Zar Ali Khan Afridi

Chairman

FATA Commission of Human Rights

FATA. Writer can be reached at fatacommissionofhumanrights@gmail.com

Jirga of South Waziristan demand for opening of Crossing Points at Angoor Adda

Via Adam Khan Wazir وانا(نامہ نگار) پولٹیکل ایجنٹ ظفراسلام خٹک نے کہا ہے کہ پاک افغان بارڈر انگوراڈہ گیٹ کھولنے کے حوالے سے اعلیٰ عسکری قیادت سے ہماری بات چیت جاری ہے امید ہے پاک فوج کی جانب سے اچھی خوشخبری ملے گی ان خیالات کا اظہار انہوں نے جنوبی وزیرستان کے ہیڈ کواٹر وانا میں احمدزائی وزیر قبائل کیساتھ منعقدہ گرینڈ جرگے کے بعد میڈیا سے خصوصی بات چیت کرتے ہوئے کی انہوں نے کہا کہ احمدزائی وزیر قبائل نے جرگے میں پانچ مطالبات پیش کئے جس میں سرپرست پاک افغان بارڈر انگور اڈہ گیٹ کھولنا ،سمال ویپنز پر عائد پابندی ختم کرنا ،مردم شماری میں شفافیت کو یقینی بنانا،موبائل و انٹریٹ کے حوالے سے عوام کو درپیش مشکلات ختم کرنااور شناختی کارڈ کے سلسلے میں عوام کو درپیش مسائل شامل ہیں انکی حل کرنا اپنا فرض سمجھتا ہوں انہوں نے کہا کہ پاک فوج کی تعاون سے تمام مسائل کرنے کیلئے سرتوڑ کوشش کرینگے تاکہ عوامی مشکلات انکی دہلیز پر حل ہوجائے انہوں نے مزید کہا کہ جرگے میں احمدزائی وزیر قبائل کی پیش کردہ مطالبات کو عملی جامہ پہنانے کیلئے ٹھوس اقدامات اٹھائیں گے انہوں نے کہا کہ پاک افغان بارڈر انگوراڈہ گیٹ کھولنے سے احمدزائی وزیر قبائل کی تجارتی سرگرمیاں بحال ہوجائیگی اس کے علاوہ عوام کے دیگر مسائل کی حل کیلئے پولٹیکل انتظامیہ بھر پور تعاون کرینگے ۔

FATA’s displaced minorities seek relief, Inclusion of Sikhism in census

http://tribalpost.pk/news/5405/minorities-fata-displacement-census

Head of a group of human rights organizations in FATA, Mr. Zar Ali Khan Afridi said that Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) has deprived not only majorities of their rights but also minorities of their basic rights.

“War against terrorism and militancy in FATA have affected most the minorities settled in Khyber, Orakzai, Kurram and North Waziristan agencies,” he said adding that government had no proper plan for their rehabilitation. “They are patriotic as we are and they were living there for centuries.”

Residents of South Waziristan demand for Internet and social media

وانا(نامہ نگار) جنوبی وزیرستان وانا میں احمدزائی وزیر قبائل کا موبائل نیٹ ورک ،ڈی ایس ایل کی بحالی کے بارے میں پر آمن احتجاجی مظاہر ہ اور ریلی کا انعقاد کیا گیا ،احتجاجی مظاہرے سے قبل دوکانداروں نے سینکڑوں کی تعداد میں موبائل دوکانیں بھی بند کردی گئیں مظاہرے میں دوکانداروں نے آمن پوسٹ تک ریلی نکالی گئی اور واپسی پروانا رستم بازار میں میرزاعالم مارکیٹ کے قریب اختمام پذیر ہوگئی ۔اس پر آمن احتجاجی مظاہرے و ریلی میں دوکاندارحضرات ،سیاسی قائدین ،سول سوسائٹی ،طلباء تنظیموں اور تعلیم یافتہ حضرات سمیت مختلف مکتبہ فکر سے تعلق رکھنے والے لوگوں نے کثیر تعداد میں شرکت کی ۔اس موقع پر پختوانخواہ ملی عوامی پارٹی جنوبی وزیرستان کے صدر سردار عارف وزیر نے احتجاجی مظاہرے سے خطاب کرتے ہوئے کہا کہ ہم پر آمن لوگ ہیں لیکن بدقسمتی سے حکومت نے گزشتہ تین سالوں سے موبائل نیٹ ورک بند کررکھا ہے جس سے لاکھوں لوگوں کی رابطے آپنے عزیز واقارب سے منقطع ہوچکے ہیں اور اس کے ساتھ ساتھ طلباء کو بھی شدید مشکلات کا سامنا کرنا پڑرہے ہیں انہوں نے کہا کہ پر آمن رہنے کے باوجود اس جدید دور میں موبائل جیسی سہولت سے کیوں محروم رکھا گیا ہے جو بڑی افسوس کی بات ہے پورے ملک میں موبائل نیٹ ورک چالو ہے لیکن صرف جنوبی وزیرستان ہے جہاں تین سال قبل موبائل چالو کیا گیا تھا لیکن تین سال گزرنے کے بعد اسکو تاحال بحال نہ کیا گیا جو لمحہ فکریہ کے مترادف بات ہے دوسری جانب سے دوکانداروں کی جانب سے ممتاز وزیر نے مظاہرے سے خطاب کرتے ہوئے کہا کہ موبائل اور ڈی ایس سیل بندش سے ہماری کاروبار مکمل طور پر ٹھپ ہوکررہ گئی ہے جس سے صرف دوکانداروں کو نہیں بلکہ طلباء کوداخلیں بھیجوانے اور ایپلائی کرنے میں شدید مشکلات کا سامنا کرنا پڑرہے ہیں جو ایک ایپلائی کیلئے 200کلومیٹر دورڈی آئی خان جانا پڑتے ہیں جو اس سے بڑھ کر اور کوئی مشکل ہوسکتی ہے انہوں نے حکومت وقت سے پرزور مطالبہ کیا کہ موبائل نیٹ ورک اور ڈی ایس ایل کو فوری طور پر بحال کیا جائے اگر حکومت نے ہماری اس جائز مطالبے پر کوئی عمل در آمد نہیں کیا گیا تو آئندہ چند ہفتوں میں پھر بھی ہم احتجاجی مظاہرے کیساتھ ساتھ قومی شاہراہوں کو بند کرنا پر مجبور ہوجائنگے ۔
Via Adam Khan wazir