Open Letter: Ten Years of Aafia Siddiqui's Imprisonment

“In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful”

Open Letter
To, CJ Iftikhar M. Chaudhry
Supreme Court, Constitution Avenue, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan

March 30, 2013

Subject: Ten Years of Aafia Siddiqui’s Imprisonment

Respected Sir,

Asalamo Alykum, Today, it is full ten years since Aafia Siddiqui was abducted. She, along with her children, was abducted from Pakistan. She surfaced in Afghanistan. And she is being tried in USA?

She is portrayed to have had links with ‘terrorists’, but she has not been prosecuted for any kind of terrorist activity or aid, rather she has been prosecuted on the grounds of shooting an American soldier. This is ridiculous. Sir, during abduction and captivity, what is a person supposed to do? Sit around amiably and wait to be further abused?

2008: Escaped detainees of Bagram jail have reported that they used to hear lamenting screams of a woman during their captivity and one of them identified the picture of Aafia Siddiqui as ‘that woman’. The horror emanating from her imprisonment conditions gave her the name the ghost of Bagram jail.

An added horror of the Aafia Siddiqui case is that all basic human rights and Geneva Convention’s legislation is being severely violated in her treatment as a prisoner. She was detained without a charge, her children suffered for no crime at all, her family was kept uninformed, her interrogators were not honest with her, she does not have legal defence of her choice and she was and still is being physically, mentally and sexually tortured. Her five years in Bagram jail, she was kept in a men’s facility with no privacy or dignity.

Sir, you are in a position to understand the intricacies of law better than ordinary people. As common people, we understand that Aafia Siddiqui, being a Pakistani national, being picked up from the Pakistani soil and committing a shooting (if any) during captivity has a full right to be tried here in Pakistan, not anywhere else. This is also endorsed by the international Geneva Convention.

Sir, please collaborate with all those national and international people sincerely interested in the freedom of Aafia Siddiqui and find a legal and unchallengeable way out, be it a Prison Exchange Program or an unconditional release.

The request is also for all other illegally detained prisoners abroad whose details can be found with Ms. Amina Masood, Defence of Human Rights (www.dhrpk.org).

Sir, we have full faith in your sincerity, commitment and sense of responsibility towards your position and the Grace of Allah Almighty upon you. Wsalam.

From,
[Name/Initials], [Location],
[Date].


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May Allah Almighty bless you...Ameen!

Open Letter: Who Will be the Next Chief Justice

“In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful”

Open Letter
To, Chief Justice Iftikhar M. Chaudhry
Supreme Court, Constitution Avenue, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan

Subject: Who will be the Next Chief Justice?

Much Respected Sir,

Asalamo Alykum,

Indeed 16th March 2009 was a glorious day in the Muslim history when the struggle of one courageous man with the support of his comrades and nation reigned supreme and Judiciary was restored over night.

It was a most amazing Movement. It was organized, bloodshed-free on part of the participants and achieved its goal in the short span of two years. The credit goes to your courage, your fellow support and the awakening of an otherwise sleeping nation, all by the Grace of Allah Almighty.

With regrets I would like to mention here that we as a nation are proving to be quite selfish in nature. For there are other campaigns and movements running in our surroundings by some very brave and much aggrieved individuals, but very few of us participate in them because we feel that the problem does not concern us. Whereas in the case of the Restoration of Judiciary Movement, people participated because they felt it was to their benefit ultimately, other than inspiration from you.

Also, while PML-N had a key role in churning the wheels of the movement towards success, its involvement was also self-oriented. PML-N had been half-hearted and dubious in participating in the periodic calls of the Movement, but when President Zardari dissolved the government of Punjab, the Sharif brothers jumped in and took the lead of the movement and escalated it to success.

However, what worries me now is the future. For the past four years, the nation has been looking towards you, writing to you and approaching you for almost all big and small matters. Some of the issues were not even directly related to the Judiciary, but people approached you because they trust you and could hope for some direct or indirect action on your part to resolve whatever issue. Consequently, you must be a thorn in the eyes of corrupt, unjust and evil people amongst us, and I am sure they just cannot wait for your tenure to be over so that they can get rid of your suo motos and justice.

I know institutes must be policy based and not personality based, but nonetheless it is humans after all who ensure that a policy is being followed in letter and spirit. Corrupt people are very good at twisting and playing around with words and facts to legalize evil acts. Your tenure will be completed in the coming year 2013. With due respect, I wish to know, what is the procedure of a new chief justice being appointed? How will it be ensured that a plot is not already on its way to bring in a corrupt Chief Justice through a ‘legal’ procedure who will play puppet to the evil forces?

Sir, you know the law and the procedures inside out. You would also be knowing the runner-up candidates’ true character and colors. I am not asking you to play favoritism or politics, but only justice once again. Please do this lasting benevolence on this nation, that is, to conform the selection procedure such that it ensures that a just, brave and pro-Islamic Chief Justice is selected for the coming term and always. May Allah Almighty bless you, Ameen.

Wsalam,
[Name/Initials], [Location],
[Date].


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Open Letter: Global Conspiracy Against Pakistan 2013-2014

“In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful”

Open Letter
To, CJ Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry
Supreme Court, Constitution Avenue, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan

Subject: Global Conspiracy Against Pakistan 2013-2014

Respected Sir,

Asalamo Alykum. What I have to say is not news for anybody and nor is it a secret. Rather, it is an open secret. Pakistan became a nuclear power by the Grace of Allah Almighty and in the curtain of the Afghan-Russia war, backed by America.

However, no country except Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE recognized the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan after the Russians were defeated and Taliban, who were the primary freedom-fighters, took charge. It was no secret that America was unhappy with the Taliban taking charge of Afghanistan. As has happened in the past, Americans expected the Mujahideen to fight and die and them to take control after the victory via a puppet government, thereby getting a strong political and economical foothold in South Asia.

A second disappointment or rather a challenge that America had to face post Afghan-Russia war was a nuclear-equipped Islamic Republic of Pakistan. What to do about it now?

The solution to both problems came in the happening of 9/11, which gave America an excuse to attack Afghanistan. Osama bin Laden was accused without proof and when Mullah Omar offered to trial Osama bin Laden in the Muslim Courts, America refused and attacked.

Simultaneously, media reports started building up saying that the Pak-Afghan border was a safe haven for Mujahideen, now renamed as ‘terrorists’. Pakistan, or rather Pervaiz Musharraf succumbed to the American pressure and joined the so-called war-on-terror by giving logistic, intelligence and military support. Despite the fact, no arms were picked up against the Pakistani Armed Forces until the year 2004 when FATA began to be bombarded too, unfortunately, by our own forces. One sorry soldier of our air force, when he saw his bombing make women and children run screaming out of their homes hither and thither, timidly asked his senior, ‘Sir, why are we attacking these people?’ To which he got the noble reply ‘Tujhe kya?’ meaning in effect, ‘It is not your headache…’

The reactionary attacks further escalated when the Lal Masjid happened in 2007, with a sharp rise in suicide attacks.

Let it be noted here that many Pakistani Armed Forces personnel have resigned honorably from the armed forces on account of Pakistan participating in the so-called war-on-terror. Similarly, many soldiers refused to carry out the Lal Masjid operation.

On the other hand, when tensions between Pakistan and India escalated in 2008, after the Mumbai Attacks, and a threat of war was hanging imminently in the air, the Taliban leadership wrote a letter to the Chief-of-Army Pakistan vowing their unconditional support to the Pakistani army should a war take place between Pakistan and India.

This proves that the Taliban are not anti-Pakistan but anti foreign, anti-Islamic agenda, alliances and operations. Also, there is a difference of approach between the Pakistan Taliban and Afghan Taliban and Al-Qaeda. The latter two consistently tell the Pakistani Taliban that, for the sake of Muslim unity, integrity and strength, not to attack the Pakistani Armed Forces, even if they are siding with the enemy and doing the wrong thing.

Then, in 2009, Pakistan made the horrendous mistake of allowing foreign security personnel like Blackwater into Pakistan. What was Pakistan’s perception, understanding or motive upon this, I do not know, but it was a sure, defeating mistake. If the idea was to employ them to tackle the attacks by the TTP, well then it was a mistake upon a mistake. The solution was to get out of the so-called war-on-terror, like Turkey had politely excused after a parliamentary debate and consensus, but not to put the other foot in the murky waters as well and sink further…

The months and years after have seen a steady rise in bomb-blasts, particularly remote-controlled ones, in civilian public places, one of the first of which was in Moon Market, Lahore. One can understand, although one may differ, the objective of a TTP attack on the Wah Cantt Ammunition Factory as one of the attackers from FATA said, ‘When our localities are bombarded and we pick up the remains of the bombs and overturn them and read ‘Made in Pakistan Ordinance Factory – Wah Cantt, Pakistan’, we are infuriated…’ but for what insane reason would Taliban attack civilians and civilian places?

I do not believe that these suicide attacks, remote-controlled bombs or gun-firing at civilian gatherings are the works of Taliban, albeit infiltrated individuals. And neither are these sectarian killings. Sectarian violence is usually preceded by a sectarian dispute, and none of the sect-targeted massacres in the previous year have had any prequel.

Sir, as the foreign armed coalition has started its exit from Afghanistan in 2013, and as they are targeting to completely withdraw by the end of 2014, Pakistan is in serious danger. America itself, along with India and Israel, have their bloodshot eyes focused on the nuclear defence as well as existence of Pakistan.

All this terrorism, minus the attacks by the TTP, are being done by Blackwater and the likes of them, including local hirings such as Dr. Shakeel Afridi of Quetta and Dr. Amjad (Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s ex-husband). This nation will witness a sharp and steady rise in minority, sectarian and ad hoc riots in the coming months, as this is all pre-planned.

Sir, I request you on an emergency basis to call a meeting of the relevant offices of Pakistan and even the political parties out-of-government, to discuss this precarious situation. Specific foreign forces are conducting organized terrorism in Pakistan so that it can be declared a failed state and necessary to be denuclearized. They would not even stop short of disintegrating Pakistan, as we know that new geographical maps have already been drawn.

I request you to include the various related parties on this discussion forum such as the FATA chiefs, TTP, leaders of religious sects and groups and leaders of separatist movements in Balochistan and Sindh, for example Syed Jamaluddin (www.dividepakistan.blogspot.com). Their grievances, which have lead to their present approach, must be removed with solid steps in terms of power delegation, resources sharing and development in all sectors of life. It should materialize as ‘better late, than never’ and not as ‘too little, too late’.

I know that our religious groups can sometimes be very rigid and uncompromising, for example in their demand of implementing their version of Shariah, right here, right now. We need to reach a consensus of at least starting the implementation on undisputed and welcome issues such as Qisas, female inheritance, inflation-reduction and so on. I also know that aggrieved human beings, who have either been deprived or targeted, are charged with emotions and do not want to apparently betray their martyrs by reaching a concensus. We need to create an understanding that no blood spilt for a purpose goes waste. The negotiations today are the fruits of their martyrs’ blood, while the big reward lies with Allah Almighty after all.

As far as the situation in Karachi and elsewhere is concerned, there should be a shoot-at-sight order to anyone brandishing a gun. Full-stop. The religious and political groups need to be told that there are criminals, double agents and mis-guiders disguised amongst them who float ideas among their group which might be technically correct in some particular pretext but are incorrect in spirit and disastrous in the present situation. They need to cooperate in identifying them and eliminating them.

Lastly, the Interior Ministry, or whoever is responsible for issuing visas to foreigners should present a complete list of all foreigners issued visa since 9/11. Each of them needs to be scrutinized critically, especially employees or contractors of the foreign diplomatic office and foreign NGO’s. All those who cannot describe an explicit job description for themselves should have their visas canceled and be deported immediately.

Last but not the least, as Muslims, we love our army, our Mujahideen and Pakistan, as it is the fort of Islam. Please make peace between them as our sovereignty lies in their unity. It will be the achievement of the century in the Muslim world. May Allah Almighty bless you, Ameen. Wsalam.

From,
[Name/Initials], [Location]
[Date]

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CJ Iftikhar M. Chaudhry
Supreme Court, Constitution Avenue,
Islamabad 44000, Pakistan.

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Open Letter: Character Pass for Election Candidate by Article 62 and 63 of Constitution

“In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful”

Open Letter
To, Honorable Justice Fakhruddin G. Ibrahim
Election Commission of Pakistan Secretariat, Constitution Avenue, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan

Subject: Character Pass for Election Candidate by Article 62 and 63 of Constitution

Respected Sir,

You are greatly respected among the political circles and media, and on behalf of this respect, we trust you to be a fair, reliable and practical person.

One does not necessarily have to be a member, follower or fan of Allama Tahi-ul-Qadri, to second his demand of effective implementation of Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution for election candidates. It is an absolutely just demand.

To sum up the character requirements of an election candidate, a person has to be fulfilling the basic tenants of Islam, to be abstaining from major sins and have a clean financial record.

This may be detailed as being a Muslim, performing five times daily prayers, submitting Zakah duly, Fasting in the month of Ramadan and going for Hajj if the preconditions make him/her eligible to do so. The major sins from which one is supposed to abstain include Shirk, murder, Zina, theft, and some others.

However, the deep issue at hand is that majority of our politicians are corrupt as human beings and corrupt as Muslims, and hence they would certainly not want this character scanning procedure in order. They know they will fall out of the election system and hence they are humoring Allama Tahir-ul-Qadri upon the demand of Article 62 and 63, to make it look like the demand of a simpleton, amateur or one having ulterior motives, while it is a very intelligent demand as it roots out corruption at the root level.

Hence, as a citizen wishing to see clean politicians governing our land, I request you to implement the Articles 62 and 63 practically and effectively by character analyzing the election candidates on character clauses which are measureable and undisputed. For example, it is undisputed in Islam that a Muslim has to say the five obligatory prayers in a day. It is measureable as well. The Friday prayers can be testified by the mosque Imam and the daily prayers can be testified by the immediate family. If a Muslim does not fulfill his basic obligation to Allah Almighty, how will he honestly fulfill his obligations to the state and people? If he is not responsible and disciplined in his personal life, how will he run the affairs of the state? I hope this request will be looked into seriously and drafted into an effective, practical pre-election procedure, with lawmakers and religious scholars of various school-of-thought on board. Wsalam.

From,
[Name/Initials], [Location]
[Date]

References: www.ecp.gov.pk, www.election2013.pk, www.pakistani.org/pakistan/constitution/

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Honorable Justice Fakhruddin G. Ibrahim
Election Commission of Pakistan Secretariat, Constitution Avenue,
Islamabad 44000, Pakistan

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