QUETTA: Unknown gunmen shot and killed a member of ethnic Hazara community in Quetta on Wednesday, police said.

The killing took place on Joint Road in Quetta.

According to reports, assailants riding a motorcycle targeted Ali Muhammad s/o GhulamAli Hazara on Join Road and fled the scene.

Ali died on the spot. Rescue and police reached the scene and shifted his dead body to Civil Hospital for medico-legal formalities.

The police said that deceased belonged to Mominabad locality of Muree Abad. SAMAA

More than 200,000 unmarried Afghan nationals have left Iran, an official of Iranian Ministry of Interior said on Monday. Mohammad Tahouri told the Mehr News Agency that the resident unmarried Afghan nationals have given the opportunity by June 20 to announce their situation.

Meanwhile, he said that the deadline for Afghan nationals residing in Zanjan, Qazvin, Markazi, Golestan, Mazandaran, Semnan, Bushehr, South Khorasan, Qom, Yazd, Fars and Alborz has come to an end.

Tahouri pointed out that as of June 21 only those individuals who hold refugee certificates or passports are allowed to live in Iran just in the specified provinces. (Trend)

First vice president Marshal. Mohammad Qasim Fahim

KABUL CITY – First vice president on Sunday said that government was ready to meet Taliban’s reasonable conditions, but the leader of the Afghanistan National Front (ANF) described the Taliban as a terrorist group and killers of Jihadi leaders.
Addressing a ceremony marking the first death anniversary of Gen. Daud Daud, the commander of 303rd pamir zone police, the first vice president Marshal. Mohammad Qasim Fahim once again urged armed opposition groups to join the peace process.

The government and people are ready to meet any Taliban’s reasonable conditions.
Fahim added that he had previously asked the Taliban to renounce insurgency and join the peace process. “The enemies of Afghanistan, who once violated and insulted the people, today lacked the combat facilities. Their future is in stake, therefore they prefer to kill people and Jihadi figures.”

He explained the government wanted to bring stability to the society, but no society develops without peace and stability.
“On behalf of Mujahedeen and security forces, I want to convey this message that they will never reach their goals, if they aimed to destabilize and weaken Afghanistan through terror and insurgency.”

Speaking on the occasion, former vice president and also the ANF leader, Ahmad Zia Massoud likened the Taliban to a terrorist group that involved in the assassination of Jihadi figures.
He accused the current administration of backing the Taliban, saying some elements in the current regime were supporting it.

The brother of slain Ahmad Shah Masood added: “Afghans suffer enmity, this enmity is sometimes in Quetta of Pakistan, sometimes in guesthouses of current administration or at the President Palace.”
The Taliban may kill many more Jihadi leaders by 2014 because it is their strategy, but the government’s policy remained focused to cooperate with the Taliban.

He asked all Jihadi leaders and political parties to form a political axis to establish a real and national political system.

Govt. should not show weakness to the armed opposition: Mohaqiq

Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq, another ANF leader said: “The government should not show their weakness to the armed opposition, but it should defend the missions of the martyrs.”

Those individuals, who aimed to occupy nations, should change their policy because violence was not the solution, he added.
Also present at the occasion was the national coalition head, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, who asked clarity on the assassination of Jihadi leaders.

While pointing to Daud’s death, Abdullah said people had the right to know who were involved in the killings of their leaders.
Speaking on the occasion, Interior Minister Bismillah Mohammadi said: “If the Taliban believe they can come to power again, I warn them that they will never reach their desired goal.”

Wolesi Jirga speaker, Abdur Rauf Ibrahimi, Energy and Water Minister Mohammad Ismail Khan, Economic Minister and the Hizb-i-Islami head in Kabul Abdul Hadi Arghandiwal asked the Jihadi leaders to unite.
They urged security officials to prosecute killers of the Jihadi leaders. (Pajhwok)

As the NATO summit is underway in Chicago, key decisions are expected to be made regarding security transition, reconciliation process and the future of Afghanistan and the role of NATO members after the complete withdrawal of international troops in 2014. Though the summit is claimed to be very much comprehensive, it has the deficiency of not involving all the stakeholders from Afghanistan.

The opposition parties in the country that have great role in supporting the current democratic system and will have a comprehensive impact over the future of political order have every right to be involved in the key processes that are to affect Afghan society. US and NATO have always emphasized that an “Afghanized” reconciliation and peace process should be favored, but they have, from their actions, depicted otherwise.

They have, in fact, misused the term “Afghanized” or they do not seem to understand the meaning of the term they have been using so frequently, which seems very much unlikely. Afghanization of the process does not mean only government representation in key processes and developments; rather it must involve representatives of the opposition groups, minorities and other parties to the conflict as well. How many people in the country can be believed to be represented by the government that has come into being through a fraudulent election and overshadowed by the centralized presidential office?

Emphasizing the importance of participation of major stakeholders in the most imperative decisions of Afghanistan, Dana Rohrabacher – A US Congressman – on Friday, May 18, asked US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, through a letter, to invite Afghan National Front (ANF), a major opposition group in the country, to the NATO summit.

He said, “The National Front must be at the table when the future of their country is being discussed.” He further emphasized, “The overly centralized Karzai’s government cannot endure once American troops and money are withdrawn because it lacks legitimacy. Karzai stole his elections.

We must bring in legitimate leaders, who represent the majority of Afghans, and let them take their rightful seat at the table and help decide the fate of their own country.” ANF and Rohrabracher have been emphasizing that the peace process in Afghanistan should be made “Afghanized” in the true sense of the word.

They have, currently, been demanding a true democratic system in the county as they believe that the current system is too much centralized and over-dominated by the President. Therefore, the involvement of the Presidential office and cabinet members does not mean the participation of all the necessary representatives of the people of Afghanistan.

From the very beginning of the reconciliation process with Taliban, Dana Rohrabracher has been demanding that the peace process should be made more transparent and should involve the parties that have been anti-Taliban and deserve to be a party in the process. ANF, formerly known as Northern Alliance, cooperated with US to topple down the extremist Taliban regime.

If Afghan government, US and NATO are seeking reconciliation with Taliban they should better involve the parties that are in conflict with Taliban. Afghan government, especially President Karzai, on various occasions, has emphasized that Taliban are his “brothers” and US has mentioned that Taliban are not their “enemy”; so how can they have reconciliation with them as they are not the parties in conflict? Why not to facilitate the negotiation between the parties that are in conflict to each other?

There have been various controversies and deficiencies that have been highlighted every now and then by different intellectuals, writers and politicians since the very beginning of the peace negotiations with Taliban. The efforts of Afghan government, though claimed to be very much inclusive, have proved to be very meager.

High Peace Council (HPC) that was established to shoulder the important responsibility of tackling the peace talks with Taliban has not been able to produce tangible outcomes. It has, rather, faced serious blows itself by terrorism. The current process of reconciliation has made the people of Afghanistan very much pessimistic about their future.

What has been the total achievement of the process was best depicted in the International Crisis Group’s (ICG’s) report – Talking about Talks: Toward a Political Settlement in Afghanistan, “The government’s efforts to start negotiations have been both half-hearted and haphazard.

Amid fundamental disagreements over the very meaning of reconciliation, the process appears focused on political accommodation with a phalanx of unsavoury powerbrokers. The rhetorical clamour over talks about talks has led to desperate and dangerous moves on the part of the government to bring purported leaders from the three main insurgent groups – the Taliban, Hizb-e Islami and the Haqqani network – to the negotiating table.

This state of confusion has stoked fears among ethnic minorities, civil society and women that the aim of Karzai’s reconciliation policy is primarily to shore up his constituency among conservative Pashtun elites at the expense of hard-fought protections for Afghan citizens. A thorough reassessment of Karzai’s national reconciliation policy, the role of the High Peace Council and the Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration Program (APRP) is urgently needed.

The program has faced staunch resistance from local security officials mistrustful of participants’ motives, and its impact has been minimal at best.”And Yes, there have been some “desperate and dangerous moves” on the part of government to bring Taliban leader to negotiation table. Even the US has not hesitated to take some risky steps so as to attract Taliban for the talks – the release of Taliban leaders from Guantanamo Bay without gauging the outcomes has been a clear example in this regard.

So it would not be inappropriate to say that any sort of reconciliation with Taliban can bear fruit once it is truly Afghanized i.e. it is carried on with the intention to yield maximum and favorable outcome for all the people of Afghanistan, including minority groups, civil society members and women. The challenge is not to bring Taliban to the negotiation table, the true challenge is to manage a negotiation process that can result into sustainable peace and tranquility in the country and that can promise a better and tranquil future for the generations to come.

On Wednesday, Maimana, the provincial capital of Faryab, witnessed one of the largest rallies of its history.

FARYAB – As a part of its spring campaign, Afghanistan National Front (ANF) continues to hold rallies in the Northern Afghanistan. On Wednesday, Maimana, the provincial capital of Faryab, the most populated province of the North witnessed one of the largest rallies of its history.
ANF, which successfully held a big rally last week in Shiberghan, Jawzjan, held its second successful rally in Faryab. Addressing tens of thousands of spectators, Ahmad Zia Massoud, the chairman of the ANF said, “The upcoming presidential election of 2014 has the role of a milestone in the peace and stability of our country… whoever tries to influence the election illegally or to steal the public mandate would commit a crime and national treason. We will not allow them to manipulate the democratic process.”

Ahmad Zia Massoud said that the substantial reforms in the political system which could accommodate the national diversity with due honor is the only path towards peace and prosperity.

Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq, the popular Hazara leader said, “It is up to Karzai, to adopt the democratic path or the path of Qaddafi; in the first option he might be still remembered with good name in our history but if he adopts the undemocratic path to increase the lifespan of his rule, he will face fierce resistance by Afghans.”

Mohaqiq said that government has failed to deliver on political and development fronts. Human rights, gender equality, growing corruption are the serious questions to Karzai administration.
“Government rather than thinking about the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country cares about the amnesty of the terrorists,” he said.

Mohaqiq said that the demands of the National Front regarding the decentralization of Power and parliamentary form of democracy are the legitimate demands of the people of Afghanistan.

Abdur Rashid Dostum the leader of Junbish Party said, “We will abide by the democratic rule but if the efforts to derail the democracy continue, we will resist and fight for the people’s right.” “Taliban don’t believe in peace and they will not lay down their weapons nor accept the values depicted in our constitution……The peace process is flawed…… Gen. Dostum is still alive to safeguard the constitution and prevent Taliban from returning in power by undemocratic means,” he said.

Haji Aman Khairi, another top leader of the ANF, said, “Distance between people and government is increasing day by day which is because of the inefficiency of the government. The current government is not able to address the corruption and the system based on corruption.”

At the end of the rally the elders of Faryab province tied their waists with red scarf and assured their full support.

Imagine if the targets of Sydney’s drive-by shootings were not members of feuding bikie gangs but people singled out by virtue of their appearance to be shot dead while travelling to work by bus or car, shopping, attending a medical appointment or visiting relatives. It is beyond comprehension to imagine such a situation. Yet that is exactly what is happening to Hazaras in Pakistan. In recent years, armed terrorist groups have been targeting ordinary Hazara men, women and children on a weekly basis in Quetta, Pakistan. Over half a million Hazaras feel terrorized by these frenzy killings.

That is why on 10 May, over a thousand Hazara-Australians gathered in Canberra to protest against the systematic targeting of attacks on the Hazara community in Quetta, Pakistan. Men, women and children travelled by buses and cars from Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Sydney. Marching from the Australian Parliament House to the UN office and then the Pakistani embassy, they chanted ‘we want justice,’ ‘we want security,’ ‘Hazara rights are human rights,’ and ‘why is the UN silent’?

The march was one of series of rallies organised by Hazaras around the world in the past few weeks; in Afghanistan, Pakistan, UK, Holland, Denmark, Norway, Italy, US, Canada and New Zealand.

A similar world-wide protest was organised last year but it fell on deaf ears. None of the world leaders, including Australia, have come out to condemn publically the terrorist attacks on innocent Hazara people in Pakistan.

The protest last week demanded the Australian government, public, and media to take notice of the genocide being perpetrated against Hazaras and pressure the Pakistani authority to crack down on terrorist groups.

Yet, the mainstream media in Australia has largely been silent in covering on this issue except SBS radio. Although there are a significant numbers of Hazaras in Australia they are frustrated that the plight of their family and friends in Pakistan is being ignored. The Hazara community in Australia is deeply affected by the situation in Pakistan and Afghanistan, now they are trying to show solidarity to those left behind through non-violence means.

It is this feeling of frustration and hopelessness that has taken so many Hazaras again onto the streets of many countries this year again.

Many of the Afghans seeking asylum in Australia and those already accepted fled persecution at the hands of terrorist groups either in Pakistan or Afghanistan.

As a Hazara from Afghanistan, I came to Australia in 2001 and have travelled to Pakistan twice since then. Each time, I witnessed violent attacks on Hazaras. The deadliest one was in September 2010 in which over 70 Hazaras were killed and over 200 wounded in a suicide bomb attack in Quetta. The house of my own relative, Ramzan Ali, was attacked by terrorists last August, killing over 12 people and injuring a few dozens. His family cowered under the rubbles miraculously survived.

However, in the past two years, the tactics have changed from suicide bombing to shootings where unknown gunmen fire on cars and buses that carry Hazara passengers.

There are nearly 600,000 Hazaras in Quetta some of whom had fled persecution in Afghanistan a century ago. There are also so many who have come to escape the Taliban. They are living in a state of terror and fear, waiting for the next moment to pass without incident. They are besieged in their own homes and areas.

Attacks since 2001 have produced a staggering human toll -over 700 have been killed and nearly 2000 injured. Not a single perpetrator who has been brought to justice by the provincial Baluchistan government. In fact, the Pakistani government is involved with the attackers. The Asian Human Rights Commissionimplicate Pakistan’s secret agency, the ISI, in financing and collaborating with terrorist organizations in Baluchistan, ‘Their main tasks include counter-insurgency, spread of Talibanization, sectarian violence, killings of Hazaras and Shias, attacks on NATO supply routes and targeting journalists and lawyers.’

The Chief Minister of Baluchistan, Nawab Raisani, has shown no sympathy for Hazara victims in the province for which he is responsible. He said in a recent comment to the media addressing the bereaved families ‘We will send over truckloads of tissue paper, so they can wipe out their sorry tears.’

In recent years, Quetta has become infested with extremist groups.After the collapse of the Taliban in 2001, Quetta which lies on the border of Afghanistan, has become a safe haven to Quetta Shura and members of the Taliban leadership including, Mullah Ommar.

Another terrorist group that freely operates in Quetta is Lashkar-e-Jhagavi (LeJ). The group has been responsible for violence against Hazaras.It is a banned by the UK, US and the Australian government.

This militant group shares strategic and ideological goals with the Taliban in Afghanistan. They consider that the Hazaras are not Muslim and their killing justified. LeJ distributed leaflet in Pakistan saying:

Just as our fighters [referring to the Taliban who massacred Hazaras in Afghanistan] have waged a successful Jihad against the Shiite Hazaras in Afghanistan, our mission in Pakistan is the eradication of this impure sect and its followers from every city, every village and every nook and corner of Pakistan.

There has been a spate of sectarian violence and terrorist attacks gripping the whole of Pakistan, targeting other minority groups like Ahmadi and Baluch. However, the Hazara situation is quite different for two reasons.

First, Hazaras, are easily identifiable because of their distinctive facial Mongol features. Last year in September, a group of 29 Hazaras travelling on a bus en route to Iran were forced to get off, leaving the non-Hazaras passengers, then lined up and shot in Mastung, Quetta.

Second, the Hazara are Shiite in a predominantly Sunni country. They have been attacked by Sunni extremist groups that view the Shiite as heretics. There are other ethnic groups in Pakistan who are Shiite (Shiite represent about 20% of population in Pakistan) but Hazaras bear the brunt of most the attacks in recent years because of their ethnicity (appearance).

The Sunni extremist ideology in Pakistan was cultivated under the military dictatorship of General Mohammad Zia ul-Haq, 1977 to 1988, with the support of the United States to bolster fight against the Soviet Union. Zia Ul-Haq also had other purpose in mind in supporting the Sunni extremists; it was to counter the influence of Iranian 1979 revolution.

Also the Hazaras have been victims of regional players pitted one group against another. Saudi Arabia has been funding extremist Deobandi Sunnis and Wahabis in Pakistan since the Afghan Jihad while Iran supporting the Shiite militant groups such as Sipah-e-Muhammad. They were in fierce battle, attacking each other, causing many deaths.

Haqqani, the former ambassador to the US wrote in New York Times last week that Pakistan is the only country in the world that commemorated the anniversary of Osama Bin Ladin’s death.Thus we should all be concerned about the violence in, and the future of, a nuclear armed Pakistan. No one wants to see the terrorist groups who got free reign in Pakistan to get hold of nuclear bomb. Unimaginable things would happen.

The plight of Hazara maybe invisible to the world as they are not in the headlines but what is unfolding in Quetta is genocide with the implications for peace far beyond Pakistan. Hazaras stretch out their hands to the world and hope the human rights groups, governments and peace loving people will act soon before it is too late.

QUETTA: Two brothers belonging to Hazara community were gunned down in front of the regional passport office off Joint Road on Tuesday.

According to a senior police officer, the victims, identified as Muhammad Tahir and Muhammad Qadir, had come to the post office for their passports and were attacked outside its main gate at 7:15am. The assailants were on a motorbike and fled the scene after the killing.

“The two brothers were standing outside the main gate of the office and were killed on the spot, while another man of Hazara community received bullet wounds,” police confirmed.

The bodies and injured were taken to the Provincial Sandeman Hospital, where stringent security measures were in place to thwart any further attempt of terrorism. The injured, Manzoor Ali, was referred to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) due to security reasons, hospital sources said. “It was a sectarian target killing,” a senior investigating officer said.

No immediate claim of responsibility was made. Police registered a case and further investigations were underway. It is pertinent to mention here that around 28 people of Hazara community have been killed during the recent wave of targeted killings.

SHIBERGHAN – At the start of its spring campaign Afghanistan National Parties held a big public rally in Shiberghan, Jowzjan province on Wednesday. Addressing the rally Afghanistan National Front (ANF) leaders accused the government for promoting corruption and ill governance. They welcomed the US-Afghan Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA) but blamed president Karzai for misinterpreting parts of the agreement for personal gain. The speakers once again asked for the change of political system from presidential to parliamentary form of democracy and decentralization of power with elected local governors.

“Our demand is in accordance with the constitution, it is just a misleading propaganda by the government that our demands are beyond constitution, I ask them to read the article 136 and 137 of the our constitution which support the decentralization of power and the set of our demands which is not depicted in the constitution, there are ways for the amendment of the constitution,” said Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq.

Addressing the largest rally after the formation of the opposition alliance Gen. Abdur Rashid Dostum said, “ANF supports peace initiative by any country either it is Qatar or Saudi Arabia but Taliban has to renounce the violence, lay down their weapons and detach them from Al-Qaeda… if they tried to regain power by violence the people of Afghanistan will resist and stand by their National Security Forces.”"we will not tolerate Taliban to lapse the rights of our women and civil society,” he said.

Ahmad Zia Massoud, the chairman of the ANF said, “Government is failed to fulfill the basic demand of the people. It is the time for a change since the present administration lost its capacity and the self-confidence to address the legitimate demand of people which is nothing but simple a peaceful and honorable life.” “There won’t be a single step back with regards to out righteous demand since this is the only way forward to bring peaceful balanced system and the only path toward an accountable system,” he added.

Haji Aman Khairi said, “the demand of decentralization is not confined to a specific region, ethnic or lingual group of our country but it is a countrywide demand. The people of South and East also need the elected and fair local administration.”

It was the largest rally of ANF in the northern city of Shiberghan, around 30 to 35 thousand people attended the rally. The attendees supported the resolution by standing up and loudly chanting of “Allah Akbar.”
The resolution contains the following points:
1. Keeping in view the present state of situation and the outlook of post 2014 Afghanistan, we support the decision of ANF for welcoming the Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA) between Afghanistan and the USA. At the same time it is to be mentioned that we condemn all sort of manipulation of the SPA by the ruling circles in particular in wrong explanation of the article of the agreement which contradicts the article 4 of the constitution which insists on the sovereignty of the country.

2. We understand that peace and stability has been prime needs of our dear country but unfortunately witness that the peace process has been unilateral and Taliban never desire for peace. Since Taliban have not yet renounced violence nor denounced Al- Qaeda we express our concerns over the government’s ignorance of the violent activities of Taliban and denying them as a real strategic threat. That’s why we strongly support the proposal of ANF for a transparent, comprehensive and honorable peace in our country.

3. We understand that Elections is the heart of democracy and demand for transparent, free and fair presidential and provincial councils’ elections. We also warn that any attempt to repeat efforts for stealing the mandate of the people would bear the grave consequences for our country. Therefore we strongly support the joint statement of the Afghanistan National Front and the National Coalition of Afghanistan dated 23,04,2012 and call upon political parties and civil society to join hands in this regards

4. We strongly support the righteous demand of the ANF for Changing of the presidential System to Parliamentary form of democracy, elected provincial and district governors and devolution of power from center to peripheries by empowerment of the provincial councils. We believe that accountable administration in center, provinces and the districts would properly respond to the basic demands of the people and may help in curbing corruption and ill-governance and help the country to proceed on the path of development and prosperity.

5. We assure the leadership council of the ANF of our indestructible support to achieve the aims and objectives of the Front to change our country into a land of peace, prosperity and social justice
Source: http://outlookafghanistan.net

Photo: Reuters