We enjoy watching films and documentaries. And quite often we also hear controversies around the “Censor Board” that has been mandated with the task to certify films and documentaries. But do you know that “Censor Board” is a wrong terminology. The correct word is CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) and its job is not to “censor” but to certify films. Surprised? Watch this conversation between Mr. Rajendra Bhatt, former Regional Officer CBFC and Vivek Sinha, Founder-Editor News Intervention where Mr Rajendra Bhatt explains several interesting facets about how films are cleared by the CBFC.
Pak refugees speak of inhumane persecution of minorities in Pakistan
Indian Parliament has enacted the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, (CAA), with the noble, justified and righteous intention of easing the process of grant of citizenship to the persecuted religious minorities of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
The merits or otherwise of CAA, that are being deliberated across the nation, have led to many discussions and interactions with those who have fled Pakistan and are now living in India. These interactions have thrown light on the inhumane manner in which minority communities have been and continue to be treated in Pakistan.
In Pakistan, minorities live like slaves without any established rights or the liberty of free life and movement. Those few children to manage to get to school cannot say “Yes sir” to the roll call, instead have to respond by saying “Allah ho Akbar.” They do not have right to worship even privately in their homes. To cremate their dead with normal Hindu customs, they have to first take permission from the police and then find some place in a far flung jungle for the mortal remains to be consigned to flames. Quite often the cremation is done in one’s own house, even the bones are not allowed to be collected. They are not allowed to hold marriage celebrations in the open.
The young girls of these communities are forcibly converted to Islam and then married to Muslims. Police does not register complaints of the families when the process is being carried out. The girl is made to sign the conversion paper and married off. The conversion paper is then presented to the Court for acceptance which comes with great alacrity; then the case is closed. It is only recently that high profile cases like the abduction and marriage of the daughter of a Sikh religious teacher of Nankana Sahib got highlighted and skeletons started tumbling out of the closet.
The refugees of Pakistan term such conversions as a regular process that has been going on since Pakistan came into existence. It is one reason behind the population levels of minorities falling at such a devastating scale. Pakistan, at the time of partition had more than 14% minority Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Jains and Parsis in Pakistan and now it is reduced to a paltry 1 %. Millions of people have simply disappeared in thin air.
The Sword of Blasphemy Law, one of the most brutal and discriminatory legislations in the modern world, is continuously hanging over the head of the minorities. On the face of it the law prohibits Blasphemy against any recognised religion and provides for punishment ranging from fine to death. In actuality, it is being used to suppress and brutalise the minorities in the country. It is in absolute contravention to international norms on human rights, especially those related to the rights to freedom of religion and belief; freedom of expression; and equal protection by the law.
A good example of the diabolic nature of the law is the case of Asia Bibi which is now in the news. Asia Bibi is a Christian woman from Pakistan who got into a tiff with other ladies while harvesting their fields in 2009. She was accused of making some offensive comments against Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) for which she was arrested and sentenced to death. It was due to tremendous pressure from the Christian nations that she was allowed to leave the country and is presently settled in Canada. Others have not been as lucky with some having been stoned to death for Blasphemy in a barbaric medieval ritual. No record of such crimes is allowed to exist; it simply put under wraps.
There are a large number of persecuted Hindu and Sikh families in Pakistan looking to leave the country but finding it difficult to do so due to enhanced restrictions that preclude any possibility of visiting India and staying back as was the norm earlier. Such families are now taking the Afghanistan and Nepal route to get to India which is both dangerous and expensive.
The harassment by Pakistan of those who have managed to come to India does not end with the deed done. Frequently, they have to visit Pakistan embassy to get their passports renewed where they meet with endless roadblocks and rampant corruption. Each renewal costs them more than Rs.10000/- which they can ill afford.
The refugees coming from Pakistan feel that only India can understand their problem and their plight. It is on this magnanimous country that they have pinned all hopes for their future. They are emphatic in their assertion that if Government of India does not take the lead to assist them then none other will. They are sending fervent appeals top the Government of India to apply the provision of CAA so that they can resume their shattered lives as proud Indians.
One can only look back with nostalgia at the promise made by Muhammad Ali Jinnah to the people of the country. “You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place of worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed — that has nothing to do with the business of the State,” he said. Apparently, his successors have other ideas about what the nation will look like in the future. Prime Minister Imran Khan, particularly, has demonstrated that he will not hesitate from committing Blasphemy with this office and the minorities of his country to achieve his vision of a pure Islamic state.
The world needs to take cognizance of the genocide that is slowly taking place in Pakistan. The responsibility on India is all the more acute. While being concerned about all the groups that are suffering, special attention has to be given to the Hindu, Sikh and Christian communities.
Responsible Living Should be Everyone’s Karma
Sitting with a calm demeanour, amidst the rhythmic melody of chirping birds and steady burble of running water in his palatial home, Ashwani Khurana always gets excited when the issue of environment comes up for discussion. And, it’s quite natural. For someone who has planted more than 2.5 lakh trees in his lifetime, it’s the harmony of life with nature that accounts for all the happiness and excitement. But it is more than just a momentary exhilaration. This congruence with nature is something that has been nurtured and fostered by him over several decades and has gradually become his guiding philosophy of life in all its myriad spheres.
Khurana believes that planting trees has been his karma. His passion for planting trees began quite early in life. As a young man in early twenties, way back in 1980s, he had a life-changing experience of interacting with Nek Chand, the famous creator of Rock Garden in Chandigarh, which had a powerful influence on him. “It was an overwhelming experience and soon Nek Chand ji became my mentor and guide,” he shared ecstatically. In 1987, he took a vow to plant one lakh trees, which he eventually did during the next one decade and decided to commit his life to the harmony of humans and nature. “I lived by the self-guiding principle that greening, like charity, begins at home; but it shouldn’t end there. The easiest and yet most satisfying environmental initiative we all can take is planting more and more trees. Seeing trees grow has been immensely elating for me, as one would feel seeing their child grow. This bliss was inexplicable and I became an ardent nature lover,” he shared. The green natural surroundings of his home regularly host several resident and migratory birds. “We also get occasional visits by hornbills and partridges and it is said that if partridges visit any place it is the perfect ecosystem,” he chuckled.
His beautifully landscaped and eco-friendly home in Delhi’s Vasant Kunj has been a testing ground for several of his green experiments. Be it practising rain water harvesting, vermicomposting, organic agriculture, recycling of human and animal waste and much more, and the benefits are derived by the entire neighbourhood. “Earlier, a lot of people used to burn dry leaves, we asked them to send all the waste material to us. We have been organising ‘earth sense day’ in the neighbourhood collecting kitchen waste as well as e-waste from all the houses and re-using it. The e-waste is sent to an organisation for responsible disposable and recycling,” Khurana informed. All the waste generated in kitchen and all other kind of animal and human waste is used to make organic manure in his farm, which has a cow shed, poultry, and vermicomposting units.
Interestingly, Khurana, who was once known as the lottery king of India and was also the highest individual tax payer in 1989 in the whole country, feels his biggest asset has been the green oasis he has created in Delhi/NCR – Karma Lakelands, India’s greenest golf resort. Loving and caring the environment is a philosophy that he has nurtured and followed both in his personal and professional spheres and thus was born Karma Lakelands. “In 1989 land banking was done with deep passion to only grow lots and lots of trees and eventually it evolved as one of its kind eco-friendly luxury golf resort. What differentiates Karma Lakelands from others is its commitment towards eco-friendly practices,” he informed. From sewage treatment to plastic recycling, use of solar energy, bee keeping and organic farming, these have become the hallmark of responsible hospitality for him.
To promote sustainable living, rain water at Karma Lakelands is channelized and harvested for irrigation purposes. All kitchen-waste is sorted on site and recycled to feed farm animals or is used for making organic compost. All plastic-waste is sent for recycling. The compost that is used for soil enrichment, is a collection of leaves mixed with cow dung and sewage, as a result there are no flies or mosquitos. Karma Lakelands also has a dedicated Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) with a capacity to treat 500,000 liters of sewage daily. The sewage is piped from National Security Guards (NSG) campus next door and surrounding areas of the resort and the treated water which is also nutrient rich is used for irrigation and horticulture of the entire resort. “It’s not just our own waste, even waste generated by other nearby hotels and resorts is accepted by us and used for various purposes,” he informed.
And, what you get with these eco-initiatives is not just green surroundings but also fresh air, immense biodiversity and numerous varieties of birds dotting the landscape and skyline including sparrows, lapwing, pheasant, shikra, owl, pied wagtail, babbler, kingfisher, blue jay, lesser cormorant, mynah, green pigeon, koel, hoopoe and many more.
With a firm belief in the motto of responsible living for a sustainable future, Ashwani Khurana is creating a wonderful legacy, perhaps what Nek Chand did for Chandigarh, Khurana is on a mission to do the same for Delhi-NCR.
Farmer is the best teacher: Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu
The Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu called upon the scientist and researchers to come up with new innovations and ideas to find solutions to the challenges faced by the Indian farmers.
Inaugurating the 2nd Edition of Exhibition and Conference on Agri-technology & Innovation at Prof. Jayashankar Telangana State Agriculture University in Hyderabad today, the Vice President said that there has to be a meeting of minds between scientists, researchers, Krishi Vigyan Kendras and farmers, who are the main stakeholders, to adopt best practices and make agriculture remunerative.
Observing that a farmer is the best teacher on agriculture, Naidu said that miracles can be created if farmer’s knowledge relating to the field and the research of the scientist are brought together. He suggested to the students studying agriculture to spend half of their time in classrooms and the rest with farmers to gain first hand practical knowledge and acquaint themselves with the problems of the farmers.
The Vice President also called upon the agriculture universities to focus on developing new varieties including the pest resistant and climate smart variants, apart from enhancing the productivity levels. Calling for collective efforts to achieve self-sufficiency in food production, he said that a country like India should not depend on imported food security.
Stating that freebies and loan waivers were not the solution, Naidu said that they only provide temporary relief. What is needed are the long term and wholistic measures that make agriculture viable and profitable, he added.
Listing some of such long term measures, he suggested quality power supply, development of rural infrastructure including godowns, cold storage facilities, refrigerator vans apart from ensuring quality inputs and timely and adequate credit to the farmers.
Calling for the diversification of agriculture, the Vice President said that farmers should be encouraged to grow new crops in addition to traditional crops. He also stressed the need for taking up ancillary activities such as poultry, dairy, horticulture and aquaculture to supplement the farmer’s income.
The Vice President also emphasised the need for post harvest management and providing support to the farmers. He said e-NAM should be expanded to all regions in every state. Shri Naidu also highlighted the need for promoting food processing and value addition of agri products. He urged all entrepreneurs to evolve effective models in the food processing sector after consulting the scientific community, experts and farmers.
Indian delegation discusses strategic positioning of IFFI at Cannes Film Festival 2020
With the objective to positioning India much more strategically at Cannes this year, the Indian delegation at Berlin International Film Festival met Maud Amson, Head of Sales & Operations, Marche Du Film, Cannes Film Festival and Arnaud Menindes, Sales & Operations – Advertising at Marché du Film, Cannes Film Festival regarding Government of India’s participation at the Cannes Film Market 2020. Cannes expressed their collaboration and participation for the 51st edition of IFFI.
The delegation also met with Heads of renowned Film Festivals, Film Commissons, International Producers like Mariëlle Poupelin, Specialist International Business Development, Telefilm Canada; Enrico Vannucci, Deputy Executive Director, Eurimages; Kai Nordberg, Making Movies OY; Adriane Freitag, Executive Manager, Cinema do Brasil; Lefteris S. Eleftheroiu, Senior Officer, Head of Film Unit, Invest Cyprus, Katalin Vajda, Festival Manager, National Film Institute, Hungary, Luis Chaby Vaz, President of Board – ICA Instituto do Cinema e Do Audiovisual, Portugal and Sergio Scapegini, Italian Producer. Scapegini expressed that the Italy would actively consider participating and collaborating with India for the 51st edition of IFFI. He also underlined that the participation would pave-forward for more proactive ties between the two nations.
The Indian delegation, through these interactions, promoted the 51st edition of IFFI and ease of shooting films in India through Film Facilitation Office that facilitates Single Window Clearance for film-makers and provides a platform for ‘film tourism’ in India through the website www.ffo.gov.in. The delegation also explored opportunities regarding co-production with India and collaborations for films with international production houses.
Ministry of Information & Broadcating, in collaboration with Confederation of Indian Industry, is participating at the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) 2020 in Germany.
World failing to provide children a healthy and happy life says WHO-UNICEF-Lancet report
With kids growing under the debilitating impact of climate change and excessive commercialization, no single country in the world is adequately protecting children’s health, their environment and their futures, finds a landmark report released recently by a Commission of over 40 child and adolescent health experts from around the world. The Commission was convened by the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and The Lancet.
The report, A Future for the World’s Children?, finds that the health and future of every child and adolescent worldwide is under immediate threat from ecological degradation, climate change and exploitative marketing practices that push heavily processed fast food, sugary drinks, alcohol and tobacco at children.
“Despite improvements in child and adolescent health over the past 20 years, progress has stalled, and is set to reverse,” said former Prime Minister of New Zealand and Co-Chair of the Commission, Helen Clark. It has been estimated that around 250 million children under five years old in low- and middle-income countries are at risk of not reaching their developmental potential, based on proxy measures of stunting and poverty. But of even greater concern, every child worldwide now faces existential threats from climate change and commercial pressures.
“Countries need to overhaul their approach to child and adolescent health, to ensure that we not only look after our children today but protect the world they will inherit in the future,” she added.
Climate change threatens every child’s future
The report includes a new global index of 180 countries, comparing performance on child flourishing, including measures of child survival and well-being, such as health, education, and nutrition; sustainability, with a proxy for greenhouse gas emissions, and equity, or income gaps.
According to the report, while the poorest countries need to do more to support their children’s ability to live healthy lives, excessive carbon emissions – disproportionately from wealthier countries – threaten the future of all children. If global warming exceeds 4°C by the year 2100 in line with current projections, this would lead to devastating health consequences for children, due to rising ocean levels, heatwaves, proliferation of diseases like malaria and dengue, and malnutrition.
“More than 2 billion people live in countries where development is hampered by humanitarian crises, conflicts, and natural disasters, problems increasingly linked with climate change,” said Minister Awa Coll-Seck from Senegal, Co-Chair of the Commission. “While some of the poorest countries have among the lowest CO2 emissions, many are exposed to the harshest impacts of a rapidly changing climate. Promoting better conditions today for children to survive and thrive nationally does not have to come at the cost of eroding children’s futures globally.”
Commercial marketing: Childhood obesity increasing 11-fold
The report also highlights the distinct threat posed to children from harmful marketing. Evidence suggests that children in some countries see as many as 30,000 advertisements on television alone in a single year. Professor Anthony Costello, one of the Commission’s authors, said: “Industry self-regulation has failed. Studies in Australia, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand and the USA – among many others – have shown that self-regulation has not hampered commercial ability to advertise to children. For example, despite industry signing up to self-regulation in Australia, children and adolescent viewers were still exposed to 51 million alcohol ads during just one year of televised football, cricket and rugby. And the reality could be much worse still: we have few facts and figures about the huge expansion of social media advertising and algorithms aimed at our children.”
Children’s exposure to commercial marketing of junk food and sugary beverages is associated with purchase of unhealthy foods and overweight and obesity, linking predatory marketing to the alarming rise in childhood obesity. The number of obese children and adolescents increased from 11 million in 1975 to 124 million in 2016 – an 11-fold increase, with dire individual and societal costs.
To protect children, the independent Commission authors call for a new global movement driven by and for children and presses for radical rethink on child health. Dr. Richard Horton, Editor-in-Chief of The Lancet family of journals, said: “The opportunity is great. The evidence is available. The tools are at hand. From heads-of-state to local government, from UN leaders to children themselves, this Commission calls for the birth of a new era for child and adolescent health. It will take courage and commitment to deliver. It is the supreme test of our generation.”
“From the climate crisis to obesity and harmful commercial marketing, children around the world are having to contend with threats that were unimaginable just a few generations ago,” said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director. “It is time for a rethink on child health, one which places children at the top of every government’s development agenda and puts their well-being above all considerations.”
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization said, “This must be a wakeup call for countries to invest in child health and development, ensure their voices are heard, protect their rights, and build a future that is fit for children.”
Indian Army to get its new Headquarter ‘Thal Sena Bhawan’ at Delhi Cantonment
Army Headquarters, which is currently is spread over several pockets i.e. South Block, Sena Bhawan, Hutments Area, RK Puram, Shankar Vihar and other places, will finally get one dedicated space as the foundation stone of the new Army Headquarters ‘Thal Sena Bhawan’ at Delhi Cantt. was recently laid by Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh. The new building, proposed in an area of 39 acres, has been conceptualised as a multi-storey green building, adopting Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) norms. Approx. 7.5 lakh square meters of area will be constructed to house the office complex and parking.
Addressing soldiers on the occasion, Singh said, all the departments of the Army as well as the Department of Military Affairs will come under one roof and collectively contribute towards national security, besides effectively dealing with defence-related issues. He added that the new building will play a significant role in saving valuable resources and contribute to administrative efficiency. Raksha Mantri termed the foundation stone of the new building as a ‘source of inspiration that will remind the people of the country about the sacrifices made by our soldiers’.
Rajnath Singh credited the Armed Forces personnel for making an invaluable contribution towards nation building, saying that India has emerged as one of the most powerful nations due to the sacrifices made by the soldiers. He hoped that the new building will not just be an edifice of Army personnel and civilian defence staff, but will inspire the people to achieve new goals with renewed passion and enthusiasm.
Raksha Mantri also underlined the importance of greater jointness and integration among the Armed Forces, noting that the appointment of Chief of the Defence Staff and creation of Department of Military Affairs are some of the important steps in that direction. He expressed confidence that this jointness will help in increasing the military capabilities of the country and bring more synergy in handling defence-related issues.
The building, expected to be constructed in five years, will house offices, residential complex for security personnel with basic amenities. More than 1,700 officers both military & civilian and 1,300 sub staff will be accommodated in the new building.
State of India’s Birds 2020: More Peacocks and Sparrows, fewer Vultures and Eagles
India’s national bird, the Indian Peafowl, has increased dramatically over the past decades. In contrast, 50% of other Indian species of birds have declined over this time period. These are some findings from the State of India’s Birds 2020. This pioneering report assesses the status of 867 Indian birds using a massive database of information contributed by birdwatchers.
The report is remarkable for utilising citizen science data to assess the distribution and trends in abundance of birds that regularly occur in India.
It is the culmination of a collaboration between ten research and conservation organisations within the country, spanning both governmental and non-governmental institutions: Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), Foundation for Ecological Security (FES), National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS-TIFR), Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF), Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), Wetlands International South Asia (WI-SA), Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and World Wide Fund for Nature India (WWF-India).
Using data uploaded by birdwatchers to the online platform eBird, the report identifies species that are high in conservation concern, and those that are doing relatively well. The analysis indicates 48% of species have remained stable or increasing in the long term, while 79% show declines in the last five years. In some welcome news, the House Sparrow was found to be roughly stable across the country as a whole, although declining in the major cities. In all, 101 species have been classified as of high conservation concern. “The report highlights common species that are declining sharply; these need conservation attention before their numbers reduce further,” says Dr R Jayapal (SACON).
The groups that show the greatest decline are raptors, migratory shorebirds, and habitat specialists, among others. The overall decline in species demands research into the causes, and action to protect the high concern species. This calls for attention from conservation policy, management and funding. Dr Dhananjai Mohan (WII) says, “Earlier, many conservation decisions pertaining to birds were not based on much evidence; this report helps to bring much-needed data to bear on these issues.”
With their ubiquity and ecological importance, birds are excellent indicators of the state of our natural world and potent cultural symbols of nature. The report is a significant step forward in our understanding of India’s rich and varied biodiversity and its conservation. It is also a step toward utilising more citizen science with a sound scientific approach in the conservation space. “We hope that this information translates into many voices being raised for bird conservation, both among conservation bodies, and the general public,” says Dr Mousumi Ghosh (NCBS-TIFR), part of the team who worked on the report.
Species that have suffered the highest declines in the past 25+ years:
White-rumped Vulture
Richard’s Pipit
Indian Vulture
Large-billed Leaf Warbler
Pacific Golden Plover
Curlew Sandpiper
Species that have increased the most in the past 25+ years:
Rosy Starling
Feral Pigeon
Glossy Ibis
Plain Prinia
Ashy Prinia
Indian Peafowl
The report relies on more than 10 million observations contributed by over 15,500 birdwatchers, which is a testament to the passion of nature-lovers in the country, and suggests there is massive potential for increased public involvement in conservation monitoring. This is especially important in light of the insufficient data on some species, and the report calls for greater collaboration between researchers and the larger public. Dr Girish Jathar (BNHS) says, “Gathering such information across a huge country like India is impossible without the participation of birdwatchers.”
‘Naya’ Pakistan finds novel ways to accommodate terrorists
Just the other day Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that there are no safe havens for terrorists in his country and on the face of it, his claim sounds convincing because many high-profile terrorists suddenly seem to have fled Pakistan!
Readers would recall that after last year’s terrorist car bomb attack in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, when CNN asked Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi about the whereabouts of its mastermind Maulana Masood Azhar, Qureshi confirmed that “He (Masood Azhar) is in Pakistan, according to my information” and then went on to say “He is unwell to the extent that he can’t leave his house, because he’s really unwell.” Masood Azhar is the chief of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).
But a year down the line we find Islamabad telling Financial Action Task Force (FATF) that not only Azhar, (who was supposed to be “unwell to the extent that he can’t leave his house,”) but his entire family is “missing.” Could it be that this UN designated global terrorist has ‘fled’ Pakistan as he feared persecution in Khan’s ‘Naya Pakistan”? The same seems to be the case with former Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA) spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan whose terrorist outfit was responsible for the Army School Peshawar massacre in which 132 students and eight staff members lost their lives. He was also behind the cowardly and unsuccessful attempt to murder Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai.
Ehsan had apparently ‘surrendered’ to the Pakistan Army three years ago and for reasons unknown, instead of being lodged in a jail as one would have expected, he was accommodated in a ‘safe house’ alongwith his family. The Pakistan Army decided that Ehsan would be tried by a military court but once again for inexplicable reasons, Rawalpindi didn’t even care to file a charge-sheet against this unrepentant murderer. So, could it be that despite enjoying a blissful life with his wife and children without any fear of being brought to justice for his terror related acts, Ehsan still chose to fly the coop alongwith his family because he feared that Khan would make an example out of him?
Speaking of making examples, by convicting Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) co-founder and the 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed on whom the US State Department has announced a bounty of $10 million, Pakistan has shown to the world how serious it is when it comes to dealing with those who plan, perpetuate or finance terrorist activities. Having found Saeed and one of his associates guilty on two counts of terror financing and money laundering, a Pakistani court has sentenced both to five and half years in prison on each count. Both have also been fined a sum of Rs 15,000 each. But, since both sentences will run concurrently, the duo will only have to serve for five and a half years each in prison and remission for good behaviour will reduce this period significantly.
Since Pakistan is itself a victim of terrorism, why its courts are still so casual and lenient while dealing with terrorism related cases is difficult to explain. Whereas Khan may boast about Pakistan having a robust and independent judiciary, there is very strong evidence of Rawalpindi’s interference in the judicial process. Then, last year we heard Khan saying that “Until we came into power, the governments did not have the political will (to act against Pakistan-based terrorist groups)” and admitting “we still have about 30,000-40,000 armed people who have been trained and fought in some part of Afghanistan or Kashmir.”
Today, when PM Khan says that there are no more safe havens for terrorists in Pakistan, one is tempted to ask him as to where has this humungous body of “30,000 – 40,000 armed people” gone? Is it that just like the Jaish-e-Mohammad chief and former TTP and JuA spokesperson, these veterans of irregular warfare in Afghanistan and Kashmir too have fled Pakistan out of fear and simply disappeared without any trace? Or is it just that they have been instructed by Rawalpindi to lie low and cool their heels till the FATF meet concludes? Could Khan’s threat that “This government will not allow Pakistan’s land to be used for any kind of outside terrorism” forced those who have “fought in some part of Afghanistan or Kashmir” to leave the country to search for new safe havens?
A supposedly ailing Pakistan-based terrorist leader who could be a source of embarrassment to the government at FATF meeting suddenly goes ‘missing’. Another terrorist who had a hand in the murder of 132 innocent students negotiated his ‘surrender’ with the Pakistan Army and then manages to escape from custody, while a terrorist with $10 million bounty for master-minding the Mumbai attacks that left 166 dead and 293 injured is instead tried only for money laundering and terror financing, and given such a lenient sentence that makes mockery of the law.
Welcome to Imran Khan’s ‘Naya Pakistan’!