پاکستان تحریک انصاف کے خود کش بمبار

پاکستان تحریک انصاف، خیبر پختونخواہ  کے 14 ارکان صوبائی اسمبلی  نے کرپشن اقربا پروری اور بے ضابطگیوں کے خلاف خیبر پختونخواہ اسمبلی پر خود کش حملہ کردیا. ذرائع ابلاغ کے مطابق حملے میں کوئی جانی نقصان نہیں ہوا پر دھماکوں کی شدت بنی گلہ پنجاب تک محسوس کی گئی.

 خیبر پختونخواہ اسمبلی پر ہونے والے خود کش حملے کی ذمہ داری   " پی ٹی آئی ہم خیال گروپ " نے  لے لی ہے. گروپ کے سربراہ اورترجمان جناب قربان علی خان جو کہ  خود بھی خیبر پختونخواہ اسمبلی میں پی ٹی آئی کے رکن اسمبلی ہیں، میڈیا سے بات کرتے ہوئے ان دھماکوں کی ذمہ داری قبول کر لی .

    قربان علی خان نے مزید بتایا کے ان دھماکوں کا مقصد، پی ٹی آئی کے وزراء کا کرپشن ملوث ہونا ، ذاتی پسند اور نا پسند پر تقرریوں کروانا ، میرٹ  کو نظرانداز کرنا , پی ٹی آئی کےمنشور سے انحراف کرنا, پارٹی کی  اصل تصویر کو بحال  کرنا اور موقع پرست اور کرپٹ عناصر کو بے نقاب کرنے کے لئے ہے. 

پی ٹی آئی کے چیف عمران خان نے دھماکوں سے ہونے والے نقصانات کا تعین کرنے کے لیے بنی گلہ پنجاب میں اپنے خوشامدی حامیوں کا ایک اجلاس طلب کیا. گوکہ عمران خان آج کل پارٹی کے سیاسی امور پر کوئی خاصی دلچسپی نہیں لیتے مگر جب بات پارٹی فنڈز پر آجائے تو بھلا خان صاحب کہاں خاموش رہنے والے ہیں. یہ  بات کسی سے ڈھکی چھپی نہیں ہے کہ یو ایس ایڈ کے ڈالرز کی پیدائش خیبر پختونخواہ میں اور پرورش بنی گلہ میں ہوتی ہے . 

 پی ٹی آئی ذرائع کے مطابق اجلاس شروع ہی ہوا تھا کہ میدان جنگ بن گیا ڈاکٹر شیریں مزاری نے جناب جہانگیر ترین کا داخلہ خیبر پختونخواہ میں بند کردیا اور جہانگیر ترین نے جوابی حملہ کرتے ہوئے  ڈاکٹر شیریں مزاری کا داخلہ پی ٹی آئی میں بند کردیا ، پھر کیا تھا الله دے اور بندا لے ... انصافیوں میں, ناانصافی اور کرپشن کے بندر بانٹ میں بے ضابطگیوں کی وہ داستان امیر حمزہ پڑھی گئیں کہ عقل بھی دھنگ رہ گئی . دولت اور طاقت کو جاتا دیکھ کر خان صاحب میدان جنگ میں کود پڑے اور حالات کو کنٹرول میں کیا. ذرائع نے مزید بتایا کہ عمران خان نے اپنی صوابدیدی طاقت کا استعمال کرتے ہوئے ڈاکٹر مزاری کو واپس ان کے پوسٹ پر بحال  کردیا . 

     اس کے علاوہ ذرائع نے اس بات کی بھی تصدیق کی ہے کہ بنی گلہ پنجاب میں ہونے والی دوسری اہم ملاقات میں ، ١٤ باغی ارکان اسمبلی نے عمران خان پر اپنے مطالبات کی فہرست واضح  کردی. فہرست کے مطابق :  

 1: پیسوں کے بدلے وزیروں  اور مشیروں کی تقروریاں بند کی جائیں
2: پنجاب سے ہونے والے جہانگیر تارینی حملے فوری روکے جائیں 
3: سرکاری فنڈز کی ذاتی اکاؤنٹس میں منتقلی کا نوٹس لیا جائے
4:پنجاب سے SKYPE اور  Blackberry کے زریعے خیبر پختونخواہ کو کنٹرول کرنے کا سلسلہ بند کیا جائے
5: خیبر پختونخواہ حکومت کے وسائل پر ان کا حصہ بھی  برابری کی بنیاد پر ہونا چاہیے
  6 : لوٹوں اور نوٹوں کو انصافیوں پر سبقت دینے کا سلسلہ بھی بند ہونا چاہیے . 

باغی ارکان اسمبلی نے عمران خان سے اپنے تحفظات پر فوری نوٹس لینے کا مطالبہ بھی  کیا بصورتِ دیگر پی ٹی آئی کی کرپشن پر خود کش  حملے جاری رکھنے کا اعلان بھی کیا . 

عمران خان کے قریبی ذرائع نے نام ظاہر نہ کرنے کی شرط پر بتایا کہ عمران خان خیبر پختونخواہ  کی سیاسی صورتحال کو لیکر شدید ذہنی دباؤ کا شکار ہیں.  

عمران خان اچھی طرح جانتے ہیں کہ خیبر پختونخواہ کی اسمبلی تحلیل کرنے اور ناکرنے، دوںوں  ہی صورتوں میں  پی ٹی آئی  خیبر پختونخواہ میں اپنی اکثریت برقرار نہیں رکھ سکتی . کچھ ماہ قبل قومی وطن پارٹی کے وزراء پر کرپشن کا الزام لگا کر تحریک انصاف  نے اپنے وزرا کی کرپشن کو چھپا لیا تھا مگر اس بار  تحریک انصاف کے اپنے ہی ارکان اپنی پارٹی اور اس کی لیڈرشپ کے خلاف فدائیان ھوگئے  ہیں. تبدیلی کا جو نعرہ عمران خان نے لگایا تھا وہ اب پی ٹی آئی کی سونامی میں خودہی بہتا جارہا ہے 

Twitter ID: @fawadrehman

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Middle East: The Taliban’s new killing field

The Government of Pakistan received a cash gift of $1.5 billion from friendly Arab countries on “No Special Occasion”. Undeniably, cash is always welcome in Pakistan as aid, charity or gift. Indeed, this generous and mysterious “gift” helped Pakistan ease economic pressure, strengthened the devalued rupee, helped shore up foreign exchange reserves and meet the debt-service obligations.

According to the Federal Minister for Finance, Ishaq Dar, “It was neither a loan nor given in return for any services.”  Maybe not for the Government of Pakistan, but for common citizens this sounds too good to be true.

There is one adage that has held true since time immemorial: There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch. So what's the catch?

●     Saudi Arabia wants Pakistan to supply arms and ammunition to Syrian rebels.

●     Saudi Arabia wants Pakistan’s support to topple Bashar al Assad in Syria and the formation of an interim governing body.

●     Saudi Arabia wants more mercenaries and ex-military officials to help suppress the uprising in Bahrain

●     Saudi Arabia wants Pakistan to abandon the Iran gas pipeline.

●     Saudi Arabia wants ready-made Pakistani Nukes.

The Saudis fear that the United States is willing to accept Iran’s position as regional leader. Iran has increased its influence in Iraq and through Hezbollah in Lebanon, and if Bashar al Assad’s regime stays in power, Iran wins in Syria too. Saudi Arabia and many Gulf states are afraid that the so called “Shia block” will expand from the Persian Gulf to the Eastern Mediterranean shore, if Assad stays in power.

Saudis are less worried about a nuclear Iran as compared to the United States. There are reports that Saudis already paid for the bomb and Pakistan is ready to ship nukes to Saudi Arabia when needed.

Pakistani forces have a long history of meddling in Middle Eastern conflicts.

●      In 1970, the then King of Jordan asked Brigadier Zia ul Haq (later Chief of Army Staff and President of Pakistan) to take over the command of a Jordanian division for an attack on Palestinian guerrillas. A military action also known as “Black September”. PLO chief Yasser Arafat later claimed that the Jordanian army killed between 10,000 and 25,000 Palestinians.

●      Fighter Pilots of the Pakistan Air Force flew aircraft of the Royal Saudi Air Force to repel an incursion from South Yemen in 1969

●      During the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, Pakistani Air Force pilots flew combat missions in Syrian aircrafts, and shot down Israeli fighters.

●      In the 1970s and 1980s up to 15,000 Pakistani troops were stationed in the kingdom, some in a brigade combat force near the Israeli-Jordanian-Saudi border

●      1990-1991 Persian Gulf War, Pakistan sent troops to protect the Islamic holy sites in Saudi Arabia.

●      During Arab spring 2011, Bahrain has reported to have recruited 2,500 Pakistanis (mercenaries) to serve in its security forces to quell protesters from the Shiite majority.

Saudi Arabia has been funneling large sums of money into Pakistan since the 1970s to promote its anti-Shia strand of Wahabi Islam. Banned outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan TTP (mostly Pashtoon Taliban) and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (Punjabi Taliban) both are followers of Saudi-sponsored Wahabi extremism.

The Associated Press and Reuters reported that hundreds of Pakistani jihadists, including members of the Pakistani Taliban and some from the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, are fighting in Syria along with AlQaeda.

"Our aim and purpose is to fight against the Shiites and eliminate them" A Pakistani Taliban fighter in Syria told The Associated Press.

First official visit of the King of Bahrain to Pakistan in four decades has risen concerned in Pakistan. Conflicts between the Shiite and Sunni Muslims are a recurring problem in Bahrain. The Sunni minority, to which the ruling al-Khalifah family belongs, controls nearly all the power and wealth in the country. The Shiites continue to agitate for more representation in government.

There is a growing fear in Pakistan that Bahrain would recruit Punjabi Talibans as “mercenaries” to help suppress the Shiites uprising in Bahrain. The current government in Pakistan has close ties with the banned outfit Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (Punjabi Talibans).

According to Long War Journal “Punjab Provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah is under fire for publicly campaigning with top leaders of the radical Sipah-e-Sahaba, the forerunner to the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, an al Qaeda pawn that provides muscle for the terror group.”

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Chief Altaf Hussain has urged the government of Pakistan not to indulge in a war to serve the interests of other countries and should not repeat mistakes of the past.

After three decades, Pakistan is still paying the price for the Afghan war. Terrorism, Jihadists, Extremism, and a weak economy are all gifts of bad policies made by former rulers during the Afghan war. Once again Pakistan is at the crossroads of national integrity or regional instability.

Also Published.
ARY TV Blogs http://blogs.arynews.tv/middle-east-talibans-new-killing-field/

Twitter ID: @fawadrehman

Karachi Central Jail: The next target of Al Qaeda?

 

From left to right: Abdul Hakeem, Adman Rasheed, and Yassin Chouka

“We pledge to God that we will spare no effort to free all our prisoners.”  An Islamic website posted a 22-minutes audio recording by al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri,in July of 2013. Since then we have seen four successful jailbreaks, orchestrated by al-Qaeda, in Pakistan, Libya, Iraq and Yemen. The Pakistani Taliban and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan have formed a new organization called “Ansar al Aseer” (supporters of prisoners) that is specifically designed to free prisoners and support their families.

List of jailbreaks by Al-Qaida

Date	Freed	Dead/Injured	Location
2013-07-21	500	50+/unknown	Abu Ghraib and Taji, Iraq
2013-07-27	1,117	Unknown	Benghazi,Libya
2013-07-29	250	12/8	Dera Ismail Khan,Pakistan
2014-02-13	29	10/unknown	Sana'a, Yemen

All Al Qaeda linked jailbreaks follow a similar pattern from a single training manual. First, more than 100 fighters drive into town – usually in some kind of camouflage. Another 100 or more are deployed outside the town to prevent reinforcements from arriving and to allow the prisoners to escape via designated routes in buses.

Suicide bombers blast their way through the walls or the main gate of the prison and follow-up fighters kill any remaining guards. Using layout plans already in their possession, they make their way to the prominent militants first and then free the rest of the inmates. Finally, everyone makes an orderly exit.

Another common factor in all such jailbreaks is security guards paid by Al-Qaeda to provide information and support.

Central Jail, Karachi

Central Jail, Karachi, home to many known Taliban and Al-Qaeda prisoners was put on high alert after security threats. Cell phone jammers were planted around the prison and additional convoys of police, rangers and armored cars were deployed. Sindh High Court transferred twenty high-profile trials outside Karachi due to the security threat.

The million-dollar question is: Why Central Jail Karachi?

According to The Wall street Journal , “The Pakistani Taliban have tightened their grip over the country's commercial hub (Karachi). TTP controls or dominates about 470 square miles of Karachi, or nearly a third of its area specially outskirts.”  In Taliban controlled areas, TTP has established itself by taxing residents and businesses and setting up courts in neighborhoods to resolve disputes.

Sohrab Goth, an area on the outskirts of Karachi, is a known haunt for the Taliban as well as Al-Qaeda. Sohrab Goth is also considered a “Safe haven” for militants and a “NO GO AREA” for law enforcement agencies.

Fastest route from Central Jail Karachi to Sohrab Goth

The distance between Sohrab Goth and Central Jail Karachi is about 8 miles or 12.5 KM and travel time by car, in normal traffic conditions, is 11 minutes. In other words, the distance between the prison and a well-protected safe haven is just 11 minutes.

The frequent attacks on police and Rangers have become the new norm in Karachi.  Atleast 50 law enforcers were killed in targeted killings and bomb blasts since the beginning of 2014. After the murder of CID SP Chaudhry Aslam Khan, Police has “stopped” hot pursuit of members of TTP. Within areas considered TTP and Al-Qaeda strongholds, members of the police force do not venture out of police stations.

According NBC News “Security forces are struggling for their own safety as the Taliban increase the ferocity and nature of their attacks”

Karachi police and Rangers have shifted their focus from TTP/Al-Qaeda to the political victimization and extra judicial killing of political workers. Recently, Karachiites have witnessed in surge of police encounters. According to police and Rangers statistics ranging from January 27, 2014 to February 05, 2014, eighteen criminals have been killed in at least 47 encounters in the city.  Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the second largest political party in Sindh, has formally launched a nationwide protest against missing persons, brutal torture and extrajudicial killings of their workers by law enforcement agencies.

The question to ask is that can the highly politicized and demoralized police force prevent an attack on Karachi Central Jail by a powerful and organized enemy?  One can easily predict the outcome.

Also Published in:

Express Tribune
http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/21131/11-minutes-to-karachi-central-jail-another-taliban-and-al-qaeda-jailbreak-in-the-making/

ARY News
http://blogs.arynews.tv/karachi-central-jail-next-target-al-qaeda/

Saach TV
http://www.saach.tv/2014/03/04/karachi-central-jail-the-next-target-of-al-qaeda/

Twitter ID: @fawadrehman

Pakistan militants using social media for propaganda

Article Published in Indian Times and Indian Express

Terrorist organisations in Pakistan like the Taliban are increasingly using social media networks such as Twitter and Facebook to spread their propaganda and as a means of intimidation. A number of Twitter accounts allegedly managed by members of the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan have emerged, on which they post messages and engage in dialogue with their followers. Facebook pages are used to upload statements and videos.

“The TTP is dominating the media. I feel they are savvier at spreading their message in a subtle way. Tackling them is not just about dialogue or military operations. We need comprehensive and broad policy to neutralise them,” Lt Gen (retired) Talat Masood, a leading security analyst, told PTI.

Some media houses in Pakistan have introduced “self-censorship” when it comes to articles against the TTP, which is a dangerous trend, he said. In the recent past, the TTP attacked the Karachi-based Express media group here thrice, creating fear in journalistic circles. Analysts said social media had been used in the past, but it now plays a bigger role.

Last year, the TTP posted a message on Facebook seeking writers for their magazine, but the page was eventually shut down by the social media network. The Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), declared a front for the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba by the UN Security Council after the 2008 Mumbai attacks, has a dedicated media-wing that posts updates on its activities on social media networks.

“Sophisticated terrorist organisations like the TTP and Al-Qaeda realise that, in addition to violence, propaganda is needed for the successful orchestration of their activities,” a recent article by writer Fawad Rehman said.

Original Article: The Mass Media: The Terrorists' Battlefield

Twitter ID: @fawadrehman

The Islamic Emirate of Waziristan

According to published reports in every major newspaper around the world, Pakistani Taliban have presented their preconditions for dialogue and peace. These preconditions are: ● Peace is impossible until the government embraces Sharia (Islamic law) , ● The Pakistani Army will abandon all its posts and will not operate in North & South Waziristan,nor will it monitor the region, ● The Taliban will set up a Mujahideen Shura (or council) to administer the agency, ● An undisclosed amount of money has to be paid by the Pakistani government to the Taliban as ransom to end the fighting, ● Taliban commanders and foot soldiers must be released from Pakistani jails. The players in these talks would want us to believe that these preconditions were drafted for the latest attempt at peace but in truth we have seen them before. In the beginning of 2006, Al-Qaeda and the Taliban launched a military offensive against Pakistan’s military throughout both North and South Waziristan. By late spring, South Waziristan had fallen. The Pakistani military withdrew and Sharia law was established. Fighting continued in North Waziristan through the summer of 2006 with the military taking heavy losses. On September 4, 2006 the Pakistan Government and Taliban officials agreed to a truce. Al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders victoriously renamed the territory of North and South Waziristan as “The Islamic Emirate of Waziristan”. The accord established an autonomous zone for militants within Waziristan where the government of Pakistan would no longer maintain control but would still be considered a part of the sovereign territory of Pakistan. After the Waziristan peace deal, Pakistan openly admitted that Osama bin Laden would remain a free man if committed to living peacefully in the (FATA) region. According to Major General Shaukat Sultan Khan “If he is in Pakistan, bin Laden would not be taken into custody as long as one is being like a peaceful citizen." The agreement between the Government of Pakistan, the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, was known as the “Waziristan peace accord”. The preconditions of 2014 are a carbon copy of the terms presented by a three members Taliban negotiation committee led by Mulana Sami ul Haq, in 2006. The Waziristan peace accord was ended by the Talibans 9 months later. In 2006, An article by a retired US army Major, Ralph Peters, titled "Blood borders" published in the Armed Forces Journal has given Pakistan some food for thought over major geopolitical readjustments. According to Major Ralph Peters “Pakistan’s Northwest Frontier tribes (FATA) would be reunited with their Afghan brethren and Pakistan would also lose its Baluch territory to Free Baluchistan.”  

Now, in 2014, Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Al Qaeda and their apologists are still calling plays from the same playbook. Both banned terrorist outfits are trying to establish Islamic extremist sanctuaries in the FATA region, so they can operate freely like Fallujah, al-Anbar Province in Iraq and Swat in Pakistan. If the government of Pakistan and Pakistan Army do not take immediate action against these non-state actors then they should get ready for Al-Qaeda's black flags waving at every military checkpoint in the “Islamic Emirate of Waziristan”. Eventually, the establishment of the Islamic Emirate of Waziristan/Islamic Emirate of Khurasan will result in the Talibanization of other parts of Pakistan as well.

Also Published in

ARY Blog
http://blogs.arynews.tv/the-islamic-emirate-of-waziristan/

PASHTUN WOMEN VIEWPOINT
http://www.pashtunwomenvp.com/index.php/2013-01-28-03-21-27/current-issue/407-the-islamic-emirate-of-waziristan

Saach TV
http://www.saach.tv/2014/02/20/the-islamic-emirate-of-waziristan/

Who is Major (Retired) Mohammad Aamir?

Wednesday Jan-29-2014, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif told parliament that he would give Taliban militants “one last chance” to halt their spree of killings and bombings and join peace talks. Adding to his comments, he has constituted a 4-member committee to facilitate the peace talks with Talibans. Committee includes Irfan Siddiqui (Journalist) , Rahimullah Yousafzai  (Journalist) and Rustam Shah Mohammed (Former Ambassador to Afghanistan) and “Famous” retired ISI Major Mohammad Aamir.

We all have an extensive knowledge about Irfan Siddiqui, Rahimullah Yousafzai and Rustam Shah Mohammed but who is Major (retired) Mohammad Aamir ?

Major retired Aamir belongs to a religious family from Panjpir, a town in Sawabi district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. His father Maulana Muhammad Tahir, a cleric who belonged to the Panjpiri “Sect of Wahabism” and founder of “Jamaat-e-Ishaat-e-Tauheed Wa Sunnah”(JITS). Main objective of the organization is to preach Islamic faith in the Oneness of Allah and tradition of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), as a code of life and also to alienate them from polytheism (Shirk), fabrication in Islam (Bida) and un-Islamic rites and rituals, from the Holy Quran, according to their website (http://www.panjpir.org/).

After the death of Maulana Muhammad Tahir, his son Maulana Tayyab (Brother of Major Aamir) became the chief of  JITS organization who also manages a huge religious seminary (Madarsa) in the town of Panjpir.

This madrassa was an important recruitment camp that also performed the role of a think tank for strategic planning during the Afghan war of the 1980s.

Tehrik-Taliban-Pakistan chief Maulana Fazlullah and Sufi Muhammad, chief of the Movement for the Enforcement of Shariah in Malakand (TNSM) are also loyal followers of the Panjpiri organization. Maulana Fazlullah and Sufi Muhammad received their religious education from Maulana Muhammad Tahir (father of Major Aamir).

(left to Right) Major Amir, Maulana Tayyab (Brother of Major Aamir) and Imran Khan 

at Jamaat-e-Ishaat-e-Tauheed Wa Sunnah”(JITS) headquarter. 

Major Aamir was not only famous for his religious affiliation but also his profession services in ISI (Pakistan Inter-Services Intelligence). Operation Midnight Jackal was a cold war military intelligence program operated by the ISI to topple the first government of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in 1989 through a no confidence vote in parliament. Two key players of Operation Midnight Jackal, Brigadier Imtiaz Ahmed alias Billa and ISI Major Mohammad Aamir were caught on video and audiotapes influencing some PPP parliamentarians. Funds for buying votes were allegedly provided by Osama Bin Laden. Both were arrested by the Pakistani military police and the espionage case against was filed in the special military courts.

According to the court documents Major Aamir testified that “Nawaz Sharif was more acceptable to the Pakistan Army than Benazir Bhutto."

The former ISI operative Major Amir was awarded by Nawaz Sharif during his second term as a Prime Minister. Major Amir used to be a special adviser to former NWFP chief minister Sardar Mehtab Abbasi, a close aide of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during (1997–99)

In 2009, A luxurious 600 square yards plot in Sector I-8 of Islamabad given to Major Aamir by then PPP Zardari government from the quota reserved for “People facing extreme Hardship”.. According to Major Aamir “he got this plot, as it was his right as he had served in the FIA in the 90s.

On February 24, 2012, FIR was lodged at the Paharipura Police Station against Major Aamir, his son and his gunmen for opening fire at a tuck shop in Neelab CNG station resulting in the killing of Khan Muhammad and injuring Sangeen and Imran. Arrest orders were issued by Sessions court but later on set aside by a division bench of Peshawar High Court (PHC).

Once again Nawaz Sharif is Prime minister, Major Amir his trusted aid in peace talks and Mullah Fazalluah is a chief of Opposition (Taliban). All the top guns know each other and have had good relationships in the past. Not sure what will be the outcome of these peace talks/negotiations be but one thing is certain that People of Pakistan will not accept any peace deal like the one had in Swat or self-created Shariah.





Also Published at:
ARY News Blogs
http://blogs.arynews.tv/who-is-major-retired-mohammad-aamir/

Twitter ID: @fawadrehman

The Mass Media: The Terrorists' Battlefield

Terrorist groups have lately realized that violence alone is not  the best recourse to gaining an overall victory for their cause. Sophisticated terrorists organizations like TTP (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan) and  Al-Qaeda, realize that in addition to violence, propaganda is needed for the successful orchestration of their activities. Whether it is television, radio or the internet, terrorist organizations understand that these instruments are valuable in instilling fear, panic and devastating psychological effects on a governments and citizens.

Recently, three workers associated with ExpressNews television were killed when unidentified attackers of Tehreek - e- Taliban Pakistan opened fire on a DSNG (digital satellite news gathering) van in Karachi’s Nazimabad area.

“We (TTP) accept responsibility. I would like to present some of its reasons: At present, Pakistani media is playing the role of (enemies and spread) venomous propaganda against Tehreek-e-Taliban. They have assumed the (role of) opposition. We had intimated the media earlier and warn it once again that (they must) side with us in this venomous propaganda,” TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told Express News.

Terrorist attacks are useless if no one knows about them. As the old saying goes: "a picture is worth a thousand words".  Images, especially video images, of bombed buildings, bloody corpses and frightened hostages are much more memorable than print or audio reports of the same incidents. Committing and claiming responsibility for a terrorist attack is one of the most effective ways to obtain free global publicity for one's cause.

Other than the internet and printed material, terrorist have sought out other means in broadcasting their ideologies. All terrorist organizations need a large audience, and they have learned to exploit the media's own procedure to maximize their reach. In executing violent acts, terrorist organizations hope to draw attention through news media which broadcasts their violent activities across the country and as well as across the globe.

Media also gives a twisted version of a celebrity status to these individuals. Broadcasting their names and pictures across the screen and giving them credit for these heinous acts serves only to inflate warped egos. If the media stops giving credit and attention to the perpetrators and instead focuses on the heinous nature of the attack and the plight of the families of the dead and injured, it might take away from the terrorists inherent need for publicity.

The aim of the terrorist organizations is to be treated like regular, accepted, legitimate world leaders. According to the TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan “the media must mend its behavior and do balanced reporting, which is impartial, which is transparent and not tainted with propaganda”

The media may directly or indirectly serve the interests of terrorists by simplifying stories for the viewer to the point that it has little to do with the actual events. Repeating the traumatizing scenes and stories may also serve terrorists, as the goal of the terrorists is to be in the media as often and long as possible.

The one thing that is indisputable is that Pakistani media feeds on the violence of terrorism acts; whoever can tell the most violent story wins the audience. This is not really about freedom of speech, but rather a morbid desire to acquire the biggest audience and consequently harvest the capitol benefits.

In a nation where the government maintains tight control of the media like China or North Korea, terrorist tactics are nearly useless.

Following recommendations can be implemented to minimize the media-related effects of terrorism:

●       News coverage with less repetition of horrific scenes, less traumatization, less sensation and more information are essential in the first place

●        The media should present story to the audience fairly and accurately without bias, so that the audience can make their own opinion of the news and/or story.

●       To avoid panic in audience, Media should use plain language that everybody can understand.

●       Since no terrorist group is alike, the media should differentiate between different types of terrorism and terrorist groups

●       Government-media partnership should be formed for better and accurate background of any terrorism-related act.

Terrorist attacks are designed to create an atmosphere of fear or a sense of threat. In any case, the terrorists’ need for media publicity and media’s need for a greater audience and profits.

Also Published in
PASHTUN WOMEN VIEWPOINT
http://pashtunwomenvp.com/index.php/2013-01-28-03-21-27/social/398-the-mass-media-the-terrorists-battlefield

The Daily Times
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/opinion/23-Jan-2014/terrorism-and-the-media-s-role

Pakistan Press Foundation
http://www.pakistanpressfoundation.org/views-and-opinions/74936/terrorism-and-the-medias-role/

ARY NEWS
http://blogs.arynews.tv/terrorism-and-media-role/

Twitter ID: @fawadrehman