مونچھیں ہوں تو گللو بٹ جیسی

اگر ہندوستانی فلم ' شرابی ' 2014 میں بنتی تو یقینن امیتابھ بچن کا مشہور ڈائلاگ یہ ہوتا ' مونچھیں ہوں تو گللو بٹ جیسی ورنہ نہ ہوں '. اگر نصرت فتح علی خان زندھ ہوتے تو اپنے گانے‘ آفریں  آفریں ' میں گللو بھائی کی موچھوں  کا ذکر کچھ یوں کرتے " مونچھیں جانا کی بھی لمبے ہے داستان ، مونچھیں زنجیر ہے پھر بھی ہے کتنے حسین".

 منہاج القرآن کے دفتر کے باہر ہونے والے قتل عام کے بعد ٹی وی کی زینت بنے والے گللو بٹ عرف گللو بھائی کی شخصیت صرف موچھوں کی حد تک محدود نہیں ہے بلکے وہ اپنے کئی کارناموں کی وجہ سے پورے پنجاب میں اپنا نام رکھتے ہیں. تعلیم اور زہن کی کمی کی وجہ سے جوان ہوتے ہی سیاست میں آگے، مسلم لیگ ن کو دل اور کم عقل کے قریب تر پایا اور اس کا حصہ بن گئے. مسلم لیگ ن کی زرے سایہ جہادی تنظیموں سے فسادات کا ڈپلوما لینے کے بعد  پنجاب کے ایک مہشور وزیر کے ساتھ انٹرنشپ کی. لوگوں کی ہڈی پسلی توڑتے ہوے ترقی کی سیڑھیاں عبور کیں اور وزیر اعلی پنجاب شہباز شریف سے ‘شیر لاہور’ کا خطب لیا. آج کل جونیئر وزیر اعلی حمزہ شہباز کے تمام دو نمبر مسائل کا حل گللو بھائی ہی ہیں .

 فارغ اوقات میں حلال روزی کے لیے  گللو بٹ علاقے میں بھتہ خوری، اغوا، مار پیٹ جسے نیک کام بھی کرتے ہیں.

پنجاب سے باہر کی عوام نے پہلی بار  گللو بھائی کو منہاج القرآن کے دفتر کے باہر  live in action میں دیکھا، شیر لاہور ایک ڈنڈا اٹھایے الله اکبر کا نعرا بلند کرتے ہویے کافر کاروں کے ہجوم میں اکیلے کود پڑے. کیا بروس لی ڈنڈا گھماتا ہو گا جو گللو بھائی نے گمایا، کاریں  منہ دیکھتی رہ گیں اور پہلی کار آنن فانان اپنے تمام شیشوں سے محروم ہو گئی. گللو بھائی فاتحانہ انداز میں پلٹے اور ٹی وی کمروں کی طرف دیکھ کر بولے " ہاں بھائی .... کیسا دیا ؟ "

شیر لاہور آگے بڑھ رہا تھا اور کاروں کے شیشے زمین چوم رہیے تھے. جس طرح شاہد آفریدی کے چھکے چوکوں سے دنیا لطف اندوز  ہوتی ہے اسی طرح لاہور کے  پولیس والے بھی گللو بھائی کے  چھکے چوکوں سے دور کھڑے  لطف اندوز ہو رہیے تھے. 

ابھی  باقی ماندہ کاروں کے شیشے جہنم رسید ہوتے کہ گللو بھائی کے کان میں آواز آی ' پروڈیوسر  صاحب بریک کا بول رہا ہے "خیر گللو بھائی نے پانی کی بریک لی، قریبی دکان کے شیشوں کو توڑتے ہوے فریزر تک پونچ گئے، ٹھنڈے مشروبات کی بوتلیں خادم اعلی کا مال سمجھتے ہوے نکالیں. خاندانی آداب تھے  اکیلے کیسے پیتے؟ ٹھنڈی ٹھنڈی بوتلیں لے کر  قریبی کھڑے پولیس کے اعلی افسران کے پاس گئے اور مفتا پھوڑا.   

بریک ختم ہوتے ہی گللو بھائی دونوں ہاتوں سے ڈنڈا تھامے کاروں کی جانب دورے لیکن اس بار گللو بھائی کی پتلون نے ان کا ساتھ جھوڑ دیا اور پتلون بٹ صاحب کے بٹ تک پہنچ گئی مگر گرتی ہوئی پتلون بھی گللو بھائی کے حوصلوں کو نہ گرا سکی اور گللو بھائی ایک ہاتھ سے اپنی پتلون اور دوسرے ہاتھ سے ڈنڈا تھامے  باقی ماندہ کاروں کو ناسبونابود کرتے رہے.  

کام ختم ہوتے ہی گللو بھائی نے  جیب سے فون نکالا , کسی اعلی شخصیت کو فون کرکے شاباش لی , فتح کا بھنگڑا ڈالا اور پولیس والوں کو high five دیتے ہویے میدان جنگ سے نامعلوم مقام کی جانب روانہ ہو گئے. 

لاہور واقعے کے بعد گللو بٹ مسلم لیگ ن کے ساتھ ساتھ میڈیا کی بھی جان اور شان بن گئے ہیں. اب دیکھتے ہیں گللو بھائی کو کون کون سے اشتہارات ملتے ہیں?

کہتے ہیں جو ہوتا ہے وہ  اچھے کے لیے ہوتا ہے، پہلی اچھی بات یہ ہوئی کہ پاکستان کو گللو بھائی کی شکل میں جان ریمبو مل گیا. دوسری،  یقینن اگلے پنجاب فسٹیول میں گللو بھائی سب سے زیادہ شیشے توڑ کر گینز بک آف ورلڈ ریکارڈ کا حصہ بن جائیں گئے. تیسری، آئی جی پنجاب پولیس نے گللو بھائی کو اپنا  Super Cop قرار دے دیا .

 لاہور میں ہونے والے گیلپ سروے کے مطابق، عوام گللو بھائی کو ان کی بہادری پر اسمبلی کا ممبر دیکھنا چھاتی ہے اور حکومت سے مطالبہ کر رہی ہیں کہ  گللو بھائی کو ان کی بہادری پر سترہ ا جرات دیا جائے.

چلتے چلتے گللو بٹ کی موچھوں کے بارے میں صرف اتنا  کہوں گا

کل چودہویں کی رات تھی,شب بھر رہا چرچا تیرا

کچھ نے کہا یہ رانا ثنااللہ  ,کچھ نے کہا گللو میرا

Also Published in 

Saach TV 

ARY

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 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