Afghan Press Author: Rooh-ul-Amin

Plowing through the roads of Haytabad Peshawar in search of a news organisation one thing odd and indeed very important that I came through was a banner describing that “Mufti Shams-ur-Rehman after Namaz-e-taraveeh will deliver Quranic exposition every night for half an hour but free of sectarian touch and religious hatred with an appealing message for its end.

The holly Quran says, “ Hold fast to the rope or injunction of Allah and not be divide”.

Al-Quran in chapter (Amaieda—The Table Spread) teaches us “whosoever killeth a human being for other than a man-slaughter or corruption in the earth shall be as if he had killed the entire mankind, and whoso saveth the life of one is, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind” the verse has categorically denounced the killing of human irrespective of religion because the humanity is used instead of Muslim. As it a famous Chinese maxim that “Every journey starts with a single step” so it was in a sense a good omen and tiding from a religious scholar to embark on such a pure adventure.

But pondering over the prevailing circumstances to think for such an ideal world as described in the holy Quran would be running after mirage. Because the so-called religious mentors inculcate a venomous picture of the other sect that killing them for another sect is a war for “The Garden of Eden”. And the time when they drag the young buds into the marshy area they forget that Islam denounces terrorism in such words that a mischief or terrorism in the earth is worse than murder.

So the ray which creaked into my mind and made me optimistic for the evolutionary change in the minds of religious mentors with looking at the banner and wall-chalking calling for love and Quranic exposition free of adulteration of religious hatred, crumbled into pieces at the very moment when I went through the banner headline in one of the newspapers that in a Masjid at Saknai village of Dir, 25 people who were busy in their night prayer and Taraveeh, were mutilated to death with consecutive three bomb explosions and more than 50 sustained injuries. Among the dead most of them were children.

Power supply was disrupted and emergency was imposed in hospitals. Aid activities saw a sharp plummet when the security forces besieged the area. According to eyewitnesses and the injured ones some unknown persons threw at them three bombs when they were in trance with prayers. They went through a great turmoil and bore agonic situation reaching to the local hospital of Dir and Taimargara hospitals.

Their only crime was to establish worship at the house of God, which is for most a place where they come to seek solace, ecstasy and trance but for many Masajids are the centers where the seeds of hatred are sown in the psyche of the new generation. It’s not the only mishap it’s something that has smothered the peaceful life of civilians since long across the province. The story of violence in this area is not new rather it’s too old and long.

And it was not the only Masjid that was vulnerable and prone to terrorism but it has a long list from Bara Khyber Agency to Muhmand Agency and from that to Hangu and so on to Kurram Agency more than 17 Masajids have been violated sine the eruption of this plague.

Back to…… when Babari Masjid was razed to earth, it shook not only Pakistan but the entire Islamic world and it gave vent against it because we were united and we had a vision that we have lost now. If there is a bit of desecration from west, we turn totally insane for revenge but bombing our own venerated places now body raise a slogan against it even on local plate form but instead it support such poeple.

We are fumbling for a safe exit out of this dark valley but finding no way. In the holy month of Ramadhan the miscreants have expedited their activities that has erupted a new wave of terror. This fasting month witnessed a tremendous rise in their fatal activities. Many people have avoided to go out side of their homes according to them they can be a target of terrorism within a glimpse any time of the day or night. Other incidents occurred across the province are given in the following lines.

1: Air strikes along with ground raids have claimed no less than 24 during the current security forces operation in Bajaur with 11 in Kooza Baandi Swat and eight others in Kurram Agency. Moreover security forces have arrested 23 persons for the violation of curfew at Bajaur.

According to the local population, curfew has paralysed the entire trading and commercial setup of the area. There is a severe dearth of edible commodities as a result of the continuous curfew for the last 34 days. The flowing surging wave of terror for the past six months has already displaced more than three hundred thousand people, who are now encamped in the outskirts of Peshawar and facing a hail of miseries.

Combating the militants the security forces have killed more than six hundred insurgents during the past month and a half.

Salarzai elders of Bajaur Agency convened a grand Jirga against the militants who are responsible for all the terror and unrest in the area.

The Jirga announced that any person or a family found helping the militants providing them with shelters or anything else that can help them would be banished and ostracized. The Salarzai elders have razed down the houses of those who has been caught backing the militants through back door policy.

2: Army Military Commandos nabbed a would-be suicide attacker, Mir Janaan a resident of Darra Adam Khel, who was insane to explode at a high security zone targeted at Nowshehra.

During the investigation he exposed his connection with Baitullah Mehsud adding that he along with his four other suicide attacker friends was on the way to hit the target.

Army military official handed over him at the custody of Nowshehra police where he was brought before the session judge and confessed that he was trained along with many others at Waziristan Ladha suicide attacks training center. The security agency officials arrested another alleged terrorist naming Makeen son of Noreen when he was to kill the target at the same surrounding area of Nowshehra.

The alleged terrorist was shift to Islamabad for further investigation and his statements and confession has the propensity to ignite security forces action against the exposed training centers at Waziristan.

3: A militant group abducted 25 under training police officials. It has been in reports that after their surrender they were shifted to Waziristan and the militants demanded for the release of their friends at the cost of their release. The militants ambushed at them when the police officials were going to Hangu Police College.

4: Looking at the current situation the capital city police has cordoned off the important and acute places of the city.

Masajids, Imaambargahs and others places of social and religious activities are under their vigilant eye to cope with any sort if contingency. As a result of the Badbhair Bomb blast the Peshwar police department has deployed a fresh batch of police on different chowks Kohat road.

5: The students of Darra Adam Khel staged a protest demonstration against the current operation and curfew in the area that has deprived the students of getting education since its imposition. Moreover it has turned the area into a hell as all the roads and transport is jammed that has adversely affected the trading facilities in the area. They also unleashed a fierce opposition against price-hike in the area as it’s under a constant rise with the advent of this sacred month.

6: NWFP provincial government has announced that Shariat (Islamic Canon System) would promulgated in

Malakand Division during this fasting month. The decision was taken after amending the Sharayee Justice system regulation of 1999.

Note: All incidents occurred on the same day across the province.