DPC observes countrywide protest against Burmese Muslims’ massacre

LAHORE: The Difa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC) Friday observed countrywide as day of protest against the alleged ‘genocide’ of Muslims in Myanmar (Burma).

The day of protest was observed across the country including in all four provinces, Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and northern parts on the call of Chairman DPC and chief JUI, Maulana Sami ul Haq.

The DPC also condemned the government’s decision to reopen NATO supplies routes.

Maulana Sami ul Haq while addressing the gatherings in Rawalpindi and Akwara Khattak condemned the killings of more than 20,000 Muslims in Myanmar and urged the Muslim leaders, international human rights organizations to come forward to stop oppression against Muslims in the country.

He demanded of the government of Pakistan¸ United Nations, Organization of Islamic Countries and other humanitarian organizations to take action against the genocide of Muslims.

He said leaders from various political and religious parties should come forward to play theirs to stop brutal killing of Muslims.

US holds ‘productive’ talks with Pakistan spymaster

ISI Chief Zaheer ul-Islam


WASHINGTON: The US and Pakistani intelligence chiefs held “productive” talks on Thursday on ways to work together to fight extremists, a US official said, in a new sign of easing tensions between the countries.

Lieutenant General Zaheer ul-Islam, the new head of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, is paying the first visit to Washington in a year by the leader of Pakistan’s powerful spy body.

Zaheer met Thursday with Central Intelligence Agency director David Petraeus and held “substantive, professional and productive” talks, a senior US official said on condition of anonymity.

“The talks provided an opportunity to discuss a number of proposals for how we can enhance our joint efforts against terrorism,” the official said.

“Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to work together to counter the terrorist presence in the region that threatens both US and Pakistani national security,” he said.

The official did not go into further detail. The United States has been looking for ways to cooperate with the ISI, whose relationship with US spies has swung from friendly to hostile in recent years.

The remarks echo those of the US commander in Afghanistan, General John Allen, who on a visit to Pakistan on Thursday praised “significant progress” in improving cooperation between the two countries.

Pakistani intelligence and the military were humiliated in May last year when US forces secretly penetrated the country and killed the world’s most wanted man Osama bin Laden, who was living in the army town of Abbottabad.

Pakistan shut down supply routes into Afghanistan – its key form of support to US forces since the September 11, 2001 attacks – after US forces killed 24 Pakistani troops in a border raid in November.

Tensions have since eased, with Pakistan reopening the routes after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last month apologised for the deaths.

Pakistan on Tuesday signed a deal to keep the border open to convoys until the end of 2015, by which time the United States plans to withdraw most forces.

Frustrated with Pakistan, US intelligence has defiantly carried out drone attacks deep inside the country, despite Islamabad’s protests that the unmanned strikes violate its sovereignty.

US officials have repeatedly pressed Pakistani intelligence over its alleged relationship with the Haqqani network, which is blamed for attacks in Afghanistan including a siege last year of the US embassy.

Burmese Muslim recounts the tale of his escape to Pakistan

Noor Muhammad was captured and forced to carry officers’ heavy knapsacks on his back, surviving without food for two days.

KARACHI: Noor Muhammad, his wife and their two-year-old son left behind their paddy fields and bamboo houses in Arakan, now known as Rakhine, in Burma to set off on the toughest journey of their lives. 

 Back then, the Burmese army was arresting men from the Rohingya community. These men were then killed, tortured or turned into forced labourers. Noor Muhammad was captured and forced to carry officers’ heavy knapsacks on his back, surviving without food for two days. When he was set free, he decided to leave for a safe abode and Pakistan seemed like a good option Around 200 people set out on the journey in 1979, a year after the Burmese military launched the King Dragon Operation in the Arakan province, which is home to the Rohingya Muslims. It took the group three months to get to the Wagah border. “By the time we got to Pakistan, blood was oozing from our feet and there were blisters on our soles.” Only six managed to reach the country, others stayed behind in Bangladesh or India while many died along the way.