Life threats to AB

[Ansar Burney Trust]

ISLAMABAD, May 18: The United Nations Expert Advisor at Geneva and Pakistan's former Federal Minister for Human Rights, Mr. Ansar Burney is receiving life threats from Talibans, Extremist and Fundamentalist groups in Pakistan, who asked him to stop his human rights and Peace work and also stop supporting to Non-Muslims and foreigners in Pakistan otherwise leave the Country or be ready to die.


On the night of Thursday, May 14, at Islamabad, there was a car followed him and tried to kidnap him, but he managed to safe himself from kidnappers. Four long bearded men were sitting in that Car that looks like Talibans or from other extremist groups.


On the other hand Mr. Ansar Burney Chairman of the Ansar Burney Trust International has refused to stop his human rights and peace process work in between India and Pakistan and his support to Non-Muslims and Foreigners as well as he also refused to leave the Country and said; “I am ready to face any consequences on my work for Human Dignity and Peace process and ready to die while saving human dignity and giving smile to crying humanity.”


“I refused to leave the Country and told these Terrorists that I will continue my human rights, Peace, Justice and human dignity work till I am alive.” “I receive threats by post and on phone”, United Nations Expert Advisor, Ansar Burney, said.


In the last two weeks even severe life threats from Talibans, Extremist and Fundamentalist groups in Pakistan, Mr. Burney visited Sawat, Buneer, Turkaey, Mardan, Malakand and Swabi and took full part in humanitarian activities along with the volunteers of Ansar Burney Trust. More than one Million people have already migrated to other parts of the Country only because of Talibans and Talibanisation, and Migration is still continuing.


on Tuesday, 12th of May even threats to his life and threats to his family from extremist and fundamentalist groups, Mr. Burney visited Siri Panja sahib Gurdwara in Hasan Abdal and met some 2,500 Hindu and Sikh community families evacuated from Swat, Banu and Deer and took refuge in the Gurdwara Panja sahib in Hassan Abdal.


The Ansar Burney Trust is providing humanitarian aid to the misplaced families from Swat, Buneer, Banu, Mardan, Malakand and Deer in Pakistan.

[Sukla Sen]

http://www.dailynationalcourier.com/national_courier/may2009_daily/17-05-09/artical/artical2.htm


The scars of the Swat operation


As soon as there is an interval in the curfew, hundreds of thousands of inhabitants from the different parts of Swat Valley move out to join the stream of vehicles, for the safe exit from the area and among them, many begin their journey on foot. Many people are still trapped in their houses, being terrorized by the Taliban and not being allowed to move out by the Taliban. Thousands who are unable to reach to the camps have to spend the nights in the fields. In the camps that are set up, there is lack of proper food, medicines, and proper hygiene and sanitation facilities. And to top it all, diseases like malaria and diarrhoea are on the rise in those camps. This struggle and misery of the internally displaced people should not be taken for granted by the government, since we do not want to inculcate feelings of hatred amongst the internally displaced people. A little lack of management and carelessness on the part of government might prove as a trigger in rising elements of another form of Talibanization in the people who now are internally displaced.


This is probably one of the worst times in the history of Pakistan and I fear that if the government does not deal with the crises of the internally displaced people of Swat beneficially, this defeat of the militants might prove as their victory in the end.


First, we need to acknowledge the fact that the launch of a military operation against the Taliban was the only way to wipe them out of Swat and the adjoining areas. Since, dialogue with such a barbaric faction (Frankenstein, created by the Pakistan army under General Zia and the US itself) was an idea absolutely out of question. However, this war has brought a major fear along with itself and that is, if the government fails to deal with this humanitarian crisis in a just way we might end up devastating our own people. We have been seeing reports on different news channels, showing the conditions in those camps. It is not very surprising to see that these homeless people are infuriated at the government and the army, since they are not being provided with sufficient food and medicines. For the displaced people, the militants and the Pakistan Army are equal because while living in Swat they were being terrorized by the militants and now when their houses are being damaged and they are homeless, they are not even being provided with the basic necessities of life properly.


The government has organized all these camps in haste and a lot of poor planning has been done. A lot of mistakes have been done on the part of the government as far as the displaced are concerned and a lot is still going wrong. At this crucial stage, we all need to remember one thing that the people of Swat have abandoned that area and are now suffering only to erase Taliban from this country. Therefore, since the army is doing its job very efficiently, the government needs to strategically plan the issue of the internally displaced people if we wish to see long-term results of this Swat War.