dawn.com/news/1088560/govt-jirga-addresses-security-concerns-of-ismailis-kalash-in-chitral
Updated 2014-02-22 00:45:55
Ismailis in Pakistan - "The Chief Justice remarked that Ismailis had received threats from the Taliban as per the news report. The Taliban had threatene them to convert to Islam or face death which, he said, was against Articles 9, 20 and 36 of the Constitution. He moreover added that Islam was a religion that preached peace and tolerance...
ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani took suo motu notice of the Pakistani Taliban's threat to Ismailis and the Kalash tribe in the
picturesque Chitral Valley in northern Pakistan on Thursday, DawnNews
reported.
In a 50-minute long video released on Feb 2 on the TTP media wing's website, the Pakistani Taliban had announced an "armed struggle" against the Kalash and Ismaili Muslims. The narrator warned the Kalash, who are thought to number only 3,500, to convert to Islam or face death.
The Supreme Court moreover issued notices to Attorney General Pakistan and Advocate General Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Following <http://www.dawn.com/news/1086564/pakist ... h-tribe-is mailis-in-chitral> a media report regarding the Taliban's threat to Ismailis and the Kalash tribe, the Chief Justice took suo motu notice of the threat today.
The apex court said the hearing of the suo motu notice would be held along with the Peshawar church attack case.
The Chief Justice remarked that Ismailis had received threats from the
Taliban as per the news report. The Taliban had threatened them to convert to Islam or face death which, he said, was against Articles 9, 20 and 36 of the Constitution.
He moreover added that Islam was a religion that preached peace and
tolerance.
The Chief Justice asked the Attorney General as to what measures the
government and other security agencies were taking for the protection of
these communities after the threats were issued.
The court also directed AG KP to collect the report from District Police and
Commissioner Chitral and submit in the court on Feb 24.
ISLAMABAD: The main opposition Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) wants the
government to respond forcefully to the threats hurled by Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to the Kalash people and members of Ismaili community and to take effective steps for their protection.
The party has also criticised the electronic media for "glamorising Taliban
apologists and those representing their viewpoint" and giving them an
opportunity to justify their "evil war".
The Pakistani Taliban through a video message earlier this month had
announced an "armed struggle" against an indigenous Kalash tribe and
moderate Ismaili Muslims in the picturesque Chitral valley. The Taliban had warned the Kalash, who are thought to number only 3,500, to convert to Islam or face death.
"This threat of attack must be deemed a threat to Pakistan, and core values in Pakistan's Constitution which ensures protection of its citizens,
particularly the religious minorities," said Central Coordinator of the
PPP's Human Rights Cell Nafeesa Shah in a statement issued by the party's media office here on Saturday.
Dr Shah, who is also a member of the National Assembly, said it was the
government's responsibility to protect life and property of citizens. "The
threat to an entire community which is already vulnerable is a grave
matter," she stated.
Dr Shah said it was surprising that despite repeated bloody attacks in all
the major urban centres by the Taliban and their proxies, the government was continuing to hold talks with them as if it was business as usual.
"It seems that in the eyes of the ruling elite the blood of the citizens is
cheaper and that the government has no counter-terrorism strategy to protect the 180 million people of Pakistan," she said.
Criticising the electronic media for, what she called, glamorising Taliban
apologists and those representing their viewpoint and for providing them
with space to "rationalise their evil war against the country and its citizens", she termed it "an insult to the thousands of our people who had
lost their lives to terrorism"
Ismaili Jamat threatened by Talibans
Suicide blast kills 1, wounds 4 in Kabul
The Associated Press
Published Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2014, at 11:50 p.m.
Updated Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014, at 4:10 a.m.
Afghanistan Suicide Attack
Massoud Hossaini/AP Photo
Afghans gather at the site of a deadly suicide attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014. A suicide bomber on foot struck a compound belonging to the minority Ismaili community, who make up a branch of Shiite Islam. The compound houses a cultural center, library and a hospital.
Afghanistan
Massoud Hossaini/AP Photo
Afghan police forces patrol near the site of a deadly suicide attack, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014. A suicide bomber on foot struck a compound belonging to the minority Ismaili community, who make up a branch of Shiite Islam. The compound houses a cultural center, library and a hospital. The ministry of interior called the security guard — who died trying to tackle the bomber — a hero.
Afghanistan
Massoud Hossaini/AP Photo
Afghan security personnel guard the site of a deadly suicide attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014.
A suicide bomber on foot struck a compound belonging to the minority Ismaili community, who make up a branch of Shiite Islam. The compound houses a cultural center, library and a hospital. Writing on the banner reads, "National Unity (party), we ensure a positive change, we ensure security."
----
Afghan employees cleans the site of a deadly suicide attack as security personnel stand guard, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014. A suicide bomber on foot struck a compound belonging to the minority Ismaili community, who make up a branch of Shiite Islam. The compound houses a cultural center, library and a hospital.
----
KABUL, Afghanistan — A suicide bomber on foot killed a security guard and wounded four civilians outside a hospital in northern Kabul on Thursday, officials said, while roadside bombs killed five Afghan soldiers elsewhere in the country.
The attacker struck a compound belonging to the minority Ismaili community, who make up a branch of Shiite Islam. The compound houses a cultural center, library and a hospital. Sayed Gul Agha Hashimi, the head of the Kabul Criminal Investigation Department, initially said the hospital was the target of the attack. It was unclear why the compound was targeted. Shortly after the blast, blood was spattered on nearby windows and broken glass was scattered on the ground.
Hashimi said that in addition to the bomber, a security guard was killed and that police were searching the hospital. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which was condemned by Afghanistan's Ministry of the Interior. The ministry called the security guard — who died trying to tackle the bomber — a hero.
Also Thursday, Afghanistan's Ministry of Defense said that five soldiers had died in two separate roadside bomb incidents over the past 24 hours.
Three soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in southwestern Nimruz Province and two were killed in southern Helmand Province, the ministry said. It did not provide further details.
kansas.com/2014/02/19/3300238/suicide-blast-kills-1-wounds-4.html
The Associated Press
Published Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2014, at 11:50 p.m.
Updated Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014, at 4:10 a.m.
Afghanistan Suicide Attack
Massoud Hossaini/AP Photo
Afghans gather at the site of a deadly suicide attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014. A suicide bomber on foot struck a compound belonging to the minority Ismaili community, who make up a branch of Shiite Islam. The compound houses a cultural center, library and a hospital.
Afghanistan
Massoud Hossaini/AP Photo
Afghan police forces patrol near the site of a deadly suicide attack, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014. A suicide bomber on foot struck a compound belonging to the minority Ismaili community, who make up a branch of Shiite Islam. The compound houses a cultural center, library and a hospital. The ministry of interior called the security guard — who died trying to tackle the bomber — a hero.
Afghanistan
Massoud Hossaini/AP Photo
Afghan security personnel guard the site of a deadly suicide attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014.
A suicide bomber on foot struck a compound belonging to the minority Ismaili community, who make up a branch of Shiite Islam. The compound houses a cultural center, library and a hospital. Writing on the banner reads, "National Unity (party), we ensure a positive change, we ensure security."
----
Afghan employees cleans the site of a deadly suicide attack as security personnel stand guard, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014. A suicide bomber on foot struck a compound belonging to the minority Ismaili community, who make up a branch of Shiite Islam. The compound houses a cultural center, library and a hospital.
----
KABUL, Afghanistan — A suicide bomber on foot killed a security guard and wounded four civilians outside a hospital in northern Kabul on Thursday, officials said, while roadside bombs killed five Afghan soldiers elsewhere in the country.
The attacker struck a compound belonging to the minority Ismaili community, who make up a branch of Shiite Islam. The compound houses a cultural center, library and a hospital. Sayed Gul Agha Hashimi, the head of the Kabul Criminal Investigation Department, initially said the hospital was the target of the attack. It was unclear why the compound was targeted. Shortly after the blast, blood was spattered on nearby windows and broken glass was scattered on the ground.
Hashimi said that in addition to the bomber, a security guard was killed and that police were searching the hospital. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which was condemned by Afghanistan's Ministry of the Interior. The ministry called the security guard — who died trying to tackle the bomber — a hero.
Also Thursday, Afghanistan's Ministry of Defense said that five soldiers had died in two separate roadside bomb incidents over the past 24 hours.
Three soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in southwestern Nimruz Province and two were killed in southern Helmand Province, the ministry said. It did not provide further details.
kansas.com/2014/02/19/3300238/suicide-blast-kills-1-wounds-4.html