TV Channel attacked for showing Shimon PeresAccording to Jang, a mob of 20 motorbike-riding youth shouting religious slogans attacked the office of GEO TV and vandalised it because the channel had interviewed the Israeli deputy prime minister Shimon Peres. The religious fanatics were also protesting another programme called Uljhan-Suljhan which talked about intimate problems of women. The police stood aside and watched while the vandals destroyed the offices. According to Insaf, the student wing of Jamaat Islami in Lahore gathered in front of GEO TV offices and condemned the programme Uljhan-Suljhan. Daily Khabrain reported that one Tahafuz-e-Nazriya-e-Pakistan Committee announced that the attack it carried out was not against the interview but against Uljhan-Suljhan which discussed something that was against Islam. The paper said it was a gumnam (unknown) organisation.
Allah will give!
Writing in Jang Nazeer Naji said that Muslims did not work hard to enrich themselves in this life because their real life began after death. To pay attention to national projects of uplift was a far cry, Muslims did not even think of providing for their children because Allah is already supposed to provide for them.
What did Ijaz Rahim say?
Writing in Jang Jamiluddin Aali stated that at the Muqtadara of Urdu cabinet secretary Ijaz Rahim said shocking but right things about the enforcement of Urdu as state medium which was reminiscent of the Quaid, Sir Syed and Maulavi Abdul Haq. Aali's own position was that the governments did not have the political will to enforce Urdu and he also thought that internal and external forces would not allow Urdu to be enforced.
Manto's controversial epitaph
As quoted in Khabrain magazine a daughter of Saadat Hassan Manto stated that her father had written an epitaph for his own grave which was very 'sharp'. Because of fear of reaction it was not put on his grave. Instead a line of Ghalib loh-e-jahan peh harf-e-mukarrar nahin hun main (I am not a repeated word on the tablet of the world) was engraved by his family.
What do you call 'wheat' in Urdu?
Daily Insaf reported that during his public address at Okara President Musharraf forgot the Urdu word for wheat and asked how did one say wheat in Urdu. Defence minister Rao Sikandar said it was gandum. Former PML leader Manzur Wattoo was present on the stage but no one took notice of him.
Who raped Baloch women?
Reported by Khabrain, Sardar Akbar Bugti's cousin Ahmadan Bugti said that Akbar Bugti was disturbed by the rape of a doctor at Sui but his sons had been raping Baloch women. He said Sui belonged to the Bugti tribe but Akbar was in illegal occupation. He had private jails where he tortured his rivals. Kalpar Sardar Jalal Bugti said Sui belonged to his tribe and Sardar Munnoo Bugti said he was happy that the army was taking action in Sui.
New notes and pickpockets
Daily Nawa-e-Waqt reported that great Lahore lawyer MD Tahir had approached the Lahore High Court with the request that the State Bank be restrained from issuing Rs 5000 banknotes as that will facilitate the pickpockets. He also objected to the removal of five rupee paper notes because that will prevent people from making garlands of low value notes on weddings. He objected to one, two and five rupee coins.
Let's go to war!
Quoted in Khabrain ex-ISI chief Hameed Gul stated that Pakistan should give up the path of talking to India and embark again on the path of war with India. Former foreign minister Agha Shahi said that since India had not retreated from its position Pakistan too should not budge. Hameed Gul said if Kashmir was not liberated Pakistan too would not last.
Allama Rashid Ghazi escapes attempt at life
Reported by Khabrain, popular religious leader Allama Ghazi Rashid of Islamabad narrowly escaped death when a car full of terrorists fired at him. He fired back as he was ready with his own weapons. He complained that his kalashnikov had been taken away by the police. A day earlier a religious leader of Sipah Sahaba was killed in Karachi and before that a Shia scholar Ziauddin Rizvi was killed in Gilgit. According to daily Din, the killers of Shia scholar Agha Ziauddin in Gilgit had computers and 'sensitive' instruments in their possession.
Kuwait disallows visa to Pakistanis
According to Khabrain Kuwait had discontinued allowing visas to Pakistanis after many Pakistanis carrying heroin capsules were caught after landing in Kuwait in quick succession. The heroin trail was so thick and continuous that the Kuwaiti government panicked and cancelled all visas. The paper reported that after the ban, India, the Philippines and Bangladesh benefited because they didn't export heroin.
Wrong example of Kamil Agha
Daily Nawa-e-Waqt reported that PML senator Kamil Ali Agha speaking in the Senate took note of the Baloch protest about the rape of a Sindhi lady doctor at Sui and said that the Baloch did not speak out when a Baloch boy raped a Punjabi girl in Lahore some time back. Upon this the Senate opposition raised hue and cry. Another Baloch senator reminded him of the inconsistency of the example by saying that Punjabis too should have protested just as the Baloch were protesting at Sui.
Oust Nawab Akbar Bugti from Sui!
Quoted in daily Insaf, Sardar Khan Muhammad Kalpar Bugti said in Multan that Sardar Akbar Bugti had ousted his Kalpar tribe from Sui and taken over their land where he did not own a marla. He said Sardar Akbar drove the Kalpars from their homes when Nawaz Sharif was in power and unleashed tyranny in the land. He said the man blackmailed the government and took a lot of money. He appealed to the government to resettle his tribe back in Sui and they would restore peace there.
Surprised by India
Writing in Nawa-e-Waqt Sheikh Muhammad Arshad stated that he was surprised to find during a visit to India that education there was free up to BA and that even in private institutions the fees were subsidised by the state up to 75 percent. He was also surprised by the fact that only matriculates could get a driving licence there.
Who killed Maulana Haroonul Qasimi
Daily Khabrain reported that the murder of Maulana Haroonul Qasimi in Karachi was cracked by the police and some people were arrested. Maulana Qasimi was an important leader of Millet Islamiya (banned Sipah Sahaba). The terrorists who murdered him also killed four members of Tabilighi Jamaat which was not banned. The paper did not mention the name of the banned outfit to which the murderers belonged. The name of the banned Shia party was now Tahreek-e-Islami which is now part of the MMA.
Zakat swallowed by chairmen
According to Jang, crores of rupees were embezzled by the Zakat Committees all over the country during 2004. In all 25 chairman of Zakat and Ushr committees were brought to the book for wrongful payments. About Rs 20 crore in all were missing but should have gone to the poor and the deprived.
Suicide-bombing is 'ibadat'
Daily Khabrain quoted Majeed Nizami speaking at an MMA seminar explaining that far from being prohibited in Islam, suicide-bombing was a form of ibadat (worship) and was recommended for all Muslims. He said the Kashmir problem would be resolved through war and not through dialogues. Jamaat Islami's Munawwar Hassan said that retreat from the Kashmir cause by Pakistan had caused despair in Held Kashmir.