HOW LONG THE
BUSINESS
OVER DEAD
BODIES OF
KASHMIRI
YOUTH?
Since
the outbreak of armed struggle in Kashmir valley, the Kashmiri youth and
innocent civilians are being killed, arrested tortured, and jailed while plenty
of Pakistan and so called Azad Kashmir based organization and individuals, both
in Pakistan and abroad are engaged in collecting cores of rupees as donation in
the name of kashmiris, in the offices, roads, buses, mosques and other public
places. Till now, there is no authentic information from any part of Kashmir,
whether anyone has distributed even 10% of the collected funds among the
victims or oppressed people of Kashmir.
However, some groups and
organizations give a little part of the fund raised to certain leaders to
please them for seeking their blessings for further collection of donations.
But in Pakistan and so called Azad Kashmir, it is being propagated that they
are providing help and relief to orphans, widows, and families of the martyrs
in Indian held Kashmir.
These organizations are making highly
impressive claims regarding their relief efforts in efforts to raise more money
from well intentioned donors. The organizations which collect donation are
giving fake advertisements that they are running blood banks and sewing schools
for the ladies in Kupwara, Doda, and Rajori. They also claim to have provided
blankets, oil, and other commodities of daily use to the victims of Charar-e-
Sharif (over 1500 families). The Daily
Jang( London) dated November 30 1995 has also carried a big advertisement
titled “Kashmir Appeal” elaborating eight projects of the detailed program
chalked out the name of “Muslim Hands”.
1 Nine Sewing Schools for
the widows of the martyrs and needy women have been opened in Srinagar,
Kupwara, Doda and Muzaffarabad. Two blood banks have been established to
provide blood to injured persons in Rajouri and Kupwara. Over 1500 affected families of Charar-e-Sharif
have been provided food grains, blankets, oil, and other commodities of daily
use. A part from this, the advertisement also carried the announcement
regarding establishment of a dispensary and medical laboratory at Tatrikot. In
this case, the Muslim of U.K and Europe donated over 7 lakh rupees for the
people of Kashmir. At the end 01159704490 Credit Card hot line number was
given.
A
number of other such organization operating in U.K, Europe and America are
making such false appeals and the tragic reality on the ground in Kashmir is
that no project is being funded by the so-called” relief organization”. When I
contacted an eminent journalist in Srinagar in this regard, I came to know that
there was no such project operating anywhere in Kashmir. Similarly, I contacted
a journalist in Rajouri who also denied the presence of any blood bank and
there is no knowledge of any provision of help to the victims of
Charar-e-Sharif under the name of Muslim Hand. It is tragic that Daily”Jang”
(London) dated July 16, 1995 even carried a picture of a truck. The caption
says, “Muslim Hands” Britain has sent first consignment of relief material for
the victims of Charar-e- Sharif incident. In this picture some relief material
is being unloaded. If we see the picture carefully, it seems some place is in
Azad Kashmir.
Unfortunately,
this is Just is the tip of the iceberg. A conversation with one local
journalist who has investigated into the corruption in the financial networks
revealed the methods of deception that these fraudulent “relief organization”
use in order to deceive well- intentioned donors in UK and USA. This journalist
describes an incident which happened in front of his very eyes while taking tea
at a local restaurant in Srinagar. Apparently, a group of men visiting from UK
got out of a car clad in suits; they were carrying a sign along the lines of
“Kashmir Muslim Relief Dispensary.” The group went into a local Medico shop (commercial
medicine dispensary) held a brief conversation and played a small sum to the
owner of the shop. After which the men placed their newly painted sigh in front
of the shop`s real sign and proceeded to pose for a few photographs next to the
sign. The men then took down their sign and drove off. The local journalist was
surprised at the level of dishonesty displayed in broad daylight.
Moreover,
it has become quite apparent that some APHC leaders have directly been involved
in financial corruption and have directly benefitted from such dealings. APHC
leaders who have been able to travel abroad are said to have used these trips
to raise enormous sums which they say would be used for the Kashmiri people yet
this money is only used for their personal use. APHC is said to have collected
some 36 crore rupees from sympathetic donors throughout the world in the name
of reconstruction of Charar-e- Sharif. Rampant corruption seems to have plagued
the leadership of APHC.
There are many people in the
world who are always ready to help the oppressed and poor but some selfish
individuals are taking advantage in the name of kashmiri blood. Likewise, the
kashmiri people are also being deceived in connection with the aid, like the
politics. The same type of corruption can be seen in Pakistan and India. An
attractive office has been opened in Satellite Town, Rawalpindi for aid to
Kashmiris. Once, an advertisement was given by that office that” Mujahideen may
contact, as they wanted to help the mujahideen particularly those coming from
Indian held Kashmir.” On contact by a few youth, coming from Indian held
Kashmir, they were given “Receipt Books” with the instructions to visit door to
door to collect donations. With this donation, a JKLF leader has converted his
two room house into two five- room bungalows in Muzafarabad. He has no personal
income but owns two cars for his personal use. His two children are studying at
Army School, Muree. This leader was attacked twice by the Kashmiri youth. His
nephew was involved in stealing and selling the ammunition. In the same way,
the Chief of “Militant Wing” of this party who was selling vegetables at an old
bus stand in Muzafarabad now own a good house with the blessing of Amanullah
Khan. He is working as a contractor now and is a millionaire. Amanullah Khan himself
rented an air-conditioned bungalow at Murree Road. He also purchased a bungalow
in Defense colony, Karachi for his children.
Apart from this, any potential activists of
second or third class, coming from the valley, are seen riding Pajero jeeps
with mobile phones. They are living luxurious lives though the money collected
in the name of Kashmir, while the common youth of Kashmir have been kept in
camps in the name of Jihad, where they wait before being sent back without
proper training or equipment to face heavily armed and well trained Indian
soldiers. They are being sent back and massacred like lambs at the slaughter
houses.
The
Govt. of Pakistan had written a detailed letter of allegations to AJK president
and his son for withdrawing 24 crore rupees Zakat fund. Sardar Attiq purchased
a house for two corers in Britain. Motmor Islami issued 4000 visas for youth of
refugees for Saudi Arabia and Kuwait but Sardar Attiq with the collaboration of
recruiting agents sold them for crores, Huge sums collected in the name of
Jehad in foreign countries, were used by Sardar Quyoom and his son for
purchasing a petrol pump in Jeddah.
Jamaat-e-
Islami which also has to fund its Hizbul Mujahideen has been involved in the
most complex financial corruption collecting money from both ISI for militancy
efforts and collecting money for so called “relief” through its many front
organizations, the two most prominent being in UK and USA. The Jamaat has shown
no shame in its fraudulent financial dealings. The Jamaat runs the most highly
effective fundraising campaign. Annually in the USA and UK extravagant full
page advertisements are placed in magazine with large circulation amongst the
Muslim communities there. These advertisements are published year round but are
witnessed mostly during the Holy month of Ramadan. Some advertisements collect
money Eid-ul- Azha from Muslims who want helps the needy in kashmir. Needless,
to say there are no such sacrificial animal going to Indian held Kashmir. When
one Kashmiri enquired from a number of these “relief organization” how money
was made available for relief efforts in Indian held Kashmir, these
organizations said they gave the money to “PRT”.
“PRT”
refers to the “Public Relief Trust” of Jamaat –e Islami. The PRT serves as the
main conduit for funding of Jamaat and there is no telling where and how this
money collected in the name of “Kashmir Relief” is spent. But this money is
spent can be from the life style of some of the Jamaat leaders and Hizbul
Mujahideen leaders. The infamous “Salahudin” fled Indian held Kashmir when
Indian military pressure Hizbul Mujahideen. Only when Hizbul Mujahideen had
effectively wiped out the JKLF and other groups fighting against occupation.
He now lives in Muzafarabad and enjoy a
safe and comfortable lifestyle. Geelani Sahib himself is said to have collected
10 crores in the name of relief for Charar-e- Sharif. Many Jamaat leaders live
luxuriously while the young people in HM continue to be “fed to the lion”.
It
is precisely the blood of these poor youth who are the source of the Jamaat and
others to collect huge sums for personal use. The Jamaat runs an office in
Saudi Arabia and collect money from Muslims who come for pilgrimage.
At
this office picture of Shaheed Ishfaq Majid Wani was seen framed on a wall with
the label” Rookni-e- Jamaat” (Jamaat member). It was the Jamaat that wrote in a
press release after Ishfaq`s death that he was not a Shaheed and “KJLF`s Qibla
faces towards Moscow not Mecca.” But the Jamaat did not hesitate to use picture
to raise money. False picture and false projects are all part of their
elaborate advertisement for fundraising efforts.
One
of the most bizarre aspects of this corruption is that in Srinagar a number of
these leaders have built huge mansions in Srinagar the heart of the battle
field. While the fraudulent relief organizations present the facts of how many homes
have been destroyed in Kashmir, the leaders who receive fair- share of the proceeds
have built multiple houses in Srinagar of a very luxurious nature. And their
counter parts have done the same in Pakistan. It is now usual to hear about
some leaders who has no income having houses worth value of 65 lakh. One such leader
has built a huge mansion in Srinagar whose house stands out as a brand new
beautiful bungalow surrounded by simple homes that have been burnt down and
razed to the ground because of military operations and clashes. Some other
leaders have even bought luxurious flats in New Delhi and have rented these out
as a source of income a very strange investment for a group of leaders who
claim they seek to bring about the freedom of J&K from New Delhi.
A
part from this, Ayub Thakur has set up an office in England in the name of
Kashmir. Annexation with Pakistan literature is published from this office.
Thakur also contacts British writers and gets books published by providing them
reports from Pakistani broadcasting and secret agencies. People says, “that he
has also purchased two, three houses in the expensive London real estate
market.” Once, in 1993, I asked this man about his source of income. In reply
he told that there were two kashmiri doctors in USA who send him three lakh
dollars annually as donation. When I wanted to know their names and addresses,
he quickly became nervous and tried to avoid the subject. I questioned because
every knowledgeable person knows very well that Kashmiri doctors in America and
Europe are not in a position to donate such heavy amounts. Above doctors story
was also confirmed by one Kashmiri who lives in UK.”It has become second hand
knowledge that Thakur is salaried by Pakistan`s intelligence, but it has also
come other organizations have served as conduits for money used for the personal
benefit of certain leaders. Recently an elaborate scandal in this regards has
been exposed in Kashmir.
The
Kashmir Muslim Trust in Kashmir has been found to be a conduit for the Jamaat
leader’s share of the money raised from “PRT” persons like Thakur and ISI.
Three people Abdul Gaffar Sofi, Hillal Ahmed Shah, and Mohammad Shafi Mir have
been arrested in this most recently exposed corruption scandal. The full
details of this fresh corruption scandal were published in the Greater Kashmir,
Excelsior etc. on December 24 1997. The arrested have allegedly confessed that
they were getting money through Mr. Thakur and Fai in the name of Kashmir
relief; which actually ended up in the pocket of a Ghulam Mohammad Khan, the
divisional commander of HM for north Kashmir. What is the more important is
that money collected in the name of Kashmir, first “taxed” by the international
middlemen like Thakur, then “taxed” by the local middlemen and then finally
sent for militancy operations of HM only ended up in the personal use of HM
commander. Thus in this particular scandal not a single penny was against
Indian Occupation. According to the Kashmiri media reports they uncovered just
one transaction of 1.72 crores as yet in this freshly uncovered scandal, which
the newspapers say is just a tip of the ice- berg. The surface of the financial
networks has barely been touched, but it has become tragically clear that many
people involved in the Kashmir struggle have betrayed the people of Kashmir and
have collected money to finance their lifestyle. And for that these people have
sold Kashmiri blood very cheaply. We may never know the exact amount, how many middlemen
have been there and how many houses have been built, but one thing sure-
rampant corruption has been found to exist amongst the leaders APHC Jamaat-e-
Islami, and other groups/ individuals.
Allegations
of corruption have been there ever since Kashmiri people started noticing the
changed lifestyles of leaders and professional activists in Srinagar,” Azad
Kashmir”(POK) UK and USA. While the last 9 years have been years of misery to
the masses, these few people have benefitted heavily from the business they
have setup in the name of Kashmir blood. As the common people learned about the
corruption disenchantment has increased. And those who have had a hand in this
financial corruption are responsible for this. Whereas, knowledge of the
corruption was only known to a few of us who was painfully witnessing Kashmiri
blood being sold cheaply, now this has all become common place knowledge. The
common people know each and everything about these leaders, they have seen
their mansions built during these nine years. In April 1997, the Shoura –e-
Jahad, or Council of the five main militant organizations in Kashmir, came out
with an announcement in response to public opinion. The Shoura-e- Jehad
suspects that high profile Hurriyat leaders have misappropriated money meant
for the movement. The luxurious lifestyles of several Hurriyat leaders have not
gone unnoticed by the militants, who today realize that while they are risking
their lives, the over ground leadership is living an easy life with wealth,
publicity, travel and enjoying security cover provided by the Jammu and Kashmir
government. The State government has been spending over Rs 2.70 Lakh every month on the security
arrangements of three prominent leaders of APHC. The fact that Shour-e-Jehad
has demanded accountability further underscores the need for help
accountability leadership`s.
It
is a sad fact that lakh of Kashmiri families have faced destruction while a few
families are plying in millions after cost. At the same time nothing is being
done to provide relief to those Kashmiri who are in real need for assistance.
There are such mothers in Kashmir who cannot see their sons in jails due to
lack of bus fare and other expenses. It is with an intention to provide some
assistance while displaying honest and transparent financial handling that
JKDLP has established the MNWA trust. Aid has been provided to amputees. Initially,
three handicraft schools were opened for women. In Trigam and Handwara, sewing
machines were distributed among widows. It has modestly functioned to do
honestly whatever it could. It has a plan for construction of a school,
dispensary, and orphanage in Srinagar – land has already been acquired for this
purpose. We wish to maintain a completely honest procedure without any chance
of corruption. For this reason, we do not accept donations by hand. We have
opened an account in J&K bank and have appealed that donations be sent
directly to the account. We have documented how exactly money is spent. More
efforts should be made to bring up honest and effective relief organizations in
Kashmir. Some of the leaders accused of corruption have come out vehemently
against MNWA, because they stand to lose their corrupt income. Organizations
like MNWA give a credible option for sympathetic human being to provide real
relief to the Kashmiris in need of assistance and will prove deadly for
organizations and leaders who have earned/collected donations and misused it.
Kashmiri
people are living under the fear of Gun and they are innocent as they have not
held accountability of those who while launching the armed struggle had misled
the kashmiris that Pakistan would attack on kashmir within three to six months.
Kashmiris also did not ask those who sent their sons across the border in the
name of Jehad and who have not returned so far. Kashmiris also do not ask those
who give calls of strike in Kashmir and ruined the entire economy of Kashmir.
Kashmiris also do not raise questions about killing of innocents, kidnapping of
girls, and their molestation. Kashmiris are so “frightened” that they observe
strike on the call of Hizb-Ul-Mujahideen one day while they also take part in
the strike call by others outfit against Hizb-Ul- Mujahideen next day. Above
all, it is a good habit, of Kashmiris that they also kill innocent people
walking on the road, when they involve in group clashes. After doing all this,
in order to escape they would hold Indian agents responsible. The leaders would
also get salvation from theaccountability by their respective organizations and
the people are habitual of forgetting the things. They do not listen to the
statements of different leaders and organizations made from time to time.
A
prominent leader remained in Congress and worked as minister. Later he joined
Janta Party and took oath of allegiance to India but he stood by the Kashmiris,
when the later came on the roads for freedom, and during his visit to England
and Europe, when he got his medical treatment courtesy Pakistani money, then in
excitement just to please his masters (Pakistan) he described all those
“Kashmiris as traitors who support independence for kashmir”. Because
Nawabazada Nasserullah Khan, Benazir Bhutto, Assif Ahmed Khan and Jamaat-e-Islaami
also describe the Kashmiris as Indian agents who consider Kashmir one unit and
support independence. Besides this, Amanullah Khan and his puppet also describe
Yasin Malik, Javeed Mir and other as Indian agents. Four years ago, I had
written a detailed letter to Javeed Mir that they would certainly level
allegations against him as they had levellled against senior JKLF leaders. But
my words were ignored by these youths and today my words have been proved true.
This article was written to appraise the Kashmir nation about the black deeds
of those who collect donations in the name of widows, orphans, jailed youth who
are facing torture in torture cell.
Two years back, 17 people were killed and 140
others injured in a powerful bomb blast in the Egyptian Embassy. According to
Pakistan broadcasting source, people of Pakistan expressed strong reaction against the blast. Ex-Prime Minister Benazir
Bhutto clearly announced that some religious institutions were involved in it
and she had confirmed information that religious institutions and Madrasses are
were training of arms and ammunition to students for creating law and order
problem for the government. In the same way, ex- Foreign Minister Sardar Asif
Ahmed Ali described this blast as anti-Islamic and inhuman act.
On
the other hand, neither Benazir Bhutto nor Asif Ahmed Ali had given any
statement about the car bomb blast carried by Hizb-Ul –Mujahideen in lal
Chopwk, Srinagar in which Altaf Mahajan`s niece and four other children were
killed and one niece became blind on Sept. 4, 1995. Surely, the bombs, used for
destroying bridges, schools and colleges in Srinagar are provided to religious
groups by Benazir Bhutto and Sardar Asif Ahmed Ali having read, “Kalma and
Allah –o-Akbar.” It may be remembered that MQM ghost created by late Gen.
Zia-Ul-Haq, now has created troubles for whole Pakistan. And the Kashmir ghost
created by Gen. Zia-Ul-Haq. You and Nawaz Sharif Government with the
collaboration of ISI in shape of Egyptian, Afghani religious groups and
fundamentalists of Arab countries, has now taken a dangerous dimension, and the
ghost after coming out of the bottle, will provide a disaster for Pakistanis
and Pakistan based foreign ambassadors and guests. The Indian democracy also
did not justice with Altaf Mahajan. After the bomb blast by
Hizb-Ul-Mujahideen,” the Indian democracy handed over the dead body of his
arrested nephew as gift.”
Indian politicians, making hue and cry of
non- violence in the name of Gandhi Ji, have forgotten that love was the
religion of Gandhi Ji. Peace cannot be established by killing youth in custody.
It will only add fuel to the fire of revenge and hatred which increases
violence.
Two years ago, some people were
injured in an explosion in New Delhi. Kashmir Islamic Front had owned the
responsibility. It may be recalled that the same news also appeared in
Jang(London). All the Kashmiri group should know very well that the entire world
is against the bomb explosions and such explosions would cause loss to the struggle of Kashmiris and due to such
explosions in India, the people of India would never favors Kashmir movement.
On the contrary, the Kashmir is doing business in India would be considered
suspects and over 16000 Kashmiris students getting education in different
Universities of India would be treated as terrorists. So no Kashmiri should
encourage such explosions because the business of over 6 lakh Kashmiris in
Delhi would come to still stand. The explosions are against Kashmir Cause.
Apart from this, an office of Hurriyat Conference has also been opened in Delhi
for apprising the Indian people of the real situation in