Journalists Covering Zarina Mari Case Threatened

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEAHRC-STM-023-2009January 31, 2009
PAKISTAN: The Public Relations Department of the Armed Forces threatens the journalists covering the case of Zarina Marri
The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), a public relations department of the armed forces of Pakistan denied the allegations that Ms. Zarina Marri (23) was in a military torture cell and used as a sex slave to induce arrested nationalist activists to sign state concocted confessions.
The ISPR has also asked from the newspapers and other media, who have given coverage about the missing Zarina, to produce the first information report (FIR) about her arrest. In the effort to effectively deny the torture and forcing female prisoners to become sex slaves in army torture cells the officials of the ISPR have threatened newspapers and the electronic media with dire consequences if they continue to report on the issue of Zarina Marri.
The director of ISPR, who holds the rank of Major General, has personally contacted different news papers who had written editorials demanding probe into the allegations that the army is running torture cells and hold female prisoners. He threatened the newspapers that their official advertisements and its payments will be stopped if they continue with their “malicious campaign” against the army. Some television channels came out about the threats but the federal minister for information then denied that director of the ISPR has made any such threats. He told the newspapers not to involve the Pakistan army in such campaign.
It is regretted that, instead of probing the case the army officials have started threatening the editors and column writers to stop reporting on the issue of army torture cells and their inhuman treatment with the women. The government of Mr. Asif Zardari, the President of Pakistan, should start a probe through a judicial commission on the allegations that the army is using torture cells and has been doing so since the Musharaf era. Since so many persons have testified before the courts and media there should be no difficulty for the government to bring the perpetrators who misused their power in the name of national security and war on terror, before the law.
It is the responsibility of the civilian government to come out with the statements on the allegations of military torture cells and not the duty of the army generals which shows that army is still more powerful in state affairs then the elected government. The AHRC urges that officials of the ISPR be instructed to stop threatening the journalists. Furthermore they must issue statements in the presence of ministry of information and government on the allegations of using women as sex slaves in the military custody.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0902/S00012.htm

26 security officers were killed in Baluchistan

London: The 26 security officers were killed in Baluchistan in two separate incidents, Iranian officials sites reported. The first incidents was organised by People's Resistance Movement of Iran, Jondollah, in Sarawan on 20th of January. Jondollah reported in a statement that this operation was conducted to prevent supplies of arms and ammunitions to a military base near the border of Pakistan. This base is used for operations against Baluch fighters in the area between Sarawan and Zahedan. Jondollah claimed that they have used two roadside bombs to explode two cars which were loaded by ammunitions and arms. 14 security guards were killed in this operation.
The second incidents happened near Zahedan, the capital of Baluchistan on 25th Jan 09 in which 12 members of security forces died. The incidents happened when a group of Baluch guerrilla fighters ambushed several cars that were carrying logistics to their headquarters near the border between Iran and Pakistan. The Baluchistan Branch of the Organization of Iranian Fighters took the responsibility for this event.
his organization is also stated that these operations were intended to prevent further daily executions of Baluch people in different provinces of country. The Islamic Republic of Iran usually transfers the Baluch prisoners into other provinces and executes them for fabricated charges of drug trafficking.
No Baluch fighters was reported to be killed in these incidents while human rights organizations reported that the Iranians regime hanged 30 Iranians in five days. Most of the political prisoners that were executed or hanged were from Baluchistan or Kurdistan. The hanging of Kurdish and Baluch political activists and human rights organisers has been increased recently in Iran.
At the same time Iranian media reported that 24000 Shia missionaries have been dispatched to the Sunni areas of Baluchistan to convert Sunni people into Shia. This act has infuriated the Baluch and Sunni people all over Iran. The Islamic Republic of Iran designed the policy of Sunni conversions into Shia since the beginning of the revolution. So far they have not been successful in converting a large number of Sunnis. A handful of poor people have been bribed to become Shia. They have been given accommodation, some money and jobs. While 70 percent of the people in the province of Zanjan which is inhibited by Shias are living under poverty line, the government of Iran is spending a lot of money to bribe the Sunnis into Shiism. The newly converted Shias would be given some privileges for a short time and then they would be recruited by the Iranians security forces to spy on their community. Few of the newly Shia converts were killed as a result of their spying for the government.
As the confrontation between Baluch armed forces and Iranian security forces continue, the social environment in Baluchistan has become tenser. The Iranian government is also dismissing the Baluch workers from their jobs. They are not employing any educated Baluch people. The government is not creating any jobs; at that the same time they are closing the Borders to prevent border trading between Iran and Pakistan. As the Baluch people are completely deprived of governmental and bureaucratic jobs in Iran they have no any alternative but seeking border trading which is usually the exchange of foodstuff.
According to the official statistics of Iran, 76 percent of the Baluch people live under poverty line. Increasing unemployment and poverty motivate a large number of Baluch young people to fight for justice and equality opportunities. Since civil campaigning is not permitted in Baluchistan, most of these young men turn to armed groups to seek justice.
The Baluch people have chosen to get killed in the battlefield honorably with the Iranian security forces rather than surrendering to death by starvation; a policy the Iranian government has been implementing in Baluchistan. There is a saying in Baluchi which means living in poverty and misery is not worth living if you are pushed in it. What is worth, is the living of your choice with pride in freedom.

Iran Capable of Producing Nuclear Bomb 'This Year'

Iran will have enough enriched uranium to make a single nuclear weapon later this year, the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) reported on Tuesday.
The think tank made the prediction in its 'Military Balance 2009,' an annual assessment of global defense and military developments. Announcing the new report on Tuesday, Mark Fitzpatrick said the threat may not necessarily as big as it sounds. "Being able to enrich uranium is not the same as having nuclear weapons," he said.
In addition, the report placed doubts over U.S. intelligence estimates that Iran halted its work on nuclear weapons six years ago and pointed to Tehran's continued development of long-range ballistic missiles able to reach targets in Israel and beyond.
Russia, on the other hand, made a great show of its military last year, including naval exercises with Venezuela. But the IISS study found that Russia is much less threatening than it would like to appear.
A Times of London report on the study described the former Soviet powerhouse as a "paper tiger," noting that study's conclusion that Russia's displays of its naval fleet were mere symbolic gestures.
The country was only able to deploy a small number of ships, while the rest were anchored at home — there wasn't enough money to keep the whole fleet at sea, according to the study.

Military force against Iran still an option: US

WASHINGTON: America’s top military officer has said that using US military force against Iran remains an option, though it would be a “last resort.”
“Iran is unhelpful in many, many ways in many, many areas, and so I wouldn’t be overly optimistic at this point,” Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told foreign correspondents on Tuesday. Mullen spoke of positive change in Iraq and credited the reduction in violence there to the troop surge and the changes in Iraqis’ perception of Al-Qaeda and other extremist groups.Clearly, security is much better, but it isn’t just having the extra troops,” he said. “It’s how they’re being employed. And that strategy has worked up to this point in time, very effectively. And it has a lot to do with being out in the villages and towns and out and about where the Iraqi citizens live.”
Conceding that Baghdad still is “a very violent city,” he said violence has been reduced in most parts of the country, “with the Iraqi people themselves playing a key role.”
On being asked what was the single biggest challenge facing the US military, Mullen replied, “Afghanistan and Pakistan.”
He said President Barack Obama made that clear, which “sends a very strong message that Afghanistan and Pakistan are at the top of the list ... The selection of former Ambassador (Richard) Holbrooke to focus on Afghanistan and Pakistan is another very strong signal.”
Turning to India and Pakistan, the chairman said contacts with India are good and growing.
“We are in a position where we’ve had in recent years an increased number of military-to-military contacts, and I think that’s positive,” he said. “I’m actually very positive about the continuing and emerging relationship between the United States and India.”

Ebrahim Mehrnehad was sentenced for 5 year

REPORTED BY JAWED BALOCH FROM SARAVAN

Balochistan Human Rights Watch: Ebrahim Mehrnehad, Baloch civil activist was sentenced to a term of imprisonment for 5 yearsAccording to reports from the members of Balochistan Human Rights Watch (BHRW),Ebrahim Mehrnehad, the baloch civil activist and the younger brother of Ya'qoubMehrnehad has been sentenced to a term of imprisonment for 5 years (3 yearsunconditional and 2 years conditional imprisonment). He was convicted, inZahedan, to be guilty in beeing a national threat in first degree while he hadno privilege of having any lawyer.According to the investigation report performed by (Y.GH.) the reporter of RadioBalochi FM(Voice of BHRW) in Sarawan, Ebrahim has been subjected to ultermosttorture methods, both physically and psychologically. Amongst he has beensubjected to burning.One of the most terrible torture method which has been committed against
Ebrahim, was to experience how his brother, Ya'qoub was subjected to torture
which has made a major negative impact on his physical and psychological state.An impact which has resulted in worsening his general health condition toultermost critical. Therefore it is crucially important that he receives anurgent necessary medical care and aid.We in `'Balochistan Human Rights Watch'' are deeply concerned about his physicaland psychological health condition, and consider the concerned authorities inIslamic Republic of Iran responsible for his life and fate.However, in our opinion Ebrahim was convicted unfairly and received an unlawfuland a wrongful sentence. Quite so because he has not commietted any crime, evenunder shadow of iranian official consitutional circumstances. He has onlyperformed civil activities for gaining the legal rights. That is exactlytherefore crucially important that the Islamic Republic of Iran understands thatthe unfair convicting of civil activists with such a wrong basis, consequently,results in providing a very dangerous platform in civil society for more uncivilresistant activities and unrest. This, undoutedfully, will in long term be moreharmful for the region, as a whole. `'Balochistan Human Rights Watch'' callstherefore for an immediate uncondional release of Ebrahim.It is worth mentioning that Ebrahim , once in 26.04.2007, his brother Ya'qouband a number of other young civil activists were taken in custody in connectionwith a public meeting. The main mission of mentioned public meeting was only theinterrogation of responsible authorities in Sistan and Balochestan about theirdoings. They were released all, except Ya'qoub Mehrnehad after 70 days of beeingin custody. Ya'qoub was chairman of "the association of youth's justice voice",and he unfortunately, despite of many calls from several international humanrights watch groups and organisations, was sentenced to death defenceless, andthe regime executed the sentence on 4 August 2008Balochistan Human Rights

Balochistan divided into six divisions

QUETTA: The government of Balochistan has decided to divide the province into six divisions, a notification of the Revenue Department issued here on Saturday said. According to the notification, the Quetta division would comprise Quetta, Pishin, Chagai, Qila Abdullah and Noshki districts with its headquarter in Quetta; Kalat division would comprise Kalat, Khuzdar, Lasbella, Kharan, Washuk, Mastung and Awaran districts and its headquarter would be in Khuzdar. Similarly, the districts of Sibbi, Dera Bugti, Kohlu, Ziarat and Harnai have been included in Sibbi division with Sibbi as its headquarter; while Kech, Gwadar and Panjgur would form Makran division with Kech as its headquarter.The districts of Naseerabad, Jafarabad, Jhal Magsi and Kachi have been included in Naseerabad division with Dera Murad Jamali as the divisional headquarter. The Zhob division would comprise Zhob, Loralai, Qila Saifullah, Barkhan, Musakhail, and Sherani district with Loralai as the divisional headquarter. A commissioner would head every division and will exercise the powers vested in him under Muhafiz Pakistan Land Revenue Act.

Burnt City yields 52 ancient skeletons

The 12th phase of Burnt City archeological excavations in Iran's southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan Province has yielded 52 skeletons. According to Iranian anthropologist Farzad Forouzanfar most of the 5,000-year-old remains belong to children between the ages of 1 to 12, who have died because of infectious or contagious diseases or microbial contamination. "As there is no evidence of bone fractures in the skeletal remains, these children most probably perished due to infections which were very common in the prehistoric era,” Forouzanfar explained. "The remains also include three skeletons belonging to 50-, 55- and 60-year-old females, and four skeletons belonging to men between the ages of 45 and 50," said Forouzanfar. Led by Seyyed Mansour Seyyed Sajjadi, the 12th phase of Burnt City archeological excavations started last month. Earlier in the 12th phase, archeologists found 12 ancient graves, which are believed to be unique among the discoveries of the past 30 years. Over 400 prehistoric sites have been excavated in Burnt City and archeologists expect the number to reach 1,000. The 5,000-year-old Burnt City is located near the city of Zabol and spans an area of over 300,000 hectares. Four civilizations have lived in the city which was burnt down three times and not rebuilt after the last fire. The world's oldest animated picture, dice and backgammon set, the earliest known caraway seed and artificial eyeball have been found in Burnt City.

RAW trying to destabilize Balochistan

ISLAMABAD: A leading newspaper of Sri Lanka ‘The Daily Mirror’ in its editorial has highly criticized the role Indian Intelligence Agency (RAW) is playing in the regional countries to destabilize them. The editorial has specially referred to Pakistan. It says “among its (RAW’s) most ambitious operations that are currently underway is the move to separate Baluchistan province from Pakistan by supporting Baluchistan Liberation Army.” The newspaper writes that “It certainly is a monumental task for the informed Sri Lankan or for that matter anyone in the neighbourhood of India to keep a straight face when talking about the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) in India. Formed in 1968, the predatory operations carried out by this external intelligence agency of India in the neighboring countries, is perhaps the best example as to how a geographically advantageous nations bully their little neighbours. A careful study of the RAW would spell out that its modus operandi include multinationals, nongovernmental organizations and even cultural centres. Among its most ambitious operations that are currently underway is the move to separate Baluchistan province from Pakistan by supporting Baluchistan Liberation Army.” Having raised, nursed and fortified the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam it later went through phases where it adopted ‘rock the baby, pinch the baby’ approach towards the LTTE.—Agencies