Politicians, Prostitutes and Terrorist Financing

Politicians, Prostitutes and Terrorist Financing

A high class ‘prostitute’ died of mysterious disease in Lahore few years ago next thing happen was the so called ‘elite’ was rushing to the labs in Lahore for blood tests. Now another similar character Ayan Ali is arrested for money laundering with a half a million US$ at Islamabad international airport en route to Dubai. 

That was her 81st foreign trip so far in 2015. The man accompanying with her was Khalid Malik brother of Rehman Malik former interior minister and business partner of Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari. Powerful mafia has already murdered investigating ‘customs inspector’ in broad daylight as usual to sabotage the case in the court. The way woman brought to court makes the mockery of the legal and policing system in Pakistan.

A treacherous mafia, who is and have been selling the country for a small price, ignoring the sacrifices of the armed forces and security services, is running Pakistan. A leading politician explained to me about the ‘strategy’ of so called business community in Karachi. 

Security forces have recovered over Rs. 2 billion cash from one member of that community and minister in the Sindh Government. These people are in the root of all financial scandals from Mehran Bank – Asghar Khan case to money laundering and gold smuggling. These ‘seths’ are the real terrorists hiding behind charity, media and piety. 

These shrewd people will hire a retired army officer as their Manager Human Resources on high pay and he will serve as security man as well as get them to all his juniors and seniors in armed forces and soon they will be offering presents to high ups in the armed forces.

The other strategy, which I observed, is ‘Queen Bee’ model of corruption. In this model these people will launch one member apparently with high religious values to show off and all the corruption money is given to him for investment and rest will enjoy the profits. If you check all the gambling bookies, money laundering syndicates and prostitution rings you will find them on top.

For them Saint and Satan can be manipulated with wine, dine and woman. They are the most dangerous security challenge to the current leaders in Karachi.

Few months ago a young journalist asked me; “Do you know which organisations and groups are working against Pakistan here in UK’?

I said, ‘No I don’t’. However I told him that ‘Pakistan’s number one problem is treachery from inside’ and I do know individuals and groups working against Pakistan for many years in and out of Pakistan’. What about them? And they glow and shine as moon in the night and sun in day nothing happen to them and all are living happily now and ever after’. 

I didn’t mean to dampen his nationalism and patriotism but the reality is those treacherous elements and who sold the national interests and harmed Pakistan being awarded and showered with wealth and honour.

It is more about your weakness than smartness of your enemies. I said to him, ‘a country which can make a nuclear bomb, long range missiles, fuel its fighter jets in the air, whose girls are flying fighter jets, make drones so on and so forth. But the same people could not make few holes to drain water from Attaabad Lake in North of Pakistan for 6 months, which swallowed the miles of Silk Road and than caused huge floods down stream from southern Punjab to rural and urban Sindh while our than President Asif Zardari spent his holidays in London. 

By simply not making few holes these elements have caused losses to the state and lives of the people. Don’t you see any treachery in it? (a) Crucial road link to China was shutdown due to flooding (b) this could be stopped?

Indus water commissioner allowed India to violate the water treaty and continue with the plan to water bomb Pakistan for over 12 years. A politician from ANP installed as Railway Minister and he destroyed the whole system in few years. Hence weakens the national defence and transport network?

When all the engineers and scientists are saying that Kalabagh Dam which was originally planned by the British before 1947 is the most viable and appropriate to serves the needs of Pakistan but politicians are against the dam. 

Why? That is a matter of national interest. These people don’t know that ‘dams don’t use water they just store it’. Here politicians and rest are receiving money from enemies of the state and no body is questioning them? India achieved its objective in delaying these projects by spending few billions on these anti state elements and has caused harms of trillions. Why no body stopped them? They were hiding behind ‘democracy’. ?

Who is going to bring back $200 billion of Pakistan back from Swiss Banks and that will solve all the economic problems as well as release from IMF. What is the delay after all it is Pakistan’s national wealth?

I was invited to take part in a discussion with staff of the National Defence University, Islamabad, Pakistan visiting London, on “Pakistan’s Domestic and External Security Challenges Following the ISAF Withdrawal from Afghanistan”. 

Brigadier Mohammad Iqbal Tahir lead this delegation and it was held in April 2014 at War Studies Department, Kings College London. The other journalists who participated were Christina Lamb, The Times, and Owen Bennett Jones of BBC as well as diplomats, academics and policy and security experts.

“I said to Pakistan’s (NDU) National Defence University delegation attending War Studies Department Seminar at Kings College London:

“FATA is only 1.5 % of Pakistan. What is happening in 98.5% Pakistan run by the democratically elected governments? From March 2008 to March 2013 in Pakistan 64500 people have been murdered over 14000 women have been raped including over 2000 gang rapes, burglaries and robberies are apart from this as they are in millions. All the above happened under the politically run government. Police and judiciary have become a national security threat to Pakistan now? ”

The writer (Dr Shahid Qureshi) and a team of legal experts from University of London conducted a research on ‘policing – judiciary, mafias and national security’ in Pakistan. Following issues and conclusions were highlighted in the expert report:

(1) Police and lower judiciary has become a security risk to both state and the armed forces of Pakistan.

(2) All the land mafia – qabza groups and the politicians protect criminal gangs.

 
(3) Recent incident of arrests an active terrorist from close to the Prime Minister’s residence in Raiwind proves that policing and lower and street level intelligence system is collapsed.

(4) Most of police arrests are actually tipped by the security agencies.

 
(5) Some corrupt elements in the judiciary have joined the criminal land mafia groups and providing legal protection to terrorists and criminals.

(6) Judiciary is too scared to give judgements against terrorist and cases are prolonged unnecessarily for no reason, which encourage the terrorists and criminals due to no accountability.

(7) Police has no idea where the terrorists are being launched and who provide them logistical facilities before the incidents.

(8) Land mafia gangs have become a recruiting stations for the foreign agencies as it is easily infiltrated and bought any land mafia gang can buy out the whole police station ‘lock, stock and barrel’ with a small monthly fee.

 
(9) They have access to police wireless sets as well as live information set-up from senior police officers offices.

(10) Any smart operative can infiltrate these mafias and have full access to all the mafia members’ syndicate including judges, police and other officials.

 
(11) Lower ranking police officials at the station level are not adhering to the instructions coming from the top as they use to be the eyes and ears of the state but now they have joined the various mafia groups.

(12) The state has no ears and eyes on the ground due to police corruption and mafias

 
(13) System by pass – previous government of AZ introduced the ‘system by pass’ policy i.e. a direct call from President or Prime Minister house to the SHO of police station or a ‘patwari’ (land record keeper). This has undermined the whole system of governance in the country.

(14) Like a dangerous virus these SHO (head of police station) and Patwari (land record keepers) have become a national security threat to the State of Pakistan. Sooner these cancers are cured quicker the recovery.

(15) No corrupt system can survive without the cooperation of banks. Though Pakistani system run of cash. Therefore state bank should cancel all the high denominations of five thousands and one thousands.

Terrorist financing is a major issue in Pakistan and now it is time to eliminate those elements that are taking money from enemies to sabotage national projects of dams, roads and economic reforms. It is Time.

Dr Shahid Qureshi is writer on security and foreign policy based in London