Pakistan: Open incitement to hate - banned orgainisations, spooks, political parties

From: Daily Times (Pakistan) February 17, 2012

Protecting venom
by Gulmina Bilal Ahmad

Only in this country will we find prominently displayed posters inciting hate and treason. Only in this country will leaders and members of mainstream political parties, banned organisations and retired intelligence chiefs incite people to violence

I tried to take a photograph but was hounded. ‘They’ succeeded in putting up the sticker and were protected. This starts off as a story at Islamabad’s upmarket Kohsar Market, better known around the country where governors are killed by their guards claiming to defend God and His Prophet (PBUH). It evolves to involve the state of Pakistan, the Difa-i-Pakistan Council (Pakistan Defence Council), the media and yes, my dear friends, the Hizb-ut-Tahrir, who undoubtedly would drop me a line (all from the same server) as soon as this is published.

Sandwiched between an upmarket leather shop and a grocery shop at the Kohsar Market, a pillar cheekily displays Hizb-ut-Tahrir’s sticker in its signature orange and black colours. In Urdu the signature says, “America bhagaao, ghadaar hataao” (chase the US out, remove the traitors). It is the only sticker that is prominently displayed in the entire market. I take it the ‘ghadaars’ (traitors) refers to the rulers and their children who can also be seen milling around in the market on any given day buying imported grocery items and enjoying coffee. The Americans are certainly there too and unsuspectingly both the ‘traitors’ and the Americans pass that sticker.

I have written extensively about the Hizb-ut-Tahrir previously too: their organisation, their sophistication, their legal status and the fact that they can virtually put up any notice, any pamphlet anywhere in the country with proper governmental authorisation in spite of the fact that they are banned. In response, I have been told that their legal status in Pakistan has changed and while they were banned previously, but now etc, etc... I am deliberately being flippant about it as all that debate is, at least from today for me, settled. Brigadier Ali Khan, the gentleman who was arrested four days after the Abbottabad operation on May 2, 2011, is facing court-martial for his ‘links’ with Hizb-ut-Tahrir. Whether this ‘link’ involved him being a member of Hizb-ut-Tahrir or not is not clear but the fact that he has links and shared their vision is reason enough for a serving brigadier to be charged and his court-martial process to start.

What is the ‘vision’ of Hizb-ut-Tahrir? As I have written previously, one of their posters warns the government and particularly the armed forces that they should stop following the dictates of the US. It clearly states, “Oh real Muslims within the armed forces of Pakistan! Rise and help your brethren to overthrow the clutches of the US and traitor rulers who are their puppets.” Apparently, Brigadier Ali Khan and four Majors who were also arrested a few days later rose.

Supporters of Hizb-ut-Tahrir declare that it is not banned. However, Brigadier Ali Khan has been charged for “his links with outlawed Hizb-ut-Tahrir” as well as “inciting” three serving brigadiers to “rebel against the government”. The state of Pakistan is surprised why he did it when in broad daylight, open messages of incitement, rebel, treason invitations and hate speech are displayed from Raja Bazaar to Kohsar.

Hizb-ut-Tahrir is not the only one that seems to be operating with the blessings of some powerful people. Pakistan Defence Council (PDC) is another organisation that is now also openly threatening citizens in the media. Qari Yaqoob, a defender/member of the PDC who was most ably representing the old banned organisation in the new bottle of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) at the Karachi rally declared, “The media should know that if they do not give PDC coverage at the behest of their foreign friends, then we will turn this very ground into a graveyard for media owners and personnel.” Not to be left behind, one of their media counterparts in his prime time show declared, “Qari sahib! Let it be known that your fate should not be like Musharraf who also threatened the media but had to run away from the country” — in other words, implying media persecution.

This is prime time television in the land of the pure.

Pakistan Defence Council apparently has problems. Not only should they be worried about their ‘fate’ after that threat but they should also be very, very concerned. For now if they were to hold another rally where they will threaten, spew venom, deliver hate speech, they will face the very serious problem of...of...of...oh yes, the transfer of the local thana’s SHO. This is a grave challenge and one that the likes of convicted criminals like Hafiz Saeed and the architect of the Taliban General Hamid Gul are very worried about. They are planning a rally in Quetta at the end of this month. The local SHO must pack his bags on the orders of none other than the federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik.

Only in this country, dear readers, only in this country will we find prominently displayed posters inciting hate and treason. Only in this country will leaders and members of mainstream political parties, banned organisations and retired intelligence chiefs incite people to violence. Only in this country will the response be the one given by Rehman Malik.

Only in this country will I be stopped from taking a photograph of a Hizb-ut-Tahrir sticker at Kohsar the minute I pick up my camera. Only in this country will I be followed to my office by those very same people.