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Petition filed by Lt Gen (Retd) Javed
Nasir, Former Director General, Inter Services Intelligence, Pakistan,
before the Anti Terrorism Court, Lahore
In a case
relating to the Jang group’s English language daily, News before
the Anti Terrorism Court, in Lahore, Inter Services Intelligence
former chief Lt Gen (Retd) Javed Nasir, later chairman of the Pakistan
Sikh Gurudwara Prabhandak Committee, states, among other things,
how Pakistan befriended and established links with Sikh pilgrims
visiting that country on festive occasions. Presented below is a
replica of the original petition he had filed on October 23, 2002. |
BEFORE
THE ANTI-TERRORIST COURT, LAHORE,
No.
107 dated 23.10.2002
Lt.
Gen. (Retd) Javed Nasir, 37-Askari Villas, Shami Road, Lahore Cantt.
…
Complainant
Versus
-
Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman,
Editor-in-Chief, Jang Group of News, Lahore.
-
Saleem Bukhari,
Editor, The News, Lahore.
-
Usman Yousuf,
Chairman Editorial Committee, Jang, Lahore.
-
M.A.K. Lodhi,
Editor, National Bureau of Investigation, The News, Lahore.
…
Respondents/Accused
COMPLAINT
U/S 6 (a) (b) (c), 8 & 11 OF THE ANTI-TERRORIST ACT, 1997
Respectfully
Sheweth:-
The
complainant symbolises the Islam loving populous of Pakistan by
being an active member of the Tableeghi Jamaat which stands and
works for the preaching of Islam with the objectives.
-
That how commandments
of Allah could come in the life style of Muslims all over the world
in the way and tradition of His Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
-
How Muslims
of all sects could be unified and brought on one platform and rise
above the menace of sectarianism which is bedevilling Muslims and
Pakistan.
-
That the enemies
of Islam led by USA, Hindu leadership of India, the communists,
the Zionists have all joined hands to target the non militant non
violent Tableeghi Jamaat which stands for unification of all sects,
all over the world. By weakening it, sectarianism will be strengthened
indirectly. By defaming the complainant, who symbolises Tableeghi
Jamaat’s most prominent member with international fame and reputation
of the most scrupulously honest individual, by allegedly projecting
him as one of the most corrupt persons who embezzled Rs. 3.00 billion
and fled away the country, the objective of the accused unmistakably
appears to discredit the Tableeghi Jamaat and thus weaken its appeal
and attempts to eliminate sectarianism by uniting Muslims of all
sects on one platform all over the world by terrorising the general
masses to keep them away from Tableegh and to shake their confidence
in the survival of the country. These terrorists in the garb of
journalists have delivered the most lethal blow to the unity and
the survival of the country.
-
That by targetting
the ex-DG, ISI by levelling totally baseless, fabricated, malicious
and mendacious charges, a loud and clear message has been sounded
to the law abiding citizens that the journalists enjoy complete
immunity to any punishment and publish any rubbish or filth about
anyone and get away with it. A sense of shock, terror and insecurity
has been driven in the minds of the law abiding citizens that if
the accused can target the ex-DG ISI what chance a common citizen
will have to escape their wrath. By attacking his reputation the
Army and ISI have been jointly targetted. Left as the last stable
institution if destablized can lead to and an extreme chaos and
confusion and eventually to a civil war.
BRIEF
OF CAREER
-
That the complainant
is a retired Lt. General from Pakistan Army who has held highly
sensitive and very important posts in the service of the country.
When promoted Major Gen. in December 1983, he became the first General
Officer with full grown beard and thus broke the Taboo and tradition
of clean shaved generals only.
-
In 1998, he
became a national figure when appointed as Incharge to clean up
the Ojri Camp. Against the estimated period of six months given
by US and French Experts by setting a personal example of handling
the highly sensitive blinds with his own hands, he motivated his
team to clean up the entire dump containing millions of blinds in
record period of just 15 days without suffering a single casualty.
He attributed his extraordinary performance to the help of Allah
which be said would always come if we obey His Commandments in the
ways and traditions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
-
As Engineer-in-Chief
of Pakistan Army complainant was promoted Lt. Gen. on 24th
Sep, 1991. He was appointed Chairman POF Wah on 4th Feb,
1992 and on 14th March, 1992 was appointed DG, ISI and
became an instant international figure when in April 1991 through
his persuasive, power and motivational talks he brought all the
warring factions of the Afghan Mujahideen to agree to the famous
Peshwar Accord and successfully installed the Mujahideen’s first
Government under Mujadadi in Kabul. A true practicing Muslim he
would not compromise on the interests of Islam and Pakistan. Despite
U.N. ban on supply of arms to the besieged Bosnians, he successfully
airlifted sophisticated anti tank guided missiles which turned the
tide in favour of Bosnian Muslims and forced the Serbs to lift the
seige much to the annoyance of US Government.
-
He thus became
the target of US, Indian & secular minded lobbies both inside
and outside Pakistan. Having failed to buy him the US Government
started a totally fabricated and mendaciously false propaganda against
him and demanded his removal as ISI Chief, failing which Pakistan
would be declared a terrorist State. A fact manifested by over 300
articles on the internet by western media including the official
Foreign Affairs Journal of US containing references dubbing him
as the only radical islamist DG, ISI who was an active member of
the Tableeghi Jamaat and has had the greatest influence on the rank
and file of the army. Copies of some of these articles are attached
as exhibit. In April 1993 US Government finally warned Pakistan
Government in writing to remove the complainant as ISI’s head failing
which Pakistan was threatened to be declared a terrorist state.
It was therefore at the behest of the US Government’s official demand
that he was prematurely compulsorily retired from service by the
Care Taker Government of Mir Balkh Sherbaz Mazari on 13th
May, 1993.
-
On 17th
July 1997, complainant was appointed Chairman Evacuee Trust Property
Board. A sick organization which since its inception in 1960 had
generated a total revenue of only Rs. 1.17 billion in 37 years of
its existence whereas the complainant raised a revenue of 1.225
billion in the four years stint he had upto July 2001, thus exceeding
the total revenue that this department had earned in 37 years. More
than the generation of revenue the complainant as DG, ISI had learnt
the free hand RAW had been having since 1948 in the manipulation
and control of the Sikh Yatrees during the four religious functions
which Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) used to arrange. Within
first year as Chairman ETPB he wrested back this control from RAW.
He had the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PGPC) constituted
in April 1999 which was given the responsibility of the maintenance
and upkeep of the Sikh Gurdawaras and holding of Sikh holy functions.
The Gurdwaras in Pakistan had deliberately been left to deteriorate
by Sharomani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) so that subsequently
this could be exploited to whip up propaganda by throwing the blame
on Pakistan in order to create hatred and mistrust between the Sikhs
and Muslims (Pakistan). Through SGPC RAW total control over the
clearance, nomination and conduct of the Sikh Yatrees for the annual
visits of Pakistan. These Gurdwaras were rebuilt, repaired, renovated
and face lifted under a crash programme. New living blocks with
modern toilet facilities were added – visa and travel restrictions
were eased which all helped win the hearts of the Sikhs all over
the world. The brochure covering these developments and the Indian
press report by visiting journalists can be seen in exhibit. How
keen Indian Government was to see complainants back is borne from
the fact that in his one to one meeting with Nawaz Sharif during
Lahore summit, Vajpayee had brought with him Indian Punjab Chief
Minister and requested Nawaz Sharif to arrange his one to one meeting
with Shahbaz Sharif. The latter invited the complainant to join
the meeting who convincingly aborted the Indian plan.
-
That the complainant
was already on the hated and unfriendly list of CIA, RAW joined
hands to destroy his cult. Through their many Pakistani agents which
have penetrated in various Government departments and the Press,
they intensified their efforts to have the complainant first removed
as Chairman ETPB (which automatically removed him from being ex-officio
Co-President of PGPC) and then let loose a campaign to defame and
discredit him to tarnish and destroy his image as Sikh Friendly
next to Guru Status that Sikhs had started giving him. His defamation
would deliver an irreparable blow to his Sikh friendly reputation.
-
That the complainant
has contributed over 100 articles to the press since 1998. His pro
Islam, anti US and anti India stance has created a very large readership
in Pakistan and abroad.
He
symbolizes the institutions of practicing Muslims through his association
with Tableeghi Jamaat, a threat which US has officially declared in
1990 to its national security. The professional and honest creed of
the army, of which ISI has been an inseparable part, the Sikh Friendly
Anti Indian image of the complainant if defamed and discredited will
damage all these institutions that he symbolizes as such have been
targetted. In the current media explosion through internet the news
spreads like wild fire in seconds. By 11 AM on 25th August
the tabloids carrying the head line of the complainant fleeing the
country with Rs3.00 billion had appeared all over the country (Exhibit).
Through internet it had reached every part of the globe. No matter
how many rebuttals, apologies and corrections are issued, all the
three institutions have been delivered an irreparable blow. The reputation
of the complainant built over the last 46 years lies totally destroyed.
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The ‘News’ report
which was run as the front page 7 column headline dated 24th
August 2002, stating therein that the complainant had embezzled
Rs. 3.00 billion and fled, the complainant learnt about it through
a telephone call which was followed by thousands of telephone calls
from all over Pakistan and world including England & USA - Every
caller saying that if such malicious lie could form the head line
against the complainant then disintegration of Pakistan was not
very far. This news item had therefore terrorised the entire Tableeghi
Jamaat the membership of which runs into millions and the masses
would have led to sectarian strife had it been not for the complainant's
interview on the TV the same night. The news item is totally false,
blatant white lie, malicious and mendacious, concocted fabrication
to defame, discredit not only to humiliate him but also the entire
Islamist population and the Tableeghi Jamaat whose feelings were
grossly hurt. The accused did not bother even to verify whether
the complainant was inside the country or abroad or to investigate
any of the allegations levelled against him. The accused did not
bother to check that even by their own grossly exaggerated figures
the total does not reach Rs.2.00 billion yet they made the complainant
to flee with Rs. 3.00 billion. The entire report manifests a highly
arrogant attitude of a few terrorists garbed as Journalists indulging
in yellow journalism, intoxicated with the self professed belief
that they enjoy total immunity and can blackmail, defame and terrorise
any one without any fear of any punishment. In three of the eight
cases cited, the areas and the places given are wrong. How negligent
was the attitude of the accused can be gauged from the fact that
a similar defamatory report was run on the front page of ‘News’
dated 15th April 2002 while the complainant was on Tableeghi
Mission for seven months in Malaysia from Dec 2001 to June 2002.
The department (Ministry of Minority & Youth Affairs) on its
own had issued a rebuttal which was published on page 3 of the ‘News’
dated 16th April 2002 correcting the wrong impression
given in that news item and stating that the complainant had not
run away from the country but gone on Tableeghi Mission and also
giving details of the checks in the procedure of sales in the disposal
of trust properties. It appears that accused did not bother to even
read it and verify the allegations which were subsequently published
in 'News' of 24th August 2002. Down with bad stomach
on 22nd and 23rd August, the complainant remained
bed ridden with telephone next to him. The accused did not bother
to check even on the telephone if the complainant was inside the
country or abroad.
-
That all the
properties listed in the report were at the time the complainant
had taken over as Chairman ETPB (in July 1997) and continues to
be even today in the ownership of ETPB. Neither any sale deed had
been concluded nor ownership transferred as such all the allegations
levelled in the report are false, malicious, mendacious, fabricated
and concocted lies. This can be verified from ETPB representative.
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By projecting
the most prominent member of Tableeghi Jamaat as allegedly one of
the most corrupt — the Tableeghi Jamaat's appeal to unite people
of all sects on one platform has been blunted grossly injuring their
feeling. This will indirectly strengthen sectarianism.
-
That by linking
the alleged corruption charges to complainant tenure as Chairman
ETPB the objective appears to destroy his still very popular image
of Sikh Friendly next to Guru Status and thus create a strong impediment
and eliminate his chances of being appointed afresh as Chairman
ETPB.
-
That the accused
belong the category of terrorists garbed as Journalists who are
intoxicated with the self professed belief of enjoying total immunity
to any punitive action even if they publish totally false, fabricated,
concocted, malicious and mendacious blatant lies. Unless, therefore,
exemplary punishment is awarded, yellow journalism will continue
to flourish and succeed in creating sense of grave fear, shock and
terror amongst the law abiding respectable citizens by the few terrorists
disguised as journalists. The terrorists with guns are less harmful
than the terrorists using the pen as the wounds inflicted by the
former can always heal, but those inflicted by the latter leave
perpetual ugly scars. The complainant, therefore, entreats your
honour that such terrorists garbed as journalists, who print and
encourage yellow journalism are incurable cancer of the society,
which must be removed to save the rest of the nation through major
surgical operation in the form of the severest possible punishment.
It is, therefore, most respectfully prayed that the accused may
kindly be summoned and punishment may kindly be awarded in accordance
with law.
Complainant
Through:
(Raja
Mehmood Akhtar) Advocate Supreme Court 4-Mozang Road, Lahore
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(Raja
Jehanzeb Akhtar) Advocate
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(Raja
Nowsherwan Akhtar) Advocate
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(Raja
Yasir Akhtar) Advocate
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(Raja
Hashim Sabir) Advocate
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(Muhammad
Tahir Ch.) Advocate
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(Muhammad
Arif Raja)
Advocate Supreme Court
STATEMENT
OF LT. GEN. ® JAVED NASIR, 37-ASKARI VILLAS, SHAMI ROAD, LAHORE
CANTT.
I
hereby on oath accept, verify and subscribe to all the contents
of the complaint u/s 6(a)(b)(c), 8 & 11 of the Anti Terrorist
Act, 1997
(Lt.
Gen.® Javed Nasir)
Source:
South Asia Tribune,
December 23-29, 2002.
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