Page 23 - Pakistan Link - August 25, 2023

CONTINUATION PAKISTAN LINK - AUGUST 25, 2023 - P23

Why a Free Election ‘Seems Almost rachi on Saturday to renew these calls of churches torched in Peshawar. The CAICAP (China, Afghanistan, Iran, other faqirs, to Agra, Aligarh, Lucknow
Impossible’ in Pakistan after the Jaranwala attacks. decision called for protection of minor- Central Asia and Pakistan) that would and Faizabad. With a large following of
(Continued from page 4) Such activism is necessary and must ities and freedom of religion. However, be book-ended by China and Pakistan. his disciples, he took control of Faiz-
major policy decisions were taken by continue regardless of political turmoil many of his recommendations have yet This would eventually enable Pakistan abad. He then proceeded to Lucknow
the Pakistan army and defended by or changes in government, says poet to be implemented, notes Yusuf. to negotiate with India on more equita- where he joined forces with Birjis Qa-
the civilian facade of Mr Khan’s gov- and scientist Gauhar Raza of Anhad ble terms and enable the CASA region der, the Vali of Lucknow. After the fall
ernment. Cracks began to appear a India, watching the situation from New Indigenous (Central and South/Southwest Asia) to of Lucknow, he continued the struggle
few years later when Mr Khan tried to Delhi. The Minority Rights March last become a major force for peace, secu- from Muhammadi as an autonomous
assert his constitutional authority as “In the darkest period, we need week included theatre, music and rity and development in Asia. ruler but was assassinated by a rebel at
prime minister, eventually leading to a such voices to keep the torch alight,” dancing. A troupe from Thar, in col- Meanwhile, Pakistan needs to boost Pawayan.
complete breakdown in civil-military he tells Sapan News. “We need to give orful traditional costumes signify- its own credibility by dissuading the Bakht Khan, was appointed the
relations. After Mr Khan’s government credit to those who consistently stand ing the cultural diversity of Pakistan, Taliban government in Afghanistan Commander in Chief of the Mughal
was removed in an army-backed vote for what’s right, whether in Pakistan, danced the ‘dandiya’, clashing sticks to — through incentives and disincen- army by Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last
of no confidence in April 2022, the in- India, or elsewhere.” the beat of drums and music lyrics. As tives — from becoming a global pari- Mogul emperor. An able soldier and
coming coalition government adopted the rhythmic beat of the popular Dama ah, even in the Muslim world. It would administrator, Bakht Khan assisted the
a policy of appeasement toward the Misusing religion Dam Mast Qalandar’ sung by folk ar- need to make the Taliban aware that emperor in military as well as civil ad-
generals. The Jaranwala violence on 16 Au- tiste Shamo Bai faded, participants their pretense of being more Muslim ministration. When Delhi fell and Ba-
As for Mr Khan and the future of gust is a chilling reminder of how re- jumped in front of the stage to dance. than the rest of the Muslim world, and hadur Shah was arrested, Bakht Khan
his party, supporters remain bullish ligion continues to be misused in Paki- A tableau by young girls depicted especially human rights policies, could fled and continued to fight until he was
that he will eventually prevail. stan. The pattern is familiar. There’s a the “conversion factory” targeting eventually lead to isolation within the killed in the later stages of the Upris-
“I just feel Imran Khan and PTI quarrel or disagreement between two Hindu girls in Sindh. Some reports es- OIC. ing.
will succeed one way or another be- parties. Some hours or days later, there timate the figure of young Hindu girls, Finally, an Afghan public opin- Rae Ahmed Nawaz Khan Kharal was
cause he’s just got tremendous support are accusations of ‘blasphemy’ ampli- some barely 13 or 14 being forcibly ion that regards Pakistan much more head of the Khurrul tribe in Western
everywhere in the country,” says Mr fied through mosque loudspeakers, converted to be around 1,000 annually. favorably will be far less disposed to Punjab. In September 1858, he led the
Bukhari, the PTI official. “I’ve always followed by the violence. There was some relief when the Sindh accept Indian policies aimed at under- Uprising against the British in Neeli dis-
categorically said that in Pakistan, Such accusations against two Assembly passed an Anti-Conversion mining Pakistan’s interests in Afghani- trict. After some initial successes, Rae
we’re overdoing it and it’s not so bad. brothers from the Christian faith in law in November 2016, but the Stand- stan. Accordingly, instead of relying on Ahmed laid down his life in battle with
Other countries have fixed themselves, Jaranwala, broadcast through mosque ing Committee of Religious Affairs installing a ‘friendly government’ in a contingent of British Punjab cavalry.
but what you need is five to seven years loudspeakers, incited the recent vio- overturned it in 2021. Afghanistan, Pakistan should concen- The names of Begum Hazrat Mahal,
... to turn Pakistan around.” – The lence. Mobs armed with stones, sticks Sanitary workers in Pakistan, most- trate on cultivating a friendly people in Molvi Ahmedulla, Commander Bakht
Christian Science Monitor and daggers, including children armed ly Hindu and Christian, risk their lives Afghanistan. Khan and Rae Ahmed stand tall along
with sticks, attacked and set ablaze daily, working in unsafe conditions. (The writer is a former ambassador with the names of more commonly
Blasphemy against Islam and Its churches, homes, and the office of the They are forced to enter sewage holes to the US, India and China and head of known heroes of the First War of In-
Messenger by Pakistan’s Religious Elites assistant commissioner of Jaranwala, a “with zero equipment,” says Chaudhry UN missions in Iraq and Sudan. Dawn) dependence (1858-59) such as Baha-
(Continued frompage 5) Christian, who was not on the prem- Waris, who represents the sanitary dur Shah Zafar, Jhansi Ki Rani, Tantya
the wealthy and merchants, the poll tax ises at the time. They desecrated Bibles workers of Union District East Kara- Muslim Contributions to India’s Tope and Nana Saheb.
to be taken from them must not exceed and vandalized a cemetery. chi. Freedom Struggle - A Different The First War of Independence was
twelve drachmas a head per year (i.e., This was not the first attack on (Abdullah Zahid is an aspiring jour- Narrative - 2 crushed, and its aftermath was brutal.
about 200 modern-day US dollars). Christian colonies, most of which are nalist studying mass communication (Continued on page 23) Several reasons may be advanced as to
They shall not be imposed upon by situated in prime land eyed by the land at the University of Karachi. On X @ sciences, while the places of worship of why it did not succeed. First, a great
anyone to undertake a journey or to be mafia. AbdullahZahid. Editor Sapan News Hindus and Mussalmans are to this day undertaking such as a national war
forced to go to war or to carry arms; In 2009, eight Christians were Beena Sarwar is a longtime journalist entirely neglected; with all this, how of liberation requires a national focus
for the Muslims have to fight for them. killed and almost 50 houses torched who has extensively reported on the can people believe that religion will not and a great leader. These were absent.
Do not dispute or argue with them, but in a largely Christian neighborhood in ‘blasphemy laws’. beena@sapannews. be interfered with?” While some were fired by religious zeal
deal according to the verse recorded in Gojra in a pre-planned attack that the com. This is a Sapan News syndicated This historical document provides like Maulvi Ahmadulla, others were
the Qur’an: ‘Do not dispute or argue local administration was aware of, re- feature.) one of the few first-hand insights of fighting for privileges usurped by the
with the People of the Book, but in that ports the Human Rights Commission what impelled the ruling classes of In- British.
which is best’ [29:46]. Thus, they will of Pakistan (HRCP). The Taliban Govt in Afghanistan, Long dia to take up arms against the British. Bahadur Shah Zafar was an old
live favored and protected from every- In March 2013, mobs attacked the Considered Pakistan’s Protégé, Is No The uprising started from Meerat man, a weak ruler and clearly lacked
thing which may offend them by the Joseph Colony area of Punjab’s capital Longer Friendly and spread rapidly through Lucknow, the skills required to lead a national
Callers to religion (Islam), wherever Lahore, burning some 200 houses. The (Continued from page 7) Kanpur, Bareilly, Jaunpur, Gwalior, uprising. Secondly, the struggle was
they may be and in any place they may day before the attack, police asked the Asia is a détente with China rather than Agra, Bulandsher, Bijnor, Jhelum and confined to a small part of India, no-
dwell. Christians to vacate their houses, re- an option-limiting strategic alliance Sialkot. Many were the gallant men tably, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
(Dr Aslam Abdullah is a resident ports the HRCP. with the US against China. Such a dé- and women who fought in that First Many rajas and nawabs either re-
scholar at Islamicity.org and editor- There are numerous such incidents, tente would incline China to view In- War of Independence and laid down mained aloof or supported the Brit-
in-chief of the Muslim Observer with the culprits rarely brought to dian hegemony in South Asia with less their lives. Here we briefly highlight the ish. Notable among these were the
newspaper. He is also the Indian Is- book. However, over the past few years, alarm and allow it to concentrate on names of some of the heroes of that war. Nizam of Hyderabad, the Rajas of
lamic Heritage Project director of the the government has begun to respond countering US hegemony in East Asia. Begum Hazrat Mahal of Oudh was Bikaneer and Kashmir as well as the
American Federation of Muslims of more effectively. Once a détente develops between the wife of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah. In Sikhs in the Punjab. Bengal and the
Indian origin and the interim Presi- This time, police moved to arrest India and China its momentum the uprising of1857, after Wajid Ali South were largely quiet. Even in the
dent of the World Council of Muslims over 100 suspects and register cases could carry it forward towards a Shah had been exiled to Calcutta by centers of the Uprising such as Luc-
for Interfaith Relations, WCMIR.) against leaders of extremist groups possible entente cordiale and Paki- the British, she and her supporters know there were internal tensions
Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and stan would be strategically isolated. led by Raja Jailal Singh took control of between the Shias and the Sunnis.
Pakistani Minority Rights Activists Jamaat-Ahle-Sunnat. To think the US would or could prop Lucknow and expelled the Europeans. Third, there was very little coordina-
Renew Demands for Justice after up Pakistan against such a develop- When the British recaptured Lucknow, tion among the leaders of the Upris-
Attacks on Churches Turning point ment would be foolish. It would still she joined forces with Nana Saheb and ing. The British clearly had the ad-
(Continued frompage 5) The turning point in how Pakistan seek a close if less strategic relation- made Shahjehanpur her base. She held vantage of technology. The telegraph
Aurat or Women’s March launched deals with this issue may have been ship with India. It will not consider the British at bay for more than a year which had just been introduced into
in 2016 outside the colonial-era Frere when a Sri Lankan factory manager in ‘balancing’ its relations with India but was ultimately forced to retreat and India enabled them to maintain effec-
Hall, Karachi. Other linked movements Sialkot was lynched in 2021 after ‘blas- and Pakistan, leave alone tilting to- seek refuge in Nepal where she passed tive communications. Lastly, by 1857,
that started from that venue include phemy’ accusations. wards Pakistan against India. away in 1879. the British Empire was well estab-
one in support of the transgender com- “This brought international focus Accordingly, whenever Pakistan re- Molvi Ahmedulla of Faizabad was a lished and the British navy ruled the
munity last year and a Climate March to the issue, and the government of covers from its current domestic pre- soldier, a patriot, who fought the Brit- oceans of the world. They were able to
in June. the day felt compelled to respond,” dicament it should prioritize investing ish valiantly and won the praise of his draw reinforcements from as far away
“Each march inspires more activism observes Zohra Yusuf, former HRCP diplomatically and economically in adversaries for his courage, chivalry, as England and Australia. Lastly, from
and reminds us of the spirit of resis- Chairperson. Afghanistan’s stability and prosperity. and code of honor. One of the British a global perspective, the Indian Up-
tance that continues to exist here,” says Plus, with the growing economic This would progressively build good- officers, Colonel G.B. Malleson, writes rising marked the last gasp of the Age
feminist sociologist Nida Kirmani who crisis and as a signatory to various hu- will among the Afghan people, elimi- this about the Molvi, “The Molvi was a of Soldiers, kings and rajas. It marked
works on gender and urban marginal- man rights conventions, Pakistan must nate the danger of a two-front pincer very remarkable man. Of his capacity the onset of the Age of Merchants and
ity in Southasia and joined the Minor- align its laws with these international situation, and restore China’s confi- as a military leader, many proofs were Bankers. (Continued next week)
ity Rights March in Karachi. treaties in order to retain its GSP+ sta- dence in its preferred option of Paki- given during the revolt. No other man (The author is Director, World
The demonstrations also remind tus with the European Union, she says, stan being able to counter India’s hege- could boast that he has twice foiled Sir Organization for Resource Develop-
the authorities of their responsibility talking to Sapan News from Karachi. monic aspirations in South Asia. Colin Campbell (hero of the Crimean ment and Education, Washington,
to protect the rights of all citizens, she The status, reviewed annually, is up This could incentivize China to fi- War) in the field.” The Molvi was a DC; Director, American Institute
told Sapan News. for renewal this year. nancially and diplomatically support Shaikh of the Qadariya Sufi Order. He of Islamic History and Culture, CA;
Activists have long been calling for There was also the Supreme Court’s Pakistan’s much more welcome influ- arrived in Lucknow in 1856 and one of Member, State Knowledge Commis-
the state to hold the culprits account- landmark judgement of 2014 by Justice ence in Afghanistan and transform the first to preach a struggle against the sion, Bangalore; and Chairman, De-
able. Many demonstrated again in Ka- Tasadduq Jilani, taking suo motu notice the bilateral CPEC into a multilateral British, traveling far and wide, as did lixus Group)

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