INDIA
PAKISTAN
NEPAL
BHUTAN
BANGLADESH
SRI LANKA
Terrorism Update
Latest
S.A.Overview
Publication
Show/Hide Search
 
    Click to Enlarge
   

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

    1. Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman, Editor-in-Chief, Jang Group of News, Lahore.

    2. Saleem Bukhari, Editor, The News, Lahore.

    3. Usman Yousuf, Chairman Editorial Committee, Jang, Lahore.

    4. 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.

  1. 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).

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. BRIEF OF CAREER

  6. 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.

  7. 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)

  8. 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.

  9. 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.

  10. 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.

  11. 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.

  12. 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.

  13. 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.

  14. 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.

  15. 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.

  16. 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.

  17. 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.

  18. 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
(Raja Jehanzeb Akhtar) Advocate
(Raja Nowsherwan Akhtar) Advocate
(Raja Yasir Akhtar) Advocate
(Raja Hashim Sabir) Advocate
(Muhammad Tahir Ch.) Advocate

 

(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.

 

 

 

 

 
Copyright © 2001 SATP. All rights reserved.