Farhat Taj Archive
A plea for Bara IDPs — by Farhat Taj: The IDPs request the government to open vocational centres in the camp for training in employable skills like carpentry, masonry, welding, electrical wiring, plumbing, etc. The IDPs also request for vocational centres for income generation and skill development purposes
Mohmand IDPs: forced expulsion? — by Farhat Taj: The IDPs from Mohmand must not be forced to leave the camp. Let us not forget that the people of Mohmand Agency, like people from elsewhere in FATA, are paying the torturous price for the military establishment’s policy of
Pak-US dialogue: a Pakhtun perspective — by Farhat Taj: Basically, the jirga is saying that it does not trust the military establishment, which is leading the dialogue with the US. The military establishment will follow the policy of strategic depth in Afghanistan, which is the key cause of
Jinnah’s role in the Kashmir War — by Yasser Latif Hamdani: The Supreme Commander of both Indian and Pakistan forces Sir Claude Auchinleck followed Mounbatten’s policy and advised the C in C of Pakistan Army to openly defy orders of the Pakistan Governor General In his article ‘The 1947-48 Kashmir
Tribal warriors: a response to Farhat Taj – by Ishtiaq Ahmed: For me, ‘tribal’ is not synonymous with Pukhtun. All Pukhtuns are not tribals, even when most tribals are Pukhtuns. Within tribals, the awareness about badal or retaliation upon which Pukhtunwali is based keeps them under control in such situations,
Assaulting the Pakhtun culture: a rejoinder to Dr Ishtiaq Ahmed — by Farhat Taj: The Pakhtun culture is reflected in Ghaffar Khan’s non-violent movement, in the mysticism of Rahman Baba’s poetry and in the romanticism of Ghani Khan’s poetry. This is a society that produced hundreds of anti-Taliban lashkar leaders all over Pakhtunkhwa
Kamal Mehsud, the most famous singer of Waziristan: did the ISPR cheat him? — by Farhat Taj: Kamal Mehsud’s story is just one of the hundreds of stories of horror in Waziristan. The other stories are much more brutal and sinister in terms of the intelligence agencies’ collusion with the Taliban Kamal Mehsud was the most
Interpreting tribal leaders of FATA — by Farhat Taj: Anger against the Pakistan Army and the Taliban is intense and getting more intense with every passing day and so is disappointment with the government of Pakistan I am compiling a list of the tribal leaders of FATA who
The dauntless heroes of NWFP Police — by Farhat Taj: A police officer and bystanders remove an injured victim of a suicide car bomb in Peshawar. Photograph: A Majeed/AFP/Getty Images The public perceive the police as as much an innocent casualty as the innocent civilians in the state’s pursuit
Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s case and Pakistani media’s hysteria – by Farhat Taj: Caravans and howling of stray animals — Farhat Taj The media in Pakistan is constantly promoting a one-sided view of Dr Aafia’s case. Nobody is expecting 100 percent objectivity from the media. But still one is surprised how some
Zaid Hamid and strategic depth — by Farhat Taj: FATA continues to be used and abused as a strategic space by the security establishment of Pakistan in violent pursuit of strategic depth in Afghanistan. In short, strategic depth means Pakistan must have a pro-Pakistan government in Afghanistan by
Drone attacks and US reputation — by Farhat Taj: In terms of the drone attacks, the US must not make any distinction between al Qaeda and the Taliban. They both have internalised a global ideology that is anti-civilisation and anti-human There is news coming up in the media
Pakistan Army facing ‘friendly fire’ by the Taliban – by Farhat Taj: Dangerous abyss of perception The Pakistan Army is engaged in ‘friendly fire’ with the jihadi gangs in which the civilians, poor soldiers of the security forces, especially FC soldiers, policemen and foot soldiers of the Taliban are killed. This,
Pakhtun diaspora: irresponsible and insensitive — by Farhat Taj: Rich Arabs in the Middle East are ‘earning’ a place in paradise in the life hereafter through never ending generous donations to the Taliban and the madrassas producing foot soldiers and a jihadi mindset on the Pakhtun land. They
Slaughter on the volleyball field as Taliban wreak revenge on villagers: Police said the attack was possibly retaliation against residents who had set up a militia to expel Taliban fighters from the area Photo: BBC Here comes Taliban’s new year gift to the nation. Friends of Taliban (Ansar Abbasi, Shahid
The Pakhtun, the Taliban and Imran Khan — by Farhat Taj: Hate for the US is the problem of Imran Khan or his anti-Pakhtun allies. It is not the problem of the people of FATA. Their problem is occupation of their land by the international jihadi gangs. There are clear
Waziristan operation: "Name the names"; and the "mullah military alliance": Two great articles on the situation in Waziristan. The first article by Farhat Taj requests the educated people of Waziristan to give a strong rebuttal to disinformed writers in the west and in Pakistan. The second article (in Urdu)
Imperatives of the Waziristan operation: Monday, October 26, 2009Farhat Taj This is primarily in response to Roedad Khan’s piece of Oct 21 titled “Forgotten lessons of history.” Mr Khan has misrepresented the history and current realities of Waziristan. True, there was a resistance movement
SOS: Who will save the anti-Taliban Salarzai tribes from the Taliban? – Farhat Taj: The Mullah-Military Alliance seems to be very much alive and thriving in Pakistan. The Taliban and Salarzais Sunday, September 27, 2009 (The News) Farhat TajI was in Pakistan in August and had the opportunity to meet the leaders of
Asadullah Ghalib and Farhat Taj: In support of the jawans and officers of Pakistan Armed Forces fighting the Taliban terrorists…: Swat – a report from the frontline
Farhat Taj: The army finally gets it right: It was retaliation par excellence. A convoy of the Pakistan army was ambushed by Taliban terrorists in the Kanjo area in Swat. The convoy had intended to go to Mangora to reinforce the army units there. Several soldiers died
Farhat Taj: Life in Swat after the peace deal: On Feb 16 a peace agreement was signed between Sufi Mohammad, leader of the Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM) and the government of the NWFP with complete blessing of the PPP-led federal government. Sufi Mohammad reached Swat with a promise to convince
Target: terror secretariat in Miranshah – by Farhat Taj: The Taliban are a diverse mix of different groups, each led by its own leader, which support each other in militancy. Still, it is not uncommon to see two Taliban groups at cross-purposes with each other, and fighting. At
From Jamea Hafsa to Rahman Baba – by Farhat Taj: Attack on Pakhtun culture Tuesday, March 24, 2009 Farhat Taj In February this year someone circulated an email on one of the email lists I am a member of and was talking about the possibility of any attacks by
Farrhat Taj responds to Shireen Mazari: FATA: some more fantasies: FATA: some more fantasies Tuesday, February 24, 2009 Farhat Taj This is in response to articles by Shireen Mazari on these pages on Feb 4 and 11. She has written that the Iranians are upset over the presence of
"Lady Taliban" Dr. Shireen Mazari, the latest addition into Imran Khan’s pro-Taliban arsenal….: Farhat Taj writes: Fantasising about FATA Tuesday, February 17, 2009 Farhat Taj In her article on Jan 28 Shireen Mazari argues that the people of FATA support the militants because they see the Pakistani army as fighting America’s war. This is the
Taliban are not a unified group. It is an umbrella of sectarian terrorists, global jihadis and criminals.: Are they foreign agents…? Then, so must be the so called “shayukh-ul-Islam” who have sowed the very deep seeds of sectarian hatred and puritanism in our understanding and perspectives on Islam. Life in Orakzai Wednesday, February 11, 2009 Farhat
Dialogue with Taliban not an option – Farhat Taj: Dialogue with Taliban not an option Friday, February 06, 2009by Farhat Taj I wanted a reply to my email from Masooda Bano to have a better idea of her argument for dialogue with Taliban. She provided the idea through
Comparing Swat and the Hur uprising: "The real game is that Taliban are implementing a global Wahabi extremist agenda in Swat".: Comparing Swat and the Hur uprising Tuesday, February 03, 2009 Farhat Taj This is in response to Ayesha Ibrahim’s article of Jan 26 titled ‘Swat and the Hur uprising’. The people of Swat disagree with her comparison between the
Many people said that if the ISI was sincere with the Pakhtuns it must target-kill the entire Taliban leadership just like the Taliban did with elders: What Pakhtuns think Wednesday, January 28, 2009 Farhat Taj There are many Pakhtun who argue that some elite state intelligence agencies and the Taliban, as of Swat for example, are ‘natural allies’ and feed on each other. The Taliban
Swat: No point in talking to the Taliban… Obama, please bomb the Taliban headquarters in FATA since the Pakistani army is unwilling to do so.: No point in talking to the Taliban Friday, January 23, 2009 by Farhat Taj Some weeks ago I was with a family in the NWFP. The family had staying with them many relatives from a Taliban-occupied tribal area. I
Bajaur’s IDPs – stories of the silent victims of the Taliban brutalities….: Bajaur’s IDPs – our wretched of the earth Tuesday, January 20, 2009 Farhat Taj I spend a whole day with the internally displaced people, IDPs, from Bajaur in a camp near Peshawar. I went from tent to tent to
Pakistan army is failing to protect the Pakhtuns against the atrocities of the Taliban militants – Farhat Taj: The Pakhtun, the Taliban and ignorant outsidersThursday, January 15, 2009 Farhat Taj The Pakhtun are caught up in one of the most difficult times of their history. The Taliban are aggressively attacking their lives, livelihoods, culture and history. Pakistan
Objectifying the Pakhtun: The false fantasy of "Operation Lion Heart"; the Taliban and the dubious role of Pakistan Army….: Objectifying the PakhtunWednesday, December 31, 2008Farhat Taj Some people on the editorial pages of The News have have fantasies in which they objectify the Pakhtun. It is as if the Pakhtuns do not human needs, constraints and concerns but
What happened to Pir Samiullah’s body is a dangerous symbolism, to many people in Swat it was wilfully permitted by the Army: Hanging a dead pir Saturday, December 27, 2008 Farhat Taj Pir Samiullah of Swat was reportedly encouraged by the army stationed in Swat to raise a lashkar against
In Swat & other Pakhtun areas the Taliban, Al Qaeda have happily joined hands with those hardened criminals who share the loot of their crimes…: No class war in SwatThursday, December 18, 2008 (The News)Farhat Taj In his article, “Behind the Crisis in Swat” (The News, Nov 27), Sartaj Khan argues that the current religious militancy raging in Swat is a class war. He
Dr A Q Khan and the language of Al Qaeda – by Farhat Taj: Tuesday, November 25, 2008 Farhat Taj In his article on Nov 19, Dr A Q Khan wrote that “mercenaries of Gen Musharraf” killed children in the Lal Masjid operation. They were soldiers of the Pakistani army, not mercenaries. They
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