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Showing posts with label Corruption. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Corruption. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 09, 2012

How US compensated Russia

Published on Nov 10, 2012 by RussiaToday FULL STORY http://on.rt.com/v4hvop The Iraqi Defence Minister has denied that the country has cancelled a major arms deal with Russia. It's in response to the Prime Minister's spokesman who'd earlier said corruption concerns caused the scrapping of a deal sealed only a month ago, to sell Iraq more than 4-billion-dollars' worth of military hardware. RT talks to government and business consultant, Christoph R. Horstel. Iraq buys $4.2 billion in Russian weapons-document Tue, 9 Oct 2012 19:05 GMT Source: reuters // Reuters * Big boost for Russia as arms seller * U.S. State Department says not concerned by deal By Olesya Astakhova GORKI, Russia, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Russia announced on Tuesday it has signed $4.2 billion in arms deals with Iraq, making it the largest weapons supplier to the Middle East country after the United States. The deals, disclosed in a Russian government document issued at a meeting between Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, give Russia a big boost at a time when the future of its arms sales to Libya and Syria is uncertain. Iraq had been all but off limits for Russia's defence industry after the U.S.-led invasion of 2003 which ousted Saddam Hussein, one of Moscow's biggest weapons customers. President Vladimir Putin had vocally opposed the invasion and Moscow has struggled to claw back a share of the markets in energy, arms sales and infrastructure projects in Iraq. "After the fall of Saddam Hussein, it looked like the country was lost forever" as a Russian arms customer, said Ruslan Pukhov, director of the Russian security and defence think tank CAST. "This is absolutely sensational." The contracts will help Russia maintain its position as the world's second-biggest arms seller after the United States, Pukhov said. In Washington, the U.S. State Department signaled it was not overly concerned by the Russian deal. "Iraq overall has initiated some 467 foreign military sales cases with the United States. If all of these go forward, it will be worth over $12.3 billion, so obviously our own military support relationship with Iraq is very broad and very deep," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told a news briefing. The contracts were signed during visits to Russia by Iraq's acting defence chief in April, July and August, the document showed. It gave no further details and the state agency in charge of the weapons trade could not be immediately reached. The Russian newspaper Vedomosti reported late last month that contracts worth $4.3 billion were being agreed ahead of Maliki's visit. It said they included deals for 30 Mi-28NE combat helicopters and 42 Pantsir-S1 mobile rocket launchers. A spokesman for Russia's state-controlled arms exporter, Rosvooruzheniye, said it never discusses content of arms deals. The contracts comprised the third biggest package of deals for Russian arms sales since the 1991 Soviet collapse, after a $7.5 billion agreement with Algeria in 2006 and a $6 billion sale to Venezuela in 2009, CAST said. Russia delivered about $13.2 billion in weapons last year, said Konstantin Makiyenko, an expert at CAST. Pukhov said the Iraq deals showed the government there "is ready to pursue an independent foreign and defence policy", but that the United States could have tacitly supported them to appease Russia, which scrapped a deal to sell air-defence systems to Iran citing U.N. sanctions over Tehran's nuclear programme. Russian officials also have said Russia lost about $4 billion in arms deals with Libya because of the fall of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi, and the future of Russian sales to Syria is uncertain because of the conflict there. =========== UPDATE 3-Iraq scraps $4.2 bln Russian arms deal, cites graft Sat, Nov 10 15:35 PM EST * Maliki cancels arms deals over suspected corruption * Acting defence minister denies charges * Russian deals seen helping Iraq with US pressure By Suadad al-Salhy BAGHDAD, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Iraq said on Saturday it had cancelled a $4.2 billion deal to buy military jets, helicopters and missiles from Russia, citing possible corruption in the contract. In a confusing exchange, the announcement by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's office was immediately contradicted by the acting defence minister who denied the corruption charges and said the Russian arms deals were still valid. The arms agreements were a sensitive issue for Iraq. U.S. military hardware remains key for Iraq's armed forces, but the Russian deal had appeared to open a way for Maliki to push back against U.S. pressure by diversifying his arms suppliers. The Russian sale was agreed just as Washington warned Maliki, who is close to Shi'ite Iran, to curb Iranian flights ferrying weapons through Iraqi airspace to aid Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his fight against a revolt there. Maliki's media adviser Ali al-Moussawi said the decision to renegotiate the agreements was taken after the prime minister was informed about possible wrongdoing in the contract. "Our need for weapons still stands so we will renegotiate new contracts," Moussawi said. "This is a precautionary measure because of suspected corruption." But acting Defence Minister Sadoon al-Dulaimi, who negotiated with the Russians, dismissed the corruption charges and said the deals would go ahead. "We have not transferred even one dinar, there was no agent, no contract was signed. These were just technical and financial offers," he told reporters in Baghdad. Russian arms exporter Rosoboronexport declined to comment. Russia's Interfax news agency reported the Russian embassy in Iraq said it had not been informed the deal had been scrapped. The initial announcement about the deal itself was unusually released in a Russian government document issued to reporters during Maliki's visit to Moscow in October. The document said deals were signed with Iraq's acting defence minister in April, July and August. Russia's daily Kommersant said the contract envisaged the delivery of surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery weapon systems, MiG-29M/M2 aircraft as well as armoured vehicles and attack helicopters. NO. 2 IN IRAQ The deals would have made Russia the second largest military supplier to Iraq after the United States, which has sold Baghdad billions of dollars in arms including F-16 fighters and tanks since the 2003 invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein. But the Russian agreements fit into the wider context of Maliki's juggling interests over the war against Syria's Assad. Iran and Russia support Assad, while the rebels fighting him are backed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Western powers. Maliki relies on the United States for military aid, but also depends on Iranian influence at home to keep control over Shi'ite allies in his fragile cross-sectarian government of Shi'ites, Sunnis and Kurds. "One should not rule out pressure from the United States, which certainly does not want to let the Iraqi government - a buyer of American arms or arms from suppliers that are U.S. allies - out of its zone of control," said Ivan Konovalov, a military expert in Moscow. News of the cancellation also came at a time when Russia has been entangled in a series of corruption scandals involving its defence ministry and its space ministry. On Friday, President Vladimir Putin fired the chief of his military staff, days after sacking the defence minister over a corruption and sleaze scandal. [ID: nL5E8M97F1] Iraq had been off limits to Russian defence contracts after the U.S.-led invasion that overthrew Saddam Hussein. The Sunni dictator had been one of the biggest customers for Russian arms. ===== Iraq denies cancelling $4.2 bln arms deal with Russia over 'corruption concerns' Get short URL email story to a friendprint version Published: 10 November, 2012, 14:41 Edited: 11 November, 2012, 00:12 TAGS: Arms, Military, Russia, Iraq, Corruption, Sean Thomas, Lucy Kafanov Russia's Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev (L) shakes with his Iraq's counterpart Nouri Al-Maliki during meeting in the Gorki residence outside Moscow, on October 9, 2012 (AFP Photo / RIA Novosti / Pool / Yekaterina Shtukina) (21.9Mb) embed video Iraqi Prime Minister's spokesperson Ali Mussawi told RT that the deal hasn't been cancelled, it is simply under review. He also confirmed it was because of earlier allegations of corruption from the Iraqi side. Iraqi Defense Minister Saadun al-Dulaimi also confirmed that there was no cancellation of the agreement. "The deal is going ahead," he said. Earlier, media reports claimed the deal – which would have made Russia Iraq’s second-biggest arms supplier after the United States – was cancelled.
“When Maliki returned from his trip to Russia, he had some suspicions of corruption, so he decided to review the whole deal. … There is an investigation going on, on this,”Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's spokesperson Ali Mussawi said.
The deal – which was signed by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Maliki in October – will either be go through or be cancelled only after the Iraqi anti-corruption committee presents it findings. Officials in Moscow have not yet commented on the matter. The Russian embassy in Baghdad said it has not received word from the Foreign Ministry, and was not informed about the cancellation by Iraqi officials. The sale was signed by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Maliki in October, and would have made Russia Iraq’s second-biggest arms supplier after the United States. The deal is one of the largest in both the modern history of Russia and for postwar Iraq. Experts speculated that the package likely would have included shipments of aircraft, helicopters, armored vehicles and air defense weapons. Though the details of the deal were kept secret, military analysts believe it was competitive enough to spark concerns in Washington, the primary arms dealer for Iraq. Military experts speculated that the deal may be cancelled due to pressure from Washington, and may result in punitive sanctions.
Director of the Center for Analysis of World Arms Trade Igor Korotchenko told RIA-Novosti news agency that if the deal does get axed, it would be an unprecedented event in the history of Russia's arms trade “Self-respecting states and governments don’t act this way,” Korotchenko said. RIA-Novosti also quoted an unnamed arms expert who warned that Iraq may incur harsh sanctions for the move: “If the deals were drawn up in a proper way from the legal point of view, the Iraqi side may suffer multi-million dollar losses by paying off punitive fees.” The expert went on to add that statements about suspected corruption have never been a legitimate basis for the annulment of contracts, especially in military-technical cooperation.
=== متحدث:العراق يلغي صفقة اسلحة مع روسيا قيمتها 4.2 مليار دولار Sat Nov 10, 2012 12:02pm GMT اطبع هذا الموضوع[-] نص [+] 1 / 1تكبير للحجم الكاملبغداد (رويترز) - قال متحدث باسم رئيس الوزراء العراقي نوري المالكي يوم السبت ان العراق ألغى صفقة أسلحة قيمتها 4.2 مليار دولار مع روسيا للاشتباه في فساد لكنه يعتزم اعادة التفاوض بشأنها. وهذه الصفقة كانت ستجعل روسيا ثاني أكبر ممول للسلاح للعراق بعد الولايات المتحدة التي باعت لبغداد اسلحة قيمتها مليارات الدولارات منها طائرات مقاتلة اف 16 ودبابات منذ الغزو الامريكي للعراق عام 2003 . وقال علي الموسوي المستشار الاعلامي لرئيس الوزراء ان حاجة العراق للسلاح مازالت قائمة ولذلك سيتم التفاوض على ابرام عقود جديدة. وصرح بأن العراق اتخذ هذا القرار كخطوة احترازية بسبب وجود شبهات فساد. ولا يملك العراق سلاحا جويا حقيقيا منذ سقوط الرئيس الراحل صدام حسين وهو بحاجة ماسة للطائرات للدفاع عن حدوده ومجاله الجوي. وقالت صحيفة فيدوموستي الروسية في وقت سابق من العام ان الاتفاقات الروسية تشمل 30 طائرة هليكوبتر قتالية طراز ام.اي-28 ان.إي و42 قاذفة صواريخ متنقلة. ================= الدباغ: أطالب المالكي بالتحقيق بصفقة السلاح الروسية وتبرئة اسمي منها المحرر: NQ السبت 10 ت2 2012 12:48 GMT المتحدث الرسمي باسم الحكومة علي الدباغ السومرية نيوز/ بغداد طالب المتحدث باسم الحكومة العراقية علي الدباغ، الاحد، رئيس الوزراء نوري المالكي بإجراء تحقيق شامل بصفقة السلاح الروسية وتبرئة اسمه المتداول "ظلما". وقال الدباغ في حديث لـ"السومرية نيوز"، "اطالب رئيس الوزراء نوري المالكي بإجراء تحقيق شامل في ملابسات صفقة السلاح مع روسيا ونشر النتائج، تبرئة لاسمي الذي تم تداوله ظلما وكيدا". وكان عضو لجنة الأمن والدفاع البرلمانية حاكم الزاملي، كشف في حديث لـ"السومرية نيوز"، أمس الجمعة، عن إلغاء الحكومة العراقية صفقة شراء الأسلحة الروسية لوجود شبهة فساد فيها، مؤكدا تشكيل لجنة جديدة للتفاوض غير التي أٌرسلت الى روسيا سابقا، فيما أشار إلى أن مبلغ الفساد في الصفقة "ضخم جدا". وتناولت عدد من وسائل الإعلام المحلية، اليوم السبت (10 تشرين الثاني 2012) خبراً أكدت فيه "تورط" عدد من المسؤولين العراقيين بصفقة السلاح الروسية بينهم المتحدث باسم الحكومة العراقية علي الدباغ. وكان رئيس لجنة الأمن والدفاع البرلمانية حسن السنيد قد دافع، في (13 تشرين الاول 2012)، عن عقود التسليح التي وقعها رئيس الحكومة نوري المالكي مع روسيا وتشيكيا، مؤكدا أن الأسلحة التي سيتم استيرادها دفاعية وليست هجومية، كما اشار حينها إلى أن وفدا عراقيا سيزور البلدين بعد أسبوعين للتوقيع على الصيغ النهائية لتلك العقود. وأعلنت روسيا، في (9 تشرين الأول 2012)، أنها وقعت صفقات لبيع أسلحة بقيمة 4.2 مليار دولار مع العراق لتصبح أكبر مورد سلاح له بعد الولايات المتحدة، فيما ذكرت صحيفة فيدوموستي الروسية أن صفقة الأسلحة البالغة قيمتها 4.2 مليار دولار ويجري التفاوض حولها تشمل طائرات ميغ 29 و30 مروحية هجومية من طراز مي-28، و42 بانتسير-اس1 وهي أنظمة صواريخ ارض-جو. وأنهى رئيس الحكومة نوري المالكي، في (12 تشرين الأول 2012)، زيارته الرسمية التي شملت روسيا وتشيكيا والتي أثارت ردود فعل متباينة من قبل الكرد حيث أبدى التحالف الكردستاني، في (13 تشرين الأول 2012)، قلقه بشأن صفقات التسليح التي عقدتها الحكومة العراقية مع روسيا وتشيكيا، داعيا إلى توضيح آليات تلك الصفقات، فيما طالب بعدم استثناء قوات البيشمركة منها. وتسعى الحكومة العراقية إلى تسليح الجيش العراقي بجميع صنوفه، حيث تعاقدت مع عدد من الدول العالمية المصنعة للأسلحة المتطورة منها الولايات المتحدة الأميركية لغرض تجهيز الجيش من مدرعات ودبابات مطورة وطائرات مروحية وحربية منها الـF16 والتي أعلن مكتب القائد العام للقوات المسلحة نوري المالكي، في (13 أيار 2012)، أن العراق سيتسلم الدفعة الأولى منها عام 2014. =========== Kurdistan Rejects Maliki’s Demand For Control of Kurdish Peshmerga Forces 8.11.2012 By Bassem Francis and Mohammad al-Tamimi. Al-Hayat (Pan Arab). More Sharing Services Share | Share on facebook Share on myspace Share on google Share on twitter Kurdish Peshmerga troops prepare 122-mm howitzers during a deployment in the area near the northern Iraqi border with Syria, which lies in an area disputed by Baghdad and the Kurdish region of Ninawa province, August 6, 2012. Photo: Reuters/Azad Lashkari. • See Related Articles November 8, 2012 ERBIL-Hewlêr, Kurdistan region 'Iraq',— A senior official at the Ministry of Peshmerga in Iraq’s Kurdistan region has called the demand of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to place the Peshmerga forces under the jurisdiction of the federal government an “illusion.” He vowed to make an official response in the next week to the accusations by Maliki. Meanwhile, a Kurdish lawmaker accused the prime minister of obstructing the ongoing negotiations between Baghdad and Erbil. In an interview with Al Sumaria TV on Monday evening [Nov. 5], Maliki declared his willingness to release funding for the Peshmerga forces if they place themselves under the jurisdiction of the federal authorities, since the constitution prohibits the financing of the Peshmerga, which fall under the jurisdiction of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). He accused the KRG of “violating the constitution by controlling the weapons left behind by the former Iraqi army, including tanks, artillery and rocket launchers, while the other federal [entities] are getting armed with light weapons.” He revealed that he has “evidence supported by figures and copies [of transactions] belonging to the persons who [sign] contracts and buy weapons in the region.” Maliki described the objections to the formation of the Tigris Operations Command as “unconstitutional, because the federal army has the right to have a presence in Basra or Zakho, and no one has the right to prevent it constitutionally. There are implicit intentions and a lack of desire for the federal authority to have control or a presence.” He said that the army “is more [entitled] than the Turkish troops to have a presence [in Iraq’s Kurdish region].” He wondered about “the reasons behind the silence over the continued presence of Turkish troops in the al-Amadiyah and Bamarni bases since 1995 until today, while these bases are equipped with tanks, armored vehicles and aircraft, and convoys enter and exit them amid complete silence.” He warned the Peshmerga against “committing a mistake by attacking the Iraqi army.” Spokesman for the Ministry of Peshmerga Lt. Gen. Jabbar Yawar told Al-Hayat that the ministry “will hold a press conference next week to provide clarifications on Maliki’s recent statements.” Deputy Minister of Peshmerga Anwar Haji Osman told Nawkho news agency, which is affiliated with the KRG Ministry of Interior, that “demanding placing the Peshmerga under the control of the Iraqi army is an illusion and pure fantasy.” The Iraqi government has refused to include the Peshmerga budget in the 2013 federal budget considering that it is not part of the Iraqi defense system. This happened despite the negotiations conducted by two Kurdish delegations — one partisan and the other governmental — with the Maliki government last month. Chuan Mohammad Taha, a member of the Security and Defense Committee in the Iraqi parliament representing the Kurdistan Alliance, told Al-Hayat that “the negotiation phase requires wisdom and avoiding escalation. Unfortunately, Maliki's remarks are seen as escalatory with the aim of obstructing the negotiations.” He added: “As for the deployment of the Iraqi army, it is normal provided that the army’s loyalty is to the nation, not a person or particular faction. We have remarks on the mentality of managing the defense system in light of the loss of balance within the army and involving it in the political conflicts.” With regard to the Turkish military presence in the region, Taha said that “this presence is inherited according to an agreement between Ankara and the former regime,www.ekurd.net but what surprises us is why they are raising the issue now and did not discuss it with the Turkish officials during their visits to Baghdad.” He noted that the Peshmerga forces “possess old weapons, and the Iraqi government is evading the responsibility of arming these forces, which have the right [to armament] according to a constitutional article. We seek to include the Peshmerga in the defense system in terms of armament, rehabilitation and management, but have it under the command of the General Commander of Armed Forces and the Kurdistan region’s presidency.” Nawshirwan Mustafa, leader of the Kurdish opposition Movement for Change, said that the objective of his visit to the province of Kirkuk Tuesday [Nov. 6] was to support the decisions of the local government. He called for distancing the military from political disputes. Mustafa said in a press conference that his movement supports the province of Kirkuk, its management and components through their representatives in the Iraqi parliament and the Iraqi Kurdistan parliament. Kirkuk Governor Najmaldin Omar Karim reiterated his opposition to the “formation of the Tigris Operations Command” in Kirkuk as a result of Maliki’s accusation to him that he breached the constitution. The local administration announced its refusal to cooperate with the Tigris Operations Command following the prime minister's decision to assign to it the security files in the provinces of Kirkuk, Diyala and Salahuddin. Also, the Ministry of Peshmerga threatened to confront it if it enters the Kurdistan region. Kirkuk is witnessing political and ethnic differences as a result of the Kurds’ demand for the implementation of Article 140 of the constitution, which calls for the provision of financial compensation to the Arabs who were recruited in the 1980s, returning the expelled Kurds after providing them with financial compensation and holding a referendum on appending Kirkuk to the Kurdistan region in the future. Translated from Al-Hayat (Pan Arab). al-monitor.com Copyright ©, respective author or news agency, al-monitor.com | alhayat.com Kurdistan, Iraq ============== Dabbagh and al-Dulaimi and the grandson of Badri and Lebanese broker involved in the Russian arms deal corruption and abolish monarchy and form a committee to negotiate a new 10 تشرين الثاني (نوفمبر) 2012 November 10 (November 2012) وبعد تحقيقات سريعة في موسكو اكتشف المالكي أن "الاخصائي بالمرجعية" والناطق بأسم مجلس الوزراء علي الدباغ، بالإضافة إلى "ابو الوزارتين" وزير الدفاع ووزير الثقافة سعدون الدليمي والمستشار في رئاسة الجمهورية عبد العزيز البدري (نجل رجل الدين السني الذي اعدمه صدام عبد العزيز البدري) فضلا عن سمسار لبناني مقرب من "حزب الله" هو حسن فياض ، هم من رتبوا أمر النسبة التي تبلغ أكثر من 200 مليون دولار. After prompt in Moscow discovered Maliki that "specialist points of reference", the spokesman for the Council of Ministers Ali al-Dabbagh, in addition to the "Abu ministries" Minister of Defense and Minister of Culture Saadoun al-Dulaimi and adviser in the Presidency Abdul Aziz al-Badri (son of the Sunni cleric executed by Saddam Abdel Aziz al-Badri) as well as a broker to close to the Lebanese "Party of God" is Hassan Fayad, are arranged is the percentage of more than $ 200 million. فيما وصفت لجنة النزاهة في مجلس النواب، صفقة السلاح العراقية الروسية بـ"المشبوهة"، مطالبة رئيس الحكومة نوري المالكي بإيقافها، وإعادة التفاوض بشأنها من خلال لجنة يتم اختيارها بدقة، ابلغت مصادر مطلعة على الصفقة، ان الرئيس الروسي بوتين فاجئ المالكي أثناء المفاوضات وهو يشير له بأن حصته البالغة 5 % مضمونة، فما كان من المالكي إلا التساؤل عن ذلك... As described Integrity Committee in the House of Representatives, arms deal Iraqi Russian as "suspicious", demanding Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki halted, and renegotiated through a committee to be selected carefully, informed sources familiar with the deal, Russian President Putin surprised Maliki during the negotiations which indicates him that its 5% stake guaranteed, what was the Maliki only wonder about that ... ويضيف المصدر بأن بوتين قال للمالكي أثناء اللقاء أن مسؤولاً كبيراً في الوفد العراقي هو من رتب كل شيء بخصوص نسبة (عمولة) المالكي وفريقه. The source adds that Putin said the owners during the meeting that a senior official in the Iraqi delegation is arranged everything on the proportion of (commission) al-Maliki and his team. وبعد تحقيقات سريعة في موسكو اكتشف المالكي أن "الاخصائي بالمرجعية" والناطق بأسم مجلس الوزراء علي الدباغ، بالإضافة إلى "ابو الوزارتين" وزير الدفاع ووزير الثقافة سعدون الدليمي والمستشار في رئاسة الجمهورية عبد العزيز البدري (نجل رجل الدين السني الذي اعدمه صدام عبد العزيز البدري) فضلا عن سمسار لبناني مقرب من "حزب الله" هو حسن فياض ، هم من رتبوا أمر النسبة التي تبلغ أكثر من 200 مليون دولار. After prompt in Moscow discovered Maliki that "specialist points of reference", the spokesman for the Council of Ministers Ali al-Dabbagh, in addition to the "Abu ministries" Minister of Defense and Minister of Culture Saadoun al-Dulaimi and adviser in the Presidency Abdul Aziz al-Badri (son of the Sunni cleric executed by Saddam Abdel Aziz al-Badri) as well as a broker to close to the Lebanese "Party of God" is Hassan Fayad, are arranged is the percentage of more than $ 200 million. اللافت في الموضوع هو اقدام الرئيس الروسي على إقالة وزير دفاعه أناتولي سيرديوكوف "على خلفية فضيحة احتيال بعدة ملايين من اليورو تورطت فيها شركة تابعة لوزارة الدفاع"، دون ذكر المزيد من التفاصيل في موسكو. Interesting topic is the feet of Russian President sacked his defense minister Anatoly Serdyukov "against the backdrop of a fraud scandal multimillion euro involving a subsidiary of the Ministry of Defense", without giving further details in Moscow. ويربط مراقبون بين قرار الإقالة هذا وخفايا صفقة الأسلحة العراقية التي كثرت التحليلات بشأنها. Observers links between the decision to dismiss this Khvaya Iraqi arms deal that abounded analyzes them. ساحات التحرير Liberation squares ................................................. ................................................. كشف عضو في لجنة الأمن والدفاع البرلمانية، الجمعة، عن إلغاء الحكومة العراقية صفقة شراء الأسلحة الروسية، مؤكدا تشكيل لجنة جديدة للتفاوض غير التي أٌرسلت الى روسيا سابقا، فيما أشار إلى أن مبلغ الفساد في الصفقة "ضخم جدا". A member of the Commission on Security and Defense parliamentary Friday, the cancellation of the Iraqi government deal to buy Russian weapons, confirming the formation of a new committee to negotiate is sent to Russia earlier, as pointed out that the amount of corruption in the deal "very large." وقال حاكم الزاملي في حديث لـ"السومرية نيوز"، إن "الحكومة ورئيس الوزراء بينوا أن صفقة شراء الاسلحة الروسية فيها شبهة واضحة وفساد يصل الى 195 مليون دولار"، مبينا أن "رئاسة الوزراء ألغت هذه الصفقة وتم تشكيل لجنة جديدة للتفاوض غير التي أُرسلت الى روسيا سابقاً". The governor said Zamili said in an interview for "Alsumaria News", "The government and the Prime Minister indicated that the purchase of Russian arms where suspicion and clear and corruption up to $ 195 million," noting that "the prime minister canceled the deal was formed a new committee to negotiate is sent to Russia previously. " وأضاف الزاملي وهو نائب عن كتلة الاحرار أن "زيارة رئيس الوزراء الى روسيا سبقتها زيارات متكررة لبعض المسؤولين"، مشيرا إلى أن "هناك وسطاء وبعض العلاقات الجانبية والتدخلات التي أثارت حفيظة الجميع". He Zamili, a deputy from the Liberal bloc that "Prime Minister's visit to Russia was preceded by frequent visits to some officials," adding that "there are brokers and some side relationships and interventions, which raised the ire of everyone." وأوضح عضو لجنة الأمن والدفاع أن "مبلغ الفساد في الصفقة ضخم جدا وهناك تورط لبعض الأشخاص"، لافتا إلى أن "الصفقة تم رفضها من قبل الكثير من أعضاء لجنة الأمن والدفاع النيابية الذين تيقنوا من وجود فساد فيها". The member of the Security and Defense Committee that "the amount of corruption in the deal so huge and there's involvement to some people," pointing out that "the deal was rejected by many members of the Commission on Security and Defense parliamentary who are certain about the existence of corruption in it." واعتبر الزاملي أن "الجيش العراقي يحتاج الى التسليح و التدريب لوجود أخطار واستهداف للعراق"، مبديا رفضه أن "تكون اغلب الأموال التي تخصص للتسليح تذهب الى جيوب المفسدين". Zamili considered that "the Iraqi army needs to arming and training of the existence of the dangers and the targeting of Iraq," expressing his refusal to "most of the funds that are allocated to the arm goes into the pockets of the corrupt." وكان رئيس لجنة الأمن والدفاع البرلمانية حسن السنيد قد دافع، في (13 تشرين الاول 2012)، عن عقود التسليح التي وقعها رئيس الحكومة نوري المالكي مع روسيا وتشيكيا، وفي حين طمئنا أن الأسلحة التي سيتم استيرادها دفاعية وليست هجومية، أكد أن وفدا عراقيا سيزور البلدين بعد أسبوعين للتوقيع على الصيغ النهائية لتلك العقود. The Chairman of the Commission on Security and Defense parliamentary Hassan Sinead has defended, in the (October 13, 2012), for armament contracts signed by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki with Russia and the Czech Republic, while Tmina that the weapons will be imported defensive rather than offensive, confirmed that an Iraqi delegation will visit the two countries Two weeks after the signing of the final versions of those contracts. وأعلن عضو اللجنة حاكم الزاملي، في (20 تشرين الأول 2012)، عن قرب تشكيلها لجنة لمتابعة عقود التسليح التي أبرمتها الحكومة العراقية مؤخرا، مشيرة إلى أن تشكيل اللجنة يأتي استجابة لدعوة زعيم التيار الصدري مقتدى الصدر وللكثير من المطالبات الأخرى. Committee member announced of quitting, (20 October 2012), closely formed a committee to follow up the armament contracts concluded by the Iraqi government recently, noting that the formation of the committee comes in response to a call cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and many of the other claims. وأعلنت روسيا، في (9 تشرين الأول 2012)، أنها وقعت صفقات لبيع أسلحة بقيمة 4.2 مليار دولار مع العراق لتصبح أكبر مورد سلاح له بعد الولايات المتحدة، فيما ذكرت صحيفة فيدوموستي الروسية أن صفقة الأسلحة البالغة قيمتها 4.2 مليار دولار ويجري التفاوض حولها تشمل طائرات ميغ 29 و30 مروحية هجومية من طراز مي-28، و42 بانتسير-اس1 وهي أنظمة صواريخ ارض-جو. Russia announced, in (9 October 2012), it has signed deals to sell weapons worth $ 4.2 billion with Iraq to become the largest arms supplier to him after the United States, as reported Vedomosti, Russian arms deal valued at $ 4.2 billion and is being negotiated include MiGs 29 and 30 attack helicopter Mi -28, and 42 Pantsir - S 1, a missile systems - atmosphere. =============== Washington offers deploying its troop in the disputed areas Sunday, 18 November 2012 09:49 Shafaq News /An informed Kurdish source said on Sunday, that Washington entered on crisis line after forming Dijla forces between Baghdad and Erbil to end it, while offered to re-deploy the U.S. troops in the disputed areas and considered the armed clash with Peshmarga troops as a “red line." The source said in remarks quoted by a Kuwaiti newspaper, and briefed by "Shafaq News", that" U.S. diplomats in Baghdad have begun contacts and meetings with the two parties, (Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki )and (Kurdistan Region’s President Massoud Barzani) to end the problem and reach a joint agreement to manage the disputed areas. " "One of the submitted solutions is to re-deploy the U.S. forces in the disputed areas to ensure there are no clashes between the army and between the Kurdish Peshmarga", adding that "al-Maliki rejected this proposal." He added that "Washington does not oppose to re-deploy its military forces in the region if the disputes parties wanted that," stressing that "U.S. Vice President , Joe Biden responsible of the Iraqi file is excited for this step because the U.S. administration will not allow the outbreak of any fighting between Baghdad forces and Erbil forces on the basis that any development represents a severe strike to the United States, which supported the political process in Iraq for nearly ten years. " The source pointed out that "Biden told Maliki that the armed clash with Kurdish Peshmarga is a red line", warning that "U.S. forces will intervene in the event of the outbreak of fighting in Kirkuk and any other area." "The U.S. National Security Chancellery is convinced that the movements of al-Maliki to impose his military control on Kurdistan is due to the Iranian and Syrian regimes," adding that "moving in this period under the name of Dijla Operations Command established by Iraqi Prime Minister aims to undermine the Turkish influence and countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council’s influence, which has grown dramatically in Kurdistan Region recently . " The disputed areas between Erbil and Baghdad witnessed major security tensions after the government announced the formation of Dijla Operations Command, which has subjected the army and police forces in Kirkuk, Diyala and Salahuddin provinces and Erbil’s rejection of these forces because no one discussed the matter with it when it was formed. The armed clash occurred between the guards of one of the headquarters of Kurdish parties in Tuz Khurmatu district in Salahuddin province and a force of the federal police on Friday, killing one civilian and wounding ten policemen. http://www.shafaaq.com/en/news/4093-washington-offers-deploying-its-troop-in-the-disputed-areas-.html

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Who is behind murder of Khalid Shahanshah?

A Pakistani guard stands alert outside a local hospital where Khalid Shahenshah a bodyguard of slain former Prime Minister Benaz Pictures & Photos


Switch to thumbnailSwitch to thumbnailA Pakistani guard stands alert outside a local hospital where Khalid Shahenshah a bodyguard of slain former Prime Minister Benaz
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Asif’s chief security officer gunned down in Karachi



By Tahir Siddiqui


KARACHI, July 22: Khalid Shahanshah, the chief security officer of PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari, was assassinated on Tuesday afternoon outside his Clifton residence, police and witnesses said.

They said that gunmen on a white car sprayed him with a volley of bullets while he was stepping off his double-cabin vehicle in front of his house at Khyaban-i-Bukhari.

Darakhshan police said the 45-year-old PPP leader, who was stated to have been instrumental in the recent operation against gangsters in Lyari, reached his house along with a friend at about 2.45pm.

Mr Shahanshah parked his vehicle outside his bungalow as the gate of his porch was being repaired, while his friend, Manzar Abbas, went inside.

The victim’s friend, a businessman, told police that he went inside the house and Shahanshah was parking the vehicle. He said he stayed back when he heard the sound of gunfire.

A private security guard at the PPP leader’s house rushed out, only to find Mr Shahanshah lying in a pool of blood near the main entrance. He told Dawn that Mr Shahanshah managed to call the police from his mobile phone, although he was critically wounded.

The fatally wounded victim, father of two, was immediately taken to a nearby campus of the Ziauddin Medical University Hospital, but he died.

Hospital sources said the slain PPP leader had received at least five bullets, three of them in his upper torso, from a very close range.

Party leaders, including Rashid Rabbani and Waqar Mehdi, immediately reached the hospital.

Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza, who also rushed to the hospital, described the incident as another attempt to destabilise the government.

Police said that 18 empties of sub-machine gun and a dozen of .222 rifles were recovered from the scene.

SHO Inspector Khalid Mehboob said there was no eyewitness to the killing. “The private security guard could not see the faces of the occupants of the car that sped away after the swift operation,” he added.

The Darakhshan police chief said it was clearly a case of target killing. “But nothing could be said about the motive behind the incident at the moment,” he added.

The car used by the assailants was found abandoned in the evening in Defence Society.

Police sources said the attackers had fired from inside the car. They said that at least five shots had been fired from behind the windscreen of the car. Police also found empties in the car.

The sources said the car bore a fake provincial government registration number (GS-3909).

A case was registered against unknown assailants on the complaint of the victim’s younger brother, Haider Ali.

Shahanshah was once said to have links with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. Other two associates of Dawood were Shoaib Khan and Ibrahim alias Bholu. The former died in mysterious circumstances in Karachi’s Central Jail and the latter was kidnapped and killed.

Shahanshah was also a close associate of the slain chief of PPP’s student wing, Najeeb Ahmed.

Shahanshah contested the 2002 election for a National Assembly seat from the Azizabad constituency on a PPP ticket. He went abroad for some time and returned with Benazir Bhutto on Oct 18 last year. He was also with Ms Bhutto when she was assassinated on Dec 27.

He was interviewed by the Scotland Yard team which visited Pakistan to investigate the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.

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Khalid Shahinshah, key suspect in BB’s murder assassinated in Karachi
Posted by Teeth Maestro
July 23, 2008

Khalid Shahinshah signaling someone before BB assassinationA key witness of a Bhutto assassination has been shot dead in Karachi yesterday on Khy-e-Bhukahri.

DAWN: Khalid Shahanshah, the chief security officer of PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari, was assassinated on Tuesday afternoon outside his Clifton residence, police and witnesses said. They said that gunmen on a white car sprayed him with a volley of bullets while he was stepping off his double-cabin vehicle in front of his house at Khyaban-i-Bukhari.

If many may recall a video surfaced after Benazir Bhutto assassination in Islamabad which showed Khalid Shahinshah suspiciously signaling to some one in the crowd.

Khalid Shahinshah, who was hired by Bhutto on the recommendation of her security advisor Rahman Malik, has been on the run ever since footage emerged of the strange gestures he had made while standing on the dais next to Bhutto while she addressed an election rally.

Shahinshah was standing on Bhutto’s left during her speech and ran a finger across his throat which implied slitting the throat. Security officials have expressed concern at his “suspicious gestures” which could not be ignored.

It seems as this is a Deja Vu of Murtaza Bhutto’s assassination when two on the key witnesses, SHO Haq Nawaz mysteriously died of self-inflicted wounds and Inspector Zeeshan Kazmi killed a few months later. Whilst we can recall that One must also remember that all the key players involved in Murtaza Bhutto’s assassination have been highly compensated starting off with, Shoaib Suddle who was deputy inspector-general (DIG) of Karachi at the time of the killing; is now IG Sindh

Wajid Durrani, alleged to be the coordinator of the Murtaza Bhutto’s assassination, was the senior superintendent of police (SSP) District South, Karachi, at the time of the killing. Mr Durrani, was promoted to additional deputy inspector-general (ADIG). Rai Tahir, who stopped the car and allegedly gave the signal to fire, was the assistant superintendent of police (ASP) in Clifton in 1996. He was promoted to district police officer (DPO) and moved to the Punjab

Shahid Hayat was another ASP from the Saddar district. He was promoted to ADIG, then DPO Thatta, and is now prowling Jinnah airport as the Deputy Director of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and very recently Dogar court compensated him for his lost wages during the few months of inactivity while Agha Jamil the station house officer (SHO) of the Napier police station in Karachi and was later promoted to work under his old comrade at the traffic department as a deputy superintendent (DSP).

With all this as a historical perspective in the background one does try to find a common denominator and in both cases it seems to have Asif Ali Zardari intrinsically involved in both Bhutto assassinations and quite mysteriously both key murders ended up inconclusive and all witnesses escaped investigation Even the 27th Dec assassination of Benazir Bhutto is remains a mystery with only Zardari being the key beneficiary to her assassination.


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Comments
Comment by Barrister Ali K.Chishti on July 23, 2008 @ 3:29 pm

Awab,

I- I knew Khalid from London and if you knew him – he was a man of integrity and nothing more.
II- His acts on the stage were his normal as he was often called, a joker and Mr. Bean.
III- It’s not necessary the beneficiary of one incident which are chief/prime suspects but people who benefited indirectly – that could be N.S that could be a lot of other people. But lets not go into ‘ifs’ & ‘buts’

Kindly, honor the dead!!! Please…
Comment by Zafar Iqbal on July 23, 2008 @ 6:00 pm

I agree with Awab, we had seen a lot of mysterious things happening so far. And all these incidents mentioned by him are not just co-incidents. They are facts, and if I see at this as a murder investigator then I will point a finger first of all at the beneficiaries of that murder. So we should not ignore these things.
Comment by Imran on July 23, 2008 @ 6:10 pm

That does NOT look like a face of killer or conspirator, innocent always die in Pakistan, while guilty live like kings.
Comment by Imtiaz on July 23, 2008 @ 6:15 pm

The killing of any human being is really a very brutal act. We all condemn the killing of any Muslim, any Pakistani, and any Human Being.

May Allah give him place in the heavens.

Well as for as link to the Benazir killing is concerned there may be some chances as wrote by Awab but there could be chances the people who are actually involved in Benazir killing have also killed him to divert the investigations in Benazir case.

God Know Better
Comment by Aflatoon on July 23, 2008 @ 6:27 pm

Naaa, his gestures don’t mean any thing.

Looks like he went down to allow a cameraman to take a good snap of BB. He doesn’t have any signs of nervousness on his face.

PPP blamed it on MQM (implicitly).

Usually in parties like PPP and MQM, insiders are killed because :

1) Opposition to the leadership or
2) One group wanting to get closer to the leadership may kill another group who is already closer to the leadership.

Moral of the story: Its bloody Politics in Pakistan, only the Harami-est win.
Comment by Aflatoon on July 24, 2008 @ 12:20 am

Insider JOB

Read this at DAWN….

KARACHI, July 22:…..

Darakhshan police said the 45-year-old PPP leader, who was stated to have been instrumental in the recent operation against gangsters in Lyari, reached his house along with a friend at about 2.45pm.

Mr Shahanshah parked his vehicle outside his bungalow as the gate of his porch was being repaired, while his friend, Manzar Abbas, went inside.

Wow what kind of friendship was that? the host was outside parking his car and the guest was already in the house Looks like the guest knew whats going to happen to the host…..
Comment by Aflatoon on July 24, 2008 @ 12:21 am

http://www.dawn.com/2008/07/23/top1.htm
Comment by dr razahaider on July 24, 2008 @ 2:19 am

@barrister chisti

This is very astonishing that a joker, well known, as per chisti version, Mr. Bean, was appointed a chief security officer.

It seems very easy to become barrister if you have few bucks’ .Just get admission in some school in Pakistan, stay there for few months, go to England for 9 month or so get the diploma from there and become a barrister after few dinners.

But I don’t think such qualification bought through in lieu of bucks can create essence as an advocate and quality as trait to perceive and interpret things which can easily be assessed after having your version of thoughts.

In books of investigative principle such acts after dreadful episodes can never escape definition and interpretation.

If every thing would have been ok such actions would have never gain attention in the eyes of scrutiny.

However if we critically evaluate the actions of the subject protocol officer and murder of BB, I would have no second thought but to tag the action and event a chain of command, explaining the mode and format of designed fatality.

Eyes witness what is been shown and mind logically interpret what is seen.

Ethically, deviation of thoughts only results when there are two episodes of different theme thereby, balancing each other, thus directing individual to indulge discussion with open horizon, dimensions and sphere hence, keeping all ifs and buts in legitimate vocabulary.

Since the action and related turmoil have linear and symbiotic resemblance in meaning and explanation and resulting outcome, in no way exemption can be permitted.

Similarly murder is itself explaining the connectivity thou there may be more factors to divert the thoughts in displacement.

A person known to be a comedian is never a victim of his normal activity.

@ All, why is it that after a sad episode of culmination as death we humanly express our opinion to close the chapter, as something unusual being happened therefore, no further discussion gains part of our lives that has caused such a turmoil to the country, such as that occur in the shape of the death of benazir Bhutto.

In my opinion it is this attitude that has never highlighted and solved the murder, mysteries and myth from liaqat Ali khan to Benazir Bhutto.
It is this attitude that people give away their will to participate in discussion thereby allowing criminals to enjoy the perks as there is no one to hinder the route that t has been created.

We got to perceive thing professionally, like lawyers and doctors who after loosing a patient or client starts preparing the new patient or case so to relief as been asked to do.
Regards
Comment by Teeth Maestro on July 24, 2008 @ 10:31 am

@Ali - I have no intention of disrespecting the departed, we mourn any such loss of life. But the overall punch of the message may well be directed at the lack of investigation in regards to the slaying of Benazir Bhutto. Ironically he was there making suspicious gestures (intentionally or not) but those were made barely moments before she was killed - I like many have reason to suspect, and question the so called investigation. Make these gestures anywhere in the world so close to a murder scene and you will most likely be deemed a prime suspect until proven innocent

Our system is inherently corrupt and unless we catch and point out the blatant errors these criminals will (and always have) walked way scott free - in my books this is the second deliberate assassination of a Bhutto leader and that too suspiciously under the watch of Zardari.

May his soul rest in peace - but the questions raised must stand in their own right they must
Comment by Shahzad on July 24, 2008 @ 6:29 pm

dr Raza Haider,

Why are you firing personal attacks on Barrister Chishti? Just because he has different views than you? I personally don’t know him, but I find your remakrs against him very offensive.

Shame on you. You don’t deserve the credentials of a DR. You can show-off as much as you want, but honestly Dr like you are the source of illness in the societies.

You can earn the credentials you want, but its not easy to wash-away the sick-upbringing.
Comment by dr razahaider on July 25, 2008 @ 12:19 am

Domain is a term used arbitrarily to express legitimate, restricted premises so to explain the visitor of its limited boundaries.

Intellect have similar sibling in the format of domain where intellect can enter on behalf of their expertise ,skill, and define knowledge in the form and format of their qualification, interpretation, evaluation, inference, predictions and notions.

Prefix and suffix awards and medal explain the legitimacy of concealed qualities that grants permissible visa to enter the domain of such intellects as similar school of thinking and thoughts.

However distraction, distortion and displacement from ethical, moral and professional attitude due to factors that could buy any thing, less ability and knowledge, deteriorated these preliminary and honorary awards.

Nevertheless, in spite of such deranged and distorted figure, discrimination is still the subject of study on ground of responses, reactions, and interpretations and assessment.

Subject lawyer proved his abilities in the contest of similar belongings through his way to percept and interpret.

Rejection, dejection, disown, criticism, and maltreatment although a universally accepted offensive terminologies but these factors of humiliation create reactionary offensive retaliation thus boosting and uplifting the profile of a person who is exposed or discriminated in this regard. Under such stressful preoccupied enmity, rift or rivalry desire to attack and compete again with the discriminator is created hence reverting again on the platform with more thrust and power.

Since this platform is an intellectual platform, he is expected to visit the forum again with new concept of interpretation, perception and examination thereby defending the title and award that has been granted or achieved.

In my opinion under the requisite justification ,I see no offence to be apologetic or be ashamed of my behavior as in fact I have tried to uplift his profile ,so that in future he may realize the fact that advocacy demands logical justification as circumstantial evidences on ground of available facts and figures.

Whereas to your inquisition to my credentials ,please allow me to minimize discussion by saying that the above discussion is also a unique art of disembarking individual who can not properly interpret because of their low intelligence quotient ,and I would definitely wont like your kind sole to be engaged within the domain.

My regards, to you and chisti, as well.

Whereas, it is for your info that I have few more credentials of being a surgeon and military officer, as well.
Comment by cleangoogle on July 25, 2008 @ 8:04 pm

stone all home no this usa head green
Comment by ZF on July 25, 2008 @ 8:04 pm

May be his gesture simply means poking fun at BB voice.. Seems like he is tyring to say “BB ka gala betha hua hai”..
Comment by Obi Wan Kenobi on July 26, 2008 @ 8:54 am

Dr. Sahib , may I ask you one question ? How much time do you spend in blogging? I guess you are a retired Army officer and not much to do. One piece of advice, no one really cares for so long comments.
Comment by Teeth Maestro on July 26, 2008 @ 10:06 am

@OBI - you know me better then that at least from our three years of interaction
Comment by Obi Wan Kenobi on July 26, 2008 @ 10:50 pm

Teetho, the comment was not directed to you :-), that was for Dr. Raza Haider who is continuously spamming pak blogosphere with his intellect… By the way you are not a dr., you are a dentist :-) haha. Just kidding. Any how I am still wondering if you could get us update on KU professor who was beaten up by rangers. I guess Prof. brother contacted you so you may have his email address. Any updates would be really appreciated or at least commit to us that you don’t have any updates and you really don’t care for an update as long as it stirred up the people at that time.
Comment by Asim on July 26, 2008 @ 11:29 pm

Dr Raza,

take your credentials to impress the police in Pakistan, they may give you a salute for your credentials.

But your writings and your words to belittle others earn you no respect. So if you think your credentials give you the right to launch personal attach on other because they differ from your view then you might as well take those credentials up your A$$.
Comment by dr razahaider on July 27, 2008 @ 12:15 am

I think it’s not me but my writing that has probably started poking.

Any ways dear all, dear we got to dig out what we want.

Why is it that we are always short of time?

It is because of this attitude that has distracted our thoughts and had infact squeezed our memory to short tempered dumps with usage within the premises of ,events as news, victims to orientate and reason, so to spend few days of hot discussion.

Infact nothing gain but habitual looser.

So why are the Muslims

so powerless!!!

==============


Shahinshah’s ex-guard, six others killed in violence, mishaps
KARACHI: Seven people, including Khalid Shahinshah’s former security guard, were killed in different incidents of violence and mishaps in the metropolis on Wednesday.

A former security guard of Khalid Shahinshah, ex-chief security officer of Bilawal House, was killed in an incident of target killing in Azizabad police precincts.

Mohammad Imran, 35, son of Manzoor Ahmed, resident of Mohammadi Colony, Block 8, Azizabad was on his way to Almas Masjid for offering Asr prayers when four armed men on two motorcycles shot and injured him. He was rushed to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH) where doctors pronounced him dead. Later, the body was shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) for an autopsy.

Police officials said that the victim was also a security guard of Khalid Shahinshah who was gunned down near his residence in Defence in 2008. After killing of Shahinshah, he became chief security officer of Sindh Local Government Minister Agha Siraj Durrani, police said.
SHO Haseeb Qureshi said that the murder was the part of target killing. No case was registered till the filing of this news.

In other incident, a caretaker of an imambargah was gunned down in Landhi Future Colony in Sharafi Goth police precincts. Mauj Ali, 50, son of Painda Ali, was standing near an imambargah when unidentified culprits riding a motorcycle shot him dead.

SP Nasir Aftab said that the deceased hailed from Chakwal and used to reside in the imambargah. “He might have been killed over sectarian basis,” he said.

Meanwhile, a pesh imam of a mosque was gunned down in Orangi Town within the limits of Iqbal Market police station. The victim was identified as 43-year-old Qamar Huda, son of Shamsul Haq, resident of Chishti Nagar, Orangi Town.

SHO Khurram Waris said the deceased belonged to Barelvi school of thought and was a pesh imam of Quba Masjid, located in Sector 11, Orangi Town. He said the pesh imam was on his way to visit Jamia Masjid Ghousia Noor in Sector 11 when armed men, riding on a motorcycle, shot him dead. The victim hailed from Punjab.

Separately, a former councilor was gunned down in Gulbahar within the limits of Rizvia police station. The victim, Riyaz Ahmed Alvi, 50, son of Anees Ahmed Alvi, resident of Liaquat Chowk No 1, Gulbahar was sitting near his home when two armed men opened indiscriminate fire on him, resultantly he received three bullet and died on the spot. The body was shifted to the ASH for medico-legal formalities.

SI Jamal said the victim was a former councilor and used to work as a contractor. He said the victim had no affiliation with any political or religious party. Police said personal enmity might be behind the incident. No case was registered till filing the report.

In yet another incident, a man was crushed to death by a vehicle near New Sabzi Mandi, Super Highway in the precincts of Sachal police station. Raees Khan, son of Mohammad Younus, was going home on his motorcycle when a speeding vehicle crushed him to death. The body was shifted to the ASH.

A man was electrocuted in Khuda Ki Basti in the remits of Surjani police station. The victim, Abid, 22, was fixing an electric cable when he received electric shocks and died on the spot. The body was shifted to the ASH.

A woman, 37-year-old Makoo, wife of Poja, was killed and four persons were injured when a truck overturned on the Super Highway in the limits of Gaddap City police station. The injured were driver Akram and three minor children Moti, Sufyan and Raja. The body and injured were shifted to the ASH. staff report


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Agha Siraj Durrani’s guard: Imran was killed by men picking off members from his old gang
By Faraz Khan
Published: April 3, 2011
Mohammad Imran behind Agha Siraj Durrani in the light suit.
KARACHI:
Investigators believe that the chief security officer of minister Agha Siraj Durrani was killed because some people have been slowly picking off members of a group he belonged to in the 1990s.

Thirty-three-year-old Mohammad Imran alias Jangi was gunned down near his Azizabad home on March 30 when he was going to offer Asr prayers. “He was the fourth victim of the same attackers,” said a source privy to the investigation. “Now, at least two more men remain.” Three of the old group members, Shehzad aka Bhaiya, Noman aka Nomi and Adnan were gunned down in similar cases in March. Investigators have withheld their names to protect the remaining two members of the old gang.

In the 1990s, Imran was part of a group that used to be involved in robberies. Investigators told The Express Tribune that he was booked under Section 13-D for the possession of illegal weapons and was involved in a police encounter. “He used to also be a part of the group of notorious criminals Amir Hakla and Rashid Fauji, who were killed in encounters,” sources said. Members of Imran’s old group went to jail but were released on bail. “Presently, Imran and his companions are not involved in any criminal activity.”

Over one dozen suspects have been taken in for questioning.

Imran’s friend Asif was close by when the murder happened. According to him, the attackers hung around outside Imran’s house for nearly two-and-a-half hours, playing cricket with the neighbourhood children. “They were polite and showed interest in the game,” the children said, while talking to The Express Tribune. “At least one hour passed by when we asked who they were and why they were here.” The men told the children that they were Imran’s friends and had given him a call and that he was coming to meet them.

The timing of the murder suggests that the attackers picked the day of the semi-final between India and Pakistan, which would mean that most people in the neighbourhood would be indoors.

Asif reached Imran’s house about ten minutes before the killing. He barely met him to invite him to watch the match together when Imran said that he had to go for Asr prayers. “I also saw the men ten minutes before the incident but I had no idea that they would kill Imran.” Asif and Imran split and Imran headed to the mosque when he was shot outside.

According to his friends, Imran knew that he would be targeted some day. They had tried to convince him to carry ammunition at least.
“Whoever doesn’t have a fear of God in their heart, is afraid of death,”
he used to say, said a friend.

Imran was a senior PPP activist who had been with the party since childhood and even his family has a political background. “My brother used to be with President Asif Ali Zardari, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and many others,” his brother Mohammad Khurram told The Express Tribune. “It was not only an attack on my brother but it was an attack on the PPP.”

Imran was a familiar figure in the area and had a good reputation.
“My brother always cared for everyone but nobody cared for him,” Khurram said. “A crowd gathered at the spot and he was taking his last breaths but nobody helped him.”

Station Investigation Officer Azam Rana, who recently took charge at Azizabad, was confident of swift arrests.

Imran’s family is sceptical. “We are not satisfied with the police’s performance,” a member said.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 03rd, 2011.


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Agha Siraj Durrani’s chief security officer gunned downBy Faraz Khan
Published: March 31, 2011
Sources say murder could be linked to Khalid Shahenshah’s killing.
KARACHI:
The chief security officer of the Sindh Minister for Local Government, Agha Siraj Durrani, was gunned down on Wednesday evening in Azizabad.

Thirty-three-year-old Mohammad Imran alias Jangi, son of Manzoor Ahmed Saleemi, was a resident of Block 8, Mohammadi Colony. According to witnesses, he was on his way to Almas Masjid for Asr prayers when he was shot dead. “Clad in shirts and trousers, four young men on two motorcycles opened indiscriminate fire at him and escaped,” witnesses explained. “Two of them wore helmets.”
“He was a brave man and that is why he was my chief security officer,” Durrani, a member of the Pakistan Peoples Party, told The Express Tribune while he was on his way to the hospital. “I condemn his killing and his killers would be arrested and punished soon.”


Only a few people were present at the crime scene because of the World Cup semi-final. “The firing was so intense that we could not see the assailants properly,” witnesses said.

Imran sustained multiple bullet injuries in the head and neck and was taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where he was pronounced dead. His body was sent to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for a post mortem. According to the doctors at Abbasi Shaheed, he exsanguinated(bleeding) to death. He was shot three times.

Scores of PPP leaders and workers, including Agha Siraj Durrani and PPP Karachi division deputy information secretary Sohail Abdi, reached the hospital. The infuriated workers and supporters also shouted slogans against a rival political party whom they blamed for the incident. At least five PPP workers, including Imran, have been killed this month.

The Shahenshah link

“Imran was a senior activist,” the PPP’s Sohail Abdi told The Express Tribune. “He was also an aide of Khalid Shahenshah and was a security guard when Shahenshah was alive.” The well known Khalid Shahenshah, similarly shot dead in Clifton in 2008, was the chief security officer for Bilawal House. Shahenshah was also important as he was allegedly a prime witness in Benazir Bhutto’s assassination case. According to reports, Shahenshah was sitting in the back seat of Benazir’s car when she was hit in the gun and bomb attack. He was also interviewed by Scotland Yard.

It was after Shahensheh was killed that Imran started working as the chief security officer for Durrani. Like Imran, Shahenshah also used to live in Azizabad, before he moved to Defence. His killers were never arrested.

Sources said there might be a link between the two murders and this could also be of threat to Durrani.

On the other hand, the police said they were not in a position to comment about any link between Shahenshah and Imran’s killings. Karachi CCPO Saud Mirza said he did not think the two murders were connected. “Imran’s killing is totally different, but it is too early to say anything.” However, he said the police would also investigate from this angle.

Police found at least seven empty shells from the crime scene. “The assailants used 9mm pistols and they missed four times,” said DSP Saleem Akhtar Siddiqi. “It is confirmed that it was a target killing but nothing can be said about the motive.”

Imran’s family is also affiliated with the PPP. His funeral prayers are expected to be held on Thursday.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 31st, 2011.


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PPP targeted: Joint investigation team to probe Amir Shah killing
Published: July 17, 2011

Federal Investigation Agency officials have also been directed to work with the investigation team. PHOTO: PPI
Federal Investigation Agency officials have also been directed to work with the investigation team. PHOTO: PPI Employees abandon Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad airports, local and international flights delayed. PHOTO: AFP/ FILE

ISLAMABAD: Karachi police arrested eight suspects from different areas of Karachi in connection with Shah’s murder, on Sunday.

Earlier Interior Minister Rehman Malik had ordered the formation of a joint investigation team to probe the murder of PPP affiliate and PIA employees union President, Amir Shah.

Shah, who also worked as former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s security guard in 2007, was killed in the Gulistan-e-Jauhar area of Karachi when unknown assailants opened fire on his car on Saturday evening.

A notification issued by the Interior Ministry on Sunday said a committee headed by DIG police Sindh will submit findings within three days. The notification additionally said that the deadline could be extended if needed.

The Federal Investigation Agency officials have also been directed to work with the investigation team.

Strike on, strike off

Employees of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) went on a strike on Sunday against the murder of president of Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) PIA employee union Amir Shah. The strike was later called off after a short protest that resulted in the delay of flights to Dubai, Manchester, London, Damam and Abu Dhabi.

In protest to the killing, PIA employees had abandoned their counters at the Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad airports which resulted in delays of local and international flights.

Peoples Unity Information Secretary Amir Dar said that the future course of action will be decided after Shah’s burial at 2pm on Sunday.


Yousaf
10 hours ago
Reply

PIA Employees are the main reason of downfall of PIA..who once lend their aircraft to Emirates Airline to start their company.

Now Emirates Airline goes almost every part of the world and every cosmopolitan city of the world and PIA is trying to survive.

PIA once took Dr. Henry Kissinger to China…now even a mere US Govt employee will not board on PIA.
I would like give an example: Once we headed towards PIA’s office in Abu Dhabi to book 2 tickets…. they had printed the name wrong which they refused to correct and said, no problem it will be alright, there were no Email facility to email the tickets to clients, no Fax to receive the passport copies of the clients.
If you guys want to know more of this great airline destroyed by Bureaucracy and the PIA Management… visit http://www.historyofpia.com/list_main.htm

Athar Hussain
8 hours ago
Reply

I am a professional in an industry which is heavily dependent to aviation. Right now the most extensive with biggest fleet and by capacity the most biggest airline is unfortunately PIA.

A minor disruption let alone this more than 12 hours no response situation is not only an unprofessional attitude but in my eyes its worst than that. They are directly responsible for financial loss to their organization a national corporation, and for all the trauma and tension faced by the pessangers.

They should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

These unions should be made directly responsible and they should be penalized financially as well.
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