Is it really a Revolutin in ISLAM-abad?

According to the prophecies of Prophet Muhammad (sawas): “A non-stop army will rise from the land of Khorasan holding black flags of Islam in the end times!!” This army will conquer several occupied lands of Muslims till it reaches to Jerusalem (Al Quds)!! Then it will pledge its allegiance to Imam al Mahdi (atfs). The black flag of Khorasan will bring an end to the rule of tyranny of the fourth and the final reich: http://www.ummah.com/forum/showthread.php?120449-Black-flags-of-Khorasan The first pillar of Islam, Shahadah means declaration of faith. The Shahadah is: “Laa Ilaha Illallah Muhammad Rasullullah” (There is no God except Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah) The Prophet Mohammed (saws) said: ‘Three men will be killed at the place where your treasure is. Each of them will be the son of a Khalifah, and none of them will get hold of the treasure. Then black banners will come out of the east… ’If you see him, go and give him your allegiance, even if you have to crawl over ice, because he is the Khalifah of Allah, the Mahdi.’ Read more about his prophecies here please.. http://www.habibies.com/world/black-flags-from-khorasan/ Many details of what the Prophet (saws) said would happen before the last days have reached us. These events are happening one by one in our own time, proving to be yet another miracle of the Prophet (saws). These events, that are happening 1,400 years after the Prophet Muhammad (saws), were explained in great detail, as if he had witnessed them himself. http://rasoulallah.net/index.php/ar/ These are the Prophet (saws)'s prophecies regarding the signs of the end times and the last day, taken from the hadiths: The last hour will not come unless there is much bloodshed.227 Near the establishment of the hour there will be much Al-Harj, and Al-Harj means killing.228 The day of judgment will not come until people openly deny Allah.229 Great cities will be ruined, and it will be as if they had not existed the day before.230 Gains will be shared out only among the rich, with no benefit to the poor.231 People will indulge in homosexuality and lesbianism.232 There will be prevalence of open illegal intercourse.233 The hour (last day) will not be established until murders will increase.234 Pity poor Taliqan (a region in Afghanistan) that at that place are treasures of Allah, but these are not of gold and silver but consist of people who have recognised Allah as they should have.235 There is an indication in the hadith that Afghanistan will be occupied during the end times. The Russian invasion of Afghanistan took place in 1979, or 1400 according to the Hijri calendar. In other words, it coincided with the start of the fourteenth century under the Hijri calendar. It (Euphrates) will uncover a mountain of gold (under it).236 Soon the river "Euphrates" will disclose the treasure (the mountain) of gold, so whoever will be present at that time should not take anything of it.237 The rebuilding of the ruined places in the world, and the ruination of constructed places are signs and portents of doomsday.238 There are two signs of our Mahdi; ...and those signs are that moon will eclipse in the first night of its fixed nights of eclipse and sun will be eclipsed in the middle of the fixed days for its eclipse, during the month of Ramadan.239 There will be two eclipses of the sun in Ramadan before the Mahdi emerges.240 There will be two eclipses of the Moon in Ramadan...241 The common points emerging from the above three hadiths are: 1. There will be solar and lunar eclipses during the month of Ramadan. 2. These will be spaced about 14-15 days apart. 3. The eclipses will be repeated twice. In line with those calculations, there was a lunar eclipse in 1981 (Hijri 1401), on the 15th day of Ramadan, and a solar eclipse on the 29th day of the month. There was a "second" lunar eclipse in 1982 (Hijri 1402) on the 14th day of Ramadan, and a solar eclipse on the 28th day of the month. It is also particularly significant that in that particular instance, there was a full lunar eclipse in the middle of the month of Ramadan, a most striking prophecy. Before he comes, a comet spreading light will come from the East.242 The birth of that star will follow the eclipse of the sun and moon.243 A tailed star will be born from the east and spread its light. Its daily direction will be from east to west.244 - In 1986 (Hijri 1406), in other words at the start of the 14th century, Halley's comet passed by the earth. The comet is a bright, shining star. - It travels from east to west This happened after the lunar and solar eclipses of 1981 and 1982 (1401-1402) People will go on the hajj with no imam at their head. When they descend to Mina, the tribes will savage each other like dogs and there will be great wars. To such an extent that feet will be covered in a lake of blood.245 A fire will appear in the sky from the east and a redness will cover the sky for three or seven days in a row.246 A fire will enfold you. That fire is currently extinguished in the valley called Berehut. People will be enfolded in that fire with terrible suffering. That fire will burn and destroy people and belongings. For eight days it will rage over the world like wind and cloud. The heat of night will be fiercer than that of day. That fire will stretch from the heads of man to the highest heavens, and there will be a terrible noise like thunder between the earth and sky, he said.247 - The burning oil in Kuwait led to the deaths of people and animals. According to experts, half a million tons of oil went up into the atmosphere as smoke. Every day, more than 10,000 tons of soot, sulphur, carbon-dioxide and large quantities of hydrocarbons with their carcinogenic properties hang suspended over the Gulf. It is not just the Gulf, but the world itself that is burning.248 - Two wells that were set alight produced as much oil as Turkey does in one day, and the smoke from them can be seen from Saudi Arabia, 55 kilometres away.249 - Continuing news of disaster from the Gulf: hundreds of oil wells set alight in Kuwait are still burning fiercely. Experts say it will be "exceedingly difficult to put those fires out," and it is said that the fires will affect a wide area from Turkey to India for the next 10 years. The fire and smoke coming from the wells constantly pollute the atmosphere. Daytime resembles night in Kuwait. The brown smoke that rises together with the flames remind one of the sky as the autumn turns into winter … It will take at least a century for Kuwait to be completely habitable again. The smoke that rises with the flames is visible from miles away, totally blocking out the sky and making the country unfit to live in. The wealthy are abandoning Kuwait.250 He (The Mahdi) will not come until there is a portent from the sun.251 The solar eclipse of August 11, 1999 was the last of the century. During this eclipse, the likes of which take place only every 400 years, the sun, the moon and the world align. It was the first time that so many people had been able to watch and study an eclipse for so long a duration. Below are some newspaper headlines regarding the phenomenon. This can be interpreted as the "portent from the Sun" referred to in the hadith. (Allah knows best, of course). Before the Hour comes, there will be a tribulation like patches of dark night...252 The word "tribulation (fitna)" implies anything that turns peoples' reason and hearts away from the true path, or war, incitement, chaos, disorder and conflict. The tribulation in the hadith will leave smoke and dust behind it, we learn. Furthermore, the way that tribulation is described as "darkness" in the hadith, can be seen as an indication that its origins are unclear, that it is unexpected. Looking at it from that regard, it is probable that the hadith is referring to the world's worst terrorist attack, on the cities of New York and Washington in the United States on September 11, 2001. The inhabitants of Egypt and Sham would kill their ruler and his commands…253 The people of Sham will take prisoner the tribes of Egypt.254 Today, the states in the region in question include Israel. That is why the hadith could be pointing to the war between the state of Israel and Egypt, and the invasion of Egyptian territory. The Hour (Last Day) will not be established until ... earthquakes will be very frequent.255 There are two great events before the day of judgment ... and then years of earthquakes.256 Labayka Ya Husayn Imam Husayn's final battle in Karbala, Iraq. The battle continues.. after 1400 years.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eHmccDwupo&list=PLd3-F21oYOuvKvn-tAZIQXCECJMvXZKQB Imam Husayn's battle against evil is global... The world is changing fast... and to be the pioneers of this change, we need to change ourselves first!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4OeMQUL6rQ&list=PL6FAEEB4873CC46F7 Afghanistan War Khorasan Mahdi (atfs) vs. I$-RA-€£ - by Imran Hosein Please, watch both parts... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LMxRLcWmUs&list=PLd3-F21oYOuvKvn-tAZIQXCECJMvXZKQB "Everyone is so afraid of death, but the real Sufis just laugh: nothing tyrannizes their hearts. What strikes the oyster shell does not damage the pearl." "If in thirst you drink water from a cup, you see God in it. Those who are not in love with God will see only their own faces in it." "He is a letter to everyone. You open it. It says, 'live!'" Moulana Rumi A Persian poet of peace https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150471572376661&set=a.10150446678981661.392933.698671660&type=3&theater Truth will prevail!! Real education… for God’s sake… Ya Imam Mahdi (as), the just leader of humanity Mahdi, English: Guided one It is prophesised that Isa (Jesus Christ) will return to aid Imam Mahdi in the end time. Isa (Jesus Christ) will descend at the point of a white arcade, east of Damascus (Syria), dressed in yellow robes with his head anointed. Together they stand against Masih ad-Dajjal, the false messiah, and his followers. (I$-RA-€£) Isa will slay Dajjal, and unite humanity https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152214502721661&set=a.394307616660.176314.698671660&type=1&theater No doubt... The Christian Orthodox Church will join Muslims to fight against Jews!! https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152213898146661&set=a.10151733156261661.1073741827.698671660&type=1&theater The black flags from Khorasan are not from the white house (I$-RA-€£), but from a former Persian province with Mashad as its capital!! (which is placed in IR Iran today!!) Q: Who is born in Mashad in 1939?? Guess four times: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152649961966661&set=a.394307616660.176314.698671660&type=1&theater Prepare yourselves... And get ready to rumble!! Sayyed Mustafa, the father of Imam Khomeini (ra) Quotes, biography, etc.: "We were silent when we had to speak. We had Khans (Cossack) rule over us. Imam Ali said: “I hate oppressors and those who accept them.” How will future generations judge us?" https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152003392106661&set=a.394307616660.176314.698671660&type=1&theater Masha'Allah ♡ Sayyed Mustafa, the father of Imam Khomeini (ra) ♡ Quotes, biography, movie, and more: "We were silent when we had to speak. We had Khans (Cossack) rule over us. Imam Ali said: “I hate oppressors and those who accept them.” How will future generations judge us?" The following movie is based on the life of Sayyed Mustafa (ra), the father of the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatullah Ruhullah Khomeini (ra). "Earth and sunshine" Farsi sub English: http://www.shiatv.net/view_video.php?viewkey=e13942f6ac9577a738af&page&viewtype&category or watch on Jew-tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9JqprPP5E0&list=PL6FAEEB4873CC46F7 This series highlights plight of the people of Iran before the revolution and also the character of Sayyed Mustafa, which was also inherited by Imam Khomeini. i.e "raising against oppression" Brief biography of Sayyed Mustafa: Sayyed Mustafa father of Imam Khomeini (ra) began his religious education in Isfahan with Mir Muhammad Taqi Mudarrisi before continuing his studies in Najaf and Samarra under the guidance of Mirza Hasan Shirazi (d.1894), the principal authority of the age in Shi'i jurisprudence. This corresponded to a pattern of preliminary study in Iran followed by advanced study in the 'atabat, the shrine cities of Iraq, which for long remained normative; Imam Khomeini (ra) was in fact the first religious leader of prominence whose formation took place entirely in Iran. In Dhu 'l-Hijja 1320/ March 1903, some five months after the Imam's birth, Sayyed Mustafa was attacked and martyred while travelling on the road between Khumain and the neighbouring city of Arak. The identity of the assassin immediately became known; it was Ja'far-quli Khan, the cousin of a certain Bahram Khan, one of the richest landowners of the region. The cause of the assassination is, however, difficult to establish with certainty. According to an account that became standard after the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, Sayyed Mustafa had aroused the anger of the local landowners because of his defence of the impoverished peasantry. However, Sayyed Mustafa himself, in addition to the religious functions he fulfilled, was also a farmer of moderate prosperity, and it is possible that he fell victim to one of the disputes over irrigation rights that were common at the time. The attempts of Sahiba, Sayyed Mustafa's sister, to have the killer punished in Khumayn proved fruitless, so his widow, Hajar, went to Tehran to appeal for justice, according to one account carrying the infant Ruhullah in her arms. She was followed there by her two elder sons, Murtaza and Nur al-Din, and finally, in Rabi' al-Awwal 1323, May 1925, Ja'far-quli Khan was publicly executed in Tehran on the orders of 'Ayn al-Dawla, the prime minister of the day. Source: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAB3513EDAF42F4CE Grand Ayatollah Khomeini (ra) ♡ Persian: آيتالله āyatollāh from Arabic: آية الله, āyatu l-Lāh "Sign of God" ♡ The man who changed the world: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfrJ2rBobGs&list=PL6FAEEB4873CC46F7 Ruhollah ♡ Documentary on the life of Imam Khomeini (ra) the father of the Islamic revolution in Iran. Produced by Al Manar, remastered by AIM Islam [Arabic]: http://www.shiatv.net/view_video.php?viewkey=4bf8ce0ff2ec19b37151 or on Jew-tube [Eng Sub]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuGgerT0Xao&list=PL6FAEEB4873CC46F7 Live like Muhammad (saws) ♡ Fight like Ali (as) ♡ And die like Husayn (as) ♡ Just be strong!! Allah (swt) is the greatest planner of them all ♡ Insha'Allah "Sayyed" for males and "Sayyeda" for females are names/titles, which are very well known in the Islamic world ♡ The black turban and the title “Sayyed” are an indication for those who are directly descended from Prophet Mohammed صل الله عليه وسلم through the lineage of Ali رضي الله عنه and Fatimah عليها السلام ♡ https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152003624261661&set=pb.698671660.-2207520000.1385428210.&type=3&theater The true essence of Islam (submission to God) ♡ https://www.facebook.com/maryam.mad/media_set?set=a.10151733156261661.1073741827.698671660&type=1 Alhamdolellah Ya ALi ♡ ========== September 2, 2014 Special Dispatch No.5831 Pakistani Army Accused Of Plotting Protests In Islamabad To Oust Elected Government; UAE's Regional Spy Chief Reportedly Involved In Engineering Pakistani Protests PTI leader Imran Khan seeking to oust the elected government (image: NDTV.com) Coordinated anti-government protests in Islamabad since August 14 by cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan of the Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and Islamic cleric Maulana Tahirul Qadri of Pakistan Awami Tahreek (PAT) are being controlled by the Pakistani military and its intelligence agencies, according to reports appearing in the Pakistani media. On September 1, PTI President Javed Hashmi, who is seen as a democrat and a voice of conscience in Pakistani politics, lashed out at his party leader Imran Khan for working with the Pakistani army to overthrow the elected government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Hashmi, who was fired by Khan, reminded that he remains party president since Khan did not follow procedures to sack him. Immediately after Hashmi's statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) department of the Pakistani military denied any role in engineering the protests. In a statement, it said: "ISPR has categorically rejected the assertions that Army and ISI were backing PTI/PAT in any way in the current political standoff. Army is an apolitical institution and has expressed its unequivocal support for democracy at numerous occasions. It is unfortunate that Army is dragged into such controversies. Integrity and unity of the Army is its strength, which it upholds with pride."[1] Independent analysts are skeptical of the statement, since the military's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has been known for ousting and installing governments in the past. Pakistan's ISI, which is by any account the most powerful institution in Pakistan, is known for dictating the country's foreign policies with regard to the US, Afghanistan and India. It is also known for using former ISI chiefs such as Lt.-Gen. Hamid Gul and Lt.-Gen. Shuja Pasha (who now works for the UAE government but has been deeply involved in plotting the current protests). Over the past few days, editorials in liberal Pakistani newspapers have accused the Pakistani military and the powerful ISI of engineering a soft coup in Pakistan through the use of protests by PTI and PAT, the latter of which is more like a religious organization with no track record of winning elections and is led by Tahirul Qadri, a Barelvi cleric who recently returned from Canada with the sole purpose of overthrowing the elected government through a Tahrir Square-like mass uprising in Islamabad. The protesters have increased pressure on the government of Nawaz Sharif, who - much to the displeasure of the Pakistani military - has sought to build friendly relations with India and has pursued a hands-off approach on Afghanistan. In January 2013, the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) released a detailed report on the ideology and politics of Maulana Tahirul Qadri, the Canada-returned Islamic cleric who is seeking to capture power in Islamabad through unconstitutional means by mobilizing his devout supporters from the Barelvi school of Islam.[2] MEMRI also released a detailed report on the ideology and politics of Imran Khan, the PTI leader who unlike Tahirul Qadri has some stake in Pakistani politics and can chart a political career in years ahead. As detailed in the MEMRI report, Imran Khan has justified the Taliban's "jihad in Afghanistan" against U.S. forces and has accused the so-called Jewish/Israeli lobby of attacking Pakistan's nuclear program.[3] Pakistan's best-known human rights campaigner Asma Jahangir also accused the Pakistani military of seeking to thwart the established democratic process in the country, warning: "If the army took over this time, the stint of its rule would be a minimum of 10 years."[4] The Sharif government's efforts for a negotiated exit from the crisis have so far failed, as the protest leaders have stuck to the demand that the prime minister step down to facilitate new elections. Javed Hashmi On Coup Plot: "Imran Had Told The [PTI] Core Committee That The New Set-Up Would Not Be Called A Martial Law; We Will File A Petition In The Supreme Court And Get A Judge Of Our Choice … [To] Endorse [A Caretaker Government]" The following are excerpts from a report on Hashmi's statement:[5]

"In a media talk outside the Parliament House, Hashmi said that Imran came to Islamabad with a scripted plan. 'Imran told us, they [the Pakistani military and ISI] asked him to move forward [in tandem with] with Tahirul Qadri,' charged Hashmi. He hastened to add that Imran said, 'We could not move forward without the army.' 'Imran had claimed that all matters had been settled [as part of a conspiracy to overthrow the elected government] and the general election would be held either in late August or in early September as per the plan. Imran is here with a plan; who is the planner? I do not know,' remarked Hashmi… "'When Imran Khan shared his plan with us, he said that a judge of our choice was coming as the chief justice of the Supreme Court,' Hashmi went on to reveal. He said that Imran Khan had maligned the Supreme Court by saying that the Supreme Court would de-seat Nawaz Sharif and [his brother and chief minister of Punjab province] Shahbaz Sharif. Hashmi implicated the current Chief Justice of Pakistan Nasirul Mulk, by claiming that Imran told us, 'We have a friendly chief justice now [who would approve a replacement government as it had happened in the past military coups].' While he did not name Nasirul Mulk, he confirmed that he was referring to the 'current' chief justice." "Hashmi contended that the PTI chief [Imran Khan] wanted to move forward along with Dr. Qadri. 'I told him that we were being hijacked by someone else,' said Hashmi, and claimed Imran had come to Islamabad with an agenda." "'Imran had told the [PTI] core committee that the new set-up would not be called a martial law. We will file a petition in the Supreme Court and get a judge of our choice in September and he will endorse it. That chief justice will validate the actions that will be taken eventually…' he said, quoting Imran. 'Today, I have heard that the chief justice has called all judges [for a meeting to discuss the protests],' he said. "With regards to Imran's repeated pledge of upholding the Constitution and ensuring the rule of law, Hashmi said that Imran did not care about the Constitution and said that the PTI chief acted as the king of his party. 'Imran accepts the Constitution only where it works in his favor. When it is otherwise, he abandons it,' Hashmi charged."

MEMRI Report: "Living In Pakistan For The Past Few Days … [UAE's Regional Spy Chief Shuja Pasha] Has Been Deciding All The Programs Of Both The Movements [Led By Imran Khan And Maulana Qadri]" On August 20, the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) released a report translated from a leading Urdu-language daily in Pakistan, revealing how Lt.-Gen. Shuja Pasha (the former chief of Pakistan's ISI who now serves as the Regional Chief of the UAE's intelligence agency) has been planning the details of the protest rallies led by Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri. Pasha was appointed by the UAE as Regional Chief of its intelligence agency sometime in late-2013, according to a Pakistani daily.[6] Following are excerpts from the MEMRI dispatch:[7] "Extremely reliable sources have confirmed that the entire planning of the recent movements of Imran Khan and Maulana Qadri has been drawn up by Shuja Pasha, the former chief of the secret agency [Inter-Services Intelligence of the Pakistani Army]. And over the past few days he arrived in Pakistan, having left Dubai. After having retired as the chief of the secret agency, Ahmed Shuja Pasha was serving in Dubai for the American secret agency [e.g. CIA]. "Living in Pakistan for the past few days, he has been deciding all the programs of both the movements [led by Imran Khan and Maulana Qadri separately to lead a people's march on Islamabad, on August 14, the Independence Day of Pakistan]. Two days ago [August 4 or 5], Shuja Pasha was present at the home of Shafqat Mahmood, the leader of [Pakistan] Tahreek-e-Insaf where Tahreek chief Imran Khan held a detailed meeting and listened to his advice attentively. "Before his retirement [as head of ISI], Shuja Pasha was desirous of an extension in his tenure, but the then-prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had clearly refused to give him an extension, as the then-opposition leader Nawaz Sharif had publicly opposed any extension for him. It is said that the People's Party government [led by Gilani] also had been opposed to an extension for him but was unable to decide, but when Nawaz Sharif opposed it at a public platform, it became easy for it [the Gilani government] to decide [against the extension]. "After that, General Pasha, who had already been disliked by Nawaz Sharif, became a personal enemy of Nawaz Sharif. Sources say that the big rally organized by Imran Khan at Minara-e-Pakistan in Lahore in October 2011 also was a show [at the behest] of General Pasha for which he used unlimited resources. These days General Pasha is engaged in efforts for uniting Imran Khan and Maulana Qadri [at a single platform], which is not succeeding due to Imran Khan's fear that in such an event Imran's public acceptance will be affected [adversely] because in the public, Maulana Qadri's popularity is not so good…" Editorial In Pakistani Daily 'Dawn': "The Carefully Constructed Veneer Of Neutrality That The Army Leadership Had Constructed Through Much Of The National Political Crisis … Has Been Torn Apart" Following are excerpts from a September 2 editorial:[8] "The carefully constructed veneer of neutrality that the army leadership had constructed through much of the national political crisis instigated by Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri has been torn apart. First came the army's statement on Sunday [August 31], the third in a series of statements in recent days on the political crisis, which quite astonishingly elevated the legitimacy and credibility of the demands of Imran Khan, Tahirul Qadri, and their violent protesters above that of the choices and actions of an elected government dealing with a political crisis. "Consider the sequence of events so far. When the army first publicly waded into the political crisis, it counselled restraint on all sides - as though it were the government that fundamentally still had some questions hanging over its legitimacy simply because Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri alleged so. Next, the army crept towards the Khan/Qadri camp by urging the government to facilitate negotiations - as though it was the government that was being unreasonable, and not Mr. Khan and Mr. Qadri. "Now, staggeringly, the army has 'advised' the government not to use force against violent protesters and essentially told it to make whatever concessions necessary to placate Mr. Khan and Mr. Qadri. It is simply extraordinary that it is the PAT and PTI supporters who want to break into and occupy state buildings, but it is the government that has been rebuked. It's as if the army is unaware - rather, unwilling - to acknowledge the constitutional scheme of things: it is the government that is supposed to give orders to the army, not the other way around. "The government has already issued its order: invoking Article 245 [empowering the army to ensure law and order in the city]. On Saturday, as violent thugs attacked parliament, it was surely the army’s duty to repel them. But the soldiers stationed there did nothing and the army leadership the next day warned the government instead of the protesters - which largely explains why the protesters were able to continue their pitched battles with the police and attacked the PTV headquarters yesterday [September 1]. If that were not enough, yesterday also brought another thunderbolt: this time from within the PTI with party president Javed Hashmi indicating that Mr. Khan is essentially doing what he has been asked and encouraged to do by the army leadership. It took the ISPR a few hours to respond with the inevitable denial, but a mere denial is inadequate at this point. The functioning of the state stands paralyzed because a few thousand protesters and their leaders have laid siege to state institutions. Where is the army condemnation of that?" Islamic cleric Tahirul Qadri (image: NDTV.com) 'Daily Times' Editorial: "A 'Soft' Coup, Which Involves The Surrender Of Policy Space By The Civilian Elected Government To The Military … May Be The Price Nawaz Sharif Has To Pay To Stay In Power" The following are excerpts from a Daily Times editorial dated August 31:[9] "The concern on the part of the 11 [political] parties who have been standing with the government in this situation is understandable in light of our history. Pakistan has had more than its share of direct and indirect military interventions, coups, and manipulation behind the scenes. Perhaps the real change we are witnessing is that Pakistani society today may be less tolerant of any attempt at a 'hard' coup (a military takeover), the judiciary may not be complicit in legitimizing it as in the past, the media would probably make life hard for any such adventure, and international opinion and the western powers would look askance. "The difficulties of running Pakistan today are also immense. Without legitimacy or popular support, it may be difficult for any dispensation [military or civilian], irrespective of the manner of its ascent to power, to manage the country when it is beset with enormous problems of terrorism and the economy's slide, amongst others. However, a 'soft' coup, which involves the surrender of policy space by the civilian elected government to the military, as is being speculated may be the price Nawaz Sharif has to pay to stay in power, is something the forces that support democracy and constitutionalism may not even become aware of before it is too late to reverse. "Two areas of security, defense, and foreign policy that seem up for grabs are the stance on Afghanistan as it nears endgame, and relations with India. The former involves reversing this government's 'hands off' stance to allow an Afghan-owned, Afghan-led political process find resolution of that unfortunate country's future after the Western forces leave. The latter conditions improvement in relations with New Delhi and economic cooperation on progress in the Kashmir dispute. In addition, a troubled area in the civil-military relationship is the issue of [former Pakistan Army chief General Pervez] Musharraf's trial for treason. "On all three, the military is today placed in a position to demand concessions from the government. Nawaz Sharif may decide to concede these areas in order to live to fight another day. But such a denouement would once again immeasurably weaken the hoped-for-continuation of democracy and serve as a reminder that the more things appear to change, the more they remain the same in Pakistan." 'Daily Times' Editorial: "A Motley Crowd Of Rowdy Supporters Should Not Be Allowed To Overthrow An Elected Government" Following are excerpts from a Daily Times editorial dated September 2:[10] "[The Corp Commanders' meeting] has still not entirely allayed the fear of the government's weakening opening the door to the army's carving out for itself a larger chunk of control in the arena of security and foreign policy, especially involving India and Afghanistan. The army's formulation to support the democratic system does not automatically mean it supports the incumbent government too. That is still a grey area so far. "To consolidate its political support further, the government in the meantime has called a joint session of parliament… It has also decided that parliament will remain in session so long as the sit-in continues. This parliament versus street confrontation seems destined to settle parliament's sovereign status. In any case, a motley crowd of rowdy supporters should not be allowed to overthrow an elected government. The PM's reiteration of his resolve not to resign at gunpoint will save the country from setting a wrong precedent, and is therefore a welcome step. "Amidst this cacophony, the role of the electronic media in broadcasting unsubstantiated rumors is irresponsible and deplorable. If the attack on journalists by the police was wrong and condemnable, the media's role in jumping to the (wrong) conclusions is as bad." Endnotes: [1] Ispr.gov.pk (Pakistan), September 1, 2014. [2] http://www.memri.org/report/en/print6933.htm, January 15, 2013. [3] http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/51/6781.htm, October 26, 2012. [4] The News (Pakistan), September 2, 2014. [5] The News (Pakistan), September 2, 2014. [6] http://www.memrijttm.org/urdu-daily-names-former-pakistani-intelligence-officials-recruited-by-uae-qatar.html, December 2, 2013. [7] http://www.memrijttm.org/urdu-daily-former-pakistani-intelligence-chief-lt-gen-shuja-pasha-planned-tahrir-square-like-marches-planned-by-pakistani-leaders-for-august-14.html, August 20, 2014. [8] Dawn (Pakistan), September 2, 2014. [9] Daily Times (Pakistan), August 31, 2014. [10] Daily Times (Pakistan), September 2, 2014. ============== After Syria and Iraq, Islamic State makes inroads in South Asia Sun, Sep 07 03:01 AM EDT image By Hameedullah Khan and Saud Mehsud PESHAWAR/DERA ISMAIL KHAN Pakistan (Reuters) - Islamic State pamphlets and flags have appeared in parts of Pakistan and India, alongside signs that the ultra-radical group is inspiring militants even in the strongholds of the Taliban and al Qaeda. A splinter group of Pakistan's Taliban insurgents, Jamat-ul Ahrar, has already declared its support for the well-funded and ruthless Islamic State fighters, who have captured large swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria in a drive to set up a self-declared caliphate. "IS (Islamic State) is an Islamic Jihadi organization working for the implementation of the Islamic system and creation of the Caliphate," Jamat-ul Ahrar's leader and a prominent Taliban figure, Ehsanullah Ehsan, told Reuters by telephone. "We respect them. If they ask us for help, we will look into it and decide." Islamist militants of various hues already hold sway across restive and impoverished areas of South Asia, but Islamic State, with its rapid capture of territory, beheadings and mass executions, is starting to draw a measure of support among younger fighters in the region. Al Qaeda's ageing leaders, mostly holed up in the lawless region along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, are increasingly seen as stale, tired and ineffectual on hardcore jihadi social media forums and Twitter accounts that incubate potential militant recruits. [ID:nL6N0PU0EA] Security experts say Islamic State's increasing lure may have prompted al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri to announce the establishment of an Indian franchise to raise the flag of jihad across South Asia, home to more than 400 million Muslims. [ID:nL3N0R51YH] PAMPHLETS, CAR STICKERS Seeking to boost its influence in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, a local cell with allegiance to Islamic State has been distributing pamphlets in the Pakistani city of Peshawar and eastern Afghanistan in the past few weeks, residents said. The 12-page booklet called "Fatah" (Victory), published in the Pashto and Dari languages of Afghanistan, was being mainly distributed in Afghan refugee camps on the outskirts of Peshawar. The pamphlet’s logo features an AK-47 assault rifle and calls on local residents to support the militant group. Cars with IS stickers have also been spotted around Peshawar. Sameeulah Hanifi, a prayer leader in a Peshawar neighborhood populated mainly by Afghans, said the pamphlets were being distributed by a little-known local group called Islami Khalifat, an outspoken Islamic State supporter. "I know some people who received copies of this material either from friends or were given at mosques by unidentified IS workers," he told Reuters. A Pakistani security official said the pamphlets came from Afghanistan’s neighboring Kunar province where a group of Taliban fighters was spotted distributing them. "We came across them 22 days ago and we are aware of their presence here," said the official. "Pakistani security agencies are working on the Pakistan-Afghan border and have arrested a number of Taliban fighters and recovered CDs, maps, literature in Persian, Pashto and Dari." "We will not permit them to work in our country and anyone who is involved in this will be crushed by the government." RECRUITMENT IN INDIA Signs of Islamic State's influence are also being seen in Kashmir, the region claimed by both India and Pakistan and the scene of a decades-long battle by militants against Indian rule. Security officials in Indian-held Kashmir say they have been trying to find out the level of support for the Arab group after IS flags and banners appeared in the summer. Intelligence and police sources in New Delhi and Kashmir said the flags were first seen on June 27 in a part of the state capital Srinagar, and then in July when India's only Muslim-majority region was marking Islam's most holy day, Eid al-Fitr. Some IS graffiti also appeared on walls of buildings in Srinagar. A police officer said youngsters carrying Islamic State flags at anti-India rallies had been identified but no arrests had been made. Another officer who questions people detained in protests against Indian rule, many of them teenagers, said most were only focused on winning independence from India. "The majority of them have no religious bent of mind," he said. "Some of them, less than 1 percent, of course are religious and radicalized and end up joining militant ranks. They are influenced by al Qaeda, Taliban, Islamic State." Islamic State is also trying to lure Muslims in mainland India, who make up the world's third-biggest Islamic population but who have largely stayed away from foreign battlefields despite repeated calls from al Qaeda. In mid-July, an IS recruitment video surfaced online with subtitles in the Indian languages of Hindi, Tamil and Urdu in which a self-declared Canadian fighter, dressed in war fatigues and flanked by a gun and a black flag, urged Muslims to enlist in global jihad. That came out just weeks after four families in a Mumbai suburb reported to the police that their sons had gone missing, with one leaving behind a note about fighting to defend Islam. It soon turned out that the men had joined a pilgrimage to Baghdad. They later broke off from the tour group and never returned. Indian intelligence believe the men ended up in Mosul, the Iraqi city captured by Islamic State in June, and that one of them may have died in a bomb blast. Last week, the Times of India newspaper said four young men, including two engineering college students, were arrested in the eastern city of Calcutta as they tried to make their way to neighboring Bangladesh to join a recruiter for Islamic State based there. "It's not just these four, but our investigations have found that there could be more youngsters who are in touch with IS handlers and this is a bit of a scary proportion," the newspaper quoted a senior officer as saying. A top official at India's Intelligence Bureau in New Delhi told Reuters: "The problem is we know so little about this network or who is acting on their behalf here. "We know roughly where the Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Indian Mujahideen (organizations backed by Pakistan) support groups are, where they make contacts. But this is a different challenge. Youth getting radicalized in their homes on the Internet, in chatrooms and through Facebook are not easy to track." (Reporting by Asim Tanveer, Hameed Ullah, Saud Mehsud and Maria Golovnina,; Additional reporting by Fayaz Bukhari in SRINAGAR, Writing and additional reporting by Sanjeev Miglani in KABUL and NEW DELHI; Editing by Maria Golovnina and Raju Gopalakrishnan) =====

Live updates: Lahore airport in lockdown as govt-Qadri stalemate continues

Anti-government cleric returns to Pakistan, supporters clash with police Mon, Jun 23 07:00 AM EDT image 1 of 2 By Katharine Houreld and Mubasher Bukhari LAHORE Pakistan (Reuters) - A prominent cleric returned to Pakistan on Monday to lead what he calls a peaceful revolution against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as his supporters fought pitched battles with police firing tear gas in the capital Islamabad. Tahirul Qadri, a Pakistani preacher turned political activist who lives in Canada, is a divisive figure in Pakistan, where he made headlines last year by leading mass rallies against the previous government. As a plane carrying Qadri approached Benazir Bhutto International Airport near Islamabad, violence broke out on the ground as police fired tear gas at 2,000 of his supporters in chaotic scenes rarely seen in the orderly capital. The authorities, fearing an escalation of unrest, diverted the commercial flight to the eastern city of Lahore. "We want no corruption, we want no terrorism in our country," Qadri told Reuters aboard the plane. "We want total transparency of institutions." Qadri's sudden ascent to prominence has prompted speculation that the army, which ruled Pakistan for decades, may be using him as a proxy in efforts to sideline the civilian government. His comeback comes at an uneasy time for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, whose civilian government has failed to engage Taliban militants in peace talks, prompting the army to launch a major offensive against the militants. Even after the aircraft landed in Lahore, Qadri and his supporters refused to leave the plane for hours, demanding it fly back to Islamabad or for the army to send a representative to protect him. He eventually disembarked and was escorted to his residence in Lahore, his main base in the country. Outside Lahore airport, about 1,000 supporters held a peaceful rally shouting "Long live Qadri". Qadri's spokesman, Shahid Mursaleen, said he wanted to stage an Arab spring-style revolt and install a government that would enforce reform, tackle terrorism and improve accountability. "He wants to bring a peaceful democratic revolution," Mursaleen told Reuters. "He wants to topple the whole system." ARMY'S BACKING It is hard to estimate Qadri's popularity in a country with few reliable opinion polls, but his sympathy for the army could catapult him to the centre of a brewing protest movement. Discontent with the government is already high due to power shortages that have crippled the economy as well as a persistent Taliban insurgency which stages attacks around the country. Reflecting the government's anxiety, police had placed cargo containers along major roads to restrict access to Islamabad airport and blocked mobile phone services to disrupt communication between the demonstrators. At least eight people, including a policeman, were killed in Lahore last week when protesters clashed with police in a standoff over Qadri. "Long live the army!" and "Revolution will come!" chanted his supporters, who had gathered outside the airport in the military garrison city of Rawalpindi near Islamabad. "We just want to give a peaceful welcome to our leader, but they (government) pounded us with heavy tear gas," said one protester, Tajamul Hussain, in his early 20s. "Their days are numbered, God willing, Doctor Qadri will bring revolution to Pakistan. (Writing by Maria Golovnina; additional reporting by Syed Raza Hassan in Islamabad; Editing by Ron Popeski) ====================== Emirates Airlines has imposed a lifetime travel ban on Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri and is also considering initiating legal proceedings against him for keeping the aircraft ‘hostage’ for several hours at Lahore airport after the flight was diverted by the Pakistani government to Lahore from Islamabad over security concerns, a private news channel has reported. According to the channel, the airliner was forced to take the decision after Qadri refused to get off the aircraft in Lahore and also barred other passengers from disembarking until he negotiated a deal with the provincial authorities. The airliner believes that this act of Qadri was tantamount to hijacking therefore it was mulling legal options. =============================== LAHORE: The Emirates airline plans to file a suit over the damages caused to its reputation by the enforced diversion of its plane carrying Dr Tahirul Qadri on Monday. Official sources told Dawn that the airline had told the Civil Aviation Authority that it had been upset by the diversion of its flight EK-612 Dubai-Islamabad to Lahore, causing a great deal of inconvenience to passengers on the plane and those waiting at the airport to fly to Dubai. The plane was scheduled to reach Islamabad at 8am on Monday and return to Dubai at 9.30am after picking passengers. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Related: Plane diversion was Rafiq's idea -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- But the government did not allow the aircraft to land at Islamabad to foil Dr Qadri’s plan to go to Lahore by road to demonstrate his political strength. “The Emirates pilots were shocked to receive the ‘order’ to take the plane to Lahore because there was no issue of weather or airport occupancy,” sources said. Because of the diversion of the plane, it missed its scheduled departure to Dubai from Islamabad. After it left for Islamabad in the evening, the Emirates administration informed the CAA that it intended to file for damages. The sources said the airline was also considering to “blacklist” Dr Qadri. “An airliner blacklists a person who puts the lives of other passengers in jeopardy or causes them inconvenience by his action,” a CAA official said. The PIA blacklisted some 10 people for their behaviour leading to diversion of its flight from Manchester to Stansted Airport last year. The official said he believed that the Emirates would not consider suspending its flight operation to Pakistan because it had good business here. However,

CAA spokesperson Abid Kaimkhani said he was not aware of any warning by the Emirates. “The airline might have contacted the local (Lahore-based) administration of the CAA. But I have no knowledge of it,” he said.

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2014 =================================== Plane diversion was Rafiq’s idea By Mohammad Asghar Published about 4 hours ago The plan to divert Tahirul Qadri's plane to Lahore was suggested by Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Dawn has learnt.—File Photo RAWALPINDI: Initially the government had two options to get Dr Tahirul Qadri to Lahore once he had arrived at Benazir Bhutto International Airport (BBIA) on Monday morning – either use a Fokker ATR27 aeroplane to airlift him to Lahore or a helicopter of the Punjab government. However, both these options were ignored when Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafiq suggested that the flight not be allowed to land at BBIA and be diverted to Lahore, sources said. However, before Rafiq’s suggestion was made and accepted, as many as 175 Elite Force commandoes along with 17 female commandos in plainclothes were brought to the airport at around 3am on Monday. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Related: Qadri threatens to topple govt, vows to lead 'revolution' -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Elite Force, which was formed in 1997-98 by then chief minister Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif, was led by DSP Rana Shahid and DSP Raja Taifoor. They took positions on the apron of the airport (where the Emirates flight was to land); the Fokker and the helicopter were also parked nearby. According to a security official, the Fokker ATR27 was to be used if Dr Qadri agreed to be transported to Lahore but if he resisted then the plan was to bundle him on to the helicopter. The Pakistan International Airlines Fokker, which was to be used for airlifting Dr Qadri to Lahore, was scheduled to fly to Skardu on Monday but the flight was cancelled to free the aircraft.

“In case he did not agree, Dr Qadri was to be picked up by the Elite Force commandos and put in the helicopter,” a security official revealed on condition of anonymity because he is not authorised to talk to the media.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also read: Qadri, 1,300 supporters booked on terror charges -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- But as is now well known, this plan was changed at the last moment. Commissioner Rawalpindi division and Regional Police Officer were both present at the airport to monitor the situation. Dawn has learnt that the railways minister suggested the diversion plan. As a result, the pilot was not given clearance for landing at BBIA; PML-Q leaders and the PAT workers waiting for Dr Qadri were not aware of what was happening till 8.50am when the flight’s diversion to Lahore was announced. In the meantime, the aircraft remained in the air. Once it was told to fly to Lahore, the airport authorities said that the plane was diverted for security concerns. Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2014 ============================================================ Live updates: Lahore airport in lockdown as govt-Qadri stalemate continues Averting a standoff: Volatile security situation forced diversion By Irfan Ghauri Published: June 24, 2014 “If the government had any plan to divert the plane to Lahore, we would have conveyed it to the pilot soon after the aircraft entered Pakistani airspace,” a top government official told The Express Tribune. PHOTO: EXPRESS ISLAMABAD: Authorities in the federal capital decided at the last minute to divert the Emirates flight carrying Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri from Islamabad to Lahore due to the fragile security situation on the ground, government sources have revealed. The initial plan, according to these sources, incorporated two or three different options, none of which called for diverting the plane to Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport. “If the government had any plan to divert the plane to Lahore, we would have conveyed it to the pilot soon after the aircraft entered Pakistani airspace,” a top government official told The Express Tribune. “The plane circled eight times around Islamabad airport before it was diverted to Lahore,” he said. Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, who was supervising security, took the decision after assessing the situation and conveyed it to the aviation authorities, added the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The government’s initial plan called for airlifting Qadri to Lahore using a helicopter or small plane as soon as his flight landed at Benazir International Airport. Police was tasked with keeping protesters at least a few miles away from the airport area. They were instructed, however, to not use tear gas or batons on protesters. But the plans came unstuck when PAT activists broke through all security barriers, reaching just outside the airport building. This left no other barrier between protesters and the airport building in the event the situation worsened, save for a few dozen Rangers and Airport Security Force (ASF) officials guarding the other side of the steel fence that serves as the airport’s boundary wall. The retreating policemen were engaged in skirmishes with PAT activists on the other end of the road instead of serving as a barrier before the airport building. There was a possibility that the protesters would resort to violence once Qadri was airlifted from the airport, prompting security personnel to open fire, government sources said. The incident not only earned the country a bad name, but also caused financial loss to the Emirates Airline, whose flight schedule was disturbed. When Qadri refused to come out of the plane in Lahore, leaving the aircraft stranded, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif instructed aviation adviser Shujaat Azeem to contact the administration of Emirates Airline. Azeem offered to send the passengers stranded in Lahore and Islamabad to Dubai using a PIA plane, but Emirates declined it and informed Pakistani authorities that it was sending another aircraft to replace the crew of flight EK-612. According to international aviation rules, a pilot cannot fly for more than eight hours on a trip. As EK-612 was stuck at Lahore airport for almost 12 hours, that duration was already consumed. The flight took off from Lahore airport in the evening and reached Islamabad at 10:40pm. Some media reports suggested Emirates could blacklist Qadri and bar him from using the airline in the future. This could not be confirmed, though. Published in The Express Tribune, June 24th, 2014. By Web Desk / Anwar Sumra / Akbar Bajwa Published: June 23, 2014 Express News of Tahirul Qadri in his plane. PAT supporters hold up banners and chant slogans outside the airport. PHOTO: REUTERS Express News screengrab of Tahirul Qadri in his plane. Express News screengrab of PAT supporters at Lahore airport. Express News screengrab of the clashes. Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Tahirul Qadri. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE . ISLAMABAD / LAHORE / RAWALPINDI / KARACHI: A sense of anticipation hangs over the capital as cleric-cum-political leader Tahirul Qadri lands back in Pakistan to throw up one of the bigger political challenges to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) year-old government. As supporters of PAT chief Tahirul Qadri fervently wait for their leader to kickoff his movement against the ruling government, a sense of anxiety and uncertainty has enveloped the country. Major roads have been blocked off and security has been tightened in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Earlier this week, at least ten people were killed and scores injured in Lahore when violent clashes erupted between the police and followers of Qadri – the deadliest political confrontation in Lahore since emergency rule was imposed by General Musharraf in 2007. As Qadri plans to go head-to-head with the government for a second time, get all the updates here. All stories relating to Qadri’s rally can also be found on this trend page as well. [Read: AFP version and Reuters version of the clashes that took place today] ============= government and will only let my personal guard come close to me.” Qadri also says media vans should also be allowed to go with him. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 1:00pm Jamaat-e-Islaami leader Sirajul Haq says “the world would have not ended if the plane was allowed to land in Islamabad.” “The government is making mistakes by mishandling the situation and only strengthening Qadri’s movement.” ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ===================================================== June 23, 12:55pm CAA spokesperson says they want to resolve the matter as soon as possible. “We are in talks with the government,” he says. CAA denies that Emirates had made any request to the aviation authority. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 12:51pm Punjab Law Minister Rana Mashood says Qadri should act responsibly. “PAT supporters attacking Islamabad police reflect the ideas they believe in,” adds Mashood. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 12:49pm Express News reports that Qadri is consulting PML-Q Punjab president Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and AML chief Sheikh Rasheed regarding the issue. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 12:46pm Express News reports that the government has tried to contact Qadri and offered to take him to his house. Government has offered to provide Qadri with a helicopter and bullet-proof vehicle. Qadri has refused all the offers made by the government. An MQM delegation has entered the plane to meet Qadri. Express News screengrab of Qadri’s plane. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 12:43pm PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira, while speaking to Express News, says it is regrettable how government handled the situation. “On top of that, the government is not even admitting its mistakes,” Kaira adds. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 12:32pm PML-N leader Mian Javed Latif says Qadri is bent upon creating disturbance in the country. He questions why PAT supporters are present at the airport armed with sticks if they are peaceful. “If Qadri talks about changing the system, why was he part of this system in 2002,” adds Latif. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 12:24pm According to Express News, Emirates administration wants the plane to be evacuated immediately. The airline officials have contacted DG Civil Aviation Authority and state advisor for aviation. Administration of the airline says the plane has to proceed to the next destination. Emirates says the aircraft needs to fly back to Dubai and continue with its routine flights. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 12:23pm Express News reports that PAT supporters are present inside Lahore airport’s passenger lounge. Airport Security Force did not stop the supporter from entering the lounge because they were in large number. The security around the airport has been beefed up. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 12:12pm PPP senior leader Aitzaz Ahsan, while speaking to Express News, says Qadri might lose support because he is inside Emirates plane and that the government has no control over the international aircraft. Ahsan says Qadri should not be stubborn and make a compromise to resolve the deadlock. Express News anchorperson Javed Chaudhry says Emirates has contacted the government over this issue. The PPP leader says government has overplayed the situation and given advantage to Qadri. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 11:56am Express News correspondent Talib Faridi reports that Qadri has refused to listen to the government. PML-N leader Raja Zafarul Haq assures Qadri that he will provide security to him and make sure he reaches his home safely. However, Qadri refuses to accept his offer and says his plane should be taken back. “Even if I decide to get off the plane, I will leave via the main exit and not old or Hajj terminals.” Qadri expresses fear he will be detained as soon as he disembarks the plane. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 11:51am Our correspondent Akbar Bajwa reports more than 150 police officials in civvies have been deployed at the Lahore airport, a police official told The Express Tribune. Elite police commandos are also present at the airport. Acting CCPO Lahore Zulfiqar Hameed, along with DCO Lahore Capt (retd) Usman have arrived at the airport as well. The acting CCPO is directly monitoring the police deployment in the airport, as well as the city. Express News screengrab of Qadri supporters (L) and police (R) in Lahore. Cellular services have also been suspended in several parts of the city, including the airport. Two rescue vehicles have been placed at and kept on alert at the airport. Dozens of PAT activists have thronged the international terminal of the Lahore airport. SP Traffic Azhar Gujjer has also arrived at the airport, while extra traffic wardens have also been deployed. Hundreds of policemen have been deployed near the Pakistan Awami Tehreek secretariat, where arrangements for a makeshift helipad are underway. Reporters are not allowed to enter the airport premises while their vehicles have been forced out of the airport parking. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 11:50am The Lahore police had chalked out different security plans for Dr Qadri’s arrival. According to a source, if the PAT chief were to arrive in Lahore from Islamabad through the GT road, 12, 000 police personnel would have been deployed for Qadri’s security all the way from Imamia colony till his residence, while 500 traffic wardens would look after the route. However, the policemen have now been deployed along the route from the Lahore airport to the PAT secretariat in Model Town. According to the plan, containers will be placed near the Punjab assembly, outside the CCPO office and the Governor House on Monday. In a meeting on Sunday, IGP Mushtaq Sukhera directed senior police officials to ensure that policemen deployed at the PAT rally carry rubber bullets and not open fire under any circumstances and should wait for orders from senior officials. An SP in the city, who attended the meeting, said that the IGP also directed policemen to maintain a distance from the rally. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 11:47am Express News reports a four-member government negotiation team has entered the plane to talk to Qadri. Seven passengers have been escorted out of the plane and brought to the waiting lounge. Express News reports that PML-N leader Raja Zafarul Haq fails to convince Qadri. Qadri also refuses to hand his passport to immigration officials. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 11:27am Express News reports that PAT supporters have also gathered at Karachi’s Numaish Chowrangi. This is one of the busiest thoroughfares of the city. Express News screengrab of PAT supporters at Numaish Chowrangi in Karachi. Men, women and children are chanting slogans against the government. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 11:21am Speaking to Express News, Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed says the government is repeating its past mistake and will face consequences. He says “Qadri’s movement has caught momentum and will only grow further.” “According to my information, government is well aware of the threats faced by Qadri but they are only creating chaos instead of handling the situation sensibly.” ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 11:18am Express News anchor Shahzeb Khanzada said on twitter: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 11:07am Express News correspondent Mian Aslam reports that groups of PAT supporters have arrived at Lahore airport and are staging a sit-in at the airport’s departure area. Carrying party flags, the supporters say they are here to welcome their leader. The supporters have not faced any resistance so far by the police. Aslam reports that senior PAT leadership is also present with the supporters and are meeting airport officials and inquiring about the situation. Aslam reports the number of supporters continues to increase as more and more PAT workers arrive at the airport. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 11:06am Radio Pakistan tweeted: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 11:01am Railway Minister Rafique says “the government has never stopped its opposition from protesting or staging dharnas.” However, he adds, opponents should not provoke its supporters to violence. When asked whether the government will use force to bring Qadri out of the plane or not, Rafique says “that is what Qadri wants the government to do but it will not use force.” ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:58am Railway Minister Rafique says Qadri has hijacked the plane and not allowing passengers to get out. Calling him a conspirator, Rafique says Qadri just wants to create agitation. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:57am Railway Minister Saad Rafique says the army is busy fighting a war against terrorists and Qadri is trying to divert the nation’s attention away from the operation. “I wonder someone who has issued fatwas against terrorists is doing such a thing.” Rafique says he was not allowed to land in Islamabad only after hundreds of his supporters, armed with sticks, gathered outside the airport. “We feared the situation might get out of control.” ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:55am Our correspondent Anwer Sumra reports that police force has been deployed at the airport and surrounding areas. A contingent of the elite force has also been deployed on the road leading to the airport. CCPO Lahore Zulfikar Hamid is personally supervising police force at the airport. Special commandos have been deployed around the Emirates aircraft carrying Qadri. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:52am A spokesperson for Civil Aviation Authority tells AFP Qadri’s flight has been diverted to Lahore “to ensure the safety of the passengers and aircraft”. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:48am Pakistan Muslim League – Quaid (PML-Q) leader Pervaiz Elahi, while speaking to Express News, says the government is repeating the October 12, 1999 history. “PM Nawaz is again manipulating the landing of a plane.” PML-Q leader Elahi says army has been called to only resolve the current situation and nothing else. He says “Qadri doesn’t trust anyone and is concerned about the safety of his supporters.” The PML-Q leader adds there is no shame in calling army for assistance. He says the government calls Rangers when it thinks police need support and so it should request army to assist Qadri. He adds “the movement for revolution has started and that it cannot be stopped.” ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:44am Punjab Law Minister Rana Mashood has said that workers of Pakistan Awami Tehreek have not been arrested anywhere in Punjab, Radio Pakistan reports. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:42am Qadri accuses Sharif brothers of plotting against him. “There are hundreds of Gullu Butts in police force and we fear them,” says Qadri. Qadri tells Express News again that he has not been contacted by anyone so far for negotiation. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:40am Benazir Bhutto International Airport is live again after temporary suspension of flight operations. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:38am Qadri says the PML-N government has held the entire country hostage. “I will not board any plane provided by the government, I want a helicopter provided by the army,” he demands. “I’m requesting the army and I know they are listening,” he tells Express News. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:36am Qadri tells his supporters to stay where they are and remain peaceful. “I emphasise that there should be no violence; we will fight these political terrorists with peace.” “Nawaz has hijacked this plane and I will file a case against him and his brother Shahbaz Sharif,” the PAT cheif says while speaking to Express News. Qadri says “if corps commander comes and provides security, I won’t stay inside the plane even for a second.” Army has been called in multiple times in Karachi and Hyderabad, Qadri says. “The armed forces have intervened many times in the past and it should come to help us,” Qadri remarks. “We are not calling the army for martial law but our security,” the party chief further says. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:31am The PAT chief says, “the government has diverted so many passengers to a different city without their permission.” “Passengers who want to disembark are free to leave the plane, however, those refusing to get off are doing it according to their own will,” he states. On government’s claim that Qadri’s life is under threat in Islamabad, Qadri says his life is under a greater threat in Lahore than the federal capital. He says “the government is acting hysterically and stopping me from landing in Islamabad because they fear me.” ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:24am Qadri, from his plane, says “whoever comes to meet me will first have to negotiate with me.” “The Sharif government is a murderous state. They have killed many of our supporters. We have confirmed reports they have hired terrorists to carry out attacks on their opponents.” “How can we negotiate with those who support terrorists,” he adds. “I only trust the army; their high officials should come and escort us safely to our home.” “We will sit here until or unless army officials come here and assure us of our safety,” Qadri demands. He says he has not been contacted yet by government or army officials. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:16am Our reporter Abdul Manan who is at the Minhajul Quran Secretariat in Lahore, reports that mobile jammers have been installed and there is moderate security there. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:14am Rashid says the act of PAT supporters blocking the plane exits is technically hijacking the plane. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:12am According to Express News anchorperson Imran Khan, PAT supporters are standing at the exits of the plane and are insisting they want to go to Islamabad and not Lahore. Express News reports that 90 percent of the passengers in the plane are Qadri supporters. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:10am Minister of Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique in a text message to Express News anchorperson Javed Chaudhry says the government has not arrested Qadri and that he is free to go home. Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid, while speaking to Express News, says Qadri is a free man and he is free to go his home. He, however, adds that the plane was diverted to Lahore because that is where his house and office are. He further states the plane was diverted to ensure Qadri’s safety. “The government has never stopped any politician from their work; we have never stopped Sheikh Rasheed or Imran Khan, so why will we stop Qadri,” he says. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:08am ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:06am Qadri has refused to talk to or negotiate with any government official, adding that he will only speak to a member of the armed forces. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:04am Our correspondent Anwar Sumra, who is at the Lahore airport, is reporting that passengers on board the plane have protested against the diversion and demanded the plane be taken to Islamabad. Qadri has asked why the armed forces are remaining silent on ‘state terrorism’ being carried out by the government. He claimed that the government has deployed terrorists in police uniforms at the airport. “I cannot negotiate with the government because I don’t trust them. I would like the armed forces, such as the Corps Commander to intervene to ensure my security and negotiate with me.” ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 9:48am According to Minjahul Quran spokesperson, Qadri has refused to get off from the plane. He wanted to come from Islamabad to Lahore peacefully, he added. Commandos have surrounded Qadri’s plane. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 9:36am Qadri’s plane has landed at Lahore airport, Express News reported. Around 150 to 200 policemen have been deployed in civilian clothes at the airport. PAT supporters have not reached Lahore airport as of yet. Two helipads were made on orders of the district coordination officer, one in the city’s Model Town and the other in Punjab University. A helicopter is also at the airport. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 9:32am ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 9:14am The official airport website had said that the plane has landed in Islamabad. However, it has transpired that Qadri’s plane has been diverted to Lahore, according to Emirates website. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 8:52am Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has categorically stated that no one will be allowed to march on Islamabad in the guise of holding demonstrations or sit-ins, Radio Pakistan reported. In a statement issued in Islamabad, Nisar said that it is responsibility of the government to facilitate Tahirul Qadri and his companions to reach Lahore safely. He said it is not understandable why Tahirul Qadri is landing in Islamabad when he wants to go to Lahore. The interior minister said all the security agencies are presently focusing on the war against terrorism, and it is beyond understanding why Tahirul Qadri wants to create a hurdle in it. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 8:44am Qadri is expected to announce his plan of action upon his arrival. MQM leader Haider Rizvi said on twitter that a delegation of the party has reached the airport to receive the PAT chief: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 8:25am Qadri’s plane has landed at Benazir International Airport, according to the official website of the airport. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 8:06am Chaudhry Shujaat and Kamil Ali Agha have been allowed to enter Islamabad airport’s Rawal Lounge, our correspondent Irfan Ghauri reports. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 8:06am Earlier, The Express Tribune reported that the government is likely to transport PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri to Lahore via a helicopter or a chartered aircraft as soon as he lands at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport in Islamabad. You can read the story here. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 7:51am There is big build-up at the main gate of Islamabad airport with even PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat among the crowd stuck outside, The Express Tribune correspondents Azam Khan and Fawad Ali report. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23 7:15am A helipad and two bulletproof land cruisers are reportedly on standby near the Minhajul Quran Secretariat in Lahore on orders of the District Coordination Officer, Express News reported. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 6:43am PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat has reached the airport, Express News reported. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 6:43am PAT supporters have managed to remove barricades and containers and occupy Islamabad airport’s Gate No.1, Express News reported. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 6:35am Aerial surveillance of Benazir International Airport is underway while Rangers have also been deployed at the airport. Section 144 has been imposed till tomorrow afternoon. A ban has been imposed on pillion riding and mobile services have been suspended, Express News reported. Express News screengrab. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 6:05am PAT supporters have crossed barriers after violent clashes with the police and reached the airport. The army has been put on high alert. Express News screengrab. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 6:00am Violent clashes have ensued since 3am in the morning in Islamabad between Qadri supporters and police, including reported incidents of tear gassing by police. Thirty policemen and 10 protesters are reportedly injured. You can read the story here. Express News screengrab. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Qadri took the country by storm last year after returning from Canada, where he has lived for seven years. Qadri’s appeared at the forefront of Pakistan’s political landscape with a massive rally in Lahore on Dec. 23 in which he demanded that President Asif Ali Zardari’s government resign to make way for a caretaker administration led by technocrats.