Huge blast rocks Pearl Continental Hotel in Peshawar

June 10th, 2009 - 12:18 am ICT by admin

Several people are feared dead and many more injured when a huge blast took place at Pearl Continental Hotel in the Saddar area at Khyber Road in Peshawar on Tuesday.

The five star Hotel is located in a high security zone the heart of Peshawar City, next to many military and Government establishments. The hotel is often used by many visiting diplomats and other important personalities.

There is some speculation that foreign guests may be among the injured. Sources indicate that gunfire shots can still be heard in the area.

Currently there is no word about estimated death toll. It is estimated that at least 25 people are injured.

According to a Geo News correspondent, the blast was so powerful that windowpanes of the nearby buildings broke.

Last year a bombing at the Islamabad Marriott Hotel bombing occurred when a dump truck filled with explosives detonated in front of the Marriott Hotel in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, killing at least 54, injuring at least 266 and leaving a 60 ft (20 m) wide, 20 ft (6 m) deep crater outside the hotel.

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Sajjad Shaukat Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 3:28 am
RAW Behind PC Hotel Terror-Attack at Peshawar
Sajjad Shaukat
Tuesday’s massive explosion destroyed the Pearl Continental hotel in Peshawar, capital of Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province. According to initial report more than 15 persons have killed and 60 injured in the blast which is said to be suicide attack.
Sources said that gunmen came in two cars and were stopped at the security check post. Gunman, sitting in one car first started firing at the security persons and then exploded their first vehicle to give a safe-passage to other vehicle which was carrying 500 kilograms of explosives and stormed into the heavily secured hotel.
Pakistani TV channels quoted eyewitnesses saying that most of the dead and the injured include hotel employees, some foreign workers and United Nations aid workers. Dead bodies and injured persons are still being expelled from the hotels so total casualties cannot be counted at this juncture.
The hotel, owned by Pakistani tycoon Sadruddin Hashwani, is the only five-star hotel in Peshawar and was filled with foreigners as eyewitnesses told.
Local media reports that at least one Pakistani government minister including some U.S. diplomats may have also been inside the hotel. On three sides the city is surrounded by lawless tribal areas where militants hold sway.
On Friday, a suicide blast at a mosque in the Upper Dir region killed 40 people. On Monday another blast killed some people in Peshawar, while in a similar event on the same day several people were killed in Dara Ismail Khan in the Frontier Province. Tuesday’s terror-event clearly seems part of that series.
Although anybody did not claim responsibility for the terror-attack at the Pearl Continental Hotel of Peshawar, but it is clear that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) led by Baitullah Mehsud could definitely claimed responsibility like other similar incidents, particularly occurred in Lahore.

We cannot see terror-incident of Pearl Continental Hotel of Peshawar in isolation, so in order to reach a logical conclusion; we need thorough analysis, keeping in view some other major terrorist attacks, especially of Lahore.

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) led by Baitullah Mehsud on May 28 had claimed responsibility for the Lahore suicide attack which targeted the offices of Inter-services Intelligence Agency(ISI) and the police station of Rescue 15.Before that incident, some terrorists had also fired at the security guards of ISI and police station. Peshawar terror-attack has similarity with that event. However, there are clear indications that Indian intelligence agency RAW is behind this latest terror-attack in Peshawar like that of Lahore, the heart of Pakistan. In this connection, most of our high officials are avoiding to hold RAW or any other external power responsible for the carnage as our country badly depends upon American aid. Despite it, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said on the same day when Lahore suicide incident occurred—that Indian involvement in “suicide attack in Lahore cannot be ruled out.”

In this context, similar type of terror-attack which targeted the bus of Sri Lankan cricket team at Liberty Square roundabout in Lahore had killed 8 persons on March 3, this year occurred by a continuous gunfire by the militants. Pakistani officials confirmed that “grenades and rocket launchers had been recovered” which were of foreign origin. Afterwards, official inquiry disclosed that RAW was behind that terror incident.

It is notable that India had cancelled the scheduled visit of its cricket team under the pretext of Mumbai mayhem last year, while Colombo accepted the invitation of Pakistan and sent its cricket team. But Indian leaders and its media anchors had expressed their displeasure at the Sri Lankan decision. In that respect, The Times of India, while quoting various media reports, wrote on December 28, 2008, “India is not happy with Sri Lanka’s cricket tour to Pakistan.”

Indian rulers had covertly pressurised Sri Lanka’s government to withdraw the decision. It could be judged from the statement of Sri Lankan sports minister Gamini Lokuge who pointed out that Pakistan “tour had become a diplomatic issue.” In fact, Indian duress coupled with a sense of jealousy had proved that when Sri Lanka remained determined and sent its cricketers to Pakistan, India had punished the country through pre-arranged terror-attacks, conducted by well-trained and well-equipped terrorists of RAW.

On March 30, 2009, more than 10 terrorists raided the Manawa Police Training Center in Lahore, leaving at least 12 dead. After eight hours exchange of fire, Pakistan’s security forces regained the control of the police academy, capturing five terrorists alive, who proved useful in the investigation. On the same day, Mr Rehman Malik, the then Interior Advisor revealed that Baitullah Mehsud, chief of the TTP as the planner and executioner of that terrorist operation, also indicated a “foreign hand to be on the safe side.”

Notably, taking cognizance of liberty-terror attack and Manawa incident, International Cricket Council (ICC) cancelled Pakistan’s status as co-host of the 2011 World Cup of cricket. Now, Pakistan’s cricket board was going to have negotiations with the ICC, asking it to review its decision and conduct the coming World Cup of cricket in Lahore. Therefore, Indian RAW arranged the latest blast to block any positive development in the talks which are expected in near future.

However, on March 31, Baitullah Mehsud, leader of the TTP claimed responsibility for the Manawa mayhem, and threatened to carry out similar operations in Lahore and other parts of Punjab. First of all, statement of Mehsud, itself, requires special attention as he has been implementing foreign agenda through his nefarious game. His insurgents who are most active in Waziristan and other related tribal agencies had flatly refused to conclude any peace accord with the government. In fact, Bailtullah Mehsud is common agent of Indian intelligence agency, RAW and American CIA. Just like his patrons, while, playing a double game, his main purpose is to destablise Pakistan in order to fulfill the sinister designs of his paymasters. Mehsud whose militants get arms and ammunition from Afghanistan where Indian RAW and military troops are well-entrenched against Pakistan, is allowed to condemn US drones attacks and Indian anti-Pakistan policies so that his followers do not doubt his integrity.

As regard Bailtullah Mehsud, reports suggest that on several occasions, the US military commanders had been provided with his exact location by Pakistan’s intelligence agencies in the past, but the CIA-operated predators which killed high-profile leaders of Al Qaeda in our tribal regions did not hunt him as he is Pakistan’s real enemy who masterminded almost every suicide mission in the country including recent bombing in Lahore, Peshawar and other regions. He plays a key role in instigating the peace-loving tribal people against Islamabad. In the recent past, Mehsud talked to western media through telephone by neglecting our domestic media. Nevertheless, with the help of RAW and CIA, he collects information on Pakistani troops movements from an unidentified foreign source. On the other side, from time to time, US military and civil high officials inluding those of Inida have been accusing Pakistan’s army and ISI of close links with Mehsud. No doubt, Baitullah Mehsud like other secret agents is part of US and Indian double game in weakening the federation of Pakistan.

There is similarity in anti-Pakistan designs of the external enemies, if we witness the ongoing phenomenon of sabotage in our country in wake some other developments. In this regard, an article, published in the “Indian Defence Review,” Jan-Mar 2009 under the caption: Stable Pakistan not in India’s Interest, suggested the disintegration of Pakistan as it could better serve Indian interest in the region. It revealed: “The ugly separatist face of the agitation in the Valley (Kashmir) today is the consequence of the dereliction of the fundamental duty by the Indian Union.” The Review further elaborated: “With Pakistan on the brink of collapse …multiple benefits will accrue to India…Balochistan will achieve independence. For New Delhi, this opens a window of opportunity to ensure that the Gwadar port does not fall into the hands of the Chinese. Afghanistan will gain fair amount of stability. India’s access to Central Asian energy routes will open up.

Indian anti-Pakistan plot has also been endorsed by a 72-page white paper handed over to its Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the aftermath of Mumbai carnage. The paper, titled, War on Terror: The Agenda for Action, advised New Delhi to “exploit the divisions within Pakistan and expose its weaknesses in Balochistan, FATA and Azad Kashmir,” including building of pressure on Islamabad especially by the US.

In the recent past, New Delhi sent information (Dossier) to Pakistan, based upon concocted stories—that the ten gunmen who conducted terrorist events in Mumbai came from Pakistan with the official support of the latter. However, RAW’s media agents fully backed Indian self-fabricated stand against Pakistan during exchange of information between both the neighboring countries. Recently, Ajmal Kasab, the only gunmen who was arrested during Mumbai mayhem, disclosed in an Indian court that the police had forced him to give statement against Pakistan and involvement of ISI. His statement has endorsed Indian senseless accusations against Islamabad.

In the recent months, while showing alleged links between Pak Army, ISI and the Taliban, rise of extremism, distorting the image of our armed forces and the country on the whole, India shared west’s propaganda that Taliban’s advancement beyond Swat will result in total control of Pakistan by these insurgents with the nuclear weapons in their hands. On the other side, successful military operations have surprised the international community as Pakistan’s armed forces flushed out the Taliban from the affected areas of Buner and Dir, recapturing more than 70 percent areas of Swat within weeks.

Besides, overwhelming public support from every province of Pakistan for the ongoing military operations has shown that majority of the people are against the Taliban style of Sharia. It is owing to these developments that quite contrary to their previous misperceived approach; the US and western high officials have been highly appreciating Pakistan’s armed forces, donating million of dollars for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). And France has displayed willingness to sign the agreement of civil nuclear technology with Pakistan.

Present positive situation irked the eyes of New Delhi which wanted to create lawlessness in Pakistan and was determined to isolate the latter diplomatically in the comity of nations, but it seems to fail in its anti-Pakistan plans. It was due to these and some other strategic reasons that the centre of Lahore had been chosen by the Indian RAW, where an attempt was foiled to target the building of ISI. But the terrorists hit the police building, the rescue 15 with a view to tarnishing the image of Pakistan, showing it as a terrorist state. Recently, after that incident, police station Rescue 15 was also targeted in Islamabad.

Nonetheless, like Lahore incident, latest terror-attack in Peshawar at the Pearl Continental Hotel was highly coordinated act of the Indian secret strategic planners who thought that the international community will point fingers towards the Swat Taliban, taking the incident as retaliation in response to the Malakand military operations. But it shows that RAW has intensified its activities in Pakistan.

He writers on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations
Email: sajjad_logic@yahoo.com
faizan Says:
June 13th, 2009 at 2:04 am
RAW iz behind this assault.
Sajjad Shaukat Says:
October 9th, 2009 at 3:37 am
Kabul Blast near Indian Embassy: Plot against Pakistan
Sajjad Shaukat

On Thursday, a large suicide bomb exploded near the Indian embassy of the Afghan capital Kabul, killing 17 people and wounding dozens. The blast exploded across the road, where the office of the Afghan Interior Ministry is also located. New Delhi said that its embassy had been the target of the attack, but its entire staff was safe.

Although Afghanistan has witnessed a number of suicide attacks in the recent weeks, yet this explosion near the Indian embassy is part of the continued plot against Pakistan which is the only nuclear country in the Islamic world, and the US-backed Indo-Israeli nexus whose secret agents have well-established themselves in Afghanistan are determined to destablise Pakistan under one or the other pretext. Question arises in the mind of people as to how New Delhi can arrange a bomb blast near its own embassy in collusion with the secret agencies of the US and Israel. The reply is quite clear, which can better be understood by students of international relations.

In this regard, renowned political scholars like Machiavelli and Morgenthau remark that in international politics, sometimes leaders and rulers have to choose between the lesser evil and the greater evil. And in these circumstances, deceit and fraud become the principles of international morality.

However, judging in these terms a “nuclearised Pakistan” is considered a greater evil by the US-led major western countries including Israel and India which though possess thousands of atomic weapons, but Islamabad’s nuclear assets irritate them. US which wants to make India a regional super power of Asia in order to counterbalance peace-loving China takes Pakistan an obstacle in its covert strategic designs.

Some other developments also support this fact that this blast near Indian embassy in Kabul is a conspiracy against Pakistan. In this context, Pakistan’s armed forces have achieved a landmark victory by dismantling the command and control system of the Taliban in Swat, Dir and Buner. This reality was witnessed when renowned militant commanders were captured, and most of them surrendered. The US and some western countries which had been criticising Pakistan’s armed forces in the past, alleging secret links with the Taliban militants by remarking that the Taliban insurgents would occupy Islamabad with nuclear weapons in their hands, took a u-turn. In this respect, quite contrary to their previous misperceived approach, American and western high officials have been highly appreciating Pakistan’s forces, donating million of dollars for the IDPs. Recently, US Senator John Kerry has also admired Islamabad’s successful role in relation to war on terror.

Pakistan’s image has been improved in the eyes of the western public owing to successful military action against the Taliban insurgents, while India faced a diplomatic defeat as it had failed in isolating Pakistan under the pretext of the November 26 terror-attacks of Mumbai. Due to these reasons, Indo-Israeli lobbies in America and Europe became active against Pakistan with the support of their western partners. It was because of the influence of these lobbies and combined interests of Washington, New Delhi and Tel Aviv against Islamabad that some American officials have again started a blame game against Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI, while giving strong signals to widen the course of drone strikes in Balochistan. They are also misperceiving that Al Qaeda’s top leaders including Mullah Omer has taken shelter in Balochistan.

This is also part of the plot against Pakistan that America has been playing a double game with Islamabad, sometimes by cajoling it with economic and military aid, and sometimes by accusing it of supporting the Taliban in Afghanistan. It is most surprising to note that Pakistan’s armed forces and intelligence agency, ISI have broken the backbone of the Taliban militants in their own country, so, as to how it is possible that they are sending militants in Afghanistan so as to back the Taliban.

So far as this latest explosion in Kabul is concerned, it is also notable that sometimes people form their opinion in haste as stereotypes guide them. Logical approach requires that we should not conclude through single factor determinism. A number of factors are involved in world politics, especially when a conspiracy is being prepared. Nevertheless, by acting upon a plot to weaken Pakistan or possibly disintegrate its federation as in the past some so-called American think-tanks had been saying—US-led some countries wants to fulfill a number of aims. In this regard, frustrated in their misadventure in Afghanistan where defeatism has even been admitted by the American NATO commander who has been requesting more troops to fight the Taliban, US President Obama has started a second review of his strategy. In this connection, The New York Times has reported on October 8, 2009, “President Obama’s national security team is moving to reframe its war strategy by emphasizing the campaign against Al Qaeda in Pakistan, while arguing that the Taliban in Afghanistan does not pose a direct threat to the United States…as Mr. Obama met with advisers for three hours to discuss Pakistan, the White House said, he had not decided whether to approve a proposed troop buildup in Afghanistan. But the shift in thinking, outlined” by senior administration officials.

In fact, this shift to target Pakistan is preplanned, so past suicide attack in the Indian embassy and present one near it including other similar events like Mumbai terror-events were conducted by American CIA, Indian RAW and Israeli Mossad to set the stage conducive to justify an invasion of Pakistan’s Frontier Province, Balochistan and some other places of Punjab under the mask of terrorist outfits. A deliberate propaganda campaign which had started in the western capitals by their media in the past has been intensified so as to prepare ground for an attack of Pakistan. Besides other sinister aims, by targeting Pakistan, leaders of the US and those of some other NATO countries could also divert the attention of their peoples from their failure in Afghanistan

In international politics shrewd diplomacy is very common as all overt and covert tactics are part of the game. Let us take the recent example of the long-awaited, Kerry-Lugar aid bill for Pakistan which has been approved by the US, but with unacceptable conditions to Islamabad. While, there is already much controversy in relation to the conditions of the Kerry-Lugar aid bill in our country, which also came under discussion during the meeting of top commanders, headed by the army chief, General Ashfaq Kayani who reiterated, “Pakistan is a sovereign state and has all the rights to analyse and respond to the threat in accordance with her own national interests” as an army statement revealed on October 7. The statement also said, “The forum expressed serious concern regarding clauses impacting on national security.” The army has left it to the parliament to decide the bill. However, strict conditions of the bill are also part of the conspiracy against Pakistan as the US-led NATO is determined to attack Pakistan under self-created justifications.

It is mentionable that BBC, on October 27, displayed a documentary movie regarding the eighth anniversary of the US-led NATO invasion of Afghanistan. It stated that now this war is being fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, and “it will soon spread in Pakistan.”

On the other side, in the recent past, US has already concentrated its troops and arms in Afghanistan located near Pakistan’s border under the mask of fighting the Taliban. Besides the installment of other sophisticated weaponry, Mig-29 and other fighting-aircraft are also included in the contingencies. Some reports suggest that India which has also increased its military troops in Afghanistan has been sending additional forces in the country to support the invasion of Pakistan.

However, Kabul blast near the Indian embassy cannot be seen in isolation, it is part of all the related-developments which themselves are part of a plot against Pakistan.

Writer and Author of the Book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations

Email: sajjad_logic@yahoo.com

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