Translated from Urdu
Sunday 12 July 2009 | By Saifullah Khalid

Plan Ready to Deal with Taleban by Promoting Sectarianism

To achieve their objectives America and her allies want to create an “Iraq style” situation in Pakistan also. Three hundred Pakistani and a hundred Islamic scholars (`ulama) called to London. The British Foreign Secretary’s visit to Pakistan was a component of this plan. Important Report.

In order to control extremism in Pakistan and Iraq, it has been decided to bring about an Iraq style sectarian conflict. America and her allies have become active in this connection. According to sources around three to four hundred respected Pakistani Islamic scholars [`ulama], including scholars from Afghanistan also, have been called to London. According to information from reliable sources in Britain and Pakistan, keeping in view American General Petraeus’ experience in Iraq, on the suggestion of Zalmay Khalilzad’s wife [Cheryl Benard -- see pdf; excerpt on page 2 below, and mentioned in earlier post], to end popular support for the Taleban in Pakistan and Afghanistan, America has started a campaign to promote sectarianism. In this connection, the primary responsibility has been given to David Miliband, who is visiting Pakistan repeatedly in pursuit of this one-point agendum.

In his recent visit to Pakistan, David Miliband spent time in Islamabad and Lahore where he met not only with government officials but also with Mian Nawaz Sharif. In addition, he also met with the Secretary General of the Federation of [Islamic] Scools [Wifaq al-Madaris], Qari Hanif Jalandhari. According to sources, David Miliband also wanted to visit the house of Dr. Sarfaraz Naeemi, to offer condolences, but this was deferred due to its likely political fallout, and he had his unofficial message of condolence delivered to the family of Dr. Sarfaraz Naeemi in Lahore.

Haji M. Fazal Karim

Informed sources in Islamabad have revealed that the matter has now progressed beyond indirect hints and suggestions to open discussions and in each of his meetings, Miliband held detailed discussions on how to organise those schools of thought in Pakistan that differed with the Taleban. Sources also claim that a few days ago the Ambassador of Germany had held a dinner for the President of Pakistan at his residence and the President, contrary to his customary practice, had attended the dinner. This topic was also discussed at length on this occasion also and satisfaction was expressed that matters were proceeding in a peaceful manner. According to sources, this matter was at the top of the agenda in Miliband’s meeting with Nawaz Sharif also. An important responsible office holder of the Nawaz League has revealed that in view of the sensitivity of the matter, Nawaz Sharif held a one to one meeting with Miliband, and even [his brother] Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif joined this meeting only toward the end. Even so, information obtained later established that Miliband requested cooperation on this front from Nawaz Sharif and thanked him for giving a free hand on this issue to Haji Fazal Karim.

According to sources, Miliband is not working on this alone. He is supported by an American NGO named “German Marshall Fund“. The governments of Germany, France, and Norway are also assisting in this effort. For quite some time now a series of meetings and conferences have been held in this connection. This whole campaign started at a meeting held two months ago in Dubai in which [scholars belonging to] anti-Taleban schools of thought from Pakistan and some scholars from Afghanistan participated and it was agreed in principle to start work [on the project]. Later, after the murder of Dr. Sarfaraz Naeemi in Lahore, the pace of meetings and conferences accelerated and on the very day when funeral prayers were being held for Dr. Sarfaraz Naeemi, an Islamic scholar from the Deoband school of thought was coming to Islamabad to obtain a visa from the Embassy of Norway. In this connection, it has been revealed, interestingly, that estern countries are not only engaged in a campaign to unite scholars of anti-Taleban school of thought on one platform, but also to divide scholars of the Deobandi school of thought, and apart from promoting visits of acceptable scholars to Western countries a series of regular meetings with them is also in progress.

According to informed sources, five distinguished scholars of the Deobandi school of thought visited the capital of Norway, Oslo, last month, where officials from different Western countries met them, during their long stay there. An interesting revelation is that like minded scholars of the Deobandi school of thought are being handled by the government of Norway, which in the recent past has acquired very considerable influence in a section of Deobandi scholars in Lahore. It is reported that a religious leader was accompanied in Oslo by a famous Deobandi ‘Spiritual Guide’ (pir) from Lahore, who in the past had been meeting with the Americans in Paris in connection with activities against a friendly neighbour of Pakistan but had been confronted with failure on return to Pakistan. According to sources, the scholars who have been participating in meetings and discussions in Oslo, also participated during this period in a meeting organised by the French government in Paris in the last week of June.

According to sources, some three hundred scholars from Pakistan are in Britain at this time and have been enjoying official hospitality [of the British government] for the last three weeks. It has not been possible to conceal their meetings in London and other [British] cities from the media. According to information, these gentlemen have been engaged in propaganda against the specific position [maslak] of the Taleban and due to their presentation of this war against the Taleban in historical and religious terms, tensions among British Muslims is increasing. But because all this is taking place under government sponsorship, the government has been a silent spectator.

The sources have claimed that during their three week stay in London, some important persons from among the three hundred member delegation of scholars have met twice with the London-resident head of the Muttahida Qawmi Movement [MQM], Altaf Husain, at his residence, and discussed matters of mutual interest. The cost of boarding, lodging, and all other expenses of these honorable scholars are being borne by the British government, while an important federal minister is in constant contact with them, even while he is in Pakistan. Sources claim that accompanying this delegation of three honorable scholars from Pakistan are about a hundred scholars from Afghanistan, including sunni and shi`ah scholars, who have travelled to Britain by way of Uzbekistan. At this time plans are being made to create hatred for, and resistance against, the Taleban among the people.

Some sources are also expressing their apprehension that because the Deobandi and the schools of thought that differ from them, the two are being handled separately by the Western countries, it is possible to use both schools of thought against each other at any moment. According to sources the expenses of the collection of Islamic scholars on this scale and related activities are being borne by an American NGO, the “German Marshall Fund of the United State[s]” which has offices in five countries including America, Italy, and France; and its Italian office is in control of this entire project.

Sources level the accusation that some political pesonalities are involved in this Western conspiracy to spread sectaranism. This is supported by the fact that a former lady minister attended the Paris meetings, and lent a sectarian colour to the discussion by declaring that the war against the Taleban was like the conflict between ‘Ali [ibn Talib, ra] and the Secessionists [khawarij], and this line is being promoted consistently. British media have published the names of some of the scholars engaged in these discussions. The schedule of return of these scholars [to Pakistan] could not be obtained. Ummat’s sources in London have revealed that a number of organisations who are active in supporting America’s war against the Taleban are also participating in this campaign.

Page 2 Excerpt from Cheryl Benard’s Recommendations
Page 3 Original Story (in Urdu)