This news was followed by several memes on Facebook attacking PTI and its chief Imran Khan. Do you wanna know what was my reaction to it? I didn’t let unreliable story cloud my judgement and asked myself this: Do you really think Imran Khan, the man who’s Chancellor at Bradford University UK, who built model education village and Namal University in Mianwali, and the man who has a vision of one education system for the country(even when he wasn’t in government), could play with something as important as education?

Turns out, I was right and the news turned out to be false or one sided. PTI’s Information Secretary has categorically and officially denied the news and cleared party’s position in these words on Twitter:

Let me state officially that PTI is not handing Education to any coalition partner!

That’s a relief. Keeping in view Imran Khan’s integrity and credentials, we can and should hope for the robust education system in the province. Social media/bloggers and journalists should play a role of watchdog with the purpose of healthy criticism and not just not of trolls and propagandists. Cheers

The display picture of the facebook page possible run by Shahrukh Jatoi

Shahzeb takes a plea in the description that he’s being targeted because of his ethnicity and wealth. This version of story is way different than the one told by his father Sikandar Jatoi on Express News’ TV show hosted by Shahzeb Khanzada (not to be confused with the deceased). He goes on to say:

I was just passing around by the Country club apartments as I met Siraj. His Chef came and siad that Shahzeb has said bad on Sindhis. i accompanied Siraj to look at what happened so then we had an argument with shahzaib. Mr.Aurangzeb Khan came and solved the issue as my dear brother Shahzeb Khan said sorry to us. He went away so Siraj planned to fire on the air to scare him. When shahzeb came Someone in our group fired. I am getting blamed because im a Feudals son and because of my wealth, people are thinking that I shot Shahzeb Khan just because of Siraji”s Cook. No one saw me doing it!!

The page titled “The Fake Blame of Shahrukh Jatoi” also has 2 exclusive pictures which by the way also makes be believe the page is genuine. The profile photo has a poor resolution picture showing Shahrukh sitting on a desk with a “Zakaat Donation” titled backdrop. In the first comment, the page owner says; “I pay zakat and help the poors”. The cover photo shows Shahrukh with his friends who the page owner says are “random” Pakistani he met in Malaysia.

One of the statuses read:

I am a muslim and I apologize about Shahzaib who was a great person and now my life is ruined because I am only 19 years old and I have such a big charge. I am sad that His parent lost the only boy they had . Love you Shahzaib Khan and by looking at his mother on Samaa and Cnbc, I had tears in my eyes and thought what would have happen to my mother if she lost me!

The page was last updated on 2nd January and has generated 427 likes, mostly of which seem to have joined the page merely to bash and swear. But there are some actual supporters many of which have disturbing display pictures carrying guns. What’s interesting is if this page is actually operated by Shahrukh, it might help the authorities to trace him.

History repeats itself or not, but a historical wrong can repeat itself as human nature is not totally free from follies and foibles. Plainly speaking, a wrong once done in the past can be done again, whatever the years that may have passed by. This is the moral of my column in which I’m trying to take up a very pertinent question that remains unanswered to this day and whose answer I’m now trying to get from the one and only Shoaib Suddle, the man who has recently shot into limelight over the famous (or infamous) Malik Riaz versus Arslan Iftikhar investigation. And I believe my question may be an old one but‘ it is never too late to answer.

And secondly, the ‘cause of action’ is fresh, given the latest lawful order passed by the superior most forum of justice, the Supreme Court of Pakistan, that the junior officers are duty-bound not to obey unlawful orders of their seniors, including their political bosses and executives, whether they are verbal or written orders.

This order has vindicated one of my principled standpoints and brought to the dock the renowned investigator-cum-criminologist Shoaib Suddle (the term ‘dock’ is, however, a mild English equivalent of Urdu word ‘Kataehraa’).

They were mixed days of my life, good as well as bad. They were good in the sense that I had started working as a journalist and they were bad in the sense that my past miseries had continued to haunt me even then, courtesy the ‘good wishes and persevering endeavours’ of Shoaib Suddle. He was at that time Director FIA at Islamabad and happened to be in the good books of the political bosses of those times. The government was headed by Benazir Bhutto Shaheed who, I’m sure, was ill advised (another conspiracy theory) to pressure me to become an approver against one of the former federal ministers,

Mian Zahid Sarfraz, with reference to a false case that was instituted against me a few years back on the martial law authorities’ order but in which I got honourably acquitted after ‘passing through the mill, nay kiln’; not the traditional brick kiln but the kiln of unjust incarceration at Attock, false locking up in army lockup (meant otherwise for deserters and the incorrigible lot) in 35 Baloch Regiment’s Quarter Guard in Westridge Rawalpindi and innumerable ‘peshis’ (appearances) in Special Military Courts in Rawalpindi and Attock with an excruciating order in green ink by the then military dictator. The edict passed was: “this man must rot in jail even if no evidence is found against him”.

But that is the story of a dictatorial era. Why the BB government opted to extend that authoritarian mindset? I smell a rat even to date. The front man who came in touch with me telephonically on a few occasions was Shoaib Suddle with whom my seniors in the editorial section (at that time, I was on the news-desk of ‘The Pakistan Times’ Lahore) also spoke on phone.

And when I came in contact with the former Director FIA, I told him it was a bygone story and based on false information then why he was pressuring me through telephones and by sending one of his DD rank functionaries to meet me to make me ‘come to terms’ (that I become an approver). I also opined that if any order was there in place, it was unlawful and he (Suddle) was not supposed to obey it.

But the ‘hot pursuit’ continued for quite some time till I was salvaged out of this legal-cum-political-cum-bureaucratic quagmire by senior journalist Khawar Naeem Hashmi who had the courtesy of telephoning the then Interior Minister in my presence and get me rid of the apparition at last.

It was indeed kind of Hashmi to perform this act of kindness. In hindsight, I now think he might have been moved by my miseries unleashed on me in the past by military dictator (Hashmi was awarded lashes by a military court in more or less the same period of time).

Prior to senior journalist’s phone to the Interior Minister, even one Deputy Director of FIA named Chishti met me ‘on the same account’ in the office of eminent lawyer of those times, Khawaja Sultan.

And here I would like to press upon one thing that I wouldn’t have narrated a case in the particular-to-general narrative had this experience not been vital to the current political situation that most of the people now treat as a blessing in disguise, given the fact that it has helped clear some misconceptions and confusions.

Of course, I’m referring to the SC order in an old-but-ever-fresh matter of IJI formation with the blessings of the then COAS and ISI chief which has at least laid down the foundation of transparent system of public services.

Another case of obeying illegal orders issued by political biggies of Punjab has come to the fore, courtesy my sources. I would, however, write about it after more verifications. As for the Punjab government’s version, the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister has been sent a text message.

As for the version of Shoaib Suddle, he was formally sent a fax at his office number 051-9205553 from one of Lahore PTCL numbers, on November 20 at 7.15 pm (receipt of fax transmission is with this scribe) with the request to give his version before November 22 evening lest the writeup get stale(-mated). No reply came from that side even after the passage of 12 days.

About the author:

The writer is a senior journalist & TV/Radio Analyst and a former civil servant. He can be approached through his email address: mianrehman1@gmail.com

–
The views expressed are of the author’s only and do not necessarily reflect the views of AurBlog.

Citing security concerns on Ashura, Interior Minister Rehman Malik has ordered to suspend cellular services in the country for 2 days i.e. 24th and 25th of November in several cities. According to a report by ProPakistani, over 70% of Pakistan is to be affected by this suspension.

The cellular services have been suspended briefly in past as well but this would be the longest outage of cellular services thus far.

Head over to ProPakistani’s report here to read the cities affected.

Screenshot of Defaced Google.com.pk. Click to enlarge

Upon investigating a bit, I realized it’s not the Google’s servers/data centres that have been compromised. It’s rather the infiltration in PKNIC’s database which is the official domain name registrar for Pakistani cTLD .PK domains. The conclusion was quick to make as the WHOIS record of google.com.pk point to some free hosting service as DNS providers which obviously can’t be Google.

It is still unclear how did the hackers manage to get into the user console of PKNIC. I am also unsure whether the password has been compromised or not. If the access to user console is lost, it could be until Monday to retrieve that because as far as I know PKNIC offices are closed on weekends especially on this one coinciding with public holidays of Ashoora. Not to mention the registrar works slow and takes a lot of paperwork for verification etc.

Even if Google Pakistan’s domain manager manages to retrieve the control and updates to correct DNS settings, it could still be several hours before propagation and restoration of Google Pakistan’s home page.

P.S. A weirdly cool song runs in the background of defaced page = )

Update 1: Microsoft.pk also among the defaced websites hacked using the same technique by same hackers. The PKNIC accounts compromised are apparently managed by MarkMonitor Inc, an American brand protection company. It’s been more than two hours and DNS still NOT fixed. Seems like my prediction’s right.

Update 2: After around 18 hours, Google.com.pk’s DNS settings in PKNIC’s database have been restored and the website has started coming back gradually. It might still take several hours for some visitors to access, because DNS propagation takes time.

Screenshot of a defaced page

Here’s an excerpt of “warning” from the defaced page:

I am writing on the behalf of all Pakistani and all Muslims. DAMN you ISREAL. So, what you reap from that war except the destruction and devastation of your life!! You only made a Palestinian generation more stronger, more ruthless and more valor!

Read full story here at The Next Web…