The three national assembly and seven provincial assembly seats of Dera Ghazi Khan district have generally been contested over historically by the Legharis of Choti Zaireen, the Khosas of Bahadurgarh, the Buzdars of Barthi, the Lounds of Shadan Lound and the Qaisranis of Taunsa Sharif.

Contestants from these families are once again in the race, though there is a smattering of new faces. In NA-171, the winner from the 2008 elections, Khwaja Sheraz, recently shifted from the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid to the Pakistan Peoples Party. He will square off again with Amjad Khosa of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, who lost the last polls by a narrow margin. Meanwhile former MPA from PP-240, Mir Badshah Qaisrani, has left the PML-N and is now in the run for this national assemby seat as the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) nominee, while former district president of the PPP Khwaja Mudassir is now contesting on a Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) ticket.

Mir Badshah Qaisrani was desirous of the PPP ticket on NA-171 and his wife Shamona Qaisrani wanted the party’s nomination from PP-240.
The party denied the ticket to Badshah Qaisrani, worried no doubt about a court case he is facing over an allegedly fake academic degree, but was ready to have Shamona. This was rejected by Mr Qaisrani, and he is now a JUI-F candidate for both NA-171 and PP-240. His rivals over the provincial seat are Iqbal Qaisrani (PTI), Khwaja Dawood (independent, with PPP support) and Imam Bukhsh Qaisrani (PML-N).

In PP-241, former tehsil nazim Usman Buzdar, son of former MPA Fateh Mohammed Buzdar, is contesting on a PML-N ticket. He is facing Khwaja Nizam-ul-Mehmood, the runner-up in the last general elections on a Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal ticket, and now a PPP nominee. The chief of the Malghani clan, Akram Khan Malghani, now sports the JUI-F colours.

In PP-242, it is the Khosas taking on one another: brothers Irfanullah Khosa of the PPP and Mohsin Khosa of the PML-N. Javed Akhtar Lound of the Leghari group is contesting as an independent candidate.

NA-172 falls in the Leghari-dominated area, including Dera Ghazi Khan city. For a long time, Sardar Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari was unbeatable here but the entrance of cleric Dr Hafiz Abdul Kareem in 2008 threw Farooq Leghari into difficulties. In the end, Mr Leghari was declared the winner by a court order.

This time, Jamal Leghari — who became the 27th chief of his tribe after the demise of Farooq Leghari in 2010 — will contest as an independent against his uncle Maqsood Leghari of the PML-Q. New entrant Zartaj Gul Akhund of the PTI and the PML-N’s Dr Hafiz Abdul Kareem may also prove to be strong contenders.

Mr Leghari’s younger brother, Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari, who won the by-election in NA-172 against the PML-N’s Dr Hafiz Abdul Kareem after the death of Farooq Leghari is to contest from NA-173.

Of the two provincial assembly seats that fall under NA-172, in PP-243 Senator Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa of the PML-N is the man to beat, while Ahmed Ali Darishak will try his luck on a PTI ticket and Awais Leghari as an independent candidate. The PPP has given its ticket to Saifuddin Khosa, son of Zulfiqar Ali Khosa.

In PP-244, Shibly Shabkhaiz of the PPP, Aleem Shah of the Leghari group, Shaikh Usman Farooq of the Jamaat-i-Islami, and new entrants Humayun Raza Akhund of the PTI and Naheed Khalil of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement are in the run. Former MPA Dost Muhammad Khosa could not get the PML-N ticket here due to strained relations with the party leadership; the ticket was awarded to his elder brother Hassamuddin.

In NA-173 Saifuddin Khosa, who won on a PML-N ticket in 2008, now carries the PPP flag and takes on Awais Ahmed Leghari. In the last elections, Mr Khosa was defeated by Mr Leghari by fewer than 400 votes, and a tense battle is again on the cards.

PP-245 covers the native Leghari areas. Jamal Leghari, his cousin Mohammed Khan Leghari (son of Maqsood Leghari) and former union nazim Zeeshan Leghari of the PML-N are in the run.

In PP-246, a tight contest is expected between retired Major Rashid Kamran Malana of the PPP and Mehmood Qadir Leghari (Leghari group). The PML-N has given its ticket to an old party worker, Ishfaq Leghari. Yousuf Leghari of the Leghari group who won the seat in 2008 is not contesting because of the issue of dual nationality.

Saifuddin Khosa talks to Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira after announcing his decision to join Pakistan People’s Party in January 2013. – Online

LAHORE: Although Pakistan Muslim League-N and People’s Party apparently seem at each other’s throats in the national politics, they are making compromises and seat adjustments, at least at local levels.

A similar situation is being witnessed in Dera Ghazi Khan district, where the PML-N has left open the National Assembly constituency 173.

Saifuddin Khosa, the eldest son of senior N-League leader Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa, is a PPP nominee for the seat.

As political leaders changing party affiliation has been a common phenomenon before elections, a former PML-N MNA from the same seat in the previous polls Saif had changed loyalties and joined the PPP a couple of months ago after developing differences within the family. Publicly, he had cited apathy of Punjab government of the Sharifs towards south Punjab as the reason behind his decision.

Relations between the Khosas and the Sharifs have been strained over the past two to three years. Last year, Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa had quit the N-League but he was persuaded by Nawaz Sharif to change his decision.

Sardar Khosa had at a press conference announced contesting against his son to relive the Iranian legendary tale of Rustam and Sohrab. The Khosa tribe chief has neither filed papers against his son nor any other candidate is being fielded by the PML-N from the seat.

Interestingly, Zulfiqar Khosa, who is also a PML-N senator, is contesting from a Punjab Assembly seat, PP-243, and Saif is also a PPP nominee for the same constituency. It is being expected that Saif will withdraw in favour of his father, thus the family will secure both the seats in a ‘local PPP-PML-N seat adjustment’.

The Khosa chief did not attend his cell phone when this reporter tried to get his version on the report.

PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif.—File Photo

LAHORE: Facing difficulties in finalising candidates for certain constituencies, mostly in Lahore, PML-N President Nawaz Sharif has extended deliberations of the central parliamentary board up to Tuesday (April 2), it is learnt.

On Saturday, the PML-N board completed the list of aspirants for women’s reserved seats both in national and provincial assemblies.

A party official claimed that certain ‘political families’ grabbed most of the seats ignoring workers who had been in the forefront in the struggle for democracy in the country.

A source privy to the list said Begum Ishrat Ashraf and her daughter Zaib Jafar were nominated for women reserved seats in the National Assembly. Zaib’s father, Chaudhry Jafar Iqbal, has already been elected a Senator on the PML-N ticket.

Similarly, PML-N chairman and Senator Raja Zafarul Haq’s niece had also been included in the list, besides Ms Ghazala Saad, wife of ex-MNA Khwaja Saad Rafiq.

Ms Ghazala had served as a Punjab Assembly member on a reserved seat in the previous term, while Khwaja Saad’s brother Salman Rafiq had also been elected to the provincial assembly on a general seat and had been advisor to the chief minister on health.

Mr Saad had been claiming in various talk shows that he would not seek representation for his family, which he said was over-represented to negate the impression that only a few families were holding a sway in the PML-N.

It is also learnt PDP general secretary Arshad Chaudhry’s wife and mother of an influential officer in the establishment had also been included in the list.

The source also claimed that the party leadership had prepared a list of candidates for all national and Punjab Assembly constituencies in Lahore but it was being withheld to avoid tension among contenders and their supporters.

Meanwhile, PML-N activists from Lodhran district continued protesting outside the Model Town office of the party throughout the day against denial of ticket to their favourite candidate in the area.

They also vent their anger by beating chests in front of Senator Zulfikar Khosa’s vehicle when he arrived there to attend the parliamentary board meeting.

One of the protesters, Akram, climbed an electricity pole and refused to come down, demanding Shahbaz Sharif himself should listen to his grievance. But the younger Sharif never turned up and Akram had to climb down, pledging he would neither vote nor work for the party nominee in his Lodhran constituency.

Sources said the party had given Senator Zulfikar Khosa a free hand in Dera Ghazi Khan to select PML-N candidates.

PML-Q’s Kamil Ali Agha. — File Photo

ISLAMABAD: Legislators from three divisions of south Punjab, especially invited to a meeting of the controversial parliamentary commission on new provinces, discussed on Thursday the unique idea of having a new province with “twin capitals”.

After the commission’s in-camera meeting which was attended by over 12 legislators from Multan, Bahawalpur and Dera Ghazi Khan divisions, PML-Q’s Kamil Ali aAgha told Dawn that it had almost been decided that the name of the proposed province would now be “Bahawalpur Janoobi Punjab” instead of the earlier agreed “Janoobi Punjab”.

Mr Agha, who had earlier claimed that there was a consensus in the commission that the capital of the new province would be Bahawalpur, said that following the discussion with the MNAs and senators belonging to the Seraiki region on Thursday, the commission might come up with the suggestion that the new province should have two capitals, both Bahawalpur and Multan.

Explaining the term “twin capitals”, Mr Agha said both the cities could share the secretariat offices, governor’s house, CM’s house and the provincial assembly. He claimed that his party’s proposals to include Bhakkar and Mianwali districts in the proposed province had also been accepted.

Briefing reporters after presiding over the meeting, the commission’s chairman Farhatullah Babar said that valuable suggestions had been received from the MNAs and senators regarding the name of the proposed province, its capital and geographical boundaries.

He categorically stated that “nothing is final so far” and the commission would meet again on Saturday. He said a draft of the amendment bill seeking creation of a new province was almost ready and it would be reviewed at the next meeting. Seven to eight articles of the Constitution would have to be amended for carving out a new province in Punjab, he added.

Earlier, a PPP MNA from Vehari, Mehmood Hayat Khan alias Tochi Khan, walked out of the meeting in protest against non-representation in the commission of settlers living in Seraiki-speaking areas.

When contacted, Mr Khan said a large number of Urdu- and Punjabi-speaking people were also living in south Punjab.

Asked why he had not raised the issue earlier, he claimed that he had done so at the party level and even PPP Co-Chairman and President Asif Zardari had agreed to include them in the commission. The MNA said he had boycotted the meeting to register his protest.

Prominent among those who attended the meeting were Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, Raza Hayat Haraj, Khwaja Sheeraz Mehmood, Mumtaz Gilani and Mohsin Leghari.

It may be recalled that the main opposition PML-N which is in power in Punjab has been boycotting the commission and has already declared that it would not accept its recommendations.

The PML-N alleges that the PPP is bulldozing the parliamentary process required for creation of new provinces just to gain political advantage in the forthcoming elections.

The commission had become controversial since its inception when the PML-N objected to its composition as well as its focus only on one province and decided to boycott its proceedings. The PML-N supports creation of Bahawalpur and Seraiki provinces and wants a national commission to take up the issue of creation of new federating units in other three provinces of the country as well, particularly Hazara province in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The 14-member commission was formed by the National Assembly Speaker on Aug 16 in pursuance of a message received from President Zardari and authorisation by the assembly on July 11.

She named only 12 members, drawn from the two houses of parliament, and said two members would be nominated by the Speaker of the Punjab Assembly. But the speaker of the provincial assembly, who also belongs to the opposition PML-N, later refused to nominate the members in line with the party policy, thus putting a question mark on the proceedings of the commission which, according to some legal experts, is incomplete and can’t function.

File photo

PESHAWAR: A cracker blast took place in a hall adjacent to the district bar in Dera Ghazi Khan on Thursday, DawnNews quoted police as saying.

No casualties were reported in the explosion.

Dera Ghazi Khan is situated in Pakistan’s central Punjab province and is at the junction of all four Pakistani provinces.

— File Photo

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday congratulated joint candidate of PPP and PML-Q, Sardar Mohammed Khan Leghari, by winning by-election from PP-245 in Dera Ghazi Khan.

In his message of felicitation to Leghari, the president said that the success of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) joint candidate in the by-elections shows confidence of people on PPP-led coalition government and on Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

The president said that PPP would always rise up to the expectations of the people of Pakistan and would emerge successful in the next general elections also.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has congratulated Sardar Hasaamud Din Khosa on winning by-election of PP-243 DG Khan.

He said the success of Khosa was a result of his commitment to serve the masses and hard work of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) workers.

The chief minister expressed hope that the newly elected MPA would utilise all his energies for resolution of problems of the people.

Men sit next to ballot boxes at an election office. — Photo by Reuters

ISLAMABAD: Voting in by-elections for two vacant seats of Punjab Assembly was in progress on Monday with 47 polling stations declared extremely sensitive in the two constituencies.

According to a private news channel, the two provincial seats went vacant after Zulfiqar Khosa (PP-243) and Mohsin Leghari (PP-245) were elected to the Senate.

There are six independent candidates in addition to a Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Sardar Hassamuddin Khosa in competition for the seat of PP-243 constituency of Dera Ghazi Khan. No political party fielded any candidate opposing Hassamuddin.

The constituency of PP-245 has eight candidates including PML-N’s Mirza Talpur and PML- Q’s Sardar Muhammad Khan Leghari.

There are 134,350 registered voters in PP-243 with 102 polling stations, whereas, PP-245 has a total of 130,758 registered voters with 122 polling stations.

As many as 47 polling stations have been declared extremely sensitive and 73 polling stations sensitive.

At least 1,700 Punjab Police personnel and over 300 Border Military Police have been deployed in the two constituencies.

– File Photo by AFP

ISLAMABAD: By-elections on two provincial assembly seats of Dera Ghazi Khan city will be held on May 7, according to the schedule announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) here on Thursday.

The two Punjab Assembly seats (PP-243 D.G. Khan-IV and PP-245 D.G. Khan-VI) fell vacant following the election of veteran Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa and Mohsin Khan Leghari of the PML-Q (Unification Block) to the Senate on March 12.

The PML-N which is the ruling party in the province seems set to retain the PP-243 seat that was vacated by Mr Khosa, but a tough and interesting fight is expected in PP-245 constituency, vacated by Mr Leghari.

In the 2008 general election, Mr Khosa won his family’s traditional PP-243 seat by securing more than 69 per cent of the total polled votes. The remaining 31 per cent votes were shared by four independent candidates. He secured 27,829 votes.

However, Mr Leghari of the PML-Q managed to bag the PP-245 seat after a tough contest by securing 18,330 votes and with a thin margin of just over 1,800 votes. Dr Saeed Buzdar of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) secured 16,441 votes whereas an independent candidate Sardar Mohammad Khan Leghari polled 14,885 votes.

The May 7 by-election on the PP-246 seat will be a test case for the PML-N and the PML-Q, which is also expected to get the support from the PPP as the two parties are part of the ruling coalition at the Centre.

According to the election schedule, candidates are required to file their nomination papers on April 12 and 13 while the ECP will scrutinise the papers on April 16. Last date for filing appeals against the decisions of the returning officers regarding rejection or acceptance of the nomination papers is April 17 and the last date for deciding appeals by the election tribunals is April 19.

The candidates can withdraw their papers by April 20 and the ECP will publish the final list of the candidates on April 21.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif - File Photo

DERA GHAZI KHAN: Chief Minister Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif on Sunday claimed the country would be steered out of crises under the leadership of Mian Nawaz Sharif with the support of masses.

Addressing the flood victims after inaugurating the Waton card centre here at Govt Post Graduate college, he said that Punjab government collected Rs 1.55 billion through Chief Minister’s relief fund and 22 model villages were constructed in south Punjab with this fund.

These houses would be allotted to the flood victims and the houses would be equipped with all facilities including solar energy and biogas.

He said the Punjab government by honouring its promise had issued second installment of Rs 20,000 each to 25,000 families in flood hit areas of DG Khan District for the construction of houses while the third installment of Rs 20,000 would be issued within three months.

Shahbaz Sharif disclosed that Rs 500 million had been allocated for Ghazi University and construction on it would be started within two or three weeks and he would himself lay foundation stone.

Talking to newsmen, Shahbaz Sharif said that Mian Nawaz Sharif’s movement was not against the government but it was against the corrupt system.

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NOFORN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/13/2018
TAGS: PTER, PGOV, KISL, PK
SUBJECT: (S/NF) EXTREMIST RECRUITMENT ON THE RISE IN SOUTHERN PUNJAB

Derived from: DSCG 05-1, B,D

1. (S/NF) Summary: During recent trips to southern Punjab, Principal Officer was repeatedly told that a sophisticated
jihadi recruitment network had been developed in the Multan, Bahawalpur, and Dera Ghazi Khan Divisions. The network reportedly exploited worsening poverty in these areas of the province to recruit children into the divisions’ growing Deobandi and Ahl-eHadith madrassa network from which they were indoctrinated into jihadi philosophy, deployed to regional training/indoctrination centers, and ultimately sent to terrorist training camps in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). Locals believed that charitable activities being carried out by Deobandi and Ahl-e-Hadith organizations, including Jamaat-ud-Dawa, the Al-Khidmat Foundation, and Jaish-e-Mohammad were further strengthening reliance on extremist groups and minimizing the importance of traditionally moderate Sufi religious leaders in these communities. Government and non-governmental sources claimed that financial
support estimated at nearly 100 million USD annually was making its way to Deobandi and Ahl-e-Hadith clerics in the region from “”missionary”" and “”Islamic charitable”" organizations in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates ostensibly with the direct support of those governments. Locals repeatedly requested USG support for socio-economic development and the promotion of moderate religious leaders in the region as a direct counter to the growing extremist threat. End Summary.

2. (S/NF) During a recent visit to the southern Punjabi cities of Multan and Bahawalpur, Principal Officer’s discussions with religious, political, and civil society leaders were dominated by discussions of the perceived growing extremist threat in Seraiki and Baloch areas in southern and western Punjab. Interlocutors repeatedly stressed that recruitment activities by extremist religious organizations, particularly among young men between the ages of 8 and 15, had increased dramatically over the last year. Locals blamed the trend on a strengthening network of Deobandi and Ahl-e-Hadith mosques and madrassas, which they claimed had grown exponentially since late 2005. Such growth was repeatedly attributed to an influx of “”Islamic charity”" that originally reached Pakistani pseudo-religious organizations, such as Jamaat-ud-Dawa and the Al-Khidmat foundation, as relief for earthquake victims in Kashmir and the North West Frontier Province. Locals believe that a portion of these funds was siphoned to Deobandi and Ahl-e-Hadith clerics in southern and western Punjab in order to expand these sects’ presence in a traditionally hostile, but potentially fruitful, recruiting ground. The initial success of establishing madrassas and mosques in these areas led to subsequent annual “”donations”" to these same clerics, originating in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The value of such donations was uncertain, although most interlocutors believed that it was in the region of $100 million annually.

3. (S/NF) According to local interlocutors, current recruitment activities generally exploit families with multiple children, particularly those facing severe financial difficulties in light of inflation, poor crop yields, and growing unemployment in both urban and rural areas in the southern and western Punjab. Oftentimes, these families are identified and initially approached/assisted by ostensibly “”charitable”" organizations
including Jamaat-ud-Dawa (a front for designated foreign terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Tayyaba), the Al-Khidmat
Foundation (linked to religious political party Jamaat-e-Islami), or Jaish-e-Mohammad (a charitable front for
the designated foreign terrorist organization of the same name).

4. (S/NF) The local Deobandi or Ahl-e-Hadith maulana will generally be introduced to the family through these organizations. He will work to convince the parents that their poverty is a direct result of their family’s deviation from “”the true path of Islam”" through “”idolatrous”" worship at local Sufi
shrines and/or with local Sufi Peers. The maulana suggests that the quickest way to return to “”favor”" would be to devote the lives of one or two of their sons to Islam. The maulana will offer to educate these children at his madrassa and to find them employment in the service of Islam. The concept of “”martyrdom”" is often discussed and the family is promised that if their sons are “”martyred”" both the sons and the family will attain “”salvation”" and the family will obtain God’s favor in this life, as well. An immediate cash payment is finally made to the parents to compensate the family for its “”sacrifice”" to Islam. Local sources claim that the current average rate is approximately Rps. 500,000 (approximately USD 6500) per son. A small number of Ahl-e-Hadith clerics in Dera Ghazi Khan district are reportedly recruiting daughters as well.

5. (S/NF) The path following recruitment depends upon the age of the child involved. Younger children (between 8 and 12) seem to be favored. These children are sent to a comparatively small, extremist Deobandi or Ahl-e-Hadith madrassa in southern or western Punjab generally several hours from their family home. Locals were uncertain as to the exact number of madrassas used for this initial indoctrination purpose, although they believed that with the recent expansion, they could number up to 200. These madrassas are generally in isolated areas and are kept small enough (under 100 students) so as not to draw significant attention. At these madrassas, children are denied contact with
the outside world and taught sectarian extremism, hatred for non-Muslims, and anti-Western/anti-Pakistan government philosophy. Contact between students and families is forbidden, although the recruiting maulana periodically visits the families with reports full of praise for their sons’ progress. “”Graduates”" from these madrassas are either (1) employed as Deobandi/Ahl-e-Hadith clerics or madrassa teachers or (2) sent on to local indoctrination camps for jihad. Teachers at the madrassa appear to make the decision based on their read of the child’s willingness to engage in violence and acceptance of jihadi culture versus his utility as an effective proponent of Deobandi or Ahl-e-Hadith ideology/recruiter.

6. (S/NF) Children recruited at an older age and “”graduates”" chosen for jihad proceed to more sophisticated indoctrination camps focused on the need for violence and terrorism against the Pakistan government and the West. Locals identified three centers reportedly used for this purpose. The most prominent of these is a large complex that ostensibly has been built at Khitarjee (sp?). Locals placed this site in Bahawalpur District on the Sutlej River north of the village of Ahmedpur East at the border of the districts of Multan, Bahawalpur, and Lodhran. The second complex is a newly built “”madrassa”" on the outskirts of Bahawalpur city headed by a devotee of Jaish-e-Mohammad leader Maulana Masood Azhar identified only as Maulana Al-Hajii (NFI). The third complex is an Ahl-e-Hadith site on the outskirts of Dera Ghazi Khan city about which very limited information was available. Locals asserted that these sites were primarily used for indoctrination and very limited military/terrorist tactic training. They claimed that following several months of indoctrination at these centers youth were generally sent on to more established training camps in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and then on to jihad either in FATA, NWFP, or as suicide bombers in settled areas. Many worried that these youth would eventually return to try and impose their extremist version of Islam in the southern and western Punjab and/or to carry out operations in these areas.

7. (S/NF) Interlocutors repeatedly chastised the government for its failure to act decisively against indoctrination centers, extremist madrassas, or known prominent leaders such as Jaish-e-Mohammad’s Masood Azhar. One leading Sufi scholar and a Member of the Provincial Assembly informed Principal Officer that he had personally provided large amounts of information on the location of these centers, madrassas, and personalities to provincial and national leaders, as well as the local police. He was repeatedly told that “”plans”" to deal with the threat were being “”evolved”" but that direct confrontation was considered “”too dangerous.”" The Bahawalpur District Nazim told Principal Officer that he had repeatedly highlighted the growing threat to the provincial and federal governments but had received no
support in dealing with it. He blamed politics, stating that unless he was willing to switch parties — he is currently with
the Pakistan Muslim League — neither the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz provincial nor the Pakistan Peoples Party federal governments would take his requests seriously. The brother of the Federal Minister for Religious Affairs, and a noted Brailvi/Sufi scholar in his own right, Allama Qasmi blamed government intransigence on a culture that rewarded political deals with religious extremists. He stressed that even if political will could be found, the bureaucracy in the Religious Affairs, Education, and Defense Ministries remained dominated by Zia-ul-Haq appointees who favored the Deobandi and Ahl-e-Hadith religious philosophies. This bureaucracy, Qasmi claimed, had repeatedly blocked his brother’s efforts to push policy in a different direction.

8. (S/NF) Interlocutors repeatedly requested USG assistance for the southern and western Punjab, believing that an influx of western funds could counter the influence of Deobandi/Ahl-e-Hadith clerics. Principal Officer was repeatedly
reminded that these religious philosophies were alien to the southern and western Punjab — which is the spiritual heartland of South Asia’s Sufi communities. Their increasing prominence was directly attributed to poverty and external funding. Locals believed that socio-economic development programs, particularly in education, agriculture, and employment generation, would have a direct, long-term impact in minimizing receptivity to extremist movements. Similarly, they pressed for immediate relief efforts — particularly food distribution and income support — to address communities’ immediate needs. Several interlocutors also encouraged direct USG support to Brailvi/Sufi
religious institutions, arguing that these represented the logical antithesis to Deobandi and Ahl-e-Hadith philosophy and that if adequately funded, they could stem the tide of converts away from their moderate beliefs.

Comment

9. (S/NF) A jihadi recruiting network relying on Deobandi and Ahl-e-Hadith religious, charitable, and educational institutions is increasing its work in impoverished districts of southern and western Punjab. Local economic conditions coupled with foreign financing appear to be transforming a traditionally moderate area of the country into a fertile recruiting ground for terrorist organizations. The provincial and federal governments, while fully aware of the problem, appear to fear direct confrontation with these extremist groups. Local governments lack the resources and federal/provincial support to deal with these organizations on their own. The moderate Brailvi/Sufi community is internally divided into followers of competing spiritual leaders and lacks the financial resources to act as an effective counterweight to well-funded and well-organized extremists.

10. (S/NF) Post believes that this growing recruitment network poses a direct threat to USG counter-terrorism and counter-extremism efforts in Pakistan. Intervention at this stage in the southern and western Punjab could still be useful to counter the prevailing trends favoring extremist organizations. USAID development resources in agriculture,
economic growth, education, and infrastructure development are useful and necessary and will address some of the immediate needs. In post’s view short-term, quick impact programs are required which focus on: (1) immediate relief in the form of food aid and microcredit, (2) cash for work and community-based, quick-impact infrastructure development programs focusing on irrigation systems, schools, and other critical infrastructure, and (3) strategic communication programs designed to educate on the dangers of the terrorist recruiting networks and to support
counter-terrorist, counter-extremist messages.
HUNT