BY: Dr. Khaula Bint-e- Abdul Aziz

THE UNTOLD STORY OF PAKISTAN ARMY’S BRUTALITY IN SWAT VALLEY :

‘’123 was engraved on his face! Yes it was 123’’.

It kept on echoing in my ears. I tried to imagine a face with 123 written on it.

It is not a suspense scene taken from a Hollywood movie but in reality it

happened to a mujahid from Swat valley in Pakistan. Here is a full account.

‘’ My uncle’s son was taken in by Pakistan Army from Swat on terrorism

charges. He was striving to free mankind from clutches of oppressors

and bring in power law of Allah Almighty in Swat and hence was

labelled as a terrorist by apostate Pakistan Government and Army.

He was disappeared for a short time. Soon he arrived home, as

destined by Allah The Most Knowledgeable Lord not alive but he was

Alhamdulillah chosen as a martyr in the path of Allah. His body was

crushed at extremities. Fingers, arms, feet all were badly crushed.

Face had bruises all over. He used to be a very healthy man but now

his abdomen was stuck to his back, hardly any flesh left. And there

was something else that we would never forget.’’ She paused. I could

clearly see her fighting back tears and her face was reddened with

anger. She is a friend of mine who immigrated almost 4 years ago,

having spent 2 years in Karachi earlier after fleeing from Swat. I

eagerly wanted her to continue, I wanted to know what was that

‘’something else’’. She finally gained courage and continued,’’ On his

forehead was engraved 123’’.

123; what’s that about. Undoubtedly an act of arrogance and transgression

by men of Pakistan army. Despicable pride and arrogance that

surpasses the pride of Pharaoh. Pakistan government and Army

proclaims that they respect the laws laid down by United Nations, but

even as per their regulations concerning war prisoners such a

barbaric act is not allowed.

Words are not enough to document the heart breaking stories of brutalities

of Pakistan Army in Swat Valley. It has been several years now since

Army invaded Swat to abolish Taliban rule who were ruling peacefully

as per sharia law. The oppression that started against mujahideen-e-

Islam since then has increased several folds. Not only mujahideen-e-

Islam but their family members have also suffered heinous torture.

Close relatives even if they are not involved in jihadi activities have

been abducted, imprisoned and even tortured to death. It includes

women, elderly and children as well. Pakistan Army is playing a dirty

inhumane game, they are using all their might to wipe out callers of

tawheed (believing in Oneness of Allah while denying other false

gods). Their love of this worthless, mortal world and hate for after life

is one of the reasons. Their shameful and disgraceful alliance with

America is a clear proof of their apostasy.

During my immigration I ended up meeting lots of Swati women who

immigrated after Pakistan Army spread their evil wings over beautiful

Swat valley in year2009. Since then the barbaric way this army has

used to suppress jihad in Swat valley and other areas of Pakistan is

indescribable, at this very moment when you are browsing through

this writing some innocent life is being slaughtered, someone might

be hanged upside down, stripped off his clothes and tortured to death

and it continues only to get worse day by day.

Here I would like to give a true account of some of the extrajudicial,

barbaric killings by Pakistan Army. I would like to invite foreign

unbiased reporters and other journalists to at least in loyalty to their

profession please take a bold step by uncovering the heinous crimes

done by this Army against humanity.

As a Muslim I strongly believe that it is possible their crimes can go

unpunished in this world and that it is due to a wise reason known

only to the Lord of the worlds, but at the Day of Judgment when

books of deeds would be distributed out that will be the day of justice.

When the cries of innocent mujahideen prisoners will be heard, their

wounds will be seen and they will be compensated for their efforts by

The Most Just, The Mighty Lord of the worlds. They will inshAllah be

given what no eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard and no mind

has ever thought of.

On the other hand cursed men of Pakistan Army and their helpers will be

standing with darkened, disgraceful faces. Fearing the fire that was

burnt for thousand years until it turned red, then burnt for another

1000 years until it turned white and then burnt for a 1000 more years

until it turned black, ready to be thrown down in it on their faces.

They will cry tears of blood but to no avail. Finally, when they will be

getting severest unimaginable punishment in hell fire, the mujahideen

will cherish this scene through heaven, being pleased with what The

Most Merciful Lord has given them and what is the end of apostate

men and women.

Another Swati friend of mine told me what her brother went through

himself,’’ My brother and father were taken in by Pakistan Armed

forces in Swat valley. After a few years my brother by mercy of Allah

swt was released but in a pitiful state. He told us that the enemies of

Allah used to fill a tank with water, make us stand in it and electrocute

the water. We were literally electrocuted until we passed out. Then

we were taken out of it for a moment until we recovered only to be

thrown back in again. My brother’s finger nails were pulled out. We

are just happy he came back to us alive.’’ She narrated me the torture

that was inflicted on another brother,’’ A brother was martyred by

cursed Army men while he was in prison. His body had holes in it.

Believe it or not he was literally drilled in by a drilling gun. His knees

had holes. His eye sockets were badly bruised, of course he was put

to death finally.

In this barbarism even women are not spared. Few years back wife of a

respectable Taliban commander was taken in cowardly by men of

Pakistan Army. She herself witnessed the disgusting treatment that

her fellow women were being put through. She narrated,’’ I with few

other swati women were locked up in a cell. Soon a man in army

uniform entered our cell and stared at different women as if he was

going through all of us to choose the best sacrificial animal. Finally

his filthy eyes lit up. He asked a young, pretty girl to stand up and

come with him. He said it is for interrogation purposes and she has to

meet his boss. My heart was racing and I felt out of breath. Suddenly

another soldier came accompanied by a woman and ordered me and

few other women to move to another cell. Later I was told by a fellow

prisoner that usual course of events is that if the ‘’chosen victim’’

refuses to go along then she is denied food, water, sanitation and

other basic facilities and put through mental torture, afterwards if she

still refuses then she is taken in by force.’’ I met a well-known female

religious scholar in Islamabad( I cannot mention her name for obvious

reasons), she told me that she herself has met women from

Waziristan who were raped by men of Pakistan Army and later she

helped them to deliver the illicit babies who were then handed over to

Edhi and other welfare organizations. I feel deep pain in my heart

giving this account. The shattering pain of rape and then carrying that

burden for 9 months, going through agonies of delivering bitter fruit of

that filthy crime, living rest of the life with painful past and

unpredictable future. This punishment was and even now has been

given to thousands of muslim women by cursed men from armed

forces, policemen and other security agencies. Their only crime is

that they are relatives of mujahideen or if not related then they are

inhabiting the war areas. Well anyone who knows the past of this

apostate army would not be surprised at all. Few decades back

thousands of Bengali sisters were also victimized in worse possible

way by soldiers of very same army to quench their lust. Is it a special

war strategy that is being taught in their academies?

Men raised on cheap, godless morals, selling their faith for few dollars of

course cannot do any better.

It has been unofficially reported (impossible to see an official true account

of such events under tyrannical regime) that hundreds of women and

young girls have been abducted from Swat, Waziristan and other

agencies soon after they were invaded by Pakistan armed forces.

Parents are shedding tears of blood to recover their innocent girls

who were kidnapped from refugee camps built in by Pakistan Govt.

and army. Women are being forced for prostitution. Almost over 2000

women are missing from Swat valley after army occupied the area.

Now when Mulla Fazlullah group were ruling Swat and other

agencies according to law of Allah such incidences never surfaced.

Not even 5 women were reported being abducted or raped. If I am

wrong please prove it!

A Swati elderly lady went to police station to report her missing son. She

was harshly told to get lost. She refused to leave the premises until

they find her son. She was then arrested. A rope was tied around her

legs and she was dragged around the locality as a ‘’punishment’’. It is

a cowardly and despicable act to attack weak, unarmed women.

Women of mujahideen displaced cannot even dream of going back to

their home. They are targeted and arrested and tortured. A Swati

woman recently went back home for medical treatment as she was 9

months pregnant. She was arrested from her parent’s house from

Swat and taken to prison. She delivered her baby in jail only Allah

knows under what circumstances. I met a lady doctor during my

immigration who told me about a patient who was tortured by army

several years ago in Swat as her husband is a mujahid. She was

given lashes on her feet, her nose was broken and her head was

bruised. To date she cannot walk properly and suffers from severe

headache.

One may think of above given reports as some fake made-up stories, a

smearing campaign against Pakistan army. It is hard to bring proof

under such circumstances. But there are plenty of videos present on

internet displaying acts of violence by Pakistan army against soldiers

of Allah. Images of tortured bodies of mujahideen can be found as

well. Above all case of Sister Afia Siddique is a common knowledge

now. She is a single case that gained popularity what about

thousands of more severe cases that are gone unnoticed. What

about the cries of loads of men and women which are still going

unnoticed in the darkness of prison cells. Heaven is shaking with the

cries of mothers of missing mujahideen and earth is quaking with

their pain and sorrow.

I am certain that one day their cries, pain and tears will cross the security of

our four walls and then not even a single house in Pakistan will stay

peaceful. There will be fire everywhere, just like Syria and Iraq.

Torture of elderly men is also a common practice. A father of a mujahid

went to Karachi for medical treatment. He was disable and could

hardly move. He was arrested by security forces. It’s been three

months now and still his whereabouts remain unknown.

It saddens me when I look at the trauma and misery of Swati community. I

met women who have been waiting for their husbands for 6yrs or 8yrs

or even more. My close friend’s husband was arrested by army when

they were newlywed. The color of henna on her hands, the bridal

dress, the first meeting with love of her life were all very fresh when

her nightmare began. Her daughter has not even seen her father.

8yrs have gone by with not even a single news heard. It is extremely

torturous not to know that where he was being taken, whether he is

alive or not. It is somehow source of peace to know that he has died

in prison, achieving status of a martyr is a dream come true for all

Muslims. But to sway between alive or dead status is nerve wrecking.

Until now she has waited; 8 long years, 96 long months, 2920 long

days and 70080 hours. Another Swati sister who waited for 8 long

years for her husband, was recently told that her husband has died in

prison. When exactly he passed away? Where and under what

conditions he died would never be known to her. The body of her

husband was not handed over as well. Her beautiful girl said that she

is waiting for her father to come home from Swat prison and bring

sweets for her.

I looked outside the window at the sun setting, evening was bringing in

shadows of darkness and forcing the brightness of the day to flee away.

Everything looked gloomy. Suddenly my eyes caught a shining bright star

up in the sky, standing out in the darkness of the night. A believer is always

full of hope. Later that night I meditated over these true incidences. I

thought that SubhanAllah this is a proof that help of Allah is certainly with

mujahideen. As for them to stay this much steadfast on straight path when

such severe torture has been inflicted on them and bear all these

brutalities with dignity, not swaying towards enemies of Allah even a bit, not

compromising on any of the principles of Islam, not selling even an ounce

of their Emaan. For a weak human being it is not possible to tolerate such

vicious torture and stay firm on their cause. But when Allah the Almighty is

on your side, nothing can deviate you. He keeps heart of a believer firm on

the straight path in this life and when the soul is departing from the body.

The only thing HE demands from His slaves is full submission to Him,

truthfulness and firm believe in His promises laid down in Quran and

Sunnah. A question comes to our mind when will this night be over? When

will we see light after darkness? When will these criminals be punished by

Allah for their crimes? Certainly Allah and His army will be victorious. This

is the true promise of Allah and Allah never fails to fulfill His promise. We

on our part have to struggle as much as we can against injustice and

falsehood until word of Allah becomes supreme. We will be judged

according to our efforts, actions and intentions behind them. The result of

our efforts is in the hand of Allah only and Allah knows best when to bring

victory. It is not for us to bring victory. But we should be content to know

that

‘’Victory is on our side’’. Sooner or later it will come by Allah’s permission.