Published in The News on June 03, 2009
I am but an ordinary member of the ANP but upset at the way Samar Minallah's name was dragged in the whole controversy surrounding the flogging video. The NWFP information minister had said that Samar Minhalalh was jeopardising the so-called peace deal by highlighting the Swat flogging video. Within the party I protested that we should not name individuals but should investigate rather than instigate. My voice wasn't strong enough and Samar and her family continue to suffer as a result of the Taliban threats while the party, particularly the so-called human rights upholders within the party, continues to be guilty of the crime of oblivion and instigation.
Perhaps Samar is right in declaring that "women in the ANP are guilty of silence". This is all the more tragic considering that the party has a number of women and children as well as human rights activists, including the former chairperson of the HRCP who is now NWFP president of the ANP. All of them are silent. When I drafted a press release in April for the provincial president to counter what the information minister had said I was condescendingly given a course in Politics 101.
Everyone in the party is silent not even bothering to reach out to Samar . I tried to but my efforts have been unsuccessful. All I can say in my defence is that I tried. My apologies to Samar Minallah.
Gulmina Bilal Ahmad
Member, ANP
Thu, 2009-06-25 06:54
Mr International Professor does not have the guts to comment with his real name because he is not a Professor but a paid agent of an 'agency'. The very fact that he has no idea of the work Samar has done so far proves the fact that he is doing the typical propaganda campaign for money. Mr International 'fake' professor don't even bother to write this crap again because the entire nation believed what Samar had to say and not liars working for 'agencies' and taliban sympatizers like you. We are proud of her! Asiya Parveen Peshawarreply »