Ex-brigadier thrashes professor over NRO brawl

[insaftak]

Ex-brigadier thrashes professor over NRO brawl Friday, February 05, 2010 Students protest as investigation ordered By Umar Cheema ISLAMABAD: A retired brigadier, the registrar of the Army-run National University of Modern Languages (NUML), on Thursday assaulted his respected professor colleague when the latter questioned the role of General Musharraf in brokering a deal with the PPP through the NRO. The staff room discussion on President Asif Zardari’s alleged corruption and Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf’s role in granting a clean chit through the NRO, infuriated Brig (retd) Obaidullah Ranjha to an extent that he started hitting Prof Tahir Malik like a punching bag, leaving the latter virtually unconscious. The incident triggered protests by the university students, who blocked the road and chanted slogans supporting the victim professor, Tahir Malik, and demanding the removal of the brigade of brigadiers, led by Rector Brig (retd) Aziz Ahmad, and assisted by the brutal Brigadier Ranjha and Brigadier Saulat Raza. Tension gripped the university premises with all gates closed and cellphones switched off. Brig (retd) Ranjha, instead of regretting his act, said he wouldn’t care in case an FIR was lodged and defended the use of muscle power, saying: “If somebody disgraces the Army and its institution, what should I have done?” and asked the media to write whatever they wanted, adding: “I’m not answerable to you.” The NUML administration reacts so loudly against the people questioning the Army’s role that it has taught a lesson to two civilian teachers in the short span of two weeks. The university’s journalism department, headed by Brig (retd) Saulat Raza, an ISPR veteran, recently sacked a journalist, Azaz Syed, who was in the department’s visiting faculty, after he did stories for his newspaper critical to the Army and the ISI. The NUML is fast gaining notoriety as the recent audit report exposed rampant corruption with the auditor caught the rector and the university’s senior staffers committing different irregularities, obliging their near and dear ones, and fleecing money in the name of watchmen. The tension between the academic staff with civilian background and military background is growing by the day, making the situation worse. As far the unfortunate thrashing incident is concerned, it occurred in the International Relations Department where Brig (retd) Ranjha was invited to attend a reception ceremony of the students where a discussion on the political situation started. As Ranjha criticised President Asif Zardari and lamented the country was being run by incompetent politicians, Professor Tahir Malik intervened, questioning why Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf brokered the deal with the PPP. Tahir Malik, who is the son of the rector of the Islamic International University, said the politicians were always hounded and one should respect the mandate the public gave to them. Brig (retd) Ranjha, whose appointment has also been criticised and declared illegal in the recent audit report, had also to face criticism on this count. “You have been appointed registrar without any advertisement. You don’t qualify for the position for not having the required academic experience of 15 years. You should set your house in order before pointing fingers towards the politicians. One should preach what one practices,” Tahir bluntly said, addressing Brig (retd) Ranjha. Facing humiliation of his person and the criticism of the military’s top brass role in political bickering, in the presence of a TV journalist, sank Ranjha into chair, his shoulders drooped. But he took no time to stand up and leave the place, only to return within 45 minutes. As Ranjha arrived again, he took Tahir Malik along, saying some urgent business was to be discussed. As they walked away from the staff room, Ranjha started hurling abuses, hitting Malik on the face, kicking him on the upper part of the legs. But doing all this could not alleviate his anger. He then struck in his chest with head like a goat. Malik, who is a heart patient, fell on the ground. In the meantime, the staff and students of the IR Department rushed to the spot, liberating Malik from the clutches of Brig (retd) Ranjha, eyewitnesses said. Dr Sohail Ahmad, head of the IR Department, who was an eyewitness, told The News he had witnessed this unfortunate incident. “Tahir is my faculty member and he was a clear victim,” he said. “We’ve demanded justice as the matter is now in the hands of the rector.” The rector, when contacted, appeared to be very calm. Instead of going into the details of the incident and who the aggressor or victim was, he said an investigation into the incident is under way. As far as the sacking of a journalist teaching in the NUML’s Journalism Department is concerned, it is yet another case in point of how the Army-run institution demonstrated intolerance towards freedom of expression. Azaz Syed, an investigative journalist, first had his house attacked on January 19, a week after a premier intelligence agency warned him against writing about its chief. Some days after this incident, Brig (retd) Saulat conveyed to the journalist not to come to the university for he had annoyed the institution of the Army, Azaz told The News. Later, he was asked through the clerical staff of the department not to come till further orders. The students protested on the sacking of Azaz. Brig (retd) Saulat told the students that he could not bring him back because his own job would be in danger in that case, a student who gave audience to Saulat, later told The News. However, Saulat, when contacted for his version, denied anything like this had happened.

http://thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=27076

good on journalists for writing against the corruption and professors for speaking out. IF this ex-brigadier thinks criticizing Musharaf's NRO is Army bashing then half of population deserves to be in jail. Also if he is so worried about the image of pakistani army then maybe he should speak out against the adventures of pakistani army.

Thank god for internet, otherwise some of us would have had bloody noses as well.

[Momo]

The retired Brigadier's act sums his former institution (Pakistan Army) pretty well. Whenever Pakistan Army has used force, it has always been against fellow Pakistanis. Whenever they have conquered a territory, it has always been a part of Pakistan itself.

Their achievements against non-Pakistanis have always been nil. The high ranked officers (not all but quite a few) of the Pakistan Army have been the biggest traitors to come out of our nation. And they are very brave, provided the opposition is unarmed and is unable to retaliate.

Shame on them.

[kingusama92]

Nice way to argue your point... just hit the guy. Not sure where he came up with that as a solution.

Someone needs to straighten that Brigadier out.

[Zechariah]

Sums up Pakistan really.

[Momo]

Originally Posted by kingusama92 Nice way to argue your point... just hit the guy. Not sure where he came up with that as a solution.

That's straight from the Pakistan Army Manual. Hit the guy if you think you can get away with it. If on the other hand there are chances of his giving you the beating of your life, stand there smiling and wagging your tail.

Originally Posted by kingusama92 Someone needs to straighten that Brigadier out.

Fat chance of that happening! But the day we are able to straighten out the Brigadier (and by extension the Pakistan Army), we would have gone a long way towards dragging ourselves out of the hole we are in.

[Savak]

Absolutely Disgraceful stuff.

[Golden arm]

Originally Posted by Momo The retired Brigadier's act sums his former institution (Pakistan Army) pretty well. Whenever Pakistan Army has used force, it has always been against fellow Pakistanis. Whenever they have conquered a territory, it has always been a part of Pakistan itself. Their achievements against non-Pakistanis have always been nil. The high ranked officers (not all but quite a few) of the Pakistan Army have been the biggest traitors to come out of our nation. And they are very brave, provided the opposition is unarmed and is unable to retaliate. Shame on them.

You are right, there was a joke in our circle, the only successful operation, it has taken is against its prime minister etc.
I think its more to do with colonial mentality , which has to be worked on and with conscious effort.
most of officers trained from academy are duffers & idiots of highest degree, and they remain so till the end of their lives, ironically with full of supreme pseudo confidence.
reason: they are being trained by staff with IQ of zero , even down syndrome kids might be having better iq than their staff.
some one told me an incident:
in quetta an officer went out of que at atm machine in quetta, he pulled the bloody civilian and told him as he is officer, so he should withdraw the money first.

[the Great Khan]

Replace the army with the highway patrol..that'll solve our problems..

[the Great Khan]

To golden arm; I think your post is disgusting and a gross generalization..granted this stupid brigadier is an idiot but to sulley and slander the names of so many who give up their present for your tommorrow is sick!! You sir and your post epitomises the type of gupshup Pakistani who finds it east to talk but is limited in action..

We have some great officers and jawsns who have laid their lives for this country and have defended it from all sorts of threats.. Many ate quick to jump ok the psychophantic bandwagon when it pleased them..I think you should apologize and take back your pathetic words!!!

[abc_to_xyz]

Originally Posted by insaftak http://thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=27076 good on journalists for writing against the corruption and professors for speaking out. IF this ex-brigadier thinks criticizing Musharaf's NRO is Army bashing then half of population deserves to be in jail. Also if he is so worried about the image of pakistani army then maybe he should speak out against the adventures of pakistani army. Thank god for internet, otherwise some of us would have had bloody noses as well.

WOW! NUML is not very far from my home, maybe i can see more action live

[Momo]

Originally Posted by Golden arm You are right, there was a joke in our circle, the only successful operation, it has taken is against its prime minister etc. I think its more to do with colonial mentality, which has to be worked on and with conscious effort. most of officers trained from academy are duffers & idiots of highest degree, and they remain so till the end of their lives, ironically with full of supreme pseudo confidence. reason: they are being trained by staff with IQ of zero, even down syndrome kids might be having better iq than their staff. some one told me an incident: in quetta an officer went out of que at atm machine in quetta, he pulled the bloody civilian and told him as he is officer, so he should withdraw the money first.

And it was not an isolated nut-case either, because I know it for a fact that at the PMA the highest insult - barring calling somebody an Indian - is to call him a bloody civilian. The beghairats forget that Quaid e Azam was also a civilian.

But I wouldn't call them all idiots (although quite a few of them are indeed just that) because most of the higher ranked officers are extremely smart when it comes to their private portfolios and retirement plans. In fact the most successful property dealers of Pakistan are higher ranked Army officers.

You would recall the story about a Major General asking a Lt. General his views about the usability of the F16 option. The Lt. General replied, "Achha sector hai, agar corner plot mile to le lo."

[waqar_ahmad]

Originally Posted by Momo And it was not an isolated nut-case either, because I know it for a fact that at the PMA the highest insult - barring calling somebody an Indian - is to call him a bloody civilian. The beghairats forget that Quaid e Azam was also a civilian. But I wouldn't call them all idiots (although quite a few of them are indeed just that) because most of the higher ranked officers are extremely smart when it comes to their private portfolios and retirement plans. In fact the most successful property dealers of Pakistan are higher ranked Army officers. You would recall the story about a Major General asking a Lt. General his views about the usability of the F16 option. The Lt. General replied, "Achha sector hai, agar corner plot mile to le lo."

The army protects its own at all costs.

Let me sum up the army for you in a few words. The army is NOT pro-US, the army is not pro-Pakistan. THe army, is pro-army. They do only that, what is in their own interest. Screw the rest.

[Momo]

Originally Posted by waqar_ahmad The army protects its own at all costs. Let me sum up the army for you in a few words. The army is NOT pro-US, the army is not pro-Pakistan. THe army, is pro-army. They do only that, what is in their own interest. Screw the rest.

Very well summed up. Completely agree. And how ruthlessly have they screwed the rest!

[waqar_ahmad]

And to all those travelling on the emotionally charged train, saying "army jawans have laid down their lives for the country, etc etc.."

Firstly, yes they have, but army as an institution is different than a few jawans.

Secondly, they also surrendered 90,000 soldiers to india in 71, with General Niazi drinking and cracking dirty jokes with his indian counterpart, while handing over his soldiers.

So get off the emotional train. Pakistan army is dishonest, and has ruined pakistan, more than helping to secure it

[Golden arm]

Originally Posted by the Great Khan To golden arm; I think your post is disgusting and a gross generalization..granted this stupid brigadier is an idiot but to sulley and slander the names of so many who give up their present for your tommorrow is sick!! You sir and your post epitomises the type of gupshup Pakistani who finds it east to talk but is limited in action.. We have some great officers and jawsns who have laid their lives for this country and have defended it from all sorts of threats.. Many ate quick to jump ok the psychophantic bandwagon when it pleased them..I think you should apologize and take back your pathetic words!!!

officers and jawans who lay down their lives, dont treat bloodly civilians like that!
they are very professional, humble and nice human beings. Nobody can deny their sacrifice.
I also suggested the root cause for the idiotic behaviour and pseudo supreme confidence . Problem is they will never listen and this will result in loss of support from the general public.

[Golden arm]

Originally Posted by Momo And it was not an isolated nut-case either, because I know it for a fact that at the PMA the highest insult - barring calling somebody an Indian - is to call him a bloody civilian. The beghairats forget that Quaid e Azam was also a civilian. But I wouldn't call them all idiots (although quite a few of them are indeed just that) because most of the higher ranked officers are extremely smart when it comes to their private portfolios and retirement plans. In fact the most successful property dealers of Pakistan are higher ranked Army officers. You would recall the story about a Major General asking a Lt. General his views about the usability of the F16 option. The Lt. General replied, "Achha sector hai, agar corner plot mile to le lo."

and what did they do to MUHATARMA FATIMA JINNAH????????????
and we all know.

[d0gers]

Originally Posted by Momo The retired Brigadier's act sums his former institution (Pakistan Army) pretty well. Whenever Pakistan Army has used force, it has always been against fellow Pakistanis. Whenever they have conquered a territory, it has always been a part of Pakistan itself. Their achievements against non-Pakistanis have always been nil. The high ranked officers (not all but quite a few) of the Pakistan Army have been the biggest traitors to come out of our nation. And they are very brave, provided the opposition is unarmed and is unable to retaliate. Shame on them.

That is some pretty scathing criticism. Love it.

Some say it is in the interest of the Pakistan Army to keep conflict (be it with India, the Taliban) alive, as that way they make sure they are always 'relevant' and able to lay a large claim on the national budget.

Which of course they need to run all those cement and fertilizer companies, and finance real estate development.

[Zechariah]

At the end of the day our army did not come from Mars, they came from Pakistani and people who run at are Pakistanis.

Simple as.

Army is no good and neither are the politicians. Great country we are right?

[Golden arm]

Originally Posted by Zechariah At the end of the day our army did not come from Mars, they came from Pakistani and people who run at are Pakistanis. Simple as. Army is no good and neither are the politicians. Great country we are right?

absolutely right.

but the problem is they don't accept this.

claims

a. they are from mars, every one else is uchuuuuut

b. they are the supreme.

c. they are always right.

d. they are the most sacred cows, rest all are untouchables.

e. only they are patriotic, any one who speaks against them is ghaddar.

f. any one who talks about the plots, or financial things and corruptions, he forgets the sacrifice of shaheeds.

basically here they try to emotionally blackmail the people.

[insaftak]

NUML rector snatches cell phone from female teacher



Teachers form ASA to protect rights

Tuesday, February 09, 2010
By Umar Cheema

ISLAMABAD: The uproar over public beating of a professor in the National University of Modern Languages (NUML) got deeper on Monday when the rector of the university snatched the mobile phone from a female teacher, accusing her of making his video.

The reports that the rector was behind Thursday’s public beating of a professor at the hands of Brig (retd) Obaidullah Ranjha, gained credence as he reconstituted the inquiry committee excluding a highly respected female civilian teacher, Dr Sohaila, and inducting two retired brigadiers into the committee. Moreover, he turned a deaf ear to the academic staff’s demand of sacking Brig (retd) Ranjha or at least placing him under suspension.

Meanwhile, the academic staff, in defiance of the long-standing restrictions on their legitimate right to form an association, made history on Monday when they constituted the academic staff association to wage a joint and concerted campaign against the brigadier.

The battered professor was being forced into submission by senior government officials, with the Islamabad district administration spending the whole day to locate him and then escort him to a place for handshake with the Brig (retd) Obaidullah Ranjha under TV cameras blitz to mislead the people as if patch-up has been brokered.

The NUML witnessed another disturbing incident Monday when the rector, Brig (retd) Aziz Ahmad Khan, snatched the mobile phone from a lady teacher in the midst of a hurriedly called meeting in the university’s director general office. “Do you want me to resign? Tell me precisely,” the rector said as he was trying to calm down the academic staff without committing any action against Ranjha. The academic staff did not demand his resignation but action against Brig (retd) Ranjha. Brig (retd) Aziz then headed towards a young lady teacher playing game on her mobile. “You’re making my video. I’ll see you,” he threatened as he snatched her mobile phone. The academic staff protested over this dictatorial style.

DG NUML, when contacted to confirm, said he heard something happened but he was out of his office at that time. Shaista, the lady teacher, had her mobile switched off. The rector when contacted refused to say anything on this incident.

No investigation has so far been carried out into Thursday’s incident. Instead, the inquiry committee formed on Friday has been reconstituted. A highly respected professor, Dr. Sohaila, has been dropped from the committee. She has been replaced with two retired brigadiers serving in the NUML - Brig. (retd) Allah Bux and Brig (retd) Siraj Ahmad.

According to informed sources the rector, before reconstituting the inquiry committee, was insisting on transforming it into a fact-finding board. As the head of the committee, Kamran Jahangir who is also DG NUML, refused to preside over such a toothless board with no clear-cut mandate, the rector was forced to rename it as fact finding-inquiry board but he succeeded in including two retired brigadiers in the newly formed committee. The rector refused to comment when The News contacted for his version and merely said: “I don’t know.”

The newly formed academic staff association vowed not only to bring the public beating of their colleague to logical conclusion but also to take up their issues of common interest in future. Although the university has been closed for one week, the association has decided that the academic staff will come daily to hold protests until the basher-brigadier is removed from his position.

The staff association noted with concern the involvement of interior minister Rehman Malik in the matter instead of the education ministry and the presidency. Rehman Malik has been vigorously pursuing the case, though the issue doesn’t fall under his jurisdiction. The Islamabad administration remained busy all day to locate the professor and escort him to some place as desired by the interior minister.

Rehman Malik was not available for comments but deputy commissioner Islamabad said the district administration is bound to do as directed by the interior minister. Asked why the ministry and the city administration were meddling in the affairs that come under the purview of the education ministry, he said only the interior minister could explain this.

[Zechariah]

By Umar Cheema

ISLAMABAD: The brigadier-registrar of the National University of Modern Languages (NUML), who assaulted a professor, was ultimately forced to resign on Wednesday but only after the intervention of his former institution, the Pakistan Army, while President Asif Ali Zardari, Chancellor of the University, played the role of a silent spectator.

The brigadier was given the marching orders by the Army chief’s nominee, who defused the tension by forcing the NUML registrar to resign. Brig (retd) Obaidullah Ranjha, tendered his resignation after he was pressurised by relevant officials in the GHQ as his brutal act of thrashing Prof Tahir Malik caused huge embarrassment for the institution of the Army, credible sources say.

The alleged mastermind of this sordid episode, the NUML’s rector Brig (retd) Aziz Ahmad, who was earlier resisting demands of Ranjha’s removal, however, managed to save his skin, at least for the time being.

The sources privy to the developments said that both the rector and the registrar were summoned to the GHQ. Lt-Gen Azhar Hayat, the Inspector General Training, is the Army chief’s nominee on the NUML’s Board of Governors and both officials were summoned to his office.

Ranjha wrote his resignation under the unforgiving gaze of his serving colleagues and instead of coming in person to the university, he just faxed it after the meeting was over. Lt-Gen Azhar and the NUML’s rector were not available for comments, as the former was away from home and the latter didn’t attend his mobile despite repeated calls.

However, a source in the rector office confirmed that they were summoned to the GHQ. The rector and the registrar took the thrashing incident lightly in the beginning hoping the institution of the Army would offer them support and backing. But as the protests against Brig (retd) Ranjha gained momentum making daily headlines, things went out of control for all those who could have stood by them, resulting in the decision of sending the registrar home.

It also became more urgent as the tension grew on civil-military lines with the civilian professors in the university realising that they were working under an administration, which resembled more a civil-Khaki apartheid of sorts being manipulated by a brigade of retired brigadiers.

As Ranjha resigned, the NUML’s Academic Staff Association (NASA) has demanded the president of Pakistan to convene the university’s Board of Governors meeting in his capacity as Chancellor, not knowing the Presidency played no notable role in diffusing the crisis. The Presidency’s role in this battle was sadly not more than that of a spectator. Farhatullah Babar, the presidential spokesman, issued a statement late on Friday, a day after the incident only when the media persons sought his reaction on the issue.

He then ordered an inquiry into the matter, but its findings had yet to reach the Presidency even after the resolution of tension with Ranjha’s resignation. Babar told The News on Wednesday that the Presidency had asked the Education Ministry to furnish a report but he confirmed on Wednesday no report had come as yet.

The only report the Presidency so far received was from the Islamabad’s district administration, but none from the ministry nor from the university. So much for chancellors authority. The Presidency does not even know if the education minister being pro-chancellor has prepared any report, The News understands from discussion with Babar. Even the report furnished by the NUML’s inquiry committee has not been sent to the Presidency by the rector.

The additional secretary of the Presidency dealing with the universities matters told The News late on Saturday that the Higher Education Commission (HEC) had been asked to furnish the report in contrast with Babar’s statement that the Education Ministry had been directed to do this. Asked who in the HEC had been given the task, the additional secretary said that the chairman HEC and the executive director HEC had been directed in this regard.

However, HEC’s Executive Director Dr Sohail Naqvi was surprised to learn this as he told The News that they had not been directed to do this. He rather wondered that the president being the Chancellor could have directly asked the NUML rector for this, instead of routing the directives through the HEC that had nothing to do with the thrashing affairs.

While the president and the education minister almost remained indifferent to the issue, as they did not take any practical step, the interior minister encroached on their administrative territory as he sprung to action to resolve the issue. As the National Assembly questioned his involvement, the minister justified his role, saying he stepped in smelling that some law and order situation would have been created under the pretext of protests, had he not intervened.