"C.M.Naim" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2004 22:03:55 -0600
To: Recipient List Suppressed:;
From: "C.M.Naim" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: A Pakistani journalist in NY faces anti-terror unit
Worth a read for several reasons
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Thu, 08 Jan 2004 21:54:19 +0000
>From: NADEEM SALAHRI <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Subject: From Nadeem manzoor Salahri, special Correspondent daily NawaiWaqt
>
>New York (Nadeem Manzoor Salahri) Anti terrorism squad raided the home of a
>Pakistani journalist residing in the state of New Jersey, High alert in
>United States forced the New York Police Department NYPD , criminal
>investigation team, Anti Terrorism Unit, to go against the constitution and
>raid in New Jersey State.
>
>The p! olice knocked at the door of Zahid Ghani, correspondent of a Pakistani
>wire services at 11.58pm and inquired where he spent his day . He was told
>that police recording have found car noise, shutting of a car door, and
>bullet shots sounds. . Journalist told that about twenty minutes before he
>went out to fetch pack of Cigarette from his car parked outside . He told
>that his 6 year old son have a toy gun and a toy pistol and called his son
>to bring both of his toys.
>
>But the officials said no we are inquiring about your afternoon trip. Then
>the Detective Marck Webster asked who is Shehbaz and what is Pakistan Muslim
>League? Then journalist recalled and told that he had lunch in a Deli with
>two of his friends both political activists. One Ex-President PML(N) USA and
>the other Ehsan Pasha, member Central Committee PML(N).
>
>Sergeant Steven Reich then revealed that journalist's cell phone di! aled and
>connected to the NYPD Public Affairs wing telephone and remained connected
>for about 40 minutes. He told that the police recorded all the conversation
>. He said it took us 9 hours of efforts, called Urdu/Punjabi translators and
>got it translated in English. He further told that police managed to get the
>journalist's social security number and all the scrutiny was accomplished.
>
>Both the PML(N) leaders and the journalist during their luncheon meeting had
>talked about suicide attack on President Musharraf, talked on Pakistani
>expatriates sufferings here in United States, talked about Pakistani
>politics Pakistan's foreign affairs. During their talk some jokes on former
>Prime Minister Sharif and former President Clinton's first meeting were also
>chatted.
>
>The police completely investigated on all the talks. Both the officers
>questioned the journalist reading the English transcript . All three of them
>have denounced the attack on the president in their talks and the police
>recorded their talk saying "Killing of innocent people is never permitted,
>if anybody wants to grab the power from President must use other way".
>Police talked on this subject with the journalist.
>
>Journalist had sent a letter to his friend in Pakistan through Ehsan Pasha
>and the recording noted his words asking Pasha if he has kept the letter of
>Bukhari, and told him to keep it secure as it is important and must reach
>him. The police inquired about Bukhari and wanted to know the importance of
>the letter. Bukhari is a journalist and group editor of a leading Pakistani
>English daily .
>
>Sergeant Steven who was of the opinion that Pakistanis who left United
>States after making thousands of dollars through credit cards fraud give
>this money to Al-qaida or Taliban was told by journalists that no it is all
>wrong. No Pakistani will give his money to any of terrorist organization.
>
>He told the officer that Pakistanis work almost 12 to 16 hours a day and
>feed their families back home, if any through fraud earned more money he
>would like it to spent it on himself and his family not donate to such
>terrorists. He said in clear words that Pakistanis have the capacity and can
>fetch money from these organization instead.
>
>The police had doubts on the bullet shots and said it might be from any
>video game or a television mounted in the deli, but the journalist clearly
>told the police that he does not recall if he saw any television or a video
>game put up in the deli.
>
>Both the officials were humble and most of the time kept playing with the
>journalist's 6 year old son during their 90 minutes stay in his house.
>Detective Webster while leaving left hi! s Business card with the little boy
>and asked him to call him while leaving.
>
>The journalist later at 1.30 am drove with the police officials and went
>with them to the deli, where he had lunch in the afternoon. The deli was
>closed and police could not ascertain if it had any video game or a
>television.
>
>While coming back to the house Ehsan Pasha called the journalist on his cell
>and Ghani handed the phone to the police officer. Detective Webster talked
>to Pasha, got the confirmation about the luncheon meeting and then the
>police car drove to Pasha's hotel .
>
>Pasha was investigated too, police noted his birth date, social security
>number . The police remained at his premises for an hour then left.
>
>It may be pointed out that Zahid Ghani who is in United States since January
>1994, underwent several turmoil since Sep.11. FBI raided his home three days
>after! Sep.11 and exactly 24 hours after the raid his wife's brother was
>killed in United States. Shot in the backlash, first backlash murder in the
>United States.
>
>Two weeks after the murder he himself suffered a hate crime by a white
>American who after confirming he is Pakistan told him to leave country or he
>will be killed. Ghani then encountered the police discrimination and no case
>was registered against the white American and the police certified that what
>so ever the American said was in anger and anger is no crime.
>
>Further Ghani was arrested in Montreal in February 2003 on a minor moving
>violation charged by a raciest Canadian police official. He filed a $
>quarter million law suit against the Canadian government . He pleaded not
>guilty of the charge and the Municipal Court of Montreal ruled on December
>16 that Ghani is free of charge proving that the police officer was raciest
>! and issued the wrong summons.
>
>Ghani was politically motivated after Sep.11 and worked for Pakistani
>Community, he held a Community meeting with Sen Robert torricilie, held a
>press conference to denounce the newly introduced Immigration law NSEER.
>
>Ghani in his statement at the confrence blasted United States, his son who
>was president of his university fraternity got annoyed quareled with him and
>left for Canada applied asylum. Later his younger son joined him His family
>splitted.
>
>Ghani in August 1997 had the honor to settle a stir up Pakistani public
>protest and persuaded a White American Attorney to apologize from nation of
>Pakistan. The attorney sent a written apology to former Prime Minister Nawaz
>Sharif.
>
>Ghani is the first South Asian journalist to travel with UNSecretary General
>on a foreign visit. Among almost 200 UN Acrededated journalist he was the
>only one selected to travel with UNSG Kofi Annan on his Soutyh Asia visit in
>March 2001. Further he is the first South Asian journalist to have an
>exclusiveinterview of a UNSG since the birth of India-Pakistan or since the
>formation of United Nations.
>
>
> Nadeem Manzoor Salahri
>
>_________________________________________________________________
>
--
C. M. Naim
5402 S. Dorchester Avenue
Chicago, IL 60615
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