MY STAY IN ISLAMABAD HAS NOT BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL, BECAUSE IT IS DIFFICULT TO DO ANYTHING IN THE HEADQUARTERS OF RAJA EHSAN AZIZ. MOST OF THE CHITRALIS HERE ARE STRONGLY AGAINST ME, BECAUSE THEY ONLY KNOW WHAT THEY HAVE READ IN THE NEWSPAPERS. ALSO, THEY HAVE NOT HAD MUCH RECENT CONTACT WITH CHITRAL TO LEARN THE TRUE SITUATION THERE.
NEVERTHELESS, I HAVE ACHIEVED A FEW THINGS. MOST IMPORTANTLY, I HAVE BY CHANCE LOCATED THE HEADQUARTERS OF RAJA EHSAN AZIZ. IT IS THE AFGHAN PRESS BUREAU, F 775, SIDDIQUI CHAWK, SATELLITE TOWN, RAWALPINDI, PAKISTAN, TELEPHONE NUMBER 44412. THERE ARE FOUR OR FIVE CHITRALIS LIVING AND WORKING THERE. THE MAIN ONE IS HABIB-UR-REHMAN OF AYUN. I TRIED TO CONTACT HIM AND MET BRIEFLY WITH HIM ONCE. HE SEEMED INTERESTED IN HEARING MY SIDE OF THE STORY. HOWEVER, SINCE THEN, WHENEVER I TRIED TO TELEPHONE, WHOEVER ANSWERED (INVARIABLY A NON-CHITRALI) JUST HUNG UP THE TELEPHONE. IN ONE INSTANCE, A MAN THERE EVEN THREATENED TO KILL ME. THIS IS NOT SURPRISING, CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT THIS OFFICE IS THE VERY HEADQUARTERS OF RAJA EHSAN AZIZ, WHO LIVES ONLY A FEW HOUSES AWAY AND COMES THERE EVERY DAY.
COULD YOU PLEASE FIND SOMEONE TO CONTACT HABIB-UR-REHMAN IN PERSON OR ON THE TELEPHONE AND EXPLAIN TO HIM THE ACTUAL SITUATION. IF THESE FOUR OR FIVE CHITRALIS WHO ARE LIVING IN THE AFGHAN PRESS BUREAU CAN BE CONVINCED NOT TO SUPPORT RAJA EHSAN AZIZ ANY MORE, HIS ENTIRE BASE OF SUPPORT WILL BE KNOCKED OUT FROM UNDER HIS LEGS AND THIS CASE WILL END.
MEANWHILE, I HAVE LEARNED THAT ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO NAZIR AHMAD, THE BROTHER OF MY WIFE, HAD COME TO ISLAMABAD AND WAS GOING AROUND WITH RAJA EHSAN AZIZ TO TALK TO VARIOUS NEWSPAPER REPORTERS.
YESTERDAY, I HEARD THE EVEN MORE STARTLING NEWS THAT MY WIFE HAD ARRIVED IN ISLAMABAD. PRESUMABLY SHE IS BEING TAKEN TO VARIOUS GOVERNMENTAL OFFICES TO TRY TO GENERATE SUPPORT FOR RAJA EHSAN AZIZ. HOWEVER, I HAVE NO FIRM PROOF OF THIS AS YET AND AM TRYING TO GAIN MORE NEWS.
MOHAMMAD ISMAIL