Where Nawaz Sharif only talks about restoration of deposed judges and impeachment of the president, PPP on the other hand, assuming power after 11 years is wrapping up all the pending issues. The release of Rehmat Shah Afridi was one of them.
Rehmat Shah spent 9 years behind the bars, was sentence to death on the account of smuggling narcotics but later on his sentence was changed to life imprisonment. 9 years is the period.
I know Rehmat Shah as a staunch supporter of PPP and Benazir Bhutto. His daughter (I don’t know she was the eldest or youngest) was my class fellow in junior school. One day she had brought a large colored photograph of her father with Benazir because she would talk about her father and none of us would believe her. She gave me many rides on our way to home. After attending school for 3 years with me she disappeared. We had no idea where did she go. Till date I don’t have any news of her.
I often think why a man of his stature, an opinion maker would do smuggling. Rehmat Shah maintains that his forthright articles brought the wrath of military and anti narcotics force. Irrespective of who is right and who is wrong I think his release is well timed. I can imagine the elation of his daughter, a happy go lucky girl, who would like me a lot… I don’t know why.
And his newspaper ‘The frontier post’ also dwindled after after his detention. I was a regular reader of the mentioned newspaper in the good old days but its deteriorating quality I shifted to the other ones. A few days back while I was at home I came across an issue of the newspaper but was disappointed to see the quality of its sunday edition with almost nothing to show about.
Hope Rehmat’s return would boost the standards of the newspaper which once was very much popular in the NWFP.
By: saadil on May 27, 2008
at 11:51 am
In complete agreement
By: Kashkin on May 27, 2008
at 12:32 pm
I agree. I don’t read it either. Though I appreciate their effort to keep the newspaper running in Rehmat Shah’s absence as well as after facing other lawsuits and threats when they had published the blasphemous letter.
By: Ayesha on May 27, 2008
at 12:59 pm
mr rehmat shah afridi who is on the pay role at the moment, should pay thanks to god that he is out of the bars as in his case there was a recovery of hashish .
and he himself had admitted in the video that he deals in drugs (hasish) but will not be involved in herion (class A ) drug. This video was shown in the honourable court , and because of this video and the recovery rehmat shah was sentenced to death penalty which was later converted to life .
By: sadaf zahra on June 26, 2008
at 4:29 pm
You know what most of the (tribal) Afridis are involved in smuggling. In fact they’ve become rich and roam around in SUVs because of the drug money.
As for the video tape. You know our legal system. It might be a forced confession. Still I am not ruling out his involvement in drug dealing/smuggling.
By: Ayesha on June 26, 2008
at 5:55 pm
It is difficult to give a judgement on his innocence or otherwise. While our history is full of political victimisation episodes, the fact that NWFP has had been known worldover for poppy production and drug trafficing, too can’t be denied. In the absence of any authentic information, its a toss-up between political victimization and undue political favour.
By: Shamsul Ghani on December 2, 2008
at 9:35 am
well i hope u all check our newspaper “The Frintier Post” now. My brothers have worked hard to keep it runing and now its not the same newspaper as it was in 2008. Its the 1st newspaper to b published in all 4 provincial capitals. I hope u check it,and not all afridis mak money frm drugs and those who do dont all drive SUVs.lols. Afridis who hav made money frm drugs r miser.
Ahmed Shah Afrid,
Son of Rehmat Shah Afrdi
By: Ahmed Afridi on February 3, 2009
at 4:55 pm
Hmm! OK…
By: Ayesha on February 3, 2009
at 5:45 pm