Sunni Terrorist Fragments of Unstable Pakistan - 1 Feb 2015

Raja Ram · Post by **Raja Ram** » 24 Feb 2015 06:53

In all this analysis, BRF has missed the mysterious death of Maria Golovnina the Reuter Bureau Chief of Reuters in Pakistan. She was working on a story on the Baloch Struggle. Tarek Fath had tweeted about this. It looks more and more like the killing of Daniel Pearl. An ISI hit job! Would be interesting to keep a watch on that story.

Also see why this has not raised any international outrage compared to the Pearl incident. What has changed? The stories they were working?

saip · Post by **saip** » 24 Feb 2015 06:57

^^Unfortunately her body was taken to PIMs which is to say is equal to hosing down the evidence (as SShridhar put it)!

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 24 Feb 2015 07:17

Raja Ram wrote:In all this analysis, BRF has missed the mysterious death of Maria Golovnina the Reuter Bureau Chief of Reuters in Pakistan. She was working on a story on the Baloch Struggle. Tarek Fath had tweeted about this. It looks more and more like the killing of Daniel Pearl. An ISI hit job! Would be interesting to keep a watch on that story.

Also see why this has not raised any international outrage compared to the Pearl incident. What has changed? The stories they were working?

Did not!

She was sort of russian, and we are just not in the mood of saying anything non-negative about russians at the moment. Let them bump off another russian (even expat) when we are in a better mood.

shreeman tooting his own horn wrote:I suppose vomiting on old pakistan is an involuntary response/reaction, but has the stench gotten this bad -- http://tribune.com.pk/story/842901/reut ... islamabad/

A bureau chief, no less.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 24 Feb 2015 07:23

her husband has asked PIMS not to do a post mortem. perhaps his hope is to fly the body out and get it tested for poisons and such outside.

the brown nosing element in international media who get along just fine with the TSPA will get a message from this.

Tuvaluan · Post by **Tuvaluan** » 24 Feb 2015 07:25

If ISI was involved in this murder (and it does seem like it given the topic she was working on), PIMS will ensure the body does not get out of the country. Pakis have the corpse and given the chance of facing international gaze on them for murdering the journo and ensuring no one finds out, we know what the pakis usually choose. Of course, the other option is to just conduct a pretend-investigation which finds the true cause (which the pakis would know, since they committed the murder) and pay a bunch of money to some random paki to be the fall guy. The latter option is probably what's going to happen. Any external autopsy will then show that the pakis "conducted a thorough autopsy".

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 24 Feb 2015 08:26

Jhujar wrote:India & our perennial problem
Paki Sinus & Constipationbazi
Assruff JahanGiir Qazi.
( Towel Pey Towel Orr Owrr Towel. Qazi Sahib trying to escape Poaqonkey Trap)

We were within touching distance of an interim agreement with India on Kashmir during the 2004-7 back-channel talks.

Whose back channel was being touched?

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 24 Feb 2015 08:32

disha wrote:
Anujan wrote: There are two possible outcomes now:

1. China gets into a strong alliance with the Saudis and they both squeeze Pakistan's testimonials
2. Saudis squeeze Pakistan's testimonials by themselves.

It is a survival issue for the Saudis.
Bakistan could be angling for the third option., get into a taller and deeper alliance with China and squeeze Saudi's testimonials. China will play both sides of the game and will not part with its nuke option easily.

Bakis will try to get their plutonium designs going., their uranium based nukes are useless.

Interesting discussion.

Clearly, Pakistanis see an opportunity with the Saudis. The Saudis are now on the backfoot. Oil prices have fallen steeply. Their support for terrorism against Bashar has not only not gone well but even backfired. There is a chill in their US relationship, with the US and Iran moving towards sorting out the nuclear issue. There is a temporary setback in relationship with the Pakistanis whose forces protect the Yamama and whose promise of transfer of nuclear weapons that the Saudis rely upon. Saudi Arabia would also not have any say in the emerging scenario in Afghanistan, like how it used to play the jihadi role before 1989 and the political role after that. Even the Taliban have opened their office only in Qatar, the sworn enemies of the Saudis. There is an inimical Shia Houthis seizing power in Yemen, a country with which it has a boundary dispute. No one knows for sure if the succession after Salman would be a smooth affair as it is expected that Salman himself would not be around for long. KSA is in a bad shape.

Pakistan might sense that jumping the bandwagon once again might be the best way to protect its core interest, which remains destruction of India. Their calculation would be that the Saudi linkage, which has been immensely beneficial since the 1970s up until a few years back, is giving negative returns now and there is no likelihood of it turning positive. The sense I get from recent utterances in Pakistan is that it is trying to link the 'bad Taliban' with the Saudi influences. The Establishment is trying to ensure that its India-centric goal is not distracted by anything else just as the Afghan situation is turning in its favour. There is now a Pakistan-pasand Ashraf Ghani in power in Kabul, China is assuming a mediatory role there (not KSA), the US-Pakistan relationship is on the mend, Pakistan's relationship with Russia is improving by leaps and bounds etc. The inconvenient elements among the 'bad Taliban' have either moved to IS or are being targetted by the Pakistani Army which now expects the ANA to also help it now that Ashraf Ghani is in power. The recent characterization by the Establishment of IS as 'dangerous' after having claimed nil presence in Pakistan, clearly shows how Pakistan is redrawing the lines.

These actions, Pakistan will hope, will earn for it a good name for having taken tough action against the terrorists, while still preserving those tanzeems that are subservient to it and are focussed on India. The aim is therefore four fold, change the image of Pakistan, consolidate its influence in Afghanistan, remove elements attacking the Army and the State while preserving those who support it and reduce Indian influence in Afghanistan. If relationship with Saudi Arabia needs to be toned down, then so be it.

But, I still believe that the Pakistan-Saudi relationship would still sustain with hiccups as Saudi impotency increases (in spite the Houbara). Both the countries may still see value in each other's company though it may be limited in the near term.

Agnimitra · Post by **Agnimitra** » 24 Feb 2015 08:49

^^^ SS guru,
The current Saudi crisis may be part of the process of shuffling the Sunni Ummah to better fit the envisaged place and order of each actor in the Caliphate. The Saudi generational faultline is the opportunity to effect the reshuffle. Important to watch would be where Turkey (white sultans), Saudi (moneybags) and Pakistan (footsoldiers) fall in this scheme of things. More interestingly, worth watching where the Jordanian Hashemite pedigree monarchy ends up relative to these, since they have been the traditional safekeepers of the Hijaz and the one's to better fit the ideal descriptions. Pakistan's imbalance is bound to be temporary, as a result of this reshuffling of the Ummah and its props.

sadhana · Post by **sadhana** » 24 Feb 2015 08:59

JE Menon wrote:>>I will be happy to 'migrate' to hell from this website if I have to accept the overlordship of 'senior Hindutva figures' as a condition of my participation. Just give the word, moderators and I will be gone.

1. Who said anything about this website in regard to this matter? From what I can see of Agnimitra's post, it was his own opinion about people who adhere to the idea of India.

2. Who mentioned "overlordship" of 'senior Hindutva figures'? That was your word, and in relation to a post which referred in the context to both Ambedkar and senior Hindutva figures. One can take it from your response that you have no problem with "overlordship" by Ambedkar. The truly self-righteous posture would have been to reject overlordship by anyone.

3. Why drag the admins in to this? We have enough work as it is (real life food-on-table stuff), to combine with moderation activity. Not complaining, just pointing out that we could do without such sly online fedayeen activity.

On the other hand, if you feel this site does not fit your particular political sensibility, the only thing keeping you here is probably your click-finger. Admins really don't mind, one way or another.

Having said that, your post is definitely the first nominee for I've seen for the 2015 Moeffler-Inhaller Award given by the Biglund-Smalgand Foundation in Scandinavia.

And stick to thread topic folks...

I have my own opinion on 'senior Hindutva figures' and I am tired of correcting minor and 'senior' Hindutva figures when they gratuitously misquote what Ambedkar really said about exchanges of population. I have done it a dozen times in the last dozen years.

And I don't accept moralising from other BRFites any more than you like moralizing from me. And I couldn't care less either JEM whether I post here or not. Good luck.

Agnimitra · Post by **Agnimitra** » 24 Feb 2015 09:03

sadhana ji, when you misread something and then turn its intended meaning upside down, you can at least admit a simple mistake and take back your words: http://forums.bharat-rakshak.com/viewto ... 1#p1802451

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 24 Feb 2015 10:06

Raja Ram wrote:In all this analysis, BRF has missed the mysterious death of Maria Golovnina the Reuter Bureau Chief of Reuters in Pakistan. She was working on a story on the Baloch Struggle. Tarek Fath had tweeted about this. It looks more and more like the killing of Daniel Pearl. An ISI hit job! Would be interesting to keep a watch on that story.

Also see why this has not raised any international outrage compared to the Pearl incident. What has changed? The stories they were working?

russians are not the flavor of the month

habal · Post by **habal** » 24 Feb 2015 12:53

Is hooth baloch of sindh/balochistan same as yemeni houthi ?

Raja Ram · Post by **Raja Ram** » 24 Feb 2015 13:38

Is there any reference anywhere on the story that Maria Golvinina was working on at the time of her death? In the case of Daniel Pearl, it was widely believed that he was unto something big that would have conclusively nailed ISI involvement in acts of terror - state sponsorship of terrorists against India and more importantly against US/NATO.

Was she about to expose some ISI link with Haquani or was she on to something more inconvenient to the US/West as well? It is a disappearance that deserves more attention.

Virendra · Post by **Virendra** » 24 Feb 2015 14:22

This is some evil conspiracy. RAW is killing foreign journalists in the region to defame Pakistan.

Pakistan fits so beautifully on what someone recently said on the forum.
Those who're weak, insecure and lack belief in self will always point the finger outward for cause of their problems.
They will never look inside and introspect.

Condition is such that when senior journalists hosting TV shows form their question for the guest, they invariably end it like this
".....xxxx<enter your issue here>xxxx.............. to is conspiracy ko aap kis tareh dekhte hain".
It has become a habit now.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 24 Feb 2015 15:32

Pakistan violated border ceasefire 685 times in eight months - PTI, Economic Times

Pakistan violated border ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir 685 times during the last eight months, resulting in death of 24 people, including eight security forces personnel, government told the Rajya Sabha today.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said 126 ceasefire violations took place along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border under operational control of Army, while 559 violations took place along the IB under operational control of Border Security Force (BSF).

He said five army personnel, three BSF personnel and 16 civilians were killed in the incidents.

Replying to questions, Parrikar said "local dynamics" like construction works are one of the reasons for ceasefire violations.

"Appropriate retaliation to the ceasefire violations, as required, has been carried out by Indian Army/BSF," he said.

In addition, all violations of ceasefire are taken up with Pakistan military authorities at the appropriate level through established mechanism of hotlines and flag meetings as well as weekly talks between Directorate Generals of Military Operations of the two countries.

BSF, too, hold talks at various levels with its counterpart, Pakistan Rangers, Parrikar added.

He further said that diplomatically, India has repeatedly emphasised, including at the highest level, the need for Pakistan to uphold the sanctity of the LC and abide by the ceasefire commitment of 2003 along the IB and LC.

This does not include casualties due to fighting terrorists within J&K from Pakistan.

Peregrine · Post by **Peregrine** » 24 Feb 2015 16:04

They know the nation

Politicians in this country are incurably in love with India. They remain obediently numb and mum when India constructs 38 projects on Jhelum, Chenab and Indus rivers or supports terrorism in Pakistan, when Pakistanis are burned trapped in the Samjhauta Express or their boats are burned in open seas. Cricketers, like their political counterparts, also remain submissively docile to India – losing every World Cup match to them in consistent servility.

Cheers

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 24 Feb 2015 18:21

I think the ISI gamed it that because she was russian, killing her off won't raise much eyebrows and won't rattle things up like Daneil Pearl's hitjob did - a given considering his nationality and religion.

But killing someone of russian ethinicity is get-away-able so to say. Also it terrorizes all wannabe western journalists who want to sniff inside Pakistan.

They ideally would have wanted to do this to Fair didi, but couldn't for obvious reasons.

I dunno how much info the russian girl had collated, maybe she was asking for info, ISI probably found out almost immediately. I'm sure she didn't speak any urdu at all, given that she was all over the middle east, north africa etc. She didn't specialize on Pakistan, as Fair didi did.

I'd say the poor russian girl took the fall in some parts for what fair didi did.

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 24 Feb 2015 18:27

ISI can't kill Americans / Saudis / Chinese in pakistan with impunity. Bad things happen, these four-fathers and benefactors don't like it.

All other nationalities (including pakistanis) don't matter...

habal · Post by **habal** » 24 Feb 2015 18:49

there is no guarantee that taliban will not target another school/college for dependents of Pakistani army personnel ..

Shankk · Post by **Shankk** » 24 Feb 2015 20:17

sadhana wrote:And I don't accept moralising from other BRFites any more than you like moralizing from me. And I couldn't care less either JEM whether I post here or not. Good luck.

I am not speaking for JEM here but your rants and threats are getting tiring for me. You know the views on this forum. So my request to you is, please don't just keep saying this or that, that or something else or you care less about something. Please make up your mind and stick to it. Thank you very much.

Karan M · Post by **Karan M** » 24 Feb 2015 20:23

^^ Ditto.

Karan M · Post by **Karan M** » 24 Feb 2015 20:32

JE Menon wrote:^^Was a moment of weakness Cosmo... Just got tired of people whining on instead of making a rational case for whatever their position is ... "happy to migrate to hell from this website" no less. I hate being harsh with people, but come the fu(k on...

There seems to be a bunch of self-appointed moral apostles wandering about spreading their sense of pain and freely dispensing sanctimony at the dreadful things they see in others - not least these lost souls' readiness to submit to fascism in the form of "Hindutva" - without perhaps pausing much to inquire as to when the hell that has actually happened in the past in India, and whether it has been "Hindutva" that has been responsible

Exactumundo. Lot of folks with a soft corner for INC-left establishment, irrespective of the dogs breakfast they made in the past of national security. And who just don't find the current dispensation palatable for their oh so refined tastes.

Mihaylo · Post by **Mihaylo** » 24 Feb 2015 20:38

Virendra wrote:This is some evil conspiracy. RAW is killing foreign journalists in the region to defame Pakistan.

Pakistan fits so beautifully on what someone recently said on the forum.
Those who're weak, insecure and lack belief in self will always point the finger outward for cause of their problems.
They will never look inside and introspect.

Condition is such that when senior journalists hosting TV shows form their question for the guest, they invariably end it like this
".....xxxx<enter your issue here>xxxx.............. to is conspiracy ko aap kis tareh dekhte hain".
It has become a habit now.

Interestingly, she was halaaled in Pakistan when she was visiting Pakistan. Sorry, I never get tired of this ..

-M

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 24 Feb 2015 22:27

Peregrine wrote:They know the nation
Politicians in this country are incurably in love with India. They remain obediently numb and mum when India constructs 38 projects on Jhelum, Chenab and Indus rivers or supports terrorism in Pakistan, when Pakistanis are burned trapped in the Samjhauta Express or their boats are burned in open seas. Cricketers, like their political counterparts, also remain submissively docile to India – losing every World Cup match to them in consistent servility.
Cheers

First of all, its 72 projects, and not 38.
Second of all its 786 consulates.
Third of all, pakistanis have lost $72B in rightful money due to IPL (rightfully south asian) not letting them play, resulting in low morale, leading to loss at WC (no, not world cup, but the other pakistan).

But its just one boat. Where does the boat fit in? What can you carry in a boat thats so precious that it had to be let in?

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 24 Feb 2015 22:32

Gagan wrote:ISI can't kill Americans / Saudis / Chinese in pakistan with impunity. Bad things happen, these four-fathers and benefactors don't like it.

All other nationalities (including pakistanis) don't matter...

The russians are known to send interesting messages too. There was one hung as taliban (could well have bern an agent given that russia retrieved him), and now this. Her russian association is a bit weak and is not being stated openly since, you know, reuters. Still, it is strike two.

Wonder what will come of the pakistani groveling behind the scenes. And what the retaliation will be.

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 24 Feb 2015 22:32

Mihaylo wrote: Interestingly, she was halaaled in Pakistan when she was visiting Pakistan. Sorry, I never get tired of this ..

-M

Mods,
Please ban M immediately !!!

Agnimitra · Post by **Agnimitra** » 25 Feb 2015 00:46

habal wrote:Is hooth baloch of sindh/balochistan same as yemeni houthi ?

No, "hooth" in Baluchi supposedly means "brave". The Yemeni "Houthis" are named after a martyr Hussein Badruddin al-Houth. The words are also spelled completely differently, as هوت and حوث.

Mihaylo · Post by **Mihaylo** » 25 Feb 2015 00:50

Shreeman wrote:
Gagan wrote:ISI can't kill Americans / Saudis / Chinese in pakistan with impunity. Bad things happen, these four-fathers and benefactors don't like it.

All other nationalities (including pakistanis) don't matter...
The russians are known to send interesting messages too. There was one hung as taliban (could well have bern an agent given that russia retrieved him), and now this. Her russian association is a bit weak and is not being stated openly since, you know, reuters. Still, it is strike two.

Wonder what will come of the pakistani groveling behind the scenes. And what the retaliation will be.

Evil Yindoos did this to ensure Pak Roosi dosti never is taller than the mountains and deeper than the seas.

-M

Mihaylo · Post by **Mihaylo** » 25 Feb 2015 00:57

Agnimitra wrote:
habal wrote:Is hooth baloch of sindh/balochistan same as yemeni houthi ?
No, "hooth" in Baluchi supposedly means "brave". The Yemeni "Houthis" are named after a martyr Hussein Badruddin al-Houth. The words are also spelled completely differently, as هوت and حوث.

Not unlike the "Lund" tribe which supposedly means "warrior" or the "Chutani" which means...ahem..it doesn't say.

-M

Agnimitra · Post by **Agnimitra** » 25 Feb 2015 01:02

Don't make fun of the Baloch!

Peregrine · Post by **Peregrine** » 25 Feb 2015 02:20

Lo, Lur Lo Baat!
Gadani power project suspended

KARACHI: Sindh Minister for Finance Murad Ali Shah has said that following serious reservation expressed by the Sindh government and other stakeholders, the Gadani power plant project has been suspended.

The memorandum of understanding was also signed with a Chinese company, which, according to the provincial finance minister, has now distanced itself from the project.

Cheers

partha · Post by **partha** » 25 Feb 2015 03:16

Peregrine wrote:Lo, Lur Lo Baat!
Gadani power project suspended
KARACHI: Sindh Minister for Finance Murad Ali Shah has said that following serious reservation expressed by the Sindh government and other stakeholders, the Gadani power plant project has been suspended.

The memorandum of understanding was also signed with a Chinese company, which, according to the provincial finance minister, has now distanced itself from the project.
Cheers

It's possible LNG deal with Qatar too will follow the same path. Pakis have one again prematurely announced a $21B ($7 per MMBTU excluding shipping costs) deal but Qatargas has not confirmed. No news about it from Qatar at all! Pakistanis tried very hard to beat the price India got from Qatar which is $10 per MMBTU but Qatar wouldn't offer anything lower than $18-19 to Pakis. This was last year. One Paki minister even said Pakistan should manage a better deal than India. After almost a year when the oil prices tanked, Pakis seem to have struck a deal for < $10 and claiming victory over India. While their claim is yet to be confirmed by Qatargas, evil yindoo banias signed an LNG contract with Australia for $8.2/MMBTU including shipping costs.

Pakis will have to renegotiate with Qatar to save H&D.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 25 Feb 2015 04:34

Peregrine wrote:Lo, Lur Lo Baat!
KARACHI: Sindh Minister for Finance Murad Ali Shah has said that following serious reservation expressed by the Sindh government and other stakeholders, the Gadani power plant project has been suspended.
The memorandum of understanding was also signed with a Chinese company, which, according to the provincial finance minister, has now distanced itself from the project.

Bannte Hai Project yaahan, bann Ke Biggarne Ko
Jamte Hai Fool yaahan, Paki Puttar Bannney Ko
Likhte Hai MOU Yaahan, Dusbin Ko Bharney Ko
Kal Rahe Na rahe, Yeh Pakistan DjinnaMaar Kaa..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJRVDsDdgUk

Peregrine · Post by **Peregrine** » 25 Feb 2015 14:42

US stops consular services at Peshawar mission, issues travel warning

In fresh travel advisories issued on Tuesday, the US government said that two of its four missions in Pakistan were currently closed for consular services including Peshawar and in Lahore.
According to the travel warning, the consulate in Lahore remains ‘temporarily closed’ for public services, six months after the mission had been closed for ‘renovations’ and its staff withdrawn due to terror threats.
As the Department of State warns US citizens to defer all non-essential travel to Pakistan, it also replaced its Travel Warning dated August 8, 2014 and reminds US citizens of ongoing security concerns in Pakistan.
Read: Terror threat: US orders non-essential staff out of Lahore consulate
The warning added that the consulate in Peshawar will no longer offer consular services.
However, the Embassy in Islamabad and the consulate in Karachi will continue to provide services for all US citizens in Pakistan. It urged all those US citizens, who remain in the country despite the warnings, to remain in touch with these two missions.
US officials in Islamabad were instructed to limit the frequency of their travel and minimise duration of trips to public markets, restaurants, and other locations.
It highlighted the threat to US citizens and Westerners who are prone to be targeted by terrorists groups in addition to attacks on APS, Wagah and Karachi airport.
Cheers

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 26 Feb 2015 02:22

There is this trial you see -- http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/25/nyreg ... spect.html

of a bakistani trying to spread bakistaniyat. The baki is representing himself, poodle wasnt able to charge him with anything so he was handed over to uncle where is is now being examined as abbottabad ambassador of bakistan.

Worth the waste of 5 minutes (no more) for what the legal system is now reduced to.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 26 Feb 2015 07:49

Agnimitra wrote:The current Saudi crisis may be part of the process of shuffling the Sunni Ummah to better fit the envisaged place and order of each actor in the Caliphate. The Saudi generational faultline is the opportunity to effect the reshuffle. Important to watch would be where Turkey (white sultans), Saudi (moneybags) and Pakistan (footsoldiers) fall in this scheme of things. More interestingly, worth watching where the Jordanian Hashemite pedigree monarchy ends up relative to these, since they have been the traditional safekeepers of the Hijaz and the one's to better fit the ideal descriptions. Pakistan's imbalance is bound to be temporary, as a result of this reshuffling of the Ummah and its props.

Agnimitra, all those four players have (or have had) ambitions of heading the Caliphate. Opportunistically, any two of them may combine with each other to eliminate influence of the other two. Anyway, that discussion is beyond this thread except to the extent of Pakistan's role.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 26 Feb 2015 07:58

Caught between two Sharifs - G.Parthasarathy, Business Line

Prime Minister Narendra Modi surprised the world by inviting the leaders of Saarc countries for his swearing in. He has now made it clear that that was not an isolated event. He has decided to send Foreign Secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar to visit the Saarc neighbours, to enhance bilateral and regional cooperation.

Modi himself has already visited Nepal and Bhutan, where traditionally friendly relations are being strengthened. He is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Maldives this year. While the internal situation in Maldives raises concerns, the election of Maithripala Sirisena in Sri Lanka appears to have set the course for greater ethnic harmony and a better appreciation of India’s strategic concerns in Colombo. Long-pending issues such as the land boundary demarcation and sharing of river waters with Bangladesh will hopefully be resolved this year.

On the western front

While one can reasonably express confidence that cooperation with our eastern neighbours will gather momentum in the coming months, the same cannot be said of relations with our western neighbours, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Jaishankar will be dealing in Kabul with a government beset with internal contradictions and rivalries. Moreover, President Ashraf Ghani is under huge pressure from the US and Pakistan to undertake a Pakistan facilitated process of “reconciliation” with the Taliban. This, when terrorism led to colossal civilian casualties and the deaths of 4,634 Afghani security personnel at the hands of the Mullah Omar-led Taliban and the ISI-backed Haqqani Network, operating out of sanctuaries in Pakistan, in 2014. The safety and security of Indian diplomatic missions and nationals in Afghanistan must receive the highest priority.

Jaishankar will arrive in Islamabad to face a familiar problem. He will be dealing with a dysfunctional elected government which has surrendered virtually all its powers on issues of national security and foreign policy, not to speak of internal security and inter-provincial relations, to the Army. Over the past few months, even the conduct of serious issues of foreign policy are in the hands of, not Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, but his namesake and, some would say, his nemesis, army chief General Raheel Sharif. Indeed, the face of Pakistan’s foreign policy in capitals such as Washington, Kabul, London and Beijing over the past three months has not been Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, but General Raheel Sharif.

Sharif vs Sharif

Nawaz Sharif only paid a visit to Saudi Arabia following information about the impending demise of King Abdullah. The King’s intervention had saved the Pakistani prime minister from a possible death sentence imposed by General Pervez Musharraf’s dispensation.

The peripatetic Raheel Sharif was, in the meantime, busy paying high profile visits to Washington, London, Kabul and Beijing. Raheel Sharif was received personally in Washington by Secretary of State John Kerry, author of the Kerry Lugar Act which opened the purse strings for enhanced American economic assistance to Pakistan. The British prime minister went one better, by receiving Raheel Sharif at 10 Downing Street.

Pakistan’s “all-weather friend”, China, received the general not as an army chief but a visiting statesman. He was received not only by the highest ranking military officer and member of the all-powerful Central Military Commission General Fang Changiong, but also by the head of the Chinese Peoples’ Conference Yu Zhengsheng, Politburo member Meng Jiangzhu and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

It was Raheel and not Nawaz or his Foreign Policy Adviser Sartaj Aziz who visited Kabul to meet the Afghan leadership immediately after the Peshawar school massacre. Ghani moved post-haste to meet Raheel in Kabul and followed it up by an unprecedented visit by a foreign head of state to meet the army chief at the GHQ in Rawalpindi {That is a reference to the visit of Ashraf Ghani}. Amidst all this, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khwaja Asif, who is constitutionally the general’s boss, was nowhere to be seen

The Musharraf connection

Raheel’s proximity to Musharraf is well known. Musharraf faced serious charges for his declaration of emergency in 2007, and his involvement in the brutal killing of Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Bugti. Both former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhury and Nawaz Sharif, who was humiliated and incarcerated by Musharraf in October 2000, were gunning for the former military ruler on these serious charges.

Musharraf’s successor, General Ashfaq Kayani, did not show any great enthusiasm for defending his former boss. Raheel Sharif’s elder brother, Major Shabir Sharif, a highly decorated soldier, killed in action in the 1971 conflict, was a close friend of Musharraf, who nurtured Raheel’s career and promoted him to command the 11 Infantry Division. Pakistan’s supreme court and Nawaz Sharif pulled back from acting against Musharraf once Raheel warned them to back off.

Raheel Sharif is the architect of operations against the Tehriq-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). These operations involving the use of artillery, tanks and fighter aircraft have resulted in hundreds of deaths with an estimated 1.5 million Pashtun tribals fleeing their homes. If Musharraf allowed Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar to “disappear”, Raheel has ensured that dreaded terrorists such as Sirajuddin Haqqani have also disappeared. His military operations have not led to the killing or capture of a single terrorist of the Haqqani Network or the Afghan Taliban.

Jaishankar will have to assess whether Raheel Sharif has the will or the inclination to ban and dismantle terrorist groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.

Over 40 terrorist training camps are still operational across the LoC. Is Nawaz Sharif sticking to clichés on Jammu and Kashmir, or manifesting the realism prevalent in Pakistan between 2004 and 2007? There is no sign that the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist strike are being brought to justice. Any return to a comprehensive dialogue process with Pakistan should depend on a clinically realistic assessment of these issues.

The writer is a former High Commissioner to Pakistan

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 26 Feb 2015 10:37

Mushy is out speaking on Behalf of Taliban must share power in Afghanistan. In the meantime
http://nation.com.pk/national/26-Feb-20 ... tel-issues

ISI Do G leaves for US to discuss intel issues

ISLAMABAD - Director General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lieutenant General Rizwan Akhtar on Wednesday left for an official visit to the United States.Sources said the ISI DG during his visit will meet his US counterpart and other senior officials to discuss issues relating to intelligence.
This is the first visit by Pakistan’s spy chief to the US since he became the head of ISI last year.
Lt-Gen Akhtar will be discussing the security situation in the country as well as the counter-terrorism efforts and operations taking place in the country.Army Chief General Raheel Sharif had also recently visited the US where he held talks with top military and civilian officials.AFP adds: Possible peace talks between Afghanistan and the Afghan Taliban are likely to be on the agenda.Pakistan has a civilian government but the military and ISI still wield great influence, particularly over policy towards neighbouring Afghanistan.The trip comes days after President Barack Obama’s new Pentagon chief said the US was seriously considering slowing the pace of a troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Pakistani support has been seen as crucial in recent moves to persuade the Taliban to talk to the Afghan government to end their 13-year insurgency.The brief military statement announcing Akhtar’s trip said only that he would “discuss issues related to intelligence” with his counterparts, whom it did not name.But Pakistani security analyst Hasan Askari said the meetings would almost certainly touch on the issue of Taliban talks.He said the ISI chief would brief his US counterpart and other senior defence officials about the recent improvements in Islamabad’s ties with Kabul, and the ongoing cooperation between the two countries on border control.Former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf recently admitted that support for the militants continued after President Hamid Karzai took power in Kabul..

Agnimitra · Post by **Agnimitra** » 26 Feb 2015 11:31

SSridhar wrote:
Agnimitra wrote:The current Saudi crisis may be part of the process of shuffling the Sunni Ummah to better fit the envisaged place and order of each actor in the Caliphate. The Saudi generational faultline is the opportunity to effect the reshuffle. Important to watch would be where Turkey (white sultans), Saudi (moneybags) and Pakistan (footsoldiers) fall in this scheme of things. More interestingly, worth watching where the Jordanian Hashemite pedigree monarchy ends up relative to these, since they have been the traditional safekeepers of the Hijaz and the one's to better fit the ideal descriptions. Pakistan's imbalance is bound to be temporary, as a result of this reshuffling of the Ummah and its props.
Agnimitra, all those four players have (or have had) ambitions of heading the Caliphate. Opportunistically, any two of them may combine with each other to eliminate influence of the other two. Anyway, that discussion is beyond this thread except to the extent of Pakistan's role.

The elephant in the room is AmirKhan, whose 'insha' is necessary to facilitate any reshuffle of the god-ordained pecking order. Of all the 4, it appears that Turkish Gulenism is nearest to the Khan, in terms of, both, networks and vision. Might be useful to begin to differentiate the subtle competition between Turkish Islamism and Saudi Islamism within Af-Pak. Gulenists already have grassroots networks in N. Afghanistan and Pakhtunkhwa.

Kashi · Post by **Kashi** » 26 Feb 2015 12:09

SSridhar wrote:Caught between two Sharifs - G.Parthasarathy, Business Line

That seems to be literally true for some.

this from TFT
http://www.thefridaytimes.com/tft/nugge ... 1EwvC.dpuf

Nuggets from the Urdu press
Reported in Express (January 21, 2015) upset (dilbardashta) by the fuel crisis, Muhammad Sharif of Rahim Yar Khan changed the name of his son from Nawaz Sharif to Raheel Sharif.
He says Army chief Gen Raheel Sharif is better representing people’s wishes (umangon ki tarjumani) than Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.