Sunni Terrorist Fragments of Unstable Pakistan-Jan 24, 2016

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 25 May 2016 05:06

More Financial Woes For Pakiland : Pakistan to sell 40 percent of stock exchange end-2016/early-2017

LONDON (Reuters) - Pakistan plans to sell a 40 percent stake in its stock exchange in coming months, and Turkey's Borsa Istanbul has expressed some initial intent, the head of the bourse said on Monday.
The sale will happen at the end of this year or in early-2017, Pakistan Stock Exchange Managing Director Nadeem Naqvi told an investment conference organized by Renaissance Capital in London.
Naqvi said the bourse would launch an official process over the next two weeks to invite expressions of interest from potential investors. It has already reached out to the London, Shanghai, Turkish and Qatar stock exchanges, he added.
He said, however, that only Borsa Istanbul had responded so far.

"Forced to sell "Pakistan Stock Exchange" under World Bank pressure, to foreign investors so interest payments to IMF/World Bank lenders can be remitted back

The stake sale will be followed up with a listing of a further 20 percent of stock exchange shares in the domestic market, Naqvi added.
The privatization of almost 70 state-owned companies is a major element of a $6.7 billion three-year International Monetary Fund (IMF) package that helped Pakistan stave off default in 2013.

Then the (70) State Owned Enterprises will be gobbled up by foreign investors at bargain basement prices, followed by termination of surplus employees in the name of efficiency, which in turn will result in Aam Abdul street agitation ( repeat of P.I.A scenario, when some employees were killed

) and just maybe, coming into power of a Khomeni style Islami Govt, and then repudiation of Pakiland's external debt,and then treatment of Pakistan as a pariah state by major countries for failing to meet its international loan obligations- which is what the Awam want. Hope that the time does not come when Pakistan has to officially put up for sale its "family jewels"

The deal ends in September and the IMF has continued to release loan installments despite missed targets.

IMF, World Bank, Massa cannot afford a scenario where the Islami Bomb is hijacked by "non-state actors"

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 25 May 2016 05:32

Afghanistan Government and CIA secretly arming Taliban breakaway faction: WSJ

WASHINGTON, May 23 (APP): The Afghan government is using US funds in giving financial and military support to a breakaway Taliban faction, a report in the Wall Street Journal said on Monday quoting some unnamed Afghan, US and coalition officials.
“Senior Afghan and U.S. diplomatic, military and intelligence officials, including several who had roles in creating the programme, described its details and said that resources provided by the U.S. were used to support it,” the report said.
A US drone strike close to Pak-Afghan border claimed to have killed Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansur though Pakistan has not yet confirmed, if he was killed in the attack last week.
According to the report the Afghan intelligence agency was leading the drive to “recruit new Taliban assets.”
“The agency relies on the U.S. for most of its funding and is still mentored by the Central Intelligence Agency.”

The CIA declined to comment for this article, the WSJ report said.
The United States has invested billions of dollars in reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan but the country still depend on aid for most of its funding and the US pays more than $4 billion a year for its security forces.
The goal of funding the breakaway faction of Taliban is to exploit divisions that emerged after the death of Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar. The programme targets southern Zabul, Helmand, eastern Paktika and western Farah and Herat provinces, where groups of insurgents and their commanders, unhappy with the Taliban’s leadership, have defected to a commander named Mullah Mohammad Rasool.

“Afghan and U.S. officials said Mullah Rasool’s faction and other fractious Taliban groups have been receiving cash, ammunition and weapons from the Afghan government,” the report said.
A spokesman for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani denied if there was any alliance between any Afghan agency and any Taliban group.”
“The Afghan government does not support any Taliban groups and we categorically reject such claims as baseless,” the report said quoting spokesman, Sayed Zafar Hashemi.
“In response to queries about coalition resources and facilities being used to assist Mullah Rasool’s group, a coalition spokesman said it was “possible that the breakaway Taliban factions have been able to acquire some”weapons or other equipment, but they weren’t given to the insurgents “directly or indirectly,” according to the report.

“The programme carries significant risks. Recruited Taliban commanders, who have yet to commit to peace talks with the government, may turn against Afghan and foreign forces in the country with the ammunition supplied to them,” the report said quoting Afghan and U.S. security officials.

Pakistan's so-called strategic depth theory (where it wants to "use" Afghanistan as its client state ) appears to be unraveling slowly but surely !

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 25 May 2016 05:44

PAKISTAN POLITICIANS CANNOT BE TRUSTED TO TELL THE TRUTH !!!

Moulana Fazal ur Rehman denies meeting Asif Zardari

Fazal ur Rehman convinces Asif Zardari for PM support

SLAMABAD: JUI (F) leader Moulana Fazal ur Rehman called on Ex. President and PPP co-chairperson Asif Zardari here at today in London and discussed the issues related to current political situation.

IMO, the Diesel Maulana is attempting to play the role of a "honest broker" between Ganja (who is in trouble ) and Dus Percenti (who would not care a fk !) and in the process gets to take a London holiday on the much coveted Blue (Diplomatic ) Passport

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 25 May 2016 05:58

Afghanistan-India-Iran Strategic Troika: Is Pakistan being sandwiched ? (and probably will be on the menu for lunch !)

TEHRAN, May 23 : Afghanistan-India-Iran signed the strategic transit accord through the Chahbahar Port in Iran during the Indian PM Narendra Modi and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani visit to Iran.
The new partnership was termed as political and strategical rather than only economical by the respective heads of the 3 states.
India agreed to finance the development of an Iranian port as a trading hub, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought to revive economic ties with Tehran after the lifting of sanctions; APP quoted.
The Indian leader met Iranian officials including supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani during a visit that he said would mark “a new chapter in our strategic partnership”.
Modi and Rouhani oversaw the signing of a memorandum of understanding for the provision of a line of credit from India’s EXIM Bank to develop Iran’s southern port of Chabahar, on the Gulf of Oman.

Rouhani hailed the project, saying it could become a “great symbol of cooperation between Iran and India”.
Modi and Rouhani were joined by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to sign a three-way transit accord.
The deal, bypassing Pakistan to connect Iran, India, and Afghanistan to central Asia, would boost economic growth in the region, Modi said. (Added by Falijee No more Pakistani blackmail !)
Modi’s visit, the first by an Indian premier to Iran in 15 years, comes after international sanctions against Tehran were lifted in mid-January following an agreement with world powers over its nuclear programme.

Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Iran only days after the sanctions were lifted and pledged to expand trade to $600 billion in the next 10 years.
Xi’s visit was in line with his signature foreign policy initiative
known as “One Belt One Road”.
The first train to connect China and Iran arrived in Tehran in February loaded with Chinese goods, reviving the ancient trade route known as the Silk Road.
“We want to link to the world, but connectivity among ourselves is also a priority,” he said.
“The corridor would spur unhindered flow of commerce throughout the region. Inflow of capital and technology could lead to new industrial infrastructure in Chabahar.”

So, according to this , the Chinese do not see this project as a competition to Gwadar development .

He cautioned the agreement was not against any other country, but to the benefit of “peace and stability in the region”.
“Other countries too can join this document of partnership in future.”
The volume of trade between Iran and India in the past 11 months reached $9 billion, according to Iran’s official IRNA news agency.
India is reportedly seeking to double its imports of oil from the Islamic republic.
Tehran was New Delhi’s second largest oil supplier until 2011-12, when the sanctions cut its dependence on Iranian oil.
India still owes Iran $6.5 billion that Tehran was unable to recover because of the international sanctions. India has begun paying back the debt.
In the evening, Khamenei received Modi.

_________________________________________________________________
Falijee if you are adding stuff, please don't forget to indicate it... Otherwise people may think it is part of the actual text and use it elsewhere on social media, unknowingly. Thanks for the links and posts - JE Menon

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 25 May 2016 06:09

Islamabad kept in dark on drone strike due to ‘operational security’

he United States cites “operational security” to justify keeping Pakistani officials in the dark over a drone strike that, Washington claims, led to death of Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour.
"Operational security trumps the need to inform other governments," deputy spokesman for the US State Department Mark Toner told reporters during a news briefing in Washington, DC, on Tuesday.

Islamabad was kept in the dark on OBL mission due to "operational security" . And Massa does not care a fk about their so-called Echendee !

He was responding to remarks by Pakistani Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, who denounced the airstrike carried without Islamabad’s knowledge.
On Saturday, the US Department of Defense announced that it had mounted the strike against Mansour “in a remote area of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region,” sparking fury from Islamabad.
US officials, including Secretary of State John Kerry, have strongly defended the strike, while Pakistanis believe the move is tantamount to violation of their sovereignty.
The Pentagon said that the US forces targeted the Taliban leader because he was engaged in a plot that posed "specific, imminent threats" to US and US-led coalition troops in Afghanistan.
In his Tuesday statement, Toner also took the chance to censure Islamabad for not doing enough to end terrorism.

"You know we have been very clear-eyed and very clear in our interaction with Pakistan where we've believed that they need to do more to root out terrorists, as I said who find safe haven in some of their territory. And we're going to continue to do that," he said.

Pakistani authorities have not yet confirmed Mansour’s death while there were conflicting reports quoting various Taliban members, confirming or denying his demise.
The Afghan intelligence agency, National Security Directorate (NDS), is the most credible source that has confirmed the terrorist’s death.

The Pakis are trying to confuse the issue, citing and implying that intelligence to US was supplied by Iran !

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 25 May 2016 06:11

anishns wrote: I think Indian embassy should step in and as a gesture of goodwill provide same service for free or a reasonable cost until the embassies do open up.

This will give the pakis even more heartburn

As I see it - the number of Indians who see the need to cause Pakis heartburn is a sign of success of Pakistani policies with regard to India. As a general rule, in the Paki media and on the internet, Pakistanis successfully mock and deride and provoke Indians in parallel with constant terrorist infiltration and Indian reactions in "wanting to compete with Pakistan" gives Pakistanis the warm fuzzy that they are right up there - keeping up with India easily without even breaking into a sweat.

There is no need for India to compete with Pakistan for absurd things just to cause them heartburn. If one looks at the situation honestly it is clear that an Indian need to celebrate heartburn caused to Pakistan is because we feel provoked by them and feel we are being laughed at and mocked. Pakistanis successfully make Indians feel bad about themselves and inferior and make Indians angry enough to want to feel happy about little victories and small signs that Pakistanis are jealous. It is possible that Pakis feel the same way about India, but Indian reactions only prove that we do not really see ourselves as better - we need constant reassuring by looking at Pakis and hoping that they are jealous of us. In other words our confident image of ourselves is dependent on Paki reactions, not on what we feel about ourselves.

Just saying. Only Indians can correct themselves. That will happen only when Indians truly believe that we are far ahead and superior to Pakistan and that we don't need to actively compete in stupid little mine is bigger competitions. Having said that this is only a subset of the general feeling that India is "less than" others and how we hanker for the high table and membership of clubs created by others to keep us out and how we go on the defensive about poverty, discrimination, rape etc. Funny how entire countries with a worse record are so proud of themselves. Inferiority is a state of mind, and Indians possess it in large measure as a nation.

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 25 May 2016 08:05

The pakis can still hit Indian cargo after it enters afghanistan. They plunder amreki military containers that are in transit from paki ports to afghanistan.

Is our transiting cargo really safe on afghan roads?? There are any number of tribal and local militia eager to do the ISI/Paki army bidding and endanger Indian cargo.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 25 May 2016 08:29

Ronna,Pakio Ka Ronna, Mush Mey Dalo Inke Khilona
Pakistan’s defense budget

India recently (in February 2016) announced its 2016-17 fiscal budget and defense got $51 billion, 2.25% of India’s GDP. In real terms though the Indian defense budget would be even higher since pensions, border forces, and nuclear warheads/missile development are not included in this amount.Last year, India overtook Germany to rank at number 8 in the list of countries with the highest military expenditure. It spent more money on National Defense than countries like Germany, Brazil, South Korea, Italy and Canada. Pakistan on the other hand ranks at number 27 on the Global Index of Defense Budgets and in 2015-16 spent about $7 billion in its military budget. By the year 2020, India is expected to emerge as the third-biggest country in terms of defense-related expenditures, behind the USA at number 1 and China at number 2. It is expected to spend a whopping $70 billion in the year 2020 on Military Power Projection leaving Pakistan so far behind that it would be virtually impossible for Pakistan to even dream of matching the Indian spend, in the process leaving it more and more vulnerable against a stockpile of military prowess developing on the not so friendly eastern side of its borders.
The thing is that with India’s economy expanding at a much higher pace than Pakistan’s – India’s GDP is growing at +7%, whereas, Pakistan’s GDP growth still hovers around the 4% mark – and given that the existing Indian economy is already nearly 8 times the size of Pakistan’s economy, essentially in economic terms India virtually adds one whole of Pakistan’s total economic turnover to its economy every year. The next question which then arises is that are India’s armed forces also expanding in the same proportion, i.e. adding to their military might every year equivalent to the whole of Pakistan’s annual defense budget? The answer is: Yes. ( We at BRF have waited patiently for this ==)
India is frantically building and inducting Aircraft Carriers, Su-30MKI jets, artillery guns, stealth destroyers, stealth frigates, conventional and nuclear submarines, various offensive and defensive missile systems, military satellites, new mountain strike corps, attack helicopters and much more every year. Agreed that Pakistan’s economy in comparison to its Indian counterpart has serious size limitations, but in wake of such weapon frenzy by India, it will be foolhardy for it to sit idle and not work on developing a credible defense to safeguard its sovereignty.
So naturally in response, Pakistan’s Defense Ministry would be looking at a higher allocation in the coming fiscal budget 2016-17, as it plans to acquire and mobilize a new weapon system and with Zarb-e-Azb in full swing it needs more funds to tackle the prevailing law and order and security situation within the country. In addition, the nuclear development program requires continuous resource allocation because one must not forget that Pakistan tested in response to India’s tests, as otherwise given India’s conventional superiority plus nuclear weapons would have become an unacceptable threat to Pakistan amidst an environment of distrust and unresolved issues between the two countries. While, given the asymmetric power situation, Pakistan is unlikely to provoke India but then again India on the other hand has a Cold Start Doctrine that means a sudden strike by it against Pakistan if there is a terrorist event in India and by the way it will be India that determines whether or not it was sponsored by Pakistan! Threat of war aside, a focus on our necessary defense needs also means that it allows us to maintain strategic stability in our relations with India as well as Afghanistan since there is a conscious realization here that our very own internal stability and prosperity depends on regional stability.
The dilemma being that while the economic managers don’t have much fiscal space to play with, Pakistan’s current high security needs obviate any possibility of curtailing defense expenditure, which already are quite constrained. In fact, with high internal risks and mounting external pressures both on our eastern and western borders, security will need more funding. All indications suggest that India is now in the process of developing a nuclear missile shield. If this happens, it won’t be a defensive arrangement as the name might suggest but an offensive deployment of radars and ballistic missiles designed and deployed to take down incoming missiles at a far-off distance; thereby neutralizing our strategy of off-setting conventional warfare disadvantage by developing nuclear deterrence. With so much at stake, it is imperative that we do not fall behind in securing our national defense and it is in this context one hopes that even if an increase in 2016-17 is not possible, at least the historic pace of increase in our security/defense expenditure should continue at any cost.

sudhan · Post by **sudhan** » 25 May 2016 15:45

Heroin found in PIA's pakistan

A pindigeneous invention of the Momeen.. Clever build up of toilet gases to 400% spontaneously make herrowine!!

sudhan · Post by **sudhan** » 25 May 2016 15:51

Mean-e-while, NYT does it's bit to pull down Pawki shalwars..

They got confused with the 'Sharif', must replace dummy sharif with Rawheel

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 25 May 2016 15:53

Pak army chief to US: Drone attack 'detrimental' to bilateral ties - PTI

The US drone attack on Pakistan's soil to kill Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Mansour is detrimental to bilateral ties, Pakistan army chief General Raheel Sharif said on Wednesday.

Sharif told this to US ambassador David Hale who visited the military's General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, the army said, adding that the situation arising after US drone strike in Balochistan on May 22 came under discussion.

"While expressing his serious concerns over the said drone strike, the Chief of the Army Staff said such acts of sovereignty violations are detrimental to relations between both countries and are counter-productive for ongoing peace process for regional stability," army said.

It is for the first time that army has spoken on the issue.

Pakistan's interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had on Tuesday refused to confirm the death of Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour but said a DNA test will be done to establish the identity of a man killed in a US drone strike last week.

He had condemned the drone attack as violation of Pakistan's territory and said it may lead to serious implication for relations between Pakistan and US

sudhan · Post by **sudhan** » 25 May 2016 16:08

^^ I believe all this blabber about being given a 'day's notice' before scalping the talib chief is a load of bull dung.. The droning of the Talib Akhtar has severely riled up the other Akhtar in pindi..

member_22872 · Post by **member_22872** » 25 May 2016 16:49

Will only allow US to breach sovereignty if it pays for our F16s: Sartaj Aziz

Peregrine · Post by **Peregrine** » 25 May 2016 16:50

US Senate okays reimbursement fund for Pakistan

WASHINGTON: The US Senate Armed Services Committee has approved a proposal to set up a new fund to reimburse Pakistan for its efforts in the war against terror. The new fund also delinks the country from Afghanistan.

The committee’s chairman, Senator John McCain, introduced the bill, which sets aside up to $800 million for reimbursing Pakistan and the proposal is included in the Senate version of the National Defence Authorisation Act, 2017, passed on May 18.

Under the current arrangement, Pakistan is reimbursed from the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) and has received a total of $3.1 billion since 2013. The CSF expires in the 2016 financial year, which ends in October.

The bill, however, requires Pakistan to keep open ground communication lines to Afghanistan for receiving reimbursements from this fund. And $300m is linked to taking action against the Haqqani network.

Another bill, passed by the House of Representatives last week, linked $450m from a total of $900m proposed for Pakistan to take action against the Haqqani network. But the Senate bill is different from the House version.

The proposed fund replaces the CSF, which was for reimbursing Pakistan for its support to US and coalition activities in Afghanistan. The new provision takes the same reimbursement model but focuses on Pakistan and on US national security interests. In doing so, it breaks the link between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

During a debate in the committee, lawmakers noted that the United States has already withdrawn most of its troops from Afghanistan. The US-led coalition is also winding up its activities.

With this change in the nature of US mission in Afghanistan, policymakers in Washington felt that it is no longer relevant to link Pakistan to Afghanistan.

Instead, they decided to link the new fund to Pakistan’s own security and stability, which Washington sees as important for its own national security interests.

While considering the proposal, the committee noted that “Pakistan has been a long-standing strategic partner of the United States” and expressed its desire to continue a “strong and enduring” relationship between the two countries.

To ensure sustainability and viability over the long term, the committee endorsed the proposal to “transition security assistance to Pakistan to a bilateral programme focused on the stability and security of Pakistan, rather than the more narrow previous focus of Coalition Support Funds”.

The committee also expressed the concern that “continued reliance on Coalition Support Funds for the provision of security assistance to Pakistan could negatively impact US support of Pakistani operations to combat terrorism”.

Cheers

member_22872 · Post by **member_22872** » 25 May 2016 17:10

US giveth and US taketh, then it repeats backwards and forwards, US taketh and US giveth .... on and on...

rsingh · Post by **rsingh** » 25 May 2016 18:36

SSridhar wrote:Pak army chief to US: Drone attack 'detrimental' to bilateral ties - PTI
The US drone attack on Pakistan's soil to kill Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Mansour is detrimental to bilateral ties, Pakistan army chief General Raheel Sharif said on Wednesday.

Sharif told this to US ambassador David Hale who visited the military's General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, the army said, adding that the situation arising after US drone strike in Balochistan on May 22 came under discussion.

"While expressing his serious concerns over the said drone strike, the Chief of the Army Staff said such acts of sovereignty violations are detrimental to relations between both countries and are counter-productive for ongoing peace process for regional stability," army said.

It is for the first time that army has spoken on the issue.

Pakistan's interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had on Tuesday refused to confirm the death of Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour but said a DNA test will be done to establish the identity of a man killed in a US drone strike last week.

He had condemned the drone attack as violation of Pakistan's territory and said it may lead to serious implication for relations between Pakistan and US

OMG that look like China speaking to Burkina-Fasso. Typical Chinese quote.

svenkat · Post by **svenkat** » 25 May 2016 18:51

sudhan wrote: They got confused with the 'Sharif', must replace dummy sharif with Rawheel

Not at all.NYT stands for "Judeo-christian" values of US establishment.They are deliberately painting the civilians as evil while shielding the marital race fauji.

Thats always a consistent theme with NYT,pee pee cee etc who play along with the good terrorist/bad terrorist game of TSPA.

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 25 May 2016 18:56

Bunkers in a Heli station near Gizri, Karachi

Naval Facility. The place is located next to Baharia Township in Clifton, Karachi. Pak faujis and navy walas like to hide in a small area surrounded by civilian areas

Main Bunker

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 25 May 2016 21:11

http://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-paki ... story.html
China's dream of a new Silk Road runs into hurdles at its first stop: Pakistan
( Corridor to Crash-O-Door few steps away only. It can create much deeper and un repairable faultlines to finish this abomination in SouthAsia )
.
In one closed-door meeting last fall, train opponents say a senior Punjab official accused them of threatening the China-Pakistan friendship, which he described as tantamount to treason.As China’s leaders try to manage an economic slowdown that has dimmed domestic demand for its industries, Pakistan presents a rare opportunity: an economically struggling nation of nearly 200 million people that is eager to let Chinese companies come in and build infrastructure.t least 14 Chinese-built power plants are slated to start churning out 10,400 megawatts of electricity within the next two years to ease Pakistan’s chronic brownouts. The country currently generates about 24,000 megawatts — less than the tiny South Pacific island of Vanuatu.
Experts wonder whether the corridor will create jobs or breed white elephants — mammoth installations disconnected from needy areas.“If they don’t improve road connectivity, upgrade towns along the way and find a way to provide technical skills, the local people will do nothing more than repair the punctures on Chinese tires,” said Kaiser Bengali, an economist who has advised the Baluchistan government.Long beset by corruption, terrorism and political instability, Pakistan has never seen so much foreign investment. And China has a history of over-promising: Of $66 billion in aid it pledged to Pakistan from 2003 to 2011, only 6% ever came, according to a Rand Corp. study.Billed as a solution to traffic woes in a city of 9 million people with only one other rapid transit system — a bus line — the train was not among the original initiatives for the corridor. It was added to the list after concerted lobbying by Sharif, who described it in April as “another gift from the government for the people” and “a model of transparency.”He did not mention that China’s Export-Import Bank was financing most of the cost at interest rates that have not been officially disclosed — or that the project has faced serious opposition.Demolitions began in August, four months before the loan was approved, triggering protests and lawsuits. In hearings before the Lahore High Court, Punjab officials have defended the project but declined to reveal basic details, including loan terms, citing its “sensitivity.”Judges have at times responded with impatience. At a hearing in April, Judge Shahid Karim said the train “displaces millions of people and affects their vocations and livelihoods, yet their pertinent concerns were simply ignored.”Analysts say operating the train — which will carry an estimated 250,000 riders daily in its first year — will require huge government subsidies. But its completion is seen as crucial to Prime Minister Sharif’s reelection bid.“
Kanwal Sibal, a former Indian foreign secretary, described the economic corridor as “a political and strategic provocation.”“There is a concern in India that as China becomes more dependent on the Pakistani military for ensuring the security of these projects, that will give the Pakistani military more sway,” said Tanvi Madan, India project director at the Brookings Institution in Washington.Some view India’s decision to pour $500 million into developing Chabahar, a port in Iran, as partly a response to Gwadar.A more sanguine reading of China’s role is that it will push Pakistan to promote regional peace and fulfill pledges to crack down on Taliban militants waging war in neighboring Afghanistan.“The sheer scale of investment means … China will certainly have to care about things like political stability, development and security in general in Pakistan than they ever have before,” Madan said.Privately, top Indian officials are skeptical that the corridor’s grandiose promises will be realized. Its effect is more closely felt by Pakistanis like Ali Rashid, whose home inside 19th century Kapurthala House in central Lahore was set to be demolished to build an Orange Line station.A court order has blocked demolition of the building, which houses the descendants of families who fled to Pakistan from what is now India when the countries were partitioned in 1947.The structure now lies in the middle of a crater, encircled by the rubble of bulldozed apartments and shadowed by towering cranes.Of 52 families who lived there, all but two have left. Rashid’s family holds out, unwilling to accept the government’s offer of about $30,000 in compensation, which it says is insufficient to buy another home in Lahore.“They keep saying this is a gift from China,” Rashid said. “All I see is destruction everywhere.”

Anujan · Post by **Anujan** » 25 May 2016 23:54

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/excl ... 76931.html

How terrorists posing as Afghan medical tourists almost hit Delhi

A botched terror test run in New Delhi has set alarm bells ringing for the security agencies about a new ISI-backed module whose operatives were able to infiltrate the national capital by posing as Afghan medical tourists, intelligence sources have disclosed to India Today.

Backed by Pakistan's ISI and the Haqqani network, Rehman launched his first terror attempt on India in November when he sent two of his men to target five locations in Delhi with chemical bombs, intelligence officials said.

I think this is the first time that Haqqani network has attempted terrorism against India in India? (they have attacked Indian consulate and other interests in Afghanistan many times).

member_23370 · Post by **member_23370** » 26 May 2016 00:22

Indian troops are needed in Af-pak region after all.

Bhurishrava · Post by **Bhurishrava** » 26 May 2016 00:23

http://thediplomat.com/2016/05/5-navy-o ... s-warship/

5 Navy Officers Sentenced to Death in Pakistan for Trying to Attack US Warship
The five officers allegedly tried to steal a Pakistani warship to attack a U.S. naval vessel.

BharadwajV · Post by **BharadwajV** » 26 May 2016 00:23

^^Anujan Saar
NBC attacks from TSP means a nuclear retaliation from India.
Unambiguous policy by the GoI on this.
Hopefully we follow through.
On a related note:Ex-Shatrujeet also had NBC warfare elements incorporated so as to prepare our IBGs.

But UselessGhani discarding that jar of Vaseline to have his way with TSP regarding the recent Angoor Adda bitchslap was fun to watch.
TSP is already at RAW+CIA+MOSSAD+NDS+Iranian Intelligence against AlBak stage.
Need to get more players on board to confuse the Lahori Logicians and Madrasah Mathematicians on who is behind what.

News on the unmentionable forum is that the GHQ is shifting from Pindi to Slum-e-bad.
Easier to hatch a coup from the same city?

Abhay_S · Post by **Abhay_S** » 26 May 2016 01:36

How not to curb terrorism - Letter to the editor TFT

Sir,

While commuting in the city of Lahore, one encounters a large number of checkpoints, especially in the cantonment area. These blockades obstruct the flow of traffic, and if anything create bottlenecks that are especially prone to terrorist attacks. They are a wastage of time and security personnel.

Not a single country in the world has improved its security situation by such bizarre measures. These checkpoints only seem to increase the influence and power of security forces and mentally torture peaceful citizens, especially students and senior citizens.

To curb terrorism, we do not need to obstruct the movement of ordinary citizens, but an effective counter terrorism strategy and revolutionary shift in our current security policy.

Naseem Akram,

Lahore.

vishvak · Post by **vishvak** » 26 May 2016 01:50

Bheeshma wrote:Indian troops are needed in Af-pak region after all.

India can do even better with joint Indo-Russia bases north of Iran ie in regions north of Caspian Sea.

RoyG · Post by **RoyG** » 26 May 2016 01:55

vishvak wrote:
Bheeshma wrote:Indian troops are needed in Af-pak region after all.
India can do even better with joint Indo-Russia bases north of Iran ie in regions north of Caspian Sea.

member_23370 · Post by **member_23370** » 26 May 2016 01:58

Is Ayni base and Farkhor in that region??

vishvak · Post by **vishvak** » 26 May 2016 02:08

Ayni base location is near Tajik capital. link
Farkhor is south of Tajik capital, near Afghan border. link

Peregrine · Post by **Peregrine** » 26 May 2016 02:09

US backs India-Iran Chabahar port deal despite residual suspicion over Tehran

WASHINGTON: The Obama administration on Tuesday batted for India with regards to New Delhi's energy initiative with Iran and Afghanistan via Chabahar, amid residual suspicion and misgivings among some lawmakers whether there could be a strategic and military dimension to the tripartite agreement.

US senators closely examined assistant secretary of state for South Asia Nisha Desai Biswal on the Chabahar deal during a hearing, but the official said Washington recognized that from New Delhi's perspective that Iran represents a gateway into Afghanistan and Central Asia. She had not seen any sign of Indian engagement with Tehran in areas such as military cooperation, which might be of concern to the United States, she added.

"For India to be able to contribute to the economic development of Afghanistan, it needs access that it does not readily have across its land boundary. And India is seeking to deepen its energy relationship with the Central Asian countries and looking for routes that would facilitate that," Desai-Biswal told the Senate foreign relations committee, assuring members that the Obama administration has been "very clear with the Indians what our security concerns have been and we would continue to engage them on those issues."

"They (Indians) have been very responsive and receptive to our briefings, to what we believe the lines are. And we have to examine the details of the Chabahar announcement to see where it falls in that place," she added.

Given President Barack Obama's own outreach towards Iran and US difficulty in maintaining a toe-hold in landlocked Afghanistan because of its problems with Pakistan, Washington is broadly supportive of the Chabahar deal, particularly since it outflanks the China-Pakistan axis in neighboring Gwadar. But such is the reflexive suspicion in US over Iran, often stimulated by the so-called Israeli lobby, that many lawmakers still have reservations about any deal with Tehran.

While some senators wanted to know if the deal to develop the Chabahar port violated any sanctions against Iran, others wanted to know if India was ready to sign a formal security cooperation agreement with the US during Prime Minister Modi's visit to Washington next month. India and the United States have already strengthened their security cooperation in several areas and ''We're looking at what additional areas we can engage in to deepen that cooperation," Biswal replied cautiously.

The pow-wow over India-Iran relations came amid a precipitous slide in US-Pakistan ties over the drone strike that killed Taliban leader Mulla Mansour, purportedly while he was returning from Iran under the impression that Pakistan had bought an insurance for him against drone strikes because he was a key figure in talks.

But US officials said he was taken out because he was an obstacle to peace. "Mansour represented an effort to rekindle the war, rekindle the conflict, re-stoke the violence in Afghanistan, and was not interested in pursuing peace. We believe that an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned peace process is the way ultimately to resolve the conflict in Afghanistan," state department spokesman Mark Toner said.

Pakistan's de facto military ruler Raheel Sharif also jumped into the fray on Tuesday, summoning US ambassador to Islamabad David Hale to the GHQ and warning that Pakistan-US ties would be affected, even as the Pakistani media has been kvetching about why Mansour was killed only after entering Pakistan and now while he was more accessible while traveling freely in the Gulf.

TV anchors have been working up a lather wondering if Iran sold him down the drain, even as some Pakistani commentators have been marveling at India's ability to strike a balance between Iran and Saudi Arabia, something Pakistan has been unable to do.

On its part, the Obama administration has pretty much said it will continue to attack terrorist targets in Pakistan if they don't sue for peace and Islamabad and Rawalpindi can stuff it if does not like it.

QUESTION: Do you trust Pakistan when it comes to war against terrorism?

State department spokesman Mark Toner: I think that we have been very clear-eyed and very clear in our interaction with Pakistan where we've believed that they need to do more to root out terrorists, as I said, who find safe haven on some of their territory, and we're going to continue to do that. I'll leave it there.

QUESTION: But is it fair to say, given that you didn't inform Pakistan before the attack, that you do not trust them on these sensitive issues?

Toner: Again, I think what I said just now holds, which is that operational security trumps a need to inform other governments
Cheers

member_23370 · Post by **member_23370** » 26 May 2016 02:17

Will US ever look to send supplied to its troops in Afghanistan through Chabahar? Or are they fully invested in krachi-balochistan-kpk route?

Anujan · Post by **Anujan** » 26 May 2016 03:36

BharadwajV wrote:^^Anujan Saar
NBC attacks from TSP means a nuclear retaliation from India.
Unambiguous policy by the GoI on this.
Hopefully we follow through.
On a related note:Ex-Shatrujeet also had NBC warfare elements incorporated so as to prepare our IBGs.

But UselessGhani discarding that jar of Vaseline to have his way with TSP regarding the recent Angoor Adda bitchslap was fun to watch.
TSP is already at RAW+CIA+MOSSAD+NDS+Iranian Intelligence against AlBak stage.
Need to get more players on board to confuse the Lahori Logicians and Madrasah Mathematicians on who is behind what.

News on the unmentionable forum is that the GHQ is shifting from Pindi to Slum-e-bad.
Easier to hatch a coup from the same city?

It wasnt an NBC attack, it was a incendiary type bomb. Apparently the target was malls and Iskon temple. The damage was intended more due to prolonged fire rather than a blast.

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 26 May 2016 04:54

** Irrelevant post deleted **

Let's have serious discussion in this thread please. And, no comparison with India please.

- Admin -

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 26 May 2016 05:59

Ishaq Dar hints at increase in defence budget

ISLAMABAD:
Spelling out the government’s priorities for its fourth budget that he will be unveiling on June 3, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said on Tuesday the federal government would meet defence needs of the country and make efforts to avoid putting extra burden on existing taxpayers.
“The government will meet the defence needs of the country in the new budget,” vowed Dar, while addressing a pre-budget seminar organised by Express Media Group.

Dar announced that in the next budget, the government would try not to put extra burden on existing taxpayers. He, however, said the life would be made miserable for non-filers of the income tax returns. “The customs duties will be lowered for growth-oriented industries,” he said.

Ziauddin said the finance minister has been making budget in the dark, as he did not know how many mouths have to be fed next year due to delay in holding a population census.

No census prepared for the last 29+ years !

PTI’s Shah Mehmood Qureshi criticised the finance minister for not fulfilling promises that he made while delivering his first budget speech. He said Dar had promised to stop hemorrhaging of Public Sector Enterprises, address root causes of circular debt, expand tax base and increase pace of national output. The progress in all these areas remained below the targets, said Qureshi.

IMO, Finance Minister Dar is faced with reconciling two conflicting forces; on the one hand, the military, with its ever increasing demand for additional funds and the World Bank / IMF pressure to make sure that by hook or by crook Pakistan should at least pay back the interest payments on the loan. The defence estimates were probably prepared on the rosy assumption of Moolah flowing from Massa. Recent events have proved the falsity of these assumptions !

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 26 May 2016 08:27

Pathankot probe: NIA to examine JeM's role in other attacks - Bharti Jain, ToI

NIA has widened its probe into the Pathankot attack, executed by Jaish-e-Mohammed, to examine the evidence in other terror cases involving the Pakistan-based jihadi outfit floated by Maulana Masood Azhar. NIA sources said investigators were looking at similarities between Pathankot strike and attacks/operations undertaken by Jaish in Tangdhar last year as well as the Kathua and Samba terror attacks that targetted a police station and Army camp respectively in March last year.

NIA also seeks to probe what sustains Jaish back in Pakistan, including its financing via entities like the Al-Rahmat Trust, the forces operating and funding its website and those running the organisation there. NIA had only recently sent a supplementary letter rogatory to Pakistan seeking an investigation along these lines. However, India is yet to hear from Pakistan. Sources said Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Gautam Bambawale will be meeting home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi on Thursday, and may update the latter on Islamabad's stand regarding coopration in Pathankot probe.

Meanwhile, elaborating on widening of the NIA probe to study evidence relating to past Jaish attacks, an NIA officer said: "The broader probe will establish from which point these attacks against India were launched. Pathankot strike was not an isolated operation by Jaish, which last year also sent its fidayeen to attack security/police installations in Samba and Kathua., and targetted an army camp near LoC in Tangdhar, triggering a fierce encounter that left all three Jaish attackers dead".

According to the officer, there were many similarities between Pathankot and Samba/Kathua attacks. The wireless sets used in Pathankot and Kathua were similar; also the same weapons systems were used by the Jaish terrorists in Kathua and Samba. The similarities extend to composition of the team, modus operandi, avoiding any killings before reaching the actual target and leaving behind a chit declaring revenge for hanging of Afzal Guru as a motive. "The commonalities provide additional evidence to make the case stronger. For example, NIA has now documented all IM attacks and has evidence of its operations in an integrated form," said the officer.

The officer said the agency's probe was not event-specific and that its investigators would study the evidence in all terror cases where Jaish was involved. This could also include the Parliament attack as well as IC-814 hijack case, in which Maulana Masood Azhar and his brother Mohd Rauf Ashgar are wanted accused.

Another case which the NIA may examine is the Dinanagar police station attack case, though there are some discerning dissimilarities from other Jaish attacks, such as planting of bombs on railway tracks prior to attacking the target.

NIA teams have already visited the attack sites in Samba and Kathua to study the similarities with Pathankot strike. The agency sleuths have questioned an arrested Jaish militant in J&K who supposedly helped identify Shahid Latif as one of the handlers of Pathankot fidayeen.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 26 May 2016 12:56

The shameless beggars that Pakistanis are, they see a begging opportunity in every incident. The death of Mansour cannot be an exception, can it?

Mullah Akhtar Mansour was not against peace process: Sartaj - DT

He said that this attack had worsened the situation in Afghanistan and had further complicated the peace process. He said that American aid regarding the war against terrorism is insufficient and Pakistan is already suffering heavy losses.

Two things are obvious in the above. Sartaj Aziz is threatening that Pakistan will now make matters worse for the US efforts. Two, of course, the simultaneous begging and the price being demanded, all in one go. Utterly shameless.

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 26 May 2016 15:45

US lists 2 Pakistani jihadist groups as global terror organizations

Both Jamaat ul Dawa al Quran (JDQ) and the Tariq Gidar Group (TGG) have now been sanctioned, meaning Americans “are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with” the jihadist organizations.

The Jamaat ul Dawa al Quran (JDQ)Jamaat ul Dawa al Quran (JDQ), which is “based in Peshawar, Pakistan, and eastern Afghanistan” has “long-standing ties to al Qaeda and Lashkar e-Tayyiba,” according to State.JDQ, which is also known as the Jamaat al Dawa ila al Sunnah, Jamaat ud Dawa il al Quran al Sunnah, and the Salafi Group, operates in Kunar province, Afghanistan.In January 2010, JDQ pledged an oath of allegiance to then Taliban emir Mullah Omar. That pledge was accepted by the Taliban. It is unclear if JDQ renewed its oath after Omar died, or will pledge again in the wake of the May 21 airstrike that killed Omar’s replacement, Mullah Mansour.The US military began targeting JDQ in special operations raids in August 2010. Two months later, US Navy SEALs accidentally killed Linda Norgrove, a British aid worker who was held by JDQ in Kunar, during an attempt to free her.

Several members of the JDQ were once held at the American detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

One of these former Guantanamo detainees, Haji Sahib Rohullah Wakil, was identified as the JDQ’s overall leader.

Wakil claimed that he was a loyal servant of Hamid Karzai’s post-Taliban government. While admitting that he was a member of the JDQ, according to McClatchy, Wakil said he was “never a fighter” and “that his group promoted a certain thread of Islam, not terrorism.”

US officials also suspected that while Wakil ostensibly supported Karzai’s government in post-Taliban Afghanistan, he was really playing a double game, (ISI mole ?) with the assistance of Pakistani intelligence.

According to State, the Tariq Gidar Group (TGG) is “linked” to the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan (Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan, or TTP) and is “responsible for multiple large-scale, fatal attacks,” including the Dec. 16, 2014 “massacre at the Army Public School in Peshawar, Pakistan.” The TGG’s assault on the school left “132 school children and nine staffers dead.” The State Department notes the assault was the “deadliest terrorist attack in Pakistan’s history.”The TGG has claimed credit for a number of other attacks, including the Sept. 2015 assault on a Pakistani airbase in Peshawar (29 killed) and the Jan. 2016 attack on a school in Charsadda (29 killed).

All these Pakistani groups, once nurtured by the Deep State, have now become a nightmare for their sponsors!

Multiple designated terrorist organizations in PakistanPakistan hosts a plethora of jihadist groups that have been listed by the US as terrorist organizations. Some of these target elements of the Pakistani state, while others have been supported by Pakistani intelligence.The US has designated multiple Taliban factions based in Pakistan, including the Haqqani Network, the Mullah Nazir Group, and the TTP.Other jihadist groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba/Jamaat-ul-Dawa and Harakat ul Muhajideen are on the US terror list, but operate openly with the support of the Pakistani state.And, of course, al Qaeda has long operated inside Pakistan, often with the help of allied groups.

And now ISIS is also trying to make its presence in the region !

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 26 May 2016 15:58

Govt to impose Rs 500 billion new taxes in upcoming budget - Traders not happy !

According to World Bank, a Pakistani industrialist having business in all four provinces had to pay tax for 95 times while it took 598 hours per annum to prepare documents, he said. On the other hand, businessmen in Singapore had to pay tax for six times in one year while Malaysian businessmen would pay tax for 14 times per annum, he further commented.

Parliamentary panel gives clean chit to govt’s foreign loans

From September to March of this fiscal year, the federal government raised $1.393 billion from foreign commercial banks to augment official foreign currency reserves. It completed the last transaction with Credit Suisse on March 29 to borrow $408 million. But like other similar transactions, the ministry did not invite bids through advertisements in the press for it.

This probably implies that "someone" got commissions arranging these deals
Expect to see more such news as Pakistan's financial situation becomes worse and worse !

Peregrine · Post by **Peregrine** » 26 May 2016 18:46

The learning ladder

Perhaps a mathematician could work out a formula which reflects the precise equation: as Pakistan’s educational standards have declined over its 70-year history, the language used in official documents to describe the failures has grown increasingly flowery – and increasingly stripped of substance.

At the same time promises made for the future have been more bombastic with each five-year plan spelled out. Had even a small proportion of these pledges been met, notably the extravagant claims made from 1979 onwards, we should have a country crawling with PhD-holders and populated by a 100 percent literate population.

Of course we do not. Barely 60 percent of our people are literate, according to official figures, and of these multiple surveys have shown a shocking number lack anything resembling functional ability to read, write or perform simple arithmetical calculations.

The survey’s verdict that Pakistan stands behind nations which include Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh, as well as Saudi Arabia and the UAE will no doubt be put down in some circles at least as a conspiracy theory.

However, nothing but diligent effort will lead to genuine achievement. In the context of higher education, one example is the Higher Education Commission, established under a new amendment by Gen Pervez Musharraf in 2002 as an apex body for learning at the higher levels.

The fact is that higher education, including the HEC, is now striving for a 25 percent share in the minuscule budgetary allocation for education which for 2015-2016 stood at 2.1 percent of GDP, the lowest in the region. This is despite the fact that only around five percent of 12 to 23 year olds in the country attend an institute of higher education. Over 90 percent of 5 to 9 year olds are enrolled in primary learning. It would seem logical that a larger share should go to cater to the needs of those who stand at the bottom of the educational pyramid.

Studies show that our levels of research and ability to reach academic landmarks are poor, leaving us lagging far behind countries like Iran, Turkey, India and others in the region.

The latest findings, which come soon after the HEC released its list of top-ranking universities in the country, should make us think. It appears that these universities – led by the Quaid-e-Azam University in Islamabad – are not really centres of excellence at all.

We need to stop fooling ourselves and assess what our education system truly needs.

One problem appears to be the lack of qualified people to embark on a task of repair. Those who were around into the early and mid-1970s have apparently been replaced, judging by the quality of reports and write-ups included in government documents by persons unable or unwilling to think. These people seem to be competent only to put forward extravagant ideas, couched in poetic language which we all know will never actually materialise. The reports and the plans laid out are then nothing but an illusion.

This of course also means finding teachers and persuading them to attend schools. There is a gigantic problem at the moment in recruiting teachers given the devaluing of the profession as a whole. There are of course many other interrelated problems.

Cheers

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 26 May 2016 19:36

BZU Multan closed “indefinitely” amid security threats

MULTAN (Staff Report) – Multan’s Bahauddin Zakariya University was closed on Thursday for an indefinite period amid security threats.
The university administration has directed students to evacuate the hostels and leave the university premises immediately.
According to sources, special teams of Pakistan Army and intelligence agencies visited the university campus earlier today, after which the administration decided to shut down the university immediately.

The university was due to close for summer vacations from June 6 and was currently in the middle of conducting final exams for different under-graduation programs being taught this semester. All the exams have also been postponed.
The examinations of post-graduate programs, which were scheduled to start from July 18, have also been re-scheduled to August 15.
An official notification said “university will remain closed from May 27 till further order on account of summer vacations.”

The sudden announcement to close the university comes just a week after Punjab’s Counter Terrorism Department killed as many as eight al-Qaeda terrorists in Multan. The killed terrorists were said to be planning a terrorists attack on the BZU campus.
In a similar move earlier this year, BZU was closed for two days after a terrorist attack on Charsadda’s Bacha Khan University in January. Police and intelligence agencies had conducted a search operation in the boys hostel of the university and all students were asked to go home.
Some 25, 000 students are currently enrolled in this major university of Southern Punjab.

What is not mentioned in the above report is that one of the "famous" graduate of this so-called university is none other than Tafshin Malik, who with her radicalized spouse, went on a shooting rampage in San Bernardino California

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 26 May 2016 19:53

US Senate okays reimbursement fund for Pakistan

WASHINGTON: The US Senate Armed Services Committee has approved a proposal to set up a new fund to reimburse Pakistan for its efforts in the war against terror. The new fund also delinks the country from Afghanistan.
The committee’s chairman, Senator John McCain, introduced the bill, which sets aside up to $800 million for reimbursing Pakistan and the proposal is included in the Senate version of the National Defence Authorisation Act, 2017, passed on May 18.

[

quote]WASHINGTON: The US Senate Armed Services Committee has approved a proposal to set up a new fund to reimburse Pakistan for its efforts in the war against terror. The new fund also delinks the country from Afghanistan.

The bill, however, requires Pakistan to keep open ground communication lines to Afghanistan (keep talking to Afghanistan ?) for receiving reimbursements from this fund. And $300m is linked to taking action against the Haqqani network.
Another bill, passed by the House of Representatives last week, linked $450m from a total of $900m proposed for Pakistan to take action against the Haqqani network. But the Senate bill is different from the House version.

So, the aid is again conditional on Pakistan talking to Afghanistan and Pakistan taking action against the Haqqani networks ; remains to be seen if Pakistan fulfills these requirements !