Terroristan - 4th Jan 2018

[anupmisra]

Re: Immy Marriage . Cricket anal-ogy put to good use

Why, no fine legs? Next should be a keeper.

[Falijee]

Pathetic That Pakistan "Celebrates" Its Narrow Escape From FATF Grey Listing - Paki Anal- yst

Between FATF and GSP Plus
Khurram Husain- Dawn

TWO parallel developments in the past few days perfectly illustrate how Pakistan’s economic diplomacy is caught between a rock and a hard place. On Tuesday, Pakistan narrowly missed being grey-listed by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) as a country whose financial system presents terror financing and money laundering risks to the international financial system. Also on Tuesday, the EU agreed to extend GSP Plus status to Pakistan’s products for another two years, subject to review, meaning another short lease on life to our sagging exports.

Let’s get one thing straight first. In both cases, very good people worked long and hard to bring about the outcome. It took very hectic diplomacy by a team including Miftah Ismael and Khawaja Asif ( Sialkoti Asif should not have "crowed" with his Tweet !) among others to line up three countries that were willing to vote against the motion introduced by the Americans, the UK, France and Germany to grey-list Pakistan’s financial system in FATF. And the secretary commerce, Younus Dagha, led the efforts with the EU to get our GSP Plus status renewed. All of them deserve acknowledgement for their efforts, and nothing of what follows is intended to detract from their contribution.

But take a look at what we are celebrating. On the one hand, we narrowly missed getting labelled as a country that harbours terrorist individuals and groups, and thereby getting slapped with a tag that would make our external financial dealings very cumbersome and expensive, for starters. On the other hand, we are celebrating being extended a privilege that has been designed as assistance to some of the poorest countries in the world, where we find ourselves in the company of states like Armenia, Bolivia, Mongolia, Cape Verde. The saving grace, perhaps, is that Sri Lanka and the Philippines are also on this list. Paki image intact

None of these countries takes pride in being a nuclear power. ( Islami Atomi Takat ) None of them harbours outsize ambitions and great game-like fantasies.

Why are we even asking for entry into the GSP Plus regime? For the simple reason that we have been unable to put in place the right reforms to diversify our exports away from cotton textiles for decades now... not likely to change in the near future also

The review mission from the Asia Pacific Group, that was going to report Pakistan’s compliance to FATF in implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1267 ...

And in August of 2017, the individual at the centre of the entire controversy with FATF founded his own political party, the Milli Muslim League.

In September the party fielded its first candidate in a by-election in NA-120, Lahore. The candidate, Yaqoob Shaikh, is himself on a US government list of sanctioned individuals for their connections to terrorism. He bagged five per cent of the votes cast. In November, Hafiz Saeed was released from house arrest since the government insisted on holding him under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance so they could detain him legally without charge. And in December he inaugurated his party office in Lahore, plastering the city with posters advertising their arrival. The so-called "mainstreaming" of the Islamist parties by the Deep State !

So the road to the motions placed before FATF ran parallel to an attempt to bring into the political mainstream a group that is considered by the United Nations to be a terrorist entity. The whole world watched this unfold.

This was the road to Paris, that ended on Tuesday when three countries, we are told, refused to support the motion advanced to grey-list Pakistan’s financial system, giving the country an additional three months ‘reprieve’ to demonstrate that it is serious about ensuring that its financial system does not end up handling funds that can be traced back to designated groups or individuals, leaving the financial system at risk of being levied with heavy fines.

This is the story of Pakistan’s economy.

Look at how much of the effort our leading economic team had to expend just getting past the FATF review, and the other side, where our commerce folks were in Brussels, asking for access to the EU market on terms designed for some of the poorest countries on earth. This double play, growling at the creditors and benefactors one day, asking them for favours the next, is the state of play on our economic diplomacy.

One reader' s comment :
Pakistanis are getting exactly what they deserve, the people are shameless so the leaders are shameless too .

[Falijee]

Prediction By An Indian Analyst about FATF and Pakistan :


Brahma Chellaney
‏ @Chellaney
22h22 hours ago

Pakistan will be placed back onto the Financial Action Task Force’s watch-list from June, if it fails to crack down on terrorist outfits. But will it? Being on that watch-list from 2012 to 2015 didn't hurt Pakistan: It managed to raise money internationally, including from IMF.

"It is impossible to straighten out a dog's tail" syndrome ( in this case, the dog being Pakistan !)

[Peregrine]

Pakistan promises to expedite steps to curb terror financing

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's interior minister says the country will expedite steps to curb terror financing and money laundering a day after the country avoided ending up on a terror watch list by a global task force.

Ahsan Iqbal in Saturday's remarks said Pakistan's performance in the war on terror was better than others, but the country still faced pressure from Washington.

Pakistan on Friday escaped a motion to put it on a 'grey list' by the Financial Action Task Force, which met in Paris. The US and Britain had jointly submitted a letter to the FATF, nominating it for placement on watch list.

Pakistan was on a list from 2012-2015 and feared a return would deter foreign investment and hurt access to international financial markets.



Cheers

[anupmisra]

Knee jerk damage control combined with mental self-delusion has already begun.

Pakistan will expedite steps to curb terror financing: interior minister

Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Saturday — a day after Pakistan avoided ending up on a terror watch list by a global task force — said that the government will expedite steps to curb terror financing and money laundering.

Pakistan's performance in the war against terrorism was better than others', but it still faced pressure from Washington, the minister said.

the minister said steps taken by the country against terror financing were not to please FATF or the US but they are "in the interest of our country".

it was Pakistan's duty to ensure implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions

“Thank you Turkey for standing with Pakistan against all odds and proving that we are one. We are proud to have a brother like you.”

https://www.dawn.com/news/1391422/pakis ... r-minister

[Falijee]

Pakistan Will Be Placed On Terrorism Financing Watch List Come June - New York Times

At US Urging, Pakistan To Be Placed On Terror- Financing List

[Falijee]

Tarek Fatah
‏Verified account @TarekFatah
3h3 hours ago

Pakistani migrants arrested in Italy for gang raping a young Italian boy at Railway Station.



Joh Pakistan mae ..... Woh Brindisi mae bhi .....

[Falijee]

"Image Makeover" By Decrepit Paki Airline

In the new advertisement campaign PIA calls out to all your friends and enemies who will be treated as one.

"Sharia Compliant" Garb By The Paki Ayeshas?. Sign language communication ? After flying hours "personal service" being offered ?

[JE Menon]

^^Is the above a serious thing? This is what they came up with?

Added later: yes it is!!! Incredible...

[anupmisra]

"Image Makeover" By Decrepit Paki Airline

In the new advertisement campaign PIA calls out to all your friends and enemies who will be treated as one.

You got to admit. The world will love a happy paki. Better than a pissed off paki.

[Falijee]

Iran Envoy To Isloo Throws Diplomacy To The Wind

Iranian envoy severely criticises Pakistan

Islamabad, – Iranian envoy to Pakistan criticized Islamabad on the problems existing in bilateral banking ties as well as the delay in completion of Iran-Pakistan gas project. Iran has banking interactions and trade ties with many countries in the world but this problem has not been already resolved between the two countries,' Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan Mehdi Honardoost said in a reference to cut of banking ties between the two countries since the sanctions era, state run IRNA has reported. Pakistan is not in Massa's lap these days due to POTUS "get tough" policy , does not want to "annoy" mai-baap Saudia, professes "neutrality" in the Iran - Saudia tiff and at the same time, announces deployment of 1000 additional Fauji Abduls to S.A. No wonder the Iran Amb is pissed off !

Honardoost, speaking at the seminar on ‘Contemporary Relations between Pakistan, Iran and Saudi Arabia: Present Challenges’ organized by Strategic Vision Institute (SVI) in Islamabad, said that Iran and Pakistan have many common grounds to build their relations upon. Hope that the Irani Amb and the Saudi Arbi Envoy did not get into a "shouting match" at the venue

He cited Pakistan's 'being too cautious' as the reason for the delay in resuming banking ties between Tehran and Islamabad. The Sword of Damocles of Massa and Saudia .Between a rock and a hard place

Transfer of gas from Iran to Pakistan could flourish the region, the envoy noted in a reference to delay in completion of the project by Islamabad for 'unclear reasons'.He noted that the Iranian part of the project is complete, but the project has not become operational on the Pakistani side. The Sword of Damocles of Massa and Saudia .Between a rock and a hard place

Honardoost cautioned about manipulation of extremism by certain elements to prevent improvement of Iran-Pakistan relations. Ouch! It must have hurt ! He is obviously referring to official encouragement of anti- Shia sentiments in Pakiland ! Now wait for the inevitable cries of India - Iran Sazish against Pakistan

[Falijee]

Massa "Advices" Pakis Not To Arrest Or Kill The Haqqanis, But Just Push Them Over To The Afghan Border

US pressure policy on Pakistan is working: US officials
25 Feb, 2018

*WASHINGTON*: Pakistan need not kill or capture militants such as members of the Haqqani Network that use its territory to launch attacks in Afghanistan but could push them across the border instead, a senior US official said on Friday. Pakistan is "getting good money" for all this . So, what is wrong in not obeying the "orders" from your masters .

Evicting the militants would put them at risk of attack from Afghan and US forces trying to keep Afghanistan from becoming a launching pad for strikes on the West more than 16 years after September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington. The catch !

The United States is pressuring Pakistan to cease providing sanctuary – which it denies giving – to Islamist militants unleashing chaos in neighbouring Afghanistan. Pakistan has countered this by claiming that TTP militants are sheltered by Afghanistan !

The senior US official said in an interview that since the aid suspension – which US officials later said could affect as much as about $2 billion – the United States has not seen any sustained Pakistani effort against the militants. In response, Asif has dashed to Moscow to curry favour with the Russians and play them against the Amreekis . The only concrete evidence of Moscow's change of policy towards Pakistan is when Putin accepts Paki invitation and lands in Isloo ( if he ever does !). He has got more important things on his plate than to worry about Pakistan

The official said the United States did not have a specific timeline to assess Pakistani cooperation and would be looking to see if Islamabad would take “tactical steps” such as “actions against … (the) Haqqanis, pushing them across the border.“They don’t have to arrest them or kill them … just get them into Afghanistan, disrupt some of the infrastructure that exists, make it harder for them,” the official added. “We are about two months away from the fighting season, so now is the time to do some of this.” Some in the US government doubt Pakistan will comply. ( How can you "let go" of your so-called strategic assets !)In a February 13 statement to Congress, US Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said Pakistan would maintain “its ties with militant groups, restricting counter-terrorism cooperation” with the United States.

[Falijee]

"Ultimate Insult" Handed To Paki Interior Minister Iqbal

Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal hit with a shoe in his hometown ceremony
24 Feb, 2018

NAROWAL – Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal has been hit by a shoe thrown at him during a ceremony held in his honour in his hometown Narowal. Interior Minister has also joined the shoe club on Saturday.

Ahsan just recently returned back from a tax payer funded "daura " of USA and Europe, where he pleaded the Paki case ( and probably did some shopping on the side as well !) Surely he does not deserve this from his "home town admirers"

[Falijee]

FIA contacts Interpol for issuance of Red Warrants against Hussain Haqqani
Good Luck !!!
This "tactic" has also been been tried earlier in the case of Altaf Bhai. Did not work !!!

[Falijee]

Pakistan offers Denmark to invest in power sector

Orwellian "doublespeak" ? Reads like a "begging bowl" request

The Ambassador of Denmark agreed on extending their bilateral relations and to work collectively on different sectors particularly in Power sector. He admired the significant contribution made by Power division and said that power sector is the fast growing sector in Pakistan.APP/AFP

It seems that the Amb appears to have diplomatically "rejected" the offer .

[Falijee]

Will "Loose Tongue" Asif Be "Called On The Carpet" By The REAL GOVT ( ie Deep State And/ Or Paki Fauj) For His Premature Celebratory Tweet

FATF grey list: How a premature celebratory tweet costed Pakistan

[Falijee]

India Planning To "Steal" More "Paki Waters"

Project for better use of water of rivers flowing into Pakistan

The Rajasthan Water Sector Restructuring Project will focus on effective utilisation of excess rain and flood water of major rivers flowing into Pakistan, an official said.An MoU was signed with the New Development Bank (NDB) for a loan of Rs 1,000 crore for the Rs 3,300-crore project in Delhi today."The project aims to better utilise rain and flood water of Ravi, Beas, Sutlej and Ghaggar rivers that flow into Pakistan," Principal Secretary (Water
Resources) Shikhar Agrawal said. Should be E mailed to Hafiz Suar, who now and again accuses India of "stealing Pakistan's waters"

[saip]

Are the hostesses saying 'Coffee, Tea or Me?' in sign language?

[Ashokk]

Pakistan takes envoys to LoC to globalise ‘Indian Army’s targeting’

SRINAGAR/ISLAMABAD: A day after Pakistan took envoys of six key countries to the volatile Line of Control (LoC) to show them the “damage” caused by firing from the Indian Army, the Pakistani army on Saturday used loudspeakers at its Chakothi post - adjoining the Uri sector in Baramulla district - urging the residents of the villages it intended to target to vacate the inhabitations.

Moments before intense firing and shelling on Saturday morning that caused havoc in the twin villages of Silkote and Churanda, the Pakistani troops were heard announcing through loud speakers, “The villagers of ‘maqbooza Kashmir’ (the part of Kashmir under Indian control) are asked to shift to safer places in order to escape response to Indian firing and shelling.” In a while, the two villages came under heavy firing and shelling in which five houses were completely destroyed. The Indian troops retaliated as shelling and firing continued since morning.

Barely 24 hours ago, in an attempt to secure international attention to cross border firing, the Pakistan establishment had taken the envoys to Rawalakot sector. The Pakistani army said the visit was aimed at providing the envoys first-hand knowledge about the situation in the wake of “incessant ceasefire violations by Indian troops”. Situated in Pak-occupied Kashmir, Rawalakot is adjacent to the Indian side of Poonch district.

Silkote and Churanda were the worst affected in the firing by Pakistan army on Saturday as the twin villages are barely 2000 feet from the LoC. Other villages like Balkote, Tillawari, Thajal, Batgra and Hathlanga, which are farther, were also affected in the ceasefire violation. Government and military authorities used several vehicles, including ambulances, to take villagers to safer locations since the morning.

River Jhelum bifurcates many of the villages from the PoK in the Uri sector. The local administration in Uri has established a control room in the area after Pak firing. Nearly 500-odd residents of the villages close to LoC in the Uri sector have been shifted to safer locations by the authorities, DGP S P Vaid tweeted on Saturday.

On Friday, Pak army’s media arm Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the diplomats of US, UK, France, China, Turkey and Indonesia were briefed “about the Indian atrocities, including targeting of civilians”. Indian shelling has caused several civilian casualties in recent weeks, ISPR said.

ISPR said the envoys interacted with victims of cross-border fire. The Pak army also apprised them about the relief measures provided to the affected people in PoK.

While public remained confused amid government’s silence over reports that Pakistan was back in the terror financing watch list with Financial Action Task Force sealing its fate, political observers in Islamabad said the visit of the envoys seemed to be an attempt to convince the major countries that Pakistan was actually a victim and maintaining high “restraint” on the LoC. Barring Turkey, all countries whose envoys were taken to Rawalakot supported the US move at FATF meet in Paris.

[RCase]

Are the hostesses saying 'Coffee, Tea or Me?' in sign language?

Just signaling that they are ready for a Kannadian Vija!

[Gagan]

I am mystify-IED!!!
Is that particular hand gesture by these ayeshas supposed to invoke more pleasure in the passangers?
I say a semiclosed fist would have conveyed the message better

[abhijitm]

"if you hate us, send us your enemies" and then "catering to all your needs"

If you combine both then what are they trying to imply here hain ji?

[Peregrine]

Policy of restraint on Indian provocations to continue: Gen Bajwa

RAWALPINDI: President Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&K) Sardar Masood Khan on Friday called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa at the GHQ, the Inter-Services Public Relations said.

According to the ISPR, the president AJK and the army chief discussed matters of mutual interest, particularly situation on LoC. There was an agreement to continue the policy of restraint on Indian provocations as on both sides it is Kashmiris who suffer from escalation. Viwashta Ka Naam : Terroristani Jernail - with Cap in Hand!
Cheers

[Peregrine]

A double squeeze - Cyril Almeida

NAWAZ got squeezed — again — domestically, the boys got squeezed internationally and between those two confusing, seemingly unconnected things:

Did FATF just save democracy in Pakistan?

Let’s start with the Nawaz stuff. For better or worse, no one has to pretend any longer that the specific chain of events is predictable or that it does not primarily have something to do with the boys.

Because to argue either of that would imply someone could have predicted an on-time Senate election minus PML-N candidates. The timing has been slick, the execution so precise that you almost have to marvel at it.

First came the Balochistan ruse. Easy enough to explain, small enough to disregard, the coup-inside-the-assembly lulled folk into thinking the danger had been absorbed, a bullet dodged.

Phew. So that’s what they had in mind. OK, let’s get on with the business of the rest of the elections. It drew the PML-N into its next mistake: nominating halfway decent, relatively senatorial candidates.

If the N-League had a clue what was coming next, they would have gone with Gullu Butt-types as candidates. Y’know, the kind who would go to the mattresses for the Sharifs.

But the PML-N made its move, nominated mostly goody-goody types, the nomination process closed, the ball left the N-League’s court and, bam!

Suddenly, Nawaz is no longer N-League president and, suddenly, the N-League doesn’t have any Senate candidates. The whiplash-inducing turnaround has also forced a marvellous inversion.

If the N-League cancels the Senate election in Punjab or tries to delay the overall Senate election by fighting it out in the courts, it will be the N-League that is fighting democratic continuity.

And if the N-League elects its own candidates as independents, the N-League will have to wait and see which side of the aisle the incoming senators choose.

You almost have to marvel at it.

But it still doesn’t make the ultimate problem go away.

Predicting the specific chain of events may no longer be possible — predicting an on-time Senate election minus N-League candidates would have been beyond magic, it would have been sorcery — but the final impasse is the same.

The boys haven’t ventured down this path, walked us all this way, only to let Nawaz win the next election and saunter back into power. But Nawaz hasn’t come all this way, put up mystifying defiance and arrived at the threshold of a common-sense defying fourth win, just to chuck it all away.

You don’t have to be a Senate candidate to know a collision is inevitable. If the boys won’t back down and Nawaz can’t back down — that leaves just one option:

The C-word.

Which brings us to this FATF business. Forget the specifics of what it entails and when and how. The experts may eventually tell us or, more likely, events will.

But already it is apparent that FATF is happening because of the US, more specifically the Trump administration. Committed to a military strategy in Afghanistan and determined to raise the cost on Pakistan for defiance, the Trump approach comes down to asking:

What are the Haqqanis worth to you, Pakistan? What is the LeT worth to you? What is Jaish worth to you?

The answer to those questions is unknown to you and me and everyone else. Other than you-know-who, of course.

But for democratic purposes, it may be enough to know that the questions are being asked. Because the Trump administration is trying to get at the boys to force them to answer those questions.

You can see where this is going.

If in the domestic arena the boys won’t back down and Nawaz can’t back down, leaving only the C-option — the external dimension means the Trump administration would jump all over the C-option if it is activated.

FATF as a demonstration of the inventiveness and eagerness of the US can only mean a coup in Pakistan would give the US a straight run at Pakistan. It would strip away the pretence and it could strip away the hesitation and the need to carefully ratchet up pressure on Pakistan.

So, did FATF just save democracy in Pakistan?

There lies the illusion democratic types can be misled by.

The convoluted, theoretical version is the enemy’s enemy is a friend. That somehow a beneficial alliance can be cobbled together. The more pedestrian, realistic explanation is the desperation of the weak: the boys under serious external pressure may open up political space domestically for the civilians.

But for all the wailing and hysteria when the US turns the screws, there is another side. Sure, the US is definitely probing and pushing and raising the costs on Pakistan. The US wants to know what the Haqqanis, LeT and Jaish are worth to us.

But there are two other questions; questions few want to admit that Pakistan — the boys, essentially — has been asking of the US. The questions:

What is Afghanistan worth to you, America? And what is your relationship with us — Pakistan, a nuclear state — worth to you?

The answers to those questions have never been good. At least not good in a democracy-chasing sense that our major political parties, right and left, have desperately wanted the answers to be.

FATF has signalled inventiveness and fresh determination by the US against the boys. But in a way it has also signalled more of the same, rustling around for pinpricks and warnings.

Democracy is, and will remain, a domestic struggle. A Pakistani struggle.

Prepare to be squeezed harder.

Cheers

[Peregrine]

X Posted on the J&K News and Discussion Thread

VIWASHTA KA NAAM - TERRORISTANI JERNAIL!

AJK starts evacuation plan amid fear of Indian attack

ISLAMABAD: Following recent provocation by Indian forces at the Line of Control (LoC) resulting in the loss of civilians, the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government has readied evacuation plan to relocate locals to safe areas.

The decision has been taken amidst no let-up in LoC ceasefire violations by the Indian forces in the recent days, sources in AJK government told The Express Tribune.

Prime Minister AJK Raja Farooq Haider has directed the district machinery and local authorities in the areas located along LoC to make standby arrangements for relocating thousands of people whose lives have come under direct threat after the tension at border.

On a small-scale, the public in the villages directly affected by Indian military’s firing have been relocated. Further the evacuation activities would be extended to the sector-level if LoC ceasefire violations did not stop, it is learnt.

The instances of ceasefire violations by the Indian forces recorded an alarming increase since the start of the month February following which the AJK government has readied evacuation plan, says a cabinet member of the AJK PM.

As latest, the ceasefire violations from Indian side were reported from Battal, Rawlakot, Kotli and Khuiratta sectors.

Last week, the PM AJK ordered state honour for the martyrs of Indian aggression at LoC. All deputy commissioners were instructed to ensure the best treatment of the injured and funerals of martyrs with state honour, a statement from PM AJK said here last week.

The instructions were issued in the aftermath of Indian forces’ attack at civilian van carrying school children in Battal sector in which the van driver was martyred.

In retaliation, Pakistan Army destroyed the said post in which five Indian soldiers were killed.

“Indian army attack on the school van driver by the sniper gun is the worst example of the deception. Indian Army is the worst army around the globe who targets innocent civilians including women, children and old men,” PM Haider said while addressing a press conference in Islamabad few days ago.

“There is no such example in the world that an army targets civilians, especially children and ambulances, but Indian Army does these besides their atrocities in the occupied valley. The Pakistan Army in response never targeted any civilian and is the best professional army, the whole Kashmiri nation is with the Pakistan armed forces.”

Haider said he directed the concerned departments to ensure availability of ambulances in the far-flung areas near LoC. “For that purpose, I have also sent the ambulance of Prime Minister Secretariat.”

Cheers

[anupmisra]

Remember these chest-thumping claims?

Pakistan does not need IMF support anymore: Finance minister

Newly appointed Federal Fiance Minister Rana Afzal on Thursday said Pakistan did not need to look towards International Monetary Fund (IMF) for assistance any more as county’s economic outlook is positive.https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/busines ... -minister/

and,

Pakistan does not need IMF support anymore, claims Ishaq Dar

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, while giving an interview to DawnNews on Monday, claimed that Pakistan doesn’t need support from International Monetary Fund (IMF) anymore.https://www.dawn.com/news/1274681

And now this:

IMF’s March meeting outcome to determine inflows for budgetary support

“The budgetary support lending from the World Bank and Asian Development Bank depends upon the IMF satisfactory report and government’s ability to keep foreign currency reserves held by SBP (State Bank of Pakistan) for over two months import bill,” one top official told The News.

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/285177 ... ry-support

What changed in less than two months? Similar to their load shedding claims, I guess.

[Falijee]

Paki " Naming And Shaming" Goes Global

Rome's Colosseum turned red to protest Pakistan blasphemy law
Reuters .

ROME (Reuters) - Rome’s ancient Colosseum was lit in red on Saturday in solidarity with persecuted Christians, particularly Asia Bibi, a woman condemned to death under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws.

Hundreds gathered on a rainy night outside the Roman amphitheatre that is a symbol of the martyrdom of early Christians to hear the husband and daughter of Asia Bibi. The "poor" woman is languishing in jail . Pakiland, through its 400% dedication to Malsi, is giving a "bad" international reputation to this religion ! On the other hand, the Head Of The Two Holy Mosques ( AKA The defacto Ruler Of Saudia- MBS ) is making some "sincere" effort to "repair" the image of Islam, by giving some "token" concessions to the Ayeshas of his Kingdom

The Catholic woman has been living on death row in Pakistan since 2010, when she was condemned for allegedly making derogatory remarks about Islam after neighbors objected to her drinking water from their glass because she was not Muslim.

The law does not define blasphemy and evidence might not be reproduced in court for fear of committing a fresh offense. There are no penalties for false accusations.

In Pakiland, no one dares to challenge the power of the Maulvis !

At the Rome gathering, her husband Ashiq Masih said his wife was innocent of blasphemy. “This is just hate against Christians, who are considered impure,” he said. India should consider such some similar measures to bring the persecution and the forced abduction and conversion of Hindu girls to the attention of the world !

The husband and daughter, who broke down in tears as she addressed the group, were earlier received by Pope Francis, who told her: “I think often of your mother and I pray for her”.

European Parliament President Antonio Tajani, who has been tipped as a possible Italian prime minister after next week’s election, said that persecution of Christians was “a genocide”.

During the event, organised by the Catholic group “Aid to the Church in Need,” there were live link-ups with Aleppo, Syria and Mosul, Iraq, both of whose minority Christian populations have been hit hard by wars. Pakis are giving Malsi a bad name

[kancha]

India Planning To "Steal" More "Paki Waters"

Project for better use of water of rivers flowing into Pakistan

The Rajasthan Water Sector Restructuring Project will focus on effective utilisation of excess rain and flood water of major rivers flowing into Pakistan, an official said.An MoU was signed with the New Development Bank (NDB) for a loan of Rs 1,000 crore for the Rs 3,300-crore project in Delhi today."The project aims to better utilise rain and flood water of Ravi, Beas, Sutlej and Ghaggar rivers that flow into Pakistan," Principal Secretary (Water
Resources) Shikhar Agrawal said. Should be E mailed to Hafiz Suar, who now and again accuses India of "stealing Pakistan's waters"

This reminded me of some thoughts on Ravi River waters flowing into Pakistan untapped, put out on twitter some years ago. Sharing them again.

Blog Link

Twitter Link

[Falijee]

Now It Is Dera Ghazi Khan's Turn To Become Sharia Compliant In "Beard Grooming "

Resolution passed to impose ban on 'stylish' beards in DG Khan
The Express Tribune

MULTAN :
The Dera Ghazi Khan District Council has passed a resolution for imposing a ban on growing beard of various designs.According to the resolution, shaping beards in fashionable styles (French cut, goatee) was inconsistent with the teachings of Islam and goes against the Sunnah. Is moustache "haram" or "halal" under Malsi- inquiring minds want to know pronto

The resolution demanded that Dera Ghazi Khan Deputy Commissioner ( what are the "directions" from Isloo or La-Whore ) should be directed to impose a ban on various designs of beard common among youth these days.

Terming the act against the Sunnah, the resolution called for strict action against those ‘who make fun of beard’. Asif Khosa, who tabled the resolution said that there was a dire need to create awareness about this Sunnah among the youth. More " Islam" is the answer !

“Youngsters make different designs of beard in the name of fashion that was against the teachings of Islam,” he added.Khosa said that ‘French cut’ and other trimmed styles of beard were not allowed in Islam.The resolution was passed by majority and sent to DG Khan Deputy Commissioner for further action. E mail to Isloo sent yet

Students from tribal areas have been allocated a 10% quota in medical colleges, according to a resolution passed by the DG Khan district council. Quota allocated only if students do not sport "French cut" or other "trim style" of beard

[Falijee]

Naqeebullah Mehsud's Friend Shot Dead In D.I. Khan. He Was Involved In Pashtun Long March. Deep State Suspected !

Naqeebullah Mehsud’s friend shot dead in DI Khan

DERA ISMAEL KHAN: A friend of Naqeebullah Mehsud, Aftab Mehsud, was shot dead on Friday night in Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan Today has learnt.

Sources privy to the development told Pakistan Today that Aftab Mehsud was an active participant of the Pashtun long march, which was initiated in the aftermath of the killing of Naqeebullah Mehsud in a fake encounter by then Malir Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Rao Anwar in Karachi. They further said that Aftab Mehsud left home on Friday but didn’t return, adding that his family received a phone call from the Saddar Police Station at 12:00 pm on Saturday, saying that Aftab’s dead body has been found at an under-construction house on Diyal Road.“There are bullet marks on his body, but nothing can be said about the cause of murder for now.” “An FIR [First Information Report] has been registered against unknown assailants,” they added.

According to news reports, a piece of paper was also found with the body on which names of the victim and his father and his telephone number were written.Talking to Pakistan Today, a police official said there was a possibility that the incident was a result of “honour killing” as the corpse also bore torture marks. “If he wasn’t killed for honour then someone made it look like that to divert the attention of the investigation officers,” he added.He further said that the police are also looking at prospects of the intelligence agencies’ involvement in the incident because of the victim’s connection with Naqeebullah.

[Falijee]

Another Honour Killing !

Woman, alleged paramour killed by stepson over 'honour' in Larkana

At least 280 such murders were recorded by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan from October 2016 to June 2017 ─ a figure believed to be underestimated and incomplete.The legislation mandates life imprisonment for honour killings, but whether a murder can be defined as a crime of honour is left to the judge's discretion.That means the culprits can simply claim another motive and still be pardoned, according to Dr Farzana Bari, a widely respected activist and head of the Gender Studies Department at Islamabad's Quaid-i-Azam University.

[Falijee]

Update on the "manufactured" Blasphemy Case !!!

Blasphemy suspect from Shahdara accuses FIA officials of forcing him to sexually assault cousin

Whether this shocking allegation is true or not is besides the point. This sort of accusations and counter accusations should be taken very seriously to salvage the so -called stellar reputation of the "famous" FIA

Sajid in his video statement to the media said the FIA had called him to their headquarters at Regal Chowk to record statement. He said the officials allegedly tortured him and snatched his mobile phone. “They asked me to abuse myself, but I refused to do so. Later, they asked me to sexually assault my cousin, but I remained silent and jumped from the building,” he said.
FIA Deputy Director Khwaja Hammad rejected the allegation and said the suspect was called for inquiry because he was a member of the Facebook group allegedly involved in sharing blasphemous material.

[Falijee]

Another example of "tall, empty promises" ! In Pakistan, when action is lacking ( due to lack of technical, organizational ability, incompetency, lack of funds, etc etc ), buzz words pick up the missing slack . Below is another good example of this !


500,000 laptops to be distributed among students by 2020: PMYP chief

ISLAMABAD – The Chairperson Prime Minister Youth Programme (PMYP) Leila Khan has said that 500,000 laptops would be distributed among talented and deserving students by 2020 across the country along with broadband internet devices to improve their learning through technology.

The scheme was prepared to target and facilitate 100,000 students per year for which an amount of Rs 5.1 billion and Rs 21.3 have been earmarked for the financial year 2013-14 and from 2014-2018, respectively.
Looks like "recycled news" with no updates of what happened between 2013 to 2017 ! Lack of funds, and the financial squeeze of Pakiland is probably the reason !

[Falijee]

Fraudster Dar Running Out Of Options

Pakistan is my country, will return to it, says Dar

LONDON: Former finance minister Senator Ishaq Dar on Saturday said that he will return to Pakistan after his medical treatment concludes.Dar was visiting Begum Kulsoom Nawaz — who is undergoing cancer treatment in London since August last year — to inquire about her health. "Pakistan is my country and I will definitely return to it," he said. He said that he was presently receiving medical treatment in London and would return back as soon as his doctors give the go ahead. Dar, a close aide of Pakistan Muslim League-N chief Nawaz Sharif, is accused of possessing assets disproportionate to his declared sources of income. According to some reports, Dar is married to Ganja's sister . And this London qualified Chartered Accountant has often been accused of being the mastermind behind the Sharif family's huge ill-gotten wealth

[Falijee]

Public venting and "advance - noticing" the "Awaam" for the coming "bad days" - IMO

Pakistan's Economic downfall

Pak Afghan trade reduced from $2.7 billion to $1.2 billion: Report



Recommended Beverage to accompany the reading: A Glass of Champagne

[Falijee]

Pakistan among 50 worst terror financing countries

ISLAMABAD: The latest Basel Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Index figures Pakistan among the 50 worst countries in terms of money laundering and ‘terrorist financing’.This study by a Swiss group, the Basel Institute on Governance, listing the worst countries with greater chances of money laundering and terror financing, ranks Pakistan at the 46th position among in the list 146 countries made part of study. Tax havens like some offshore jurisdictions and some other countries are not made part of this study because of non-availability of complete data about them.

The Basel AML Index 2017 has given Pakistan a score of 6.64. The worst score are Iran (8.6), Afghanistan (8.38), Guinea-Bissau (8.35), Tajikistan (8.28), Laos (8.28), Mozambique (8.08), Mali (7.97), Uganda (7.95), Cambodia (7.94). These countries top the list.

Thus Finland falls at the bottom of the list and ranked at position 146. Other countries with best controls and monitoring of financial transactions after Finland are; Lithuania (3.67), Estonia (3.83), Bulgaria (3.87), New Zealand (3.91), Slovenia (4.02), Denmark (3.05).

[Vips]

Another example of "tall, empty promises" ! In Pakistan, when action is lacking ( due to lack of technical, organizational ability, incompetency, lack of funds, etc etc ), buzz words pick up the missing slack . Below is another good example of this !


500,000 laptops to be distributed among students by 2020: PMYP chief

ISLAMABAD – The Chairperson Prime Minister Youth Programme (PMYP) Leila Khan has said that 500,000 laptops would be distributed among talented and deserving students by 2020 across the country along with broadband internet devices to improve their learning through technology.

The scheme was prepared to target and facilitate 100,000 students per year for which an amount of Rs 5.1 billion and Rs 21.3 have been earmarked for the financial year 2013-14 and from 2014-2018, respectively.
Looks like "recycled news" with no updates of what happened between 2013 to 2017 ! Lack of funds, and the financial squeeze of Pakiland is probably the reason !

By 2020, Pukistan will be unbeatable as the number one country with users googling for ***** Search and for means to do AOA.

[yensoy]

India Planning To "Steal" More "Paki Waters"

Project for better use of water of rivers flowing into Pakistan

The Rajasthan Water Sector Restructuring Project will focus on effective utilisation of excess rain and flood water of major rivers flowing into Pakistan, an official said.An MoU was signed with the New Development Bank (NDB) for a loan of Rs 1,000 crore for the Rs 3,300-crore project in Delhi today."The project aims to better utilise rain and flood water of Ravi, Beas, Sutlej and Ghaggar rivers that flow into Pakistan," Principal Secretary (Water
Resources) Shikhar Agrawal said. Should be E mailed to Hafiz Suar, who now and again accuses India of "stealing Pakistan's waters"

This development is highly significant - the New Development Bank is the "BRICS bank", so China is on board with this project to divert waters flowing into Pakistan. Now as per IWT, this is perfectly legal and Chinese are masters at legalese but if they had wanted to I am sure they would have vetoed the loan application one one pretext or another.

[Falijee]

Steve Coll's New Book On Directorate S Of I.S.I And The War In Afghanistan

The B&N Podcast: Steve Coll

The seemingly endless war in Afghanistan is both a recurrent headline and a perpetual mystery: the longer America’s shadowy conflict with the Taliban drags out, the less we understand about who and why we’re fighting. Fortunately for us, journalist and author Steve Coll’s deep reporting – which earned him a Pulitzer Prize for his 2004 book Ghost Wars – brings readers vital understanding about this monumental but mysterious struggle. He joined us in the studio to talk about his bestselling new book Directorate S: The CIA and America’s Secret Wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan, 2001-2016, and what it’s revelations tell us about a war we usually glimpse only in fragments.

Prior to 9/11, the United States had been carrying out small-scale covert operations in Afghanistan, ostensibly in cooperation, although often in direct opposition, with I.S.I., the Pakistani intelligence agency. While the US was trying to quell extremists, a highly secretive and compartmentalized wing of I.S.I., known as “Directorate S,” was covertly training, arming, and seeking to legitimize the Taliban, in order to enlarge Pakistan’s sphere of influence. After 9/11, when fifty-nine countries, led by the U. S., deployed troops or provided aid to Afghanistan in an effort to flush out the Taliban and Al Qaeda, the U.S. was set on an invisible slow-motion collision course with Pakistan.

Coll excavates this grand battle, which took place away from the gaze of the American public. With unsurpassed expertise, original research, and attention to detail, he brings to life a narrative at once vast and intricate, local and global, propulsive and painstaking.

This is the definitive explanation of how America came to be so badly ensnared in an elaborate, factional, and seemingly interminable conflict in South Asia. Nothing less than a forensic examination of the personal and political forces that shape world history, Directorate S is a complete masterpiece of both investigative and narrative journalism. After listening to the podcast bBasically, the author is saying that there is no military solution in Afghanistan. And of course, he is speaking about Paki perfidy and Paki paranoia about India !

[Falijee]

Imran Is " Mentally Unstable" According To This "DJinnah Loving" Paki Lawyer

Imran Khan’s desire to seek signs to guide his life seems more like a mental illness
Yasser Latif Hamdani

Imran Khan’s party announced Sunday that Imran Khan has married his spiritual faith healer Bushra Manika aka Pinki Pirni. The pictures produced in the media showed a beaming Imran Khan with a fully veiled woman along with the Nikah Khawan (the officiator of the wedding) and the witnesses.

What is interesting though is that Pakistani journalist Umar Cheema got the details right down to the last dot in his story right after New Year’s day when he claimed that Imran Khan got married again. There were furious denials amidst which Imran Khan’s party put out an official statement denying that any such marriage had taken place. Soon afterwards, the ex-husband got on the television and declared that his ex-wife was the purest of the pure and that there was no reason to suspect any relationship between her and Imran. Why is the author so "deadly against" Immy -Sindhi Vs Pakjabi cum pseudo Pashtun rivalry

The truth is stranger than fiction. As a born again Muslim in the sufi tradition, Imran Khan is a deeply religious and superstitious type even if his antics as a notorious playboy are sometimes in conflict with that reality. This means he is susceptible to all sorts of manipulation and suggestion. For years now, his spiritual advisors have been telling him what to do and what not to do in order to become the Prime Minister of Pakistan. Bushra Manika, better known as Pinki Pirni, is the latest of these advisors. She was married to a civil servant Khawar Fareed Manika who had a bit of reputation when it came to corruption but he and his wife became devotees to the Sufi Saint Baba Farid Ganj Baksh. A couple of years ago, she is rumored to have tried to hitch up Imran Khan with her sister but that did not work out. Reham Khan, the dignified former wife of Khan who was married for precisely one year, swears by the fact that her marriage was sabotaged by Pinki Pirni. The dogged insistence by Imran Khan that he should both marry and divorce Reham on 31 October seems to lend credence to this. Has Latif obtained advance peeking rights into the gallows of Reham's new book on the subject matter

The story then goes, and it remains unchallenged by the Manikas, is that Pinki Pirni is said to have had a dream where the most holy personage in Islam told her that for Imran Khan to be Prime Minister, she must marry him and if she does, both Pakistan and Islam will truly prosper. Pinki Pirni then narrated this to her husband who agreed to give her a divorce for the sake of the cause of Islam in Pakistan. They divorced in November 2017 citing spiritual reasons as cause. Her son Musa Manika on TV repeatedly confirmed that the divorce happened strictly on orders from “Allah and his Messenger”. Apparently Pinki Pirni has a direct line to the divine realm. Immy may lodge "legal action" against these "baseless and unproven allegations"

There are several issues that any Pakistani concerned about Pakistan and its well-being should take with this state of affairs. Imran Khan very much sees himself as the Prime Minister-in-waiting. Those of us who have met him know that he refers to him as precisely that without mincing any words. Yet he is apparently driven by spiritual counsel from people who very much seem to be frauds and scam artists. This speaks volumes about his ability to choose people and puts a big question mark on his ability to lead. He was always a jock but in recent years he seems to have lost his marbles altogether. Unlike the seasoned politicians in PML-N, PPP and other parties, all his moves are impulsive bordering on irrational. We now know the reason behind his irrational impulsiveness.

Secondly, contrary to the image of him as an honest politician who was given the certificate of Sadiq and Ameen by an eager Supreme Court out to promote its “ladla” as Nawaz Sharif calls him, Imran Khan clearly lied about the precise timing of his marriage. Unless the journalist Umar Cheema is some sort of super pir or soothsayer, there is no way the marriage took place this past Sunday. It is almost a certainty that the marriage took place at the beginning of the year just as Cheema said it did. Reham Khan has also claimed on several occasions that even her marriage was kept secret for three months. Joint conspiracy, ( author, Reham, Cheema !) to "defame" Kaptaan will not be tolerated under any circumstances !

Apparently Imran Khan waits for some sort of sign to make these announcements. Some people may call it spirituality but it has no basis in the legalistic and formalistic nature of the religion of Islam. On the contrary, this desire to seek signs seems more like a mental illness.

Imran should take an appointment with a "Harley Street Psychologist" while in London for his "Valima Reception", instead of going to another pir or pirni for "second opinion"

Whatever the case, it is clear that in one stroke Imran Khan has managed to alienate several sections amongst his supporters. The “burger” class amongst his supporters is not happy that he married a woman who is dressed in a shuttlecock burqah. ( Is Latif's second half out of Purdah. Those in glass houses should not "throw stones" ) Many feel betrayed that Imran Khan has chosen to engage in a personal controversy instead of focusing on the task ahead. The more extreme religious wing of his party, comprising the straitjacket Deobandis who he has been coddling up to, are in any event allergic to Sufism. It seems unlikely that marrying Bushra Manika has put Imran Khan on the road to Prime Minister House.

Yasser Latif Hamdani is a lawyer and a visiting fellow at Harvard Law School.

- Latif should employ more lawyerly language next time
- Hope Latif is not using abusing "University Time " to produce the above
- Hope Latif does not bad mouth US and Harvard University on his home return home to Pakiland