Terroristan - October 8, 2018

[Paul]

In my fantasy world, I see this this as payback for Amritsar attack.

[sum]

^^ Too much of a co-incidence with timelines for it not to be!

[shravan]

Most probably Kabul bombing revenge.
---
25 people have been killed and 35 more injured in Orakzai tribal district. And the official communicating says they still fear more deaths. #KP

[la.khan]

Ilon blothel will be most unhappy!

Gunman, 2 cops killed as terrorists storm Chinese consulate in Karachi: Attack comes days before crucial defence seminar in Pakistan

"We have carried out this attack and our action is continuing," the spokesman for the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), Geand Baloch, told AFP by telephone from an undisclosed location.

[disha]

^example of fraandship carried over to after life.

Always advocated pig eating nation & pig breeding nation to come together!

[yensoy]

Ilon blothel will be most unhappy!

Gunman, 2 cops killed as terrorists storm Chinese consulate in Karachi: Attack comes days before crucial defence seminar in Pakistan

"We have carried out this attack and our action is continuing," the spokesman for the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), Geand Baloch, told AFP by telephone from an undisclosed location.

No. Iron Brother isn't even saying that their consulate was attacked. Read this: http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1128688.shtml. No reference to Chinese consulate at all!!!

[yensoy]

In my fantasy world, I see this this as payback for Amritsar attack.

Please don't. The Orakzai attack was targeted at the Shias.

The only payback worth it would be if establishment or jihadis were targeted.

[Vips]

Breaking!!
Gunfight between police and some gunmen outside the Chinese consulate in Karachi. 2 policemen killed thus far

Heh Heh, Immy the charsi claims this attack is due to Pakistan's enemies not liking the multiple agreements that he signed with China during his visit. (Otherwise everything is hunky dory in Pakhanistan )

[Peregrine]

25 killed, 35 injured in Orakzai market blast - By Mureeb Mohmand / Shahabullah Yousafzai

PESHAWAR: At least 25 people were killed and 25 injured in a bomb blast in Hangu’s Kalaya Bazaar on Friday.

The blast was caused by “an improvised explosive device hidden in a carton of vegetables,” Khalid Iqbal, a senior administration official in Orakzai district told AFP.

Orakzai district health officer said 25 bodies and 35 injured were brought to the hospital and critically injured were shifted to Kohat hospital.

The bombing, in the Orazkzai tribal district, targetted a market situated next to a seminary.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police are on high alert following the Orakzai blast and a separate attack on the Chinese Consulate in Karachi on Friday morning.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has condemned the blast and expressed grief over the loss of valuable human life.

“We pray for the highest reward of the martyrs and express sympathy for their families,” he said and ordered the best medical facilities be provided to the wounded.

“Our enemies are not happy with peace in the province,” Chief Minister Mehmood Khan said following the attack.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said commitment to the National Action Plan must be reaffirmed and sympathised with all those affected by the attack.

This is a developing story and will be updated accordingly.

Cheers

[Haridas]

Emirates refuses to use air bridges in Pakistan, Senate committee toldThe PIA can lose a lot of revenue

https://www.dawn.com/news/1447116/emira ... ittee-told[/quote]

Dude that airbridge fall is a windfall for PIA, as Emirates bijness will be gobbled up by pure PIA. More cash for imran khan damn (sic) ! No?

[Peregrine]

Does the missing J signifies the JOKER WITH THE BEGGING BOWL?

Cheers

[anupmisra]

Does the missing J signifies the JOKER WITH THE BEGGING BOWL?

J for JeeHard! No JeeHard in Mahathir's lexicon.
Begging bowl will be K for Kashkol, which is partly hidden.

[anupmisra]

Meanwhile, bakistan has a new found herrow in an MNA (an Im the Dim's party faithfool). Meet Faisal Vawda - roving kommandu extraordinaire!

Faisal Vawda defends his presence at Chinese consulate as social media lampoons him

An attack at the Chinese consulate in Karachi was foiled today by the Sindh Police and the Rangers. The media quickly noticed that another individual was quick to arrive on the scene... PTI MNA Faisal Vawda.

Faisal Vawda showed up to the site in a bulletproof vest and armed with a gun.

Faisal Vawda responded to the criticism, claiming he was there "from start to finish" and that "As a Pakistani I didn’t shy away, it’s my right to use my licensed weapon for self defence. At least I’m not a coward like many hiding behind keyboards..."

He added, " As Federal Minister it is my domain to assist Federal agencies."

At least I was there from the start till the end. Ask any media reporter present there. Feel sorry for those ducks criticising who are only liability to their parents and country

So, in response one fervent admirer wrote on teetar:

@neuropathman
Replying to @FaisalVawdaPTI
Warrior race is our motto ...lets give it to them let’s get the baluchi out of karachi also and let’s get new dehli back it was our land for thousands of years

AoA!

https://images.dawn.com/news/1181317/fa ... mpoons-him

[Peregrine]

Terrorisrtan Army Fed up with Kadim Rizvi! Hopefully this might lead to "Red Mosque II"

Cleric Khadim Rizvi arrested in crackdown against TLP - Our Correspondent



LAHORE: Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) chief Khadim Rizvi was arrested by police in a raid on his residence in Lahore on Friday night.

Media reports suggest a crackdown has been initiated against the party’s activists and leaders in all major cities of the country, following the arrest of the firebrand cleric.


Khadim Rizvi being taken into custody

Dozens of workers of the party have reportedly been arrested, while police personnel have also been deployed at the Faizabad interchange in Islamabad, where the organisation had earlier staged a weeks-long protest.

TLP central leader Dr Asif Ali Bilali, TLP Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa amir Syed Zafar Iqbal Shah Binori, Mufti Zahoor Ahmed Jalali, Allama Akram Jalali and Maulana Nisar Ahmed Jalali are some of the party leaders who were taken into custody by the law enforcement agencies from different parts of the country.

TLP chief Khadim Rizvi’s Twitter account suspended

The party had staged violent countrywide protests against the acquittal of Aasi Bibi last month.

Earlier this month, the Lahore High Court had dismissed petitions against Rizvi and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman. The petitioner had sought proceedings of treason against the two leaders for ‘issuing anti-state remarks.

Rizvi-led TLP had called of its countrywide protest sit-ins following reaching of an agreement with the federal and Punjab governments. On October 30, nationwide protests erupted against the acquittal of blasphemy accused Aasia Bibi, by the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Rizvi had critisised state institutions including the government, military and the judiciary on numerous occasions, most notably after a failed round of negotiations between the TLP and the government.

TLP calls off countrywide protest sit-ins

The TLP took to the street after the acquittal of Aasia Bibi by the Supreme Court on October 30, paralysing the major cities of the country. In his immediate reaction, Prime Minister Imran Khan had warned the protesters not to incite people to violence or else the state would perform its duty to protect the life and property of its citizens.

The TLP protesters stayed put disregarding the warning and staged new protests after Friday prayers, bringing the life to a standstill.

All private and public educational institutions remained closed in major cities, while attendance in government offices and commercial enterprises was also thin.

Hospitals also suffered from staff shortages. Many neighbourhoods in Karachi remained without water as protesters had stopped water tankers at different locations.

This is a developing story and will be updated accordingly

Cheers

[anupmisra]

Kh'waja still trying to be relevant.

Our 'eastern neighbour' has crossed the red line through their proxies: Khawaja Asif

The former foreign minister and PML-N stalwart, Khawaja Asif, on Friday said "our eastern neighbour has crossed a red line through their proxies", while referring to terrorists allegedly operating on Pakistani soil with the "patronage of India".

Asif said a very big example of this "patronage" is Kulbhushan Jadhav and that the "so-called secessionist movements" in the country also have the same backing whether it comes from people operating within Pakistan or from those residing in Europe or UK.

He said the biggest element which had been thrown into the mix of political disputes was the inclusion of religion. "Injecting political disputes with a hue of religion has become a fashion," he said.

"Our enemies operating through their proxies want to belittle and disparage our success in the war against terror. The attack on Chinese consulate is not a random incident, enemies of CPEC and peace in this region are active to implement their nefarious agenda through [the] likes of Kulbashan Jadhav," he had tweeted.

And, the typical qualifier to weed out a pakjabi's rantings from facts...

While remarking that it can not be verified what the identities of the terrorists were , Asif said if the general view was to be believed, which suggested that they belonged to the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), the fact would confirm his earlier statements since the terrorist outfit "has sponsorship from India".

https://www.dawn.com/news/1447214/our-e ... awaja-asif

[anupmisra]

And, now this.

Children’s fight during cricket match leads to killing of 7 in Havelian

A clash between children during a cricket match claimed the lives of seven members of two rival groups, including two real brothers on both sides, at Village Ghari Pulgran in Havelian tehsil, Abbottabad, late Friday evening.

Pakjabi aukaat on display!

https://www.dawn.com/news/1447231/child ... n-havelian

[sanjaykumar]

The last two pages do seem to show the culture of Pakistan.

Attack a consulate, kill Shias, evidence that this is genetic. Blame India and tomorrow it’s back to begging. Repeat cycle.

Really, we’re the same people?

[arun]

25 killed, 35 injured in Orakzai market blast - By Mureeb Mohmand / Shahabullah Yousafzai

PESHAWAR: At least 25 people were killed and 25 injured in a bomb blast in Hangu’s Kalaya Bazaar on Friday.

The blast was caused by “an improvised explosive device hidden in a carton of vegetables,” Khalid Iqbal, a senior administration official in Orakzai district told AFP.

Orakzai district health officer said 25 bodies and 35 injured were brought to the hospital and critically injured were shifted to Kohat hospital.

The bombing, in the Orazkzai tribal district, targetted a market situated next to a seminary.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police are on high alert following the Orakzai blast and a separate attack on the Chinese Consulate in Karachi on Friday morning.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has condemned the blast and expressed grief over the loss of valuable human life.

“We pray for the highest reward of the martyrs and express sympathy for their families,” he said and ordered the best medical facilities be provided to the wounded.

“Our enemies are not happy with peace in the province,” Chief Minister Mehmood Khan said following the attack.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said commitment to the National Action Plan must be reaffirmed and sympathised with all those affected by the attack.

This is a developing story and will be updated accordingly.

Cheers

This demonstration of the IED Mubarak variant of the IEDology of Pakistan on the Mohammadden Sabbath of Friday is a case of Green on Green Intra Mohammadden Shia-Sunni sectarian violence.. Apparently message that Mohammaddenism is The Belief of Peace seems to have been lost on the suicide bomber targeting a Shia seminary:

Terrorists target Shia seminary, kill 30 in Pakistan

[Deans]

Emirates refuses to use air bridges in Pakistan, Senate committee told

A parliamentary committee was told that Emirates airline has refused to use passenger boarding bridges at airports in Pakistan after an air bridge collapsed at the new Islamabad International airport last month.

They do have air bridges. The glass is half full I guess.

[Kashi]

The last two pages do seem to show the culture of Pakistan.

Attack a consulate, kill Shias, evidence that this is genetic. Blame India and tomorrow it’s back to begging. Repeat cycle.

Really, we’re the same people?

Depends on the place and which Pakistani you ask.

As the god Major so eloquently put it, Pakistanis are Indians in airport queues, immigration offices, customs checks, running restaurants.

Other times they are Arabs, Turkic, Central Asian, "Steppesian", Caucasian....once again depending on whom you ask.

Of course if you ask MSA, NSS, SK, KN et al.,

[anupmisra]

Pakis routinely bring up "the lack of toilets" as a comparative issue when they debate Indians on deaf and dumb forums. But here's the reality of the toilet situation in their own sookhadesh.

Women’s fight for toilets in rural Pakistan

Women in the village have long been forced to hide their bodily functions from the conservative, deeply patriarchal society, Siddiqua and other female residents told AFP.

Restraining themselves over long days working in the fields, they wait for night and the cover of darkness — braving snakes, dogs, or even unpleasant encounters with strange men, Siddiqua’s daughter-in-law Tahira Bibi said, her face hidden by a brown veil.

“When we ask them, they are ashamed that their women have to defecate outside”

So they tell us they have never thought about toilets. They are surely lying. They can spend money on TV, smoking, other things, but latrines are not a priority.

People see open defecation as routine, and as fertilisers for their soil.

The United Nations children’s agency says 22 million Pakistanis relieve themselves in the open. In rural areas just 48 percent of the population has access to toilets, compared with 72 percent in the cities.

Some 53,000 children die each year from diarrhoea in Pakistan

Typhoid, cholera, dysentery and hepatitis are common.

That can be a factor in stunting, which afflicts 44 percent of Pakistani children.

“We thought it was God’s will”

the lack of toilets costs Pakistan up to $2.5 billion per year

https://dailytimes.com.pk/325584/womens ... akistan-2/

[saip]

The Chinese embassy attack is not making sense. They came in a car and then walked to the embassy after parking the car at some distance with Kalashnikovs in their hands. In other words a target painted on their backs. This is a false flag operation designed to fail with minimum number of casualties so that India can be blamed.

[anupmisra]

The Chinese embassy attack is not making sense. They came in a car and then walked to the embassy after parking the car at some distance with Kalashnikovs in their hands. In other words a target painted on their backs. This is a false flag operation designed to fail with minimum number of casualties so that India can be blamed.

Could be.

[sunnyP]

Is this really such a good thing? I have my doubts.

A day after the union cabinet announced the development of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday compared it with the Berlin Wall that divided East and West Germany before it was pulled down in 1989. He said if the Wall could fall, the proposed corridor could act as a bridge between the people of India and Pakistan. "Had anyone ever thought that the Berlin Wall would fall. May be with the blessings of Guru Nanak Devji, this Kartarpur corridor will not just remain a corridor, but act as a bridge between the peoples of the two countries," PM Modi said at a Gurupurab function at the residence of Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal in Delhi.

[Peregrine]

Budget deficit widens to Rs541.7b amid lax spending control - Shahbaz Rana

ISLAMABAD: The budget deficit in first quarter of the current fiscal year widened to Rs541.7 billion in the wake of loose control over debt and defence spending, suggesting things may get out of the control of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

The Rs 541.7-billion deficit was equal to 1.4% of the gross domestic product (GDP) despite a halt to development spending and securing Rs246.6 billion in provincial surpluses, reported the Ministry of Finance on Friday.

Current expenditures grew at a double-digit pace of around 20% but tax revenues grew just 7%, pointing towards problematic areas of the fiscal framework.

The federal government’s fiscal indicators were more alarming as it booked a budget deficit of Rs733.3 billion or 2.5% of GDP, showed the summary of consolidated federal and provincial budgetary operations.

The overall 1.4% deficit was not in line with the revised annual target of 5.1% or Rs1.9 trillion. The budget deficit – the difference between income and expenditure – was about 23% higher than the same period of previous fiscal year despite the previous government’s increased spending ahead of general elections.

Argentine lawmakers approve austerity budget

In the first quarter of last year, the gap was Rs433 billion or 1.2% of GDP. The federal government had closed last year at a record high deficit of Rs2.26 trillion or 6.6% of GDP.

The federal development spending stood at a mere Rs50.8 billion or 7.5% of the annual development budget of Rs675 billion. Compared with last year, the federal development spending was only half.

Finance Minister Asad Umar has promised that he would ensure that federal spending remains higher than last year.

Expenditures on defence and interest on loans shot up massively. Total debt servicing in the first quarter stood at Rs507 billion, higher by Rs90 billion or 20.2%, according to the summary. Defence spending amounted to Rs219.4 billion, up Rs37 billion or 20.3%.

The debt and defence spending consumed Rs726 billion or 67.7% of the total expenditure by the federal government.

Domestic debt servicing increased to Rs461.7 billion, a surge of Rs44.2 billion or one-tenth over the same quarter of previous year. Foreign debt servicing ate up Rs45.4 billion, higher by 63%, showed the summary.

The PTI government unveiled a mini-budget in September and claimed that it would result in a steep fiscal adjustment of 2% of GDP and help bring down the overall budget deficit to 5.1%. However, it seems that the government did not take all the required measures to back the 2% fiscal adjustment.

This was also one of the points of disagreement between Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during recent programme talks that failed to achieve desired results.

Country cannot recover from fiscal crisis without bailout: Asad Umar

The first-quarter results suggest that the budget deficit can still shoot up to 6% of GDP despite curtailing the development spending.

In the revised budget, the government has set the tax revenue target at Rs4.72 trillion. But the collection in the first quarter was only Rs886.5 billion or 18.8% of the annual target.

Similarly, the government has revised upwards the total expenditure estimate to Rs5.3 trillion. First quarter’s total federal expenditures stood at Rs1.07 trillion or 20.2% despite a slowdown in development spending.

In terms of the size of national economy, total revenues remained stagnant at the level of last quarter – 2.9% of GDP. But current expenditures, which stood at 3.5% in the first quarter of previous fiscal year, shot up to 3.9% of GDP.

Provincial governments recorded a cash surplus of Rs246.6 billion out of the Rs662.6 billion that the federal government transferred as their share under the seventh National Finance Commission Award.

The Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) tax collection remained at Rs832.2 billion in July-September 2018, growing only 8.7% compared to the same period of last year. The FBR’s growth rate was even lower than the nominal GDP growth.

Cheers

[nam]

The Kartarpur Sahib corridor news indicates there is a Track 2 going on somewhere...

With our habit of making peace, fight with Paks will go on for many decades.

[Peregrine]

Mother of All U-Turns - Najam Sethi

The return of the IMF to Pakistan with the blessings (finally) of our Prime Minister, Mr U-Turn Khan, is good news. It was naïve to think that the deep crisis of the exchequer could be overcome simply by noble support from China and Saudi Arabia or the philanthropic sentiments of overseas Pakistanis.

The Chinese are good at injecting the risk factor into all their contracts with unstable countries like Pakistan and to that extent may ease up on debt payments and encourage imports from Pakistan as a strategic necessity. But they will not fork over hard cash upfront to relieve our forex burdens. They will also refuse to allow the Government of Pakistan to disclose their contracts to the IMF, which is perceived as a Trojan Horse of the Americans. That is why Mr Khan has returned to base without cash in hand and that is why he has taken a U-Turn on revealing the nature and substance of Chinese contracts with Pakistani entities by the PMLN government.

Much the same may be said of the institutional approach of Saudi Arabia. Every Pakistani government has gone begging to Riyadh and all have obtained the facility of deferred oil payments. But there will be a political price for cash deposits. Mr Khan’s visit to the UAE suggests that the price will be in terms of joining the US-Israel sponsored Middle-East security bloc led by Saudi Arabia comprising Egypt, UAE, Jordan, etc., against Turkey, Syria and Iran. This may have adverse consequences for state and society in Pakistan.

The US is the elephant in the room. President Trump makes no bones about his views on Pakistan. He seems to be straining at the leash to punish Pakistan for making it hard to achieve US objectives in Afghanistan. He resents the fact that billions of dollars of US tax-payers’ money has gone down the tube in Pakistan without yielding political dividends. In fact, it is probable that Trump’s dogged support of Prince Muhammad bin Salman will manifest itself in a calibration of financial tranches from Saudia to Pakistan to achieve US ends. That is why Mr Khan’s recent Twitter retort to Mr Trump, however popular at home, was most ill-advised.

The US administration has already served notice that it intends to lean on the IMF to extract a hard deal from Pakistan. That is why the recent visit of the IMF team to Islamabad hasn’t yielded any low hanging fruits. In the next two months, before the next IMF board meeting mid Jan, there will be a lot of to-ing and fro-ing between Islamabad and Washington, between Islamabad and Riyadh and between Islamabad and Beijing. All this is meant to say that although Pakistan’s problem is with domestic economics, the focus will be on international and regional politics, with the Pakistan and American militaries in the driving seat at both ends. Unfortunately, the Pakistani army chief’s reminder of helping the US “trace Osama bin Laden” and “sacrificing Pakistani blood” in the joint cause against Taliban terrorism, and the Pentagon spokesman’s reiteration of “continuing and constructive engagement” with its Pakistani counterpart, don’t amount to much simply because neither side trusts or believes the other.

The Khan government is in a hurry to stave off Pakistan’s economic crisis without shedding too much blood. But plugging the fiscal and balance of payments deficits will mean acute hardship all round. The defense budget will have to be frozen and budgets for development and poverty alleviation rolled back. On the revenue side, the FBR will be on notice to tap new tax payers, an exercise it has been singularly inept at accomplishing, compelling it to turn the screws on existing tax payers and alienating them further from the tax regime. Meanwhile, the finance ministry will be looking at quick bureaucratic fixes by raising both direct and indirect tax rates and devaluing the rupee. The IMF formula will induce “stagflation” and agony in the short and medium term, which is all that matters since in the long term we are all dead. All this while, the opposition will be baying for the government’s blood.

The Khan government and its domestic handlers and backers must choose their options wisely. They can continue to play hard-to-get games with their potential international benefactors and continue to repress and hound the domestic opposition. This will reinforce the status quo and drive the state, government and society into a bigger black hole. Or they can correct their strategic course vis a vis both, stabilize the polity around a pragmatic national consensus and steer the ship of state out of these stormy waters. What will it be?

A mother of all U-Turns is the desperate need of the hour. A U-Turn for the Miltablishment on its failed national security policies. A U-Turn for the opposition parties and leaders from their corrupt and inefficient ways. And a U-Turn for the PTI government from tilting at windmills.

Cheers

[CRamS]

The Kartarpur Sahib corridor news indicates there is a Track 2 going on somewhere...

With our habit of making peace, fight with Paks will go on for many decades.

My take is slightly different because of the many dynamics at play:

1. One must start with the premise that as much as Khalistan terror has been eliminated, Punjab still continues to be vulnerable. Pakis still harbor the obsession that Sikhs can be weaned away from India and Hindu Sikh fault lines can be exploited.

2. When Sidhu invited himself to Taliban Khan's swearing in, ISI saw an opportunity, and we all know the Sidhu-Bajwa, Sidhu-Taliban Khan comedy spectacle; and Bajwa announced the Kartaur gimmick.

3. Back home, the response was along familiar lines. The nationalists went berserk outraged at Sidhu's betrayal, and humiliated at how easily TSP can exploit India's fault lines. Other BJP hating self-righteous scum bags looked upon the nationalists' outrage as being insensitive to Sikh sentiments and started peddling the fake narrative that Hindu 'hyper nationalists' were going after Sikhs. Others were so taken in by TSP's gimmics that they wanted India to 'walk the extra mile'. Little did it occur to these dim-wits that many nationalists Sikhs were as disgusted as anybody else at Sidhu's low-IQ antics and falling prey to TSP game-plan like a bloody eunuch. Pakis were beginning to laugh their asses off to the bank.

4. Having said that, Kartarpur corridor is indeed an emotional issue with Sikhs. So TSP's googly of offering to open this corridor, gimmick as it is, and planned and designed to exploit Hindu Sikh fault-lines, could not out-rightly be ignored and/or rejected by ModiJi & co. Even seemingly responsible ex diplomats like K.C. Singh fell prey to TSP's machinations and demanded ModiJi & Co reciprocate lest Sikh sentiments be hurt.

5. So ModiJi had to walk a tight rope and respond in a nuanced manner. IMO, he took a middle ground. He could not hit the Paki googly for a sixer as trying to do so would have been risky. So he read the googly, went on the front foot, kept his eyes firmly on the ball, met the ball head on, played a copy book defensive stroke by smothering the spin and nullified the Googly: He didn't go nor send SushmaJi, but asked 2 stellar nationalist Sikh junior ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and the articulate Harsimrat Kaur to go.

6. IMO, ModiJi has now stopped Pakis in their tracks of exploiting Kartarupr any further. The best he could have done under the circumstances.

7. Only thing I disagree with is his BS about Kartaurpur being a bridge between India & TSP. Rubbish. He could have avoided that IMO.

[ArjunPandit]

There would be an economic aspect too.. These buggers need money

[kancha]

Crypto Bible @Karachi_Post

So Pak establishment and PTI Govt are unwilling to pay back Chinese Debt , hence they have lost interest in CPEC and other Chinese projects, plus West is unwilling to pay hard cash as long as Pak is Chinese proxy, in that context the Chinese consulate attack could be a message

[Peregrine]

X Posted on the I W T Thread

Looming water crisis biggest risk for Pakistan economy: WEF survey - Amin Ahmed

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s ease-of-doing business is likely to be affected in the coming decade as the $300 billion economy struggles to mitigate imminent risks, according to a report released by the World Economic Forum (WEF).

The report titled ‘Regional Risks for Doing Business’ has listed water crisis, unmanageable inflation, terrorist attacks, failure of urban planning and critical infrastructure as immediate risks faced by the country with 220 million inhabitants.

The risks were identified after the WEF carried out an ‘Executive Opinion Survey’ between January and June. The findings were tabulated after receiving responses to survey’s risk-related questions for the South Asian region – Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

The report highlights 10 major risks to doing business in South Asia including failure of national governance, unmanageable inflation, unemployment and under-employment, failure of regional and global governance, cyber attacks, failure of critical infrastructure, energy price shock, failure of financial mechanism or institution, water crises and large-scale involuntary migration.

Failure of national governance was listed as one of the foremost challenges faced by the countries in the South Asian region which has remained politically active during the last two years as Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Maldives went through highly charged election seasons.

South Asian elections are usually observed with anxiety, as they are prone to violence, blockades and tensions. Even after completion, the period following elections is usually mired with uncertainty.

The report also points out that Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh are susceptible to cyber-attacks as they continue to run on computers using Microsoft products that report malware encounters almost regularly. The region’s vulnerabilities came under spotlight after Bangladesh Bank was hit by hackers who got away with one of the biggest heists in the history, robbing the country’s central bank of more than $80 million.

‘Unmanageable inflation’ was ranked as the second-highest risk in the region. South Asia benefited from low global oil prices during 2014-16, but a combination of rising energy prices and expansionary monetary and fiscal stances point to rising inflationary risks.

In July this year, Pakistan’s inflation rate reached four-year highs as rupee’s value continues to deteriorate. The report highlights unemployment or under-employment as the third leading risk for the region.

Of the 19 countries facing imminent cyber-attack risks, 14 were from Europe and North America, by contrast, 22 of the 34 countries that facing ‘unemployment or under-employment’ as top-most risks hail from sub-Saharan African region.

Geo-political concerns were relatively muted, with ‘failure of regional and global governance’ and ‘terrorist’ attacks in ninth and tenth place globally, respectively.

The starkest of geopolitical risks, ‘interstate conflict’ was ranked in the top three risks in 17 countries. Most of these countries were in Eastern Europe and Eurasia, a pattern that reflects the increasing importance of that part of the world as global geopolitical balances undergo recalibration.

Cheers

[Peregrine]

Dollar hits record high in open market - Shahid Iqbal

KARACHI: The US dollar rose to record high against the local currency reaching Rs135.30 after supply-side restraints pushed the greenback upwards in the open market.

Currency dealers said the dollar was sold as high as Rs135.70-80 during the day but closed at Rs135.30 registering a declining trend by the week’s end.

“The appreciation was a result of short supply of dollars which pushed the price up but the demand remained constant during the day,” said Zafar Paracha, Secretary General of Exchange Companies Association of Pakistan.

The supply shortage came after media reports claimed that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has asked the government to depreciate the rupee further in order to access funds.

On the other hand, the inter-bank market remained relatively stable without any significant change where the dollar was traded at a maximum of Rs134.15.

Bankers said that with the inflow of $1 billion from Saudi Arabia – additional $2bn are expected to come later – there is little chance for further devaluation of the rupee.

Pakistan recently received $1bn as part of $6bn Saudi package to help country’s dwindling foreign exchange reserves which have fallen to critically low levels. The package includes $3bn for import of oil on deferred payment; the two packages collectively have helped the exchange rate stability.

However, news-driven sensitive currency market registered significant change in dollar rates during the week mainly due to the recently concluded IMF-led bailout negotiations. During the week, the dollar gained Rs1.10 against the local currency in open market.

The dollar was traded as Rs134.20 on Monday and Rs135.30 on Friday.

Currency dealers in the inter-bank market did not see deprecation in the near future but were unsure of the IMF negotiations and the aftermaths of the expected deal.

So far the government has reportedly rejected further deprecation of rupee despite widening current account deficit; cumulatively, the country requires about $12bn to plug the hole. The prime minister has visited Saudi Arabia, China, UAE and Malaysia to secure funds in order to meet the challenges faced by the economy.

“Keeping dollar is safe compared to saving rupee. There is always fear that rupee may get depreciation and I would make loss without any economic activity,” said a banker. This was the reason that foreign exchange reserves of scheduled banks remained high during this calendar year despite massive decline in the reserves of the State Bank.

The reserves of scheduled banks increased to $6.428bn on November 16 compared to $6.349bn on Nov 9.

Cheers

[yensoy]

The Kartarpur Sahib corridor news indicates there is a Track 2 going on somewhere...

With our habit of making peace, fight with Paks will go on for many decades.

My take is slightly different because of the many dynamics at play:
...
6. IMO, ModiJi has now stopped Pakis in their tracks of exploiting Kartarupr any further. The best he could have done under the circumstances...

That's exactly my read on the matter as well. Optics are important and this is election year. It's not entirely clear what this corridor will be, whether it will be an elevated walkway the entire distance (I recall reading such a proposal many years ago). Will Pakistan follow through? What is in it for them? How will returning pilgrims be ID'd? Adhaar cards would be a good way forward, together with face/fingerprint scans at departure and return to prevent infiltration. Security checks as well to make sure guns, ammo and explosives aren't smuggled across (kirpans ok, of course). There are enough devils in the details that this may or may not come to fruition, or may be burdened with so many conditions as to make it useless for the Pakis, at which point they may balk at the expense in building and maintaining such a corridor. With elections round the corner, PM doesn't lose anything by announcing the project. There are so many variables here that the outcome may not be seen even in his second term, if that were to happen.

[sunnyP]

Now, Amarinder Singh Declines Pak Invite For Kartarpur Corridor Event
Captain Amarinder Singh said his reasons for declining the invitation were twofold -- not a day passes without Pakistani forces attacking Indian positions, and the ISI is trying to create trouble in Punjab

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/punjab- ... ki-1953009

SLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday welcomed India's decision to send its two Union ministers to attend the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kartarpur corridor next week, terming it a "positive response".

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/pakista ... nt-1953151

[Peregrine]

The Kartarpur Sahib corridor news indicates there is a Track 2 going on somewhere...

With our habit of making peace, fight with Paks will go on for many decades.

My take is slightly different because of the many dynamics at play:
...
6. IMO, ModiJi has now stopped Pakis in their tracks of exploiting Kartarupr any further. The best he could have done under the circumstances...

That's exactly my read on the matter as well. Optics are important and this is election year. It's not entirely clear what this corridor will be, whether it will be an elevated walkway the entire distance (I recall reading such a proposal many years ago). Will Pakistan follow through? What is in it for them? How will returning pilgrims be ID'd? Adhaar cards would be a good way forward, together with face/fingerprint scans at departure and return to prevent infiltration. Security checks as well to make sure guns, ammo and explosives aren't smuggled across (kirpans ok, of course). There are enough devils in the details that this may or may not come to fruition, or may be burdened with so many conditions as to make it useless for the Pakis, at which point they may balk at the expense in building and maintaining such a corridor. With elections round the corner, PM doesn't lose anything by announcing the project. There are so many variables here that the outcome may not be seen even in his second term, if that were to happen.

yensoy Ji:
I, for one, would support your views on the Security aspect. Indeed all the measures - recommended by you - should be included in other measures recommended by the Indian Security Establishment.

A couple of Terroristani of the Khalistan bent are sufficient to cause multiples of the 26-11-2008 Attack in Mumbai.

Our Security Forces and Establishment must impose and carry out the Procedures required by the anticipated Attacked facilitated by the Opening of the Kartarpur Corridor. No Ifs & No Buts.

Cheers

[Peregrine]

Rupee drops to one-month low at 135.8 against US dollar - Salman Siddiqui

KARACHI: Pakistani currency dropped to a one-month low at Rs135.80 to the US dollar in retail on Saturday due to speculation that authorities are on the brink of further devaluing the rupee under the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) stringent conditions to avail the much-needed bailout package.

“Rupee hit (a) low as supply shrank next to nil with the currency dealers at open (retail) market,” Exchange Companies Association of Pakistan (ECAP) General Secretary Zafar Paracha told The Express Tribune. “The recent IMF conditioning to (the government to) devalue rupee to around Rs145-150 against the dollar played on sellers’ mind…people are not coming to the selling counters.”

He added that demand for the dollar remained stagnant against (almost) no supplies and this situation caused rupee to plunge on Saturday.

In historic drop, rupee weakens 7.54% against US dollar

“Presently, the Pakistani currency is Rs3.2 away from a historic low of Rs139 hit in October,” he recalled. It had closed at Rs130.10 to the greenback on Friday, he said. The fresh drop of Rs0.70, or half-a-percentage-point, to Rs135.80 is not a good sign following Saudi Arabia parking $1 billion in Pakistan’s foreign currency reserves this week, he said.

Pakistan Forex Association President Malik Bostan stated that the fresh drop in rupee is seen due to a host of issues that emerged in the last couple of days, including the end of Pakistan-IMF talks on an inconclusive note for a bailout.

“The package, which was being expected by mid-December, has now possibly delayed till (mid or late) January 2019,” he said. The possible delay mounted pressure on rupee with Pakistan’s foreign currency reserves falling to over four-and-a-half-year low at $7.28 billion as on November 16, 2018.

“If the government and the IMF continue to maintain disagreements over further devaluation of rupee, interest rate-hike and upward revision in energy prices in the days and weeks to come then there are chances that the two (Pakistan and IMF) might agree to disagree over a new bailout package…chances for this however he expressed concern. “They are expected to find a way forward to drive the country out of the financial crisis.”

Rupee gains 0.68% as dollar inflow continues

Earlier, the State Bank of Pakistan devalued the rupee by a massive 27%, or Rs28.5, in five rounds in the last 11 months to Rs133.99 in the inter-bank market on Friday. The retail market strictly followed the inter-bank. Also, the rupee lost to the low following a massive drop in supply of dollars to the currency dealers as New York was off on weekly holiday. The dollars which overseas Pakistanis dispatched to their homeland on Friday there would be received in the country with a four-day gap on Monday, he said.

Besides, the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) recent reminder to Pakistan to improve its international payment system in compliance with international rules for combating terror financing and money laundering, the terrorist attack on Chinese consulate in Karachi and other parts of the country and crackdown on terrorist elements have altogether made the open currency markets uncertain, he added.

Cheers

[SSridhar]

The Pakistani thinking on the Kartarpur Corridor is that it can enable easy infiltration/exfiltration of Khalistani elements/terrorists through this. It wants to stoke Indian Punjab once again. The recent grenade attack, Khalistani posters, denying Indian diplomats access to the pilgrims are pointers in that direction.

[Kashi]

The question is what is the GoI thinking on this matter?

Is the corridor only a one time thing or a perpetual all-weather visa-free access route into India?

How will the use and movement along this corridor be governed?

[yensoy]

We can't be living in fear of infiltration; we have to have mechanisms in place to block them 100%.

1. Limited numbers of pilgrims per day
2. Pre-registration required
3. First come first served if too much demand
4. Full biometrics and security in and out
5. No stays beyond 24 hours. (services start early/end late, so there may be overnight visitors)
6. 24x7 manning of liaison office from Indian administration at the Gurdwara
7. Liaison officers (male and female) provided with secure communications
8. Violators returned to Pak with notation for further processing at the Indian consulate in Lahore for re-entry
9. No monetary offerings in the form of INR; tokens to be available in exchange (this will be harder to police). Else joint opening of Hundi and replacement of INR with equivalent amount of USD/PKR through bank transfer to prabandhak committee.
10. No reciprocal arrangement with Pakistan. We don't need to. There is no major Islamic site within 2km of the boundary, nor is this an equal-equal relationship (how many Indians going to Pakistan for medical treatment?).

[Peregrine]

Troubled ties - Touqir Hussain

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump has triggered another spat. But such wrangling is not new. It has lived with the relationship since its inception. The reasons are many. At the heart of these reasons is the reality that it is not a normal bilateral relationship.
Trump’s remarks reflect this reality better than the public and official reaction of Pakistan. The fact is, it is not Pakistan but its services that have been important to Washington. And the value of the relationship has depended on the quality of the service. Pakistan is naïve in seeking gratitude for what it has done or sympathy for what it has suffered. Americans always look at what lies ahead. That is the psyche behind ‘do more’. You cannot negotiate with them backwards.

Pakistan has no permanent importance for Washington, nor any lasting place in its foreign policy. Pakistan’s importance has varied according to fluctuating American interests in the region, putting it sometimes alongside Washington, and sometimes against it. Even when the two countries were fully aligned, there were different reasons for that. No wonder each side’s interests have historically been met only partially, and at the cost of some other important interests. That is why the relationship never really enjoyed a strategic consensus in either country, nor did it develop enduring public support.

But why has the relationship persisted? Because at times both have faced challenges that neither could solve without the other’s help. The US critically needed Pakistan’s intel and military help in Afghanistan at the time of the final battle of the Cold War, and then post 9/11. And Pakistan’s leadership at the time was desperate for the American embrace as it searched for security assistance and aid for the troubled national economy. The relationship served some important strategic and security interests of the US. But its value for Pakistan remained questionable. Between the military rule and the fallout of the US connection, Pakistan has never been the same again.

Americans understood the relationship well. But Pakistan got addicted to it and remains so even if the times have changed. Pakistan has to understand it is dealing with a capitalist country with an advanced democracy, where foreign policy is heavily influenced by domestic politics and is produced by the mechanics of many different pulls and pushes. Issues like terrorism, jihadism and a failing Afghanistan war incited high public concern and put the spotlight on Pakistan.

A largely misinformed American public and an aggrieved US military, unhappy about Pakistan’s unhelpful role in Afghanistan and often speaking through the Congress, thus ended up weighing negatively on the relationship. If Pakistan was not delivering, why are we giving it any money, they ask. The fact that Pakistan is living beyond its means and always looking for bailouts does no favour to the country’s image. Pakistan is not a front-line ally that can override such public scrutiny.

Pakistan also did not realise that US foreign policy decisions are not always made in the best national interests of its own or those of its allies. The political leadership in the US is constantly experiencing a tussle between the electoral calendar on the one hand and strategic imperatives on the other, between America’s own interests that are global, and those of its allies that are local and regional. On top of that, it has also to contend with congressional oversight, special interests, lobbies, and a cumbersome inter-agency process. That does not make for the best public policy.

It is also ironical that ties with Pakistan address strategic inter­ests but through the framework of a transactional relationship, as Pakistan does not have permanent strategic value for the US. In fact, the emerging regional and geopolitical context gives Pakistan a negative strategic value. It is now better for America’s adversaries than for America. Not just the ordinary public but the foreign policy community in Washington too ends up finding Pakistan as the wrong ally. Trump speaks for both strands of opinion.

The sad reality is Pakistan did have a part to play in the failure of the Afghan war. Washington finds Pakistan’s Afghan Taliban policy as indefensible as its support for jihadists. Unfortunately, the feeling in the US is that Pakistan has become a negative force for US interests in the region by allying with Washington’s rival China and having tense ties with US allies like India.

The relationship with Washington is important. But Pakistan should never walk into it blindly again. It must set the terms of engagement beforehand as America has no sense of history except its own. If it is ‘America first’ on one side it should be ‘Pakistan first’ on the other. Let the chips fall where they may.

Cheers