Terrorist Islamic Republic of Pakistan (TSP): Oct. 20, 2010

[Philip]

Deceit and duplicity are the hallmark of the 'British" way.Actually to be more correct,it is the "English" way.The Scots,Welsh and Irish have been subjugated by the English for centuries now and possess far less of these essential qualities of Imperialists.To be honest,it's a far more effective way of conmtrol and far cheaper too! The British found out centuries ago how to handle the peoples of the sub-continent of India by chicanery and deceit.Take for example how they subjugated Ceylon.The Portugese and Dutch never conquered the Kandyan kingdom and held only the coastal zones,but the British through bribery ( allegedly an ancestor of Jayawardene),found a traitor who showed them the secret route to Kandy.Their vast experience in many Afghan Wars make them the most experienced of all adventurers in that land.They did the same in India too by dividing and ruling.It took,in their own words,a "half-naked fakir" ,who understood their ways to boot them out.

The manner in which they and the US still mollycoddle Pak for all its duplicity indicates that they still desire a permanent foothold in the region using Pak as catspaw.Pak despite all its chicanery and terror,has been anointed as their constable of the region.Pak will perform any perverted trick for the west as long as it allows Pak to wage terror against India and to whittle away at J&K. We must be kept pacified and quiet through soporifics and sophistry like imperial serfs.

[SSridhar]

MI6 'blamed for Taliban impostor'

Now, DT says

So who was the ‘Taliban impostor’?

“Someone the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) groomed to delay and counter check us,” a senior member of NATO in Afghanistan told Daily Times.

“We are on top of things. We know where the guy went to and deposited those briefcases,” he said.

On a different side on the border in Pakistan, the intelligence community and the ISI denies these claims, calling them “ridiculous”.

“Its there own failure, not ours”.

[JE Menon]

Right... so a nobody shopkeeper in Pakistan decides to impersonate a key Taliban figure just because?

1. How did he know the negotiations were taking place.
2. How did he know that money was changing hands
3. How did he know he looked like the Taliban mullah
4. How did he get in touch with the people concerned
5. Who were the people concerned

Looks more to me like yet another "trap" which the ISI fell into - yet another example of "tactical brilliance". Does anybody believe that the NATO side - or some elements within it - did not know the guy was an imposter? I mean come on guys, seriously.

Probably a very well executed counter-intelligence operation. Now we await, with bated breath surely (at least on the BENIS thread), the news that the cash transferred was in fact Monopoly money .

Look at the demure and mystified comments coming from the US/British side. Sly is the word for it. If the Paks thought they were good at intelligence ops, they should remember who taught it to them.

When we are ready to swallow any embarrassing incident as "something to be expected" from any party (and that includes the Paks) - we should begin worrying

[Lalmohan]

sounds as though the paks fell for their normal bane - $$$
any chance to make a quick buck

[SSridhar]

The Plunder & Pillage of Pakistan (PPP) continue unabated

Move over Victoria Beckham!

Isloo’s wags are saying Gill on the Hill has decided to break all records of notoriety and leave nothing to chance. One of his offspring’s weddings is continuing apace in Lahore, with the festivities spread out over days. In preparation for the wedding, Begum Sahiba is said to have traveled to London with more than a dozen hangers-on to shop for the great event. While there, she splurged on all sorts of goodies, including handbags for female members of her entourage. The “must have” item was the famous Birkin handbag by Hermes. It’s a highly coveted luxury item, named after actress and singer Jane Birkin, a symbol of wealth, hand made to order for the world’s creme de la creme. Previously it had a waiting list of up to six years but Hermes have now announced that they can cater to all their customers and the handbags are available to all. Prices for each handbag range from US $ 9,000/ to 15,000/. Victoria Beckham, former Spice Girl, now fashion designer and wife of multimillionaire footballer David Beckham, has a collection of 100 such bags, valued at GBP 1.5 million. Our mole reports that Begum Sahiba bought eight Birkin bags, for her favourite ladies, but that her own was in a class by itself. This particular bag, like the “Happy Diamonds” watch by Chopard with a mobile dial, had a flexible clasp studded with diamonds. Move over Victoria Beckham!

Officers of the realm

Not to be left behind in this great pillage of Pakistan by its rulers – civilian and khaki alike – various officers of the realm have also left no stone unturned to enrich themselves. Rumours are flying thick and fast about a high and mighty officer who is said to have posted a son across the continents to establish a real estate empire in Miami, Florida. Our mole says the officer’s son is developing a large housing estate, acquiring land, building villas and selling them off. Truly the pillage of Pakistan.

Such Gup, TFT

[SSridhar]

Some interesting Nuggets, TFT

Hamid Mir’s ‘first dagger’

Describing Musharraf’s statements as ‘daggers’ in the back of the nation, Hamid Mir wrote in Jang that the first dagger that Musharraf delivered was when he as army chief attacked Kargil in 1998 without telling the air and naval chiefs falsely claiming that the invasion was done by the non state actors. He then failed to supply weapons and food to the troops stuck on Kargil.

Hamid Mir’s ‘second dagger’

According to Hamid Mir in Jang, the second dagger by Musharraf was delivered when in 2001 he changed the Kashmir policy and sought to convert the Line of Control into a permanent border, thus giving Kashmir to India. This was done through the backdoor channel by Tariq Aziz. When ISI chief General Ehsan tried to restrain him he got offended with the senior general. He told Held Kashmiri leaders that they should cooperate with the Farooq government in Srinagar.

Brahmdagh supported by Nawaz

Quoted in Nawa-e-Waqt Musharraf said that the charge sheet issued against him by PMLN was worth nothing because the leaders of the PMLN were all paper tigers. He also said that Baloch separatist leader hiding in Afghanistan Brahmdagh Bugti took bribe from Nawaz Sharif (tookron par palnay wala) and swore that Bugti’s threats meant nothing to him.

Hamid Mir’s ‘third dagger’

Columnist Hamid Mir wrote in Jang that the third dagger delivered by Musharraf in the back of the nation was when he recently declared in London that he had trained terrorists and sent them into Indian Administered Kashmir thus trying to turn the current Kashmiri struggle against India as a mere case of cross border terrorism.

Afiya Siddiqui’s real indictment

Famous columnist Oriya Maqbul Jan wrote in jihadi publication Zarb-e-Momin that the real indictment of the Aafia Siddiqui case was of Pakistan and its rulers because they allowed a daughter of Pakistan to be kidnapped and held in custody where she was tortured for years in a way that defied description. All the human rights NGOs who spoke up for Mukhtaran Mai were silent on Aafia Siddiqui.

Generals torture prime ministers

Columnist Nazeer Naji asked the question in Jang as to why the military rulers of Pakistan end up persecuting their prime ministers in a cruel fashion. Musharraf had no enmity with Nawaz Sharif but put him cruelly in jail and now he is saying most unkind things about him while in exile. Similarly, General Zia was cruel to Bhutto and needlessly tortured him in prison. The upper storey of Bhutto’s prison cell was filled with insane people from an asylum to make him go crazy. He was also needlessly beaten up before being hanged.

‘Khaki’ unhappy with PPP

Writing in Jang Suhail Warraich stated that the army was unhappy with the PPP government because of its pro-India thinking and pro-Karzai gestures. It was equally upset about its thinking (soch) about America. Army was running foreign policy while foreign minister took dictation from the army. Army complained that Zardari revealed Pakistan’s security secrets to the Americans.

Double standards: America

Writing in Jang Saleem Safi stated that America was following double standards in Afghanistan and with Pakistan. Pakistan is America’s frontline ally but America neither trusts Pakistan nor treats it like an ally. It tells Pakistan that it is going to attack Kandahar but attacks Khost and Paktika instead near the Pak border. It said it will end camps of Baloch separatists but soon Barhmdagh Bugti was seen in Kadahar or Helmand. It did not want Pakistan to become dominant in Afghanistan but is now trying to make India dominant there.

Double standards: Pakistan

Columnist Saleem Safi wrote in Jang that Pakistan was itself busy persuading India to come to the dialogue table to improve relations with it but was opposed to India improving its relations with Afghanistan. Generals and religious leaders in Pakistan were opposed to the hegemony of America in Afghanistan but wanted the same kind of role there by Pakistan. Pakistan protests American attacks across the border but has approved drone attacks by America.

Double standards: Afghanistan

Narrated in Jang Afghanistan had double standards in so far as many Afghans opposed Pakistan’s interference in Afghanistan but wanted Iran and India to interfere in their country. Those who protest foreigners’ dominance support American and NATO presence. Similarly those who hate American-NATO presence don’t mind Arab terrorists coming there. Those who curse the Taliban rule don’t want to remember the cruelties of the mujahideen rule before the Taliban.

[Ambar]

Yet another friddin celebration down the drain! Talibunnies need to chop the head off their quality control guy!

Police in Pakistan have prevented two would-be suicide bombers from attacking a mosque and government buildings in the capital, Islamabad, officials say.

One of the two men was wearing an explosives vest and was on his way to bomb a mosque during Friday prayers, a police official said.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik said the mosque was in an upmarket residential neighbourhood.

The other target was the parliament and nearby offices, he said.

"We have foiled a plot to attack parliament and surrounding buildings, and a mosque and arrested two militants," Mr Malik told state-run Pakistan Television.

He said the mosque was in the F8-1 residential district, home to many wealthy Pakistanis and Westerners.

Authorities learned of a possible attack late on Thursday and stepped up security around the parliament building, Mr Malik said.

"We took all the required measure without creating a panic," he added.

Police official Bin Yamin told AP news agency the suspects were connected to the Pakistani Taliban in South Waziristan.

In December last year the Pakistani army declared victory following a major two-month offensive against the Taliban in the tribal region, which borders Afghanistan.

But attacks by militants in the region have continued, while drone air strikes on their suspected hideouts take place on an almost daily basis.

- BBC

[Pratyush]

The question if the guys was wearing the belt then why did he not take a few policewalls with him. When was stopped.

Or am I the only one who is smelling a rat.

[rkirankr]

The question if the guys was wearing the belt then why did he not take a few policewalls with him. When was stopped.

Or am I the only one who is smelling a rat.

May be it was not imported belt but a paki/cheeni made, which failed to explode.

[SSridhar]

Al Qaeda's Growing Counter-writ: Khaled Ahmed in TFT

Argues why Pakistan is the ideal place for Al Qaeda rather than Somalia or Sudan.

Pakistan is said to be the most endangered state next to Somalia. But Somalia hardly has any Al Qaeda presence compared to Pakistan where its activists were arrested in many cities when the Pakistan government under Musharraf was willing to arrest them. But Somalia is not the kind of place where Al Qaeda would like to station itself: it is too weak as a state, lacks infrastructure, a population well enough off to yield local income through extortion, and cities big enough to hide it. Last but not least, Al Qaeda would probably prefer a state where the population is sympathetic and, unlike Sudan, the rulers are not willing to betray it.

Even Afghanistan is not such a good place for a terrorist organisation to place itself. It is not an organised state and is too decentralised and too subject to the local power of warlords to be safe for its activists. Therefore the best place for Al Qaeda to be headquartered, Al Qaeda is likely to reason, is a functioning state like Pakistan with its large population and powerful madrassa network and Middle East-assisted prosperous clergy in tune with its worldview. The big leadership, once located in the cities, could be ensconced in the ‘ungoverned spaces’ of the Tribal Areas and Balochistan.

Al Qaeda and Pakistan’s non state actors: There are other factors too. Al Qaeda has attracted to its fold various non-state actors once working for the state of Pakistan and waging jihad for maintaining the dominance of Pakistan in Afghanistan and for the ‘liberation’ of Kashmir. These jihadi organisations were ‘handled’ by army officers working for ISI and significant numbers of these officers have continued to maintain their connections with the militia leaders who are now taking orders from Al Qaeda through such ancillary setups as Brigade 313 led by ‘second bin Laden’, Ilyas Kashmiri, who many think was once a commando of the Pakistan army doing “meritorious insurgent” work in Kashmir.

Therefore there is a given form of “terrorism” in the guts of the Pakistani state, thanks to this joining of ranks. But the Pakistan army says it is “India-centric” and will challenge India as its prime security risk. Normally, this would mean a special state of preparedness requiring acquisition of weapons; but, judging from past behaviour, it has also meant the use of non state actors in a proxy war in Kashmir and for attacks in Indian cities like Mumbai and other targets outside India like the Indian embassy in Kabul. The Deobandi-Wahhabi militias aligned with Al Qaeda, who are killing innocent Pakistanis through suicide bombers, are also proxy warriors because the state has not been able to bridge the Deobandi-Barelvi divide enough to use religious recruits across the Hanafi confession.

India-centrism behind disempowering the Barelvis? One reason the Barelvis have not been inducted into official jihad is the Arab connection and the hesitancy of the Arabs to link up with the mazar instead of the madrassa . The money that poured into our seminaries from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf could go only into Ahle Hadith and Deobandi hands because of the closeness of the latter to the ‘high church’ and anti-mystical faith of the Arabs. When the state of Pakistan fought its Afghan war under Gen Zia ul Haq, each American dollar in aid was matched by Saudi Arabian parallel funding. Later, this money came from all sorts of private Arab sources. Al Qaeda was a crucial link in the preparation of these proxy warriors especially as it was able to run training camps for them in Afghanistan.

Very little analysis was carried out of the options exercised in this regard by the Pakistan army. Leaving the Barelvis out of the war meant their disempowerment in the days to come. Was the army actually interested in disempowering the clergy of popular Islam? It is quite possible that its senior officers willfully said goodbye to the Barelvis because their grassroots rituals were coextensive culturally with those of the Hindus across the border in India. In other words, was it India-centrism in its first phase that decided the fate of Pakistan’s confessional canvas? {Absolutely.} Today, the disempowered Barelvi, pushed to the wall by Deobandi attacks on their shrines, are busy arming themselves a la Sunni Tehreek in Karachi as a counterforce in Punjab where the government is sensing electorally more useful power among the Deobandis as the power of the state itself declines.

Empowering Deobandis and killing Shias: Another unfortunate factor caused violence to take place because of the army’s reliance on Arab-backed seminaries where the jihadi elements used by it were taught religion. Mufti Shamzai of the Banuri mosque in Karachi got a lot of funding from Saudi Arabia because he was close to the Saudi mufti Bin Baz but was killed after Saudi money also caused the sectarian war unleashed by Khomeini’s Iran in the Gulf to be relocated to Pakistan. Also, before he turned his attention to America, Khalid Sheikh Muhammad was using his nephew Ramzi Yusuf to kill innocent Shia citizens inside Iran. Did the army want the Shia in Pakistan to be roughed up? General Zia had a couple of bad meetings with Imam Khomeini after he had unleashed Zakat on the Shia in Pakistan.

Whoever took the decisions inside the army caused the Shia and the Barelvi to be killed in the country by its proxy warriors. Then after Gen Musharraf began kowtowing to the Americans, the proxy warriors attacked him in 2003 (which Khalid Sheikh Muhammad says was orchestrated by him). In the attacks on Gen Musharraf there was participation by some personnel of the armed forces. This trend of participation by the officers of the armed forces in acts of terrorism has never gone down; in fact it has increased. Major General Faisal Alvi, before he was gunned down in Islamabad in 2008 by another army officer working for Al Qaeda, had written to General Kayani saying two of his generals were actually working for Al Qaeda. Zahid Hussain in his book The Scorpion’s Tail mentions another officer who was behind the suicide-bombing of a commando unit of the Pakistan army.

Using terrorists as pawns in Afghanistan: Now an American scholar from Harvard has researched the Pakistan army’s involvement in the Taliban’s attacks on American forces in Afghanistan. It is common knowledge in Pakistan that the army is ‘looking after’ the Taliban under Mullah Umar as its leverage in the decisions to be taken about Afghanistan’s future; when one Taliban central leader showed signs of not going along he was arrested just outside Karachi. The Haqqani Group in North Waziristan is said to be another bargaining chip in the hands of the army that wants Afghanistan cleansed of Indian presence and this group is clearly subordinated to its interests. The army will not attack North Waziristan to clear it of these foreigners because it wants to protect the Haqqanis as its interlocutors with the Kabul government that is increasingly willing to negotiate.

New complications have arisen from this strategy. Daily Times reports (20 November 2010: ‘The Haqqani network, which is considered as a strategic asset by the Pakistani security establishment due to their considerable influence in Afghanistan, had first been moved to Kurram Agency where a new operation centre had been set up to intensify attacks in Afghanistan in coordination with a breakaway section of the Lashkar-e-Tayba and other groups. It is now reported that the Shia tribes that make up most of the base for the Frontier Corps, who had earlier given most of the resistance to Gulbuddin Hekmatyar’s Hezb-e-Islami in Spina Shaga, have turned against the Haqqani network, who they see as an ideological threat to their existence’.

This is a revelation of ‘safe haven’ possibly in a city provided to a terrorist connected with Al Qaeda.

Flawed military strategy for Afghanistan: In conclusion, an editorial in Express-Tribune (21 Nov 2010) encapsulates Pakistan’s strategy in these words: ‘Pakistan’s threat of power projection into Afghanistan is clearly based on its presumed capacity to manipulate the Taliban and their master, Al Qaeda. It sees a dichotomy of intent among the Taliban where there is none: the Taliban who kill Pakistanis are the very Taliban that have attacked inside Afghanistan and continue to do so. Pakistan has repeatedly demonstrated that the non state actors it uses against other states don’t necessarily take orders from it at all times. As in the case of Hekmatyar, it is also amply proved that the Afghan elements it uses to spearhead its power-projection also don’t follow its instructions when it clashes with their own objectives. There is increasing evidence that it is Pakistan, through its so-called ‘peace deals’, that actually takes instructions from its proxies.

‘Pakistan will be the most threatened state in the region after NATO withdraws from Afghanistan. Because of policies related to its military India-centrism, the state in Pakistan has become extremely weak. Its lack of writ in about 60 percent of the territory has been compounded by the rise of criminal groupings ready to align with local and foreign terrorists found in the Tribal Areas and some big cities like Karachi. Governance across the years of war in Afghanistan has become problematic, encouraging many to flee the country with their investments. The Darwinist dictum was not that the weakest will die but that the one unable to mutate will die’.

[archan]

The Plunder & Pillage of Pakistan (PPP) continue unabated

Move over Victoria Beckham!

Isloo’s wags are saying Gill on the Hill has decided to break all records of notoriety and leave nothing to chance. One of his offspring’s weddings is continuing apace in Lahore, with the festivities spread out over days. In preparation for the wedding, Begum Sahiba is said to have traveled to London with more than a dozen hangers-on to shop for the great event. While there, she splurged on all sorts of goodies, including handbags for female members of her entourage. The “must have” item was the famous Birkin handbag by Hermes. It’s a highly coveted luxury item, named after actress and singer Jane Birkin, a symbol of wealth, hand made to order for the world’s creme de la creme. Previously it had a waiting list of up to six years but Hermes have now announced that they can cater to all their customers and the handbags are available to all. Prices for each handbag range from US $ 9,000/ to 15,000/. Victoria Beckham, former Spice Girl, now fashion designer and wife of multimillionaire footballer David Beckham, has a collection of 100 such bags, valued at GBP 1.5 million. Our mole reports that Begum Sahiba bought eight Birkin bags, for her favourite ladies, but that her own was in a class by itself. This particular bag, like the “Happy Diamonds” watch by Chopard with a mobile dial, had a flexible clasp studded with diamonds. Move over Victoria Beckham!

Officers of the realm

Not to be left behind in this great pillage of Pakistan by its rulers – civilian and khaki alike – various officers of the realm have also left no stone unturned to enrich themselves. Rumours are flying thick and fast about a high and mighty officer who is said to have posted a son across the continents to establish a real estate empire in Miami, Florida. Our mole says the officer’s son is developing a large housing estate, acquiring land, building villas and selling them off. Truly the pillage of Pakistan.

Such Gup, TFT

and they like to believe that the Hindus are a cause of all their problems.

[archan]

Pakistan has potential to outpace a number of its neighbours in IT exports

But, I have been hearing of this 'potential' for the last ten years at least. When will that dormant 'potential' turn into reality ?

yes, we are still waiting to see that "explosive" growth.

[anupmisra]

Sunni Ittehad Council warns of anarchy if Aasia pardoned
More the state of anarchy that pa'astan is in today.

Pakistan’s most influential Sunni Muslim alliance urged the government Friday not to pardon a Christian mother sentenced to death for blasphemy, warning that it would lead to nationwide anarchy.

“Our stand is very clear that this punishment cannot be waived.”

Only around three per cent of Pakistan’s population of 167 (180) million are estimated to be non-Muslim.

May a thousand pardons bloom in the land of anarchy. Allah knows best.

[anupmisra]

yes, we are still waiting to see that "explosive" growth.

"Potential" is such an over abused "escapist and conditional" word in the English language. Even Afghanistan and Somalia have the "potential" to be IT superpowers.

[anupmisra]

Mushy's gone over the edge
Delusional, at best. Watch his response to the question "have you supplied hard evidence against India's involvement in Baluchistan".

[thayilv]

^^ On the brutal slaying of Nawab Akbar Bugti, Mushy now feels 500% justified for carrying out the murder. This is an improvement from only 400% a few years back. Listen to him yourselves around 1 min into the video.

[anupmisra]

Indian Army responsible for the melting of Siachen and the floodsin pajistan

Siachen Glacier...is also the water tank for Pakistan. He said every country needed to come forward and develop consensus to save this main water tank and climate regulator.

Lends credibility to our claim that pakhanistan needs a fresh water supply to periodically flush out the .... stuff.

The cause of these cracks is not global warming; rather it is the presence of the Indian troops since 1984. The melting has been attributed to the deployment of troops and establishment of permanent cantonments. Indian troops are involved in dumping of chemicals, metals, organic and human waste, and daily leakages of 2000 gallons of kerosene oil. This oil passes through 250 km of a plastic pipeline, laid by the Indian army across the glacier.

When contacted, Mr Javed Malik, secretary of ministry of environment said that Pakistan would take up this issue in the Cancun Climate Conference scheduled for December 23-27. I shall be waiting with bated breath

The causes of the recent floods in Pakistan, he said, is blamed on La NiÒa but very less attention is paid toward the cloud burst in Siachen and Ladakh region, which is because of an uneven development including development of airports and helipads on various locations of glaciers.

And, the Paki-Duh moment:

It has been reported in various international research institutions that rainfalls caused the 2010 floods in Pakistan.

May a thousand airports bloom. Allah knows best.

[Brad Goodman]

Indian foreign policy devoid of morality and driven solely by realpolitik: Pak FO

"We believe that the foreign policy that is devoid of morality and driven solely by realpolitik is a recipe for promoting anarchical tendencies in international relations," The Nation quoted Foreign Office Spokesperson Abdul Basit, as saying, while rejecting the Indian foreign secretary's remarks that Pakistan has no right to lecture India on morality over its desire to seek permanent seat at the UN Security Council

"In the pursuit of its foreign policy, Pakistan has always upheld the principles of international law. India's aversion to moral and legal norms is understandable given the fact that it continues to violate the principles as enshrined in UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as several UN resolutions," Basit added.

[Brad Goodman]

Pakistani kids offer to sell themselves for mother's surgery

Four children in Pakistan's Punjab province have put up a banner outside their house that reads "children for sale" in a bid to raise funds for their mother's kidney transplant. Omar Illyas, son of 35-year-old Aqsa Parveen of Vehari town in Punjab province, said all valuables in their house had been sold and their only chance of saving their mother's life was to offer themselves now, the Express Tribune reported Friday.

Parveen was told at Lahore's Shaikh Zayed Hospital that she needed a kidney transplant.

[svinayak]

We can see the work done in Sweden by Paki

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituar ... Burke.html

Samuel Martin Burke was born on July 3 1906 at Martinpur, a small Christian village near Faisalabad in what is now Pakistan. His father was the headmaster of a school and wrote poems under the pseudonym Burq (“lightning” in Urdu), which was adopted as the family’s surname. Exceptionally bright, Samuel took a first class degree in History and a masters at the Government College of Lahore before passing the Indian Civil Service (ICS) exams in 1931.

After Washington, he served as Chargé d’Affaires in Rio de Janeiro, and as Deputy High Commissioner in London. He then became the first Christian head of a Pakistani diplomatic mission, as Minister to Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark from 1953 to 1956. When the Commonwealth heads of mission in Stockholm gave a reception during a state visit of the Queen, they chose Burke to escort her during her walkabout.

[Gagan]

Pakistan has potential to outpace a number of its neighbours in IT exports

But, I have been hearing of this 'potential' for the last ten years at least. When will that dormant 'potential' turn into reality ?

Sridhar garu,
Dormant is one thing - and it can be revived provided honesty and will are there.

The pakistani elite are desperately working hard at trying to preserve the corrupt structure that has worked so well for them.

In Pakistan's case 'moribund' and 'deceased' are more apt descriptions.

[anupmisra]

WikiLeaks plans to release 94 papers about Pakistan

The WikiLeaks is expected to put 94 documents about Pakistan on its website this weekend, diplomatic sources told Dawn.

Some of these papers relate to US observations about Pakistan’s policy towards Afghanistan, the debate within Pakistan on the war against terror, Islamabad’s cooperation with Washington and other military and intelligence matters. Some documents also contain US reservations about Pakistan’s nuclear programme.

Interesting weekend shaping up.

[Muppalla]

^^^
I am waiting for them. hoping that they will be really interesting

[arun]

The Islamic Republic of Pakistan proves yet again that are a “Martial” people who will not cease being “Martial” and continue to fund their “Martial” aspirations even as they scour the world begging for handouts:

Defence spending exceeds 1st quarter budget limit

[Pratyush]

Pakistani kids offer to sell themselves for mother's surgery

Four children in Pakistan's Punjab province have put up a banner outside their house that reads "children for sale" in a bid to raise funds for their mother's kidney transplant. Omar Illyas, son of 35-year-old Aqsa Parveen of Vehari town in Punjab province, said all valuables in their house had been sold and their only chance of saving their mother's life was to offer themselves now, the Express Tribune reported Friday.

Parveen was told at Lahore's Shaikh Zayed Hospital that she needed a kidney transplant.

How long before some bleeding heart Indian pays for the treatment of the Mother in an Indian hospital.

[arun]

X Posted from the Pakistani Economic Stress Watch thread.

So will the Islamic Republic of Pakistan compensate for this drop in exports of Textiles by increasing that other mainstay of exports, namely Terrorism ?:

Massive decline in textile exports

[A_Gupta]

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1101127/j ... 228037.jsp

: Militant training camps across the Line of Control and other terror infrastructure shut after 26/11 were revived a little later, a Pakistani Lashkar-e-Toiba insurgent arrested recently has revealed.

[arun]

X posted from the Oppression of Minorities in Pakistan thread.

International press freedom watchdog Reporters Sans Frontières suspects the kidnap, torture and murder of minority Baloch journalist Abdul Hameed Hayatan as an act of extrajudicial execution committed by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Note the cynical message of “Eid present for the Baloch people.” pinned to the journalists body. Is an “Islamic Republic” which claims to be the worlds first “ideological Muslim State” permitted to indulge in practices that lower the sanctity of a Muslim holy day ? :

Baloch journalist kidnapped, tortured and murdered

[Narad]

Govt {still}cracking down on corruption: Rehman Malik

What happened to his 7 day deadline?

Rehman Malik vows to end corruption in one week

[anupmisra]

Pakhanistan's Tourism Minister and his recent utterings.
Op-ed by Irfan Hussain. Some excerpts although its worthwhile to read the enitire article.

Right man for the right job

I BECAME convinced that Asif Zardari had a sense of humour when I first learned of the appointment of Maulana Attaur Rehman as the federal minister for tourism. Who better than this bearded, rotund cleric as the face of Pakistan to attract tourists to our shores?

I`m glad the minister has openly and clearly stated that Pakistan`s religious parties and their supporters are on the same wavelength as the Taliban.

The second part of the minister`s rant referred to the Americans. When he demanded that America and the world should give equal rights to Muslims, he was probably unaware that Muslims living in the West enjoy more rights than they do in their own countries. Which is one reason they migrate, legally or illegally, whenever they get an opportunity.

Considering that this government is allied with, and dependent on, the United States, it is slightly odd for a cabinet minister to denounce America as “the biggest terrorist of the world”.

But does he really think the foreign media gives the wrong impression of Pakistan as one of the most dangerous places in the world for outsiders? Considering the daily mayhem we face, as well as the deadly suicide bombings of embassies and hotels that have killed so many foreigners, surely the advisories are based on a grim reality.

We are kidding ourselves if we think that this ministry can or does anything to attract foreign tourists to our country.

The only foreigners who write `tourism` as the purpose of their visit on their visa applications these days probably come to Pakistan for a few weeks of training in the terrorist camps in the tribal areas. Or they arrive on one-way tickets to enrol for a short course in suicide bombing. For these tourists, the maulana is an ideal recommendation.

Paki Tourism. The phrase has a nice catch to it in an oxy-moronic way. Like "Hotel California". You can check in but you cant leave.

[anupmisra]

How long before some bleeding heart Indian pays for the treatment of the Mother in an Indian hospital.

Actually, I am not against such "bleeding heart Indians" who provide free medical care to poor pakis. Its providing free medical care in elite hospitals to J&K separatists that bothers me.

[Brad Goodman]

34,000 women paramedics go missing after Pakistan floods

ISLAMABAD: According to the UN, around 34,000 women paramedical workers have gone missing from the flood affected districts of Pakistan, a media report said on Saturday.

Noted social activist Tahira Abdullah said the mindboggling disclosure in the UN report has so far failed to have an impact on the government, The NewsInternational reported.

"Even the provincial governments are silent on this report, which should have been enough to shake the entire set-up," she said.

Abdullah asked the government to take a roll-call, so it could be confirmed that all the paramedical workers were safe.

"They (the government) tried to play down the matter and said that there actually is exaggeration in the report. According to their statistics, only 10,000 have gone missing during the floods," she said.

[anupmisra]

Pakhanistan adds more land to its territory without firing a bullet.
More land = more toilets.

Island of mud appears near Hingol

A soft muddy island appeared a few kilometers from the seashore in Hingol area of Balochistan. According to Pakistan Fisher Folk (PFF), the island is 90 meters (m) high with a span of approximately three kilometers (km).

Memon told Dawn.com that the island is 30m beneath the water and 60m above the sea level which is a total of 90m in height.

Allah knows best. Thanks be to our great pajistani scientists working in khufia labs under the margalla hills for creating this blessed miracle through artificial seismic activities as ordained by our founder Djinnah in 1948 ("Go forth and add territory"). Soon we shall physically join up with our birathers in arabistan. As you can see below, site tours have already begun with millions of PFFs visiting this newly conquered land and to claim ablution/settlement rights.

[jamwal]

]

Memon told Dawn.com that the island is 30m beneath the water and 60m above the sea level which is a total of 90m in height.

[A_Gupta]

http://cafepyala.blogspot.com/2010/11/c ... -dots.html

- Investigative report by a blogger on the people behind several Pakistani news outlets.

[arun]

India insidiously erodes the moral fibre of the pious in the land of the Pure .

Three police officials force a group of women to dance to Bollywood hit song “Munni Badnam Hui" in Gujranwala:

Police: Earning A Bad Name

[pgbhat]

http://cafepyala.blogspot.com/2010/11/c ... -dots.html

Pretty decent piece of investigative work there by the blogger. Good post A_Gupta ji, just lacks a heading.

"Connecting the Dots"

[Rajdeep]

34,000 women paramedics go missing after Pakistan floods

ISLAMABAD: According to the UN, around 34,000 women paramedical workers have gone missing from the flood affected districts of Pakistan, a media report said on Saturday.

Kushpoos run for your life !!! Tough days ahead for you.

[pgbhat]

Somali-Born Teen Plots Car Bombing in US Northwest

Authorities say 19-year-old Mohamed Osman Mohamud was taken into custody by agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation after he dialed a cell phone intending to detonate a bomb, but instead rang for the FBI in a sting operation.

Prosecutors say Mohamud unwittingly unveiled his plan to undercover officers by e-mail several months ago, while believing he was contacting an accomplice in Pakistan.

[Vikas]

^ Seriously, does it even sound like an action of a terrorist in today's age and time.Somebody is effing kiddin here.
Looks like half of the future terrorists are on FBI's payroll and rest half are still working in PA GHQ.