Terrorist Islamic Republic of Pakistan - Jan 04, 2014

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 13 Mar 2014 22:37

Peregrine, The KSA "loaned" back Badmash's loot stashed with them.
That no loan for KSa knows TSP has no intention of paying back.

Peregrine · Post by **Peregrine** » 14 Mar 2014 00:04

ramana wrote:Peregrine, The KSA "loaned" back Badmash's loot stashed with them.
That no loan for KSa knows TSP has no intention of paying back.

ramana Ji :

Sometime back Dr Ashfaque H Khan stated that whereas at present the stated Pakistan Foreign Exchange Reserves of about US$ 3Billion of so is in fact a Negative Figure if one considers that “Brother Muslim Countries” have parked about Two Billion in the SBP and if the Swopping of Pakistan’s Gold Reserves is taken into consideration Pakistan ends up with a Negative Foreign Exchange Reserves Figure.

I wonder to what extent the US$ 1.5 Billion will effect Pakistan’s “Negative Foreign Exchange Reserves”.

Regarding “That no loan for KSA knows TSP has no intention of paying back” : I would opine that intention or not Pakistan does not have the wherewithal to pay back.

Cheers

jamwal · Post by **jamwal** » 14 Mar 2014 00:23

I sincerely believe that these Paki air-traffic controllers did this on purpose.

gandharva · Post by **gandharva** » 14 Mar 2014 00:50

Anujan · Post by **Anujan** » 14 Mar 2014 02:21

Its not a loan, it's a payment. The question is: payment for what?

The "loan" magically made its appearance after visit by Raheel Sharif to Saudi and after a flurry of Saudi high level visits. Saudis are preparing for an era of not being allied with unkil anymore and Pakistan is preparing for a new customer after unkil withdrawal. Saudis I feel are the appropriate replacement for unkil, not cheenis. Cheenis being business orientated, get something in return for their money: mining rights or port operation rights and so on. Its the Saudis who need men and nukes to protect their regime.

The question is, how long will it take for paki nuke stationed in Saudi/Saudi personnel stationed in paki nuke bases to leak out. Also surprised that Pakistan has decided so blatantly to take on Iran.

Goes on to show that Pakistan army is for rent. All pretentions to defending the nation is nandi droppings.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 14 Mar 2014 03:04

Kqmbhakht Muunh Pey Laggi , Jayye Naa
US to upgrade Pakistan C-130 fleet

ISLAMABAD- US Defense Security Cooperation Agency has notified Congress of Foreign Military Sale to Pakistan for a C-130 Fleet Upgrade Programme.It will facilitate the continued operation of the Pakistan's Air Force C-130 fleet for counter-terrorism flights, regional humanitarian operations, troop transport; and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions within Pakistan and in the region.
It said the proposed sale of equipment and logistical as well as training support will help improve the security of Pakistan.

amit · Post by **amit** » 14 Mar 2014 06:17

ramana wrote:^^^^
a deal on trade without “four major accommodations” from the Indian side was impossible: a level-playing field for Pakistani exporters; the exclusion of Pakistan’s items of high export interest from India’s sensitive list; the implementation of SAFTA concessions, including pruning the sensitive list, in the shortest time possible; and an agreement on a mechanism to curtail a surge of exports from India once trade liberalisation occurs."If I get a call from Delhi saying they’re willing to accommodate us in all these ways, we’ll give them non-discriminatory market access tomorrow,” Dastgir-Khan said. “

Those four items are not accomodations, but discriminatory market access. What planet is this idiot in?

Ramana,

This is a keeper. In the same quote the guy manages to say:

an agreement on a mechanism to curtail a surge of exports from India once trade liberalisation occurs.

And:

If I get a call from Delhi saying they’re willing to accommodate us in all these ways, we’ll give them non-discriminatory market access tomorrow,

So the joker in saying, "Look we are getting bad international and Indian press for trade barriers. So we want you to put up self-imposed trade barriers so that we can say we've lifted our trade barriers but what to do the Indians don't want to take advantage. You should do this as Big Brother and for the sake of Aman ki Tamasha."

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 14 Mar 2014 06:43

The Pakistanis had long ago decided that they were not going to give MFN status to 'mortal enemy' India. Then, as economy went spiralling downwards and the realization dawned that only India and not China, can help it recover, some relatively wiser guys looked at the India trade option. The American pressure to 'normalize' relations through trade also played a part. Then, the PA and the jihadi Islamists intervened and the nomenclature of MFN had to be changed to make it more acceptable. It is still not known if the changed name of 'non-discriminatory market access' is acceptable to the anti-MFN group. They are keeping quiet for now. In the meanwhile, the GoP is trying to do two things: extract as much concession from India as possible and keep the ball back in the Indian court always. After some agreement is reached, if at all, the PA and the jihadists will come back to life from their dormant state and raise new objections and we will be back to square one all over again.

Nandu · Post by **Nandu** » 14 Mar 2014 07:27

Isn't MFN required under WTO? Can't we take the dispute to WTO?

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 14 Mar 2014 07:45

I just had an "aha" moment.

Over 10% of Indian exports go to the UAE and 12% of Shitistani imports come from UAE - and the value is around 3 bn USD. Inia Pakistan trade is mainly via UAE (Dubai).

By granting MFN to India, Pakistani entities and business houses in Dubai who are directly importing Indian stuff and re exporting to Pakistan will lose business. This includes Dawood and probably Pak army related business houses and maybe even Nawz Sharif. These entities stand to lose so much by giving India MFN that they will oppose it. It is possible that Hafiz Saeed too is being paid off by this group.

Giving India MFN will benefit a larger number of Pakistanis in terms of cost, but will make big Paki business houses lose business. India could probably export more.

Anujan · Post by **Anujan** » 14 Mar 2014 08:17

In case you needed any more confirmation
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archive ... nt-ignore/

Anatol Lieven says west should subsidize its munna more and Paki army and ISI are important in the fight against terrorism. Here's where it gets funny. He says ISI is important because they are the only ones who can control Paki terrorists

Some choice quotes.

The first is that groups based in Pakistan are only part of the Pakistani terrorist threat to the West. Launching attacks in the West requires terrorists from the Pakistani diaspora in the West. It is therefore not helpful to US security to kill terrorists in Pakistan if the result is to radicalize Pakistanis in the US and other Western countries—which is why the British authorities, acutely aware of their large, growing, and deeply troubled Pakistani communities, have a significantly different attitude toward these issues than their US counterparts.

Leaving Pakistanis in Pakistan will make them into terrorists. Giving visas to Pakistanis will eventually make them into terrorists when the terrorists in Pakistan who didnt get visas are killed

arun · Post by **arun** » 14 Mar 2014 08:48

Peregrine wrote:
Anujan wrote:http://tribune.com.pk/story/682254/anot ... reciation/
Another milestone: Dar credits PDF for dollar depreciation ..............{Snipped} .............

Most probably Saudis. Wonder what the pakis pimped to them.
Anujan Ji :

Reavealed : It was Saudi Arabia that loaned Pakistan $1.5 billion to shore up reserves
ISLAMABAD: The “friendly Muslim country” that a beaming Ishaq Dar had referred to during his press conference on Wednesday, was revealed to be Saudi Arabia on Thursday, having loaned cash-strapped Pakistan $1.5 billion this week to shore up its reserves.

Pakistan had last month sought Riyadh’s help to shore up its foreign exchange reserves and meet debt-service obligations and undertake large energy and infrastructure projects, Pakistani officials have told Reuters.

The cash injection boosted reserve figures and helped the rupee rise to a nine-month high against the greenback of Rs97.40 from 105.40 against the dollar between March 4 and 12. This is the strongest rally of the rupee in 30 years.

“On a personal guarantee of the prime minister, Saudi Arabia has given $1.5 billion, which has helped bail out the rupee,” one senior Pakistani government official close to the deal told Reuters, requesting anonymity as he was not authorized to disclose the source and purpose of the funding.
Cheers

The Islamic Republic of Pakistan's "tactical brilliance" should not be forgotten.

The International community should be carefully checking out the Pakistan Development Fund to ensure that this is not a no questions asked scheme with the potential for laundering proceeds of illicit narcotics and crime being passed off by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan as an anonymous grant / loan from an Arab Government.

Dilbu · Post by **Dilbu** » 14 Mar 2014 11:36

FO briefing: Govt rebuffs threat of global travel curbs

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday shrugged off the possibility of global restrictions on its travellers following the country’s failure to eradicate polio.

“We have no information about any country, apart from one, that plans to impose restrictions on Pakistani travellers,” foreign ministry spokesperson Tasnim Aslam told reporters at her weekly briefing on Thursday. She was alluding to India but did not name the country.
Aslam insisted that unlike the general perception, most children in Khyber-Pakhtunkwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas have been inoculated.
“More than anyone else, it is our concern. It is about the future and health of our children. The federal and provincial governments are focused on that issue,” she said.

The spokesperson said World Health Organisation (WHO) chief recently visited Pakistan and understood the problem.

Dilbu · Post by **Dilbu** » 14 Mar 2014 11:39

Drone flights force TTP intermediaries, shura to change meeting site

NORTH WAZIRISTAN: As US drones flew above them, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) intermediaries and the Taliban political shura (advisory council) changed their meeting place to a different location, Express News reported on Friday.

The second phase of talks between the TTP negotiators and the Taliban political shura began today.

The TTP intermediaries had left Islamabad and reached North Waziristan to meet the shura on March 14.

Coordinator of TTP committee Maulana Yousaf Shah, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Professor Ibrahim and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) district chief Maulana Abdul Hai had traveled to North Waziristan via a special helicoper.

The new angle pakis are peddling to unwashed masses is that unkil and RAA are the outsiders trying to prevent talks and biraderly love between TTP and TSP govt who are biraders.

partha · Post by **partha** » 14 Mar 2014 11:42

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 14 Mar 2014 11:49

Nandu wrote:Isn't MFN required under WTO? Can't we take the dispute to WTO?

Why are we so bothered about this trivial thing??

Do we have to keep begging them like this??

Why not just say the hell with it and go your way??

Peregrine · Post by **Peregrine** » 14 Mar 2014 15:01

Chinese see Uighur hand in Malaysian plane mystery

NEW DELHI: Amid global speculation on what exactly caused Malaysia Airlines flight MH 370 to jump radar contact and disappear, an ugly suspicion has taken roots in China that it could be the handiwork of Uighur terrorists.

If this turns out to be correct, it would be the biggest attack by Uighurs on Chinese interests. Over two-thirds of the passengers in the missing plane were Chinese. As yet there is little to suggest that it could be an act of terror since it's not yet clear where or how the plane went down. While stolen passports initially hinted at a possible terror angle, the holders are believed to be Iranian asylum seekers rather than terrorists.

But China, just recovering from a savage attack by Uighurs at a train station in Kunming, is more ready to buy the Uighur terror theory, despite lack of evidence.

A group of attackers armed with knives went on a rampage in Kunming station on March 1, killing at least 29 people and injuring more than 100. Chinese authorities and its state media were quick to describe it as a terror attack by Uighurs in their "jihad".

Interestingly, India too described the Kunming attack as a terrorist one, using its official response to draw Chinese attention to "all forms of terrorism". Uighur terrorists are regularly trained and funded by Pakistan, one of China's closest allies. China has in the past taken an ambivalent attitude to Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in India.

Cheers

anupmisra · Post by **anupmisra** » 14 Mar 2014 15:33

Nandu wrote:Isn't MFN required under WTO? Can't we take the dispute to WTO?

The question is "why would you want to do that?". Please remember that WTO regimen is a double-edged sword.

RSoami · Post by **RSoami** » 14 Mar 2014 15:36

chetak wrote:
Nandu wrote:Isn't MFN required under WTO? Can't we take the dispute to WTO?

Why are we so bothered about this trivial thing??

Do we have to keep begging them like this??

Why not just say the hell with it and go your way??

Dont think anyone is bothered by this or any other thing happening in Shitistan. Except for terror attacks emanating from that land we are very happy enjoying the show and have little interest in the MFN drama (except the humour part). People post only to share the jokes.

arun · Post by **arun** » 14 Mar 2014 15:44

In the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, on the Mohammadden Sabbath of Friday, a demonstration of the IED Mubarak variant of the IEDology of Pakistan kills 7 :

Blast in Peshawar leaves 7 dead, injures 32 others

anupmisra · Post by **anupmisra** » 14 Mar 2014 15:44

Peregrine wrote:Chinese see Uighur hand in Malaysian plane mystery

Aha! The panda speaketh. The pieces are now falling into place. The more the Chinese threaten and bigger is their efforts to deploy an array of satellites, ships and pressure tactics on neighbors to "search" for the "missing" plane, the more I am convinced that this is a false flag operation by the Chinese. All those diversionary tactics are leading to a naught.

Look. I have no love lost for the Uighurs but same applies to the Chinese as well. This smells of a very complex and well coordinated operation and its got MSG written all over it. The victims are the poor folks on that plane. They are either dead or are enjoying the hospitality of the Chinese in some remote area of China. The ultimate goal was to somehow bring in the uighurs and lay the blame on them. Well, the uighurs and the Chinese deserve each other.

Remember the barking dog.

arun · Post by **arun** » 14 Mar 2014 16:03

arun wrote:In the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, on the Mohammadden Sabbath of Friday, a demonstration of the IED Mubarak variant of the IEDology of Pakistan kills 7 :

Blast in Peshawar leaves 7 dead, injures 32 others

The body count in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on the Mohammadden Sabbath of Friday, piles up. A second demonstration of the IEDology of Pakistan today, kills 10 :

Blast in Quetta kills at least 10: rescue officials

Dilbu · Post by **Dilbu** » 14 Mar 2014 18:20

Kabul irked at haphazard release of Afghan Taliban prisoners in Pakistan

(Reuters) - Afghanistan's High Peace Council, set up to oversee peace talks with the Taliban, has had no formal meetings with any of the 46 Taliban prisoners released in neighboring Pakistan, an official said on Friday, despite pleas to be present when they are freed.

Pakistan began releasing small batches of Afghan Taliban prisoners in 2012 at the request of Kabul which wants to use the men as interlocutors to pursue peace talks with the insurgents, who are ramping up attacks as NATO troops withdraw and the country prepares for April 5 elections.

The Afghans wanted a delegation present at each release. But they complained that Pakistan does not tell them before prisoners are freed, raising question about Pakistan's sincerity in wanting to help bring an end to the war.

Brad Goodman · Post by **Brad Goodman** » 14 Mar 2014 18:21

Blast in Quetta kills 10, injures 35

Dilbu · Post by **Dilbu** » 14 Mar 2014 18:23

Religious Council Calls Pakistan's Ban On Child Marriage 'Un-Islamic'

A council that advises the Pakistani government and parliament ruled Tuesday that the country's laws banning child marriage are “un-Islamic.”

The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), a constitutional recommendatory body that gives legal counsel to the government but can't make its own laws, advised the government that Sharia law sets no minimum age for marriage, so laws prohibiting underage individuals from getting married do not adhere to Islamic principles.

It added that according to Islamic doctrine, the consummation of the marriage, called Rukshati, should only happen when both husband and wife have reached puberty.

“The laws limiting the age for both the segments of marriage are unIslamic and needed to be rectified,” CII chairman Maulana Mohammad Khan Sheerani told Pakistani English-language newspaper Dawn.
Pakistan’s Prohibition of Child Marriages Act stipulates that the age of marriage is 16 for women and 18 for men. The law has been in place since the country was founded.
Child marriage leads to high infant mortality rates from girls getting pregnant too early. Research conducted by the UC San Diego School of Medicine reveals that one in 14 births to youthful mothers—girls under 18—leads to the baby’s death before its first birthday, in Pakistan as well as Bangladesh, India, and Nepal.

Sheerani also criticized laws forbidding polygamy.

“Sharia [Islamic law] allows men to have more than one wife, and we demanded that the government should amend the law,” he told reporters. “The government should amend the law to make the issue of more than one marriage easy and in accordance with Sharia.”
Zohra Yusuf, chairperson of the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan accused the council of “wishing to open a new front against women and to reinforce the militants’ siege of the state”—the Pakistani Taliban. She said the attack on child marriage laws is “against the spirit of the religion.”

Nandu · Post by **Nandu** » 14 Mar 2014 19:04

anupmisra wrote:
Nandu wrote:Isn't MFN required under WTO? Can't we take the dispute to WTO?
The question is "why would you want to do that?". Please remember that WTO regimen is a double-edged sword.

It looks like we are only getting one edge of it, we should use the other.

Why should we want to do it? Because it will be hilarious, that is why.

anupmisra · Post by **anupmisra** » 14 Mar 2014 19:05

Dilbu wrote:Zohra Yusuf, chairperson of the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan...said the attack on child marriage laws is “against the spirit of the religion.”

Does islam have a "spirit"? I thought it was a cut and dry system with no room for negotiations.

kish · Post by **kish** » 14 Mar 2014 20:21

pakisatan supporting uighur's "just cause" of self determination, it will be fun to see how tallel brother respond.

From his Pakistan hideout, Uighur leader vows revenge on China

Entrenched in secret mountain bases on Pakistan's border with Afghanistan, Uighur fighters are gearing up for retribution against China to avenge the deaths of comrades in Beijing's crackdown on a separatist movement, their leader told Reuters.

China, Pakistan's only major ally in the region, has long urged Islamabad to weed out what it says are militants from its western region of Xinjiang, who are holed up in a lawless tribal belt, home to a lethal mix of militant groups, including the Taliban and al Qaeda.

A mass stabbing at a train station in the Chinese city of Kunming two weeks ago, in which at least 29 people were killed, has put a new spotlight on the largely Muslim Uighur ethnic minority from Xinjiang, where Beijing says armed groups seek to establish an independent state called East Turkestan.

Beijing has called the Kunming bloodshed a "terrorist attack" carried out by militants, and says separatists operate training camps across the rugged border which abuts Pakistan and Afghanistan.

In a rare but brief interview, Abdullah Mansour, leader of the rebel Turkestan Islamic Party, said it was his holy duty to fight the Chinese.

"The fight against China is our Islamic responsibility and we have to fulfil it," he said from an undisclosed location.

"China is not only our enemy, but it is the enemy of all Muslims ... We have plans for many attacks in China," he said, speaking in the Uighur language through an interpreter.

"We have a message to China that East Turkestan people and other Muslims have woken up. They cannot suppress us and Islam any more. Muslims will take revenge."

Anujan · Post by **Anujan** » 14 Mar 2014 20:33

It could be a terror attack against China. What needs to be followed up is the hypothesis that the plane flew towards India. We have industrial and nuke installations in the East coast.

Meanwhile big blast in Quetta with a dozen dispatched. http://tribune.com.pk/story/682813/blas ... -quetta-5/

Blast was in front of science college on Jinnah road. Why this double provocation to the more pure hain ji ?
Ahrar ul Hind has claimed responsibility. Has taken pains to point out they have nothing to do with TTP.

Doesn't Ahrar Ul Hind loosely translate to "Indian Mujahedeen"

vivek_ahuja · Post by **vivek_ahuja** » 14 Mar 2014 21:02

Anujan wrote:Meanwhile big blast in Quetta with a dozen dispatched. http://tribune.com.pk/story/682813/blas ... -quetta-5/

As usual, the best part is the comments from butt-hurt Pakis:

Major Iqbal wrote:Strategic depth has turned into strategic death.

Why does this Major sound familiar, hain ji?

Talk both on ground and table should continue . Talk on ground should be with gun and on table with constitution of Pakistan

Note that he doesn't say who is holding the gun or who is wiping their ass with the constitution of Pakistan.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 14 Mar 2014 21:59

^^26/11

anupmisra · Post by **anupmisra** » 14 Mar 2014 22:22

National herrows are OK. Akmal the Unibrow a “national hero” traffic warden says

Bakistani cricketer Umar Akmal was Friday cleared in a traffic violation case after the police officer forgave him, saying he was a “national hero”.

“Akmal's daddy apologised to me out of the court and after his assurances I asked the court to end the case,” he said.

“But if Akmal ever violates traffic rules again, I will perform my duties.”

Bakistan, pain in the baad.

partha · Post by **partha** » 14 Mar 2014 22:27

This is what is track 2 all about for Pakis. Gathering info about what Delhi elites think. As noted before, track 2 team from Pakistan is mostly ISI connected and from India mostly useful idiots.

anupmisra · Post by **anupmisra** » 14 Mar 2014 22:28

Positive news. Don't laugh kufr !!Afridi “big supporter of women's cricket”.

The big-hitting 34-year-old came under fire this week after TV interview footage circulated of him commenting on women's cooking skills in response to a question about women's cricket.

“Our women have great taste in their hands and they cook very tasty food”

Afridi insisted his remarks had been taken out of context by people

It was a five-month old interview

an attempt to malign my popularity

There are a few people who are jealous of my popularity and they try to find something controversial against me

A big number of my fans are female

But now he is a changed man. When's dinner?

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 14 Mar 2014 23:25

anupmisra wrote:
Dilbu wrote:Zohra Yusuf, chairperson of the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan...said the attack on child marriage laws is “against the spirit of the religion.”
Does islam have a "spirit"? I thought it was a cut and dry system with no room for negotiations.

He was talking about different intoxicating "spirit" brewed at home , neighborhood and specially with Cousins and Kids of family and Friends.

Kufaar simply do not understand this "spirit" and always handicaped with the slavery of intellect.

Peregrine · Post by **Peregrine** » 14 Mar 2014 23:44

Saudi-Qatar rift will aggravate Pakistan’s energy woes

The Saudi Crown Prince Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud’s visit to Pakistan last month all but sanctioned Pakistan detaching itself from the Iran-Pakistan Pipeline, ostensibly leaving Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) import from Qatar as the only possible alternative for Islamabad’s ever escalating gas needs. Along comes an epoch-making divide in the Middle East, which has resulted in Saudi Arabia threatening to blockade Qatar by air, land and sea if it continues to support Muslim Brotherhood, and the Islamabad-Doha deal now seems to be in doldrums.

Whither Muslim brotherhood?

Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have withdrawn their ambassadors from Doha after collectively accusing Qatar of “meddling in internal affairs.” Egypt following suit aggravated Qatar’s position owing to its ties with the Muslim Brotherhood and similar Islamist groups who continue to divide the Middle East and the Muslim world along ideological and diplomatic fault lines

Pakistan Today’s Middle East Correspondent Shahab Jafry believes Saudi Arabia dictating foreign policy in Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC) means that it’s inevitable that Riyadh would ask Pakistan to maintain its distance from Doha.

“The deal with Qatar already calls into question the wisdom of siding so strongly with the Saudis at this point in time. If friction within the GCC is strong enough for Riyadh and Abu Dhabi to recall ambassadors from Doha, then Saudis will definitely pressure other friends to distance themselves too. And for Pakistan that could mean problems with the LNG program.

Enter New Delhi

While Islamabad has been busy negotiating gas price with Doha, New Delhi has been busy importing LNG from Qatar for around $10-12 per mBtu. This when juxtaposed with the $18 per mBtu that Doha is demanding from Islamabad in addition to a 15-year supply contract sans price reopener with a $200 million penalty for termination, suggests that Qatar might be exploiting Pakistan’s desperation.

One does not expect the "Leadership" of the Land of the Pure and Home of the Terrorists to know that the India-Qatar LNG contract commenced over Ten Years Ago!
Cheers

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 15 Mar 2014 00:17

From Saudi, with love
Dheere Dheere Machal, O Mush e Pakistan:Saudi Love Aatta Hai: Peeche Parne Laggi Saudi Parchayiaan, Mush Bhi Leene Laggi Milan Ang-raaiyan

Zarra Aur Ghuhsaro

Any transaction is made due to mutual need. The buyer has to have a need for what you are selling and vice versa. For a government that has made reviving the country's economy it's stated objective, the money is certainly a blessing, even if only short-term. The rupee has strengthened against the dollar, giving a degree of credibility to Ishaq Dar’s previous claims and has won the PML-N some plaudits, while also embarrassing Shaikh Rashid and other naysayersWhat we can be sure of is that this is not baksheesh, but a payment for services rendered and/or services due. The government of Nawaz Sharif has not received this money simply because the Saudis like him, but because they clearly feel he can deliver at his end of the bargain.We have a right to know what that bargain is, but once more, this sale is shrouded in secrecy, and secrecy invites speculation.Some allege that the money is to hold off any operation against the Taliban, pointing to the timing of Saudi visits and the peace talks.
Others say it is for Pakistan’s support in Syria, the diplomatic end of which we have already witnessed. Still others claim that that is only part of it and that Pakistan has agreed to provide training, arms and possibly even manpower to Saudi-backed rebels fighting in Syria. Some even allege there is a nuclear component to the deal, with the Saudis anxious to offset Iran’s atomic edge as part of their overall containment strategy. As far as that is concerned, this could well be an attempt to open another front on Iran’s flank; an implied or actual threat aimed at making it tone down what is seen by the house of Saud to be its increased influence in the Middle East. But once again, we don’t know.What we do know is that the Pakistani state seems to need a sugar daddy dangling his huge Sucker , and that some sugar daddies are more palatable than others.
Rewind a few years to when the Kerry-Lugar bill was in the works and recall, if you will, the absolute storm that was created over its conditions; conditions that were, for the most part, openly mentioned and openly debated. There were accusations that the PPP government had sold out the country, had committed treason. There were carefully orchestrated protests and carefully directed debates to this effect. It was by-the-book, paint-by-numbers misinformation and outrage. This time around, despite the fact that we don’t know what is being brokered, there is relative silence. Some dollars, it seems, are far more halal than others. Certainly, no one’s ever been accused of being a Riyal khor by mainstream opinion.States can and do make deals, some of which are publicly revealed and others that must remain secret. This case is a little different though. A people who have been lied to, manipulated and deceived for decades, and who have paid a terrible price for these deceptions need to know what is on the table. What we don’t know will hurt us.

Shalav · Post by **Shalav** » 15 Mar 2014 00:28

Nandu wrote:Isn't MFN required under WTO? Can't we take the dispute to WTO?

MFN is a double edged sword and I think India is quite OK with granting pakistan MFN and them with-holding it from us. This means that we can maintain a negative list in-spite of granting MFN, as there has to be reciprocity for MFN.

Our manufacturers do not really see a market big enough to pressure the govt. to get them an MFN from pakistan. I've worked for a large consumer goods exporter (quite some time ago - but the principles still apply)

With MFN they will have to export in dollars. That means they have to also offer payment terms' interest in dollar equivalents - which means about 0.5-<1% / month
Dollar exports means dollar prices, which means lower profits for them. Most goods sales have higher margins in the domestic market than the export markets (by and large)
With domestic buyers they charge higher interest when offering payment terms eg upto 2% / month in some cases.
A significant fraction of sales in border towns are bought for onward smuggling into pakistan, so they perceive they are not loosing sales by exporting directly anyway
A lot of Dubai / Muscat sales are for onward distribution to pakistan and East Africa also

Hence there is no pressure from their side. The reality is they really don't care if pakistan grants MFN or not, and they are the most interested parties.

Hope that helps.

Agnimitra · Post by **Agnimitra** » 15 Mar 2014 03:36

partha wrote:

This is what is track 2 all about for Pakis. Gathering info about what Delhi elites think. As noted before, track 2 team from Pakistan is mostly ISI connected and from India mostly useful idiots.

Correct. I was tweeting about this sarcastically in response to Kunwar Khuldune's article "Little difference between liberal Muslim and fundamentalist", when another Paki unwittingly jumped in with this tweet after favourite-ing a couple of my tweets:

Nandu · Post by **Nandu** » 15 Mar 2014 03:52

Agnimitra, you might be misreading omar ali. He hasn't expressed much Pakiness, generally.