Sunni Terrorist Fragments of Unstable Pakistan - 21 Apr 2014

[kenop]

I am reminded of a conversation with a journalist who interviewed Mushy some years ago. IIRC Mushy told him that from the time of Zia, ISI is practically working under the control of CIA ("It was brought under their control under a deal" or something similar). Details escape me now (what position Mushy held at that time etc. Maybe he had left the position of CEO-e-pakistan).

[shiv]

I am reminded of a conversation with a journalist who interviewed Mushy some years ago. IIRC Mushy told him that from the time of Zia, ISI is practically working under the control of CIA ("It was brought under their control under a deal" or something similar). Details escape me now (what position Mushy held at that time etc. Maybe he had left the position of CEO-e-pakistan).

Coming from Mushy one can expect that this is snake oil. Pakistanis have always blamed the US and made the US feel guilty. "We would have not been like this if it hadn;t been for you". The US has fely very proud of its own power and continued to support the poor Pakis.

Ultimately it might turn out that the Pakis have been a lot smarter than the US. It is necessary to make the US smart - insurmountable as that task may appear.

[Virendra]

Two questions for the pakilurks:
1. Define terrorists - good and bad, and do "freedom fighters" qualify as one?
2. In the same vein, can India ask your government to do the same (i.e., extradite or eliminate) with those turds such as Saeed, azhar and dawood that are hiding in Pakistan?

Imagine the kind of leverage we would have, if there was plenty of our influence in Afghanistan.
Afghan Govt. could be made to ask Pakistan dismantle the "good" terrorists to its side (including the likes of Saeed and Dawood).
I know Pukis wouldn't comply. Then neither would Afghan Govt. on Paki defined terrorists .. would be "all is well and business as usual" . .except some serious Paki heartburn

[Virendra]

Ultimately it might turn out that the Pakis have been a lot smarter than the US. It is necessary to make the US smart - insurmountable as that task may appear.

You can't argue with someone who've convinced themselves of being the best & smartest turd around. Then don't need no advice ...

[SSridhar]

This article in longwarjournal goes to the heart of the issue. Pakistani army is fighting against the "bad" taliban while leaving the "good" taliban intact for ops against India and Afghanistan. I also believe that this op was triggered because the "bad" taliban actually started challenging the "good" taliban for space and fundraising and also were used by afghan intelligence to threaten the "good" taliban. The military op is not due to any change of heart or policy by the TFTAs. The op is for strengthening the "right" kind of terrorists rather than eliminating all kinds of terrorists. All in all it is a support op for strengthening anti India and anti Afghanistan terrorist.

Absolutely. That's why the attempt to blame 'Kayani' for his indecisiveness in NWA operations is pure taqiyyah. Lying in the good cause of Islam.

I would say that the US is complicit in the whole affair. Let us recall some history. It was on March 27, 2009 that the Obama administration announced its much awaited review of the Afghan policy. The policy recognized a division between Taliban, good and bad. The US announced its willingness to talk to the 'good' Taliban in Afghanistan. The talks have been going on secretively.

Since January 2013, there have been internecine massacres among the Taliban. Though there were occasional clashes of a similar nature before too, they were over clannish divisions, loyalty etc and were not sustained. The clashes since c. 2013 have been heavy. My interpretation in early 2013 was that the 'bad Taliban' were eliminating 'good Taliban' even though they had been part of the same organization and owed same allegiance (bayat) to Mullah Omar, the Caliph. The 'bad' Taliban's strategy was to bring a homogeneity to their ranks. Earlier, in a sustained campaign of a few years, they eliminated inconvenient jirga leaders of these areas so that they could easily influence the tribes and clans. Thus, they had learnt from history of 1990-1994 when there was a brutal war of attrition among the Mujahideen themselves to capture Kabul. I thought the 'bad Taliban' were pre-empting such an eventuality after c. 2014 or whenever.

This is what I wrote in a post in Oct 2012: The other reason could be that the PA wants to be in a position to exert their complete influence on the Quetta & Haqqani shuras as the Afghan situation slowly rises to a denouement. The influence of the 'bad' Taliban over these shuras, OTOH, could rob it of unfettered influence over Mullah Omar and the Haqqanis. The 'bad' Taliban, who are as much a part of AQAM as the 'good' Taliban, know that the way to establishing the fourth Caliphate is through Islamabad and its nuclear arsenal. They want to keep the PA leadership under pressure, secure in their thought that a large number of the PA foot-soldiers are sympathetic to their cause and could be expected to show their true green colour when time comes. They need to keep attacking the PA to gain respectability among the foot-soldier section of the PA and keep their interests alive. The tussle then is between the PA and the 'bad' Taliban to gain an upper hand over the rival.

[Johann]

SS,

More specifically I'd say conflict between the PA and TTP has steadily escalated since first Baitullah (May 2013), and then certaintly since Hakimullah (Nov 2013) was killed and the balance of power within the TTP shifted towards anti-PA factions. The TTP's language against the Pakistani state has gotten steadily more aggressive. For example in the peace talks the TTP was making demands not just in N.Waziristan/FATA/KPK, but across Pakistan as a whole, and making rather dire threats if it didn't get its way. The PA can't live with those kinds of challenges. Or with embarrassing attacks like the Karachi airport which make it look weak. This offensive has been a PR bonanza, and especially in the Punjab there's been a renewal of the lovefest between the public and the army as its saviour. In the meanwhile the TTP leadership has to focus on legging it and set itself up elsewhere. But once again, the PA will now have to expand its permanent garrison in N. Waziristan (just as it did in South Waziristan) to be in a position to ensure that its the good Taliban that has the upper hand. Meanwhile, with all of the massive internal displacement from operations like these places like Multan now have an increasingly large percentage of their population from Waziristan. And of course Karachi.

[SSridhar]

And that is why, the surfacing of LeT/JuD and JeM in refugee camps in FATA for the NWA refugees has to be seen in a different context than what CS Monitor seems to believe.

[svinayak]

I am reminded of a conversation with a journalist who interviewed Mushy some years ago. IIRC Mushy told him that from the time of Zia, ISI is practically working under the control of CIA ("It was brought under their control under a deal" or something similar). Details escape me now (what position Mushy held at that time etc. Maybe he had left the position of CEO-e-pakistan).

Coming from Mushy one can expect that this is snake oil. Pakistanis have always blamed the US and made the US feel guilty. "We would have not been like this if it hadn;t been for you". The US has fely very proud of its own power and continued to support the poor Pakis.

Ultimately it might turn out that the Pakis have been a lot smarter than the US. It is necessary to make the US smart - insurmountable as that task may appear.

There is a truth to this

The image transformation of TSP from 1977 has been helped by Uncles tools and tech

[schinnas]

And that is why, the surfacing of LeT/JuD and JeM in refugee camps in FATA for the NWA refugees has to be seen in a different context than what CS Monitor seems to believe.

LeT and JeM's active presence in these refugee camps is an obvious attempt to hire the disgruntled and angry Pashtuns to fight for "good" (for PA that is) Tabliban or join in jihad against yindoos, lest they go join the bad Taliban. I would think it was premeditated by PA before they started the operation.

[Johann]

The JuD shows up at every disaster in Pakistan, whether human or man made. Its been their thing ever since the 2005 earthquake.

The JuD is ideal in a lot of ways because it persuades people not to vote, but recognises the state without trying to topple it.

Not incidentally....Mullah Radio who runs the TTP now, and has pursued a confrontational stance with the state is also Ahle Hadith. The TNSM is as far as I know the only non-Deobandi group within the TTP.

The LeT and TNSM are the two strands of salafi jihadi activity you see everywhere - the first loyal to the sensitivities of the Saudi establishment, and the second virulently opposed to every national establishment.

[Rony]

Quality of education in Pakistan is pathetic: World bank

only 41 percent of grade 3 students were able to read a sentence in Urdu.

More than 50 percent of the fifth-grade students and a full 25 percent of eighth-grade students were unable to read a short story

only 37 percent of grade 5 students in rural Pakistan could divide a three-digit by a single-digit number. By grade 8, only 72 percent could perform simple division.

As for reading, many students are three to four grades behind in grade-appropriate competencies

while 82 percent of the teachers could explain long division correctly, only 33 percent of the students could do so.

while 64 percent of the teachers could explain the meanings of difficult words, only 11 percent of the children could do so. In a significant proportion of cases, teachers themselves are not competent to teach the curriculum.For example, only 36 percent of the teachers were able to explain two-digit addition.

[member_20385]

Pakis are trying to rake up sikh/ khalistan issue. Recently efforts in this direction have gone up.

Has any one analyzed reports of Granth Sahib burning in pakistan? I am not clear who are the purported culprits? Hindus or muslims?

Lucman is voice of ISI and Pak army. So no surprises. I was wondering who the hell this Indra character is?
http://www.zemtv.com/2014/06/26/kharra- ... june-2014/

PS: Only first ten minutes of video are relevant. Rest is the usual pak media crap.

[SSridhar]

Sharif Versus Shareif

When Nawaz Sharif was first elected to power in 1991, one expected that unlike Benazir Bhutto, he would have a cosy relationship with the army establishment.

He had, after all, been brought into politics and patronised by Gen Zia ul Haq. He was voted to power as part of an Islamist alliance put together and funded by Gen Aslam Beg and ISI chief Lt-Gen Asad Durrani.

But, after having an uneasy relationship with his first army chief Gen Asif Nawaz, Sharif was unceremoniously thrown out of office by the succeeding army chief, Abdul Waheed Kakkar.

The same drama was enacted during his second term. Sharif forced Gen Jehangir Karamat to quit for suggesting the constitution of a national security council. He was then incarcerated by Gen Musharraf following differences over who should take responsibility for the Kargil fiasco.

Barely a year into office in his third term, Nawaz Sharif now has an uneasy if not hostile relationship with his personal choice for army chief, Gen Raheel Sharif.

The attack on the Indian consulate in Herat was executed on the eve of Sharif’s arrival in New Delhi for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s swearing in. It drew international attention as having been executed by the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), with the backing of the ISI.

It is no secret that for two generations the LeT’s Hafeez Mohammed Saeed has been patronised by the Sharif family. The attack was a message to the world, to India and to Sharif himself that even Saeed would side with the army despite his continuing to receive funds from Shahbaz Sharif, the prime minister’s brother. India should realise that the sponsorship of terrorism on its territory and in Afghanistan is managed by Raheel Sharif and not Nawaz Sharif.

Battles with the military

Sharif’s differences with the military have arisen quicker than in his previous two terms. Within a year of his assuming office, differences escalated over the house arrest and trial of Gen Pervez Musharraf, on several charges including his suspension of the constitution.

When the Sind High Court cleared the way for Musharraf to leave the country, Sharif responded by appealing to the Supreme Court. Musharraf’s conviction would not only reduce the stature of the army nationally and internationally, but also serve as a deterrent to future coups — something the army will not tolerate.

To add insult to injury, Nawaz Sharif was backing the influential print and visual media giant of Pakistan, the Jang group, in its tirade against army excesses in Baluchistan and its campaign alleging that the ISI had orchestrated the attempt to kill its star TV anchor Hamid Mir. The army responded with a programme of intimidation of the media.

Another cause of friction between Nawaz Sharif and the army has been on measures to deal with the Tehriq-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), once a major “asset” of the ISI. With political and parliamentary backing, Sharif decided to commence dialogue with the TTP and a ceasefire was put in place. The army was unhappy as it sought to wreak revenge for the TTP’s cardinal sin of killing a major-general.

Dealing with assets

While negotiations between the TTP and government interlocutors were under way, the army engineered an escalation of tensions with the TTP, compelling Sharif to end the negotiations. Even before Sharif could make a formal announcement, the army launched a massive assault in North Waziristan.

It is evident that the targets of military wrath are exclusively the TTP and their Uzbek and Uighur allies. Predictably, the Haqqani network has been spared because it is an ally of the Pakistani military to destabilise and overthrow the government in Kabul.

Around 500,000 Pashtuns have fled to neighbouring tribal areas in the wake of the military offensive. To add insult to injury, these Pashtuns have been denied entry into the Punjab and Sind provinces where they could find refuge and employment. More than 70,000 Pashtuns have also fled to Khost and Paktia in Afghanistan.

Sharif sent Pashtun leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai to meet President Hamid Karzai and discuss the border situation. Karzai has reportedly insisted that he would cooperate with Pakistan only if it targets all terrorists without discrimination, eliminates terrorist hideouts, ends shelling of Afghan territory and joins him in coordinating anti-terrorism efforts with “important regional nations like India and China”.

Loss of control

It is evident that Nawaz Sharif has little control over what Raheel Sharif is doing on Pakistan’s borders with Afghanistan and India. The impact of the army’s onslaught in North Waziristan has been described vividly by Rustam Shah Mohmand, who was earlier Pakistan’s ambassador to Kabul and interior secretary. He noted that instead of attacking positions held by the TTP, the army “ordered all towns — densely populated settlements — to be vacated, forcing hundreds of thousands of civilians to move out, not knowing where they would be headed.

The order was preceded by relentless air bombardment and non-stop curfew in towns and villages. The civilians who perished in the bombardment by fighter jets had to buried after funeral prayers”.

Mohmand’s comments are only a small part of the misery and suffering of hundreds of thousands of hapless Pashtun tribesmen, women and small children, fleeing to safe havens across the tribal areas.

Nawaz Sharif’s leadership is also being challenged, at the instigation of the army, by rivals like Imran Khan, Shujaat Hussain, Pervaiz Elahi and the cleric Tahirul Qadri.

The hapless Sharif appears like a ‘lame duck’ unable to check or influence the army’s links with terrorist groups operating against India and Afghanistan.

Karzai has clearly spelt out what he expects Pakistan should do on terrorism and dialogue with Afghanistan. India should do likewise, and propose hosting a trilateral breakfast meeting of the leaders of India, Afghanistan and Pakistan at the next SAARC Summit.

To get Raheel Sharif involved, India could propose subsequent meetings among army chiefs of the three SAARC countries to discuss and finalise measures to end cross-border terrorism.

(The writer is a former High Commissioner to Pakistan)

[anupmisra]

That south Asian thingy again. Most Pakistanis fear extremism, dislike Taliban: survey. Just like "most Pakistanis are not terrorists".

In Pakistan 66 per cent people see religious extremism as a serious threat to their country <what about the other 34%?>

The survey, by the Pew Research Centre, Washington, shows that bouts of violence, suicide bombings and fears of civil war in South Asia, the Middle East and Africa have increased concerns about religious extremism in countries with substantial Muslim populations

there are still 24pc people in Pakistan who do not see extremism as a serious threat

Almost 60pc of the population in Pakistan sees the Taliban unfavourably. Only 8pc have a favourable view of this extremist organisation < That makes 16Million pakis>

But, here's the cop out:

Given the violent nature of this group, which practices targeted killings for assassinating its opponents, a third of Pakistanis are reluctant to offer an opinion.

Jai Ho!

Opinions towards specific branches of the Taliban, such as Tehreek-i-Taliban and the Afghan Taliban, are also negative. In a spring 2013 survey, both those groups received low ratings in Pakistan — 56pc unfavourable and 47pc unfavourable, respectively.

[Anujan]

^^^

From our NSN desk

89% of Pakistanis support death penalty for blasphemy, the rest 11% were living in tribal areas under curfew and IDP camps and could not be reached. 95% of Pakistanis opposed lower limit of age for girls to marry and 92% approved of husbands beating their wives for disobeying them. Further, 90% supported honor killings if women disrespected their families. 98% agreed with the statement "Ahmedis should be barred from calling themselves muslim and should be barred from constitutional positions" and 97% supported demolishing their places of worship if they advertised themselves as mosques. 99% supported youtube ban for hosting the Prophet Mohammad video and 97% supported a ban on foreign newspapers which carried the Prophet Mohammad Cartoon. 95% agree on the ban of books like Satanic verses. However, Pakistanis were unanimous in opposing religious extremism with 66% of Pakistanis see religious extremism as a threat and 90% were for a liberal minority respecting society with less than 10% ready to vote for religious parties. The survey indicates that Pakistani society is largely secular, liberal with great respect for minorities and ready to give up religious extremism.

100% of Pakistanis agreed that minority rights should be strengthened in European countries and called for more cross cultural understanding, people to people contact and relaxation of visa regimes.

[abhishek_sharma]

Fading of the strongman

Altaf Hussain is no longer the figure he was. Yet, the MQM draws support because its alternative is the Taliban.

[Prem]

Allah Planes Dey, Pilot Dey, Tel Dey Owrr Paisa Dey

LOWHORE: Four foreign airlines have refused to give aircraft to the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on ‘wet lease’ because of security reasons. The airlines of Eastern Europe and Central Asia had shown interest in providing four aircraft to the PIA when it floated a tender in early June. But after the attack on Karachi airport and firing at a PIA plane in Peshawar, they have withdrawn the offer. A source in the PIA told Dawn that the foreign airlines had offered to provide 180-seater A320 and 737 aircraft to PIA, but now they expressed their inability to do so citing security issues. He said the national flag-carrier was also facing problems in acquiring planes on dry lease. Four foreign airlines suspended their flights to and from Peshawar and one to and from Karachi after the attacks. PIA’s flight operation was hampered a month ago after the return of four aircraft it had acquired on wet lease in December last year from Turkish and Czech Republic airlines. After the expiry of the lease agreement with these airlines, PIA has reduced the number of its foreign and domestic flights to 26. With total 25 planes in its fleet, PIA has reduced seven flights on Dubai route, one each on Manchester, Barcelona, New Delhi, Kuala Lumpur, Dhaka, Abu-Dhabi and Kuwait and remaining on domestic routes.

[Anujan]

Athar Abbas has given another interview where he matter of factly talks about good terrorists vs bad.

http://www.dawn.com/news/1116558/kayani ... thar-abbas

[Anujan]

http://thediplomat.com/2014/04/the-siachen-saga/

The following is an extract from a new book by long-term Diplomat contributor Nitin A. Gokhale, Beyond NJ 9842: The Siachen Saga. The book details the history of Operation Meghdoot and the fighting between India and Pakistan on the Siachen Glacier. The extract is printed here with the kind permission of the author.

The reality is Pakistani troops are nowhere near the Siachen glacier. They are deployed on the western slopes of the Saltoro ridge, far from the glacier and at much lower altitudes.

Indian positions, on the other hand, are on absolutely dominating heights on the main passes of the Saltoro ridge, Sia La and Bilafond La. As far as the Indian Army is concerned it sees no need to withdraw from the commanding heights it controls given Pakistan’s perfidy in the past, especially in Kargil when it tried to cut-off Siachen in the summer of 1999.

Gen Parnaik was emphatic. “See, the offer that was made by the Pakistan Army Chief, probably in the wake of the tragedy that took place in Gayari. If they find it difficult (to remain there) they are most welcome to withdraw to safe places. And let me assure you, the Indian Army has no evil designs to set across for those areas and capture those territories. This aspect is also well known to our leaders. So that is where it rests.”

In one short, swift answer, Gen Parnaik demolished the case that was sought to be built by Gen Kayani that both India and Pakistan need to withdraw from Siachen. And he was simply reiterating what successive Army chiefs and Northern Army commanders have stated.

Read the entire article.

[Anujan]

Troops checking mines in Miranshah. They look so....SDRE?

[Dilbu]

Jou don't get it. SDREs will be used for cannon fodder jobs. TFTA will demolish mud huts from F16s.

[jamwal]

Wearing second hand donated clothes will do that to you.

[ArmenT]

Pir beats woman to death while ‘saving her from demons’

Ashraf said the pir told Shahbaz that Zeenat Bibi was being tormented by demons and that he would have to exorcise her to “save her soul”.
He said Pir Afzal proceeded to tie up Zeenat Bibi with ropes and beat her with a stick. He said Shahbaz was present in the same room. “When Zeenat Bibi started screaming in pain, Shahbaz tried to stop him but the pir told him that the blows were not hurting her.”
Zeenat Bibi fainted from the severity of blows soon after and all efforts to revive her were unsuccessful. He said after some time Pir Afzal told Shahbaz to take her to a hospital for treatment.
Shahbaz took her to the hospital where she succumbed to her injuries, Ashraf said.

[shiv]

Troops checking mines in Miranshah. They look so....SDRE?

The state of nutrition in Pakistan, and by extension the Paki army is visible in the image. The Officer(??) at back is slightly better fed. Fits in with earlier news about Paki children now being shorter and more likely to be underweight than they used to be. Allah has surely chosen Pakistan to be special

[sudhan]

Troops checking mines in Miranshah. They look so....SDRE?

Haram!

Shouldn't the TFTAs be using their ADE-651s? (As seen with the Karachi airport security staff)

[Peregrine]

MODS : Whilst appreciating that this may not be the most appropriate thread, I am posting it hear as it is the "most" viewed Thread. Please move this to thae Appropriate Thread - if necessary.

Saudi MERS: Philippines urges its Muslims to abort Hajj

MANILA : The Philippines urged its large Muslim minority on Thursday to reconsider plans to join pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia this year due to a deadly virus outbreak there.

About 6,500 Filipinos who are set to join the annual Hajj pilgrimage in October are being urged to go next year instead, when the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is expected to be under control, health department spokesman Lyndon Lee Suy said.

"We know it´s a religious custom, but it is also our duty to provide health advisories," Lee Suy told.

"It´s an appeal for them to delay the trip if possible due to the MERS virus.... If possible, they should go next year."

Millions of pilgrims visit holy sites in western Saudi Arabia, the country worst hit by the disease, for the annual Hajj, the major Muslim pilgrimage that this year will take place in October, and for the Umrah, which is performed throughout the year.

The World Health Organization said last month that the surge in MERS cases has receded, but countries must maintain vigilance for the Muslim pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia.

MERS has killed at least 284 people in Saudi Arabia since it first emerged in April 2012, and hundreds more have been infected, with 22 countries having reported cases.

At least two of the dead in Saudi Arabia are Filipinos, according to the Philippine foreign department.

While Filipino Muslims customarily seek to undertake the Hajj at least once in their lifetimes, Lee Suy said a number of them make it a point to make the pilgrimage every year.

The government consulted Muslim government agencies as well as community leaders before issuing the advisory, Lee Suy said.

I hope the Indian Government advises ALL INDIANS to stay away from Saudi Arablia - at least this year.
Cheers

[SSridhar]

Peregrine ji, a few cases of MERS have already been reported in southern India.

[Peregrine]

Peregrine ji, a few cases of MERS have already been reported in southern India.

SSridhar Ji :

Is there a hue and cry about it or is the Government "as usual" following Mizaru, Kikazaru, and Iwazaru?

Cheers

[SSridhar]

AFAIK, none.

[K Mehta]

Thanks shivji for the kind words.
In the carlotta gall video, the host keeps asking her that why all these things like osama desk haven't come to light before. He almost hints that all this is made up.
What is funny is that no one came out with evidence on osama being in pakistan, yet he was found there.

Do note what happens to a guy from inside pak help find OBL (Dr. Afridi), or a guy from outside who tries to find out things in pak the ISI doesnt want to be found (Raymond davis). And nobody from inside ISI is gonna blow the whistle as they have too much to loose. The surveillance of people by ISI in pak, whether the person is from pak or outside, is quite well known, with "bhai"s following you wherever you go.

SSridhar/Shivji once told I think that the current lot at the top of CIA are from the cold war era when they were very close to pak, and therefore are not very keen on doing anything that may be thought as negative against them.

I find it weird as to how reidel talked about davis. Any sane operative would have done almost the same thing especially if they were working on some high profile case ala OBL, and their capture would have compromised the mission badly. The way he was captured in pak and then in US smells fishy. But it does tell us that there are elements in the CIA who dont care about antagonizing the ISI and dont give a rat's ass about the surveillance. These guys when they become higher ups may follow different strategy of engagement with pak, but that is just a distant possibility.

The real reason why us (cia) can go on supporting pak is because this issue doesnt generate enough political heat. If this generates enough political heat, the support will reduce and can even stop. The political heat is managed by lobby groups supported by ISI like fai.

[K Mehta]

G parthasarthy is brilliant as always.

The zamzam e herbs operation seems to be well timed to create potential recruitment pool for a future strategic depth initiative. The IDPs can be recruited by coercion, brainwashing or brutal force to destabilize the next afghan government. The presence of JuD and misc "aid agencies" seems to point to that as well. This will give them ample time to organize by the time the US forces leave.

[Peregrine]

Cheers

[Shreeman]

Cheers

Qatar is being pressured to return. Supposed to restart on 3-7.

[chetak]

Allah Planes Dey, Pilot Dey, Tel Dey Owrr Paisa Dey

LOWHORE: Four foreign airlines have refused to give aircraft to the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on ‘wet lease’ because of security reasons. The airlines of Eastern Europe and Central Asia had shown interest in providing four aircraft to the PIA when it floated a tender in early June. But after the attack on Karachi airport and firing at a PIA plane in Peshawar, they have withdrawn the offer. A source in the PIA told Dawn that the foreign airlines had offered to provide 180-seater A320 and 737 aircraft to PIA, but now they expressed their inability to do so citing security issues. He said the national flag-carrier was also facing problems in acquiring planes on dry lease. Four foreign airlines suspended their flights to and from Peshawar and one to and from Karachi after the attacks. PIA’s flight operation was hampered a month ago after the return of four aircraft it had acquired on wet lease in December last year from Turkish and Czech Republic airlines. After the expiry of the lease agreement with these airlines, PIA has reduced the number of its foreign and domestic flights to 26. With total 25 planes in its fleet, PIA has reduced seven flights on Dubai route, one each on Manchester, Barcelona, New Delhi, Kuala Lumpur, Dhaka, Abu-Dhabi and Kuwait and remaining on domestic routes.

I think that during aunty Hina Rabbani's days, a request was made by the pakis to lease number of Indian Railways locomotives for use in the paki rail network.

The request was vehemently opposed and ultimately shot down by the IR, which said that neither the "lease" amount nor the "leased" locomotives would be recoverable from the pukis

Railways not too keen on giving locos to Pakistan

May 3, 2012,
NEW DELHI: The railways is reluctant to accede to Pakistan's request for sale or lease of 100 diesel locos due to its own shortage of engines.

A Railway Board official gave voice to the reluctance when he said, "Why should India give an impetus to the Pakistani economy?"

Indian Railways is hamstrung by an acute shortage of its own loco fleet. The state-run transporter has 4,214 electric and 6,000 diesel engines in its inventory. Around 500 engines are produced annually by its two public sector manufacturing units but the public transporter is still unable to meet its domestic demand, pegged around 700 locos every year.

Islamabad was forced to look eastwards to source locos after the ones provided by its all-weather friend China turned out to be duds, failing to deliver the goods and being incompatible with Pakistani broad gauge tracks. Chinese railways operate on standard gauge. The Pakistanis also blamed lack of support from Chinese suppliers for their woes.

Railway authorities, though not too keen on the deal, realize that the decision may not be theirs after all and will be taken at a higher political level, given the diplomatic ramifications.

Pakistan Railways, once a lifeline of the country, has run into bad times. According to sources, only 76 of the 520 locos in the Pakistan Railways were operational in March 2012. The crippling shortage of locos has forced Pakistan Railways to suspend scores of passenger trains besides scaling down freight operations.

In case the deal goes through, the railways is exploring options like lease or sale of new engines (WDM3 type) to be produced next year, or the rehabilitated (existing WDM2 type) ones. Authorities are also looking at the possibility of supplying locos from the old working fleet.

The public transporter will also insist on Pakistani commitments on a simplified visa process and diplomatic immunity for Indian technical staff who need to be deputed across the border for maintenance works. Besides, Pakistan will also need to facilitate smooth flow of supply of spare parts from India.

[Anujan]

A few points.

Little birdie tells me Nawaz is using his personal connections with ME ruling families to get them to restart planes. In return they want their pound of flesh. Like licenses for media and other businesses.

Also about the Indian railway thing. Unkil tried to broker a marriage. Partly to improve transportation inside Pakistan and partly to have a rail network to cart stuff out of Afghanistan when the time came. IR concluded that hundreds of Indian engineers would need to work in paki depots to train them and maintain the locos because Pakistan can't fix anything except matches. This is one of the biggest hurdles.

Lastly about Bruce Riedel. He is one of the CIA oldies who wants to go back to the era of intelligence collection and spycraft and not the TFTA special forces CIA has become. In fact they are moving in that direction and scaling back a lot. That's where his disapproval with Rambo Davis comes from.

[SSridhar]

IR concluded that hundreds of Indian engineers would need to work in paki depots to train them and maintain the locos because Pakistan can't fix anything except matches.

[Anujan]

Today 15 years ago, Nawaz Sharif made the trip to Washington to save his musharraf and agree to withdraw from Kargil. An article from 2002

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/arti ... 341644.cms

[Anujan]

Expanded version of the article posted earlier
Footprints: Extremist bodies run IDP relief efforts
http://www.dawn.com/news/1116927/footpr ... ef-efforts

“The Pakistan Army is really cooperative towards us,” says Mohammad Sarfaraz, the chief organiser of the JuD camp. “We were the first ones to set up a greeting camp to receive the IDPs even though that area was in the red zone. This is the time to win the hearts and minds of these refugees, whom the government is failing. And the North Waziristan people are grateful to us. Many of them have promised to work for us — and that too for life,” he proudly adds.

Behind him, a poster bears a picture of the Eiffel Tower with “Eurabia” written across it in English, below which there is an appeal to contribute to jihad in Syria.

I head out to a nearby school that has been turned into an IDP camp with the help of a humanitarian organisation. As I share my experience with the man there, he tells me that the organisation he heads is not being allowed to set up relief camps. “The local authorities are asking us to apply for no-objection certificates while allowing religious and extremist organisations to operate freely,” says Nizam Dawar, who hails from North Waziristan and heads the Tribal Development Network which operated in the tribal belt. “These extremists are penetrating the vulnerable IDP population to brainwash and recruit them for their purposes,” he adds. “Also, these militant organisations may be giving safe passage to the fleeing terrorists who have links with them. Why is the government silent about them?”

[anupmisra]

Taller Than the Tallest Mountain, Deeper Than the Deepest....you know the rest. Well, here's rest of the story...Pakis love affair with the Chinese is a one-way street.

Breaking up with China?

According to a Pew Research Center survey done just last year, the only country that loves China more than China itself, is Pakistan.

China does not have a stellar record of respecting the rights of minority religions.

At the same time, there is China’s long record of aid and alliance with Pakistan.

China is also Pakistan’s largest supplier of military equipment

As a Muslim country, Pakistan has been eager to stand up to the injustices committed against Muslims anywhere in the world. In most cases, these denunciations, whether they are of veil bans in France or pogroms in Gujarat<Must mention Gujrat, right?>

This issue with China; its outright banning of what is a basic tenet of the Muslim faith may prove to be a trickier proposition.

Used to denouncing only the West and India, Pakistanis ignore the racism and human rights abuses perpetrated by those they consider to be their 'friends'.

At the same time, China’s actions against its Muslims are not that different from Pakistan’s indifference toward its own religious minorities.

Hard as it may be on the poor Muslims of Xinjiang, this ban on fasting may not bring a break-up between Pakistan and China, becoming instead the wilful compromise on which marriages of convenience are built.

What to do, eh? Why bite the hand that feeds, clothes and props you. Truly a dil-e-amma.

[anupmisra]

Another Dhamaka!. Looks like a shia on sunni attack.

Blast in Karachi's Saddar area; two killed

The blast took place near Makki Masjid

The motorcycle used in the attack was taken into the custody by police personnel.