Sunni Terrorist Fragments of Unstable Pakistan-Jan 24, 2016

Dipanker · Post by **Dipanker** » 27 Jan 2016 00:22

^^ Somewhat premature and in all likelihood a wrong conclusion.

Remember "Past Performance (or present ) is Not Necessarily Indicative of Future Results".

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 27 Jan 2016 00:59

ramana wrote:So the corrupt TSP establishment is trying to reform.
Watch for the fireworks.Bad Sharif retiring on time is bad news for Army hold.

Watch the Baaad Sharif coming back as civilian politician within a year after retirement. He is disciple of Mohajir Jernail Woof Woof Wusharaff. Kiyani forced Wusharraf's resignation as military chief and not doing Wusharraf's bidding have been put in place.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 27 Jan 2016 01:00

Sahibzada Yaqub Ali Khan passes away

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 27 Jan 2016 01:20

SAFMA for making Indo-Pak dialogues uninterruptible

LAHORE (Web Desk) – The leaders of major political parties, intellectuals and civil society activists called on India and Pakistan not to let terrorists make Indo-Pak dialogue a hostage to their nefarious designs and keep it going uninterruptible.

The South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) organised a seminar on “Pak-India Thaw: Out-of-Box Solutions”, which was addressed by PPP Senator Aitzaz Ahsan, former foreign minister Khurshied Mehmood Kasuri, senior journalist Ahmad Rashied, LUMS Prof Dr Mohammed Waseem, ambassador Shahid Malik, General Ghulam Mustaffa, Abdullah Malik advocate and SAFMA Secretary General Imtiaz Alam.

The participants passed following resolution: We vehemently condemn all kinds of terrorism without any exception, including blatant terrorist attack on Bacha Khan University and Pathankot Airbase;

This Aman ka Tamasha BS must stop ! equating the Pathankot attack and the Bacha Khan incident! one was sponsored by a foreign govt, the other was as a result of the civil war kind of a situation in FATA. By the way no mention of the Indian attendees? or was it an exclusive Paki thing

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 27 Jan 2016 01:23

Just one day after opening: Bacha Khan University Charsadda closed for indefinite period

PESHAWAR (Web Desk) –Terrorists-hit Bacha Khan University Charsadda on Monday closed for indefinite period just one day remain open after a terrorists attack.
A public relations officer for the varsity said the institution has been closed due to maintenance work and cold weather.
It is pertinent to mention here that the university reopened on Monday (today), four days after a terrorist attack left 21 people including students, a professor, and security guards martyred and more than 30 injured.
Strict security measures were in place at the university, with leave cancelled for police personnel posted on guard duty at the campus.
On Sunday, Vice-Chancellor of the Bacha Khan University Dr Fazal-ur-Rahim Marwat said the university would reopen for staff on Monday and that classes will resume shortly.

So, the "miscreants" (as such people are called by the Paki Govt of the day ) seem to have achieved their purpose !

Peregrine · Post by **Peregrine** » 27 Jan 2016 02:49

Dargah diplomacy: Pakistan PM's brother Shehbaz cancels visit to Nizammuddin

While the government will welcome Pakistani visitors to the urs (death anniversary) of Nizamuddin Auliya later this week, missing among the guests will be Pakistan Punjab CM and PM Nawaz Sharif's brother Shehbaz Sharif.

Shehbaz had been invited for the urs and after briefly discussing the possibility of a meeting between him and PM Narendra Modi, both sides seem to have given up on his visit.

A visit by Shehbaz could have helped provide an impetus to religious tourism, or dargah diplomacy as it has come to be known as, which both sides are seeking to facilitate after they decided to resume the composite dialogue process last month under the new name of comprehensive bilateral dialogue.

Cheers

Peregrine · Post by **Peregrine** » 27 Jan 2016 02:56

India-Pakistan foreign secretaries may meet in early February
Cheers

Peregrine · Post by **Peregrine** » 27 Jan 2016 03:25

EU warns Pakistan over migrant cooperation

BRUSSELS: The European Union complained on Tuesday about difficulties in deporting migrants to Pakistan, warning it could take steps against Islamabad if it fails to comply with a deal on repatriations.

Cheers

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 27 Jan 2016 05:53

arun wrote:
Falijee wrote:Pakistan Can And Must Dismantle All Terror Networks - Barack Obama

Twitter Link

The Whitehouse website as at the time of my posting shows no record of the US President Obama making this comment, at least none that I could find.

That was the question I too asked. Where is the supposed interview that he gave to PTI where he made these supposed observations? That interview in full has not been published so far in any newspaper. Only select quotes are floating around. Very suspicious.

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 27 Jan 2016 06:33

All In The (Kayani) Family.One Brother Scammed A Housing Society. Other Brother Milked /Blackmailed U.S.A

How did General Kayani’s brother manage to scam DHA?

In late 2012, a man familiar with the domestic property market had asked me if anyone would do an expose on “the DHA scam”. Curious about what he was referring to, I asked for more details. He said General (retd) Ashfaq Parvez Kayani’s brother Kamran Kayani – also a retired officer – was scamming DHA Lahore out of money through an unfulfilled contract. Instead of putting a stop to it, DHA had given him a fresh deal in Islamabad.

Sifarish recommendation came from the highest level of Paki Govt

Still confused, I asked for more information. He essentially described the residential ‘non-development’ DHA valley, which is among the subjects of the current National Accountability Bureau (NAB) investigation into Kayani’s brother...

There were past unconfirmed reports that the ex Army Chief, had completed all the formalities but was not allowed to fly out and settle in Ausieland!

The conversation reminded me of former Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry’s son Arsalan Iftikhar, who, justly or unjustly, saw a staggering increase in his wealth and standard of living during the same era – all under his father’s nose.

But this "lazy eyed" CJ of Pakiland is not the only one to use/abuse his power to line his own pocket .

The man suggested that Kamran Kayani should not have been allowed to negotiate the second deal if the first had gone sour, but the fact that he had a powerful brother may have played a factor in the decision.

Fast-forward over three years and the investigation into the allegedly dirty dealings of the less known younger brother have finally gotten somewhere. In the time that has passed, he is said to have relocated himself to Australia — outside of the law’s reach.

Even now, it is being reported that the investigation wouldn’t have gotten the green light without a nod from current Army Chief Raheel Sharif. The current chief’s tenure has also seen the military prosecute and convict retired generals for financial crimes. (If the Paki Govt, under Mush, can go after BB and AZ and request Swiss Govt for help, why cant they do the same with the Australian authorities )
But the bigger question is, if the current army chief’s permission was needed, had the previous one denied it?
That could be one reason why the investigation was delayed at NAB, which itself has seen changes in leadership over the same period.

Contract obtained thru Sifarish; investigation stopped thru Sifarish; plain and simple

So it comes down to this – Pakistan has a poor record of properly investigating and punishing the financial crimes of men who have ever worn a military uniform. Whatever is happening now can only yield cautious optimism.
If this case serves as a precedent, and the ‘protection’ from investigation really draws down, the country would be better for it.

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 27 Jan 2016 06:53

Pakistan Considers India As A Permanent Enemy Under The Islamic Doctrine Of Ghazwa-e-Hind : Toronto Columnist Tarek Fateh
Snakes in Pakistan’s backyard

While much of the West is pre-occupied with the war against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq and the Saudi-Iranian war of words, 2016 began with a far more dangerous development.
Nuclear powers India and Pakistan are at loggerheads again.
While revellers in New Delhi were welcoming the new year on the night of Dec. 31, 2015, four Pakistani jihadi terrorists crossed the heavily guarded India-Pakistan border and headed towards an Indian Air Force base in the city of Pathankot, not far from the Pakistan border.
There they joined other jihadis and as India slept, at least six heavily armed terrorists dressed in Indian Army uniforms breached the high-security perimeter of the airbase.
In the initial battle, four of the terrorists and two Indian security personnel were killed.
The clearance operation continued for 80 hours until the last of the jihadis was dead.

Indian intelligence identified them as belonging to the Pakistan-backed jihadi terrorist organisation “Jaish-e-Muhammad” (JeM) (Army of Muhammad).

While Indian hawks in Delhi called for retaliation, Modi kept his cool, producing evidence that linked the terrorists to the JeM jihadis and let Islamabad sort out who was running the country — Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif or General Raheel Sharif, the head of Pakistan’s powerful military.

On Jan. 20, another group of Pakistani jihadi terrorists attacked Pakistan's Bacha Khan University, killing 21 students and professors.The words of former U.S. secretary of state Hillary Clinton warning Pakistan to mend its ways sounded almost prophetic.

The raison d’etre of Pakistan is based on a fundamental doctrine that it is the successor state to the long lost Muslim Mogul empire that ruled over India from Delhi for 300 years, before being wiped out by the British in India’s first war of independence in 1857.

many in Pakistan’s military, its mullahs and its liberal intelligentsia see the Indian state as a permanent enemy that needs to be erased in a war known as the “Ghazwa-e-Hind” (War on India) as foretold and prophesized in a Hadith of Prophet Muhammad.

The dream of raising the Paki flag on the Lal Qila of Old Delhi

Both the West and India do not realize Pakistan is a threat to peace in the Indian subcontinent, as well as the region encompassed by Afghanistan, China and Iran.

Don't forget, Islamabad is a nuclear power with 200 nukes on long-range missiles pointed both east and west, and is the only country to have “pocket nukes” or tactical battlefield nuclear weapons, that it is prepared to use on its own territory.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 27 Jan 2016 08:41

http://www.newindianexpress.com/sport/D ... 247105.ece

As reported by Express, Pakistan will take chartered flights directly to Guwahati for the South Asian Games next month. This was decided after the Organising Committee got clearances from the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of External Affairs, Express has learnt.

Pakistan who are sending a large contingent of around 450 (including officials) will arrive in two batches – one on February 2 and the other two days later — before the event begins on February 5. According to top officials in the SAG organising committee, India have agreed to Pakistan’s request to let them fly directly to Guwahati instead of stopovers in Delhi or Mumbai. The organising committee, through a special notification from the Ministry of Home Affairs, got the nod. Even the MEA has ratified it.

Virendra · Post by **Virendra** » 27 Jan 2016 12:59

Falijee wrote:Just one day after opening: Bacha Khan University Charsadda closed for indefinite period
PESHAWAR (Web Desk) –Terrorists-hit Bacha Khan University Charsadda on Monday closed for indefinite period just one day remain open after a terrorists attack.
A public relations officer for the varsity said the institution has been closed due to maintenance work and cold weather.
It is pertinent to mention here that the university reopened on Monday (today), four days after a terrorist attack left 21 people including students, a professor, and security guards martyred and more than 30 injured.

I really doubt the university building structure has faced so much damage that repair can't happen alongside routine operations.
Whole university locked down indefinitely? Very poor excuse.

member_29089 · Post by **member_29089** » 27 Jan 2016 14:26

Rohit_K wrote:Maybe this should go in the “Oppression of Minorities in Pakistan” thread. After the endangered houbaras, even the endangered pangolins can't live with H&D.

Pangolin shot by security guard in Karachi passes away

KARACHI: Hours after a security guard shot a pangolin five times in Karachi on Sunday, the animal succumbed to its injuries while being treated at a private veterinary clinic.

“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing away of the rescued pangolin in Karachi. He could not make it through the night due to severe internal injuries from the five bullets so ruthlessly pumped into his body,” announced animal welfare group PAWS in a statement on Monday. The male Indian Pangolin, weighed 22kg and was 3.5 to 4 feet long.

“The guard claimed the pangolin was attacking him (Paki's Lie), and so he fired three bullets into its abdomen, and two bullets into its front legs” PAWS had written on its Facebook page.
Facebook post with images

Me is 400% suar the guard was doing Pangolin-Bazi

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 27 Jan 2016 16:32

Falijee wrote:Pakistan Considers India As A Permanent Enemy Under The Islamic Doctrine Of Ghazwa-e-Hind : Toronto Columnist Tarek Fateh
Snakes in Pakistan’s backyard

many in Pakistan’s military, its mullahs and its liberal intelligentsia see the Indian state as a permanent enemy that needs to be erased in a war known as the “Ghazwa-e-Hind” (War on India) as foretold and prophesized in a Hadith of Prophet Muhammad.

The dream of raising the Paki flag on the Lal Qila of Old Delhi

a minor correction,

their “Ghazwa-e-bund” seems to be quite successful, considering how they are getting effed by their own ghazis, on such a regular basis.

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 27 Jan 2016 17:03

Virat Kohli fan in Pakistan arrested for hoisting Indian flag at his home

OKARA (News Desk) – Pakistani police has arrested a man in Okara district of Punjab for hoisting an Indian flag at the roof of his house, BBC Urdu reported on Wednesday.
Citizen identified as Umar Daraz told police officials that he was a fan of Indian cricketer Virat Kohli and that he hoisted the Indian flag for him.
But is he not allowed to hoist the flag under the auspices of the Aman-ki-Asha BS maybe, someone from that committee will plead on his behalf ?
The report quoted an unnamed policeman as saying that they were Tuesday informed by the locals about the flag hoisting, at which they raided the house of Umar Daraz and arrested him.
A case was also registered against Umar Dram under MPO-16 and Section 123-A of Pakistan Penal Code.
Afterwards police produced Umar Daraz in a local court which sent him to jail on judicial remand.
“I am a big fan of Virat Kohli. I support the Indian team because of Kohli. Hoisting of Indian flag on the rooftop of house only shows my love for the Indian cricketer,” Draz told reporters.
Draz said he had no idea that he committed a crime and urged authorities to pardon him. He said he should be seen as “an Indian cricketer’s fan and not as a spy”.
Poster size photographs of Kohli were also found pasted on the walls of his house
It is also pertinent to be mentioned here that MPO-16 allows local police officials to arrest any person who is dangerous for peaceful environment. While section 123-A which states “Condemnation of the creation of the State, and advocacy of abolition of its sovereignty,” deals with offences against state.

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 27 Jan 2016 17:08

Army-run schools in Karachi to remain closed till Jan 31
APP | Jawed Asghar — Updated about an hour ago

Seems that the Charsadda attackers have achieved their objective of installing psychological fear on the Paki elites

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 27 Jan 2016 17:12

On the question of shooting to death a pangolin in a Pakistani zoo, there is no surprise when the Supreme Court of Pakistan itself considers it important to lift the ban on hunting the endangered houbara and the State wants to allocate 'quotas' to West Asian kings & princes to kill these hapless bustards who fly into Pakistan from far away! Compare this behaviour with safe pangolin crossings built in another Asian country, Singapore. This is what more civilized countries which call themselves as nation-states do.

The Sunda pangolin’s totter is slightly absurd. With its foreclaws hanging just off the ground, it looks like a miniature T-rex as it ambles along on its hind legs.

The scaly mammal’s formidable foreclaws are built not for walking, but to rip open ant hills and termite nests.

When in danger, it may curl into a ball, relying on its armour of scales to protect its conical head and delicate underbelly.

But that armour is no protection against cars travelling at high speed.

Hunched close to the ground, the pangolin is hard for any driver to spot on the road. If it is caught in the headlights of a vehicle, the shy creature may freeze; and even when fleeing, it can only rev up to a man’s jogging pace.

An average of two a year have been found dead on major roads around the Bukit Timah and Central Catchment nature reserves from 1994 to 2014, the National Parks’ Board (NParks) said. That may not seem a lot – until one realises that the total number of wild Sunda pangolins in Singapore may be just more than 50.

Classified as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, it is said to be the most trafficked mammal in the world.

No dead pangolins, however, have been found on major roads near the reserves from April 2014 to October 2015.

NParks believes that instead of trying to cross the highways, they have found a passage of their own: Pangolins have been using the Eco-Link@BKE to travel between the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and Central Catchment Nature Reserve.

A baby Sunda pangolin holds onto its mother’s tail. These endangered animals produce only one offspring a year; twin births are rare.

Peregrine · Post by **Peregrine** » 27 Jan 2016 18:22

Fully Cross Posted on the Pakistani Economic Stress Watch Thread :

As willed by the Most Magnanimous, Most Merciful & Most Munificent!

Non-textile exports fall 22pc

Cheers

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 27 Jan 2016 19:02

SSridhar wrote:On the question of shooting to death a pangolin in a Pakistani zoo, there is no surprise when the Supreme Court of Pakistan itself considers it important to lift the ban on hunting the endangered houbara and the State wants to allocate 'quotas' to West Asian kings & princes to kill these hapless bustards who fly into Pakistan from far away! Compare this behaviour with safe pangolin crossings built in another Asian country, Singapore. This is what more civilized countries which call themselves as nation-states do.

Pakistanis are a bunch of mofos not just because Islam is cruel' but because they act anti-Hindu. Hindu dharma calls for compassion to animals and so Pakistanis need to show up front that such behaviour is stupid and not mandated by Alla or the grand poobah( peace be on us)

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 27 Jan 2016 20:46

Propoganda or reality?

Terrormonitor.org ‏@Terror_Monitor now3 hours ago
#PAKISTAN
#UPDATE
Seizes Cache Of Foreign-Made-Weapons In #Peshawar 'Bound For Terror Groups': Security Forces.

Terrormonitor.org ‏@Terror_Monitor now4 hours ago
#PAKISTAN
Security Forces Recover Huge Cache Of Weapons In #Peshawar, Inc. 1,000 M4 & M6 Rifles, Telescopes - Report

member_29325 · Post by **member_29325** » 27 Jan 2016 21:07

PA is milking the "Pakistan is the biggest victim of terrorism" goat once more, it looks like.

The Pakis allow weapons to be available to all terrorst groups, except the ones that hate the paki army, so maybe this was destined for IS or "bad taliban", or the pakis just took this photo for PR and then sent these weapons to their pet terrorist groups.

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 27 Jan 2016 21:12

Those weapons look brand new. Under which military aid they might have got them?

member_22733 · Post by **member_22733** » 27 Jan 2016 21:13

Under the loot NATO supplies for Afghanistan scheme, I believe

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 27 Jan 2016 21:25

^^^News-item:
http://dunyanews.tv/en/Pakistan/319832- ... ed-from-wa

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 27 Jan 2016 21:40

A_Gupta wrote:^^^News-item:
http://dunyanews.tv/en/Pakistan/319832- ... ed-from-wa

PESHAWAR (Dunya News) – Security forces on Wednesday recovered huge quantity of fire arms from warehouses in Peshawar, reported Dunya News.

According to the details, raids were carried out in Peshawar’s outskirts on GT Road and Kohat road area after receiving information about the foreign made weapons being sold in the area, said Inter Service Public Relation.

During joint raids of police and intelligence agencies, huge caches of weapons were recovered from ware-houses. Recovered arms were of military-grade and national armies and special troops of many countries use such weapons.

According to ISPR, the seized items included over 1,000 M4 and M6 rifles, MM rifles 39, automatic rifles, telescopes and large number of bullets. The weapon ware-houses were owned by different arm-dealers who allegedly provided weapons to banned outfits involved in several terrorist attacks.

ISPR sources stated that the arms were sent to Peshawar through different dealers and from there these were being sent to different areas of the country. Security agencies said that the arms are of latest design and have been used in the recent terrorist activities.

Looks like secret cache of US weapons obtained by whatever means byTSP were stored in warehouses and being diverted to miscreants.

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 27 Jan 2016 21:42

Ambedkar's Book - "Partition Of India"
Probably has a lot of "interesting" historical information !

partha · Post by **partha** » 28 Jan 2016 00:46

KLNMurthy wrote:
partha wrote:What explains Raheel Shariff's downhill skiing after a PR campaign in media, deciding to retire on time? Fear of pissing off junior afsars? Fear of increasing challenges for PA on terror front and hence wants to retire when there is a perception that he has been effective in reducing terror? Doesn't want to get caught in Iran-Barbaria conflict? Whatever it is, shame on Raheel Shariff for not upholding PA's glorious tradition of coup.
A lot can happen between now and November.

http://www.dawn.com/news/1235595/the-ge ... retirement

It is certainly a hard decision to go into retirement for a general who has been made into an iconic figure. But that image could not have been sustained had he decided to stay on. Surely his decision not to prolong his tenure has been widely appreciated. Yet there was no need to go public on the issue prematurely.

Nov 27, 2016, his retirement date, is still a long way. Given the unpredictability of Pakistani politics one can expect anything to happen in between. But one does hope that the general keeps his word and shows that the institution is more important than the individual.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 28 Jan 2016 01:24

Pakistan court refuses voice samples of 26/11 suspects

svenkat · Post by **svenkat** » 28 Jan 2016 14:53

Watch from 2:20.Interesting.Do not know if it was posted before.Former CIA agent Michael Scheur talking about the catholicity of paki renting services.Video from 2012.

Brad Goodman · Post by **Brad Goodman** » 28 Jan 2016 15:42

Terrorist blows himself up as railway bomb plot foiled in Jhelum

JHELUM: A terror bid on the outskirts of the city in Domeli Mor was foiled by police Thursday morning when a terrorist, during an encounter with police, blew himself up, police said.

The terrorist ─ who was allegedly targeting the Rawalpindi to Lahore Pakistan Express ─ tried to plant explosives on railway tracks near Grand Trunk Road when a citizen reported the 'suspicious individual' to Motorway Police, police said.

Deputy Superintendent Police Motorways Rauf Chishti reached the scene after the tip-off.

The terrorist lobbed a hand grenade at security personnel upon sight and then blew himself up, security sources said.

District Information Officer Awais, however, earlier said the suspect had exchanged fire with police before blowing himself up with a hand grenade.

Police recovered four hand grenades and two pistols, as well as two National Identity Cards and a vehicle from the terrorist's possession.

A heavy contingent of police, along with the District Police Officer, reached the site of the explosion and cordoned off the area. A search operation was conducted in the area and two suspicious individuals were arrested.

Brad Goodman · Post by **Brad Goodman** » 28 Jan 2016 15:46

Illegal satellite gateway exchange unearthed in Sahiwal

SAHIWAL: The FIA unearthed a satellite gateway exchange running illegally in a house for the last five years at village 95/6-R.

The agency also recovered 11 gateway satellites, hundreds of SIMs, 12 dishes, 20 receivers and about a dozen laptops worth over Rs3 million.

The FIA’s Cyber Crime Unit, Lahore, detected the illegal satellite gateway exchange in Sahiwal through its monitoring system.

A joint team of the FIA, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and police raided the house on Tuesday evening.

The joint team, led by FIA Sub-Inspector Najeebullah Niazi, found only guard Ghani in the house who was taken into custody

Brad Goodman · Post by **Brad Goodman** » 28 Jan 2016 15:51

Four ‘TTP militants’ shot dead in Karachi; army-run schools closed

KARACHI: Police claimed to have killed four suspected militants in an alleged encounter near Safoora Goth on Wednesday evening.

SSP Malir Rao Anwar told media that police conducted a raid in Safoora Goth area after receiving a tip-off about the presence of suspected militants. During the raid, the law enforcers allegedly came under attack and in an ensuing encounter four suspects were killed, he added.

Anwar claimed that the deceased men belonged to the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Three suspects were identified as Amirullah Mehsud, Khan Wali alias Khanewal and Khoni Khel.

Meanwhile, Sindh Rangers claimed to have arrested three suspects allegedly involved in target killings and other crimes.

According to Rangers spokesperson, the paramilitary force arrested Danish from Ramswami area who reportedly confessed his involvement in at least four murders.

A suspect Aslam alias Munna was taken into custody from Landhi area who, according to Rangers, admitted his involvement in several murders as a member of the target-killing team of a militant organisation.

The third suspect, named Ahsan, was arrested from Usmanabad. He is member of a militant organisation who reportedly confessed to his involvement in various murders, collecting extortion and a number of other crimes.

Meanwhile, all army-run educational institutes in the metropolis were closed until Monday over ‘security situation’. Students and parents were informed that all institutes under the Army Public Schools & Colleges System in Karachi will remain closed on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and will reopen after the weekend on Monday, officials said.

According to the school officials, the step has been taken because all army-run schools across the country followed a combined syllabus and the school closure will ‘enable synchronisation of studies across all schools’. However, security sources said the announcement was made in light of the security concerns for schools.

In wake of the Bacha Khan University attack, security in schools across the country has been beefed up while mock security exercises were carried out in many others in the past week. Bacha Khan university, which briefly opened on Monday after a terrorist assault that claimed 21 lives, was closed for an indefinite period due to security reasons.

Earlier on Monday, the Punjab government announced closure of all public and private schools in the province from Jan 26 to 31, citing ‘extremely cold weather’ as the reason.

Punjab government’s last-minute order also spilled over into Islamabad, where a number of private schools remained shut on Tuesday, while others sent students home and closed early.

Brad Goodman · Post by **Brad Goodman** » 28 Jan 2016 15:56

Two Police Officers Killed In Southwest Pakistan

Police said gunmen opened fire on the four officers as they were riding motorcycles down a road on January 28 in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan Province.The attackers escaped and a search is under way to find them.No one has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 28 Jan 2016 16:33

Top-level posting, transfers in Pakistan Army

LAHORE:

The Pakistan Army on Wednesday made a reshuffle at key positions and ordered posting and transfers of 11 major generals.
Major General Azhar Saleh has been appointed as vice chief of general staff while Major General Shaheen and Major General Tariq Javed have been posted respectively as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Frontier Corps inspector general and Strategic Plans Division’s (SPD) director general.
Rotation : PHC transfers 91 judicial officers
Major General Irshad has been posted as PPA director general while Major General Khalid has been transferred to the PMO (is this the Prime Minister's Office, as the "PMO" everywhere is known by ?) as director general.

Major General Rehan Baqi has been posted as Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers’ DG, Major General Akhtar Satti has been posted as General Officer Commanding (GOC) 26 Mechanised Division, Major General Saeed Nagra has been posted as GOC 114 Division Okara while Major General Amjad Ali Khan has been posted as GOC 35 Division Bahawalpur.

In September last year, the Army Promotion Board – headed by Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif – approved the promotion of four major generals to the rank of lieutenant generals as part of a major reshuffle ahead of the retirement of key military commanders.

Major reshuffle: Four army major generals promoted to next rank

Those who were promoted include Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Asim Salim Bajwa, Director General Military Operations Major General Aamer Riaz, Bahawalpur’s General Officer Commanding Major General Sadiq Ali and Vice Chief of General Staff Major General Umer Farooq Durrani.

These promotions were due as four three-star generals are set to retire in October after reaching the age of superannuation. The retiring generals include Commander Southern Command Lt Gen Nasser Khan Janjua, Corps Commander Lahore Lt Gen Naveed Zaman, Chief of Logistic Lt Gen Tariq Gilani and Inspector General Arms Lt Gen Ijaz Chaudhry.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 28 Jan 2016 16:50

Pakistan accuses India of making unsubstantiated terror allegations - PTI

Pakistan on Thursday accused India of “hurling unsubstantiated terror allegations” at it, saying it undermines efforts to eliminate terrorism from the region in a “collaborative manner”.

At his weekly news briefing here, Foreign Office Spokesperson Qazi Khalilullah said, “Terrorism is a problem for Pakistan and the world at large, not just India.”

Asked about allegations against Pakistan whenever there is a terror attack, he urged India to do away with the practice of “hurling unsubstantiated terror allegations” against Pakistan.

Mr. Khalilullah said such a practice undermines efforts to eliminate terrorism from the region in a “collaborative manner”.

He said foreign secretaries of both Pakistan and India are in touch with each other to finalise the dates for the talks. However, Mr. Khalilullah, refused to give any time-frame for the talks.

India and Pakistan mutually agreed to defer the Foreign Secretary—level talks in the aftermath of the Pathankot attack. They agreed to hold the parleys in the “very near future”.

India has sought action by Pakistan on the evidence provided for apprehending the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists suspected to have been involved in the January 2 attack.

Asked to comment on the joint Indo—French statement on terrorism, he said Pakistan has given a lot of sacrifices in the war against terror to make the world a safer place.

Mr. Khalilullah said it has been appreciated by the world.

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 28 Jan 2016 16:53

Paki Foreign Office "Complains" About India

Pakistan urges India to do away with practice of terror allegations
We are now entering the age of "urges"; so the days of "demanding", I guess are now over?

ISLAMABAD:
The Foreign Office on Thursday urged India to do away with its practice of hurling unsubstantiated terror allegations against Pakistan, Radio Pakistan reported.(practicing the art of "good cop" "bad cop" routine )
Speaking at a weekly news briefing in Islamabad, Foreign Office Spokesperson Qazi Khalilullah said such practice undermines collaborative efforts to eliminate terrorism from the region.

“Terrorism is a problem for Pakistan and the world at large, not just India,” Khalilullah emphasised.

Commenting on the joint Indian-French statement on terrorism, the spokesperson said Pakistan has rendered a large amount of sacrifices in war against terror, aiming to make the world a safer place, which has been appreciated by countries across the globe.

Further, responding to a question regarding bilateral talks between Pakistan and India, the spokesperson said foreign secretaries of both countries are in touch with each other to finalise a date for the talks.
According to media reports, talks are expected to take place in February. However there is no official confirmation from the two sides.
“We hope that India will share the outcome of its investigations into the Samjhota Express blasts in 2007, as a result of which several Pakistanis lost their lives,” the minister said while answering another question.

The "broken record" of the Samjhota Express again

Saudi Arabia and Iran have appreciated Pakistan’s efforts in seeking mediation between the two countries, despite the recent statement by the Saudi Foreign Minister in which he denied Pakistan’s role as a mediator, the Foreign Office said on Thursday.
Speaking at the briefing, Khalilullah refused to comment on Saudi Foreign Affairs Minister Adel al Jubeir’s remarks.
Khalilullah, however, insisted that during Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s recent visit to Riyadh and Tehran, both countries welcomed Pakistan’s mediation offer.

Just because, "Ganja" was courteously received by both parties, does not mean that they wanted him to interfere in their internal affairs!

Al Jubeir this week, denied the existence of any Pakistani mediation between the Kingdom and Iran amid ongoing tensions.

“Some countries had offered to mediate and communicate ideas between Riyadh and Tehran, but there will be no mediation unless Iran responds positively,” Adel al Jubeir said while addressing the media on the sidelines of the first ministerial session of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)-India Cooperation Forum.
“There won’t be any mediation because, for 35 years, Iran has adopted a hostile approach toward Arab countries by meddling in their internal affairs, sowing sectarian strife and backing terrorism as confirmed by numerous strong evidences,” the minister added.

Plain speak by the "new kid on the Saudi block"

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 28 Jan 2016 17:12

I.M.F Expresses Alarm Over Pakistan's Swelling External Debt

ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan’s external debt projections have been erratic since the beginning of the $6.2-billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, creating uncertainty in debt management and indicating lack of reforms necessary to control ballooning debts.

An analysis of all IMF reports released in the past two years reveals the agency’s latest debt projections for fiscal 2015-16 are higher by $11.6 billion compared to the estimates given in its first report, which was the base for signing the three-year $6.2-billion bailout package in September 2013.

The only way to fiscally "control" this artificial entity is to have an independent foreign third party sitting in their ministries 24/7 to monitor each and every expenditure!

The IMF had then projected Pakistan’s external debt would increase to $58.6 billion by 2015-16. Just two years down the line, the agency’s 9th review report estimates the external debt at $70.2 billion by end of the current fiscal.
Projections from one quarter to another vary by a whopping $10 billion. This has not only created debt management issues but also underscores the need to implement reforms to curtail debt.
In the last four months alone, the government borrowed $956 million from the commercial banks without competitive bidding to meet its foreign currency reserves related requirements. ( someone "influential" must have made a lots of money as a "go-between" the two parties )

“The glaring inconsistencies in the IMF’s own reports indicate that no meaningful reforms have been implemented in the past two years,” said Dr Ashfaque Hasan Khan, former director general of finance ministry’s debt department.

The IMF has not yet included the impact of loans that Pakistan will obtain for implementation of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Early this month, IMF’s mission chief to Pakistan Harald Finger said the IMF was waiting for the details of the CPEC arrangement.
During this period, no external unforeseen shocks have affected the economy, which could have been a factor for the haywire projections. Rather, the country has reaped advantages of the plunging global crude oil prices.

In their useless quest to be == with India, they have effectively mortgaged their nation to outside powers; it will the future generation who will be saddled with the problem !

habal · Post by **habal** » 28 Jan 2016 17:46

it is long term strategy to weaken pakistan through debt trap. Sooner or later when they go against western agenda they will begin to default. And they they will have to pay a price for that or face economic sanctions and junk rating inability to finance overseas trade or purchase of oil etc.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 28 Jan 2016 17:58

Pak and the ISI have been desperate for aeons to/exterminate or get deported the the exiled MQM leader Altaf Hussain from the UK. Unable to get him extradited in the usual manner,the ISI has bumped off a prominent MQM leader in the UYK and is trying hard to pin the hit on Hussain and co.,just as the Litvinenko murder is in a kangaroo court inquiry being ("probably") pinned on Putin.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... html[quote]
Imran Farooq 'hitmen' appeal for extradition from Pakistan to Britain

Khalid Shahim and Syed Mohsi Ali were "under duress" when they confessed to north London murder of MQM leader, say relatives

Imran Farooq , left, was stabbed in London Photo: AFP/GETTY
By Andrew Marszal, New Delhi and Muhammad Zubair Khan, Islamabad
10:26AM GMT 27 Jan 2016

Relatives of two alleged hitmen in the London murder of a Pakistani politician have appealed for their extradition to Britain so they can clear their names.

The families said Khalid Shamim and Syed Mohsin Ali were “under duress” from Pakistani security officials when they testified that they had travelled to London to commit the 2010 killing of Imran Farooq.

They called for the pair to be sent to the United Kingdom to receive a fair trial.

Details of the so-called “confessional statements” made by the alleged hitmen to a closed court hearing in Pakistan were described to The Telegraph this week.

They described how Mr Farooq, an exiled leader of the controversial Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) party, was stabbed to death outside his north London home on the orders of rival British-based party leaders.

“I have no doubt that Khalid Shamim gave his confessional statement under duress,” Beena Khalid, wife of Mr Khalid, told the Telegraph. “A person in the detention of the security agencies for the last six years, facing torture, will do what security agencies want.”

“I believe that Mohsin Shah also gave a statement under duress,” added Majid Ali Syed, brother of Mr Mohsin Ali. “I appeal to the British authorities to bring Mohsin Shah to the UK for the investigation and trial”.

In their confessions, the alleged hitmen said that the murder plot was ordered because Mr Farooq was deemed a “potent threat” to the MQM leadership, from whom he was believed to be planning to form a breakaway faction.

Mr Khalid said that they operated under the direction of a senior lieutenant of Altaf Hussain, the powerful London-based head of the MQM.

Sources from Pakistan’s federal investigation agency (FIA) denied the claims of duress and torture. "The claim from Beena Khalid is baseless and there is no reality in it," they said.

Islamabad has been exerting pressure on Britain to bring charges against Mr Hussain over the murder, and recently filed a court report naming him and other party leaders as co-conspirators in the murder for the first time.

All statements and images of Mr Hussain are subject to a media blackout in Pakistan, imposed following his outspoken criticism of state institutions.

On Tuesday, MQM supporters staged widespread pro-Altaf Hussain rallies across Karachi on Tuesday.

Although no extradition treaty exists between Britain and Pakistan, it is possible that Mr Khalid and Mr Mohsin Ali could be handed over by Islamabad, as individuals can be extradited on a case-by-case basis.

Mr Mohsin Ali’s arrest last year while trying to cross into Pakistan from Afghanistan followed a tip-off by Scotland Yard, whose records showed he had left the UK on the night of the murder.

According to his wife, Mr Khalid had already been in Pakistani detention since 2011 following his arrest in Karachi. She denies he ever visited the United Kingdom, despite his confession.

Both families have also vowed to challenge the admissibility of the confessions at Pakistan’s supreme court.
[/quote]