Sunni Terrorist Fragments of Unstable Pakistan-Jan 24, 2016

Brad Goodman · Post by **Brad Goodman** » 09 Jun 2016 23:41

venug wrote: With 54.5B$ total investment, once the Gwadar corridor is complete. Retaking PoK will be very very difficult me thinks. Best would be to make these projects nonstarters or make the progress painfully difficult that they are rolled back or left unfinished. Once they are complete, what are the chances that China will allow India to retake PoK?

That is too much dhoti shivering sir. Rail or Road Gwadar is a non starter. If Cheeni want to just haul goods over karakoram then they can easily use Karachi port and existing highway network as pilot to see what it is worth? There is absolutely no need for Gwadar. If it is meant to trade with C Asia then it is not possible in near term because of all the instability in AfPak theatre. You can easily kick off both business feasibility from Karachi port (same as Unkil is doing for its supplies) and then scale it up with Gwadar as needed.

member_28663 · Post by **member_28663** » 09 Jun 2016 23:58

Brad Goodman wrote:
venug wrote: With 54.5B$ total investment, once the Gwadar corridor is complete. Retaking PoK will be very very difficult me thinks. Best would be to make these projects nonstarters or make the progress painfully difficult that they are rolled back or left unfinished. Once they are complete, what are the chances that China will allow India to retake PoK?
That is too much dhoti shivering sir. Rail or Road Gwadar is a non starter. If Cheeni want to just haul goods over karakoram then they can easily use Karachi port and existing highway network as pilot to see what it is worth? There is absolutely no need for Gwadar. If it is meant to trade with C Asia then it is not possible in near term because of all the instability in AfPak theatre. You can easily kick off both business feasibility from Karachi port (same as Unkil is doing for its supplies) and then scale it up with Gwadar as needed.

According to this (slightly dated) study, it makes no economic sense to haul freight through Pakistan into China

http://www.chinasignpost.com/2010/12/22 ... transport/

3) High construction and transport costs. The tariffs needed to pay off the finance costs of the route and move freight over a 15,000 foot vertical relief would likely make the cost highly uncompetitive with sea routes. The roughly 2,000 km-long Qingzang railway to Lhasa, Tibet cost roughly US$4 billion to build (US$1.85 million per km). The cost per km to build a rail line connecting Islamabad and Kashgar could be several times more expensive to build given the tough geologic and political circumstances along the route.

In terms of transport costs, we estimate that moving a barrel of oil by sea to Shanghai at a ship rate of US$75,000 per day at 23 km per hour with a 2 million barrel cargo costs around US$0.90 per barrel, while moving it by barge upriver to the rapidly-growing inland demand center of Chongqing would cost an additional US$1.23 per barrel, for a total transport cost of US$2.22 per barrel (Exhibit 1). In contrast, moving oil from Ras al-Tanura to Gwadar and then by rail into the heartland of China would likely cost closer to US$8.00 to US$12.40 per barrel, making that route economically uncompetitive, as well as limited in capacity.[1] The disparity would be slightly greater for major cities on China’s east coast.

Since then shipping costs have only come down.

Even if China were to write off the costs of building the corridor (which is unlikely), it would not make sense to transport over it. It seems that the main justification for the whole thing is for Gwadar to become a PLAN base while the rest of the corridor will be held as a perpetual promise.

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 10 Jun 2016 02:44

Ahem !
Modi is Guru Of Foreign Policy - Pak Media Predict Fall of Pakistan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JUUaUzoGRw

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 10 Jun 2016 03:27

Ex-Mrs Imran Khan Fired From Her Job !

LAHORE (Staff Report) – Reham Khan has been sacked from her job as senior anchorperson Neo TV.

As per media report, host of Neo Television’s ‘Tabdeeli’ talk show and ex-wife of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has lost her job due to non-serious behaviour towards her show.
Euphemism for "not competent" in her job ?

She is currently in UK.
Where weather is lovely, where she can "shed" her duppatta and other Islamic garb and if past behaviour is any indication, she will start "bad-mouthing" her last employer

Reham joined the Neo TV earlier of this year with a salary package of Rs 5 million (50 lac).

Wow! That is a lot of Moolah for just a "pretty face"; I guess, the Seths who own the new station had high hopes for their " new gal ", but she failed to deliver, and therefore, in this day and age of fierce TV competition she was shown the door.

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 10 Jun 2016 03:41

France gives Pakistan 2-hour ultimatum, Pakistan ignores it

ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) – France has given two hours ultimatum to Pakistan Foreign Ministry for issuing traveling documents to Muhammad Mansha.
As per details, French authorities have asked Pakistan to verify Mansha’s travelling documents within two hours as the country wanted to deport him due to his involvement in illegal activities.
However, Interior Minister Ch Nisar Khan said that no verification will be made until it has been proved that Msnsha is a Pakistani national.

Let us see who wins in the Battle (of The Will) in the end ; Paki H&D is involved here; Will, Mr. Bean (AKA Ch. Nisar ) stand by his earlier threat that "Pakistan will not accept illegal immigrants, caught in the net " unless, proper Pakistani documentation (ie The " coveted" Green Passport ) accompanies the illegal deportee ! Does not the Hon. Minister realizes that with this kind of a posture, he is making life difficult for other "genuine" (Paki) travelers to France

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 10 Jun 2016 03:50

Pakistan will take drones to the United Nations

ISLAMABAD (Staff Report) – PM advisor on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz said on Thursday that Pakistan will raise the issue of US drone strikes in the United Nations as they are against the country’s sovereignty.
While speaking at a news conference in Quetta, Aziz said that the recent drone attack in Balochistan, in which the Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed, had breached Pakistan’s sovereignty, caused a serious setback to the peace efforts and intensified hostilities in Afghanistan. He also urged all stakeholders to condemn the US drone attacks.
He said, Pakistan will take up the drone issue at the United Nations Human Rights Council later this year as it has become necessary after the last month’s drone strike.
Aziz recalled that Pakistan had mustered international support leading to the adoption of a resolution by the United Nations Human Rights Council in March 2015 against drone strikes.

This (80+ yr old ) senile fart is not upto this high pressure job; for the sake of his health, HE SHOULD RESIGN!!!
He damn well knows that Massa has got enormous clout in the International Body ; And Pakistan is totally dependent on US for "day to day" living expenses

Probably one of those Bombastic Statements that he emits from his behind once in a while !

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 10 Jun 2016 04:08

Top-level US officials to arrive in Pakistan to diffuse tension

WASHINGTON: The Obama administration has decided to send two top-level American officials to Islamabad in near future to hold talks to ease tensions with Pakistan.

Whenever, the "child" is unhappy, the "parent" will try its best to make it happy again

Sources said that the White House had decided to send the senior adviser to the US President and US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Olson to Pakistan. He is due to arrive in Pakistan on Friday, where he will hold talks with the civil and military leadership on a range of topics including Pak-USA relations and regional issues.

Deal with damage control from Modi-ji's US visit, where he was given a "grand welcome" by all concerned, and which has made quite a dent in Paki H&D ?

Sources also said that the Obama administration was concerned due to the recent downslide in relations between Pakistan and the United States resulting from the May 21 drone attack that killed Taliban Chief. Top-level sources disclosed that the American officials would hold a meeting with Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif, Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz and Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security Nasir Khan Janjua. Talks would most likely focus on how to take steps for ensuring lasting stability in Afghanistan and to promote regional harmony.

The "usual" assurances will be offered at the end of talks; until the same scenario repeats itself in a couple of months, when another "high level delegation" will be sent again to soothe the feelings of this "Major Non-NATO "Al-lie"

Sources said that a meeting between the American delegation and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz is also on the cards.

So, Ganja Sharif will also be kept "in the loop" through his high-profile (heir apparent !) daughter.

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 10 Jun 2016 04:50

China’s Silk Road may not be that silky

The argument that China’s Silk Road is about transforming some of the most forgotten regions of the world into vibrant and growing new economic spaces needs to be critically examined, especially with regard to its political and strategic repercussions
Investments worth billions of dollars notwithstanding, China’s Silk Road projects come with a political baggage and are creating problems in countries that are currently cheering about it.

He is alluding to Pakistan here !

Militarization of the erstwhile politically unstable regions and uneven development across them are the two most important outcomes of these projects. These two issues are likely to shatter the myth over the huge success “of the Road.”While certain political and economic repercussions are certain, the Silk Road is in trouble due to China’s inability to finance all of the projects it has announced.

So, according to this writer, China is facing its own financial problems; Pakis should take note !

Militarization of the erstwhile politically unstable regions and uneven development across them are the two most important outcomes of these projects. These two issues are likely to shatter the myth over the huge success “of the Road.”While certain political and economic repercussions are certain, the Silk Road is in trouble due to China’s inability to finance all of the projects it has announced....

China’s huge domestic high-speed rail system covering 19,000 km of track and hauling more than 2.5 million daily riders is deeply in debt. Its railways extending into Central Asia and other regions may also be in debt.

But focus on overseas strategy creates problems. While China is trying to channelize its domestic production to overseas markets, outside regions have to deal with China’s acquisition of their assets. For instance, in Kazakhstan, Chinese companies own somewhere between one-fifth and one-quarter of the country’s oil production — about the same proportion as the national oil company, putting China’s stakes at par with the state’s own interests.

Pakis should take note that they are going to lose their precious (sover)- virginity

Sarah Lain and Raffaello Pantucci, writing for the British think tank Royal United Services Institute for Defense and Security Studies, said: “Much of the historical bilateral projects have been funded through linked loans, where China provides the funding through loans that have stipulations attached to them, such as the requirement that Chinese companies implement the projects on the ground. In other cases where China’s Exim bank or the Silk Road Economic Belt CDB has provided loans to fund projects, it is unclear whether there are any short- or medium-term returns or even security on the investment.”

It is this “concern” of increasing political ingress that is likely to off-set the “bright” prospects of “the road” passing through Pakistan.
Pakistani sources say the government will place almost 60,000 additional troops in restive Baluchistan to ensure protection of China’s Silk Road. This increased militarization will certainly add fuel to the fire. One of the most important demands of Baluch separatists for engaging in peace talks with Islamabad is demilitarization.

The crucial question, therefore, is: Will China-led development, which includes hundreds of miles long roads, create peace in the most restive region of Pakistan? When such a question is posed to a nationalist, he does not seem to agree with the official narrative.

Roads, he argues, are to be used for transporting goods and for military mobilization too. How would military mobilization contribute to peace? It never has in the history of Pakistan.Uneven distribution of projects, nationalists argue, is reinforcing regional disparities in Pakistan, thus encouraging ethno-national movements in Baluchistan and Sindh.

The recent attack on the Chinese engineers in Karachi is just a beginning of things to come !

Hence the argument that China’s Silk Road is about transforming one of the previously most forgotten regions of the world into a vibrant and growing new economic space needs to be critically examined, especially with regard to its political and strategic repercussions.An overwhelming focus on “economic benefits” tends to divert our attention away from questioning its actual potential as well as the notion of “mutually beneficial” projects. The “Silk Road” and its benefits need to be quantified as well as qualified.

The Paki mantra of "CPEC will be a gamechanger" needs to be revisited in the light of what this writer is saying

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 10 Jun 2016 05:05

"Social Media" Does Not Care A **** About Sharia And /Or Islamic Law

SC grants bail to two women jailed for sending 'obscene messages' to parental aunt

SLAMABAD: Supreme Court (SC) today granted bail to woman and daughter jailed for sending indecent messages and pictures, to paternal aunt.
A three-member bench headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed heard the case, during which plaintiff’s lawyer told the court that both families are having property dispute. He alleged that Federal Investigation Agency has (FIA) filed case under wrong provisions.
Justice Maqbool Baqir expressed resentment over FIA’s negligence and asked that how the charges of data theft and interference in the system have proven by sending obscene messages.
The FIA lawyer said that the girl edited her aunt’s pictures and sent her which is illegal. The court dismissed the case by remarking that the officials have failed to prove data theft in the case.
On the other hand, judges granted bail to both accused over surety bonds of Rs 50,000 each.
It is pertinent to mention here that Maria and her mother were in Adiala Jail for about two months.

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 10 Jun 2016 06:06

Transfer of USF Funds to Finance Ministry Questioned by Supreme Court
Ishaq Dar Portrays USF Projects as Government Financed Projects in Federal Budge...
Government Hijacked USF’s Rs. 67.7 Billion to Bring Down its Fiscal DeficiT...
Supreme Court Asks Govt for Legal Explanation for Using USF Money
Govt Can No Longer Use USF Money for its Operational Needs

The government of Pakistan can no longer utilize Universal Service Fund money for anything except for the dedicated purpose of expanding IT and Telecom services in far-flung and underdeveloped areas of the country, according to a notification that has been issued in a secret manner, we have checked with sources.
It maybe recalled that government of Pakistan had transferred some Rs. 60 billion of USF’s money from commercial bank accounts to “National Consolidated Fund” back in 2013.
Not to be mentioned, this USF money — that amounted around Rs. 60 billion — is collected from private mobile phone companies at 1.5% of their annual revenues to bridge digital divide in the country.
It is known to everyone that this Rs. 60 billion was later used to clear circular debt and that’s when questions were raised on why a private sector fund was used to run government affairs.

ROB ABDUL TO PAY AMIR ! BUDGET SHENANIGANS PRACTICED BY PAKISTAN FINANCE MINISTER DAR

THIS IS HOW THE RECENT PAKISTAN NATIONAL BUDGET WAS "BALANCED"; THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF MANY UNETHICAL PRACTICES THAT WAS EXPOSED; THERE ARE PROBABLY THOUSANDS OF SUCH INSTANCES UNDETECTED; HOPE IMF/WORLD BANK AUDITORS DO NOT GIVE A "CLEAN AUDIT REPORT" TO THEIR SUPERIORS IN MASSALAND !!!

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 10 Jun 2016 07:05

US is a ‘selfish friend’: Pakistan
http://www.thenews.com.pk/print/126786- ... d-Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on Thursday said the US was a “selfish friend” that always curried favour with Pakistan when self-interest pressed it and left it in the lurch after having its interests served.Addressing a press conference at the Foreign Office here, he said the growing US-India proximity was a cause of worry for Pakistan.He said if the US could not bring peace in war-torn Afghanistan, why was it expecting Pakistan to do this difficult job within the shortest-possible time.He termed the May 21 drone strike unfortunate, saying that the incident had damaged Pakistan’s relationship with the US.“The drone strike killing the Afghan Taliban leader Mulla Mansour has not only violated our sovereignty but also damaged the level of trust with the United States,” the adviser said.He said the drone attack had undermined the Afghan peace process adding that the incident would have far-reaching implications.He said Pakistan was unsure of the US objective behind the strike; however, he said apparently it had more negatives [aspects] than positives.About the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the US and his efforts for India’s inclusion in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), Sartaj said the US tilt towards India would disturb the strategic balance in the region.
“We have been constantly reminding the United States to be mindful of maintaining a security balance for peace in the region,” he added.He dismissed the impression that Pakistan had initiated belated foreign policy efforts to mobilise support for its membership of NSG.Instead, he said, Pakistan had been pursuing active diplomacy on the point that no non-NPT (Nuclear Proliferation Treaty) country should be given an exception to apply for the NSG membership.Talking about the arrest of Indian RAW agent Kulbhushana mutual concern of terrorism with India. He said following the arrest of Kulbhushan Pakistan had informed the international community about the Indian-sponsored terrorism on its soil.In the coming weeks, he said, Pakistan would share more information with the United Nations and the P5 countries. “They talk about our non-state actors, but we talk about their state actors active in subversive activities in Balochistan, tribal areas and Karachi,” he said.He welcomed India’s statement about non-involvement of Pakistan in the Pathankot airbase attack. . In response to a question about normalisation of Pakistan’s relations with India, he said the former had a six-decade history of making Pakistan isolated in the international community. However, he said Pakistan had been successful in protecting its interests. “Pakistan believes that dialogue is the only option for resolution of issues with India,” he said.

partha · Post by **partha** » 10 Jun 2016 07:27

Jhujar wrote:$8.2b railtrack upgrade project wins go-ahead
(==== Sequel by Pequelstan)

SLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday cleared, in principle, two strategically important $10 billion projects for upgrading a mainline of the Pakistan Railways to smoothen the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) traffic, and construction of a gas pipeline.The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) gave the necessary nod to both the projects ahead of loans negotiations with Chinese authorities. China will provide loans for both the projects equivalent to 85% ($8.5 billion) of the cost of each project.According to the project documents, the cost of upgrading of Pakistan Railways existing Mainline (ML-I) and establishment of a dry port near Havelian is $8.2 billion, which the Chinese government will finance with a $7 billion concessionary loan.This project is part of $46 billion CPEC package and is covered under the CPEC Framework Agreement, signed during the April 2015 visit of Chinese president to Pakistan.The estimated cost of Gwadar-Nawabshah LNG Terminal & Pipeline project, also cleared in principle, is $2 billion including $1.4 billion Chinese loan. This project is strategically important for Pakistan as it will eventually link the country’s gas network with Iranian system.“The exact costs of both the projects will be firmed up after finalising financing arrangements,” said CDWP Chairman and Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal while talking to The Express Tribune.The ML-I project has been planned under the CPEC Framework. The $8.2 billion worth PC-I has been prepared on the basis of joint feasibility study carried out by a consortium of firms, namely, M/s Creec of China and M/s Nespak and M/s Pracs of Pakistan.At present, Pakistan Railways is picking up less than 4% of the traffic volume of the country, which the government intends to increase to at least 20% by 2025.The issue as to whether the implementing agency or the federal government would sign the financing deal with Chinese counterparts remains unaddressed. Another outstanding issue is whether the Exim bank will extend loan at 6% interest rate or 4% rate for this project.

When CPEC was announced didn't Pakis publicize it as $46 Billion "investment"? It seems all $46 Billion is basically Chinese loan at high interest rate. RAPEs are fooling mango Pakis. They are including anything and everything in CPEC. Pray tell me what has Lahore Metro got to do with "China Pak Economic Corridor"? It will be fun times when time comes for Pakis to repay Chinese loans considering Chinese disburse the loans in the first place. I don't think Pakis can pull "arrest AlQaeda num 3 before high level visit" like stunts with the Chinese.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 10 Jun 2016 07:37

http://www.thenews.com.pk/print/126712- ... n-dynamics
South Asian dynamics

Narendra Modi addressed the US Congress this Wednesday. He is not the first Indian prime minister to do so but at a moment when India’s own profile is rising for the better in South Asia, it could be propitious for India’s global status.In a month’s time the Nuclear Suppliers Group will convene to consider both India and Pakistan’s requests for membership. Despite the technical and resource facilitations that such membership accrues to a nation pursuing a nuclear programme, civil and military, it is more a reflection of aspiration for global recognition; and the competitive nature of things between India and Pakistan.The US supports India’s membership but 47 other members, including China, must also agree before India can accede to the mantle of de jure acceptance of its nuclear status, however indirect. Pakistan holds a certain influence over the Chinese vote which may be its saving grace. The US does not as vividly support Pakistan as it does India but it has been at the US’s bidding that Pakistan too has applied with the understanding that NSG members will consider each application on merit. With American domination of most international security and economic regimes, the chances of the merit working in India’s favour are far greater.

Pakistan will again fall back on China, but till when? One day China too will submit to the international consensus. Even if India fails to rise to the NSG this time round, it will have gained significantly greater space in moving towards that objective. Modi has agreed to begin the process of acquiring six American nuclear reactors giving meaning to why the Indo-US nuclear deal between the two was first signed.Were both China and Pakistan to resort to a continued stonewalling of this or any other international or regional effort towards a security or an economic initiative, over time both will begin to isolate themselves from the international fraternity. For China, it is an unacceptable eventuality. China’s center of gravity in its strategy to rise beyond the middle income status of its economy lies in its trade and economic policies. To that end it will not compromise or bid on another’s behalf were isolation to become a real possibility.
In Pakistan it is a fallacy to imagine that China is tied to it by bonds which will last forever. China judges its available space for Pakistan and acts within its domain. The day it senses a challenge to its own interests, even tertiary, it will have no qualms about advising Pakistan to accede to a certain norm.While it may be difficult for even a combined US-India foray to isolate China – both dependent for their respective economies on a vibrant relationship with the country – turning the screws on Pakistan will be rather easy for lack of significant interdependencies. Pakistan failed miserably to use the space available during the Afghan war years to convert the advantage into a more durable set of bargains in regional politics.

Pakistan has Iran, Afghanistan, China and India as its immediate neighbours. And, except for China, Pakistan has a broken relationship with all. If that is not failure, what is? We need to stop blaming everyone else in the world and accept that our conception and assessment of our potential were always misplaced and exaggerated. More importantly, our emplacement of a failing strategy caused us to lose the moment – and we are poorer for it. At best we will now only play catch up; that too only if there is a serious course correction. There hasn’t been a worse example of someone losing the hand with the best cards at their disposal.Iran may be seen to be leading this rapprochement and India would have happily ceded the lead role as long as the three can align together and bypass Pakistan geographically. Use it or lose it, they say. Has Pakistan lost the benefit of its ‘strategic location’ by losing the moment? Recovery may still be possible but will be long-winded and always short of optimal. Losing opportunities force a lag which in a competitive environment becomes difficult to cover.
How India has moved in recent months is far more impressive than how Pakistan has assessed its position. Iran first came to Pakistan and offered that all-important olive branch, which sadly Pakistan rebuffed with an ill-thought, ill-timed and ill-managed disclosure of the Yadav episode. Was it again on someone else’s bidding that Pakistan gave up on its most opportune moment to resurrect its regional eminence? Pakistan continues to lose its potential because of incompetent leadership and an entirely inadequate conception of how the world has moved in recent years.Modi has stretched Pakistan with a clearer vision and a smarter strategy. He has also reinforced India’s position globally. Efficient policies result in strategic gains. In stark contrast, Pakistan’s fallback remains a honed military which can only deliver tactical responses but cannot make for strategic lethargy. What Pakistan needs are forces of good. And that is where it remains desperately short.

JE Menon · Post by **JE Menon** » 10 Jun 2016 10:03

Hmmm...shifting a bit closer to reality. Somebody must quickly advise them that Islam is The Way, and Islam is in Danger. Hafeez and Masood to the rescue on cue please!!!

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 10 Jun 2016 10:48

Jhujar wrote:South Asian dynamics

The above editorial has all the ingredient of why Pakistan is a failed state and why it can never rise from its ashes.

From a superficial reading, one may even see this as a correct assessment of Pakistan's past misdeeds, a litany of woes. But, a closer reading shows how the editorial prescribes more of the same wrong medication for the terminal malaise.

The terminal malaise is the inability to worry about Pakistan but continuously worrying about an increasingly developing India and how to cut it short. For example, it says, "The US supports India’s membership but 47 other members, including China, must also agree before India can accede to the mantle of de jure acceptance of its nuclear status, however indirect. Pakistan holds a certain influence over the Chinese vote which may be its saving grace.". So, the 'Nazariya-e-Pakistan' demands that redemption for Pakistan is when India's attempts are thwarted. An Islamist Pakistan doesn't mind borrowing a phrase from Christian theology to express its glee at an India failure to get its due legitimacy. Of course we know the extent to which Musharraf went with its scriptural enemy Israel to nip in the bud developing Indo-Israel relationships more than decade back. More Palestenians were massacred in Op. Black September by a certain Brig. Zia-ul-Haq in 1970-1971 than at Israeli hands in the previous twenty years. As The Jordanian King decorated Brig. Zia with the highest medal of ‘Order of Valiance’, the Palestenians equated him with the Israeli General Ariel Sharon. So much for the Yahud-Hunud-Nassara Conspiracies!

The edit follows the same India-centric principle of Pakistan's Nazariya when it says that "Pakistan failed miserably to use the space available during the Afghan war years to convert the advantage into a more durable set of bargains in regional politics." It is referring to settling the Kashmir question in its favour during that period. I don't know what 'advantage' it is talking about except its convoluted thinking perhaps that at the end of 1989, the USSR was teetering (for various reasons) and the US & China were assumed to be victorious. The edit perhaps feels that, for services rendered to both nations, Pakistan must have forced them to squeeze India, whose closest friend stood defeated. What kind of mentality is this? Even in the murky world of statecraft, this must rank as one of the lowest forms.

It goes on to lament that Pakistan's faith in "a failing strategy caused us to lose the moment – and we are poorer for it. At best we will now only play catch up". So, what was the strategy in the first place then? Only being one up on India which unfortunately has now come to "catching up"? Did Pakistan ever have a strategy of independent development of the Nation State commensurate with its requirements rather than looking over the shoulder at India as to what it was doing and how it can be busted? A young Z.A. Bhutto, the then foreign minister of Pakistan, complained bitterly in April 1963 in their national assembly that the “world has been too kind to India” when indeed the whole western world was backing up Pakistan and hailing its tiger-economy as a role-model!

The editorial, like any Pakistani, cannot takes its eyes off India. It rues, "How India has moved in recent months is far more impressive than how Pakistan has assessed its position" again betraying the same India-centric emotions. It opines that the incorrect timing of the capture of the 'RAW Agent Yadhav' led to a loss of 'regional eminence'. What eminence? This is delusional because the whole world knows that the only eminences that Pakistan are well known for are state-sponsored international jihadi terrorism, duplicity and beggary.

Ultimately, the editorial indirectly accepts the long-standing wisdom here in BRf of Pakistan's "tactical brilliance and strategic stupidity". I always wondered if there was even tactical brilliance ever, except what Pakistanis used to pat themselves for!

arun · Post by **arun** » 10 Jun 2016 11:15

Chicago Tribune Op-ed titled “To defeat terrorism, stop the U.S.-Pakistan drift” authored by Former President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, piously proclaims that the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is victim to the Mohammadden Terrorism she herself fomented in an attempt to intimidate neighbours like India and hence should be rewarded by the US with free F-16’s. :

Despite our sustained mutual interests and democratic kinship, worrisome ambiguity toward the bilateral relationship is brewing among officials in both countries. This attitude surfaced recently in the U.S. Congress — specifically in the person of Republican Sen. Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee — where there is outright opposition to a deal to sell F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan to strengthen our capacity to fight terrorism. The ostensible — and unsustainable — basis of Corker's position is that Pakistan is not committed to the war on terrorism.

I would challenge any faction in Congress that holds this view to come to Pakistan and bear witness to our solidarity and resolve.

Denying Pakistan aircraft that our military deems necessary for continuing offensives against a terrorist network is ultimately counterproductive and self-defeating. It weakens our frontline actions against regional and global threats. It undermines a democratic ally that must maintain its legitimacy in the eyes of its people by taking every step to keep them safe. And it opens the door to new players that do not share America's interests and values. Pakistan has one of the fastest-growing economies and is the sixth largest population in the world. This fact is not lost on China, which has swooped in to host talks with Pakistani leaders as the U.S. wallows in ambivalence. And Russia, which has been cozying up to Pakistan since early 2015, is close on China's heels.

From here:

To defeat terrorism, stop the U.S.-Pakistan drift

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 10 Jun 2016 13:23

India would keep on increasing the lead on Pakistan. The only thing regarding Pakistan, India needs to take care of is to meticulously record the deeds of each of Paki establishment, elite and the jihadis as well as to collect information on all their families, and when time comes to pursue all of them to the ends of world and hell and ensure that justice is brought to them.

Bhurishrava · Post by **Bhurishrava** » 10 Jun 2016 13:41

http://tribune.com.pk/story/1119830/dip ... ee-france/

Pakistan refuses to accept deportee from France.

http://pakobserver.net/2016/06/04/franc ... exporters/

France good market for Pakistani exports.

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 10 Jun 2016 15:39

SSridhar wrote:
Jhujar wrote:South Asian dynamics
The above editorial has all the ingredient of why Pakistan is a failed state and why it can never rise from its ashes.

From a superficial reading, one may even see this as a correct assessment of Pakistan's past misdeeds, a litany of woes. But, a closer reading shows how the editorial prescribes more of the same wrong medication for the terminal malaise.

Ultimately, the editorial indirectly accepts the long-standing wisdom here in BRf of Pakistan's "tactical brilliance and strategic stupidity". I always wondered if there was even tactical brilliance ever, except what Pakistanis used to pat themselves for!

S.S. ji :
My two cents worth of your good piece above :
Not to forget the constant complaining (even now) against Massa "that Pakistan has been the best friend/ al-lie US has in this region, blah, blah, blah, and again it has let us down" ( not knowing that in International Diplomacy there are no Permanent Friends only Permanent Interests (an example of "tactical brilliance" and "strategic stupidity" !)

Peregrine · Post by **Peregrine** » 10 Jun 2016 16:13

Old but interesting Article :

NA revelations : ‘257,433 Pakistanis deported since 2012’

Cheers

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 10 Jun 2016 16:34

Diplomatic Slap To Pakistan As A Result Of Modi-ji's US Visit

Ensure your territory is not used to plan attacks in India, US tells Pakistan

The US has asked Pakistan to ensure that its territory is not used for planning attacks in India, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said terrorism is being “incubated in India’s neighbourhood”.
“This is one of the steps that the US is encouraging Pakistan to do for the improvement of its relations with India,” a State Department spokesman, Mark Toner said yesterday.
“We believe that Pakistan and India stand to benefit from practical cooperation and encourage direct dialogue aimed at increasing cooperation and reducing tensions,” he said.

A two-man "high level" delegation to Isloo will convey the same message in person !

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 10 Jun 2016 16:40

From DT Editorial,

Pakistan needs to be realistic on the issue of the NSG as it cannot afford to strain ties with the US at the moment. Pakistan is in no competition with India, be it economic growth, defence spending, nuclear security, or technological advancements. The ambiguous stance of Islamabad on combating terrorism and the presence of some hardcore terrorists in Pakistan do not portray a rosy picture of its sincerity to the agenda of elimination of terrorism to the international community. Furthermore, the mindless spending on nuclear arsenal will not lead country anywhere due to its current economic situation. Pakistan already has a sizeable nuclear arsenal, and it is high time Pakistan realised the redundancy of spending billions on a weapon of mass destruction that will not be used by any country in any conventional warfare. It is the failure of Pakistan’s foreign policy that led the US to align with India. Pakistan’s continuous inability to go all-out against terrorists without distinction of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ has alienated the US authorities, resulting in the hardening of stance on financial and military aid to the country along with the F-16 debacle. Pakistan needs to clarify its stance on these issues to portray a clear picture of its short and long term foreign policies to seek entry to the NSG.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 10 Jun 2016 16:44

Falijee wrote:Diplomatic Slap To Pakistan As A Result Of Modi-ji's US Visit

Ensure your territory is not used to plan attacks in India, US tells Pakistan

A two-man "high level" delegation to Isloo will convey the same message in person !

And then will ask India to start the dialogue. The US has to play both sides and we have to resist itputting down clear conditions for resumption of talks. Progress to next level must happen only when milestones are achieved by Pakistan.

abhijitm · Post by **abhijitm** » 10 Jun 2016 16:52

Recently there is a lot of rona-dhona about pakistan's foreign policy, that there is no external affairs minister etc. As if had there been one the picture would have been much different, better. First of all foreign ministry is not just about the minister but the collective wisdom of an institution that has been foraged over many years. The bureaucrats, strategist to whom the baton was passed by their predecessor are the engines of the ministry. Then it is up to the minister to decide how to drive the policy.

Pakistan lacks the experience and knowledge and thus the engine to drive any kind of strategic foreign relations. Over the years the army has been in control of foreign relations. They have been driving it only vis a vis India and thats it. All they have is so called 'tactical brilliance'. The scenario appears and they react, and in best of their ability they create a scenario for India. But beyond that they have no capability to think and plan. Then the pakistani politicians when sometimes come in the power they set up the foreign ministry, but whatever limited knowledge pakistan has to run the ministry lies with the army. And when their martial army does not even record and analyse their own wars then it is impossible that they have journals for their next generation to study on foreign relations.

Basically for pakistan 70 years have been wasted. Even today if they wake up and seriously try to compete India in foreign policies they will have to start from scratch. That is the pathetic state of their foreign ministry.

abhijitm · Post by **abhijitm** » 10 Jun 2016 17:09

arun wrote:Chicago Tribune Op-ed titled “To defeat terrorism, stop the U.S.-Pakistan drift” authored by Former President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, piously proclaims that the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is victim to the Mohammadden Terrorism she herself fomented in an attempt to intimidate neighbours like India and hence should be rewarded by the US with free F-16’s. :

To defeat terrorism, stop the U.S.-Pakistan drift

Bl00dy hell! Dus takka is back in the business... selling bucket load of sh!t.

Peregrine · Post by **Peregrine** » 10 Jun 2016 17:16

Army Chief asks US to target Mullah Fazlullah in Afghanistan

RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif while talking to US delegation has demanded the American authorities to target Taliban leader Mullah Fazlullah and other terrorists in Afghanistan.

Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif told the members of the delegation that "we will not allow intelligence agencies of other countries to operate in Pakistan."

The army chief further stated that Pakistan’s stance against terrorism is evident before all, adding that the country is ~~against~~ making all efforts ~~made~~ towards promoting terrorism.

He also told the delegation that US drone strike in Balochistan has caused a huge damage to mutual trust between the two countries and this kind of accessions would not be tolerated in future.

Cheers

Peregrine · Post by **Peregrine** » 10 Jun 2016 17:57

Has Pakistan overeducated its middle class?

Recently, thousands of applicants with a master's degree applied to become gardeners and door attendants in the Department of Education in Chakwal. The mushroom growth of colleges and universities across Pakistan has produced a large cohort of young graduates belonging to working class families.

The lacklustre economy, however, has failed to generate employment opportunities for the youth, resulting in an oversupply of the educated unemployed.

2,000 master’s degree holders apply for peon, gardener posts
Cheers

RCase · Post by **RCase** » 10 Jun 2016 19:01

^^^

Hmm... I guess that is why we have so many 'educated' Pakis becoming jihadis, show up on TV talk shows as strategic security specialists, design water kit cars etc.

KJo · Post by **KJo** » 10 Jun 2016 19:13

Duffers don't get that it is not too much education, but too less proper jobs. That is because the country spent its time doing Jihaad rather than build up its economy like what Kafir Hindooo India did.
Solution? More Islam.

Good good, burn in your pot and don't come to India.

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 10 Jun 2016 21:00

Madame "Tractor Trolley" Should Equip Herself With The Following Counter- Attack Weapons

4 Insults Shireen Mazari Can Hurl at Khawaja Asif

While the national assembly debated the particulars of the budget, Khawaja Asif was once again on hand to take advantage of the fact that nothing uttered in the parliament can be used against you in a court of law. (So, this suited-booted guy knows his laaw ? ) Consequently, we have decided to formulate a way in which Shireen Mazari may respond in kind to such comments that included a metaphor employing the symbol of a tractor trolley. While there is no shortage of insults in the ruling party with Abid Sher Ali embodying the role of a walking talking insult to Pakistani politics (and the good people/livestock of Faisalabad).

4. “Pink Panther wala detective”

He does look like Monsieur Clouseau, all that’s missing is the hat. (and the French lingo !)

3. “Fauj ka dushman”

While this might be a serious charge in a civilized country, Khawaja Asif has been guilty of ‘endangering the national security’ in the past. The reason for such a charge was his speaking out against the army that every soul in Pakistan (even a child) knows not to do.

Public memory is indeed short ! All is forgiven now about his past outburst against the Paki Fauj

!

2. “The man who answers to his subordinates”

Enough said.

IOW, what this journo is alluding is: in theory( only) , Asif is Bad Sharif's boss ; but reality is the "other way round"

1. “jo bolta hai, woi hota hai”

So, Madame ( "Old Ms. Jalebi") has 4 options to choose from - in the future !!!

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 10 Jun 2016 21:41

Edhi says no to Zardari’s offer for treatment abroad

Lest he be tainted by his association with Dus- Percenti, a confirmed fraudster !

Lest Dus Percenti "use" Edhi for his own nefarious reasons in the future; in Paki politics, anything is possible !
Lest Dus Percenti "uses" Edhi to "rehabilitate" his image in the eyes of the Paki Public

PS: Just a few years ago, AAZ, ( When he was President ) on a visit to Ajmer Dargah Sharif grandly announced a donation of Rs10 lacs or something ( out of his own pocket ) and got wide publicity for his gesture. After, a few months, it turned that the Custodian had not yet received the cheque !) (he may have eventually got the money !)

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 10 Jun 2016 21:47

Did Ishaq Dar just lie again? Independent think-tank claims government GDP Growth Rate figures are false

STRONG ALLEGATION ! THE FINANCE MINISTER OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF PAKISTAN
HAS A CREDIBILITY PROBLEM !!!

sudeepj · Post by **sudeepj** » 10 Jun 2016 21:54

Jhujar wrote:Chooha Cheekhe Choo choo choo choon. Narendar Modi ki Pakistan ke Saath Dushmani

Wow! Coup is only a few months away. The three idiots on this show are the mouthpieces of ISI and the Army.

Ganja Sharief is in London, and he controls the extension or the 2nd term for the bad Shareef. At this time, ganja Sharief can simply sit in London and afford to let the 'clock' run out and let the bad Shareef retire. Once he retires, ganja can select a hand picked general (and merely delay the inevitable).

Therefore, I predict that there is a high chance of a coup happening before Shareef's term is out. Question is, what will be the pretext.. IMHO, it could be a major terrorist attack on India or within Pak itself, the Peshawar school redux. While Pathankot was simply a dry run to gauge what our reaction would be.. An attack within Pak itself will remove the 'unpredictability' of the Modi/Doval team.

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 10 Jun 2016 22:07

Pakistan raises concerns over drones strikes, RAW’s involvement in Karachi, Balochistan with US delegation

ISLAMABAD (Staff Report) – Pakistan expressed grave concern over the recent drone strike in Balochistan and America’s support for Indiais inclusion in the Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG), during a meeting with a top US delegation visiting Islamabad to discuss strained relations between the two sides.
According to a statement, the American side was led by Senior Director for Afghanistan and Pakistan at US National Security Council Peter Lavoy while the Prime Minister’s Special Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz led the Pakistani side.
US Special Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Olson, US Ambassador David Hale, Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi and Foregin Secretary Aizaz Chaudhary were also present at the meeting.
During the meeting, Sartaj Aziz told the American delegates that the United States’ support for India’s inclusion in the NSG was discriminatory and would kickstart a fresh arms race in South Asia. He added that India’s inclusion in the NSG would promote instability in the region.

he Pakistani delegation said that the American drone strike in Balochistan that killed Mullah Mansour last month had violated Pakistan’s international border and derailed the Afghan peace process as well. The attack is also a violation of the United Nations’ charter and such conduct with an allied state was not justified, Aziz asserted.[On the occasion, the US delegation was also shown the video confession of RAW officer Kalbhushan Yadav, who was arrested from Balochistan. / (I would classify this as "secondary evidence" ie unreliable and subject to manipulation; why not produce the "spy" in person - primary evidence -nothing to beat that ! hain-ji ) Other documentary and material evidences of Indian involvement in Balochistan and Karachi were also presented to the American side.
Sartaj Aziz said that Pakistan is highly concerned about the growing US-Indian relationship and it seeks fresh assurance of its security in such a situation.A five member United States delegation had, last night, (did they get enough rest ?) arrived in Islamabad to discuss the country’s strained ties with Pakistan.

Apart from meetings with civilian leadership, the delegation will also hold dialogue with Pakistan’s military including Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif.
This was the first ever high level contact between the two countries after Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Mansour’s killing in a US drone attack in Balochistan last month.

The Rona Dhona may include the usual "laundry list of complaints" !

PS. By the way, did Ganja Sharif participate by video link this time as well or as usual, he had other important prior engagements like a good Italian dinner at an upscale restaurant in the Mayfair area of Londonistan

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 10 Jun 2016 23:15

Mother who burned her 16-year-old daughter alive for eloping in Pakistan ran into the street and shouted 'I have killed my girl for misbehaving' as she beat her chest, her sister reveals

[quote]A Pakistani mother who burned her teenage daughter alive as punishment for eloping to marry her boyfriend proudly shouted about her murder in the street afterwards.
Parveen Rafiq, tied her daughter Zeenat, 18, to a cot, doused her in kerosene and set her alight in the family home in Lahore, eastern Pakistan.
Mrs Rafiq then went outside and began shouting on the street to neighbours that she had killed the teen for bringing shame on her family, while beating her chest. [quote]
Some ways and means must be found to hold those responsible for such inhumane actions including some sort of action against the Mullah Brigade who are ultimately responsible for this brain washing ![quote]Zeenat's 'crime' was getting married to her partner Hasan Khan, a motorcycle mechanic, before a court magistrate last month, Police official Sheikh Hammad said.
'Perveen killed her daughter Zeenat Bby burning her alive around 9:00 am on Wednesday,' Haidar Ashraf, a senior police official told AFP.[quote] [quote]Khan's ethnicity - he is an ethnic Pashtun, while Zeenat was a Punjabi - was the main cause of the family's disapproval according to the Rafiq family [quote]
But both are followers of Malsi , right ? So ISLAM is just not such a binding force as it is cracked out to be the Establishment for the past 68+ years ! [quote]'Zeenat was unwilling to go back to her home and told me that she would be killed by her family, but later agreed when one of her uncles guaranteed her safety./quote]

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 10 Jun 2016 23:41

US is a ‘selfish friend’: S.(enile) Aziz Of Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on Thursday said the US was a “selfish friend” that always curried favour with Pakistan when self-interest pressed it and left it in the lurch after having its interests served.
Addressing a press conference at the Foreign Office here, he said the growing US-India proximity was a cause of worry for Pakistan.He said if the US could not bring peace in war-torn Afghanistan, why was it expecting Pakistan to do this difficult job within the shortest-possible time.

Wow, this (senile) guy is something ! Where is the Paki "famous mehman nawazi" ?

“The drone strike killing the Afghan Taliban leader Mulla Mansour has not only violated our sovereignty but also damaged the level of trust with the United States,” the adviser said.

About the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the US and his efforts for India’s inclusion in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), Sartaj said the US tilt towards India would disturb the strategic balance in the region.
“We have been constantly reminding the United States to be mindful of maintaining a security balance for peace in the region,” he added.He dismissed the impression that Pakistan had initiated belated foreign policy efforts to mobilise support for its membership of NSG.Instead, he said, Pakistan had been pursuing active diplomacy (Chini support , no doubt )on the point that no non-NPT (Nuclear Proliferation Treaty) country should be given an exception to apply for the NSG membership.

..“They talk about our non-state actors, but we talk about their state actors active in subversive activities in Balochistan, tribal areas and Karachi,” he said.

Why has he excluded Pakjab ? The Paki press had recently announced "arrest of RAA agent in La-Whore"

He welcomed India’s statement about non-involvement of Pakistan in the Pathankot airbase attack. So, Pakistan has now been declared "scot free" by no less than the GOI? )

He said being adviser on foreign affairs did not matter much with the title and he was playing a much more responsible role at present without feeling handicapped. (so is he or is he not getting a "much deserved" pay raise ? ) In response to a question about normalisation of Pakistan’s relations with India, he said the former had a six-decade history of making Pakistan isolated in the international community. However, he said Pakistan had been successful in protecting its interests. “Pakistan believes that dialogue is the only option for resolution of issues with India,” he said.

The quest for = = remains intact !!!

Abhay_S · Post by **Abhay_S** » 11 Jun 2016 01:35

"Fate Changer" CPEC

http://www.southasiaathudson.org/blog/2 ... gained-for

The Chinese Pakistan Economic Corridor, popularly known as CPEC, is widely lauded as an economic “game changer” for Pakistan. With a price tag of $46 billion, Pakistan is all but certain to see valuable infrastructure development over the next several years. What is less certain, however, is whether Pakistan’s broader expectations are realistic, and whether the potential costs have been given due consideration.

Husain Haqqani, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the U.S. from 2008 to 2011, warned last year that both countries need to temper their expectations: “Despite announcing plans for more than $24 billion in investment into Indonesia since 2005, a decade later China has invested only $1.8 billion there.”While Pakistan’s government continues to predict far-reaching benefits, independent analysts are much more reserved in their outlook. Ali Salman, Executive Director of the PRIME Institute in Islamabad, warns that “the term-sheet for Chinese investment in the power sector does not seem very promising at the moment.”

This does not mean that there are no benefits to Chinese investment in Pakistan. Like many African countries, Pakistan will certainly benefit by Chinese investment through improved roads, energy infrastructure, and the development of ports. In more immediate ways, though, economic benefits may prove elusive. In many African countries, the influx of Chinese products has had “a devastating effect on local manufacturing,” and even where local employment has increased, it has largely been the result of hiring by Chinese firms that “engage in poor labor and environmental practices.” Tax income, too, is uncertain as China is demanding Islamabad grant tax exemptions that could deprive Pakistan of as much as $2 billion in revenue. Meanwhile, the government of Pakistan has set up “revolving funds backed by sovereign guarantees to ensure uninterrupted payments to Chinese sponsors of energy projects” to protect Chinese companies from Pakistan’s chronic circular debt problem.

In addition to economic impact, there are also questions about how CPEC will effect Pakistan’s internal stability. Speaking at the Hudson Institute earlier this month, Pakistani human rights leader Asma Jahangir predicted that the insurgency in Balochistan would worsen, “because we have this CPEC where Gwadar is going to become a port and already the fishermen are out of jobs.” She went on to explain that the government of Pakistan is “in a state of self-denial” about how CPEC is perceived by a local population that views it less as an economic investment than a colonization. Earlier this week, a Chinese worker and his driver were wounded in a bomb attack on the outskirts of Karachi. A pamphlet from the “Sindhudesh Revolutionary Army” condemning CPEC as an attempt to “attack Sindh and enslave its people” was found at the scene.

Pakistan has responded by mobilizing the Army against its own people. Last month, Pakistan’s President Mamnoon Hussain reportedly told Chinese President Xi Jinping that an entire division of the Pakistani Army had been reassigned to protect Chinese workers in Pakistan. The new division is led by a two-star general and comprises 10,000 active duty troops, half of whom are commandos from the Army’s elite Special Services Group (SSG). This raises serious questions about whether Pakistan’s response will exacerbate rather than alleviate simmering resentment. Pakistan already faces ethnic insurgencies in Balochistan, Sindh, and Waziristan, and an increased presence of soldiers deployed against locals could reinforce perceptions that the state does not represent the interests of its citizens.

Separatist groups are not the only ones troubled by CPEC’s implementation. Provincial governments have also been vocally objecting to the parts of the project. The Khyber-Pakhtunkwa government has accused the federal government of depriving the province of its due and demanded that existing energy projects be merged into CPEC. While the government of Balochistan has so far been supportive of CPEC so far, civil society there has been outspoken about their apprehensiveness. Civil society groups in Sindh have also raised objections over how the project is being implemented.

Earlier this year, China felt compelled to step into Pakistani politics and issued a rare public statement expressing dissatisfaction with the inability of different constituencies to resolve their differences over where the money would be spent. Despite reports subsequent reports that all parties had reached consensus, problems continue. Last month, the Khyber Pakhtunkwa provincial government announced that it would refuse to provide land for the Eastern route of the corridor(One of the Reason TSPA wants to take over other than using it as a cash cow) as it believed that the province was not receiving its due share of the investment.Once again, Pakistan’s Army appears to be responding by taking over administration of the project without addressing popular concerns.

General Raheel Sharif, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, announced earlier this year that the Army was “prepared to pay any price” to see CPEC to completion. While Pakistani authorities are keen to recite the $46 billion mantra, little attention has been paid to determining a total price tag for Pakistan that includes social costs and other externalities. CPEC is more than just a windfall for Pakistan which desperately needs the investment in energy and other infrastructure. But the full price of this investment includes more than just labor and materials, and if Pakistan fails to properly adjust for economic realities and social resentment, the civil and military leadership may find that “any price” turns out to be much more than they bargained for.

Peregrine · Post by **Peregrine** » 11 Jun 2016 01:58

China tells world to respect Pakistan’s sovereignty

NEW DELHI / VIENNA: China on Thursday asked the international community to respect Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity nearly three weeks after an American drone strike killed Afghan Taliban chief in Balochistan.

“The international community should fully recognise that and respect Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Hong Lei, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson, said on Thursday.

Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansoor and his chauffeur were killed when the car they were travelling in was targeted in a US drone strike in Naushki district of Balochistan on May 21.

Following a huddle of senior civil and military officials, including Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif and Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, Islamabad said that the drone strike was a clear violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty affecting mutual trust, and undermined the spirit of Afghan peace process.

Hong pointed out that Pakistan’s enormous efforts to combat terrorism and support the Afghan reconciliation process needs to be recognised by the international community.

Speaking about the impact of the drone strike on the four-nation Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) which includes Pakistan Afghanistan, US and China, Lei said all stakeholders must work together.

“The QCG is formed to create enabling conditions for the Afghan reconciliation process. All relevant parties should pull together for that goal.”

China opposes India NSG entry

China is leading opposition to a push by the United States and other major powers for India to join the main club of countries controlling access to sensitive nuclear technology, diplomats said on Thursday as the group discussed India’s membership bid.

At the 48-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) meeting in Vienna on Thursday, some countries opposed to India’s admission to the group appeared more willing to work towards a compromise.

The NSG aims to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons by restricting the sale of items that can be used to make those arms.
Incidentally, it was set up in response to India’s first nuclear tests in 1974.

However, India already enjoys most of the benefits of membership under a 2008 exemption to NSG rules granted to support its nuclear cooperation deal with Washington. The exemption was granted even though India has developed atomic weapons and never signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the main global arms control pact – a major condition for entering the group.

China on Thursday maintained its position that the NPT is central to the NSG, diplomats said.

Despite Beijing’s stance, a handful of other nations including South Africa, New Zealand and Turkey, have softened their stance somewhat, opening the door to a process under which non-NPT states such as India might join, diplomats said.

“There’s movement, including towards a process, but we’d have to see what that process would look like,” one diplomat said after the closed-door talks on Thursday aimed at preparing for an annual NSG plenary meeting in Seoul later this month.

Opponents argue that granting India membership would further undermine efforts to prevent proliferation and that if India is to be admitted, it should be under criteria that apply equally to all states rather than under a “tailor-made” solution for a US ally.

Pakistan, meanwhile, has responded to India’s membership bid with one of its own.

“By bringing India on board, it’s a slap in the face of the entire non-proliferation regime,” a diplomatic source from a country resisting India’s bid said on condition of anonymity.

Washington has been pressuring hold-outs. US Secretary of State John Kerry wrote to members asking them “not to block consensus on Indian admission to the NSG” in a letter seen by Reuters and dated Friday.

India plans to sell cruise missiles

India has stepped up efforts to sell its super-sonic cruise BrahMos missile system to Vietnam and has at least 15 more markets in its sights.

The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ordered BrahMos Aerospace, a company co-owned by the Indian and Russian governments and produces the missiles, to accelerate sales to a list of five countries topped by Vietnam, according to a government note viewed by Reuters and previously unreported. “Talks are going on, there will be a deal,” said BrahMos Aerospace spokesperson Praveen Pathak.

Other potential buyers include Indonesia, South Africa, Chile and Brazil.

The BrahMos, reputed to be the world’s fastest cruise missile with a top speed of up to three times the speed of sound, has a range of 290 kilometres and can be fired from the land, sea and submarine. An air-launched version is under testing.

The unit cost of the missile, fitted on Indian naval ships, is estimated at around $3 million.

Cheers

Peregrine · Post by **Peregrine** » 11 Jun 2016 02:17

Pakistan among least peaceful countries in South Asia: report

Pakistan was the second least peaceful country in South Asia despite making modest improvements over the past year — a year that saw the world become increasingly violent with deaths from conflict at a 25-year high, a report published on Wednesday.

According to 2016 Global Peace Index (GPI), Pakistan’s global ranking improved modestly from 156 in 2015 to 153 in 2016 of 163 countries this year with a score of 3.145. However, the country remained sixth of seven countries in the region, just behind neighbouring war-torn Afghanistan.

Cheers

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 11 Jun 2016 05:04

sudeepj wrote: Wow! Coup is only a few months away. The three idiots on this show are the mouthpieces of ISI and the Army.

My prediction - there will be no more coups.

The army is under attack from ISIS and TTP and the "government" is a fig leaf that they army uses to escape blame. A direct war against the army will start is there is a coup.
..entering page 71 of this thread