Sunni Terrorist Fragments of Unstable Pakistan - March 17, 2017

[SSridhar]

Sharif, Army chief bury the hatchet over leaked report - The Hindu

Does it mean that there is a quid-pro-quo between the PA & Nawaz over the Jadhav Vs. DAWN Leaks issue?

[Falijee]

Falijee, you posted the article about Islamabad Club membership from 2013!!

Saip-ji : Thanks for pointing it out ! posted in error! notation put on posting that "story is old" !

[Falijee]

ICJ to start public hearing of Indian spy Jadhav's case on May 15

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will hold a public hearing on May 15 in the case pertaining to the conviction of Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, a press release issued by the United Nation's judicial body on Wednesday evening said.Earlier this week, India moved the ICJ against Pakistan, accusing the latter of violating the Vienna Convention in the case of the Indian spy, who was handed a death sentence by a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) last month.

The May 15 hearing will be conducted in two phases with the ICJ hearing India's observations in the first phase and Pakistan's observations in the second, the ICJ's press release said.The hearing, which will be conducted at the Peace Palace in The Hague, will be streamed live, the statement by the ICJ further noted. Am sure that by this action, India will put Pakistan on the diplomatic defensive. This move, by India may have caught the Pakis by surprise !

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said that Pakistan is reviewing the move by India to approach the ICJ regarding the Jadhav case. Have they prepared their case in such a short period

[CRamS]

Yesterday, after a long time, I saw an animated K.C.Singh finally make erudite sense. He, along with my man Hardeep Puri demolished that Paki pasand dimwit Jytothi Malhotra and Jihadi MushRatZaidi (how Indian media cannot see this punk as nothing but an ISI mouthpiece is beyond me) bogus arguments against India taking the Jadhav case to ICJ. K.C. Singh gave a good example of Germany Vs US spat and how Germany took that case to the ICJ.

For those who think this was a bad move, I beg to differ. This maybe a bilateral circus between India and TSP, but by taking ICJ, ModiJi has brilliantly undercut TSP's real game plan to use poor Jadhav (whether he was a spy or not) to force India to the negotiating table and discuss all of its brazen demands. They cannot do that at the ICJ. All the arguments will be on strict legal terms pertaining to Jadhav death sentence and nothing else. Also, once again to quote K.C.Singh, India's position is that those bilateral so called disputes with TSP that are not bound by international conventions are outside the jurisdiction of ICJ. But in this case, both India and TSP are bound by Vienna conventions (just as the US and Germany in the case cited by him), and there is absolutely no contradiction or worry that India has watered down its position on no 3rd party mediation in so called bilateral disputes with TSP (for e.g., TSP's machinations on Kashmir valley are not bound by an international convention).

[yensoy]

There is no dilution due to ICJ because it's not "equal-equal": (i) we have always offered consular access to Pakis in Indian hands, (ii) regarding IWT, Pak continues to go to multilateral fora and as of yet we haven't pulled out of it - the threats are moot till we have huge infrastructure in place to divert the waters, (iii) regarding Kashmir, the Simla agreement seals the deal for bilateral negotiation, superseding UN resolution. Other stuff that arises from time to time we can handle on its merits because we have fantastic lawyers which they don't (even if they paid firangis to take their case).

[Falijee]

india-giving-out-false-information-about-icj-passing-orders-over-jhadav-mazari


India giving out false information about ICJ passing orders over Jadhav: Mazari

Dr Shireen Mazari, ( AKA "Madam Jalebi) member Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has said that India is giving out false information about the International Court of Justice (ICJ) having passed orders over Kulbhushan Jadhav.“The fact is that so far no order has been passed. In any case, at best the ICJ can question whether a consular visit would have altered the trial outcome but it cannot actually compel Pakistan to alter the court judgement,” Mizari said in a statement on Thursday. Expressing surprise over India going to the ICJ over its spy Jhadav, she said, “Pakistan’s failure to correct course on optional commitments made in the case of not only the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations but also on the ICJ General Declaration on acceptance of jurisdiction keeps landing Pakistan in embarrassing situations.”

Lot of buzz words but bottom line: Govt of Pakiland did not do their "homework"

“Because Pakistan made itself Party to the Optional Protocol of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, which states that the ICJ can be approached in cases of consular disputes, the present situation has arisen,” she said. However, Mazari pointed out that, “In the case of spies neither Pakistan nor India has either sought consular access or approached the ICJ.” “Why India was so desperate this time leads one to believe that India has a lot at stake in this high profile arrest of a spymaster who was running a whole ring of spies to conduct terrorism within Pakistan?” she asked. Why were trial and other details kept secret from Madam Jalebi and other MNA

But, Mazari demanded that, “Pakistan revisits its consent to the Optional Protocol as many other countries like the USA have done so.” She said, “Given the vitriol being spewed by the Modi government and the possibility of the continuing rise of Hindu extremism in Indian politics as well the rise of extreme right wing leaders in the West, Pakistan cannot leave itself vulnerable on any legal front internationally.” So, she is also "worried" that the "good name of Pakistan" will be sullied in an international forum

Equally critical is the need for Pakistan to withdraw from the General Declaration of acceptance of the ICJ jurisdiction which led the Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI) to take Pakistan along with India and the UK to the ICJ on the nuclear issue when it is the US that has and continues to test nuclear weapons on and fired at the RMI,” she said." Doctor Jalebi", a "scholar " in International Relations from Massaland's Columbia University appears to be a perfect candidate to represent Pakistan at ICJ hearing on May 15, 2017

Mazari also demanded that, “All international treaties should be brought before Parliament for ratification and all international obligations should be put before Parliament.” Trying to embarrass "poor Ganja" , she very well knows that Ganja's hands are tied in this matter and his Govt is not responsible for Paki Foreign policy . She should address her concerns to the Paki Fauj !

[Peregrine]

Pakistan army, ISI pushing Sindh towards civil war: Altaf Hussain.

WASHINGTON: Pakistan's army and spy agency ISI are pushing Sindh province towards a civil war, the head of the country's fourth largest party has alleged and sought the intervention of the UN and the international community.

In a audio message, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain alleged that Pakistan army and ISI have "virtually taken control" of all Pakistan including Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and all Balochistan.

"They have killed hundreds and thousands of innocent Mohajir Balochs and Pashtoons who raised their voice against Punjabi army," London-based Hussain said in the message.

"Now the the world community is realising that Pakistani intelligence agency, ISI has been harbouring the most wanted terrorists including Osama bin Laden, Mullah Omer and Mullah Akhter Mansoor in Pakistan," he said.

He asked "the UN Secretary General and the international community to intervene and use their offices to stop the bloodshed of Mohajirs, Balochs and Pashtoons" in Pakistan.

Hussain said Pakistan Army and ISI are pushing Karachi, Hyderabad and urban centers of Sindh towards a civil war.

"The patience of Mohajir Nation is cutting loose as more than 20,000 Mohajirs have been extra judicially killed in army-led operations which continues since 1992," he said.

Referring to the recent Iranian statement warning Pakistan for safe havens of Taliban, jihadi groups, Hussain said Islamabad is getting isolated by every passing day in the world community.

The MQM, Karachi's biggest political party, is facing a crackdown after its former self-exiled leader Altaf Hussain in London last year delivered an anti-Pakistan speech+ and asked his workers to launch attack on media.

The MQM emerged as a largely ethnic party in the 1980s. It has political dominance in the southern Sindh provinces urban areas - notably in Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas and Sukkur where a large number of urdu-speaking people who migrated from India during partition reside.

Cheers

[Peregrine]

Pakistan sends feelers for Modi-Sharif meet on SCO Sidelines, India mum

NEW DELHI: Pakistan is trying hard, including through backchannels, for a meeting between Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif in Astana on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit on June 8-9. However, New Delhi has yet to accept the proposal, in the backdrop of the incidents along the border and the row over Khulbhushan Jadhav.

Sartaj Aziz, the foreign affairs adviser to Sharif, said a meeting between the two leaders cannot be ruled out on the sidelines of the summit in the Kazak capital. But it was too early to speak about such a meeting, the Nation newspaper cited him as saying on Wednesday.

"Pakistan could consider the meeting if interest was shown from the other side," it quoted him as saying. Aziz said the SCO summit was important as Pakistan would become a permanent member of the organisation.

The report said there was widespread speculation about a possible Sharif-Modi meeting after the Pakistani Prime Minister recently met Indian business tycoon Sajjan Jindal, who "reportedly conveyed a message of the Indian premier to the Pakistani leader".

However, officials here indicated that a meeting, or even a pull aside, between the two PMs seemed unlikely at this stage given the current circumstances. The beheading of Indian soldiers along the Line of Control and Pakistan's intransigence over allowing consular access to Jadhav have worsened the ties between the neighbours.

Aziz told the Nation also that Pakistan was reviewing India's plea against Jadhav's death sentence and also the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice in the case. Hearing of the case in the International Court is scheduled for May 15.

Diplomatic efforts have also been launched to defuse tensions along the borders, the report said, citing unnamed senior Pakistani foreign office officials.

"There have been overt and covert talks with all the countries (Iran, Afghanistan and India)," an official was quoted as saying. Iran and Afghanistan have accused Pakistan of fomenting trouble at their borders and Tehran even threatened to launch action within Pakistan.

"Nobody can afford confrontation, so we are trying to resolve the misunderstandings through talks," the official told the paper, adding that while there had been open talks with Iran and Afghanistan, "backchannels were being used in India's case".

The unnamed Pak official added that if Modi and Sharif do meet on the sidelines of the SCO Summit, "it will be positive to concentrate on the talks process".

Cheers

[Peregrine]

US blames Pakistan for deteriorating Indo-Pak ties

WASHINGTON: The Trump administration today blamed Pakistan for deteriorating Indo-Pak relations and warned that the ties might worsen further if another "high- profile" terrorist attack emanates from across the border this year.

"Islamabad's failure to curb support to anti-India militants and New Delhi's growing intolerance of this policy, coupled with a perceived lack of progress in Pakistan's investigations into the January 2016 Pathankot cross-border attack, set the stage for a deterioration of bilateral relations in 2016," Daniel Coats, director of National Intelligence, told lawmakers during a Congressional hearing.

Testifying before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence along with top intelligence officials, Coats said the relations between India and Pakistan became more tense following two major terrorist attacks in 2016 by militants crossing into India from Pakistan.

"They might deteriorate further in 2017, especially in the event of another high-profile terrorist attack in India that New Delhi attributes to originating in or receiving assistance from Pakistan," Coats said in his testimony before the Senate committee on worldwide threats.

Supporting India's pre-condition for bilateral talks on Islamabad stopping support to cross border terrorism, Coats said increasing numbers of cross-firing along the Line of Control, including the use of artillery and mortars, might aggravate the risk of unintended escalation between the two countries.

"Easing of heightened Indo-Pak tension, including negotiations to renew official dialogue, will probably hinge in 2017 on a sharp and sustained reduction of cross-border attacks by terrorist groups based in Pakistan and progress in the Pathankot investigation," Coats said.

Last year, heavily-armed terrorists sneaked in from across the border and attacked the Pathankot Air Force Station in Punjab. The attack had claimed the lives of seven security personnel while four terrorists were killed.

Coats said Pakistan is concerned about its international isolation due to its dwindling position against India's rising international status, expanded foreign outreach and deepening ties with the US.

"Pakistan will likely turn to China to offset its is isolation, empowering a relationship that will help Beijing to project influence into the Indian Ocean," said the top US intelligence official.

In his remarks ahead of the possible release of the Afghanistan policy of the Trump Administration, he said "Pakistani-based terrorist groups will present a sustained threat to the US interests in the region and continue to plan and conduct attacks in India and Afghanistan."

"The threat to the US and the West from Pakistani-based terrorist groups will be persistent but diffuse. Plotting against the US homeland will be conducted on a more opportunistic basis or driven by individual members within these groups," he told members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

Noting that Pakistan will probably be able to manage its internal security, he said anti-Pakistan groups are likely to focus more on soft targets.

"The groups we judge will pose the greatest threat to Pakistan's internal security include Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan, Jamaat ui-Ahrar, al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent, ISIS-K, Laskhare Jhangvi, and Lashkar-e Jhangvi ai-Aiami," he said, adding that the emerging China Pakistan Economic Corridor will probably offer militants and terrorists additional targets.

"Pakistan's pursuit of tactical nuclear weapons potentially lowers the threshold for their use," Coats warned.

"Early deployment during a crisis of smaller, more mobile nuclear nuclear weapons would increase the amount of time that systems would be outside the relative security of a storage site, increasing the risk that a coordinated attack by non-state actors might succeed in capturing a complete nuclear weapon," he said.

Cheers

[Falijee]

Power Corrupts And Paki Power Projects Corrupt Absolutely !

Power rackets Of Pakiland

IT ought to have been predicted, but everybody was too busy running the sums. Since 2013, the government has gone on a buying spree in the power sector, approving and ‘fast tracking’ new projects with an almost reckless abandon.CPEC Zindabad !

Shortly after coming to power, on Aug 27, 2013 to be precise, the first Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) meeting between Pakistan and China was held in Islamabad, to be followed by five more. Over the course of these meetings, a power-sector investment plan was drawn up with the Chinese under the auspices of CPEC, and in addition to this was a slew of other projects that not only significantly added to our power-generation capacity, but would also turn the fuel mix away from furnace oil towards LNG or coal, with a small addition by renewables. The Chinese were eager to sell second hand maal to Pakistan as it was deemed "environmentally unfriendly" in their own country !

As a result, six coal-fired power plants, on imported coal, were approved. While the world is shifting away from coal, Pakistan is "getting into it"

...the cost of coal transport infrastructure for most of these was so high that the projects would not work under the tariff regime set by Nepra in June 2014. Someone again "forgot" to do the necessary homework

So the government decided, on the spur of the moment, to abandon some of these projects, and ordered the rest converted to imported LNG. Today, only one imported coal plant remains (at Sahiwal),Is Pakistan suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder ( ADD)

But these things are no fun. The real rackets are in power generation, not fuel supply or power transmission, and certainly not in improving governance or recoveries. Everything appears fine and dandy on paper , like the "fictitious" plans prepared for WB and IMF

.

In the meantime, the regulator that had stood in the way of these plants is being dismantled and the power to issue generation licences, it seems, is being handed over to the provincial governments. Sindh is keenly talking about generating power from bagasse, and complaining that Nepra was not allowing them to do so. Bagasse is waste byproduct from sugar mills. Guess who owns most of Sindh’s sugar mills, and you’ll figure out in what direction this racket is going.This is what is happening to our power sector. This is what the grandiose plans announced with fanfare, to end load-shedding by 2018, have come to. Rackets for all.

So again the Aam Abduls are taken for a ride !

[Falijee]

pakistan/nawaz-jindal-meeting-part-of-backchannel-diplomacy-govt-tells-army/

ISLAMABAD – The recent meeting between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Indian business tycoon Sajjan Jindal had fueled intense speculations and heated debate in the country.However, according to BBC Urdu, PM Sharif had taken COAS Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa into confidence on his recent meeting with Jindal.The report said that the civil leadership had informed the military authorities that the PM’s meeting with an Indian business tycoon, who is close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was a part of backchannel diplomacy. It was further informed that the businessman had the backing of some important Indian officials for his meeting with the prime minister to defuse ongoing tension between the two neighbouring countries.The military leadership also took its officials into confidence on the meeting. The COAS told his officers that the meeting was a part of backchannel diplomacy.
The report said the only detail of the meeting the PM shared with his aides ( So, Ganja, the shrews "dehati politico" is keeping the cards very close to his chest. But are Bajwa and Ganja on the same page . Did Ganja , on "interrogation" divulge "everything" that went on between him and Jindal )was that Jindal was making efforts to defuse tension between India and Pakistan.

[Falijee]

Islam, Islam And More Islam Is The Answer

People smoking, eating openly during Ramazan to face 3-month imprisonment

ISLAMABAD – The Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs on Wednesday unanimously approved the Ehtram-e-Ramazan (Amendment) Bill, 2017 under which people who will smoke or eat openly during Ramazan will be fined Rs500 along with 3-month imprisonment.According to the bill, fine for the hotel owners – violating the Ehtram-e-Ramazan Ordinance, 1981 – has been increased from Rs500 to Rs25,000 but a hefty fine Rs500,000 or more has been recommended for TV channels or cinema houses, violating the law.The amendment bill was introduced by Senator Tanveer Khan in the Senate sitting held on January 16 and was referred to the Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs for further consideration.

During the meeting, Tanveer requested the committee to take strict action against people who violate the law during Ramazan. Earlier the committee members suggested closing down cinema houses for three hours early in the morning and later for three hours after Iftar during Ramazan.But Minister of State for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Pir Amin Ul Hasnat Shah went a mile more and suggested that all the cinema houses across the country should remain closed throughout the holy month. So, a game of "oneupmanship" is under way as to who is the biggest cheerleader for Malsi

Pir Amin Ul Hasnat Shah disclosed an interesting information that the federal government had not allocated any dedicated budget for the Ruet-e-Hilal committee due to which its chairman along with its members were working without salary and perks since the committee was constituted in 1974. Islam for hire

“They believe that the role of the committee is not much as it only functions three to four times throughout the year. They forget that this committee has a major role to play as it announces most important religious events for the entire nation,” he said.Shah said even when the chairman and committee members travel to other cities on an official visit they only get air ticket and stay at a 2-star hotel.“They do not get any TA/DA. Meanwhile, they also do not have money to load credit in their cell phones to do office work,” he added. Should they even be "thinking" of these material things when they are performing "sawab" in the service of Malsi

[yensoy]

pakistan/nawaz-jindal-meeting-part-of-backchannel-diplomacy-govt-tells-army/

ISLAMABAD – The recent meeting between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Indian business tycoon Sajjan Jindal had fueled intense speculations and heated debate in the country.However, according to BBC Urdu, PM Sharif had taken COAS Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa into confidence on his recent meeting with Jindal.The report said that the civil leadership had informed the military authorities that the PM’s meeting with an Indian business tycoon, who is close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was a part of backchannel diplomacy. It was further informed that the businessman had the backing of some important Indian officials for his meeting with the prime minister to defuse ongoing tension between the two neighbouring countries.The military leadership also took its officials into confidence on the meeting. The COAS told his officers that the meeting was a part of backchannel diplomacy.
The report said the only detail of the meeting the PM shared with his aides ( So, Ganja, the shrews "dehati politico" is keeping the cards very close to his chest. But are Bajwa and Ganja on the same page . Did Ganja , on "interrogation" divulge "everything" that went on between him and Jindal )was that Jindal was making efforts to defuse tension between India and Pakistan.

Kerry/Lugar are the ones keeping Sharif in power and preventing Bajwa from staging a coup. Sharif knows it and probably dared Bajwa given the open secret that they don't see eye-to-eye, especially on a domain where one should be the master but the other is (relations with India).

What can Bajwa do? He can't directly take over but he can make Sharif disappear (figuratively or literally) and replace him with someone else. IK or Zardari are the only 2 in play, the third option could be an islamist coalition.

We need to proactively cut deals with IK and Zardari; or catch them in compromising positions (do our own Panama leaks investigation) and then push Sharif to take on Bajwa. If the general forces a regime change, the new regime should be equally in our pockets as the old one was - IK can be promised a cricket series, Zardari can be promised his usual 10%. If general instead props the Jihadis from taking over, that's perfect for us. Pak set back by another 10 years.

[CRamS]

US blames Pakistan for deteriorating Indo-Pak ties

"Easing of heightened Indo-Pak tension, including negotiations to renew official dialogue, will probably hinge in 2017 on a sharp and sustained reduction of cross-border attacks by terrorist groups based in Pakistan and progress in the Pathankot investigation," Coats said.

So 26/11 is off the radar and forgotten?

[Falijee]

As expected !


Now, Beijing deletes envoy’s suggestion to rename China-Pakistan corridor

[arun]

^^^ News already posted and x-posted 3 days ago on the “Analyzing CPEC”,” OBOR, Chinese Strategy and Implications” and “China Watch Thread-I” threads.

[arun]

Islam, Islam And More Islam Is The Answer

People smoking, eating openly during Ramazan to face 3-month imprisonment

...................{Rest Snipped}......................

Whatever happened to claims by adherents of Mohammaddenism that theirs is a belief surfeit with tolerance and indeed the very epitome of tolerance on the basis that Surah Al-Baqarah 2:256 (Click For Surah 2:256) of the Mohammadden text of Quran aka Koran states something to the effect that there shall be no compulsion in Mohammaddensm

For a belief system that constantly touts itself as being The Belief of “Peace” it is greatly dissonant to yet again see the resort to coercion to get their own adherents to follow their own laid down directives .

[arun]

X Posted from the Pakistani Role In Global Terrorism thread.

Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community to the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence by Daniel R. Coats, the US’ Director of National Intelligence dated May 11,2017.

Finds that the Mohammadden Terrorist fomenting Islamic Republic of Pakistan poses a Mohammadden Terrorism Threat to India, Afghanistan and the US.

The US also needlessly frets that that Jihadi’s could get hold of a tactical nuclear weapon raising the old nightmare of JDAM aka Jihadi Directed Munition when the Jihadi’s already have ull control of nukes given that the Uniformed Jihadi’s of the Mohammadden Terrorism Fomenting Islamic Republic of Pakistan’s Punjabi Dominated Army fully controlls the Islamic Republics nuclear arsenal sans civilian control:

Extract from page 24 and 25:

Pakistan

Pakistani-based terrorist groups will present a sustained threat to US interests in the region and continue to plan and conduct attacks in India and Afghanistan. The threat to the United States and the West from Pakistani-based terrorist groups will be persistent but diffuse. Plotting against the US homeland will be conducted on a more opportunistic basis or driven byindividual members within these groups.

Pakistan will probably be able to manage its internal security. Anti-Pakistan groups will probably focus more on soft targets. The groups we judge will pose the greatest threat to Pakistan's internal security include Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan, Jamaat ui-Ahrar, ai-Qa'ida in the Indian Subcontinent, iSIS-K, Laskhare Jhangvi, and Lashkar-e Jhangvi ai-Aiami. The emerging China Pakistan Economic Corridor will probably offer militants and terrorists additional targets.

Pakistan's pursuit of tactical nuclear weapons potentially lowers the threshold for their use. Early deployment during a crisis of smaller, more mobile nuclear weapons would increase the amount of time that systems would be outside the relative security of a storage site, increasing the risk that a coordinated attack by non-state actors might succeed in capturing a complete nuclear weapon.

From here:

Clicky

[arun]

X Posted from the Pakistani Role In Global Terrorism thread.

Extract from the Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community to the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence by Daniel R. Coats, the US’ Director of National Intelligence dated May 11,2017 on the US take on India-Pakistan relations:

The US puts down the deterioration in India-Pakistan relations to Mohammadden Terrorism fomented by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan:.

India-Pakistan

Relations between India and Pakistan remain tense following two major terrorist attacks in 2016 by militants crossing into India from Pakistan. They might deteriorate further in 2017, especially in the event of another high-profile terrorist attack in India that New Delhi attributes to originating in or receiving assistance from Pakistan. Islamabad's failure to curb support to anti-India militants and New Delhi's growing intolerance of this policy, coupled with a perceived lack of progress in Pakistan's investigations into the January 2016 Pathankot cross-border attack, set the stage for a deterioration of bilateral relations in 2016. Increasing numbers of firefights along the Line of Control, including the use of artillery and mortars, might exacerbate the risk of unintended escalation between these nuclear-armed neighbors.

Easing of heightened Indo-Pakistani tension, including negotiations to renew official dialogue, will probably hinge in 2017 on a sharp and sustained reduction of cross-border attacks by terrorist groups based in Pakistan and progress in the Pathankot investigation.

From here:

Clicky

[V_Raman]

Why is Pak so desperate to somehow show that there are talks going on with India - back channel Jindal etc. ?

[Kashi]

Why is Pak so desperate to somehow show that there are talks going on with India - back channel Jindal etc. ?

It's not Pakistan, it is Nawaz. He's probably attempting to pre-empt an in coming coup or deposition and claim that he was deposed because he wanted friendly relations with India against TSPA's wishes.

[Aditya_V]

Why is Pak so desperate to somehow show that there are talks going on with India - back channel Jindal etc. ?

This happened during ABV times also, they fell thier balls are being squeezed, so they want to show to Indians BJP=INC when it comes to Pakistan. Every point will be used by them to bring Left-INC back. It is for the Narendra Modi's here not to fall in the Jindal/ Nawaz trap if he is smart enough.

[pankajs]

I am not sure if this is a *Jindal/Nawaz" trap. Per one report, Indian GOI has not disowned the meeting but rather has remained silent on it.

Take the case of breaking all relation with Bakistan and shutting down each others embassy as advocated by some on this very forum. Has the present GOI shown even the slightest inclination?

Then there was the case of a private members bill to declare Bakistan a terrorist state. Was is taken up or anyway supported by the current GOI? IIRC, it was the present GOI that actively discouraged that bill.

What I mean to say is that all GOIs including this one will keep lines of communication, both formal and informal, open with Bakistan no matter what. That is the nature of diplomacy. That does not mean talks but Lines of communication (Both formal and informal) will be kept open. Jindal as well *might* have gone to Bakistan at Modi's behest to pass on some message to Nawaz. At least I don't consider that possibility as shocking or blasphemy or climbdown for Modi/BJP.

[Aditya_V]

Yes but meeting Nawaz /Paki will be morale downer for troops on LOC and those fighting Miltancy. It is an extremly unwise thing to do as PM of this country. This was a singular issue of which much of RW did not turn up to vote in 2004. Hope Modi keeps the morale of his soldiers is more important than statesmanship BS>

[partha]

Why is Pak so desperate to somehow show that there are talks going on with India - back channel Jindal etc. ?

It's not Pakistan, it is Nawaz. He's probably attempting to pre-empt an in coming coup or deposition and claim that he was deposed because he wanted friendly relations with India against TSPA's wishes.

No. I think Jindal-Nawaz meeting was initiated by India. I believe it's something to do with Jadhav which is the right thing to do here. In Kannada there is a proverb - if you want your work done, fall at the feet of a donkey if you have to. Getting Jadhav out is important. Whatever it takes.

[Peregrine]

Revisiting the art of all-around war

“Ultimate excellence lies not in winning every battle but in defeating the enemy without ever fighting. The highest form of warfare is to attack (the enemy’s) strategy itself” – Sun Tzu: The Art of War

“Politics is the continuation of war by other means” – Carl von Clausewitz)

These two quotes from top military scientists reflect upon our self-defeating art of war that has caused tremendous harm to our poor country. Despite not winning any war or having ‘won’ at our own cost, we continue to adhere to the security paradigms that failed to achieve our principal objectives.

The first Kashmir war was half-won half-lost, according to General Akbar Khan. With the boomeranging of Operation Gibraltar, the 1965 war was lost, according to Gen Aslam Beg and Air Martial Asghar Khan. The 1970 war was lost on both fronts, resulting in the surrender of our armed forces in the then East Pakistan and dismemberment of the country, according to the Hamoodur Rahman Commission Report. The CIA-led Afghan War of hired Mujahideen did force the Soviets to exit but failed to evict Najeebullah’s government till the Geneva Accord was signed by PM Junejo and resulted in an internecine conflict in Afghanistan and the jihadisation of the Pakistani state and society. The extension of jihad to Indian-held Kashmir fuelled a perpetual Indo-Pak tension that adversely affected the Kashmiris’ indigenous and peaceful struggle for self-determination. Lastly, the price for the Kargil misadventure by General Musharraf had to be paid by the elected government in ensuring the safe passage for our soldiers’ return. All these failed wars were solely decided by military leaders either without the consent of, or without consultation with, the political leadership.

Matters of warfare have now been extended to all fronts, with varying degrees and various forms, and against all our neighbours – with the noble exception of China – due to either our own stupidity or the short-sightedness of others. A self-serving militaristic narrative is again being pumped up, this time against Iran, which provided us exceptional strategic depth during the 1965 and 1970 wars. It was first a tweet that embarrassed visiting President Rouhani, implicating Iran in RAW agent Kulbhushan Yadav’s terrorist operations against Pakistan and now gangster Uzair Baloch is being tried for his connections with the Iranian intelligence. The killing of the Iranian Pasdaran – an act which was owned by the Jaish ul-Adal, an offshoot of Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, Jandal and Jandal ul Alami based in Balochistan – caused so much anger in Iran that Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif’s visit to Pakistan failed to alleviate Iran’s suspicions.

The fact is that Pakistan’s entry into the Wahabi-Saudi-led anti-Shia anti-Ajam military alliance and General Raheel Sharif’s arbitrary decision to become its commander has drawn a line of animosity with Iran, regardless of our flimsy pretext of mediation between the two rivals in the Middle East. Like in the past, the national consensus reached in parliament against becoming a party to the conflict in the Middle East was ignored. And not only did we jump on the Saudi bandwagon, but General Raheel Sharif also became its chief. A very hard-hitting attack by Prince Mohammed bin Salman against Iran infuriated the Iranian leadership which responded in the same coin. And for the first time in our history, the Iranian army chief Gen Mohammed Baqeri issued a rare warning that Iran would pursue terrorists and their hideouts on Pakistani soil. Similar tough statements were issued by the Iranian leadership even in the presence of Pakistan’s parliamentary delegation in Tehran.

Due to deep suspicions about Afghanistan’s collaboration with RAW for subversion in Pakistan and about Iran due to its facilitation of Chabahar Port for trade with India, our strategists are inclined to put both our western neighbours in the Indian camp. If India’s strategy is to build a regional alliance against Pakistan, should we be becoming a pawn in that strategy or, as Sun Tzu said, “Attack the enemy strategy and the next to attack (his) alliances”.

We ignore the fact that the Chabahar Port is to be linked with the Gwadar Port and that the Chinese are the biggest importers of Iranian oil and gas via Chabahar. We should also keep in mind that Afghanistan’s security is linked to Pakistan and vice versa. Our strategy should have been to take all possible measures that could neutralise whatever Indian influence is being used against us and should have used our advantages to secure mutually reinforcing security across our borders with both Afghanistan and Iran.

Like it or not, we are at war with all neighbours, despite China’s advice against it and the civilian leaderships’ aversion to an exclusively militaristic approach. The weakness of successive governments allowed over-developed and over-powering security structures to scuttle all possible diplomatic, psychological and political initiatives to avert isolation. Rather, successive elected governments were dubbed as ‘security risks’. Even now the incumbent elected government, however compromised it may have become, is in trouble for advising a course out of diplomatic isolation. Civil-military relations are extremely tilted against the constitutional writ of the government.

Over the decades, Pakistan has evolved into a national security state. Years of jihad have turned it into a kind of ‘warrior state’ that is reinforced by the perpetuation of conflicts within and with our neighbours, even though we did not have an entirely friendly neighbourhood. Yet we could have turned around an adversarial environment to our relative advantage. We see the whole world through the prism of our enmity with India, which is flawed. We must take a leaf from Sino-Indian model of maintaining good relations while sticking to respective positions driven by national interests. With the rise and continuity of the Kashmiri intifada, the Kashmiris don’t need any solidarity from jihadi outfits which bring a bad name to their indigenous democratic struggle. We need to revisit our Afghan policy that has alienated all Afghans from us. The situation can be turned around swiftly, if we strictly follow our stated policy of not distinguishing between good and bad Taliban, and not allow the misuse of our soil against Iran, Afghanistan and India.

The statement given by the Chinese ambassador to India must be taken seriously, in the best interest of our region. The fundamental issue is: who decides our security and foreign policies – and that needs to be drastically changed. Politicians must rise above petty differences to set a new national security paradigm and foreign policy that paves the way for mutually beneficial relations with neighbours, the peaceful resolution of conflicts and the economic sustainability and social security of our people.

All organs of the executive must seek guidance from the collective wisdom of our parliament and all decisions on security and related foreign policy issues must be decided by the Cabinet committee on security, which should be answerable to parliament.

Cheers

[Peregrine]

Jummah Celebrated with with Islamic Force, Piety and Vigour in Mastung

At least four people are dead and many others feared injured in an explosion in Balochistan's Mastung area near a mosque on Friday shortly after jummah prayers.

Cheers

[anupmisra]

Good morning. It is Fridin and you know what that means...

Deputy Senate Chairman Hyderi's convoy hit by explosion in Mastung, 10 killed

At least 10 people have been killed and many others injured in an explosion in Balochistan's Mastung area near a mosque shortly after Friday prayers.

Deputy Chairman Senate Abdul Ghafoor Hyderi's convoy was the worst hit in the attack. The explosion occurred right as Hyderi's convoy was exiting a local mosque.

The majority of the injured are party workers of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F).

AoA!

https://www.dawn.com/news/1332670/deput ... -10-killed

[anupmisra]

Party shut down in Lahore after cleric threatens 'consequences'

Police shut down a party at a Lahore water park on Saturday, May 6, allegedly after a cleric threatened to attack it in a phone call to the area station house officer (SHO).

The cleric, in a phone call, identified himself as the president of the Sunni Tehreek's Lahore division Mujahid Abdul Rasool Khan, was heard telling the area SHO to, "shut the party down, as you will be the one facing the consequences for it."

"This is Pakistan, not India,

Police subsequently intervened and stopped the party at midnight.

Over 3,000 guests were at the event organised by Mango Entertainment

Who says there is no fun in malsi?

https://www.dawn.com/news/1332666/party ... nsequences

[Falijee]

^ ^^^

Once again shows example of "Mullah Power" !!!!
Ramzan approaching ? Preparations in advance

[Falijee]

Indian national Uzma asks IHC for travel documents, security on journey back home

Declaring her husband and the FO as parties to the case, Uzma declared the diplomatic enclave in the Indian High Commission as her residence.

Read: Indian national Uzma will not be repatriated until legal requirements are completed: FO

It will not be "so easy" for her "leave Pakistan " soon! Hope others will learn a lesson from her "experience" !

[anupmisra]

Update: 21 killed, over 30 hurt (and a million momeens miffed). Wait for the counter reaction on the Shias.

https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/20404 ... er-30-hurt

[Falijee]

Ready to go to India for series despite security threats: PCB chairman

Shows the extent of his desperation for "kirket" with India to replenish the empty coffers of the PCB !

[Falijee]

Chief justice take a suo motu notice of Bahria Enclave stage collapse incident

hief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar has taken notice of the stage collapse incident at a Bahria Town housing project ( a fauji venture )in which more than 100 people were injured, a press release issued by the Supreme Court said Friday.

The recording of a TV show hosted by ARY was underway at Bahria Enclave, a housing society of Bahria Town, in the Nilor area on April 28 ( CJP was "sleeping" for 14 days, because of fauji pressure ) when the stage on which a number of people were sitting collapsed.

"The notice was taken on media reports that two people were killed and dozens of others were injured ( earlier press reports indicated that dozens were killed and hundreds were injured !) after a stage collapsed," the press release said.

"Instead of providing medical aid to the injured people, most of the management staff escaped from the site and turned off the lights that made it difficult to carry out rescue activities," it added. fauji pressure !

The apex court's press release said the Islamabad administration allegedly seemed reluctant to take action in accordance with law after the incident and "remained silent spectator in the whole episode". fauji pressure !

Shows extent of fauji power in Pakiland !!

[arun]

Jummah Celebrated with with Islamic Force, Piety and Vigour in Mastung

At least four people are dead and many others feared injured in an explosion in Balochistan's Mastung area near a mosque on Friday shortly after jummah prayers.

Cheers

Good morning. It is Fridin and you know what that means...

Deputy Senate Chairman Hyderi's convoy hit by explosion in Mastung, 10 killed

At least 10 people have been killed and many others injured in an explosion in Balochistan's Mastung area near a mosque shortly after Friday prayers.

Deputy Chairman Senate Abdul Ghafoor Hyderi's convoy was the worst hit in the attack. The explosion occurred right as Hyderi's convoy was exiting a local mosque.

The majority of the injured are party workers of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F).

AoA!

https://www.dawn.com/news/1332670/deput ... -10-killed

4, 10, 20, .................

The death toll in this Green on Green Intra-Mohammadden demonstration of the IEDology of Pakistan on the Mohammadden Sabbath of Friday has rapidly climbed to 20 as the Mohammadden Terrorism Fomenting Islamic Republic reaps the whirlwind of Mohammadden Terrorism it sowed in the hope of intimidating India and other neighbouring countries.

I suspect that going forward we will find that this bombing is a case of a Mohammadden belief motivated group trying to demonstrate that they are even more pure than a high personage like a Maulana in the Mohammadden belief system not to mention that they are also more pure than a Mohammadden belief system motivated outfit like Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) (JUI-F) in the Land of the Pure:

Over 20 killed, deputy chairman Senate injured in Mastung blast

[Falijee]

Friday Panic At Isloo Office On "How To Deal With ICJ"

Huddle on Indian spy’s fate held at AGP office

ISLAMABAD - An important meeting was held in the Attorney General of Pakistan’s office on Kulbhushan Jadhav’s fate in view of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) order. Sources shared with The Nation that the meeting was attended by foreign secretary, law secretary, JAG branch officials and other stakeholders. It is learnt that the meeting continued for more than five hours. However, it was decided that all representatives will again meet today to take final decision on legal strategy.Kulbhushan Jadhav was awarded death sentence by a military court in Pakistan on April 10. India moved the ICJ against Pakistan, taking the plea that Islamabad has violated the Vienna Convention in the case of Kulbhushan Jadhav. According to Indian media, the ICJ has stayed the Jadhav’s execution.According to Ahmer Bilal Soofi, an expert in international laws, it is incorrect to say that India has been granted ‘stay’ by the ICJ. He said that according to the Rules of the Court, interim relief can only be given once the application for provisional measures has been decided by the court.Under Article 74 of the ICJ Rules, no provisional measure can be granted without an oral hearing involving both parties. This would involve the ICJ notifying all parties and setting dates for oral hearings before the court, he said. India has pleaded before the ICJ that on April 20 it had asked for consular access to Jadhav for the 15th time. India still awaits formal response from Pakistan to its two demands – consular access and details of the trial proceedings against Jadhav.

Do they have "competent people" ( on such a short notice ) to represent Pakiland at this hearing , which press reports indicated, will be "broadcast live" on May 15, 2017

[Peregrine]

The Indian threat is real

Research carried at the Belfer Centre for Science and International Affairs by Dr Mansoor Ahmed has shown how India is expanding its unsafeguarded nuclear power programme in a three-stage plan. New Delhi has already declared construction of various types of nuclear reactors. This capacity is going to produce excess amount of fissile material, other than required for fuelling the breeder and naval reactors programmes.

Over the next decade, India will be able to supersede China, France and the UK in nuclear weapons capability to become the third behind the US and Russia.

The study postulates India is already working to install more than five fast breeder reactors which will increase its weapons-grade plutonium production capacity by 20 times to 700kg every year. Similarly, expansion in its centrifuge enrichment programme will enable it to increase production of highly enriched uranium for nuclear weapons to 160kg every year. With such an amount of weapons-grade material, India can anytime produce approximately 80 to 90 plutonium-based and 7 to 8 uranium-based nuclear weapons every year.

This study has exploded the myth that Pakistan has the world’s fastest growing nuclear weapons programme. Factually, India has paced up the construction and planning of nuclear facilities to stockpile the weapons-grade material for later use in military modernisation programmes. Several Indian analysts and policymakers are of the view that India needs a strategic force of over 300-400 nuclear weapons. So, New Delhi has deliberately kept its fast breeder reactors, and a large part of its so-called civil nuclear programme out of the safeguards and monitoring of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). India will seek to produce many more nuclear warheads without IAEA monitoring, in order to acquire the policy of full nuclear triad.

India can produce over 2,600 weapons, while Pakistan can only produce 207. India therefore has the fastest growing nuclear programme outside safeguards among any other non-NPT nuclear states.

Lastly, the study recommended that NSG nations should advise membership criteria for non-NPT countries after “verifiable separation” through IAEA safeguards on any material or facility designated as “civilian.” Moreover, Pakistan is left with no option other than to consider India’s full potential to make nuclear weapons, including military and civilian stocks. This research fully describes the potential of Indian vertical nuclear proliferation and threat perception associated with unsafeguarded nuclear fuel cycle.

Various nuclear suppliers signed the nuclear cooperation agreements with India, on condition of peaceful use of nuclear material. Though it seems the material provided by these countries is going to be used again in weapons for the Indian military expansion doctrine. It is also probably drastically high of developing and testing a thermonuclear device for quality check in order to achieve, what India couldn’t in 1998.

Dr Bharat Karnad, a security expert at the Centre for Policy Research, believes that India has weapons grade plutonium in its possession. All India needs is it to be reprocessed, according to Dr Karnad. Several segments in India are also in favour of switching the nuclear posture to comprehensive nuclear first strike. Such developments have increased the threat perception in Islamabad, because a large chunk of the new Indian military doctrine is Pakistan centric.

Today where India stands is because of the US and the waiver it received in the form of civil nuclear deal. Analysing the economic and political gains, the US wants to give India the membership of NSG but doing so will originate the nuclear disparity and inclusion without verifiable and reliable measures, irreversibly destroying the international customs of nuclear nonproliferation, instead of strengthening it. Both neighbours should be included in NSG criteria based, otherwise nuclear disparity will only add tensions to security challenges.

Cheers

[anupmisra]

The argumentative paki.

PIA officer gets into physical tussle with security officials at Jinnah International Airport

PIA Human Resource Officer Ruqaiyya Soomro hitting three ASF officers with her bare hands near the entrance to the domestic departure lounge

The PIA officer had reportedly tried to enter the departure lounge with an expired identification card

According to Soomro, the ASF guard who stopped her had put his hands on her "inappropriately".

The ASF guard involved in the incident has filed a first information report at the Airport Police Station against the PIA officer, stating the woman was "creating a hindrance for an official, stopping him from performing his duty."

Didn't the momeen do his "duty" when he put his hands on her "inappropriately"?

https://www.dawn.com/news/1332674/pia-o ... al-airport

[Vikas]

Get ready for grandstanding, fist showing and 'Bhutto in UN' moment from ICJ and eventual declaration of victory by Pakis.
I still feel that Sh.KJ is not coming back alive.

[Falijee]

RAPE Paki Ayesha "Comes Out Swinging" Against Food And Drink Ban During Ramzan

Bakhtawar criticises law forbidding public eating during Ramazan, says 'this is not Islam'
The Express Tribune > Pakistan

Perturbed by legislation making eating in public during Ramazan a jailable offence, Bakhtawar Bhutto took to Twitter to condemn the rule.The daughter of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto said the rule is not consistent with Islam as scores of people will die of dehydration, fearing punishment from the authorities.“People are going to die from heat stroke and dehydration with this ridiculous law. Not everyone is able. This is not Islam,” she wrote.Should she be making this kind of a statement , when dad ( Dus-Percenti) and Bro ( Bilawal) are in "election mode" and are courting the votes of Aam Abduls , who will be "ticked off" when reading this "almost blasphemous statement" . The Mullahs will almost certainly take advantage and label her and her family as "western agents"

The Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs on Wednesday unanimously approved the Ehtram-e-Ramazan (Amendment) Bill, 2017 under which fine for the hotel owners – violating the Ehtram-e-Ramazan Ordinance, 1981 – has been increased from Rs500 to Rs25,000. People who smoke, eat openly during Ramazan face 3-month imprisonment.People who smoke or eat in public during Ramazan can be fined Rs500 and imprisoned for up to three months. TV channels or cinema houses that violate the law will be fined Rs500,000 or more.Soon after Bakhtawar posted her tweet about the law, it received mixed opinions from the social media users.While many lauded her for speaking up against the rule, others mocked her and the PPP Sindh government for their ‘indifference’ towards poverty. IMO- I could be wrong- the "zest for Malsi" is at its peak during the last seven days, before the "holy month" sets in . Tempers flare ( specially in the summer months !) and the josh-o- farosh of the Paki Mullahs is something to be awed upon . Minorities better stay indoors 24/7 during this period