Terroristan - October 8, 2018

[Peregrine]

Assad Umar notified about rupee devaluation in advance - Shahbaz Rana

ISLAMABAD: There seems to be a communication gap between the Prime Minister’s Office and the Finance Ministry, as the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) governor had informed the finance minister about rupee devaluation well before time, contrary to what Prime Minister Imran Khan claimed on Monday.

The miscommunication may now cost the central bank its independence. In an interaction with anchorpersons, the prime minister on Monday said he has now instructed the SBP not to take any decision on exchange rate without first informing him.

The PM’s decision to interfere in the affairs of the central bank could create more problems for the Finance Ministry during its next possible round of talks with the International Monitory Fund (IMF) for a bailout package.

Giving autonomy to the SBP is one of the conditions of last two IMF programmes. The SBP’s autonomy has also been at the centre during the staff-level talks between Pakistan and IMF that ended inconclusively last month.

The PM’s outburst against the central bank came amid rumours that Finance Minister Asad Umar has offered to resign from his post due to differences on policy issues with the party. However, the Finance Ministry strongly rejected the reports, terming them ‘fake’.

The SBP devalued the rupee by 3.8%, or Rs5.06, to an all-time low at Rs139.05 to the greenback in the inter-bank market on its last working day of the week, Friday.

It hit record intra-day low of Rs144 in the early hours of the day. On Monday, the rupee regained some of its lost value and closed at Rs137.69 to a dollar –an appreciation of 1%.

The premier said he only came to know about the sudden increase in dollar’s value through the television, adding that the SBP took the decision without taking the government into confidence.

“I did not like the SBP decision. It should have delayed the move or staggered the deprecation,” said Imran Khan. He said the currency devaluation diverted the public debate away from his government’s 100 day performance.

Khan said the currency decline was a temporary phenomenon and that the country’s economic indicators stayed positive. Pakistan’s exports are going to improve further. The single most important thing is investment and Pakistan is progressing towards that goal as per plan, he added.

“I have instructed the SBP that in future no decision shall be taken on currency movement without first informing me,” he said.

However, sources said the SBP Governor Tariq Bajwa took Finance Minister Asad Umar into confidence well in time. The understanding between them was that it would be gradual adjustment but the central bank could not execute the plan as per discussion, said the sources.

Neither the finance minister nor the SBP governor responded when contacted. The SBP also increased the interest rates by 1.50% in a single go to 10%, which would increase the government’s debt servicing cost besides making loans expensive for the private sector.

The PM’s desire to bring the central bank under his thumb is not only against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) manifesto but also in violation of the SBP Act of 1956. The law gives autonomy to the central bank to determine the exchange rate policy.

However, historically the central bank governors have remained subservient to the finance ministers. During the past almost three years, the SBP injected $7 billion in the currency market to artificially defend the value of the rupees.

The incumbent SBP governor and his predecessor were pumping dollars in the market with the consent of the finance ministers to artificially defend the value of the rupee. The sources said there was a lack of transparency in the central bank on the issue of currency market interventions.

They said that all the transactions of the central bank were not transparent. The work has already begun to workout mechanism where the federal government may have formal role in determination of the exchange rate.

Cheers

[sanjaykumar]

A banana republic without any bananas.

[Peregrine]

Cheers

[anupmisra]

A banana republic without any bananas.

Livestock nation without bananas. No “republic” here.

[Peregrine]

Pakistan using Taliban as hedge against India: US commander - PTI

WASHINGTON: Days after US President Donald Trump sought Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's help in the Afghan
peace process, a top American commander has told lawmakers that Islamabad's policy seems to be unchanged and it continues to use the Taliban as a hedge against India.

"Pakistan is an essential element in long-term stability in Afghanistan," Marine Corps Lt Gen Kenneth McKenzie Jr told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday during his confirmation hearing for commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM).

Pakistan could play a key role in facilitating talks between the Taliban and government of Afghanistan, he said, adding, "I would welcome that development.

At this time, however, Pakistan does not appear to be using the full extent of its influence to encourage the Taliban to come to the table."

"We continue to see the Taliban being utilised as a hedge against India rather than as part of a stable, reconciled Afghanistan," McKenzie told the lawmakers during his confirmation hearing.

His answers to the Senate Armed Services Committee in response to a set of written questions come a day after it became public that Trump has written a letter to Imran Khan, seeking his help in the Afghan peace process.

"President Trump sent a letter to Prime Minister Khan, requesting Pakistan's full support to the US-led Afghan peace process and Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad’'s upcoming trip to the region," a spokesperson of the National Security Council, White House, said.

"In the letter, the President recognises that Pakistan has the ability to deny the Taliban sanctuary on its territory," the spokesperson said.

"The letter also makes it clear that Pakistan's assistance with the Afghan peace process is fundamental to building an enduring US-Pakistan partnership," the spokesperson said.

McKenzie told lawmakers that he did not see much of a change in Pakistan's behaviour towards Afghanistan or its stand against terrorist groups.

Despite Pakistan's positive rhetoric in support of the South Asia Strategy, violent extremist organisations (VEOs) operate along its border with Afghanistan, he said.

While Pakistan has conducted some operations against VEOs in the country, they must continue to expand these operations and remain aggressively engaged, McKenzie said.

"Taking concrete steps that deny VEO safe havens in Pakistan, as well as VEO freedom of movement from Pakistan to Afghanistan, remains an important ask that Pakistan needs to fulfil. Pakistan must leverage their influence over the Taliban leadership to help compel them to come to the table for reconciliation negotiations," he added.

McKenzie said the US CENTCOM would continue to support the State Department as it works towards a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Afghanistan which includes ensuring that Islamabad's equities are acknowledged in any future agreement.

Pakistan's action or inaction, as it relates to stability in Afghanistan, has often led to US's frustration, he said, adding that stability in the South Asia region remains the most important mutual strategic interest for both the US and Pakistan.

"We must continue to engage with the Pakistani leadership to realise how we can achieve this mutual interest," McKenzie said.

[nam]

So fundamentally back to square one, as expected.

The IMF loan will be sanctioned and aid will start again. The drama continues.

[menon s]

We are not willing to commit our troops in Afghanistan, and expect United States to take a stand, conducive to ours! The 6BN worth unmovable heavy defensive material, at bagram and other places, thats what the Pak army wants, when the Americans leave. They will have it, unless a Ojhri kind of thing happens.

[Kashi]

We are not willing to commit our troops in Afghanistan, and expect United States to take a stand, conducive to ours!

The thing is that it's not just conducive to ours but conducive to United Sates as well. A fact they acknowledge, but always shy away form pulling the trigger.

The deep state is not just a fictional construct.

[Peregrine]

Jo Terroristani La Hore mein G HYPHEN ANDU woh Courbevoie mein bhi G HYPHEN ANDU

Pakistani man held as teacher stabbed to death at French university

A Pakistani man was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of stabbing to death a teacher outside a university in the Paris suburbs, a police source said.

The 66-year-old teacher was stabbed repeatedly in front of the private Leonard-de-Vinci university in Courbevoie, northwest of Paris.

The police source, confirming a report in the Parisien newspaper, said the suspect was a former student at the university who was born in Pakistan in 1981.

The Parisien reported that the victim was an English teacher and that he had been stabbed in the throat.

Another police source said the knife had been left at the scene.

Cheers

[Peregrine]

Nowshera's 'substandard' road built at more than 'double the price': German envoy – News Desk

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government built a road in Nowshera district more than double its original price, with much lower quality, German ambassador to Pakistan Martin Kobler has revealed.

“Look at this road at Azakhel Bala built by the villagers, financed by Germany’s KfWpress,” the envoy stated in a Twitter post on Wednesday.

Kobler said, “1 km build by villagers cost 4 million with a 12 inch layer,” and added. “Same road built by @KPGovernment costs 10 million pkr with lower quality (6 inches). CAN YOU TELL ME WHY??”

K-P’s anti-graft department sacks 105 ‘corrupt’ officers

Azakhel Bala is a village in the Pabbi tehsil of Nowshera district in K-P province.

Just last month, the provincial anti-graft department sacked 105 of its own employees after receiving complaints from senior officials about their illicit practices.

According to the K-P Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), the department initiated action against its own employees after it received complaints some individuals were involved in corrupt practices apart from influencing investigations and misusing their authority.

An official, who did not wish to be named since he was not entitled to speak to media, stated that it took them 10 months to collect evidence against the said employees.

Some of the employees faced departmental inquiries while others, especially those who were on deputation and serving at ACE, were repatriated to their original departments.

Cheers

[Peregrine]

First it was the Damn Dam – now it is the Damn Population!

Rapidly growing population is putting immense stress on our limited resources: CJP

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Wednesday said the rapid rate of population is putting immense stress on our limited resources.

He was addressing at the one day national symposium on ‘Alarming Growth in Population in Islamabad organized by the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan.

He said essential resources like water are already facing pressure due to increased use by expanding population. He lamented that no attention was paid to build dams for the last 40 years.

Mian Saqib Nisar said we have to promote the better usage of water in the country to meet the requirements of burgeoning population. He said population of Pakistan could reach to 450 million in thirty years if current rate of growth is not checked.

He said media can play an important role in spreading awareness about merits of less population for national development.

He assured the government of judiciary’s complete cooperation in implementing a Madinah like state in Pakistan.

Earlier, renowned religious scholar Maulana Tariq Jameel said Imran Khan is the first prime minister who presented the concept of state of Madinah. He said poverty and social pressures are important causes of population growth. Maulana Tariq Jameel said the issue of population control needs to be seriously taken.

Cheers

[Peregrine]

Cheers

[sanjaykumar]

At this rate, can the Paki Air Force even afford to keep their Chinese rejects flying? Or will the sonic booms be only from the Pindi Channa?

[kancha]

Clock ticking on FATF action plan implementation

A meeting of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is just weeks away but Pakistan is still grappling to cope with a critical deficiency in its legal regime that could leave a question mark over the country’s demonstrable capacity to seize properties of terrorist organisations.

The problem has arisen because of conflicting positions that Pakistan took before the FATF in earlier meetings about its legal regimes with regard to the freezing real estate assets of proscribed organisations, said sources in the Ministry of Finance.

The conflicting position suggests incompetence of the team that negotiated with the FATF. The government is trying to address the issue before the upcoming ‘face-to-face’ meeting of the International Cooperation Review Group (ICRG) of the FATF, scheduled for the first week of January.

In order to address the legal lacuna, the government may have to promulgate an ordinance as it lacks majority in the upper house of the parliament

[Aditya_V]

At this rate, can the Paki Air Force even afford to keep their Chinese rejects flying? Or will the sonic booms be only from the Pindi Channa?

Pakistani budget is for
1) Money for past expenses of Armed forces- pension and interest payments
2) Money for Armed forces.
Rest are Allah ke Bharose.

So money will always be there

[Bart S]

At this rate, can the Paki Air Force even afford to keep their Chinese rejects flying? Or will the sonic booms be only from the Pindi Channa?

As someone (Christine Fair?) pointed out, they are basically an army with a country. So the Paki airforce/military will have first choice of available bit of resources while their awaam will be kept busy with Jeehard, Islam, and attacking India.

Unlike the Soviet Union, that finally collapsed under the weight of its contradictions and rebuilt (because they were 100% literate, had scientific temper rather than out of control religious lunacy), the Pakis will probably never collapse, just get more and more pathetic and messed up.

[Aditya_V]

Pakis will collapse with 3.5 powers stop assistance, even with reduced US assistance their currency is dipping.

[Vips]

You see the effect on pakistan of 3.5 club reduced to 2.5, More needs to be done to see the club reduced to just 1(China) and then see how pakis start blowing each other up.

[SSridhar]

For obvious reasons, I am posting the following here.

India strongly condemns Chabahar terror attack - PTI

“We express our condolences to the government and the people of Iran and the families of the victims of this attack,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

It said India condemned the “despicable terror” attack.

At least two people were killed and several wounded outside police headquarters in the port city of Chabahar when a suicide bomber blew up a car.

“We wish speedy recovery to those injured. The perpetrators behind this dastardly attack should be brought to justice expeditiously. There can be no justification for any act of terror,” an MEA statement said.

[Vips]

The way Chabahar port has at one stroke eliminated Afghanistan's total reliance on pakistan for its foreign trade is something the Pakis are not and will not be able to come to terms to. They want a Afghanistan which is totally reliant, pliable and dependent on pakistan. No doubt they will go to any ensure that. Grab some popcorn and coffee and enjoy the soon to be Iran-Pakistan fireworks.

I only hope Ajit Doval gives atleast as bad to them in Gwadar when pakis target Indians in Chabahar which is inevitable.

[anupmisra]

I only hope Ajit Doval gives atleast as bad to them in Gwadar when pakis target Indians in Chabahar which is inevitable.

But...toiletistan has immediately and strongly "condom'd" this "dastardly attack on a brotherly" nation and the loss of "innocent" lives. Proves that they were not involved.

Pakistan strongly condemns terrorist car bomb attack in Iran

Pakistan has strongly condemned terrorist car bomb attack in Chahbahar in brotherly neighbouring Iran that has taken lives of three innocent people while injuring others.

Pakistan condemns Terrorism....anywhere and everywhere.

See?

https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/40257 ... ck-in-iran

[Peregrine]

At this rate, can the Paki Air Force even afford to keep their Chinese rejects flying? Or will the sonic booms be only from the Pindi Channa?

As someone (Christine Fair?) pointed out, they are basically an army with a country. So the Paki airforce/military will have first choice of available bit of resources while their awaam will be kept busy with Jeehard, Islam, and attacking India.

Unlike the Soviet Union, that finally collapsed under the weight of its contradictions and rebuilt (because they were 100% literate, had scientific temper rather than out of control religious lunacy), the Pakis will probably never collapse, just get more and more pathetic and messed up.

Bart S Ji:

With due respect and reverence it was the late Jawahar Lal Nehru who stated AFAICR "Every Country has an Army In Pakistan the Army has the Country!
Cheers

[Peregrine]

I only hope Ajit Doval gives atleast as bad to them in Gwadar when pakis target Indians in Chabahar which is inevitable.

But...toiletistan has immediately and strongly "condom'd" this "dastardly attack on a brotherly" nation and the loss of "innocent" lives. Proves that they were not involved.

Pakistan strongly condemns terrorist car bomb attack in Iran
See?

https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/40257 ... ck-in-iran

anupmisra Ji :
How dare you accuse the Terroristanis of Speaking the Truth?

Cheers

[chetak]

Times of India Verified account @timesofindia

Pakistan kicks out 18 charities after rejecting final appeal http://toi.in/Cw1OAY/a24gk via @TOIWorld

twitter

Among the US-based organizations kicked out by Pakistan are World Vision, Plan International & Catholic Relief Services

[Peregrine]

ISPR chief reflects on nation’s fault lines, says Pakistan is at ‘watershed of history’

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor on Thursday reflected upon the nation’s "fault lines" and mentioned that over the past 70 years Pakistan has suffered due to “weak economy, lack of governance, flaws in judicial and education systems, and religious extremism”.

Addressing a news conference in Rawalpindi, the military’s spokesperson said, “We have fought wars, tackled terrorism, rendered sacrifices — our economy suffered from it — but today we are at a watershed of history from where the situation can be turned towards betterment.”

Ghafoor recalled that the country has passed through tough times, "we lost half of our country, suffered economic crises and faced terrorism, but over the past few years, we have been moving towards betterment".

The ISPR chief also raised concerns over the increasing ceasefire violations on the Line of Control (LoC) and Working Boundary by the Indian forces, saying 55 civilians have been martyred due to Indian cross-border aggression this year — the highest in history. He said that Indian forces were deliberately targeting civilians across the LoC.

Ghafoor highlighted that Pakistan has taken several positive initiatives for peace with India, the latest one being the groundbreaking of Kartarpur corridor. The ISPR chief, while regretting that the initiative was negatively presented in India, hoped that India (in time) will “positively respond to this goodwill gesture”. Ghafoor must be joking! India will now be Doubly Vigilant for Terroristani Based Khalistani Terrorists trying to cross into India!

He informed the audience that the corridor will be constructed in six months after which 4,000 Sikh pilgrims will be able to visit the Kartarpur daily. “It will be a one-way corridor from the Indian side to Kartarpur, and the Sikh pilgrims will remain restricted to Kartarpur,” the spokesperson said.

Giving an overview of the domestic security situation, the ISPR chief said law and order situation has greatly improved across the country. “Incidents of terrorism and other crimes like abduction and extortion have greatly decreased in erstwhile Fata, Balochistan, and Karachi,” he said.

Moreover, a total of 2,200 ferraris have laid down their weapons in Balochistan during the past three years. Ghafoor further urged the disgruntled elements in Balochistan to “relinquish their violent path and join the national mainstream”.

Military wants to deal with PTM politely, says Ghafoor

While discussing the matter of Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), the military’s spokesperson said that the PTM had made three demands — clearance of landmines, reduction in security check posts and recovery of missing persons.

“In 2016, there were around 469 check posts [in erstwhile Fata] but as of today their number has been reduced to 331,” Ghafoor said, adding that further reduction in the number of check posts was directly related with the security situation across the western border [in Afghanistan]. “The cross-border threat is still there; we are building a fence along the border,” he said.

Talking about the clearance of landmines from the area, the ISPR chief revealed that 43 teams of military engineers were currently working in Fata districts and have cleared landmines from 44 per cent of the war-torn area.

Furthermore, Ghafoor said that 4,000 out of 7,000 pending cases of missing persons have been settled, while "the process is underway in the remaining cases".

When asked why the army has not reacted against the 'strong' criticism levelled by the PTM, the military’s spokesperson said, “We have engaged with them politely because we understand that they are our Pakistani brothers who have suffered a lot from terrorism and then faced a lot of administrative inconvenience during the subsequent military operation.”

“They are our people, they are hurt and have suffered losses, but still they haven’t resorted to violence till now, therefore we have dealt with them politely,” said Ghafoor.

“But now they are heading in a direction where the situation might arise that they cross a ‘line’ […] we request them not to cross that line where the state is compelled to use authority to control them [PTM]”.

The ISPR chief also urged the media to play its "effective role in projecting a soft image of Pakistan as it did to shape public opinion against terrorism".

Responding to a question about the reported heavy military build-up by India, he said Pakistan was a "confident and responsible nuclear-capable state and any misadventure from India will be responded in a befitting manner".

Cheers

[sanjaykumar]

Befitting manner?

See ‘we lost half the country’ above.

[Peregrine]

Forged Indian visa stamps, Afghan govt documents recovered in K-P

PESHAWAR: Police in Peshawar have recovered forged documents and stamps of Afghan and Indian government besides literature of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) from a printing press in the old city area of Qissakhwani Bazaar.

Acting on a tip-off the Khan Raziq Shaheed police station raided a printing press in Dahki Nalbandi locality of Qissakhwani area and recovered TTP pamphlets, Indian visa stamps, K-P police cards and Afghan customs papers.

Khan Raziq Shaheed police station SHO Muhmamad Noor Khan said they had received information that clandestine activities were going on at the Yousafzai Printing Press in the inner Peshawar city.

Noor said that plainclothesmen were deployed to survey the area and find out exactly what was going on. The revelations he said were startling following which he informed the higher authorities and and git a go-ahead signal for the raid.

Subsequently, a police party raided the Yousufzai Printing Press and arrested its owner Qari Saif Ullah who is a resident of the Kakshal area of Peshawar.

During search of the premises, SHO Noor said, police recovered K-P police cards, stamps of the Indian visa, pamphlets of TTP and Afghan Taliban, besides Afghan customs receipts and letter heads.

Noor said the owner of the press was under interrogation at the precinct and charges will be framed after initial investigation.

Cheers

[Vips]

But as per Paki propagandu isnt the TTP supported by Indian and Afghan govts? In that case why should they need forged Indian Visa stamps and Afghan papers??

The ISPR c h u t i y a s need to do a better job in doing press releases in the future rather then scoring self goals like this.

[Bart S]

Looks like the 'Indian connection' was hastily added to the story to suit ISPR's 'narrative'

[Peregrine]

S&P BSE SENSEX

Index Current : 35,312.13 - Pt. Change : -572.28 - % Change : -1.59

Market Capitalization of BSE Listed Co. (Rs.Cr.) : 1,39,88,580 – 1$ /: 71.0371

Market Capitalization of BSE Listed Co. (U S $.) : 1,969.19 Billion

P S E

Index Current : 35,312.13 - Pt. Change : -1002.49 – Change : -2.55%

Market Capitalization of PSE Listed Co. (T Rs. ) : 7,739,448,618,926 - 1$ /: 139.0

Market Capitalization of PSE Listed Co. (T Rs. ) : 55.68 Billion

B S E : P S E : : 35.37 : 1

Domestic Markets & Monetary Management Department - (BILLION US$)
WEEK-END LEVELS1/ - LIQUID FOREIGN EXCHANGE RESERVES - (BILLION US$)

FUDGED RESERVES – SBP : 07.5021 – COMM BANKS : 06.4940 – TOTAL : 13.9961

ACTUAL RESERVES – SBP : 01.7021 – COMM BANKS : 06.4940 – TOTAL : 08.1961

Cheers

[Peregrine]

B-RFites have been wondering as to where the Terroristani Rupee is heading. Well, all one can say is "Here is Where the Terroristani Rupee is Heading" :



Cheers

[Peregrine]

Couldn't resist :



Cheers

[Vips]

What do you expect from a self styled corporate honcho?

Just check how he tries to white wash his fathers war crimes, and turns him into a victorious general who won Chamb for Pakistan in the 1971 war.

His father was not responsible for the defeat of pakistan. He was all victorious onlee

[anupmisra]

What do you expect from a self styled corporate honcho?

Just check how he tries to white wash his fathers war crimes, and turns him into a victorious general who won Chamb for Pakistan in the 1971 war.

His father was not responsible for the defeat of pakistan. He was all victorious onlee

That's right. His father, the war criminal, was his herrow!

[anupmisra]

B-RFites have been wondering as to where the Terroristani Rupee is heading. Well, all one can say is "Here is Where the Terroristani Rupee is Heading" :



Cheers

Instead of a hole in the ground, the cartoonist could have drawn a toilet...Oh Wait! I see what he did. Never mind.

[SSridhar]

ACTUAL RESERVES – SBP : 01.7021 – COMM BANKS : 06.4940 – TOTAL : 08.1961

Peregrine ji, where do you get the actual reserves details from? It looks way too high for me.

[nandakumar]

ACTUAL RESERVES – SBP : 01.7021 – COMM BANKS : 06.4940 – TOTAL : 08.1961

Peregrine ji, where do you get the actual reserves details from? It looks way too high for me.

As far as I know, foreign currency assets held by commercial banks is not counted as part of official reserves. When we talk of a country's foreign currency reserves it is only the reserves held by the Central Bank, that is counted,

[sudhan]

But the pakis do. Have always done.

[SSridhar]

2 killed in Chabahar attack - AFP & PTI

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif accused “foreign-backed terrorists” of being behind the attacks and vowed to bring them to justice. “Mark my words: Iran WILL bring terrorists and their masters to justice,” he tweeted. . . . The gunmen who attempted to storm the building were killed by security forces, Iranian media reported.

[abhijitm]

But the pakis do. Have always done.

they are one desperate step away from adding pak diaspora's assets to that list.