Terrorist Islamic Republic of Pakistan - May 16 2009

[Rupesh]

War on terror causing balance of payment problem

Analysts estimate the operational cost of war-related expenditures, including sustainability of logistics and garrison in Fata, was over $1 billion per year.

This cost related only to combats in South and North Waziristan and adjoining areas.

The cost of war increased manifold when a major military offensive was launched in lower and upper Dir and Buner.

The government launched an operation in Swat in November 2007, followed by major operations in Bajaur and Kurrum agencies.

Pakistan has deployed more than 100,000 troops in troubled areas.

The government has projected a budget deficit of 4.9 per cent for 2009-10 as against the IMF target of 4.6 per cent owing to rising expenditures on account of debt servicing, huge allocations for defence and law and order.

To overcome the deficit, the government expects to receive more than $4 billion assistance from friendly countries and multilateral donors during 2009-10.

The government has also sought an additional $4 billion as insurance from the IMF in case assistance from friendly countries was delayed.

( Does IMF provide such Insurance ?)

Begging continues......

[KLNMurthy]

Its presumptous of Naresh Chandra despite whatever position he held in past to criticise MMS he gives the Pakis a sense of division.

Beyond presumptuous. Outrageous for a diplomat, however ex- to be publicly criticizing his own prime minister over a foreign policy matter.

[IndraD]

There is renewed dhamki of parmanu patakha being taken by one al qeeda commander, being shown as breaking news. I can bet even if A Qeeda succeed in getting a N bum by chorya kala/dan dakshina it is impossible to transport it to US and there will be one target left only, on the East.

[Virupaksha]

There is renewed dhamki of parmanu patakha being taken by one al qeeda commander, being shown as breaking news. I can bet even if A Qeeda succeed in getting a N bum by chorya kala/dan dakshina it is impossible to transport it to US and there will be one target left only, on the East.

indra saheb,
it is towards the west only. interpreted as - dede baba, bheekh de baba.

[Chinmayanand]

Qaida threatens to use Pak nukes against US

[Chinmayanand]

Rest of the world must match US efforts in aiding Pak: Zardari {begging is our birth right, aah mr 10 percenti, the world knows that so chilllll}

[bart]

There has been no terrorist attack since 26/11.I think Pakjabis have realised that Indians have had enough.Even Amirkhans have realised that.

I beg to disagree.

The Amerikkkans and their whore have always been trying in conjunction, to raise the threshold with India. If a Mumbai style attack had happened in IG's time she would probably have killed 20,000 Pakis in exchange for the 200 they killed. Over time that threshold has has been raised to the point where a couple of hundred people dying is taken pretty matter-of-factly. Mumbai is mainly in the consciousness of the Indian media and elite because it was high profile and long-drawn out drama on live TV, if it had been a bomb on a bus or train killing the same number of people, it wouldn't even figure in peoples memory a couple of months after it happened.

Given the chance they will continue trying to push further and further at India given their aims.

More likely is that the Amerikkkans have told their bitch to give their undivided attention to servicing them till their Af-Pak objectives are done with, rather than get distracted with India or risk provoking India into some action at an inopportune time for them. Rather they have been given baksheesh and arms so that once they have finished with their current engagements they can get back to the same old game.

[CRamS]

There has been no terrorist attack since 26/11.I think Pakjabis have realised that Indians have had enough.Even Amirkhans have realised that.

Bull S@it. The events post Mumbai are being played out by USA/TSP combine with machine-like precision. There has been no slaughter since then because USA is calibrating TSP's position by forcing India into making love to TSP. And this has exactly been TSP's game plan. You think in any bogus talks, they (or USA in the background) are going to talk about dismantling LeT and other terror scum? No, they are are going to ask India to find a way to hand over Kashmir. And note, USA has also made Kashmir as the center piece. Add all the pieces together, and it doesn't require and an intellectual wizard to relaize that what is being offered to India is negotiate away Kashmir in return for stopping terror against India. Hasn't this been the TSP script all along? Only USA has now endorsed this machination overtly. And thats the reason why there has been no repeat of Mumbai. A gun has been placed on India's head by TSP/USA, and they are waiting to see how India responds.

Only a fool will consider this temporary lull as sufficient demonstration of TSP/USA's desire to come clean on terror against India. And why should they? India has not extracted any price. Just go back and read TSP's news, reports etc that have been posted and analyzed on this valuable forum. Do you sense even an iota of remorse? On the contrary, only brazen claims that nukes have saved them from Mumbai. They are now even overtly claiming with USA connivance that they cannot shut down LeT unless "core issue" is resolved. I think India has entered a dangerous phase.

Question to the gurus: With TSP euphoria running sky high in the aftermath of the T20 win, will the desire for Indian blood abate or will it increase even higher? It was funny watching news clips of several TSPians celebrating announce in the glare of the cameras that after T20 win, nothing is impossible, even defeating the "terrorists" in Swat. Very carefully worded statements for western consumption. Indian media and govt will do a valuable service if they publicize the fact that LeT types are popular in TSP, they are part of TSPA etc. I think educating Indian public is a good first step.

[ArmenT]

With this economic situation, how are they going to pay for those U-boats? The Eff solah upgrade?
The chinese I know have given them free loans on the F-22 frigates, the Saab AEW aircraft are already paid for I think.

How do the economics of these mil purchases work?

Thats why the recent hullabullao about "Dont give us aid, forgive our debts onlee".
BTW how come they are in so much debt. Wasnt a bulk of it forgiven, rescheduled on very favorable terms during Mushy era post 9/11 ?

IIRC, most of their debt was rescheduled, not forgiven. Bankers want their money back one way or another -- after all, they have stock holders that they must answer to, plus some of the banks involved were non US banks. The Pakis still had to repay their loans, but they were given some more time to do it. I think they were given a grace period of 3-5 years by most lenders, where their debt would remain near interest free, and about 20 years to pay off their loans.

Well, the 3-5 year period is up for most lenders and now their loans are accumulating interest.

[ramana]

CRS, You can make the same message without the invectives. Just because you are closer to the engine doesn't mean you spit on those near the guard cabin. All it does is lose the message and focus on invective.

Thanks, ramana

[Ashoka]

There has been no terrorist attack since 26/11.I think Pakjabis have realised that Indians have had enough.Even Amirkhans have realised that.

More likely is that the Amerikkkans have told their bitch to give their undivided attention to servicing them till their Af-Pak objectives are done with, rather than get distracted with India or risk provoking India into some action at an inopportune time for them. Rather they have been given baksheesh and arms so that once they have finished with their current engagements they can get back to the same old game.

I don't fully buy into the argument that US is supporting Pakistan in its covert operations against India. Yes, they are ignoring our interests, but that is all. When you look at the current international scenario, US would not have any palpable benefits by covertly/overtly supporting Pakistan's interests in Kashmir. Nor do they want to incite any reaction from Indian side that will harm their ties with India which have been blossoming in other fields like energy, business etc. Their interests lie in keeping Kashmir as is.

I see only one way out. In next few years, we will have to be in a position to dictate terms to US, which can be done only by being a major economic world player. So, let's keep Kashmir as is for next few years to come, may be 4-5. Concentrate on economic growth as we are doing now & widen the gap between Pakis & us. Looking at the current course of events, Pakis would have gone down the drain by that time & will have no say in Kashmir at all. That is the time to dictate terms & make US accept our suggestions.

Making LoC irrelevant is not an option. Making Pakistan irrelevant is the real thing, which can be very well achieved using economic means.

[Rahul Shukla]

You think in any bogus talks, they (or USA in the background) are going to talk about dismantling LeT and other terror scum? No, they are are going to ask India to find a way to hand over Kashmir.

USA's primary concern is the safety and security of US citizens. When that issue has been discussed, evil yindoos and their complaints can surely be brought up. But please don't expect the great Khan to clean the house for us. Preventing every terrorist attack against India appears nowhere in the job-description of POTUS. It does appear on the job description of the PMO and that's where the buck stops!

And note, USA has also made Kashmir as the center piece.

No, they have not. Apart from some usual statements being delivered for internal Paki consumption the great 'O' has not done anything so alarming. His latest revelation regarding the "core issue" is just about as measured and neutral as any POTUS can afford to be on this matter.

Add all the pieces together, and it doesn't require and an intellectual wizard to relaize that what is being offered to India is negotiate away Kashmir in return for stopping terror against India.

Well, the USA ain't going to stop us from giving away anything if we should decide to adopt that course. What goes of their father if we do? But they are incapable of forcing us to do so. It has been 60+ years saar and we are still afraid of the same non-existant monster under our bed...

IMHO.

[Prem Kumar]

Rahul Shukla sir - your point is well taken. However, this monster-under-our-bed is no imaginary being. As long as we continue to have article 370, engage in talks with separatists, look the other way when ethnic cleansing of Pandits happen, the Kashmir problem will remain a problem.

Its like this: if you introduce your wife as your girlfriend, can you blame someone for making a pass at her?

[Rahul Shukla]

My argument was US specific. I am not saying GOI is doing everything right at home. I wish...

[chetak]

There has been no terrorist attack since 26/11.I think Pakjabis have realised that Indians have had enough.Even Amirkhans have realised that.

Now the amirkhans are talking about Kashmir.Even here they know that they cannot armtwist India.Let us not underestimate our strength.GOI is now taking on the maoists.Pakjabis might now concentrate on demographics and islamic propaganda in BD,pilbhit,UP,Assam,Bengal.We need to neutralise the threats in these regions.

The terror attacks were happening with sickening regularity.Thank God,They have stopped.It cannot be by chance,knowing the nature of pakis.It means GOI has conveyed unequivocally to all concerned,that the rules of the game have changed.Why is that nobody here is looking it that way.

As far as avenging the atrocities on Bombay,that is a different issue altogether.

Each iteration of the terrorist attacks ---- 9/11, uss cole, us embassy bombings, parliament attack,kargil, 26/11, marriot and attack on the lankan team has shown considerable forethought, planning and execution skills that have glaring evidence of paki inputs. They continue to raise the bar each time. This is always accompanied by slick PR work and skillful psyops.

We seem to collectively dismiss it as the lucky work of some "non state" unwashed, camel loving and goat f****** abdul. We have traitors, including an ex Chief of the Naval Staff , who talk of people to people contacts, increased trade and root causes.

Our complacent state agencies continue to plod along in a hopeless reactive manner when we should be having our best minds and teams working on this full time.

We have lost the plot and are diverted easily from our national goals, ruled as we are by manchurian candidates and our own non state actors.

Uncle sam is worried only about his own backside. He will willingly sacrifice any number of non US backsides to safeguard his own.

If the amrikhans have raped the paki butts all these years, why would they not rape ours, specially when we seem so eager to offer it on a platter?

And no, the attacke have not stopped. They are just planning the next big one.

[Gerard]

US, India, Israel fanning sectarianism:Baloch

[James B]

Aid to Pakistan vital to US national security: Haqqani

Only Pakis knows all the known styles of begging in this world.

[pgbhat]

comment: What a night! —Feisal Naqvi

The fundamental problem with Islam in Pakistan’s public discourse has always been that the right to determine the appropriate Islamic answer has always been demanded by and granted to the mullahs. What we are seeing now is the people demanding the right to define themselves as Muslims.

Over the past two weeks, pundits from around the world have run out of adjectives to describe the Pakistani cricket team. “Unpredictable” was the clear favourite followed by “mercurial”. Then came erratic, impulsive, volatile, fickle, irregular, capricious and surprising.

Yes, we can be all of those things and indeed, we often are. But on the night that it mattered most, we were none of those things. Instead, as one shell-shocked commentator put it, our performance was “clinical, professional and un-Pakistani”.
<SNIP>
Who the hell then are “we”? More importantly, is there a “we” out there or are we just kidding ourselves? Are Pakistanis a real people or, as per Ayesha Jalal, Pakistan is what we got stuck with once Jinnah’s bluff got called?
<SNIP>
The truth is that nations do not spring fully formed from the womb of history. Nations are forged, one event at a time. And in the past two years, we have come a great deal closer to defining ourselves as a people by clarifying both what we want from democracy as well as what it means to be Muslim.
<SNIP>
To say that we are not a nation of terrorists, or to express one’s opposition to suicide bombings, may not seem like much, but it is.

First, expressing opposition to suicide bombings is a dangerous business, as shown by the assassination of Maulana Naeemi. Second, the fundamental problem with Islam in Pakistan’s public discourse has always been that the right to determine the appropriate Islamic answer has always been demanded by and granted to the mullahs. What we are seeing now is the people demanding the right to define themselves as Muslims. And Pakistan’s Muslims are a very different proposition from Pakistan’s oil-money lubricated, hate-sprouting preachers.

In short, what the public now wants is a Pakistan defined by the faith of its people, not a Pakistan defined by the faith of its mullahs. And that too is a very good thing.

So, what does it all boil down to? Who are we?

Well, we want a functional justice system, we don’t want the Taliban running our lives and we really, really like winning at cricket. At least for last night, that was enough to make all of us proud Pakistanis.

The writer is an advocate and can be reached at [email protected]. An archive of his previous columns can be found at monsoonfrog.wordpress.com

[AmitR]

Taliban commander rival to Mehsud killed in Pakistan

PESHAWAR: A gunman shot dead on Tuesday a Pakistani militant commander who was a rival to Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud, police said.

[Dipanker]

Bull S@it. The events post Mumbai are being played out by USA/TSP combine with machine-like precision. There has been no slaughter since then because USA is calibrating TSP's position by forcing India into making love to TSP. And this has exactly been TSP's game plan. You think in any bogus talks, they (or USA in the background) are going to talk about dismantling LeT and other terror scum? No, they are are going to ask India to find a way to hand over Kashmir. And note, USA has also made Kashmir as the center piece. Add all the pieces together, and it doesn't require and an intellectual wizard to relaize that what is being offered to India is negotiate away Kashmir in return for stopping terror against India. Hasn't this been the TSP script all along? Only USA has now endorsed this machination overtly. And thats the reason why there has been no repeat of Mumbai. A gun has been placed on India's head by TSP/USA, and they are waiting to see how India responds.

Only a fool will consider this temporary lull as sufficient demonstration of TSP/USA's desire to come clean on terror against India. And why should they? India has not extracted any price. Just go back and read TSP's news, reports etc that have been posted and analyzed on this valuable forum. Do you sense even an iota of remorse? On the contrary, only brazen claims that nukes have saved them from Mumbai. They are now even overtly claiming with USA connivance that they cannot shut down LeT unless "core issue" is resolved. I think India has entered a dangerous phase.

Question to the gurus: With TSP euphoria running sky high in the aftermath of the T20 win, will the desire for Indian blood abate or will it increase even higher? It was funny watching news clips of several TSPians celebrating announce in the glare of the cameras that after T20 win, nothing is impossible, even defeating the "terrorists" in Swat. Very carefully worded statements for western consumption. Indian media and govt will do a valuable service if they publicize the fact that LeT types are popular in TSP, they are part of TSPA etc. I think educating Indian public is a good first step.

And letting the TTP come within 60 miles of Islumbad was also joint Paki/USA plan to impress India? Then Uncle doing some heavy duty arm twisting of Paki to go after the Tallibunnies was also a joint Uncle/Paki plan to impress India?

I am sorry, but I think your argument is bit of a strech.

IMO Uncle does not want Kashmir to go to Pakistan, Uncle wants Kashmir as independent identity so that it can purchase the Kashmiris and use Kashmir to keep an handle on India/Pakistan/China and even Russia.

India has not handed over Kahmir to the Pakis in the last 60 years, do you think it is going to succumb to Paki terror now and hand over Kashmir? I would not count on it at all.
Kashmir is part of India and and is going to stay with India, recovering POK is another matter.

PS: The T20 euphoria will last about 20 overs, not even oner day, because that takes 100 overs! Last time they played some real cricket they had to instigate a terrorists attack on the SriLankan team, I mean they were losing that bad! Remember, Pakistan is synonymous with Islam, and Islam will triumph on Pakistan, don't just count the Talibunnies out yet.

[SSridhar]

Bharatanatyam in the times of the Taliban

So, current times in Pakistan are already being referred to as Taliban-times, like the Kalabhra times in parts of South India.

Excerpts

Tha-ka dhi –mmi tha-ka-tha-kita, intones the tiny grey-haired woman sitting cross-legged on a floor-cushion, in her hands a pair of nattuvangam cymbals joined by a green ribbon, watching her two young students sweat out an alaripu in nine beats.

But the indefatigable Indu Mitha, whose energy belies her 80 years, has taught Bharatanatyam to Pakistanis for decades, through the Zia years when dance was prohibited as “haram” or un-Islamic, into present day Pakistan that continues to be haunted by Zia’s ghost in the form of the Taliban and an array of other religious militants and extremist groups of as well as a general atmosphere of religious conservatism.

Usually dressed, atypically for a Pakistani woman, in a cotton sari and sleeveless blouse, the bird-like Ms. Mitha has taken only one precaution for these troubled times — in the evenings, when the lights have to be switched on, she asks an attendant to pull the slatted wooden shutters over the windows so that no one outside gets a view of the school hall where she takes her classes.

Otherwise, said this octogenarian guru, her classes continue as they have always done, despite the cumulative effects of the years of state-sponsored Islamisation currently sweeping through Pakistan.

She has heard of a place that was teaching Kathak, and had to stop because neighbours started complaining that they could hear sounds of the tabla. But no one has bothered her yet. {Now they will}

It is almost as if sections of Pakistanis are expressing through cultural pursuits a defiance to the kind of Islamic identity the Taliban want to impose on them. {If somebody wants to believe this, it is their problem but the truth is otherwise} Ms. Mitha’s own confidence comes from having struggled — with just a handful of others — through what some would say were worse times, when dance in Pakistan was stigmatised as “Indian,” and then banned by a state that promoted a puritanical form of Islam as it embarked on jihad in its neighbourhood.

Of a Bengali Christian family that moved to Delhi from Lahore in 1947, Ms. Mitha learnt the Kalakshetra style of Bharatanatyam from a disciple of Rukmani Devi. She married an Army officer against the wishes of her family. A Memon from Mumbai, he moved to Pakistan and she with him.Her husband, Abu Bakr Mitha, set up Pakistan’s Special Services Group and rose to become a major-general but, caught in the maelstrom of 1971, was bumped out of the Army just short of his 50th year. He died in 2000.

Even today, dance performances require a no-objection certificate from the government, and that too, only if disguised as something else, such as theatre.

Her effort from the beginning, Ms. Mitha said — even as a young army wife in the pre-Islamisation days she performed at military social functions — was to adapt the Hindu religious and mythological content of the dances so that they became stories about ordinary human beings, and would not clash with the religious beliefs of audiences or even students. {That itself might betray an ulterior motive, given the insidious ways in which Hinduism has been harmed, but one can give her some lattitude}

Still, she has been accused of trying to popularise a dance form that carries the name of India (“Bharat”) in it. She manages to explain patiently each time that the name of the dance did not come from the name of the country. Ms. Mitha laments that Pakistanis have no qualms about their children performing “Bollywood dance” routines at weddings and other public functions, despite its hip-shaking, pelvic-thrusting vulgarity, but easily deride classical dance forms as “Hindu” or “Indian.”

Many mothers are even pushing their daughters to join her class, according to Ms. Mitha, because they themselves have gone through a culturally deprived youth, even though many still worry about what people will say, and whether their daughters will find husbands.

[p_saggu]

When the time is right, India will force Pakistan to "implement the UN resolutions on Kashmir" by throwing out the Pakistan army from POK (As directed by the UN resolution), so that J&K in its entirety can live in peace as a state of India.
Till then, it is 8% growth, lots of track II, Chai-Biskoot-Biriyani.

[Paul]

And letting the TTP come within 60 miles of Islumbad was also joint Paki/USA plan to impress India? Then Uncle doing some heavy duty arm twisting of Paki to go after the Tallibunnies was also a joint Uncle/Paki plan to impress India?

Thi is questionable. If the Taliban ha managed to retain control of sWAT, Haripur, Peshawar, Mardan or other major cities in the NWFP how can they come within 60 miles of slumabad. The pakiban is already entrenched in every nook and cranny of Pakistan, nobody (media) is complaining about it.

These are nothing more than manufatured evidence Paki style for negotiating with the west with a gun to their head. Reports of black turbaned AK47 toting toughs in the vicinity of Kahuta will give the west heebie jeebies making them more amenable to forking a couple of billion more in bakhsheesh.

Muslim Khan has expressed frustruation at the slow pace of Taliban penetration of the Pakjab and has called for renewed attacks on Pakjabi soft targets.

[Paul]

From the link above

Of a Bengali Christian family that moved to Delhi from Lahore in 1947, Ms. Mitha learnt the Kalakshetra style of Bharatanatyam from a disciple of Rukmani Devi. She married an Army officer against the wishes of her family. A Memon from Mumbai, he moved to Pakistan and she with him.

Her husband, Abu Bakr Mitha, set up Pakistan’s Special Services Group and rose to become a major-general but, caught in the maelstrom of 1971, was bumped out of the Army just short of his 50th year. He died in 2000.

I think they had 3 daughters...her husband although immensely respected professionally had to put up with a lot of prejudice about his wife and daughters behaving like tawaifs.

[Guddu]

It would appear to me that the refugees cannot go back, until things settle. Things cannot calm down, unless the puki army moves big time from India's borders on to the NWFP. Therefore, with time the refugees will move not to the NWFP, but other areas of pukistan to find jobs. This will create social stress, as well as be a fertile ground for proliferation of talibunnies, AoA.

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/daw ... ight-hs-02
"Now, the government claims that some areas have been cleared of the militants and is sending out appeals for the IDPs to return. The issue is not so easily resolved, however. For one thing, the military operation is set to expand to other areas that continue to harbour militant cells, including Waziristan and parts of Fata. While necessary, the move will result in the destabilisation of civilian life — the further displacement of people is virtually certain. Secondly, the military continues to encounter pockets of resistance even in areas that the government has declared ‘safe’."

[Vivek_A]

If MMS and crew had the fortitude, now would be a good time to stir up some trouble among the IDPs..make propaganda films about their treatment.

but...MMS and crew are busy getting ready for the next round of talks and CRamS and crew will be blaming the US for that too.

[SSridhar]

Qari Zainuddin shot dead

Next in line to be eliminated is Turkistan Bhittani.

[SSridhar]

War of words between Zardari & Gilani

In reply to a question about PPP information secretary Fauzia Wahab’s statement that the prime minister should not be “so strong” and there should be a “balance of power” between him and the president, Mr Gilani said it would be decided by the nation.

“What Fauzia Wahab says does not matter; it is for the nation to decide.”

Ms Wahab is reported to have said that even a strong prime minister had failed to prevent the army from taking over and hence there was a need for striking a balance between the powers of the president and the prime minister.

[pgbhat]

Terms of re-engagement By Dr Maleeha Lodhi
As usual article sounds like a threat than anything else

Any effort by Delhi to offer a revival of the composite dialogue as a concession to Pakistan should also be resisted by Islamabad. Talks are a means towards an end and a vehicle to achieve an outcome. The dialogue process cannot be held up as a "reward" or quid pro quo. It would be a miscalculation for Delhi to construe Islamabad's consistent call for talks as signalling desperation. Process after all is not sought at the cost of substance.

Be that as it may, there are several reasons that should urge India and Pakistan towards efforts to normalise ties. Four are especially important. First, Pakistan's ability to address the security threat posed by militancy requires calm relations with India. While the militant threat is a clear and present danger Islamabad cannot ignore the more enduring strategic threat that emanates from the adversarial relationship with India. Purposeful talks to address divergences can help mitigate that threat.

Two, Pakistan cannot attain its goal of economic stability and nor can India achieve its full economic potential as also its ambition to secure a seat at the big table while engaged in confrontation. Three, there is a manifest sense in both countries that there is no military solution to the Kashmir dispute or to other problems. Kargil and the 2001-02 military stand off served to confirm this for both sides.

And four, the two countries need to carefully manage their relations in a nuclearized environment. The strategic relationship between the nuclear neighbours remains undefined and potentially unstable. There is no substitute for dialogue to stabilise the nuclear and conventional military relationship.

Durable peace in South Asia will need meaningful talks to establish an architecture of strategic stability in three critical dimensions: finding an acceptable and just solution to Kashmir and institutionalising both nuclear and conventional military restraints.

[CRamS]

Terms of re-engagement By Dr Maleeha Lodhi
As usual article sounds like a threat than anything else

And also a sense of trimuph. Basically, standard RAPE talk of late thumbing a finger at India's nose avering: You can't do didly squat to us: we have nukes, we have US on our side when it comes to talks bla bla.

But one thing is clear for sure. For all the humiliation India has suffered at the hands of TSP, it is still the status quo power as of today. And TSP is desperate, by hook, or crook to change that and salvage H&D. Thats why this plea for 'talks' and making it sound as if its a necessity for India as well.

[ramana]

One thing for the TSP to think about is that unwary moment when the US is not very pleased with them and India does carpe diem!

[NRao]

Lodhi ji,

Remove that gun that you are holding to your head and the problem will be solved.

[Satya_anveshi]

Further details on this interesting news (someone is showing Sarkozy his place):

Pak officials behind killing of 11 French engineers: Report

LONDON: High-ranking Pakistani officials were behind the killing of eleven French ship-building engineers in Karachi seven years ago, two French judges have ruled.
Until now al-Qaida had been blamed for the bomb attack on a bus in 2002 that killed 11 engineers and three Pakistanis.

The judges suspected that the Pakistanis were retaliating over a decision by former French President Jacques Chirac, to halt payment to Pakistani officers of millions of pounds in secret commission from an 720 million pounds contract signed in 1994, for three French submarines, the Time reported on Tuesday.

The dead engineers were working on the submarine contract for DCN, the French naval shipbuilding enterprise.

Some of the money was kicked back to France to finance the 1995 presidential campaign of Edouard Balladur, Chirac's Prime Minister and rival, according to claims disclosed by the judges.

The chief of Balladur's unsuccessful campaign that year was Nicolas Sarkozy, who was then the Budget Minister.

According to media reports, the French secret service retaliated after the 2002 attack, breaking the legs of two Pakistan navy admirals and killing a lower-ranking officer .

Sarkozy, now the President of France, has dismissed as "a fable" the suspicions of the judges, Marc Trevidic and Yves Janier.

"This is ridiculous... grotesque," Sarkozy said. "Who would believe such a tale," Balladur said that everything about the submarine deal had been "completely regular".

The judges, however, told the surviving victims and their relatives that they have uncovered a trail that tied the bombing to Pakistani officials.

Investigators have also seized documents describing a web of offshore companies created to channel the commission payments, the judges said.

[Karkala Joishy]

Lodhi ji,

Remove that gun that you are holding to your head and the problem will be solved.

Why does the world care about the gun? Let her shoot herself. She won't dare.

[NRao]

Is US ‘Occupying’ Pakistan? 38 Pakistanis Killed By CIA Drones Every Day Since 2006

[JE Menon]

Interesting time that Lodhi should comment. Her brother Amir Lodhi is reputed to be a top class crook up to his nuts in bribery... For all we know, he was involved in the French deal as well...

[NRao]

"This is ridiculous... grotesque," Sarkozy said. "Who would believe such a tale," Balladur said that everything about the submarine deal had been "completely regular".

No doubt. 10% is regular.

[Satya_anveshi]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8115814.stm

At least 45 people have died in a missile strike by a US drone aircraft in Pakistan, officials there have said.

The people killed in South Waziristan region had been attending a funeral for others killed in a US drone strike earlier on Tuesday.

{Shame on pakis and their master US}

But a local official told BBC News the death toll was more than 50.

But Zainuddin's killing is being seen as a setback for the government in its efforts to isolate Mehsud ahead of the security forces' next phase of their anti-Taliban offensive in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan, says the BBC's Mike Wooldridge in Islamabad.

[archan]

Leader-e-party-e-nationalist uvacha:
India should help Pakistan fight terror: BJP

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Rajnath Singh today said peace and stability in Pakistan was in "our interest" and India should offer "all support" to combat terrorism in that country.

"The BJP wants peace and prosperity of Pakistan" as its stability was in "our interest", Rajnath Singh told reporters

[ramana]

He needs his Jinnah moment! or he might be falling on his own sword.