Terrorist Islamic Republic of Pakistan - July 07, 2009

[shravan]

Massive cabinet reshuffle on the cards in Pakistan

August 20th, 2009

A massive reshuffle of the Pakistan cabinet is in the offing after President Asif Ali Zardari returns from his four day visit to China beginning tomorrow(August 21).

Sources said many ministers facing corruption charges are likely to be shown the door and replaced with new faces.

Insiders said that the controversial minus one formula, reports of altercation between Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Zardari and the inefficiency of the ministers has forced the government to reshuffle the cabinet.

Sources privy to the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) revealed that the top leaders of the party are busy in evaluating the performance of some of the ministers primarily due to the imminent reshuffle.

Ministers who were most likely to be axed from the cabinet are Minister for Investments Waqar Ahmed Khan, Health Minister Ijaz Khan Jakharani and Minister for Industries Mian Manzoor Wattoo, The Nation reports.

“The criterion for the ministers’ performance evaluation was based on the public image, such as corruption allegations, against a particular member of the cabinet,” sources added.

They said that apart from the political accountability, the government is also compelled to reshuffle the cabinet following concerns conveyed by the Army about the corruption and political infighting, which according to the armed forces, is affecting the moral of the troops fighting against the extremists. (ANI)

[Raja Ram]

Gentle readers will recall that I have been critical of Indian PM for his let down in S-e-S but it has not stopped me from trying to think various probabilities to explain his action. It is important to try and do so because the actions represented such a break from the past that it is almost unbelievable. I have been thinking of an alternate hypothesis that seeks to explain the Indian gameplan. Bear with me as I explain it here under.

It is clear that Pakistan's survival is underwritten by the 3 oxygen suppliers of US, KSA and China and also to a certain extent Japan as pointed out by Sridhar sir. But there is now a delicate balance of power amongst these backers and their power centres in Pakistan. As I have indicated in the past, the three powers have a minimum common agenda of keeping the artificial state afloat, but their priorities and interests may sometime differ and even be competing.

It is clear that there is a power struggle between Gilani, Zardari, Nawaz and Kiyani. It appears to me that the US is backing Zardari and wants to keep Kiyani under pressure and make him cooperate in the operations against taliban so that the US can get some relief. To keep Zardari honest, they have used Kiyani and Gilani as a countercheck. Nawaz seems to have the backing of KSA and he is trying to get Kiyani a leverage against the US by keeping the pressure on Zardari.

Zaradari on his own wants to hedge his bets and he is reaching out to China to counter the pressure of the US and wants to keep his options open with the army by becoming the leader of choice for the Chinese regime.

In this context, India would like to back Gilani and through him Kiyani. These two represent to some extent, an independent line which is likely to resist outside pressure and may be willing to do a deal with India to gain ascendancy and breathing space. It still means that the present GOI thinks that it is better to have a somewhat stable pakistan than an imploded state. Why is that thinking? That will take a different post to explain. I will just take a small diversion. It seems to me that the imploding pakistan has been gamed and India feels that it will not be in a position to either accept parts of pakistan or back to the hilt independent nations there. At least, India does not want to do that as the primary aim is to keep relative peace and keep growing. All India wants for the next ten years or so is the terror machine inside pakistan shut down and a relative peace with India while they carry on with the downward spiral.

If this is indeed a possible hypothesis, then it explains the cutting down of a pro american and possibly pro chinese zardari and building up of Gilani who does not have a base of his own or a legacy and therefore is likely to be a Junejo and do the bidding of the army. Kiyani will need Gilani and vice versa and so these two will be able to be amenable to Indian demands. At least for the time being.

It explains why PM did what he did with Gilani and not with Zardari. It also explains the unusual steps taken by ISI to meet and talk to Indian defence attache. There have been some demands, very specific, that has been conveyed and Gilani/Kiyani combine have to deliver that.

The Indian aim is to keep slowly diminish the outside powers influence in pakistan and degrade their capability to underwrite the entity of pakistan and make it do their bidding. Because GOI has realised that the interests of the US or KSA or China will never coincide with the interests of India in the case of Pakistan. It is using the current situation to help create a new leadership there, with whom India can do business and promote its agenda there.

For this hypothesis, there should be some data points to back it up. The increased visits by Zardari to China, the cold response to Holbrook in Delhi, the slowing down of bonhomie between the US and India are pointers that India does not back US and China's man in Pakistan.

Gilani is blowing hot and cold and takes his cues from Kiyani. These two think they can play India along, get some leverage and then double cross India. That is why the trust but verify line is being touted. There are some clear markers and Indian action or support to these two hinges on the performance of these two to comply with Indian demands.

Nawaz wants to get into the act by ensuring that he becomes useful to the US in case Zaradari becomes oriented too much to China. He also wants to position himself as some one India can do business with.

News coming out of Pakistan shows some support to this hypothesis, although it sounds unlikely. The kind of muted response by the BJP and allusions by Rajnath Singh and others on the need for a stable pakistan indicate that the GOI has taken them into confidence.

This of course is by far the most optimistic take I could come up with in defence of the GOI and the PM. Personally I am not yet convinced of this myself. But I have ruminiated over it for a while and thought it best to share this in the forum so that we can have the benefit of other views by better experts and see where this train of thought leads us.

Just a ramble, gentle readers, now please tell me why this is not possible.

[RajeshA]

Raja Ram ji,

I too believe, that India does not really have a plan for imploding Pakistan. An imploded Pakistan would possibly become an even bigger headache for India, as all powers and ideologies inimical to India would use the confusion to attack India. PRC will use Anarcho-Jihadis, The Americans will use Anarcho-Jihadis, the Wahabbis will use Anarcho-Jihadis. India is of the opinion, that considering the amount of hate that exists in Pakistan for Hindu India, India may not be able to use Anarcho-Jihadis that well, especially as India would not know for what purpose to use them.

As India does not have a plan of how to cope with post-Implosion Pakistan, it is best that it does not implode.

India however does not need to actively help in stabilizing Pakistan, as others are already knee-deep in the mud, doing exactly that, prolonging the life of a cancer-afflicted patient (let's however not develop sympathy for him).

I guess that is GoI thinking. I think you are right in your assessment.

I am not sure India is really playing any Pakistani politics here. India is keeping aloof. MMS's snub to Zardari happened, because Zardari acts like a moron, and MMS needed to prop up his image in India, and make some breathing space for himself domestically to make his gift to the Pakistanis in S-e-S.

As you said, the only thing India wants from Pakistan is for Pakistan to leave India alone. The only one who can ensure that to some extent is Kiyani. As Gilani as positioned himself closer to Kiyani, he seemed to be the best medium to talk to the Pakistani Army. A snub to Zardari further helps Gilani, somebody with whom MMS wants to warm up. Other than playing the channel of communication, Gilani cannot offer India much.

The only thing India is offering Kiyani is that considering how many difficulties Pakistan has, India is willing to leave Pakistan alone as well, and not add to his heap of problems, problems like American pressure.

[Sanku]

Just a ramble, gentle readers, now please tell me why this is not possible.

Eloquent as always RR.

However, this possibility was indeed brought up by some who were looking for justifications for SeS immediately post the event. However I suppose their past history of posts caused the same coming from them to appear more of a spin.

However irrespective of who discusses this particular alternative the same problems that were then raised against this hypothesis remain

Assuming for a minute that the above is indeed what GoI was trying to do.

1) Zardari, Kiyani etc are disposable pieces in Pakistan, none of them have any weight of strength of their own. The attempts to work with Bhutto failed spectacularly, and in a era when India had all the cards; having just defeated Pakistan, being led by an astute politician like IG and using a fairly heavy weight politician in Pakistan. This happened essentially because the attempt at the particular formulation essentially bypassed the main tenets behind the problem of Pakistan.
It would be a hubris of unimaginable proportion at least and delusion at worst for the current GoI to think that a failed scheme (due to inherent flaws and not the execution) can be used by them with any degree of success.

So even if GoI was trying this -- I think it would be very difficult for any one in GoI establishment to try a risk or this magnitude.

That alone tells me that this was not the thinking behind it.

Now the other way to look at it is, why this not possible, is as follows
2) Holbrooke apart, there is very little to tell us that any of the indicators of US and India bonhomie being over, have happened yet. Yes if MRCA goes to a non teen plane, perhaps, but till then all the signatures have been made exactly in the way the US would have liked. There is very little to actually talk of divergence.

3) It is unlikely that if S e S was not done in that way GoI expected Pakistan to collapse or if it did how meaningful that fear was in short term. (Which is not to say they have no plan)

The easiest and the most effective option in the short term was to be business as usual for GoI and this is anyway a approach that our establishment prefers.

In short I don't see why would GoI try and destabilize the perfectly comfortable operating space it had carved for itself post Mumbai V (I wont insult any one intelligence by trying to even suggest that some how GoI had a plan for getting justice for Indians who died in Mumbai V, by trying this stunt)

[Gerard]

Indian sea-based N-capability

[shiv]

Strictly speaking "imploding Pakistan" is probably not a controlled conscious act that anyone can accomplish - given that it is necessarily a chaotic process. In that sense it is easy to understand why GoI has no game plan for imploding Pakistan.

If you remove the pillars of governance from any nation, governance gets taken over by the next strongest group or a collection of power centers. The US has tried this time and again - in Vietnam, Iran and I suspect, in Pakistan itself.

The single power center in Pakistan is the army. If you sideline the army there is no single unifying group. Defeating that army in war is a useless exercise as India has learned from hard experience. The army gets defeated but fails to lose power. The army either has to be taken down by entering Pakistan and tearing the institution (Pakarmy) limb from limb and eliminating all its senior cadres or by cutting the source of its strength.

The source of the army's strength has been its 3 and a half friends. Fortuitously for India the US has "learned by botching" about their own policy which is illustrated by this cartoon.



I suspect it is the US that is holding Pakistan together now by funding the army just enough to do its bidding while keeping it from taking over. Perhaps this is the only "common denominator" with the US that India can swallow and accept with the quid pro quo that the US too has to put some pressure on the Pak Army to cut action against India.

Pakistani jihadi groups have promised and delivered on the promise that there will be at least one major terrorist strike against India every year. 2009 will show whether the US policy and India's cooperation with that actually make any difference in this area.

[Gagan]

The SAMe to you cartoon!
It very correctly encapsulates the whole story doesn't it? We need a similar one for the Saudis, the Chinese and the Japs wrt the paks.

[Nihat]

Since the on board missiles outfit comprise club and Sagarika missiles with respective ranges from 300 to 1000 kms, the Indian nuclear submarines will be Pakistan specific.

It's beyond amusing now , what we have today in terms of stockpiles and air , land assets are more then enough to annihilate TSP as a nation-state , still they can't get enough of "India targeting Pakistan" syndrome.

[Gagan]

Someone needs to tell them paks that they are not important enough for an Arihant. The Arihant is about India entering a certain league, to serve as a platform for yet greater things to come, about keeping China in check.

You don't need a bazooka to swat a fly.

[Gagan]

Raja Ram and RajeshA,
Excellent summations. Wonder if this line of thought had been brought out in the early days of the SES thread, what the reaction would have been.
It does seem like India feels constrained by how to manage an imploding pakistan, nevertheless this is an eventuality that will face us no matter what. It also means that along with Afghanistan, we will have to face the greatest brunt of that implosion-explosion.
I think we give too little credit to our netas and babooze.

[r_subramanian]

Policemen among several injured in Rawalpindi blast
Posting it in full

RAWALPINDI: An explosives laden car parked near a police check post at Masryal Road exploded with a blast, injuring several people including policemen here on Thursday.
The wounded have been shifted to a nearby hospital.
Police and rescue teams reached the blast site after a lapse of 40 to 45 minutes where people carried out relief and rescue efforts on their own.

link

[ramana]

Raja Ram and RajeshA,
Excellent summations. Wonder if this line of thought had been brought out in the early days of the SES thread, what the reaction would have been.
It does seem like India feels constrained by how to manage an imploding pakistan, nevertheless this is an eventuality that will face us no matter what. It also means that along with Afghanistan, we will have to face the greatest brunt of that implosion-explosion.
I think we give too little credit to our netas and babooze.

It was done but not paid attention to for the catharisis had to happen for cooled thoughts to emerge.

[Gagan]

The films before the fanaticism

Nadeem F. Paracha
Last weekend I finally managed to get my hands on the DVD versions of two Pakistani films that I had once seen on the big screen many years ago, ...
blah blah
...

The first film is 1990’s ‘International Gorrilay’ (Gorrilay meaning guerillas).

The film is a remarkable celebration of a post-Afghan-jihad resurgence of Pakistan’s convoluted belief of being a ‘fortress of Islam.’It was a huge hit when it was released in mid-1990 and has become a cult classic amongst oddball Lollywood affectionados. Directed by eccentric Pakistani film director, Jan Muhammad (who went on to direct delicious Lollywood rom-coms such as ‘Kuriyoon koh dalay dana‘ - direct translation: Feed women seed), the farce was also one of the first Pakistani films to be banned (on video) in Britain. ‘International Gorrilay’ lampoons author Salman Rushdie as the film’s main villain, but the ban on the video was lifted when Rushdie himself stepped in and asked the British censor board to allow its release.

Since the film is a masterpiece of tacky demagogic cinema, one can understand why Rushdie didn’t feel threatened or offended by the content. Through his direction, Jan Muhammad was simply cashing in on the (delusional) high Pakistan as a country was experiencing at the retreat of the battered Soviet forces in Afghanistan and the ‘victory of jihad’ (albeit CIA-aided). But according to some Lollywood insiders, Jan’s original plot of the film was a lot wider, revolving around a group of Pakistani mujahideen fighting in Afghanistan. But the story suddenly took a sharp turn when Rushdie’s ‘Satanic Verses’ controversy erupted in 1989, and Jan decided to make Rushdie the film’s main villain.

Thus, instead of seeing mujahids returning from fighting a successful ‘jihad’ against atheists, the film kicks off by presenting Pakistan and the Muslim world gripped by a grave crisis and being swallowed by the evil schemes of a sinister lobby of diabolic men. This lobby includes Salman Rushdie (played by veteran TV and film actor, Afzal Ahmed), who inexplicably stops writing books and starts leading a menacing social and political onslaught on Pakistan. With him are some very subcontinental looking men in curly blonde wigs whom we are told are Jews/Zionists working for a secret Israeli agency (Zaid Hamid, please take note).

Since Pakistan is the leading defender of Islam - never mind the rising cases of rampant corruption, sectarian and communal riots, gang rapes, etc. - the film suggests that if Pakistan falls to Rushdie’s menacing schemes, so shall the rest of the Islamic world. Interestingly, Rushdie’s assault on Islam includes the inexplicable opening of a chain of casinos and discotheques in Pakistan - yes, he should have opened madrassahs and TV news channels instead.

There is soon a heroic reaction to such conspiratorial debauchery. In a jarring scene involving terrible acting and worn out rhetorical dialogue, veteran Punjabi film actor, Mustafa Qureshi, playing an ex-cop, decides to create a ‘mujahid fauj’ (the proto-Taliban?) whose sole aim is to destroy Rushdie and ’save Islam and Pakistan’ from Jewish/Christian/Hindu conspiracies and, of course, from obscenity too. The latter is a vital plot tool, giving the director the opportunity to show some lecherous disco and dance scenes without the danger of himself (and the audience) being labeled as a soft-***** revelers.

(By the way, apart from being an Israeli agent and an advocate of gambling, alcohol and free sex, Rushdie is also a master torturer. He torments captive Muslims by making them listen to the blasphemous sections of his book, ‘The Satanic Verses’!)

To counter Rushdie, ex-cop Qureshi inducts three of his younger brothers who are unemployed in his mujahid force – maybe because there are now only casinos, pubs and night clubs to work in? After getting combat training from their elder brother, the three-man ‘jihadi’ army decides to infiltrate Rushdie’s baleful gang by going undercover. And no, they don’t adorn blonde wigs, but slip into Batman costumes instead! Obviously, who would notice three men in 1960s Batman costumes, right? Right.

Two of the brothers are played by known film actors, Javed Shaikh and Ghulam Mohiuddin, both of whom were well into their forties at the time, a fact underlined by the wobbly size of their bellies protruding forward from their limp Batman costumes.

After making their way into the conspiring gang of anti-Islam thugs, the three brothers – with the help of zany reactionary one-liners, karate chops, expert gun slinging and a few American SAM missiles – make a meal of Rushdie and Co. and save Pakistan (and thus Islam). What’s more, while still in their oh-so-elusive Batman suits, they even manage to convert Salman Rushdie’s equally evil mistress called Dolly (played by the lovely Barbara Sharif). Voluptuous, wicked, scheming, obscene to the hilt (and drunk), Dolly finally sees the light (quite literally), after watching the wrath of God (attired in Batman suits) obliterate Rushdie.

Her conversion is quite a scene, really. Lights flicker, clouds thunder, the room whirls round and round, and the music peaks as she weeps, sweats and shakes - it’s as if she’s just consumed a highly potent concoction of liquid LSD, magic mushrooms and bhang! The above most certainly is my favorite scene in the film.

‘International Gorrilay’ is a stroke of genius when it comes to campy demagogic cinema, and only an idiot can take it seriously as anything beyond being a highly enjoyable cinematic farce. But then, since extremists too are idiots, I was wondering if, due to its bombastically chauvinist antics, whether it actually ended up inspiring any future suicide bombers? The film was such a big hit that a sequel of sorts arrived in Pakistani cinemas sometime in the mid 1990s.

It was called ‘Alamy Ghuday’ (International Scoundrels). Though directed and plotted by a different director and having different performers, the film more than alludes to the happenings of its predecessor, ‘International Gorrilay.’ Many years after Pakistan (and thus Islam) were saved from Rushdie and his gang of obscene blonde-wigged Zionist thugs, yet another anti-Pakistan (and thus anti-Islam) villain has risen (played by the malevolent Shaukat Cheema). His mission too is to harm Pakistan (and thus Islam) with the help of diabolical schemes and voluptuous disco dancing and binge drinking.

A group of passionate ‘young men’ (in their mid- and late-forties) and a damsel in distress take on the evil Cheema but are arrested by the cops along with the damsel’s weakling old father. Yes, the government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan has sold out to the greedy ways of the villain’s sinister empire, and the frail father is dragged to the Supreme Court.

Here begins a terrific court scene. In it the damsel - in a red dress that is a freaky cross between a Wonder Woman costume and a Bedouin desert tent - is seen fervently arguing with a lawyer who wants the old man to be hanged. She shouts away, condemning the spread of obscenity and alcohol (but, of course), in a country made in the name of Islam, and passionately lamenting the practice of dishing out the law according to ‘ghair mulki‘ (non-Pakistani and thus non-Islamic) law books. Incidentally a pile of such infidel books lay neatly stacked in front of the bewildered judge (played by the great Munawar Saeed).

The damsel then runs forward, picks up the books and flings them high into the air (in slow-motion), pleading that the prisoner’s case should be heard according to ‘Islami qanoon‘ (Islamic law). Well, the sort of qanoon she was pleading for would have first and foremost booked her for her delicious sense of fashion, but that’s besides the point.

The judge suddenly sees the light and he flings away whatever books left sitting on his desk and decides to hear the case according to Islamic law. After a lot of shouting and flinging, the old man is released, and the group is given the green signal by the suddenly reformed state of Pakistan to go forth and demolish the wicked whisky drinking villain. The scene is a classic example of a populist medium glorifying exactly the kind of self-righteous, isolationist, convoluted, racist and contradicting mindset we so seriously have to move away from. The thought that such films are made for the ‘masses’ made me shudder.
...

Well, the mujahids - this time in Robin Hood costumes - blow the evil man’s empire to smithereens and once again save Pakistan (and thus Islam) from the evils of Zionism and, of course, alcohol and disco dancing.

The End.

[KrishG]

^^^^^I'll surely go mad if I see this film!

[Prem]

Someone needs to tell them paks that they are not important enough for an Arihant. The Arihant is about India entering a certain league, to serve as a platform for yet greater things to come, about keeping China in check.

You don't need a bazooka to swat a fly.

Chooha, a Rat started dancing when he found out that he was one of the suspects in raping a Lioness. It was matter of pride for his little insingnificant ,pathetic existence like Bakiland.

[shaardula]

i thought paracha was joking when he said batman costume. no he was not.


video has been submitted to LMU

[derkonig]

^^^
They even lifted the Batman logo on the costumes, hain!!!

[r_subramanian]

Pakistan starts drone production. UACVs are on their way

Pak Air Force has formally started the production of pilotless drone planes in collaboration with an Italian company, a news channel reported Thursday.
...
Farhat said Pakistan is now a member of the club of countries manufacturing drone planes. The system will be used mainly for aerial reconnaissance and information gathering, although the PAF will later also induct UAVs equipped with weapon systems to carry out offensive operations.

link

[Sanju]

I had seen posters of it in Oz land Paki Video ( as in VHS Tapes) shops in the 90's. After reading the review on it I never figured out why "International". But then applying logic and reason directed at the abom-e-nation should be my fault.

[svinayak]

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news- ... n-titter/1

Afghanistan: the Taliban titter
By I. M. Mohsin | Published: August 20, 2009

The above ground realities indicate how US is holed up in Afghanistan despite the surge. Obama/ Monday-week gave a very sedate reaction to the new sore claiming that it was a "war of necessity." Clarifying the position, he stressed, "The insurgency in Afghanistan didn't just happen overnight and we won't defeat it overnight," accenting "If left unchecked, the Taliban insurgency will mean an even larger safe haven from which al-Qaeda would plot to kill more Americans," to clinch the argument.
The Centcom new strategy is based on the experiences in Iraq. However, so far, it has done little to inspire confidence among the Afghans particularly in hostile areas like Helmand. History, geography and élan of the people establish that Afghanistan can't be kept under 'occupation' by any foreign forces, though nobody can overlook the bravery exhibited by the Iraqis against the US war launched on the pretext of WMD. The operational depth in Afghan hills for the Taliban cannot apparently be undone by lobbing bombs/missiles indiscriminately worth $ Billions. All foreign correspondents 'embedded' with ISAF troops, generally, point out the dangers faced by their troops even for moving between various stations of duty. Despite the bravado of the troops, they use air-power/transport for routine missions.
While a military victory appears elusive, not much headway is visible in "winning minds and hearts" of the local people despite serious efforts being made in dangerous areas. This is because of many reasons. First, the capacity of the troopers is limited to COIN. Second, as Americans tend to be, generally, green regarding the rest of the world, they have no idea about the local psyche which is imbued with "trust deficit" about US moves. Third, no wonder very few soldiers know about the local history, traditions etc. Fourth, as a corollary, they do not know local language which would win some goodwill from their 'hosts' right-away. So they depend on interpreters. AS the Afghan, consciously or unconsciously, treats a uniformed foreigner as a part of 'occupation', such communication alienates him at the outset. Lastly, the insecurity, rule of warlords, all- embracing corruption, joblessness etc have made the Afghan/ Pashtun anima, generally, aggressive against the US. Therefore it is difficult to agree with Ralph Lopez/Boston Globe that lack of jobs sustains the Taliban war. However, one can't disagree with Selig Harrison/NYT that, "Pashtun nationalism alone does not explain the Taliban strength, which is fueled by drug money, Islamist fervor, corrupt warlords, hatred for the American occupation...," and the "opposition to Tajik dominance in Kabul." Many have joined the Taliban to avenge the killing of relations and civilians, women/children in indiscriminate US bombings over the last 7 years.
Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mullen, now considers Pakistan a "critical country". Like the US Secretary of State, he also deems that Pakistan was wronged by the US when the latter walked out in 1990 for 12 years whereby the "trust deficit is pretty significant." He goes on to underline, "I believe we have to have a long-term partnership with, and we are just starting that." No wonder Ambassador Holbrook is in Islamabad along-with a bevy of officials for mutual consultations with the local leadership including the power crisis faced by his hosts. He has met a wide range of politicians representing major parties including JI/JUI(F). Praising Pakistan for its stand against extremism, he hoped that the same shall be kept up. He also welcomed the extension of Political Parties Act to FATA which has the potential of opening new horizons for the people concerned and reassured aid for the country.
Despite being partners since 9/11, serious differences of strategy in the region have marred the relations between the two countries. Pakistanis, as such, tend to have an ambivalent attitude about the new overtures by the US. First, US appear to have treated Pakistan as a short-term ally on an 'as and when required' basis. It could be due to American political compulsions etc but it is seen here as US' disregard for democracy, peace, integrity of institutions/personalities, development etc when the crunch comes. Second, Mark Twain' said, "A banker is a fellow who lends you his umbrella when the sun is shining, but wants it back the minute it begins to rain." The US, generally, behaved like the "banker"; hence its credibility is low despite many creditable periodic partnerships particularly during the 'cold war' days. Pakistan may also have fumbled. However, it takes two to a tango!
The writer is a former Secretary Interior.
Email: [email protected]

[Karkala Joishy]

Hmm just came across this from cricinfo. Looks like Pakis have been cheating since forever.


Imran Khan remonstrates with Saleem Yousuf after Yousuf had tried to claim he caught Ian Botham when he had clearly dropped the ball and picked it up off the turf, England v Pakistan, 3rd Test, Headingley, July 2, 1987


All fair onlee if done against dirty kuffr.

[pgbhat]

Sri Lanka to train Pak army

The government of Pakistan wants the Sri Lankan military to train its personnel in counter-insurgency operations, the Commander of the Sri Lankan Army, Lt-Gen Jagath Jayasuriya, told journalists on Thursday.

He said several other countries had also sought information about the strategy and tactics adopted by the Sri Lankan armed forces to decimate the LTTE in just three years of intense fighting.

Pakistan helped Sri Lanka fight the LTTE by supplying arms when other countries had put an embargo on arms sales to the country.

Adm Wasantha Karannagoda, a former naval chief who is currently the National Security Adviser, had said at an international naval seminar in the UK that the strategies and tactics used by the Sri Lankan navy to tackle the LTTE’s naval arm could be of use to other navies because in the conflicts of the future navies would be facing not battleships and destroyers but small and fast boats of non-state rogue navies which could be indulging in insurgencies, piracies and trafficking of various kinds.

[shravan]

The sacking of PSM chairman

PRIME Minister Gilani, on the floor of the House, revealed that he had sacked the Chairman of the Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) and directed the Ministry of Interior to start investigations into allegations of corruption and mismanagement against him. A notification to this effect has already been issued - reflective of the salutary acknowledgement by the government at last that all was certainly not well in the PSM’s financial affairs as was evident from numerous media reports as well as concerns that a bias in favour of a particular group of dealers was clearly evident in the PSM decision-making process. Additionally, even in the corridors of Parliament, a serious concern was repeatedly voiced over the performance of the PSM under the leadership of the sacked chairman for over a year. That the decision to remove the chairman should have come much sooner, he was appointed on 26 May 2008, as PSM’s losses reached alarming levels during his tenure is not in doubt. However, the public would have to be content with the old axiom ‘better late than never.’ The sacked chairman has been replaced by a man who holds not dual but four charges namely Chairman, MD, Director Commercial, and Director Administration and Indigenisation. The government sensitive to the political costs of a President holding dual charge must also accept that in PSM too more than one charge may lead to a conflict of interest that would not be in the interest of the mega industrial unit. There is, therefore, a need for the Prime Minister to deal with this issue promptly. Although, the Prime Minister gave no time-frame to the Ministry of Interior, one may legitimately hope that this investigation will be completed soon and adequate steps against the real possibility of the former chairman fleeing the country are taken to ensure that the Hamesh Khan episode is not repeated. Until and unless there is appropriate punishment for financial wrong-doing such blatant corruption would continue in our government supported autonomous and semi-autonomous organisations.

The establishment of the PSM was considered as reflecting positively not only on Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s political vision but also symbolic of the start of the process of developing a non-consumer heavy industrial base in this country. In time, PSM became a white elephant, due to mismanagement as well as corruption, and required huge annual government budgetary injections to keep it afloat. This could obviously not be sustained and the previous government began the process of privatising it. Unfortunately, however, the process was not transparent and the general perception that drove public opinion at the time was that the successful bid was not a reflection of the true value of the assets of the PSM; but that its sale price was tantamount to selling the family silver at throwaway prices. Subsequently, the Supreme Court ordered that the privatisation of PSM be stopped. Few would challenge the necessity of the government’s sale of PSM to the private sector. However, care must be taken that the process is not only transparent but also ensures that the previous government’s follies which led to a serious bone of contention between the stakeholders, ie, the government and labour, is not repeated. Privatisation is a delicate process that requires nurturing and all stakeholders, including the general public, have to be taken on board.

[Gagan]

Sri Lanka to train Pak army

Whaaat?
But but just yesterday we were hearing news that the sri lankans were incompetent and that the martial pak fauj was supplying them weapons and tacticians, and the martial pak fizzaiya was flying all of sri lanka's fighter jets and this was the reason sri lanka defeated the LTTE in the first place!

Massive downhill skiing in the face of reality. But we've seen this before haven't we. But this taquiya is perhaps with the hope of learning some of the Indian Army's counter-insurgency tactics, no doubt.

Though you have to admire the lankans for fighting that battle with the LTTE, it was a horrible brutal battle on both sides.

[Gagan]

Think you've seen and heard it all? Now see this:

Biography claims Imran Khan and Benazir Bhutto were romantically involved

The respected author, Christopher Sandford, has claimed that Bhutto became infatuated with Khan and the pair enjoyed a "close" and possibly "sexual" relationship.

He also alleges that Khan's mother tried, unsuccessfully, to organise an arranged marriage between the pair.

...

The source told Sandford she had been "visibly impressed" by Khan and may even have been the first to call him the "Lion of Lahore".

"In any event, it seems fairly clear that, for at least a month or two, the couple were close. There was a lot of giggling and blushing whenever they appeared together in public," Sandford told the Daily Mail.

He added: "It also seems fair to say that the relationship was "sexual", in the sense that it could only have existed between a man and a woman. The reason some supposed it went further was because, to quote one Oxford friend: 'Imran slept with everyone.'" { Bismillah}

However, Khan strongly denies that he ever had a sexual relationship with Bhutto.
...
"It is absolute nonsense about any sexual relationship or my mother and an arranged marriage. We were friends – that's all."

[Philip]

The "Loin of Pakistan" cannot say that he slept with BB,because the Zardar might demand an honour killing!

Much bonhomie here,between the USN and the Paki uniformed tribe.

US naval official meets COAS and naval chief

ISLAMABAD: US Naval Operations Chief Admiral Gary Roughead called on Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Kayani on Thursday at the General Headquarters. The visiting dignitary remained with Gen Kayani for some time and discussed matters of professional interest. Separately, Roughead also visited naval chief Admiral Noman Bashir and discussed matters of mutual interest. A Pakistan Navy (PN) statement read the US official would also visit the PN units in Karachi. staff report

[shravan]

Poor Jardari cannot deliver anything.

Pakistan leader backs China over Xinjiang

"We are glad that the situation in Urumuqi has been brought under control. We believe that China's policy of social harmony and development is producing great results for all Chinese people," it quoted Zardari as telling Chinese journalists before his departure from Islamabad.

"China is Pakistan's all-weather and time-tested friend. We greatly value our cherished friendship," said Zardari.

---

[John Snow]

Pakistan starts drone production. UACVs are on their way

Pak Air Force has formally started the production of pilotless drone planes in collaboration with an Italian company, a news channel reported Thursday.
...
Farhat said Pakistan is now a member of the club of countries manufacturing drone planes. The system will be used mainly for aerial reconnaissance and information gathering, although the PAF will later also induct UAVs equipped with weapon systems to carry out offensive operations.

link

this is to deflect the public anger against US drones attack. Now Pakis will claim we never allowed US drones to operate we have our own and are fighting taliban..

[SSridhar]

PML-Q Splits

A yearlong internal strife produced a division of the Pakistan-Muslim League-Quaid on Thursday as dissidents – who previously identified themselves as a “like minded-group” – parted ways with the Chaudhrys of Gujrat to install a parallel party set up.

Instead of announcing a separate party or a new faction, the group said it was the “real PML-Q ... the leadership elected last month is illegitimate”.

[shravan]

Pakistan needs energy help from Iran

[ramana]

One thing bothering me is the TSPA and US might create new mountain warfare units under the guise of fighting Pakiban in FATA/WANA area.

The reason is the BBC/NPR report was quoting a retired Brigadier 'expert' whose demands include night vision goggles, attack helicopters, heavy lift helicopters and lightweight artillery!

[RajeshA]

Editorial: People-to-people contacts with India: Daily Times

Breaking from the psychological patterns of behavior of the past is very important if India and Pakistan want to help each other survive. (India despite its economic success in recent years needs an urgent resolution of its energy problems.)

Pakistanis working over time to think of new ideas why India needs Pakistan.

In Pakistan the people are demonstrating on the streets because they get no electricity, but Pakistan will come to India's help.

[shravan]

presstv.ir In Pakistan, Sunni gang kills Shias in rampage
Fri, 21 Aug 2009

Following the death of a leader of the sectarian Sunni group, Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), his followers indulge in an orgy of violence against Shia Muslims in Karachi, killing eight.

Ali Sher Haidari, the supreme leader of the illegal gang died last week amid a bitter battle for the leadership of the group against another faction led by Muhammad Ahmad Ladehyanoy.

Haidari had led Sipah-e-Sahaba -- or 'Army of the Friends of the Prophet' -- in their relentless attacks against Pakistani Shia Muslims at their mosques and gatherings

His death was described by the chief of police of the city of Khairpur -- where Haidari was killed in a hail of bullets on August 15 -- as the result of "a family enmity and dispute".

Nevertheless, upon his death, members of SSP -- which is proscribed in Pakistan and the USA as a terrorist organization -- attacked Shia homes and cars, setting many of them aflame and murdering at least 8 prominent Shia community leaders, the AhulBayt News Agency reported on August 20.

The Shia Muslim districts of the Karachi metropolis were reported to be tense among rumors of more widespread attacks against Shias being planned.

Shia Muslims, Christians and other religious minorities are frequently attacked in Pakistan by violent sectarian Sunni groups.

Investigators believe that the same Sunni extremists who were behind the kidnapping of the Iranian commercial attaché in Pakistan, Heshmatollah Atharzadeh, in November 2008. He has not yet been released.

Such extremist groups are believed to receive funding from Saudi Arabia and UAE-based Wahabi donors.
---

[ramana]

No IED mubaaraks today?

[shravan]

You decide
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Suicide bomber blew himself after being surrounded by police

PTI Friday, August 21, 2009

Islamabad: A suicide bomber blew himself up today after an exchange of fire with police at Kohat in Pakistan's troubled northwest, officials said.

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Police siege suicide bomber in Kohat

Updated at: 1704 PST, Friday, August 21, 2009
KOHAT: A suicide bomber held a youth hostage on the first floor of a building in Kohat area of Bibi Pakdaman area, Geo News quoted police sources say Friday.

Earlier, police spotted a suspected youth and gave him a chase; on which, he entered a narrow lane here and captured a youth, Safdar, as hostage.

------

I am confused....

[tripathi]

^^Have faith in ALLAH there will be lot of IED mubarak in coming month as Ramzan has started today.

[tripathi]

it seem Usa will be constructing a jail too in its islamabad embassy.

[Gagan]

In addition to the jail there are provisions for a series of chambers specially prepared for debreifing pakistani leaders and Generals, with a very wide variety of implements specially imported from Amstredam.

[Hiten]

Why treason trial is not doable

Musharraf’s safety deal mightier than parliamentary zeal Army won’t be comfortable with its ex-chief’s humiliation; local and foreign underwriters including US, UK, Saudi Arabia guaranteed safe exit.

as if people thought otherwise

[abhijitm]

Pakistan starts drone production. UACVs are on their way

link

this is to deflect the public anger against US drones attack. Now Pakis will claim we never allowed US drones to operate we have our own and are fighting taliban..

Chanakya said "never underestimate you enemy". If anyone has any doubts about pakistan's indigenous drone capability then this is an eye opener.

pakistani drone proves fatal; kills 10