Terrorist Islamic Republic of Pakistan - July 07, 2009

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 22 Aug 2009 04:51

http://www.india-seminar.com/2009/599/5 ... d_hoty.htm

Given India’s centralized decision-making process, it is not surprising that executive leadership is crucial in crisis management. Various leaders have demonstrated somewhat different approaches – Indira Gandhi, for example, was opportunistic and Machiavellian in her exploitation of the 1971 crisis. Rajiv Gandhi also exhibited an opportunistic side in 1986 – perhaps from inexperience, perhaps from the unique influence of a pair of senior military and defence advisors, or perhaps out of a genuine desire to influence Pakistan before its nuclear capacity was actualized. Atal Bihari Vajpayee demonstrated both idealism after the nuclear tests and a frustrated (and entirely understandable) outrage during Kargil and Parakram. In each of the latter cases, however, belligerent rhetoric did not blossom into unconstrained military action. In response to individual terrorist acts, Vajpayee chose not to overreact to the Indian Airlines 814 hijacking incident in 1999, and Manmohan Singh showed enormous restraint over Mumbai.

Each of the crises with Pakistan has been a test of Indian policy, and of the utility of military force in managing its relationship with Pakistan. Because these crises have been nearly constant, averaging at least two per decade since the 1980s, they also constitute a referendum on the policies of particular governments and of the Indian leadership consensus on the Indo-Pakistani relationship. During and after each crisis, the existing Indian leadership must grapple with how tough a stance they wish to take, the role of military force, and how they wish to conduct diplomacy with Pakistan during and after the crisis. Each crisis provides plenty of ammunition for partisan critics and for those who believe India should take a far more antagonistic stance towards their western neighbour.

pgbhat · Post by **pgbhat** » 22 Aug 2009 06:58

Baloch question ---- Tayyab Siddiqui

Former senator, Sanaullah Baloch, the unofficial spokesman for Baloch nationalists, maintains that "90 per cent of the province's population lives without gas facility, 78 per cent without electricity and 62 per cent without safe drinking water. Balochistan has just 3.4 per cent of gas consumers as compared to 64 per cent of Punjab alone, which produces only 4.75 per cent of natural gas." He further asserts that border and coastal security is 100 per cent controlled by non-Baloch paramilitary forces. Around 70,000 jobs in the Frontier Corps, Coastguards, police, Maritime Security and the ANF are occupied by non-locals. Even if these statistics are a little exaggerated or out-dated, the question is how critical the situation should get to invite action.

As usual Pakiness in Balochistan.

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 22 Aug 2009 07:17

I just hope that the baloch call for nationalism does not degenerate to autonomy. Hope it remains nationalism.

Guddu · Post by **Guddu** » 22 Aug 2009 07:36

So Pukis are constructing Bhasha dam...is that not POK ?...can we not object ?

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 22 Aug 2009 08:21

Daily Crimes : Dispensing advice to both the Indian and Paki governments with a mild towel thrown in.
Editorial: Training camps along LoC?

The Indian Defence Minister, AK Antony, has accused Pakistan of running training camps for militants infiltrating into Indian-occupied Kashmir. He wants them dismantled as soon as possible “because their presence is a threat to India”. He has added to the Indian prime minister’s earlier plaint that militants in Pakistan were plotting new attacks on India.
This has followed on the heels of accusations made by an American official about continued militant activity from the Pakistani side.
...
On the other hand, Pakistan can hardly issue guarantees that that there is no planning going on inside Pakistan by non-state actors for more attacks inside India. It has already admitted to it in the past: it had no clue that a “charity organisation” was plotting the 2008 Mumbai attacks and wants more evidence from India to punish those who did it. But the question of “camps along the LoC” is different.
Let us first set the record state. Such camps were functional along the LoC in the past. The entire world knew about them. Pakistani journalists knew about them and accounts were written about the heroism of their inmates in in-house journals that jihadi organisations published and circulated all over Pakistan. The truth is that Pakistan gave itself a bad name and endangered its own security at the hands of these “trainees” later on.
But if one talks about the camps today it will give rise to argument. If Pakistan is organising more non-state actors for assaults inside India who can they be? The one jihadi organisation it thought loyal to Pakistan stands banned and its leader is under trial for terrorism. Other non-state actors have gone and joined the Taliban and Al Qaeda and are at war with Pakistan, using the training taken at these camps against the Pakistan army.
...
The Foreign Office in Pakistan thinks that India should talk to Pakistan officially before going public with accusations of the above sort. Charges against Pakistan made public in India tend to stoke the fires of prejudice there and close the door on negotiation and reconciliation which is the only way to bring closure to the problem of infiltration. And if there are ambivalences in Indian perceptions they can best be resolved through mutually exchanged official messages.
Training camps are not something that can be concealed from the world in these days of satellite photography. Pakistan would be foolhardy in restarting something which has not succeeded in the past and which endangers its own internal security now. And it can’t send its regular troops into Kashmir. In the absence of consultations with India, Pakistan can, however, do what India is doing: go public with rebuttals that further spoil the bilateral relationship.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 22 Aug 2009 08:46

India gives info to TSP on credible threat

Officials said over the past few weeks, terror threats from Pakistan had multiplied. Security officials said they had picked up terrorists crossing over from both Nepal and Bangladesh who were "singing" to the authorities. There are strong assassination threats -- Narendra Modi remains a key target -- and important economic centres, particularly in south and western India, remain at risk.

harbans · Post by **harbans** » 22 Aug 2009 10:23

^^ Intel work sucks big time despite the glamor Bond portrays on screen. Reality is your successes are never recognized, the failures are always higlighted in Red and Bold. If you seek fame, it's the wrong profession to join. If you're caught by the enemy undercover, the Govt will disown you and one may be skinned alive. But people still join and wok quietly to ensure security..so hats off to all those who silently contribued to these scoops. And i guess it must be significant to wake MMS up from his slumber.

Dilbu · Post by **Dilbu** » 22 Aug 2009 16:19

Pakistani Taliban quiz Mehsud kin over "spying"

PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Pakistani Taliban have detained four relatives of their leader Baitullah Mehsud, believed to have been killed this month in a U.S. missile strike, on suspicion of tipping off authorities about his whereabouts, security officials said.

Pakistani and U.S. officials are almost certain that Mehsud, head of the Pakistani Taliban, was killed when a missile fired by a U.S. pilotless drone aircraft hit his father-in-law's house in South Waziristan on the Afghan border on Aug. 5.

Mehsud's aides have denied his death.

But Pakistan and U.S. officials have said the militants appeared to be in disarray after Mehsud's death, with reports of infighting between factions vying to take command.

Dilbu · Post by **Dilbu** » 22 Aug 2009 16:33

Chattha group apologises for supporting Musharraf

ISLAMABAD: In an attempt to distance itself from former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf, the Chattha-led faction of the Pakistan Muslim League-Q on Friday apologised to the nation for supporting ‘a regime led by a military dictator which caused judicial turmoil, killed nearly 100 innocent people in the Lal Masjid operation, murdered Nawab Akbar Bugti and promulgated the NRO’.

Mush is surely not going to return to TSP. So the age old puki technique of shifting blame and saving H&D will see a lot more action in the coming days.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 22 Aug 2009 17:14

Jinnah was a secular man: Jaswant

Former Indian External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh has said that Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a secular man, and that he had initially opposed the division of Bengal and Punjab.

Now, JS is making two points, among the several, to Ejaz Haider. Not having seen the interview or even the transcripts, I am not sure if the above are being quoted out of context. Just going by the two points alone, several questions must be raised in the minds of the Pakistanis.

It is my understanding that Jinnah displayed a Dr. Jekyll-and-Mr. Hyde kind of split personality. There are many instances where this quality shone through. For example, even while severely opposing the separate electorate for Muslims, he had no compunction in standing for elections through one such reserved constituency and winning handsomely. Even after condemning Gandhi for his dangerous pan-Islamist pampering through the Khilafat movement, he indulged in just the same after the return from his self-imposed 'exile' from London. Etc. etc. Leave them as they are. Can Pakistanis take any solace from the above two points emphasized by JS ?

Being secular is considered an anathema in Pakistan. The term 'secular' is somehow associated with 'atheism' in the Land of the Believers and the Purest. That is a deliberately misleading twist given to religiously gullible Pakistanis (which is practically the whole country) by the Establishment. That was why a self-proclaimed 'secular socialist' like ZA Bhutto had to beat a hasty retreat when the ulema ganged up against him and he was forced to announce all those Islam-pasand regulations. Pakistanis, like Ejaz Haider or his boss Najam Sethi, cannot derive satisfaction that they have extracted from JS, belonging to a hardline Hindu party, something that will be a 'cognitive dissonance' for Indians as far as Jinnah went. More than any 'cognitive dissonance' for Indians, will the Pakistanis accept that their tallest leader, the Quaid, was a secular person ? Mawdudi, whose creed have spread thick and fast among the nooks and corners of Pakistan displacing the relatively more secular and ubiquitous Sufi order, condemned the Congress party for its 'secular' platform. Let's remember that the clergy called Allama Iqbal as kafir and Mawdudi himself termed the Quaid as 'Kafir-e-Azam'. Mawdudi considered 'idol-worshipping democracy' or 'secularism' as far more pernicious than the Imperial rule by the British who were after all part of 'Ahl-e-Kitab'. Will today's Pakistan, which is far more fundamentalist and even extremist than in the 1970s, take kindly when Jinnah is described as a secular person ?

Pakistan today may proffer all kinds of reasons for its creation, such as the frustration of educated Muslims, Gandhi's use of Hindu symbols in the freedom fight etc. But, both Jinnah (and his Muslim League by extension) and Mawdudi (and the clergy by extension) invoked the Muslim symbols and slogans and the fear of Islam being swamped because they were not for the power to pass into 'secular (read, godless)' INC from the British. That was why Mawdudi, for long, was unable to accept a 'nominal Muslim' like Jinnah as leader even though he was better than 'secular' Congress leadership. Now, if a hardline Hindu suddenly accepts Jinnah as a secular person, and the Pakistanis welcome it and gloat over it, that is 'cognitive dissonance' for common-folk Abduls of Pakistan.

Secondly, the division of Bengal and Punjab. Bengal was divided in c. 1906 when Jinnah was deeply enamoured of the INC and especially leaders like Gokhale et al. As I posted earlier, he opposed separate electorate for Muslims, Khilafat and the Muslim League party itself until the Mr. Hyde part came into the open in mid-30s. He fully believed that the end justified the means and was willing to clutch at any tactical line thrown at him so long it had no conflict with his own personal agenda of what he wanted in the end. He was willing to be flexible, and unafraid of looking inconsistent. Therefore his Dr. Jekyll part cannot be seen in isolation and in fact it is the Mr. Hyde part should be how Jinnah should be characterized because it is the most evil streak that detremines how good a person is.

Dilbu · Post by **Dilbu** » 22 Aug 2009 17:21

^^
Thanks for the explanation SSridhar saar. BRF is always an eye opener.

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 22 Aug 2009 17:44

Jinnah did not want to go down and dirty and go to jail like the rest of the leaders seeking freedom. His clout was therefore limited with the citizens.
Now what does a politician with a limited clout and an overarching ambition do? He cuts a deal with the devil for his own kingdom and a pot of gold in return for his soul. He hits below the belt, divides to rule.
Exactly what jinnah did, created the 'muslim vote bank' and suckered them into making him the Governer General of his own little kingdom, pakistan.

Pakistan is playing that game of one upsmanship since independence. Nehru became the PM, so Jinnah had to go one step higher and become the Governer general. It never mattered even then, as now, that he was Gov Gen of a moth eaten state.

Guddu · Post by **Guddu** » 22 Aug 2009 17:59

Hakimullah new don
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/daw ... ssor-qs-15

harbans · Post by **harbans** » 22 Aug 2009 18:38

Sridharji, your assessment seems bang on the nail! Will look forward to you writing a book on Pakistan..i'd trust that analysis much more than ones written by our politicians and JNU or WKK types..

shravan · Post by **shravan** » 22 Aug 2009 19:23

Iranian guards shoot down two Pakistanis: official
22 Aug, 2009
QUETTA: A Pakistani government official says Iranian border guards have killed two people in a rocket attack in Pakistan’s southwest.

shravan · Post by **shravan** » 22 Aug 2009 19:26

Kanju blast kills 2 security men
Saturday, August 22, 2009

KANJU: At least two security men were killed and two others injured, when a suicide bomber attacked a motorcade of security personnel in Swat area of Kanju in Kabal, Geo News quoted the official sources as saying Saturday.

According to other sources, the suicide attacker blew himself up in Kanju area. The security forces before long put a security cordon around the area and the markets were closed.

shravan · Post by **shravan** » 22 Aug 2009 22:19

Peshawar blast kills one, injures 3
August 22, 2009

PESHAWAR: A powerful explosion occurred in Hayatabad area of Peshawar, killing one man and injuring three others, Geo News reported Saturday.

jamwal · Post by **jamwal** » 23 Aug 2009 03:14

^^
peaceful explosions back in vogue

skbanner · Post by **skbanner** » 23 Aug 2009 03:25

SSridhar wrote: Secondly, the division of Bengal and Punjab. Bengal was divided in c. 1906 when Jinnah was deeply enamoured of the INC and especially leaders like Gokhale et al. As I posted earlier, he opposed separate electorate for Muslims, Khilafat and the Muslim League party itself until the Mr. Hyde part came into the open in mid-30s. He fully believed that the end justified the means and was willing to clutch at any tactical line thrown at him so long it had no conflict with his own personal agenda of what he wanted in the end. He was willing to be flexible, and unafraid of looking inconsistent. Therefore his Dr. Jekyll part cannot be seen in isolation and in fact it is the Mr. Hyde part should be how Jinnah should be characterized because it is the most evil streak that detremines how good a person is.

Bengal was partitioned in 1905, but I am unaware of a similar plan with respect to Punjab. I suspect JS is referring to the period leading up to partition in 1947, IF he actually said what Daily Times is alleging he said in his book. Not having read the book I wouldn't trust anything published in a Paki newspaper.

Now it is true that Jinnah opposed partition of Bengal and Punjab in 1947. Because he wanted to grab all of it. He said rather disingenuously something like "After all, Bengalis are Bengalis and Punjabis are Punjabis irrespective of religion, therefore those two provinces should not be partitioned." In other words, Two Nation Theory applied everywhere in India, except when it came to dividing Punjab and Bengal! This shows that Jinnah was a true Paki in his use of Lahori Logic.

skbanner · Post by **skbanner** » 23 Aug 2009 03:38

I don;t know why people keep saying that the partition was Nehru's fault, because he poured cold water over the Cabinet Mission Plan. If torpedoing CMP was Nehru's doing then he did at least one thing right. CMP would have been a MUCH greater disaster than the partition. Pakistan would have eventually walked away with ALL of Bengal and Punjab, as well as Assam (and almost certainly the rest of North East). Delhi would have been within artillery range of Pakistan, and there would be Bengali and Assamese Hindu refugees living in Bihar and Orissa.

Another very serious problem in united India would have been the disproportionately large number of Punjabi Muslims in pre-partition Indian Army... One can think of all kinds of nightmare scenarios.

r_subramanian · Post by **r_subramanian** » 23 Aug 2009 05:15

Politics of sugar in Pakistan
An artifical crisis in sugar availability is being created by the vested interests. A couple of days back, the federal minister for industries Mr.Manzoor Wattoo sided with the millers and fixed a retail price of Pak Rs. 60 a kilo. Yesterday a meeting presided over by the Prime Minister Mr.Gilani brought the price back to Pak Rs. 45 a kilo.
Ex-mill sugar price fixed at Rs 45 per kg
However, this price reduction is unlikely to materialize. The reason being that politicans own a lot of sugar mills and they want to make a killing {financially speaking, that is}.

Politicians, relatives own 50pc of country’s sugar factories
It is ironic that people are expecting the ongoing sugar crisis to be resolved by the politicians who themselves are said to be the beneficiaries of this situation since many of them own more than 50 per cent sugar mills of the country. The Nation {i.e. the newspaper} has reliably learnt that there were a total of 78 sugar mills in the country and the political leaders or their relatives or partners owned more than 50 per cent of these sugar mills.
...
The mills said to be owned by President Asif Ali Zardari’s family and PPP leaders are Ansari Sugar Mills, Mirza Sugar Mills, Pangrio Sugar Mills, Sakrand Sugar Mills and Kiran Sugar Mills. Ashraf Sugar mills is owned by PPP leader and incumbent ZTBL President Ch Zaka Ashraf.
The mills owned by Nawaz family and relatives are Abdullah Sugar Mills, Brother Sugar Mills, Channar Sugar Mills, Chaudhry Sugar Mills, Haseeb Waqas Sugar Mills, Ittefaq Sugar Mills, Kashmir Sugar Mills, Ramzan Sugar Mills and Yousaf Sugar Mills.
Kamalia Sugar Mills and Layyah Sugar Mills are also owned by PML-N leaders.
...

Politicians, relatives own...

If I remember correctly, one immediate reason for the downfall of General Ayub Khan was the sugar crisis then prevailing. Will the present crisis lead to anything interesting?

Vivek_A · Post by **Vivek_A** » 23 Aug 2009 06:23

Just out of curiosity, can the admins put up a poll to guage how many people here think partition was actually a BAD thing?

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 23 Aug 2009 06:30

Vivek_A wrote:Just out of curiosity, can the admins put up a poll to guage how many people here think partition was actually a BAD thing?

Partition was not bad but lost land was . We need to recover the land and push Pakjabis back to their ancestral holy land in Arabia and Timbakutu.

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 23 Aug 2009 07:37

Ramblings:The Headless Chicken Journals

Greetings gentle readers,

Is that who I think this is?

Journal Entry: 1
Torkham to Wagah
Scenes in the buses on GT Road
...
Buses stop at the nearest settlement at prayer times, providing men the option to pray or have another dose of Naswar or sip a cup of local style tea called kahwa. A small number of women start appearing in the buses at Jamrud, some 20 miles from Torkham. They are mostly shuttlecock burqa-clad, and sit quietly in the women section, without looking around, like dummies.

From Peshawar onward, the number of beards and turbans as well as the shuttlecock burqas starts declining

No wonder where you travel on GT Road, every damn person claims to be of unadulterated Scythian blood or of Arabian heritage. Nobody claims to be of native, Aryan or Hun origin till somewhere in the Indian Punjab when sari-clad Aryans with visible navels and sometimes some cleavage make an appearance. The polymerised amalgamation of Scythian and Arab cultures is occasionally scrapped off from the floor of the buses by natives, shudras turned hospitality workers, so that Scythians and Arabs can start making their multicultural amalgam all over again.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 23 Aug 2009 08:00

Hakeemullah will lead us: Taliban - Nirupama Subramanian

Hakeemullah is a close relative of Baitullah and leads the next largest contingent of armed group (next to the slain Baitullah) within the Taliban conglomerate.

New Structure of TTP

Amir - Baitullah Mehsud (of South Waziristan) killed on August, 5, 2009. Maulvi Faqir Mohammed became the Emir on Aug. 19, 2009 and was replaced by Hakimullah on Aug. 22, 2009.

First Naib Amir - Maulana Hafiz Gul Bahadur of North Waziristan.

Second Naib Emir - Faqir Mohammed of Bajaur (Became Temporary Emir in Aug 2009 before being replaced by Hakimullah)

Spokesperson - Maulvi Umar or Omar (aka Said Muhamad). He was captured by the Pakistanis on Aug. 16, 2009 and was replaced by Azam Tariq as Taliban’s Chief Spokesperson.

Chief Ideologue and Trainer - Qari Hussain

Has a shura (consultative committee) of 40 senior Taliban leaders from the entire NWFP area (including FATA and Settled Areas)

Aim: To enforce Sharia, to unite against the NATO forces in Afghanistan, do defensive jihad against the Pakistan Army if needed, and dominate Pakistan.

Order of Battle: The strength of TTP has been estimated at over 50,000 men comprising of Hakimullah (Orakzai and Kurram with 8,000 men), Rehmanullah and Hazrat Ali (Khyber, 1,200), Umar Khalid (Mohmand, 5,000), and Faqir Muhammad (Bajaur, 5,000). Late Baitullah himself was estimated to possess 30,000 warriors, supplemented with Tahir Yuldashev’s 4,000 Uzbeks and other “foreigners”.

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 23 Aug 2009 08:41

SSridhar wrote:Hakeemullah will lead us: Taliban - Nirupama Subramanian

Hakeemullah is a close relative of Baitullah and leads the next largest contingent of armed group (next to the slain Baitullah) within the Taliban conglomerate.

Pakistan needs a Hakeem to cure it from from its terminal illness. Hakeemullah knows how to administer the right amount of medicine, Islam, for the patient.
Of course, some Munafiq is Rawalpindi and Islamabad cannot be cured. In fact, they are cancer afflicting Pakistan. These parts would have to be cut off.

All hail the new Emir, Emir Hakimullah Mehsud! Live Long & Heal!

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 23 Aug 2009 10:10

Pakistani Taliban choose new chief by Elene Becatoros: Associated Press

As military chief of Baitullah's Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or Pakistani Taliban Movement, Hakimullah commanded three tribal regions and has a reputation as Baitullah's most ruthless deputy. He had been considered one of the top contenders to take over. He first appeared in public to journalists in November 2008, when he offered to take reporters on a ride in a U.S. Humvee taken from a supply truck heading to Afghanistan.

Authorities have said he has been behind threats to foreign embassies in Islamabad, and there is a 10 million rupee ($120,000) bounty on his head. His men have been blamed for attacking U.S. and NATO supply convoys traveling through northwestern Pakistan en route to Afghanistan, and he claimed responsibility for the June 9 bombing of the Pearl Continental hotel in Peshawar, and the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore earlier this year.

He had also threatened suicide bombings in Pakistani cities in retaliation for a recent army offensive in the Swat Valley, which has been winding down in recent weeks.

While it is unclear whether he will be able to maintain unity within the Pakistani Taliban like his predecessor, he was likely chosen for his operational capabilities, said Bokhari, the analyst, adding that a revival to some degree of suicide bombings could be expected.

"At this point the goal of the TTP is to let the outside world know that it's very much alive and kicking, and how it will do that will be based on its ability or inability to stage suicide bombing attacks," he said.

More attacks would demonstrate that the Pakistani Taliban was intact and able to operate despite recent setbacks, he explained.

"I think that the decision of the shura to appoint this particular individual is based on that consideration."

Hakimullah, 28, needs to take down a few big fish in Pakistan - a couple of feudals having the highest corruption profile would be the most logical choice, at this stage to regain Taliban popularity. They should look for Stauffenbergs in the Pakistani Army. Even cooks, cleaners, chaprdasis, electricians should be explored for recruitment. A decapitation of the Pakistani Army would go a long way in ensuring a Talibanistan.

It is interesting to note, that TTP acts strictly according to meritocracy. Pakistanis should learn something from them.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 23 Aug 2009 11:00

RajeshA wrote:Pakistani Taliban choose new chief by Elene Becatoros: Associated Press

. . . Hakimullah commanded three tribal regions and has a reputation as Baitullah's most ruthless deputy.. . . threatened suicide bombings in Pakistani cities. . .

Baitullah Mehsud mounted a savage attack on the Police Training Centre in the outskirts of Lahore on Mar. 30, 2009. Later, owning up the attack, he said, “Over the next few days, more such attacks will come... two or three suicide attacks will take place... We will exact our revenge inside America... but let us [take] revenge in Pakistan first”. Two days later, on Apr. 1, 2009, US drones attacked Hakimullah Mehsud’s compound in Orakzai and an enraged Hakimullah announced "the pain of this attack will be felt in Islamabad".

They should look for Stauffenbergs in the Pakistani Army.

Stauffenbergs, mangoes or Stauffenbergs with mangoes . . . anything goes as we are eagerly onlee waiting for Hakimullah's promised 'Pain in Islamabad'. Hakimullah is also known to keep his promise

.

It is interesting to note, that TTP acts strictly according to meritocracy.

On another point, it is now certain that Baitullah is dead. Quickly after the drone attack, the PA planted stories one of which said that Hakimullah was also dead. The PA had announced Baitullah's death a couple of times before as well.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 23 Aug 2009 11:22

In all the heat and dust raised by JS, we forgot the venerable TFT.
Such Gup

At a low ebb

If ever there was any doubt that the relationship between the Land of The Pure and the Land of Sand has been downgraded, it should be put to rest. Al-King has sent a junior diplomat to replace his seasoned ambassador in Islamabad, who has been recalled after years of service in our capital. Pakistan has done a tit for tat. Our ambassador to Al-King’s court is similarly light weight. Our mole also says that the same gent has been twice earlier recalled from the Land of Sand for visa fraud when he was serving as a junior diplomat in our embassy.

Pot calling kettle black

It’s no secret that Gill on the Hill sacked the steal mill guy without asking Hubby. In fact, observers say Gill’s whole body language has changed since he got a wink and a nod from the khakis. {Gill on the Hill should not be lulled into a false sense of complacency vis-a-vis the khakhis. The Khakhis have no personal interest in Gill on the Hill, they have only an institutional interest in themselves and the PA in that order. Gill on the Hill should not be a regular Paki, displaying tactical brilliance onlee. Easier said than done, I guess} He’s now so puffed up as to be almost insufferable. But that Gill on the Hill should take such strident notice of corruption in the ranks is akin to the pot calling the kettle black. Might we ask Gill what he thinks of a 6 series BMW, 2009 model, recently imported, being driven around the roads of Isloo with full protocol? And what does he think of a recently acquired luxury flat in London, being renovated to perfection by Madam? If a fight against corruption be the new mantra of the Establishment and its servants, let all the dirty linen be brought out for a public wash.

Innocent pleasures

The Man of Steel, meanwhile, is said to be indulging in a series of innocent pleasures. They say he has a penchant for hot channa bhatura from Amritsar and the most delicate pateesa. Occasionally, a courier brings the bhaturas via Wagah for The Man’s delectation. Then there’s his other great distraction which is his well-equipped home theatre at his Raiwind estate. The Man is said to watch his favourite Indian films over and over again in his home theatre, the most popular being Mughal-e-Azam. {How the Man of Steel came very close to being a Caliph in c. 1998. Had fate not intervened in the form of his hand-picked Musharraf, he would have been Amir-ul-Momineen a long time back and milk & honey would be flowing in Pakistan today rather than flesh & blood} He’s also a great music buff; there is said to be a state-of-the-art selection of audio equipment especially imported from Singapore for his music room.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 23 Aug 2009 11:36

Selected N U G G E T S

Dr AQ Khan writes to columnist

Columnist Abdul Qadir Hasan wrote in Express that the father of the nuclear bomb in Pakistan, Dr AQ Khan, had written a letter quoting from Habib Jalib to prove that the army was sowing love with bullets and that it will be defeated in the process of doing so. Dr Khan had published his selection of poetry of other poets and was distributing it free.

Haqqani refuses to help Pakistan

Reported in Aajkal: Taliban commander in North Waziristan Jalaluddin Haqqani refused to help Pakistan on the latter’s request and stop his cooperation with Baitullah Mehsud of South Waziristan. Pakistan had asked him to break with Mehsud to help Pakistan’s operation in South Waziristan.

‘Lashkar Ismail’ in Rahimyar Khan

According to Aajkal, terrorist Maulvi Ismail had shifted to Rahimyar Khan and set up his camps there. He is a partner of Lal Masjid’s Maulana Abdul Aziz’s cousin Mufti Usman, and they both had got together to set up the Lashkar Ismail. He was already in touch with the Taliban and their leader, Baitullah Mehsud.

Another PMLN leader in trouble

Reported in Jinnah: PMLN MPA Ijaz Ahmad Khan’s car was stopped by police for darkened glasses, but upon opening the door they discovered one Kalashnikov, two pistols and a cache of bullets. Upon the approach of a red car, the police returned the weapons and let the car go.

Portrait of Maulana Ahmad Baksh

Writing about the recent target-killing of Maulana Ahmad Baksh of Sipah Sahaba in Karachi, chief editor Jinnah revealed that lawyer Baksh was of the scale of the great Maulana Haq Nawaz Jhangvi (also murdered) who actually helped found Sipah Sahaba. As an advocate, he was the defence in the cases against Ahmad Umar Sheikh, accused of killing Daniel Pearl, and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi killer Akram Lahori. Maulana Ahmad Baksh belonged to Dera Ghazi Khan, the home town of the clerics of Lal Masjid in Islamabad.

Victims of blasphemy law

Reported in Daily Pakistan: the blasphemy law had put 99 Muslims and eight Christians in jail, including one woman. All blasphemers are finally let off and not killed. IG prisons said that foreigners are allowed to come and meet blasphemers. Ismail Qureshi (together with late Apa Nisar Fatima), who got the law enforced in 1984, said good cases would be made in future and all blasphemers would be hanged.

Baitullah and break-up of Pakistan

Columnist Saleem Safi wrote in Jang that the Taliban did not want a break-up of Pakistan. Baitullah Mehsud, Fazlullah, Hafiz Gul Bahadur and Maulvi Nazir did not have break-up of Pakistan on their agenda. But he did not explain whether creation of a new “emirate” within Pakistan with its own taxation system will mean break-up or not.

Don’t teach Arabic!

Writing in Jang, Irshad Haqqani stated that some unthinking people had made Arabic compulsory for Pakistani children at school. {Blasphemous} This would burden the child’s mind in addition to the learning he has to do in respect of English and Urdu. He recommended that Arabic be made an optional language.

IB chief did it!

Old PPP worker and adviser to Benazir Bhutto Dr Israr Shah told Jinnah that if the then-IB chief is arrested and questioned, the case of Ms Bhutto’s assassination would be solved. He said the Karachi blast and the Rawalpindi blast were linked, and the earlier blast at a PPP camp protesting the dismissal of the Chief Justice Chaudhry, in which Dr Israr Shah lost his two legs, was done by the same person.

Go, America, go!

Chief Editor Majeed Nizami was quoted by Nawa-e-Waqt as saying that America wanted to hand over Pakistan to India, and Iran to Israel. But Pakistan had become a nuclear power and Iran was about to become one. Therefore, go, America, go!

Musharraf, Shujaat and Zardari

Columnist Hamid Mir wrote in Jang that once President Musharraf confided to a friend that he could have ruled on except for Chaudhry Shujaat, with whom neither Nawaz nor Zardari was willing to talk. He said he would not leave the presidency because then it would be occupied by Zardari. On this, his friend said, let Zardari come, he will be gone in one year.

Aishwarya Rai and Imanat Chann

According to Nawa-e-Waqt, Lahore’s comic actor Imanat Chann was a great favourite of the Indian top film heroine Aishwarya Rai. She said that she had all his plays on CD in her library and added she greatly enjoyed his barkain (quips), although at times she did not understand what he was saying.

PPP leader accuses PPP leaders

According to Nawa-e-Waqt, PPP leader Chaudhry Aslam from Islamabad said that if the UN commission wanted to catch the murderers of Benazir, it should interview him. He said if anyone wanted to catch the killers he should arrest ministers Rehman Malik and Babar Awan, because they were following Benazir in a Mercedes and drove off just before her assassination.

ppatil · Post by **ppatil** » 23 Aug 2009 12:26

SSridhar wrote:Hakeemullah will lead us: Taliban - Nirupama Subramanian

Hakeemullah is a close relative of Baitullah and leads the next largest contingent of armed group (next to the slain Baitullah) within the Taliban conglomerate.

New Structure of TTP

Amir - Baitullah Mehsud (of South Waziristan) killed on August, 5, 2009. Maulvi Faqir Mohammed became the Emir on Aug. 19, 2009 and was replaced by Hakimullah on Aug. 22, 2009.

First Naib Amir - Maulana Hafiz Gul Bahadur of North Waziristan.

Second Naib Emir - Faqir Mohammed of Bajaur (Became Temporary Emir in Aug 2009 before being replaced by Hakimullah)

Spokesperson - Maulvi Umar or Omar (aka Said Muhamad). He was captured by the Pakistanis on Aug. 16, 2009 and was replaced by Azam Tariq as Taliban’s Chief Spokesperson.

Chief Ideologue and Trainer - Qari Hussain

Has a shura (consultative committee) of 40 senior Taliban leaders from the entire NWFP area (including FATA and Settled Areas)

Aim: To enforce Sharia, to unite against the NATO forces in Afghanistan, do defensive jihad against the Pakistan Army if needed, and dominate Pakistan.

Order of Battle: The strength of TTP has been estimated at over 50,000 men comprising of Hakimullah (Orakzai and Kurram with 8,000 men), Rehmanullah and Hazrat Ali (Khyber, 1,200), Umar Khalid (Mohmand, 5,000), and Faqir Muhammad (Bajaur, 5,000). Late Baitullah himself was estimated to possess 30,000 warriors, supplemented with Tahir Yuldashev’s 4,000 Uzbeks and other “foreigners”.

Sridhar,
Where does Wali-Ur-Rehman (considered a top contender for Baitullah's post) fit in?

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 23 Aug 2009 12:57

ppatil wrote:Where does Wali-Ur-Rehman (considered a top contender for Baitullah's post) fit in?

Frankly, I haven't heard his name before. He seems to have been just a commander under Baitullah.

shravan · Post by **shravan** » 23 Aug 2009 13:27

Terror plot averted in Balochistan, 2 tons explosives recovered

QUETTA: The police have averted a major plan of terrorism in Balochistan by recovering 2,000 kilograms of explosive materials from a pickup at Panjgore.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 23 Aug 2009 13:34

Khaled Ahmed in TFT on 'hatred' for Zardari among Pakistanis.

Writing in Nawa-e-Waqt (March 18, 2009) Dr Zahur Ahmad Azhar stated that President Zardari aspired to friendship with India but he should take care because a flexible general, bending to the plots of Uncle Sam and the Hindus may have provided a guide to him. Zardari should remember that the dagger of Kashmir was still buried in our guts and the Brahmin was still lacerating us.

Second, he is a friend of India waiving first-strike and saying India is no threat while India walks away with Pakistan’s waters in violation of the Indus Treaty. He signs over a transit route to India across Pakistan without telling the parliament, and is letting Rehman Malik crawl in front of India owning up the Mumbai attack. Just like Musharraf, isn’t it?

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 23 Aug 2009 14:09

Rehman Malik on Hakimullah

Malik said whoever heads the TTP will be considered a terrorist.

Malik said that this person claiming to be Hakeemullah will soon be exposed as his twin brother is present in Afghanistan and has been issuing statements from there.

Malik maintained that the government has obtained the DNA of Hakeemullah and will speak about it after verifying it.

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 23 Aug 2009 14:16

SSridhar wrote:Rehman Malik on Hakimullah
Malik said whoever heads the TTP will be considered a terrorist.

Malik said that this person claiming to be Hakeemullah will soon be exposed as his twin brother is present in Afghanistan and has been issuing statements from there.

Malik maintained that the government has obtained the DNA of Hakeemullah and will speak about it after verifying it.

Did Hakimullah and 'his twin brother' lose each other in Kumbhmela?

Rehman Malik has seen old Hindi films once too often!

shravan · Post by **shravan** » 23 Aug 2009 14:22

Dilbu wrote:Pakistani Taliban quiz Mehsud kin over "spying"
PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Pakistani Taliban have detained four relatives of their leader Baitullah Mehsud, believed to have been killed this month in a U.S. missile strike, on suspicion of tipping off authorities about his whereabouts, security officials said.
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A senior intelligence official said Mehsud's father-in-law, Ikramuddin Mehsud, his son, one of his brothers and a nephew had been detained by the Taliban on suspicion that they had passed on information about Mehsud's whereabouts.

Taliban-linked Pakistan elder killed in ambush
(AFP) – 35 minutes ago
PESHAWAR, Pakistan — A tribal elder with links to the Taliban was killed Sunday along with four close relatives in an ambush in Pakistan's northwest militant stronghold, officials said.

"Armed men stopped the vehicle near Wana bazaar and sprayed it with bullets, killing Sarwar Khan, his son, a brother, nephew and a close relative," a senior administration official told AFP.
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I am confused...

SSridhar Sir,
Are they the same people ?

ppatil · Post by **ppatil** » 23 Aug 2009 14:54

SSridhar wrote:
ppatil wrote:Where does Wali-Ur-Rehman (considered a top contender for Baitullah's post) fit in?
Frankly, I haven't heard his name before. He seems to have been just a commander under Baitullah.

Wali denies shooting

He was apparently the other leader killed in the alleged shootout with Hakimullah.

From wiki

Following Baitullah Mehsud's reported death in a missile attack launched from a Predator drone, a shura convened to choose his successor to lead the Pakistani Taliban.[1] Wali-ur-Rehman was considered a contender for leadership. On August 9 2009 a heated exchange at the shura escalated to open gunfire, and Wali-ur-Rehman shot Hakimullah Mehsud another leadership contender.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 23 Aug 2009 15:55

shravan wrote: I am confused... Are they the same people ?

No idea, but, it doesn't appear to be so.

shravan · Post by **shravan** » 23 Aug 2009 16:57

Taliban kills Mehsud's family
23 Aug 2009, 1610 hrs IST

Pak Interior Minister Rehman Malik said that Pakistan Taliban Chief Baitullah Mehsud's relatives have been killed by the Taliban for allegedly spying on him. Pakistan media reports that 4 relatives of Mehsud, including his father-in-law were captured on Saturday and reportedly killed on Sunday (August 23).

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More confusion onree.