Terrorist Islamic Republic of Pakistan - July 07, 2009

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 28 Aug 2009 06:22

vaman wrote:^^^
Suicide bomb hits Pakistan border

The headline makes it seem as if it is some kind of natural disaster

well - it IS natural for Pakistan.

Vivek_A · Post by **Vivek_A** » 28 Aug 2009 06:38

archan wrote:Demands!!

5.7 billion promised in Tokyo turned out to be only 300 million $ delivered. This is another dirty little secret of foreign aid. It's more welfare for some american company.

Administrative costs could halve US aid: Tareen

LAHORE: Administrative costs may account for as much as half of the assistance pledged by the United States to Pakistan, Finance Minister Shaukat Tareen has said.

In an interview with the Financial Times, the minister urged the US to channel the funds assistance through Pakistani agencies to save high intermediation costs.

His comments come as Pakistan struggles to secure funds from international donors who want to know more about where it will be spent. The donors’ meeting in Turkey this week failed to cement the earlier pledges of $5.7 billion in aid in spite of an appeal by the United Nations.

President Barack Obama plans to raise economic assistance to Pakistan to $7.5 billion over the next five years.

“Whatever aid [the US is giving] must have full impact on the ground which is why they should route as much of this aid through our agencies than their own agencies... Frankly, we only receive almost 50-55 percent of the aid, 40-45 percent becomes [intermediation] expenses.”

Pakistani officials worry that the USAID will form a large infrastructure in the country and employ generously paid foreign experts thus inflating the cost of development projects.

Linkage: Tareen said Pakistan would resist any linkage of financial assistance to the country’s nuclear programme or confidence-building measures with India. Aid would also be “unacceptable” if it was tied to greater monitoring of the country’s nukes.

According to FT, the US seems unlikely to change how it delivers aid to Pakistan. The US says it must ensure its taxpayers’ money does not end up in the wrong hands.

Transparency International last year ranked Pakistan 134th out of 180 countries on its corruption perceptions index.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 28 Aug 2009 07:23

Prem wrote:
derkonig wrote:Isnt Mutaa' also from Saudi Barbaria?
Mutta is pure Persian. Akbar the Greet has actual diccourse on Mutta with Shia and Sunni scholars to settle the validity of this doctine.

Prem is correct. Sunni Pakistanis used to ridicule Shi'ite Iranians for this practice. Now that the Masters from the Land of Sand themselves are known to indulge in such a practice, one can expect to see Sunni Pakistanis trying convoluted arguments to justify it.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 28 Aug 2009 07:25

rajsunder wrote:
derkonig wrote:Isnt Mutaa' also from Saudi Barbaria?
whats Mutaa'

Mutaa' is temporary marriage, aka prostitution.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 28 Aug 2009 07:42

archan wrote:Demands!!

Archan saheb, it is not surprising if one were to recall the 'demands' the victorious PA asked ZAB to impose on the vanquished India in the 1972 Shimla discussions. At that time, India had bisected Pakistan and created Bangladesh, held 93000 Pakistani soldiers as PoW, held ~6000 Sq. Miles of West Pakistan (compared to ~100 Sq. Miles of Indian territory held by Pakistan), could very well have torn West Pakistan as well but for 'other' reasons. Obviously therefore, Pakistan was a winner and India a loser. The reasonable Pakistani 'demands' therefore were:

No exchange of territory that might give a strategic or tactical advantage to India in future conflicts
No trial of PoWs in Indian hands
Immediate restoration of diplomatic ties (which cannot be Army's brief, but, we know how it works in Pakistan)
Immediate and unconditional repatriation of all PoWs
India must give the right of self-determination to the Kashmiris
Reduction in the the size of the IA to remove the fear of aggression in Pakistani minds

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 28 Aug 2009 07:42

Pak's future Amir, sucesor to Baitullah Meshud
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/daw ... tant-ss-01

'Hakeemullah is the best shooter and driver in the entire tribal area and no one except Shaheed Naek Muhammad could have matched him.'

More ambitious than his predecessor who mostly remained confined to South Waziristan, Hakeemullah explained to this correspondent his expansionist designs.

'If the Pakistan government continues with its policy of following American dictates, (some day) we can even try to capture Peshawar, Hangu and even Islamabad,' he said.

'And we have the strength to do it.'

He also did not hide his views about Al Qaeda. In an interview with Dawn News TV during the trip, Hakeemullah openly praised the international terrorist movement.

'We are Al Qaeda’s friends as both us the Taliban and the Arab fighters have shown our allegiance to Amir-ul-Momineen Mullah Omar of Afghanistan, but there is no Al Qaeda in South Waziristan. It’s only the US and the Pakistan government’s propaganda. They don’t have any proof.'

Hakeemullah’s nomination as the new TTP chief would be worrisome for Pakistani authorities, but more so for the NWFP government. Hakimullah is not a traditional mullah, as he does not have a proper degree from a religious school.

However, he knows how to exploit Pakhtuns’ religious as well as nationalist sentiments. 'We do not give two hoots to Awami National Party’s tirade against Taliban,' Hakeemullah had said in the interview.

Hakeemullah a fiercely ambitious militant

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 28 Aug 2009 07:52

Sanjay M wrote:BBC:

Pak Demands US Aid Not Be Linked to Nuclear Monitoring, Wants Aid Directly Sent to Itself

If the US has not learnt anything from channeling arms and funds through the 'agency' during Afghan jihad and concedes to Pakistani demand, then India is about to have an even tougher time.

Anindya · Post by **Anindya** » 28 Aug 2009 07:55

it is not surprising if one were to recall the 'demands' the victorious PA asked ZAB to impose on the vanquished India in the 1972 Shimla discussions. At that time, India had bisected Pakistan and created Bangladesh, held 93000 Pakistani soldiers as PoW, held ~6000 Sq. Miles of West Pakistan (compared to ~100 Sq. Miles of Indian territory held by Pakistan), could very well have torn West Pakistan as well but for 'other' reasons....

SS - had never seen that before - is there a reference for this? TIA.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 28 Aug 2009 07:58

Arindam wrote:SS - had never seen that before - is there a reference for this? TIA.

Arindam, read Shuja Nawaz's book, 'Crossed Swords: The War Within'

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 28 Aug 2009 08:31

azimuthally related to Paki thread

Suidice bomber lightly injures senior Saudi prince

The official Saudi news agency says a wanted militant has blown himself up in an apparent assassination attempt against one of the senior princes involved in the kingdom's aggressive anti-terror campaign.

The Saudi Press Agency says the man was being searched by security before going in to offer Ramadan greetings to the assistant interior minister, Prince Muhammad bin Nayef, when he blew himself up late Thursday.

It says the prince was lightly wounded and nobody else was seriously injured.

The Interior Ministry has spearheaded the kingdom's aggressive campaign against terrorism, with authorities jailing hundreds of suspected militants since Sept. 11, 2001.

BijuShet · Post by **BijuShet** » 28 Aug 2009 08:57

TSP power woes better explained below.
Influential people, govt depts stealing electricity: KESC

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s standing committee on water and power was informed on Thursday that influential people belonging to various segments of society were involved in electricity theft in Karachi.

At a meeting of the committee, CEO of the Karachi Electric Supply Company Naveed Ismail said that powerful individuals, groups and lobbies and even sensitive government departments were stealing electricity.

The committee, headed by Ghulam Mustafa Shah, directed the KESC to provide a list of defaulters at the next meeting.

Mr Ismail said the KESC had been taking out 55,000 to 60,000 kundas (illegal lever connected to the line) per month, but almost 90 per cent of them were reinstalled within 24 hours.
...
.When the committee asked about two major blackouts in Karachi in June and July, Mr Ismail said that almost 90 per cent of KESC’s transmission and distribution system was overloaded.

He said the company was facing a serious shortage of human resources because many of its technical experts left to seek jobs in the Middle East after the army had taken over the KESC management.
....

arun · Post by **arun** » 28 Aug 2009 12:16

ArmenT wrote:IED Mubarak in Pakistan.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8225190.stm

With 22 dead, that was quite a demonstration of the IEDology of Pakistan.

That the Muslim holy month of Ramazan / Ramadan is currently underway seems to be having no impact on suicide bombing attacks.

arun · Post by **arun** » 28 Aug 2009 12:27

X Posted.

Family of arrested Indonesian terrorist confirms link to the epicentre of global terrorism, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

The Indonesian terrorist attended a Pakistani Madrassah for three years where he would no doubt have been ideologically motivated to support acts of terrorism:

Jibril studied at Pakistan center linked to al-Qaeda, says family

Dicky Christanto , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Fri, 08/28/2009 11:18 AM | Headlines

After several days of silence about the overseas connections of suspected terrorist Muhammad Jibril, a member of his family finally commented on it to the public on Thursday.

“He attended a traditional Islamic school in Pakistan for around three years,” Irfan S. Awwas, Jibril’s uncle, told journalists.

However, Irfan didn’t elaborate further on the name of the school.

Information about Jibril’s experience overseas is important to the police, who are investigating his international links to terror networks.

Muhammad Jibril Abdul Rohman alias Muhammad Ricky Ardhan, has been detained since Tuesday as the police suspect he is one of the international couriers who helped distribute funds used to finance the bombings of two Jakarta hotels in July.

Jibril’s father Muhammad Iqbal alias Abu Jibril, previously refused to give a clear statement about Jibril’s activities abroad.

“He only went on a Umrah pilgrimage last year,” he said.

When asked whether Jibril had been involved with the Al Ghuroba study club, many members of which are suspected al-Qaeda couriers, Irfan did not provide a straight answer.

Instead of answering the question, he asked back, “What's wrong with joining Al Ghuroba? It has never been declared as a forbidden organization in Pakistan.” ……………….

Jakarta Post

vdas · Post by **vdas** » 28 Aug 2009 14:45

arun wrote:X Posted.

Jibril studied at Pakistan center linked to al-Qaeda, says family

Dicky Christanto , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Fri, 08/28/2009 11:18 AM | Headlines

........

When asked whether Jibril had been involved with the Al GUBO study club, many members of which are suspected Pakistan Foreign Services , Irfan did not provide a straight answer.

Instead of answering the question, he asked back, “What's wrong with joining Al GUBO? It has never been declared as a forbidden organization in Pakistan.” ……………….

Jakarta Post

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 28 Aug 2009 18:13

Pak Lets AQ Khan Off the Hook

Since Pak is now off the hook for its nuclear proliferation, then why shouldn't India reconsider its restraint on further testing?

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 28 Aug 2009 18:20

Commander Clouseau at work in British Counter-Intelligence what?!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... -unit.html

shravan · Post by **shravan** » 28 Aug 2009 18:29

Pakistan wants 18 Million Dollars for World Cup miss

"Apart from our hosting rights fee of 10.5 million dollars, we expect to get some additional amount in compensation which, after calculation, will come to 18 million dollars," Butt told a press conference on his return from Dubai.

"We feel that this was the best possible solution and we will get additional amount and would not be forced to beg around for money to keep our cricket on track," said Butt,

BijuShet · Post by **BijuShet** » 28 Aug 2009 21:14

BijuShet wrote:More skeletons coming out of the TSP closet. Posting in full from TSP newspaper article.
Who is behind the ‘get Nawaz’ campaign?
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
By Ansar Abbasi

ISLAMABAD: The fact that Nawaz Sharif was once the establishment’s blue-eyed boy and that the creation of the IJI was the ISI’s work are well known and undeniable, but the general perception is that today he is being targeted to save Musharraf’s skin.

It is premature to say who is behind this ‘get Nawaz’ campaign to deter him from seeking Musharraf’s trial under Article 6 of the Constitution. Though the immediate suspect for many is the invisible, military-led establishment, there are indications of involvement of some key government players in this blame-game.

Brigadier (retd) Imtiaz, whose recent statements have created ripples and upset the PML-N and its chief, however, denied that he has been playing into the hands of the establishment or the government. He insists that he just had the urge to share with the nation past secrets, irrespective of who benefits and who is damaged politically because of his revelations.
....

A sequel to the saga above by Brigadier (retd) Imtiaz. Posting in full

Spy vs spy

Friday, August 28, 2009
Another IB official speaks out

By Usman Manzoor

ISLAMABAD: Another former senior officer of the Intelligence Bureau has broken his silence after the recent outbursts of Brig (retd) Imtiaz and has revealed that the former IB director-general had planned to register high treason cases against Benazir Bhutto, Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan, Salmaan Taseer and Masood Sharif.

Following the recent disclosures of Brig Imtiaz, which have shaken both the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Rana Abdul Baqi, who had served under former IB director-general Masood Sharif and retired as senior director, in an exclusive interview with The News, disclosed that Brig Imtiaz wanted to try Benazir Bhutto and three others because they leaked secret tapes to an Indian journalist and got it published in India Today.

According to Baqi, the tapes which were leaked contained conversations between MNAs and Brigadier Imtiaz and Major Amir, and also included classified information about training camps of the Army and other strategic security information which may still be classified.

The former IB director said: “In 1991 after completing medical leave I reported at the IB headquarters and started waiting for my next posting, as I was previously working as personal staff officer to IB director-general Masood Sharif. One day, Brig Imtiaz called me in his office because he was upset with the episode of Salmaan Taseer, who had conducted a press conference against the architects of ‘Operation Midnight Jackal’ and India Today had also published some extracts of those secret tapes. The brigadier asked me how did Salmaan Taseer get those tapes? “He (Taseer) is an agent of RAW and India Today got those tapes through Taseer.” “Brigadier Imtiaz alleged according to his information Taseer got those tapes through me.”

“According to my sources, Masood Sharif and Benazir Bhutto got those tapes from you,” Brig Imtiaz blamed me, adding: “Benazir Bhutto gave those tapes to Taseer.” Imtiaz added apart from Benazir Bhutto and Salmaan Taseer, Aitzaz Ahsan was also present there and in his presence these tapes were handed over to Taseer.

“I want to initiate high treason case against these four because they have handed over classified national secrets to India and you (Rana Abdul Baqi) would become approver in the case and you would admit that these secret tapes were handed over to Taseer in your presence.

“I told Brig Imtiaz that I do not know Benazir Bhutto, Aitzaz Ahsan and Salmaan Taseer personally and I can not give any sort of false evidence. I was offered promotion by Brig Imtiaz and upon my refusal I was threatened of severe consequences and an inquiry was lodged against me and I was accused of leaking those secret tapes.”

“I told Brig Imtiaz that three sets of these tapes were prepared each containing 12 cassettes. One was sent to the Military Intelligence director-general; one to the Prime Minister Secretariat and the third was kept in IB director-general’s office. I don’t know how Taseer got those tapes. Brig Imtiaz constituted a committee to discuss my involvement in handing those tapes to Taseer.

Brig Imtiaz’s committee comprised Air Commodore Khalilullah Ghauri, Col Bashir Wali, who has remained IB director-general and Major Salim Khan.

The committee inquired from me and I gave a ten-page reply on how these tapes were distributed. The Army men took the last copy of these cassettes which was at IB director-general’s office and a receipt was also given of that episode.

“The committee exonerated me after getting satisfactory answers. Commodore Khalilur Rehman Ghauri told me Brig Imtiaz wanted to initiate high treason cases against Benazir Bhutto, Aitzaz Ahsan and Masood Sharif. I was asked to be careful as Brig Imtiaz could be dangerous. I only said I will not give any false evidence.”

To a question, the former senior IB director disclosed that the then-government did not pay any heed to Brig Imtiaz’s formula of vindicating the opposition. “Even the prime minister was shocked about Imtiaz’s formula,” said Rana Abdul Baqi, adding: “In 1997 Brig Imtiaz once again wanted to play his role but was reminded of the 1991 mistake.”

Brigadier Imtiaz, the mastermind of the Operation Midnight Jackal, when contacted termed all the allegations levelled by Rana Abdul Baqi baseless and said he never gave worth to Rana Abdul Baqi. He said Rana Abdul Baqi was sidelined by him when he assumed the charge of Intelligence Bureau. “I never thought of giving any important task to Baqi,” said the brigadier.

Brigadier Imtiaz said the Operation Midnight Jackal was kept alive against a person who has served his whole life serving the country. He said he, Major Amir, Malik Mumtaz (a RAW agent according to Brigadier Imtiaz) and two MNAs were discussing the political situation of Pakistan and mentioned that their views were not favourable to the incumbent regime and that the minor incident was termed the Operation Midnight Jackal. Brigadier Imtiaz said politics was, and is, discussed everywhere but that the minor incident has been kept alive till today.

He said Nawaz Sharif, Gen Nasir, Masood Sharif and Rana Baqi had taken MNAs in C-130 from the Rawalpindi Cricket stadium to Swat, which was unauthorised but no one had questioned that.

BijuShet · Post by **BijuShet** » 28 Aug 2009 21:20

^^^^ Tied to above but buried in briefs section
briefs...

Friday, August 28, 2009
Ex-ISI official claims recovering Jinnahpur maps

ISLAMABAD: A former senior official of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has said that he had recovered maps of Jinnahpur from the headquarters of the MQM in the early 90s. Major Nadeem Dar (retd) told a television channel that he had recovered many Jinnahpur maps and handed them over to the officials concerned. He rejected the statement of Brigadier Imtiaz that no Jinnahpur map was recovered. He said that he had raided the headquarters of the MQM and recovered published and unpublished maps from there. He charged former corps commander General Naseer Akhtar of spreading corruption in Karachi.

BijuShet · Post by **BijuShet** » 28 Aug 2009 21:26

^^^^ again Related Spy vs Spy story
Spy vs spy

Brig Imtiaz is agent of US agencies: ex-director FIA
Friday, August 28, 2009
By Shakeel Anjum

ISLAMABAD: Brig (retd) Imtiaz Ahmed is an American agent planted by the American agencies mainly to defame the Pakistani intelligence agencies, former director Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Malik Mumtaz Ahmad said on Thursday.

While addressing a press conference, he said after having played a key role in toppling the Benazir government in 1990, Brig Imtiaz was now bent on destabilising the present government.

Malik Mumtaz claimed that he had informed the then prime minister Benazir Bhutto through her special secretary (security) of the conspiracy plan ‘Midnight Jackal’ of Brig (retd) Imtiaz and Maj (retd) Amar. She contacted the then Army chief Gen Aslam Baig but he had denied.

Malik Mumtaz claimed that Benazir had sent her interior minister Nasirullah Khan Babar to Aslam Baig but the Army chief had again denied the report, asking him to produce evidence about the conspiracy.

“He is playing in the hands of American agencies to destabilise the political system,” Malik Mumtaz averred. “He is opposing Mian Nawaz Sharif to get entrance in the PPP camp,” he added.

He appealed to the Supreme Court to take suo moto notice against Brig Imtiaz and reopen his corruption cases. He claimed Brig Imtiaz’s “anti-state activities” were creating confusion in the political system.

The former FIA chief alleged Brig Imtiaz had collected illegal wealth during his tenure as IB head. Malik said that a corruption case was lodged with the FIA after the brigadierís removal during the Benazir government. However, the FIA did not pursue the case in the court, and, consequently, it was dismissed.

Malik said Brig Imtiaz made 27 valuable properties and a heavy account in a bank of London, adding, he got himself freed from the cases by using his influence during the Nawaz government in 1997.

The second case of corruption against Brig Imtiaz was registered by the Account Appellate Bureau chairman in 2000, Malik said, adding that the detailed list of his properties was attached with the petition. The properties included three houses and three commercial units in Islamabad as well as foreign exchange bearing certificates to the tune of Rs 20.8 million.

He said a court sentenced Brig Imtiaz to eight years rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs 7 million, also confiscating his assets. The court disqualified him for ten years for holding any public office or statutory or local authority. But he, taking advantage of the NRO, managed to retake his property.

Malik disclosed that before his “retirement at fault” from the Army in 1988, Brig Imtiaz had declared his total asset as a two-kanal plot at the Lahore Cantt Officers Society (Phase-II) and a 2,000-square-yard plot in the Defence Housing Society, Karachi. He questioned how Imtiaz made property worth billions of rupees as IB chief.

BijuShet · Post by **BijuShet** » 28 Aug 2009 21:48

pgbhat wrote:Careless neglect? ---- letters
Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Fahad Rafique Dogar's letter titled "Careless neglect?" (Aug 24) reveals that even someone like Dr A Q Khan is susceptible to plagiarism. In fact it is ironic that just a few days ago, Dr Khan had criticised Gopichand Narang who was himself accused of plagiarism in his writings. But now Dr Khan himself has been found doing the very same thing -- copying paragraphs from the work of others and not attributing them to their original source.
T Mansoor
Islamabad
...

Photochor's defence below
Dr A Q Khan clarifies

Friday, August 28, 2009
The recent spate of reactions to my article on the importance of computer technology requires clarification. The acknowledgement as to the source was put at the end of Part II because it was originally written as one long article. Had Mr Dogar, who initiated this controversy, waited for the second part (Part I clearly said "To be continued"), all this would have been avoided. However, I would like to point out that a newspaper article is not the same as a research paper in a reputed magazine, which does, indeed, require full referencing. Since I had been receiving numerous requests from students to write on this topic I used notes I had made about seven years ago from various well-known university syllabuses, not even remembering which notes were from which university. I did not go online to any source. Obviously the syllabuses have not changed much in all these years! I purposely left the text in the same simple-to-understand original language because it was meant for students and laymen, not professionals. A university brochure is neither someone's personal intellectual property, nor does it require referencing.

My friend and former colleague, Engineer Nasim Khan, provided information on various related American websites with comments -- what is wrong with that? Those who insinuated negatively about his professional capabilities are ignorant and disparate. All this reminds me of the famous verse by Zafar Gorakhpuri: "Kitni aasani say mashhoor kiya hai khud ko/Mein nay apnay say baray shakhs ko gaali dee hai".

Dr A Q Khan

Islamabad

saip · Post by **saip** » 28 Aug 2009 22:37

With reference to Fahad Rafique Dogar's letter titled 'Careless neglect?' on Dr A Q Khan's article of Aug 19, I went on the websites that he gave and independently checked them -- and they were all correct. However, this does not come as a surprise as many people are of the opinion that Dr Khan had copied the plans for the atomic bomb from another source.

Mishal Tariq

Kinnaird College,

Lahore

http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=194860

Fess up guys. Which one of you wrote this?

Kakkaji · Post by **Kakkaji** » 28 Aug 2009 22:51

Choice 'Nuggets' from this week's TFT. My apologies if already posted:

America will crush Islam!

Reported by Jang an International Khatm-e-Nabuwwat Conference of Muslim clerics in Sargodha decided that America was determined to crush Islam and its followers in order to give domination to secular elements. It said that Swat-Malakand operation was an American plot and that PPP government was following the policies of Musharraf.

Shame on America!

Columnist Dr Ajmal Niazi wrote in Nawa-e-Waqt that Hilary Clinton had insulted Pakistan while she was in India. Pakistanis are very patient but they cannot go on tolerating insult. The insult was intolerable because Pakistan can lose a cricket match from Bangladesh but not from India. Shame on America!

India will go ‘tukray-tukray’

Jamaat Islami chief Syed Munawwar Hasan said in Nawa-e-Waqt that India will soon will go tukray-tukray (go to pieces) and he will take rest only after driving America out of Pakistan. He said in India people were deprived of justice and Pakistan was the land of Islamic doctrine.

Trial by water

Reported from Alipur in Punjab in Express a panchayat in a village decided a murder case in a traditional way. They got the accused to sit inside a deep puddle of dirty water for three minutes. The test was that a man would walk down to him about 21 feet, touch him, and then return. If during this time the accused did not stand he would be freed. The said accused easily kept sitting and was let off.

‘Midnight Jackals’ was my mistake

Ex-ISI officer and IB chief Imtiaz Ahmad ‘Billa’ was quoted in Nawa-e-Waqt as saying that his plot to overthrow Benazir government through Operation Midnight Jackals was a mistake he made by relying blindly on the directions of Generals Aslam Beg and Hamid Gul. He said he relied on these two senior officers but they did not put as much confidence in him. He said anti-Americanism of Hamid Gul and Aslam Beg was just theatre put up for political reasons.

Islamabad becoming non-Muslim?

Chief Editor Khushnood Ali Khan wrote in Jinnah that in G/7 sector in Islamabad a lot of Christians under their leader J Salik had encroached on state land and were trying to make s settlement of their own. People thought that this was a plot to render Islamabad non-Muslim.

Imran Khan is coming!

Daily Khabrain reported Imran Khan as saying that his party Tehreek Insaf was soon coming to power after which dictators will be put on trial. He said each village will have its own jirga court which means that justice will be sasta (cheap) for all.

Sufi Muhammad rides again

Daily Express reported that Sufi Muhammad was back in circulation after months of disappearance. He was now living in Peshawar and receiving guests. The paper also published his smiling photograph in which looked healthy and youngish. The paper also reported that the neighbouring locality was feeling scared and thinking of relocating. The Sufi was later arrested.

Theft in Punjab Assembly

According to Jinnah after PMLN lady MPA Shumaila was caught red-handed in a theft case a number of MPAS of the Punjab Assembly were now disclosing that their cash too was stolen from purses. MPA Nasim Nasser said that she and four other ladies had registered their theft with the assembly. Shumaila was later let off the hook.

General Chishti escaped ‘phansi’

Famous Pakistani general Faiz Ali Chishti was quoted by Khabrain as saying that in 1977 he and his fellow generals imposed martial law, but their deed was legalised by parliament otherwise they would all have hanged (phansi). Chishti said General Musharraf should be punished because his martial law was not legalised by parliament. He said the punishment for imposing martial law was death.

We will revenge on America!

Writing about the approval of $1.5 billion American aid to Pakistan Khushnood Ali Khan wrote in Jinnah that Americans should know that this money is nothing compared to the lives that America has made us lose fighting a war that is not Pakistan’s war. Americans! We will some day take revenge for this!

Chief Editor in holds court

Chief editor Khushnood Ali Khan was reported by Jinnah as holding a court (khuli kuchehri) in Mirpur Azad Kashmir, where he threatened a local minister and said that he will make his life miserable (jeena haram) if he said that the waters flowing through Kashmir did not belong to Pakistan.

Pain for Palestine

Writing in Jang Saleem Safi stated that US envoy Holbrooke met journalists along with his adviser Vali Nasr and complained that Geo was anti-American. Hamid Mir and Talat Hussain countered his accusations (khar-khari sunai). Safi referred to Palestine and Abu Ghurayb and admitted that all Pakistanis hated America. Vali Nasr said Pakistanis should not feel too much for Palestine but look at the aid America was giving Pakistan.

Kakkaji · Post by **Kakkaji** » 28 Aug 2009 23:30

From the 'Such Gup' section of this week's TFT:

Dishing it out

Mush really seems to be dishing it out. Our mole reports that he has given Chatter a grant of Rs 9 crore to set up this new political party, which is the new King’s Party in waiting. Initially, he had asked Chory Shuj of Guj to make way for him, but when he refused, Mush went ahead with Chatter & Co.

Friends in high places

President Obama gets daily briefings on Pakistan and Afghanistan, sometimes twice a day, as opposed to weekly briefings on Palestine and other trouble spots of the world. Our man Richard Holbrooke has direct access to the President, which is just as well since RH believes that Pakistan is by far the more important country in the AfPak equation. On a recent visit to Karachi, RH was deep in a meeting when in walked the well-regarding mayor, Mustafa Kamal . “Aha!” exclaimed RH, “Mustafa, my friend!” The self-made mayor has risen through the ranks, from the street up to where he is today. He has won many admirers for his dedication to his work, amongst them Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and RH. Mrs Clinton is planning a trip to Pakistan and the details are currently being worked out by the State Department in Washington DC.

shravan · Post by **shravan** » 29 Aug 2009 00:13

Britain pledges $1 billion to help Pakistan

archan · Post by **archan** » 29 Aug 2009 03:08

pledge vledge se kya hoga londonistani biraders, show me the $$$ real fast!

Anujan · Post by **Anujan** » 29 Aug 2009 03:21

From yawn

Kerry-Lugar Bill to be approved by September

Former US vice Secretary of State for South Asia, and Economic and Developmental Aid for Pakistan, Rabin Raphael has announced that the Kerry-Lugar Bill would be approved by the American Senate by September.

He said the reason for disbursement of non-military aid to Pakistan was to help Pakistan attain economic and developmental prosperity

He strongly refuted the notion of appointing an American inspector general to monitor the execution of American aid disbursement

He expressed his deep affirmation that he would strive for better relations with Pakistan.

Rabin Raphael then said his sidekick Raabert will answer the rest of the questions

pgbhat · Post by **pgbhat** » 29 Aug 2009 05:18

An open letter to Arun Shourie ---- Farzana Varshey

pgbhat · Post by **pgbhat** » 29 Aug 2009 05:31

Second Editorial: Ticklish question of sex education

A school imparting quality education under the Cambridge system in Karachi has come under attack for teaching explicit books on the human reproductive system. TV channels showed strange-looking people attacking the school, none of them looking like parents, but one can understand that the parents were greatly put off to see course books with human foetuses inside a mother’s womb, even though their design was completely asexual.

The local education authority took the intensity out of the event by immediately closing down the school and “confiscating” the textbooks. The school has been ordered to assign new textbooks and get them approved from the department. Erring on the side of caution, the bureaucrats also took away books that did not contain any sex information but looked too “western”.

We cannot even begin to discuss reproductive biology in our schools, let alone deal with “sex” education. But we can complain about the media-exposure of our children to a lot of Western and Indian permissive images of life without any parental guidance. We can hardly quantify what they internalise but we know very well that our children remain exposed to a lot of visual sexual innuendo without much sex education. Because of the taboo, they may actually think of it as a pleasure that can be had only as an act of crime.

The school should have looked carefully around in the environment of the Karachi city before deciding on “sex” education. It is actually the most dangerous city in Pakistan as far as possible violent reaction to textbooks is concerned. The madrassas in the city — officially 1,000; unofficially 3,000 — have the capacity to attack and kill. There can be no sensible discussion about “sex” education in this environment. One should be grateful that English-medium schools are still allowed to function and that they are continuing to produce quality pupils!

The country has become intolerant of culture in general — even classical Pakistani culture. At this level of intolerance, it is futile to even discuss the need for “sex” education among children exposed to so much uncensored data on the TV and computer screen. Parents are brainwashed into disbelieving the government but believing the very elements that terrorise and kill in the name of Islam. The said school has wisely agreed to take the cue from the education department and will now prescribe new and safer course books. Its survival is needed for the survival of rational education.

pgbhat · Post by **pgbhat** » 29 Aug 2009 05:39

Independence Day in Quetta ---- Shaukat Qadir

As it happened, I was afforded an opportunity to visit Balochistan this month. It was a business trip, of the kind that could be combined with pleasure, and I had a few days at my disposal. Partly through compulsion, my visit included the sixty-second independence day of the country, August 14.

Anyway, the crux of what I learned during this visit was that the threat in Balochistan is grossly exaggerated; apparently, that suits some individuals. The level of disgruntlement among the Baloch is high, less among the Pashtun, who are economically better off. However, a serious attempt to redress their grievances would swiftly kill the ill-will.

Brahamdagh could have united the Bugtis, but many of the Bugtis are disillusioned with his announced leanings towards India; what is more, he has fled the country and none of the old Nawab’s nephews, including Aali, enjoy his unchallenged authority, even with government support. All the other tribal areas have been split up and some scion of the original leaders of each tribe claims influence over a portion of the original tribal areas. The elders in each tribe no longer exercise the control they used to. The situation is similar to what was prevalent in Afghanistan after the Soviet withdrawal in 1989.

Indian involvement is universally acknowledged, but ironically, much of it is being shared by the Pashtun organisation ‘Jundullah’, which is opposed to the concept of separatism. They span the border with Iran and parts of the border with Afghanistan.

Much has been made of the burning of Pakistani flags and that schools have been warned not to start the day with the national anthem. However, clear warnings were issued by the separatists about celebrating Independence Day also and dire consequences were threatened, including suicide attacks. I can bear testimony that on the night of August 13, through the day and well past midnight on August 14, vehicles clogged the roads, flying the national flag. The turnout in the streets of Quetta was heart warming, with people singing, dancing, celebrating, playing songs of national loyalty, without a single untoward incident, well into the night.

sanjaykumar · Post by **sanjaykumar** » 29 Aug 2009 08:19

Quetta is a Pakistani city in Baluchistan, majority population is Pathan. Odd that our intrepid reporter did not notice that.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 29 Aug 2009 08:23

Will reveal secrets: threatens AQ Khan

Separately, he told Geo News that if he continued to be treated badly by the government, he would reveal “sensitive secrets”.

But, what to do ? He is the 'Father of Nuclear Pakistan', Hilal-i-Imtiaz (once), Nishan-i-Imtiaz (twice and the only Pakistani to receive it twice !). Verily, Pakistan is a banana country.

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 29 Aug 2009 08:32

'Fake rape': Pak woman gets 40 lashes

arunsrinivasan · Post by **arunsrinivasan** » 29 Aug 2009 08:37

Pakistan's Noncampaign Against the Taliban

Despite strenuous entreaties by top U.S. officials, Pakistan has abandoned plans to mount a military offensive against the terrorist group responsible for a two-year campaign of suicide bombings across the country. Although the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has been in disarray since an Aug. 5 missile strike from a CIA-operated drone killed its leader, Baitullah Mehsud, the Pakistani military has concluded that a ground attack on its strongholds in South Waziristan would be too difficult.

The Pakistani military has choked off main roads leading out of South Waziristan, and the country's fighter jets have been pounding targets from the air (an operation Islamabad insists it will continue). But that falls short of the military campaign the U.S. desires. Instead, Pakistani authorities are hoping to exploit divisions within the TTP to prize away some factions, while counting on the CIA's drones to take out Baitullah's successors. (See pictures of refugees fleeing the fighting in Pakistan's Swat Valley.)

U.S. counterterrorism officials worry that a failure to capitalize on the post-Baitullah confusion within the TTP will allow its new leader, Hakimullah Mehsud, to consolidate his position and reorganize the group. Officials in Washington say special envoy Richard Holbrooke and NATO commander General Stanley McChrystal have pressed the Pakistanis to strike while the iron is hot. But after initial promises to launch a ground offensive in South Waziristan, the Pakistanis have backed off.

A top Pakistani general, Nadeem Ahmed, recently said preparation for such an operation could take up to two months. Now there will be no ground assault at all, according to a senior Pakistani politician known to have strong military ties. Instead, the politician tells TIME, the military will try to buy off some TTP factions through peace deals.

This alarms U.S. officials, who point out that terrorist leaders have previously used peace deals to expand their influence. Such deals have been "abject failures that at the end of the day have made the security situation in parts of Pakistan worse," says a U.S. counterterrorism official. "Why the Pakistani government keeps returning to this strategy is a mystery." (See pictures of Pakistan beneath the surface.)

A senior Pakistani military official tells TIME a ground operation in the mountainous wilds of South Waziristan would be too difficult and would risk triggering a "tribal uprising" in a region over which Islamabad has little control.

That assessment is shared by some Pakistan experts in Washington, who say the country's military, despite some success against militants in the Swat Valley, simply doesn't have the ability to confront the TTP head-on. A ground operation would leave the Pakistani army "with its nose bloodied," says Daniel Markey of the Council on Foreign Relations. Having "come out of Swat looking reasonably good," Pakistan's generals don't want to risk "taking a morale hit." (Read "Are Pakistan's Taliban Leaders Fighting Among Themselves?")

But the experts — like some U.S. officials — suspect the Pakistani military lacks the desire to eliminate the TTP entirely. Bruce Riedel of the Brookings Institution, who conducted the Obama Administration's review of Afghanistan and Pakistan policy, says the military may simply want "to get the TTP back to where it was two years ago — a malleable force that doesn't attack the Pakistani state, and particularly not the army." A somewhat tame TTP is a useful bogeyman "to keep civilians appreciative of the need for the army to be getting resources and priority attention," Riedel adds.

For the Obama Administration, the Pakistani military's reluctance to take on the TTP doesn't bode well for the pursuit of U.S. interests. Washington would like Islamabad to confront the groups that pose a direct threat to NATO forces across the border in Afghanistan — the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network. But "it's not clear that the Pakistanis are prepared to pay more than lip service to that," says Riedel.

pgbhat · Post by **pgbhat** » 29 Aug 2009 09:10

Marine House to cost only $5m, says US embassy

‘About $5 million would be spent on the construction of the Marine House. It would be bomb proof. The amount being spent is high, but not widely excessive and the maximum number of Marines assigned here would be less than 20,’ said US Ambassador Anne W. Patterson at a media briefing that was beginning of what was described as ‘deeper engagement with media’ to counter the bad press America was getting in Pakistan.

The ambassador was visibly shocked when someone asked if the embassy expansion was for espionage. She said: ‘I’m speechless. To spy on Pakistan we don’t need a big US embassy. And we don’t need to spy either’.

About projected increase in the embassy staff strength, she said there were at present 250 regular diplomatic staff, 200 visiting American staff on short-term duties and 1,000 local personnel, while there were plans to add another about 500 personnel over the next three years, half of them would be Pakistanis.

Ms Patterson said the US embassy needed to improve its public outreach and dispel misgivings. She said she was working on plans to bring back families of diplomatic staff based in Pakistan to increase people-to-people contact.

Pakistan has been a ‘non-family’ station for US diplomats since 2002. The return of the families, she stressed, would be a ‘huge element of the outreach’.

‘The security has lately dramatically improved and I think we can build a case for the return of the families,’ she said, adding that she wanted to bring them back as quickly as possible.

The ambassador said she intended to speak and write to the Pakistani politicians on the embassy expansion plans.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 29 Aug 2009 10:14

Musharraf feels that Nawaz also should be tried for treason

. . . Musharraf feels when Nawaz Sharif talks about high treason charges against him, he should also know that by dismissing two chiefs of the Army staff (COASs), treating them worse than even a peon, he had also committed violation of the Constitution because the Army chief’s office was constitutional having a three-year tenure. He points out that legal formalities like issuance of show cause notice, right of appeal etc, are always observed in taking action against a government servant so that the employee has all the rights to avail, but Nawaz Sharif treated Army chiefs worse than section officers and was thus liable to be tried for high treason under Article 6 of the Constitution.

Musharraf is trying to ensure the support of PA.

And then, the Pakistani inferiority complex shows up . . .

Musharraf will visit 17 cities of the United States from Sept 15 to Oct 20 to deliver a series of lectures to different organisations. On the last day, he will co-chair a seminar with Henry Kissinger in Boston.

Musharraf is getting high fee for every lecture, which is not less than any other dignitary of any country of the world.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 29 Aug 2009 10:44

From a Troika to a Quartet - Shaheen Sehbai

Pakistan has entered into a make-or-break, decisive phase {Oh, it is nothing new. Everey week since that fateful and unfortunate day of Aug. 14, 1947 has been a make-or-break and Pakistan has miraculously survived because of its 3½ friends and the ineptitude of India to end Pakistan's and India's misery by one quick and decisive death-blow} for the political system and the next few weeks have become so critical that any slip by any of the main institutional players could cause a major catastrophe and land the country into deep trouble.

The three pillars of the so-called troika, namely the president, the prime minister and the Army chief, have now been joined by another major pillar, the chief justice of the Supreme Court and the troika is practically now a quartet.

Each of these four players appear to have their hands full with matters they have to dispose of and some of these issues impact directly on the other two or three members of the quartet, a matter of life or death for some.

Behind the scene matters appear to be moving in such mysterious ways and at such a dangerous pace that no political or official spokesperson has been able to explain why and how of the developments. No one knows what was the urgent need for diverting the presidential aircraft to Islamabad while flying from China to the UK just days ago and why President Asif Zardari stayed on the tarmac at Chaklala to meet the prime minister and the Army chief and then immediately took off for Dubai and London. These happenings are not normal by any given standard.

What the next few weeks hold in store for the country can be put simply in this brief form:

* The president has to decide, and decide quickly, whether he is going to give up his powers under the 17th Amendment, which has become a basic factor of the continuing political instability in the country. This lack of stability has not only damaged the prospects and potential of a democratic set up but has given rise to unnecessary and frivolous controversies over dead and buried issues. Politicians squabbling and fighting like kids on non-issues do not inspire confidence or raise hopes while the teeming millions get crushed by ever-increasing burden of day to day survival.

* The president has to decide whether he would continue with his style of running the system like the US/French model with presidential cronies surrounding him or will he allow a set-up that has built-in systems of checks and balances and keeps every institution within its prescribed constitutional limits.

* The prime minister has to make up his mind whether he wants to say all the right things at all the right forums but is unable to deliver and lose credibility with each statement he makes. His pathetic plight is so pitiable that the nation starts cheering him up if he sacks a petty corporate official.

* The limits of patience which opposition political parties have shown towards the PM are about to end if Gilani keeps waiting forever for real power to fall automatically in his lap. That may not happen any time soon.

* The Army Chief has his own compulsions as he has his real wars and battles to fight on hot military fronts but he must be the most disturbed person looking at the political landscape from his Pindi seat of power. He must be feeling desperate because the political stability that he needed to fight these wars, without caving in totally to outrageous demands of the foreign powers involved, is not being provided by the politicians.

* The Army chief would also be worried because his own retirement is just about a year from now and it would be giving him sleepless nights when wondering whether he would leave the national scene in the hands of the current players with their incompetence. {Why is it the duty of the COAS to judge the competence or otherwise of civilians ? What about the competence of the COAS himself or any of his predecessors, none of whom displayed that quality ?} His options to bring about improvements are limited but he has shown the willingness to intervene {That's the real problem with Pakistan. The Pakistanis have always welcomed intervention by the PA in governance and political affairs and yet bemoan lack of democracy}, when pushed really against the wall and the nation saw two such almost positive interventions in recent months, once on the night of March 15-16 when the chief justice was restored and another when the July 31 judgment of the Supreme Court was about to be announced.

* The latest member of the quartet, the Chief Justice of Pakistan, has the most crucial decisions to make as cases involving all the other members of the previous troika come before him for judgment. His words and decisions may bring down the entire system, if not carried out in a proper, well rehearsed and balanced way. But as one top lawyer recently in Washington put it, the restored judiciary has to prove that the people were not wrong in fighting for their cause so they will take all the decisions that need to be taken, without fear or favour.

* The chief justice also has to do a balancing act when matters pertaining to the conduct of the Army generals and the politicians come before it. Thus a hasty decision against Musharraf or a sweeping reversal of NRO related benefits could further increase tensions and the instability that may deepen may cause a collapse of the system. Yet the CJ has to act within the next few weeks.

With these critical matters in the air, what options do the four players of the quartet have. The most frightening scenario is that either of these four pillars may take some precipitate action in panic which may cause a domino effect.

For instance, it has been in the air for some time that the presidency was keeping its fingers very close to the panic buttons. All the loud talk of Minus-1 formulas and NRO bashing may have triggered this panic and President Zardari’s sudden, unexplained dashes abroad have not helped create the sense of confidence and calm that should otherwise be the hallmark of an elected and popular president.

There have also been whispers that President Zardari would not give in to political or physical threats and would fight all the way, even if that created an October 12, 1999-like situation. It would be better if nothing more is said about these options.

In Pindi, there is a general agreement that no one would like to see the system collapse but some corrections are due and should be quickly made. These include the end of the crony control and taking away a few unelected and unpopular associates of the president may satisfy Pindi.

The PM side may be happy if President Zardari moved fast on the 17th Amendment but any impression or attempt of stalling things and gaining time may backfire, again causing someone to push the panic button. The political parties sitting on the fence including Mian Nawaz Sharif may also find their patience exhausted if things linger on indefinitely. The smear campaign launched recently resurrecting the Midnight Jackals can adversely hit the system. But the Supreme Court holds most of the cards and in the new power equation with four instead of three troika players, there could be a tie with two sides aligned against each other.

The bottom line is that the courts enjoy the support of the people, at least until now, and Pindi holds the real physical power so in any such eventuality, the losers may be the two big houses on the hill in Islamabad. But the country may be the biggest loser if all the players do not realise their grave responsibilities and act sensibly, and now. {Again, the PA is not considered a 'loser' if it usurps power once again !}

arun · Post by **arun** » 29 Aug 2009 10:50

X Posted.

The Pakistan Army has really got in deep with terrorists.

Terrorist group Al Qaeda funded the Pakistan Army’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to destabilise Benazir Bhutto’s government in 1988.:

Friday, August 28, 2009

Al Qaeda funded ISI to destabilise Benazir’s govt: former FIA official

* Mumtaz says Osama bin Laden paid millions of dollars to ISI

Daily Times Monitor

LAHORE: The Al Qaeda funded the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to destabilise the Benazir Bhutto’s government in 1988, a private TV channel quoted former Federal Investigation Agency director Malik Mumtaz as saying on Thursday.

According to the channel, Mumtaz said former premier Nawaz Sharif, former ISI chief General (r) Asad Durrani, Brigadier (r) Imtiaz and Major (r) Amir allegedly hatched the plot against BB’s government. ...........................

Daily Times

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 29 Aug 2009 11:42

Najam Sethi's Edit in TFT
Excerpts

He {Nawaz Sharif} appreciated the cooperative spirit of the Indian prime minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, at Sharm-el-Sheikh in Egypt last month and thought the meeting with the Pakistan prime minister, Yousaf Raza Gilani, was a “positive step” to take the dialogue forward.

He went further by welcoming the publication of Mr Jaswant Singh’s new book on Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Partition. . .

Instead, he opened a back channel with India through Mr Niaz Naek, a former Pakistani foreign secretary, and the two sides took the discussion of a “Chenab Formula” for Kashmir quite far, before General Pervez Musharraf derailed everything by launching the Kargil misadventure . . .

The best part of this concurrence of views between the PMLN – originally the military’s party – and the Pakistan Peoples Party is that it will serve to strengthen the hands of the current PPP government that is trying to secure the country’s eastern border with India . . .

India should not ignore the historic significance of this convergence of views in the two leading parties of the country. It should stop putting conditions on the composite dialogue and get on with it. The Congress is now flushed with a great election win and doesn’t have to watch over its shoulder. Another Mumbai should not be allowed to derail the peace process. {This is clearly a threat. TSP has issued quite a few threats like this since S-e-S} That can only be ensured by sticking to the peace process forcefully despite new threats and attempts by vested interest-terrorists {And, this is washing off of Pakistan's hands in all future terrorist attacks. This flows directly from the divorce of terrorism from peace talks. Thus Pakistan will continue to terrorize India even while demanding talks. Essentially, it wants to have talks with India with a gun to its head. New terminology, 'vested interest terrorists'.} rather than by succumbing to a sum zero nationalist game by enshrining cold-start doctrines. [/b]

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 29 Aug 2009 12:49

arun wrote:The Pakistan Army has really got in deep with terrorists.

Terrorist group Al Qaeda funded the Pakistan Army’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to destabilise Benazir Bhutto’s government in 1988.:

Al Qaeda funded ISI to destabilise Benazir’s govt: former FIA official

* Mumtaz says Osama bin Laden paid millions of dollars to ISI

LAHORE: The Al Qaeda funded the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to destabilise the Benazir Bhutto’s government in 1988, a private TV channel quoted former Federal Investigation Agency director Malik Mumtaz as saying on Thursday.

According to the channel, Mumtaz said former premier Nawaz Sharif, former ISI chief General (r) Asad Durrani, Brigadier (r) Imtiaz and Major (r) Amir allegedly hatched the plot against BB’s government. ...........................

Daily Times

The following was the revelation by BB about the above incident

In a startling revelation, former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has claimed that during her tenure some Arab militant leaders and Pakistani generals had planned to start a war against the US in association with Osama bin Laden but she vetoed it. Following the disintegration of the USSR after the Soviets defeat in Afghanistan, some Arab militant leaders and Pakistani generals planned to start war against the United States. “However, I vetoed this plan. Thereafter, Osama started his endeavours to pull down my government. Ramzi Yusuf tried to assassinate me,” Bhutto said.