Terrorist Islamic Republic of Pakistan (TSP), Feb. 26, 2010

[A_Gupta]

Apparently the thing is going to be signed in an hour or so. And as SSridhar-ji said, it is not NWFP anymore, it is supposedly Khyber-Pukhtunkhwa

So finally Pa' 'istan can become Pak(p)istan

[Rahul Shukla]

Trial into 2008 Mumbai terror attacks closes (Washington Post)

MUMBAI, India -- The trial into the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks and the murder of 166 people during the three-day siege closed Wednesday - less than a year after it opened, a speed rare in the Indian judicial system.

On trial are Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, a Pakistani that Indian investigators allege is the only surviving gunman from the rampage in India's financial hub in November 2008. Also on trial are two Indian co-defendants accused of helping plot the attacks.

[Anujan]

If you recall my older post, weaseling out seems to be ruled out! Get out the beer and popcorn!

Bhutto commission report is complete

The U.N. commission that investigated the assassination of Benazir Bhutto will not reopen its probe in response to the Pakistan government's claim that two heads of state may have new information, the United Nations said Wednesday.

"The commissioners have seen a considerable amount of relevant information, including what's been in the news media in recent days,"

SSridhar-ji,

A question. The CJP threatened NAB chief with arrest (with a 24 hour deadline!) if he does not reopen case against Zardari. Are those hectic developments related in some way to Zardari playing ball to delay the UN Report?

[pgbhat]

Swiss say legal immunity protects Pakistani leader

Geneva prosecutor Daniel Zappelli told The Associated Press that he has yet to receive the Pakistani request.

But he said he can't reopen the case against Zardari, who was elected president in 2008 after years of battling corruption allegations, because he enjoys "absolute immunity" as a head of state.

"We could go further only if the competent authorities in Pakistan decide to lift the immunity of the head of state, which I do not know whether it is possible according to their constitution," said Zappelli, speaking in English. "If not, we can't. Absolutely not. Period."

[SSridhar]

A question. The CJP threatened NAB chief with arrest (with a 24 hour deadline!) if he does not reopen case against Zardari. Are those hectic developments related in some way to Zardari playing ball to delay the UN Report?

Anujan ji, my guess should be as good as yours. Let's look at the events.

The CJP and his coterie of judges in the SC are going hammer and tongs at Zardari. Their threats to NAB chief that he himself will have to go to jail or the arrest of FIA's Addnl Director General yesterday are to coerce him{the NAB Chief} to do even more unpleasant things that are in the pipeline. The opinion of the Judges that Zardari's immunity has never been discussed in the SC so far shows that Zardari & PPP cannot take his immunity for granted. Nawaz Sharif has been making all the right noises (including Constitutional reforms on appointment of judges) that would please the CJP and the judges. Zardari has a poor reputation even within his own country as far as corruption went. Added to that, he has earned the ill will of the masses. The severe economic situation, which is no fault of his, has also been very unkind to him. All in all, nobody will shed tears when he goes (not if he goes).

I believe that the real reason for the PPP asking the Scotland Yard and then the UN Panel to investigate is to expose the ISI/PA link which of course no civilian government would have the guts to expose. No report is going to categorically say anything. But, the question is what will Zardari do even if they indicate a 'needle of suspicion' ? COAS and the Supreme Commander are not even on talking terms and always need an interlocutor in the form of Gilani. The latter is firmly in the palm of the PA. Shehbaz Sharif is frequently meeting the COAS clandestinely. Zardari knows his goose is cooked. All that Zardari can gain from the report would be a handle to beat the PA with later on.

Zardari's gamble with asking the UN to record the statements of the two Heads of State is probably because the report so far does not give him enough expected ammunition.

[SSridhar]

It is not trust-deficit, stupid,it is 'understanding deficit' between the US & Pakistan

A US Congressional delegation on Wednesday rejected the impression of a trust deficit between Islamabad and Washington, however, they admitted to an “understanding deficit” between the two countries.

[SSridhar]

UN rejects Pakistan's request to delay the Report

“The Commissioners have informed the United Nations that the report is complete,” UN spokesperson Martin Nesirky told journalists here.

“They believe that they have finished their work and that there is no need to include any further information. It is for them to consider whether they need to change their report,” he said, a day after Pakistan’s president Asif Ali Zardari requested UN to delay the release of the report on the assassination of his wife Bhutto.

“After conferring in light of the latest information, they continue to say that they have completed their work.”

Neither Ban {ki Moon} nor Pakistani officials have seen the report. {So, how is Pakistan saying that the statements of the three Heads of State are missing ?}

[SSridhar]

Pakistani SC directs GoP to re-open Zardari graft case in Swiss

The court pulled up the country's anti-corruption agency for sending a letter to Switzerland [ Images ] to reopen graft cases against Zardari with no leagal value. It said that the letter should be sent by the government and not by the agency. A seven-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, which is hearing a suo moto case on the reopening of thousands of anti-corruption cases following the striking down of an amnesty, raised objections to the letter sent on Wednesday by the National Accountability Bureau to Swiss authorities to reopen cases against Zardari.

The chief justice said the letter had "no legal value" as it was written by the NAB and not the government and that it was insufficient to reopen the cases in Switzerland. The bench said the law ministry should write a letter to Swiss authorities with the approval of the prime minister and send the document by special messenger. The apex court set 1 pm as the deadline for this new letter to be sent to the Swiss authorities.

[jagga]

Pakistan to India: Will ensure safety of IPI pipeline

Without India this pipeline could be a dead idea.

"We (the State of Pakistan) will stand guarantee for safe delivery of gas (at Pakistan-India border)," Mohammed Chaudhry Ejaz, additional secretary in Pakistan's ministry of petroleum and natural Resources, told PTI in an interview.

[James B]

PTF chief wants Sania to play for Pakistan

[sum]

We sure have seen how much value the world attaches to Paki guarantees.

[SSridhar]

Pakistan to India: Will ensure safety of IPI pipeline

"We (the State of Pakistan) will stand guarantee for safe delivery of gas (at Pakistan-India border)," Mohammed Chaudhry Ejaz, additional secretary in Pakistan's ministry of petroleum and natural Resources, told PTI in an interview.

But, didn't everyone in Pakistan, from Pres. Zardari down to the brat Quereshi and then the lowly Rehman Malik, proclaim from the top of their houses recently that Pakistan was facing a 'Mumbai' everyday and therefore it couldn't guarantee safety to India ? How can such a state suddenly offer safety to IPI pipeline especially when it is not able to protect its own Sui pipelines ?

[SSridhar]

Zardari wanted Ms. Condoleeza Rice & Karzai to be quizzed by the UN Committee

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari asked the U.N. to delay a report on the assassination of Benazir Bhutto as he wanted investigators to quiz four personalities, including former U.S. top diplomat Condoleezza Rice, who had prior information on threats to her life.

Mr. Zardari is “said to have quietly given names of four international personalities — U.S. ex-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, Saudi Arabian intelligence chief Prince Muqrin (bin Abdul Aziz) and the UAE intelligence chief — to the U.N. inquiry commission to ask them: How did they know the secret in advance that Benazir Bhutto would be killed?,” The News daily reported on Thursday.

The U.N. commission has been asked to meet these “four indirect witnesses” before submitting its report on Bhutto’s assassination in 2007, the paper said quoting its sources.

This new information had also resolved a two-and-half year old mystery about which two countries had warned Bhutto about a possible attack on her life when she returned to Pakistan from self-exile in October 2007, the report said.

It identified the two countries as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, “whose intelligence chiefs had warned the Pakistan People’s Party chairperson (about) threats to her life”.

It added that Prince Muqrin had warned Bhutto about threats to her life.

The report claimed that the U.N. commission was making contacts with the four personalities to “seek explanations from them as how did they already (know of) threats” to Bhutto’s life.

It quoted sources as saying that Mr. Zardari believed the “inside information” that could be shared by these four personalities “might greatly help the inquiry commission to identify the real killers whose secret plans somehow reached the intelligence agencies of Afghanistan, the U.S., UAE and Saudi Arabia, and which turned out to be prophetically correct”.

Pakistan’s permanent representative to the U.N. Hussain Haroon held talks with U.N. officials in New York to convince them that it was important to interview these four personalities, the report claimed.

Presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar has said that Mr. Zardari wanted three friendly countries that had warned Bhutto before her return to Pakistan to share information with the U.N. commission.

Mr. Babar did not name these countries but media reports have said they are Afghanistan, UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Babar said one of these countries has shared its views with the U.N. commission and hoped the other two would also do so.

The News also quoted its sources as saying that Mr. Zardari was “not satisfied with the U.N. report” on the killing of Bhutto after he learnt that commission which was paid over half a billion rupees by the government of Pakistan to meet its expenses, did not contact the four international personalities.

The sources said Mr. Zardari knew the information given by these personalities to Bhutto as she kept him informed about these warnings.

Hours before her assassination, she had also told Mr. Zardari that Mr. Karzai had informed her that Afghan intelligence had information about a possible attack on her.

The sources said Ms. Rice was a “potential witness” because the U.S. provided a “steady stream of intelligence” to Bhutto about threats to her and advised her aides on improving her security.

The source said senior U.S. diplomats had multiple conversations, including at least two private face-to-face meetings, with top members of the Pakistan People’s Party to discuss threats to Bhutto’s life and review her security arrangements after a suicide attack on her motorcade the day she returned to Pakistan from exile in October 2007.

[Gerard]

Media persons beaten by doctors at Jinnah Hospital

[jagga]

Media persons beaten by doctors at Jinnah Hospital

From above link:

According to Geo correspondent Faisal Karim, media persons were invited for talks at the hospital’s conference room, where they were beaten again both by the doctors and police.

Taqiyya

[archan]

PTF chief wants Sania to play for Pakistan

In mini skirts?

[munna]

PTF chief wants Sania to play for Pakistan

Will LMU provide her with sponsorships and endorsements?

[A_Gupta]

PTF chief wants Sania to play for Pakistan

The one thing of significance is this troglodyte attitude:

"Asian women traditionally follow their husbands which is why I'm hopeful that someday she would be inspired by Shoaib to play for Pakistan," he added.

[CRamS]

PTF chief wants Sania to play for Pakistan

If Sania MemSahib makes a private decision to acquiesce, as she did in wanting to marry a pervert like Shoaib Mallik, its none of my business. But my fear is the strategic fallout for India, yet not visible, but could surface anyday. I won't be surprised of Somini dorkette (NYT) or Pamela dorkette (WP) or BeeB pick up on this sordid affair, and then add choice quotes from select pinheads (especially from the Indian side) on how much love there is between ordinary TSPians and Indians, and it is only extremists on both sides who perpetuate the tension. Or how Sania is a "South Asian" icon or some condescending crap like that. All this as TSPA/ISI/LeT are plotting the next massacre of Indians in Afganisthans or somewhere in India.

[Gerard]

Story of a Lahore schoolboy in custody

The youngest of three siblings, Nauman shares his interest in the computer and internet and how much he misses chatting with his friends and sharing “interesting websites.”

Despite persistent family pressure to study biology and become a doctor, he is more interested in a career in computer technology.

Nauman said he saw India as a fascinating “land of opportunities,” and his stint in an Indian jail does not seem to have deterred that interest.

“I would return to see it after I grow up and get proper travel documents,” he asserted.

[biswas]

Story of a Lahore schoolboy in custody

The youngest of three siblings, Nauman shares his interest in the computer and internet and how much he misses chatting with his friends and sharing “interesting websites.”

Despite persistent family pressure to study biology and become a doctor, he is more interested in a career in computer technology.

Nauman said he saw India as a fascinating “land of opportunities,” and his stint in an Indian jail does not seem to have deterred that interest.

“I would return to see it after I grow up and get proper travel documents,” he asserted.

As long as he isn't anti-India, he should be welcome?

[Bhaskar]

DELETED.

[biswas]

DELETED

[R_Kumar]

Deleted

[chetak]

deleted

[Altair]

Pakistan tribal zone 'needs $1bn to prevent it becoming al-Qaida base'

[Altair]

Ramdev keen to introduce yoga in Pakistan

[Prem]

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.as ... 010_pg12_2
(kuufa link is working with\)

Release of water downstream Kotri to save Indus delta: ‘8 MAF water ain’t enough’

By Amar Guboriro
The world’s fifth biggest delta, the Indus delta is on the verge of destruction, and its biodiversity, ecosystem and mangrove forests are rapidly being destroyed due to water shortage.The Sindh Board of Revenue’s official data reveals that around 1.22 million acres of fertile land was eroded by the sea till 2001 and in 2005 the number rose by two million acres only in eight coastal talukas of Thatta and Badin districts. An official of the Indus for All Programme of WWF-Pakistan Dr Ghulam Akbar demanded the government to declare Indus delta as a ‘Gift to Earth’ and take immediate measures for its restoration. “IRSA,

[abhishek_sharma]

Al Qaeda's Ground Zero

http://afpak.foreignpolicy.com/posts/20 ... round_zero

The Pakistani major general in charge of ground operations in the Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) stated Thursday that the Pakistani Army had already commenced small operations against pro-al Qaeda militants in North Waziristan and that the tribal agency would be cleared of militants by June. But while this will be welcome news in Western capitals, only time will tell whether the Pakistani Army is truly prepared to take the decisive action necessary to deliver on their promise.

Some of signals coming out of Islamabad have not been encouraging. Even though the mountainous North Waziristan has emerged as an even safer haven for pro-al Qaeda militants in recent years than South Waziristan, Pakistani officials have indicated that they will not conduct large-scale operations there of the type conducted in South Waziristan last fall.

When it comes to the fight against al Qaeda no question is of greater importance than whether or not Pakistan acts decisively against terrorist safe havens in North Waziristan.

...


Despite the fact that recent weeks have seen a surge in the number of drone strikes in North Waziristan, increasing the pressure on al-Qaeda and its allies and making it more difficult for the terrorist groups to plot attacks in the West, missile strikes alone will never force them out of North Waziristan.

In recent years the area in and around Mir Ali in particular, the second largest town in North Waziristan, has emerged as an epicenter for Western militants training in Pakistan. For example, the 2006 airline plotters, the Danish al Qaeda recruit Hammad Khurshid, the German al Qaeda recruit Aleem Nasir, a group of German plotters who targeted U.S. servicemen in Germany in 2007, a group of Belgian militants now on trial in Belgium, and the American al Qaeda recruit Bryant Neal Vinas, all trained or spent time in the area. And new waves of Western recruits are traveling to North Waziristan. In August 2009, four Swedes were arrested trying to cross into North Waziristan. In total up to 150 militants from the West are thought to have travelled to the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region in 2009, a greater number than in previous years.

A rare recent glimpse into conditions in North Waziristan came from an e-mail sent by David Headley, the Chicago-based Lashkar-e-Taiba operative, to several associates in May 2009, shortly after he traveled to the area. Headley described how, despite the intensification of drone strikes, the local tribes in North Waziristan were still offering sanctuary to foreign fighters and their families, who he said made up a little less than a third of the population in the area. "Just walk around the bazaar in Miranshah [Miram Shah, the capital of North Waziristan]. This bazaar is bustling with Chechens, Uzbeks, Tajiks, Russians, Bosnians, some from EU countries and of course our Arab brothers," he wrote. "Any Waziri or Mehsud I spoke to seemed grateful to God for the privilege of being able to host the ‘Foreign Mujahedeen.'"

Accounts such as these suggest that it will take more than "small operations" by Pakistani army to change realities on the ground in North Waziristan. Only a multi-pronged counterinsurgency campaign against militants who refuse to stop supporting al Qaeda and a substantial economic development effort can make the difference. Given the surge of attacks on Pakistani cities in recent years, the stakes are higher even for Pakistan than the West.

Clearing militants from the area will involve painful choices for the Pakistani military. The Haqqanis, an Afghan militant network which helps to protect al Qaeda and other foreign jihadist groups in North Waziristan, have long been clients of Pakistan's intelligence services, who see them as crucial in helping Pakistan influence outcomes on the other side of the Durand line. To a large extent the success or failure of the Pakistani drive to rid North Waziristan of pro-al Qaeda militants will depend on whether they are willing and able to persuade the Haqqani network to stop providing sanctuary to al Qaeda.

Any continued vacillation over North Waziristan will be dangerous both to Pakistan and to its allies in the West. The arrest last Friday of Raja Lahrasib Khan, an American of Pakistani descent, after he allegedly spoke to undercover FBI agents about bombing stadiums in the United States, is yet another reminder of the threat posed by Westerners traveling to North Waziristan. Khan was able to travel freely around North Waziristan during the course of 2008 to meet with al Qaeda-linked operatives. Khan has been charged with providing material support to al Qaeda.

...

Paul Cruickshank, an Alumni Fellow at the NYU Center on Law & Security is working on a CNN investigative series into the U.S. domestic terrorist threat.

[CRamS]

Ramdev keen to introduce yoga in Pakistan

He should tread carefully. Till now I haven't seen him say anything harsh about TSP, and I am sure TSP RAPE have nothing but condescending contempt for a devout Hindu SDRE like him, but should he step on their toes, for e.g., spreading awareness among the grass roots in India about TSP perfidy, then TSPA/ISI, with wink, wink, nod, nod from USA, will take him out in a heartbeat.

[SSridhar]

Pakistan's legitimate concerns: Quereshi

“India does not share a border with Afghanistan, it does not has {sic} a direct knowledge of Afghanistan’s situation, it didn’t pay the price in the war against terrorism that Pakistan paid,” Qureshi said.

[arun]

X Posted.

The Indian affiliate of the Wall Street Journal, Livemint, on the Islamic Republic of Pakistan’s current pet topic for stoking up a grievance against India, namely water.

Provides sound advice on what India needs to do.

However with what the Congress led UPA Government of our PM Dr. Manmohan Singh has foisted on India such as going beyond the requirements of the IWT to appease the Islamic Republic by providing telemetry on water flows, I am not very sanguine Livemint’s advice will be followed:

Posted: Thu, Apr 1 2010. 9:31 PM IST

A water war out of thin air

Pakistan’s complaint over water-sharing is a device used to mobilize public opinion against India. It deserves a blunt response

It is often difficult to make sense of words uttered in anger. And Pakistan is an angry country. It has now whipped up another dispute with India out of thin air. It has alleged that India is “stealing” its river waters. It has alleged that New Delhi is violating the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 that governs the use of river waters by the two countries…………………

Islamabad’s complaint is a red herring, a device used to mobilize public opinion against India to deflect attention from serious inequities in water sharing between different provinces of Pakistan. It’s an old trick to keep India on the defensive. There is no reason to be defensive. A blunt response will serve our interests well.

Livemint

[Rony]

Sindhi peoples views for Punjabi and Pathan in Sindh

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkbTeeeq ... re=related


Najam Sethi - Punjaabi Establishment is a Cancer for Survival of Pakistan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLrTlqfX ... re=related


Altaf Hussain asks pakistani politicians - How many muslims were killed in pakistan after 1947 and how many muslims were killed in India by Hindus after 1947 ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K17_2Sh3 ... re=related

[Rony]

Since pakistan is a sinking ship, suddenly the partition is wrong and resulted in the division of muslims.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mzz9EOCU ... re=related


and predictably, given a chance the RAPE are ready to leave the sinking ship

Pakistanis are moving Business to India Because of Taliban

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KzWXrYj ... re=related

[James B]

Asif Ali Zardari will lose the power to dissolve Parliament and appoint the army chief.

Both the powers will now go to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

[kenop]

Some time back there was a speculation that Zardari can do a Putin to get back his powers. He should have some hold over the PPP to carry out such a drama.

[RamaY]

Ramdev keen to introduce yoga in Pakistan

This is what he really said about taking Yoga to Pakistan

When asked about taking yoga to Pakistan, Ramdev said," I also want to go to Pakistan where people are keen to learn yoga but I cannot afford to risk the lives of my instructors and disciples with an open air yoga camp in Pakistan given the current political situation."

Some news reporting I guess.

[Juggi G]

deleted

[SSridhar]

Folks, if it appears that some kind of peace has been achieved in Pakistan's politics when Nawaz Sharif and Zardari/Gilani agreed to the clauses of the 18th Constitutional Amendment, nothing can be farther from truth. The peace is deceptive. We are about to see a rapid slide in the situation in Pakistan in the coming months that will, as usual, have a direct bearing on the security (and even economic) situation of our country.

For one, the PPP party is not completely in the control of Zardari. It was chance that brought him to the Co-Chairmanship of PPP and elevated him to Presidency. Gilani, though not having a big base himself, has gained in strength at the cost of Zardari. Everybody has seen now, after the way Gen. Kiyani led the team for Strategic Dialogue to Washington, who really runs the show. Even the pretense of back-seat driving by the PA of a civilian government was given up. There are several upcoming events which need to be handled very delicately, a trait unknown to the Pakistani politicians. These will cut further ground under the PPP feet.

The report by the UN Investigation Team into BB's assassination will have a big repercussion even if it does not directly blame anyone. It will have enough pointers to who the suspects are. The conspiracy theorists will spin great stories in the few dozen TV channels. Zardari, smarting under the continuous onslaught and slight of the PA and Nawaz, will use his jiyalas to whip up passion further.

The decision on the extension of Gen. Kiyani itself will be a source of friction, unless Zardari decides to play it safe, encumbered as he is by numerous issues already. The US would definitely want his extension and so would be Gilani & Nawaz. Zardari will be isolated here, as he has been in every other issue.

The repudiation of the NRO, the big question marks on the immunity of the president, and the tough stance of the CJP on re-opening the Swiss bank case are all pointing to a very unpleasant situation for Zardari. It is only a matter of time before this explodes even if the US forces the Swiss from re-opening the case citing flimsy reasons. The CJP has more than a year for his retirement. Justice Ramday, who retired, has been re-hired by the CJP and he is already making enough noises on this case.

As the summer months come, the Pakistani power situation will get worse (though hydel generation will improve) and the economic situation will become bleaker. The attempts by Pakistan to rehabilitate Gulbuddin Hekmatyar at the cost of the Taliban in Afghanistan can cause serious internal problems in Pakistan. The 'Fidayeen Ustaad' Qari Hussain Mehsud has also warned of impending attacks, a promise he normally keeps.

The open alliance between SSP and Shahbaz Sharif in Central Punjab and the resulting licence to sectarian and jihadi forces should lead to more violence within Pakistan itself and of course directed at India. PA has decided to let loose murderous attack on India to beat her into submission with respect to Afghanistan and it has probably the tacit approval of the US. The seeming isolation of India on this issue and the decision by it to curtail services in Afghanistan should encourage Kiyani & Co to do more of the same. This is one reason why no action will be initiated in North Waziristan which is where the Haqqani group operates from. Haqqani & LeT are joint operators against Indian interests in Afghanistan. The LeT will use this window to mount daring attacks within India, secure in its belief that the US will stop any retaliatory Indian attacks in its tracks (even if a dhimmi India finally summons up enough courage to do so). The US reluctance to let Indian investigators access to Headley means that we will not know completely all that he and LeT have planned together vis-a-vis India. In J&K itself, the winter was one of the bloodiest probably a precursor of what awaits us in the coming months there. AK Antony clearly recognizes what is in store for us.

[SSridhar]

From TFT
Such Gup

Sign of the times

In a clear sign of the times, we hear that upon taking over, the Min of Fin spent all of twenty minutes with Hubby, twenty five with Gill on the Hill and an hour and a half with Canny. {Even Hillay Clinton did that, why not a poor Pakistani ?}



Soft corner

The Man of Steel’s Talented Bro has admitted that he has a soft corner for the Taliban and fundos of all stripe. True to his statement, rumour has it, he has released from imprisonment a dangerous terrorist, self-confessed “tormentor of Shias”, leading activist of a banned sectarian outfit, a man known as AB. This Talented Bro did, we hear, at the insistence of a particular maulana, at whose seminary in Chiniot a free AB went and held forth and spewed his venom. The maulana had called on both brothers at Raiwind, reports our mole, before the Punjab by-elections, and promised them all the votes of his ilk. The jalsa in Chiniot was also attended by the chief of another banned sectarian organization, who propagated his case in the full light of day. How about some suo moto notice of things like this, your lordships?