Bharat Rakshak

Rafia’s argument is this: had Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, lived longer, his creation might have matured into South Asia’s South Africa, a pluralistic state, rather than descending into what it is today: a procrustean hell.

The belief that it was Jinnah’s premature death, rather than his wilful conduct during the last years of his life, that caused Pakistan to fail is shared widely by that country’s liberals. Like so much else in Pakistan, it’s an idea sustained by self-deception.

How exactly was Jinnah “inspiring” people? A letter Jinnah received from the Himalayan town of Mussoorie, written by a young man called Zulfi Bhutto, gives us an idea. “Hindus,” it read, “are the deadliest enemies of our Koran and our Prophet.” Did Jinnah believe that preaching hate would beget love?

JE Menon wrote:...Can anyone see any downside in this, from the Indian perspective? Anyway, all these Western media wallahs and think-tank wallahs are continually complaining that India lacks a strategic culture. Maybe this will do to show them we are trying to change?

ESHAWAR: A decisive operation has been launched against militants in the Tirah valley of Bara by Special Services Groups (SSG) forces along with regular troops, during which at least 23 troops have been killed along with local lashkar men.Scores of militants have also been killed in the offensive during the last three days.Official sources confirmed to Dawn.com that several soldiers, including SSG commandos, have been killed in the battle for Tirah valley on Saturday, around 30 militants have also been confirmed dead along with scores of others injured.On late Sunday evening, a clash took place between security forces and militants in Akka Khel area of Bara tehsil. Ten militants were killed in the fighting, official sources said.Sources said that SSG commandos along with regular army troops and Frontier Corps are battling to root out the last pockets of resistance in the Tirah valley especially on the border of Orakzai Agency.
The landlocked area is reported to be a bastion of the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other foreign militants.The offensive has entered a crucial phase, after softening of targets by gunships and jet fighters.Ground troops along with local volunteers have been mobilised to clear the area.Security experts had already hinted at a decisive strike in the Tirah valley as the TTP and Lashkar-i-Islam had started consolidating their positions in the valley.The two groups pose a serious threat to the settled areas especially Peshawar.The FC media cell had confirmed on Friday that four soldiers were killed and over 14 militants had died in the clashes which have been continuing since then.Sources have confirmed to Dawn.com that one dead body of an SSG commando and six injured SSG soldiers along with eight other solders were shifted to the CMH Peshawar on Saturday.Artillery and mortar shelling has also intensified as troops have started an advance march and door-to-door offensive to clear pockets of resistance.The former secretary of security for FATA region and an expert on tribal affairs, Brigadier Mehmood Shah speaking to Dawn.com said that Tirah would become a headache for the Pakistan administration if it is not cleared of militants.He said that militants from Khyber Agency’s Bara area and the Dara Admakhel TTP have also shifted their operational base to Tirah valley as they consider it to be a safer place to regroup.
He added that if Tirah valley is left unattended, it would become even more dangerous than South Waziristan Agency.The recent clashes between the Ansarul Islam (AI) and the TTP, also supported by the Lashkar-i-Islam (LI), had left many fighters dead on both sides, providing a conducive environment for security forces to launch a major offensive.Another factor which might help the security forces this time is the internal rift in the TTP after the death of its commander Tariq Afridi.Following the death of Tariq Afridi, the Central TTP and Afridi’s own faction both have appointed their own chiefs.This indicates widening rifts between the Hakimullah-led militants and Tariq Afridi’s loyalists who suspect that the TTP central commander was responsible for Afridi’s murder.The central TTP nominated Umer Khalifa while the Afridi faction nominated Zubair alias ‘Kaka’ as their chief.But widening difference clearly surfaced after the two factions were unable to consolidate their positions.The TTP-AI fight has made things more difficult for the TTP in Tirah valley.The TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan has repeatedly blamed security forces of backing the AI while he has also refused to accept the Dara Adamkhel Taliban chief Zaubair.Security forces may benefit from the discontent and can take the TTP factions separately who are already at odds with each other.

harbans wrote:^From the mountains of Western Afghanistan they can target cities in South and East India with MIRV capability once they have the tech. That leaves absolutely no corner of India free. Possibly they can decrease range and increase payload for the same targets from NW Pakistan itself. It's not that they don't have missiles presently to reach targets in South and East, but they do have limited payload facilities, no MIRV tech, good possibility of endo/exo atmospheric interception by defense systems. I think wisdom always warns against arming an enemy that is hell bent on ones destruction.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2 ... ndela.html
Why Pakistan's Mohammed Ali Jinnah Was No Nelson Mandela
by Kapil Komireddi Apr 7, 2013

Hindu nationalists agitating for the creation of a Hindu state are in fact paying a tribute to Jinnah, the most successful proponent of majoritarian politics in modern India’s history. Narendra Modi is nothing if not the most consummate Hindu avatar of Mohammed Ali Jinnah. His dream is to complete the journey that Jinnah started us on. Jinnah said Hindus and Muslims don’t belong together: Modi agrees.

Indians who today oppose Modi are followers of Indians who opposed Jinnah in another time: pluralists, humanists, adherents of the inclusive nationalism of Nehru.

JE Menon wrote:I'm cutting loose in the comments section on the Komireddi article on Daily Beast

RSoami wrote:http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/0 ... WHEXzceg98

That this has come in Japan times is interesting...seems some fellas are beginning to get some sense.. hmmm

Anujan wrote:^^^
Color me surprised! No shit sherlock!

Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry will not be heading the bench hearing the petitions seeking prosecution of former military ruler General (retd) Pervez Musharraf for treason, DawnNews reported.

dawn.com/2013/04/07/cjp-withdraws-himself-from-musharraf-treason-case/

An 18-inch Sui gas pipeline was blown up in the early hours of Sunday in the Uch area of Balochistan, DawnNews reported.

According to the report, the explosion suspended gas supply to the Uch power plant in Balochistan causing a reduction of more than 525 megawatts of power generation.

As a result, electricity supply in many areas in Lahore and Punjab has been shelved.

dawn.com/2013/04/07/gas-pipeline-blown-up-in-balochistan/

Anujan wrote:One more thing, I dont know if you fellows know this, but the returning officers asking such pious questions and disqualifying people are actually judges from lower courts.

The fellows imposing sharia on election candidates are actually judges. So there is bright hope for a greener Pakistan.

JE Menon wrote:I'm cutting loose in the comments section on the Komireddi article on Daily Beast

CJP withdraws himself from Musharraf treason case

Lilo wrote: The gamble seems to be that - TTP now being faced with the prospect of targeting contestants who have "proved" their Islamicness will choose to not mount violent attacks on processions and rallies of the contestants as it will risk alienating the stragglers (which is the bulk of paki population) from its movement in the long term - a movement to achieve Sharia by an "Islamically sanctioned" means .

Monday, April 08, 2013

Raja out of race as scrutiny of nomination papers ends

* Ch Nisar’s papers rejected from Taxila
* Musharraf allowed to contest polls from Chitral
* Asif Hashmi, Imtiaz Safdar Warraich, Dasti barred from contesting polls

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: The second phase of scrutiny of electoral nomination papers came to an end on Sunday, with the rejection of nomination papers of some bigwigs in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, particularly former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf.

The CIA allegedly negotiated with Pakistani intelligence to kill a Pakistan state enemy in exchange for the U.S. receiving access to the country's airspace for the start of their controversial drone campaign.

New York Times national security correspondent Mark Mazzetti suggests in his new book that the CIA agreed to a secret deal with Pakistan to execute a drone attack in June 2004 that killed Nek Muhammad, a Pashtun tribesman in Waziristan. That operation served as an initiation test of sorts and allowed the CIA drone program. According to officials, the American government presented the Pakistanis with an offer, 'If the C.I.A. killed Mr. Muhammad, would the ISI [Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence] allow regular armed drone flights over the tribal areas?'

Anujan wrote:Well it was Jinnah who first organized "tribal raiders" (who would be called taliban these days) for the first organized terror attack in JK. He was also the one who called for "direct action"
The illustrious example has been repeated to this day. "Tribal raiders" would be repeated in Operation Gibraltar in 65 and Kargil. The direct action day is repeated to this day in various parts of Pakistan where people are getting purified.

James B wrote:CJP withdraws himself from Musharraf treason case ruler General (retd) Pervez Musharraf for treason, DawnNews reported.

Jhujar wrote:Tirah valley operation intensifies, 23 soldiers killed

Suraj wrote:Has Birkin babe been approved to participate in the elections, or was she barred for having the wrong brand of kufr handbag ?

Suraj wrote:Has Birkin babe been approved to participate in the elections, or was she barred for having the wrong brand of kufr handbag ?

By Abuser Ilyass

Operation started in Tirah Valley. The Army surrounded the area from all sides and all supply lines of militants are nullified. Heavy mortars and artillery are doing their job and dozens of militants are being killed every 24 hours. 18000 families left the area, clearing the battlefield for the Pakistan Army. The Pakistan Air Force is also helping the army to attack those militants that are not in range of the artillery barrage. Army sources said that they have intensified the operations and rapid conclusions and clearances are in transaction, and that the operation is hoped to have ended before the general elections.
The areas of Tirah contain steep mountains and caves in them. Those caves are safe havens and arms depots of TTP. It is located between Khyber and Kurram Agencies and it is strategically important for militants as well as the Pakistani Armed Forces to gain that area. Reports are coming that SSG is also involved in the operation, and we all know that every operation in the past that involved SSG was of much importance. The steep mountains of the area are the biggest problem for the troops; but our guys, too, are tough enough to conquer any battlefield. (Anyone remember 1965, 1971, Siachen, Kargil? }The Pakistan Army’s main strategy will be the use of their capability of rapidness here. Our Companies will conquer militants’ hideouts one after the other without allowing them proper time to regroup.

The main supporter and host group of TTP in this area is Lashkar e Islam of Mangal Bagh. I don’t know who the commander of LeI is these days, but Mangal Bagh was killed in the Battle of Swat by the Pakistan Army. The whole of Khyber Agency has small or large peace lashkars (groups) that uses to defend their respective areas against militants. The tribal peace lashkar in Tirah Valley is Ansar ul Islam, and many of the deadliest clashes occurred between Ansar ul Islam and Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The Pakistan Army is supporting the tribals of Ansar ul Islam against TTP by providing cover and by providing artillery assistance to the tribal fighters. PAF jets are using precision guided munitions and pinpoint accuracy Air to Surface Missiles (ASMs), and are pounding militants’ hideouts in the valley and on the mountains.

We saw a fierce fighting between the Pakistani Army and the militants in Kurram and Orakzai in the past few months, and now the areas along with South Waziristan Agency are also cleared; but this particular portion -in between the South regions of SWA, Kurram and Orakzai and North regions of SWAT, Khyber, Malankand etc- is untouched since the early days. We have a strong hope that after the operation, the area from SWAT to South Waziristan Agency will be cleared from militants. We all pray for the success of the Pakistan Army. Also, we greatly respect the inhabitants of those areas which are affected by the militants and who are openly supporting the Pakistani Armed Forces.

Anujan wrote:

Suraj wrote:Has Birkin babe been approved to participate in the elections, or was she barred for having the wrong brand of kufr handbag ?

She withdrew after being asked to produce her Nikah nama
http://www.thefrontierpost.com/article/3795/
http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2013/04 ... nikahnama/

So in case you are interested, the line is clear.

Anujan wrote: Has Birkin babe been approved to participate in the elections, or was she barred for having the wrong brand of kufr handbag ?

Cosmo_R wrote:

Anujan wrote: Has Birkin babe been approved to participate in the elections, or was she barred for having the wrong brand of kufr handbag ?

Maybe she should be renamed the Merkin Babe (look it up)

Cosmo_R wrote:@ Shiv ^^^
"Allahoackburrrr!! Who are they fighting? Martians? Hindus? Jews?"
The Martian Races