Terrorist Islamic Republic of Pakistan - July 07, 2009

Chinmayanand · Post by **Chinmayanand** » 11 Aug 2009 13:07

Chinmayanand · Post by **Chinmayanand** » 11 Aug 2009 13:10

Jihadis thrice attacked Pakistan nuclear sites

tripathi · Post by **tripathi** » 11 Aug 2009 13:34

At least two persons have been killed and three others wounded after a pre-dawn rocket attack in the Pakistani city of Peshawar, police say.
A senior police official said around a dozen rockets had landed in the city early on Tuesday.
Panicking residents ran out of their homes, and the office of a paramilitary force was hit, the police said.

Rishi · Post by **Rishi** » 11 Aug 2009 16:12

Thunbs up GoI, for hosting the below:

http://www.unpo.org/content/view/9914/83/

Gilgit-Baltistan: International Seminar

Tuesday, 11 August 2009

Last July 2009, a 2-day Seminar organized by the Himalayan Research and Cultural Foundation (HRCF) New Delhi discussed 'Religious Extremism in NWFP, Swat and Chitral: Impact on Gilgit-Baltistan'.

Below is an Press Released issue by the Gilgit Baltistan United Movement [/color]

Religious Extremism in NWFP, Swat and Chitral: Impact on Gilgit-Baltistan

Excerpts from the press release:

Government of Pakistan breached the State Subject Rules (SSR), settled thousand of people from NWFP in Gilgit Baltistan, and converted the local majority into minority.

Gilgit Baltistan was victimized by these religious extremists in May 1988 when on the consent of General Zia-ul-Haque and official agencies sent 80 thousand militants/Lashkari to attack Gilgit Baltistan. The Lashkari comprised of tribesmen of NWFP and Afghani natives. The Lashkar reached Gilgit after covering a distance of 600 Kilometers by Karakoram Highway. The genocide of Shias was the main aim of this attack. The Lashkars which were fully armed with heavy weapons committed genocide and terror activities in Gilgit, settlements were ruined, human being, animals and un-harvested crops were burnt and the Shia population of Jalalabad were burnt alive. Hundreds of women were raped, humiliated and kidnapped. No case was registered against these militants nor were they asked the reason of the attack on Gilgit Baltistan. The shameless invasion and killing of humans has been concealed from the world and instead it was broadcasted by Pakistani media that Taliban captured the Jalalabad city of Afghanistan.

Asian Human Rights Commission has revealed in a report of June 1, 2009 that Government of Pakistan intends to use force against the people of Gilgit Baltistan under the pretext of eliminating the Taliban.

"A recent announcement of the Pakistan Army and its intelligence agency stated that the Taliban are taking shelter in the Gilgit and Baltistan areas. The purpose of using the pretext of the presence of the Taliban in the area is to mislead USA and NATO forces who are involved in war on terror. They want to make believe that the Taliban is a menace in the construction of the big dams and wish to occupy Gilgit and Baltistan themselves". (AHRC quoted).

In 1988 when tribal militants/Lashkar attacked Gilgit Baltistan in victorious way then they were defeated by hundreds of local people. Those were retired or serving soldiers of Northern Light Infantry (NLI). They forced the lashkar of 80 thousand to run way. The thousand of soldiers of NLI Regiment today are fighting against terrorists in tribal areas, Swat and NWFP.

By opening of Kargil to Skardu, Ashkoman to Tajikistan and Astor to Srinagar corridors for the business purposes, this will cause the revolution in the economy of the peoples. The people will not depend on the KKH, and they will get alternatives corridors for their businesses.

faraz · Post by **faraz** » 11 Aug 2009 17:28

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NO32G-WS-rM

Forgive my ignorance. But, who is this Hassan Nissar ?

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 11 Aug 2009 19:30

No news on Balochistan or is it not reported?

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 11 Aug 2009 19:53

ramana wrote:No news on Balochistan or is it not reported?

Thud onlee.

In a couple of days one would see some reporting on Baluch Nationalist websites on how 11the August was celebrated in some pockets of Baluchistan with Baluchi Flags and some demonstrations, but other than that there were no international ripples worth reporting as of now. That means, nothing is going to happen.

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 11 Aug 2009 20:05

Were we expecting something dynamite on Baluchistan?

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 11 Aug 2009 20:19

NRao wrote:Were we expecting something dynamite on Baluchistan?

Deaf & Dumb animals seemed to be in panic, and as one is often told, animals are able to sense an oncoming storm or earthquake much earlier, so there were some heightened expectations.

Also Ahmed Quraishi started browning his pants, and I amongst some others started to think, what could have scared him so much. But now we remember, that he never really grew out of his pampers.

Well it was all just a thud.

The ground reality needs to be worked on a lot more.

shaardula · Post by **shaardula** » 11 Aug 2009 20:28

but how do you know nothing happened or what happened was insignificant? i think we are all way too used to the ways of the CNN. there's one guy on it called AC. big style bhai only he is. you only have to listen to him to know his depth. stick to the old sdre ways when revolution was known to take time and let info trickle down.

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 11 Aug 2009 20:48

The Drama and Histrionics were missing both in Baluchistan and in the International Reaction to any potential histrionics. So a Thud.

Long time developments are of course long term.

faraz · Post by **faraz** » 11 Aug 2009 22:59

I guess nothing was going to happen in Balochistan. Zaid 'Zhutan' Hamid and Chuha Ahmed Qureshi just used this Baloch to improve their popularity. Nothing is going to happen till Oman, Iran, India, USA and USSR give serious thought to the Balochistan issue.

Arun_S · Post by **Arun_S** » 11 Aug 2009 23:56

Terrorists 'have attacked Pakistan nuclear sites three times'

August 11, 2009
Terrorists have attacked three of Pakistan’s military nuclear facilities in the past two years and there is a serious danger that they will gain access to the country’s atomic arsenal, according to a journal published by the US Military Academy at West Point.

The report, written by Professor Shaun Gregory, a security specialist at Bradford University, comes amid mounting fears that the Taleban and al-Qaeda will breach Pakistan’s military nuclear sites – most of which are in or near insurgent strongholds in the north and west of the country.

The most serious attack was a strike by two suicide bombers on the Wah Cantonment Ordnance Complex, thought to be one of Pakistan’s main nuclear weapons assembly plants, about 18 miles northwest of Islamabad, in August 2008.

The incident, which claimed 70 lives, was widely reported but little mention was made of the nuclear risk.

Other attacks included the suicide bombing of a nuclear missile storage facility at Sargodha, in central Punjab, in November 2007 and a suicide attack on Pakistan’s nuclear airbase at Kamra, near Wah, on December 10, 2007.

In the Counter Terrorism Center Sentinel, Professor Gregory writes that the attacks illustrate “a clear set of weaknesses and vulnerabilities” in Pakistan’s nuclear security regime.

The strikes occurred as Pakistan sought to ramp up its nuclear capability — and as US special forces formulated contingency plans in the event of the country falling to insurgents.

A US Defense Intelligence Agency document revealed in 2004 that Pakistan had a nuclear arsenal of 35 weapons, a figure it planned to more than double by 2020.

In June, Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, an al-Qaeda commander in Afghanistan, suggested that the group would show no hesitation in using nuclear weapons. “God willing... the mujahideen would take them and use them against the Americans,” he told al-Jazeera television.
Pakistan’s security regime is modelled on the American system and includes the separation of warheads from detonators, which are stored in underground bunkers staffed by highly vetted personnel. Many details of the country’s nuclear programme — including the location of many warheads and their exact number — remain unknown.

However, most of the country’s nuclear weapons sites were built in the north and west of the country in the 1970s and 1980s, mainly to distance them from India — a ploy which now means many are located in insurgent areas. There are also concerns that vetting programmes may not identify Islamist sympathisers, whose influence extends far up Pakistan’s military hierarchy.

Professor Gregory writes: “There is already the well-known case of two senior Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission scientists, Sultan Bashirrudin Mahmood and Chaudhry Abdul Majeed, who travelled to Afghanistan in 2000 and again shortly before 9/11 for meetings with Osama bin Laden himself, the content of which has never been disclosed.”

sanjaykumar · Post by **sanjaykumar** » 12 Aug 2009 00:34

http://news.rediff.com/interview/2009/a ... ruggle.htm

WASHINGTON DC: Baloch Society of North America is organizing a gathering on 14th of August to De-celebrate Pakistan’s independence day, where speakers will expose the Pakistani crimes against the Baloch, Sindhi and Pashtun people and other minorities, including Hindus, Christian and Sikhs.

For the last 62 years Pakistan has not contributed any thing good to the world economy, peace and prosperity but have added a lot of misery and
problems. From Terrorism to Nuclear holocaust, from Extremism to Talibanization, from Corruption to Military dictatorship and assassinations of Political
leaders, activists, you name it, Pakistan have it all.

All Baloch, Sindhi, Pashtun and American friends who believe in freedom and justice are invited to join the gathering and show their support.

Venue: Baloch Society Of North America (BSO-NA) ,

1629 K Street NW, Suit 300, Washington D.C 20036

Date/Time: Friday, Aug 14th, @ 12:00 Noon - 2:00pm.

Via Metro: Farragut West (Blue and Orange Lines) and Farragut North (Red Line)

RSVP: Please call Tel: (202) 349-1682 or email us at Contact@ bso-na.org

After the meeting the participant will proceed to join the Vigil organized by American Friends
of Balochistan, at 3:00 pm, at the Incarnation Episcopal Church on 16th and Newton Streets.

The Baloch people are observing a black day world wide on Pakistan's independence as their
homeland Balochistan was annexed against their wishes on March 27, 1948 by Pakistan ar

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 12 Aug 2009 02:26

External debt touches new peak at $52.833 billion ( Almost half of their Dekho-nomoney)
KARACHI (August 11, 2009): The country's external debt and liabilities posted a rise of $6.6 billion to new peak level of about 52.833 billion dollars during last fiscal year, mainly due International Monetary Fund (IMF) standby loan package to avert the balance of payments crisis. The State Bank of Pakistan on Monday said that the country borrowed some 6.67 billion dollars during last fiscal year.
http://www.brecorder.com/

pgbhat · Post by **pgbhat** » 12 Aug 2009 04:26

Chaos and neglect -- national drift ---- Shireen M Mazari

For Pakistan what is important now is to exploit the confusion and the clearly visible signs of dissent within the TTP, so that a costly and uncertain military operation in FATA can be avoided and the terrorists denied space through clever political and economic manoeuvring. After all, if the Brits can suddenly distinguish between "good" and "bad" Taliban – with Miliband's three pragmatic categories – surely our state can cause dissensions in the rank by separating those weary members of the TTP who would be prepared to avoid the impending in-fighting and lay down their arms from the diehard terrorists. But this cannot be done if we continue the old British colonial policy of inflicting collective punishment on the whole Mehsud tribe – which is being done at the moment. It is unfortunate that the initiative taken by the Mehsud jirga to visit Islamabad was not reciprocated by our prime minister who refused to see them during their seven-day stay in the capital. Apparently, he was unwilling to see the 40-plus delegation on grounds of security, being unable to comprehend the criticality of this meeting with no one prepared to point this out to him. Incidentally, it is a sorry reflection on our democracy if our prime minister is fearful of meeting 40-plus Pakistani citizens even after the security checks that are in place! Let us hope that better sense prevails within our decision makers – be they uniformed or in civvies – so that repressive policies like collective punishment are abandoned for more viable and attractive policies that give the people of FATA a sense that they have a stake in the system and promise of a better life if they go with the state.

But then US personnel are all over Pakistan and gradually defying all the laws of the land. The incident of the SHO being abused and threatened by a US embassy guard (or diplomat since he seemed to have that status) is jut one incident. Imagine what will happen in Islamabad and across Pakistan with 1000 plus US marines running loose all armed and oblivious to Pakistani law! Once again Holbrooke is arriving, no doubt to claim his pound of flesh for the drone attack against Baitullah! Already the US seems to think that the Pakistani public will now cheer on the drone attacks regardless of the issues of sovereignty and collateral damage! Also, he is bound to pressure the army into beginning a full-scale conventional operation in FATA – which will be a disaster for us. Is he also going to pressure us further into accepting Blackwater and CIA front groups across the NWFP? Is he going to press us into allowing the 1000 plus marines into Islamabad and providing them immunity from the law of the land?

But then it is not just US citizens that are defying our laws and regulations. There was a major security issue the other day in Islamabad when a Danish embassy security man chose to "test" our security system by faking a bomb on his car. Too bad the security personnel did not shoot first and ask questions later but the man needs to be deported for conducting such a move without any prior approval let alone authorisation from the Pakistani authorities. Could our embassy security personnel in Denmark ever get away with such reckless behaviour? No.

What is there to celebrate? ---- Roedad Khan
Towel article..... Madam Mazari blames unkil for loss of sovirginity Khan Sahab puts the blame on TSPA.

What has become of the nation? Its core institutions? The militarised state has destroyed the foundations of all our political institutions. The army has been enthroned as the new elite. The level of fawning and jockeying to be merely noticed and smiled upon by any pretender in uniform speaks of a nation that is pleading to be crushed underfoot. Today we feel ourselves unable to look our children in the eye, for the shame of what we did, and didn't do, during the last 62 years. For the shame of what we allowed to happen. This is an eerie period. The heart of the nation appears to stop beating, while its body remains suspended in a void. Today the Supreme Court, the Guardian of the Constitution, is the only ray of hope in the darkness that surrounds us. After years of subservience, it is on its feet and holding its head high. Sadly, in spite of a strong and independent judiciary, the present corrupt order may survive because both the Presidency and the parliament are dysfunctional and out of sync with the spirit of the times.

The sovereignty of the people is a myth. To apply the adjective sovereign to the people in Pakistan is a tragic farce. Whatever the constitutional position, in the final analysis, de facto sovereignty in Pakistan resides neither in the electorate, nor the Parliament, nor the judiciary, nor even the Constitution which has superiority over all the institutions it creates. It resides where the coercive power resides. Even when an elected government is in power, as is the case today, it is the army which is the ultimate authority in decision-making. It decides when to abrogate the Constitution, when the Constitution should be held in abeyance, when an elected government should be sacked and when democracy should be given a chance.

The independence of Pakistan is a myth. By succumbing to American pressure, we managed to secure a temporary reprieve. But at what price? Today Pakistan is splattered with American fortresses, seriously compromising our internal and external sovereignty. American security personnel stationed on our soil move in and out of the country without any let or hindrance. Pakistan has become a launching pad for military operations against neighbouring Muslim countries. We have been drawn into somebody else's war without understanding its true dimension or ultimate objectives. Nuclear Pakistan has been turned into an "American lackey," currently engaged in a proxy war against its own people.

pgbhat · Post by **pgbhat** » 12 Aug 2009 04:48

In defence of reason ---- Nadeem F Paracha
Article is interesting read. Excerpts

Last week I was interviewed for a documentary on ‘Conspiracy Theorists,’ produced by DawnNews. The format of the program required two people talking about a chosen topic – a thesis/anti-thesis arrangement. The other person on the program was Mr. Zaid Hamid – the rock star among the many conspiracy theorists that are doing the rounds on mainstream television channels these days.

Unfortunately, both of us were interviewed separately, even though I did request the producer that it should be a face-to-face set-up. The young, energetic producer of the show explained that the format of the show did not allow for such an arrangement.

Well, in that case, Mr. Hamid continues dishing out his unchallenged monologues with only an elfin brunette seated in front of him or a former rock vocalist nodding in utter agreement (on a separate Hamid-led show on another channel).

Taking the documentary to be a general discourse on the ins and outs of conspiracy theories in Pakistan, and not knowing what Hamid would say, my 10-minute spiel was simply a defence of democracy and common sense that I think should prevail more than demagogic paranoia in matters of social and political upheavals.

True to form, Hamid lashed out at all the journalists and people who are calling him a conspiracy theorist. He thought such journalists are ignorant and misguided. He then rolled out the usual stuff on sinister ‘Zionist/Hindu/Western lobbies’ working against the political interests of Pakistan and Islam and referring to democracy as a violent system, etc.

Before I use this modest space to finally answer Mr. Hamid’s claims punch by punch, I would also like to share a fraction of the tons of hate mail I started receiving the evening after the show was first aired. I have selected portions of a few such emails (out of about – and so far – 197!).

Example one: ‘Dear Mr. Paracha, there is now no doubt that you are working for the CIA. You should be ashamed of defending Zionist lobbying and America. You should be kicked out of Pakistan and sent to Israel.’

Example two: ‘Paracha, how can you be a journalist and have such a big house? The answer is simple:You are CIA funded journalist.’

Example three: ‘Paracha, Zaid Hamid slapped you left, right and centre on the show, you pseudo-intellectual. There is no shortage of people like you in Pakistan. People like you have occupied important positions in our society and are given 90-95 per cent of media coverage. We are with Zaid Hamid and inshallah we will succeed.’

Example four: ‘NFP, you are a slave to the west and working against the interests of Pakistan by attacking patriots like Zaid Hamid. It is clear you and the newspaper you write for is being funded by Israeli and Indian agencies. Better shape up or we will ship you out.’

Example five: ‘Paracha Sahib, you have been trying to propagate your Yahoodi, Hindu and Christian masters’ rotten and obsolete ideas of ‘freedom’ and ‘secular liberalism’ and kafirana Socialism. But people like Zaid Hamid will never let Godless men like you succeed.’

Right. Absolutely nothing surprising here. But I write this piece in response to one email that I received yesterday, from a person who claimed to be in charge of running Hamid’s personal website: ‘I dare you to challenge any of the claims made by Zaid Hamid on the show,’ he asked. Well, there is no daring involved in what I am about to do, only simple common sense.

shaardula · Post by **shaardula** » 12 Aug 2009 04:49

i would have thought this 3 sites attacked previously story as pak-smithy for a new begging bowl. but is coming from the other direction. so what to make out of it?

wah, sargodha and kamra were all reported and followed. all sorts of people paid attention to it.

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 12 Aug 2009 07:39

US to use funds for aid on ‘super embassy’ project

ISLAMABAD: In what could be a recipe for a new controversy, the United States will spend nearly one billion dollars from its $2.4 billion war supplement aid for Pakistan on the construction and fortification of its new embassy in Islamabad and additional staffing of the mission, in what is seen here as a departure from the usual practice of using State Department finances for such projects.

Under a programme to strengthen its presence in Pakistan, the US will bring here about 1,000 personnel, including a large number of Marines.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 12 Aug 2009 08:28

Defunct SSP involved in Gojra violence: Rehman Malik
Defunct LeT involved in 26/11; defunct SSP involved in Gojra . . . if they are involved in terrorism, then they are active and not defunct. Pakistanis think others are fools.

ShauryaT · Post by **ShauryaT** » 12 Aug 2009 08:47

Under a programme to strengthen its presence in Pakistan, the US will bring here about 1,000 personnel, including a large number of Marines.

Colonization 2.0?

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 12 Aug 2009 09:00

AQ Khan, brazenly peddling lies

"Tremendous pressure was brought on Pakistan; our economic aid was cut off by the USA and an embargo was put on even such small things as rubber O-rings and magnets. We faced these problems with boldness and increased our efforts to finish the job as soon as possible.

"Once it was known that we were working on the enrichment technology, the Western press mounted a most vicious and unfounded propaganda against our programme. A case was initiated against me in Holland for writing two letters from Pakistan to two of my former colleagues. The letters were said to be an attempt to obtain information which the Public Prosecutor interpreted as being classified. I was prosecuted without my knowledge and in my absence. The information I had asked for was ordinary technical information available in published literature for many decades. I submitted certificates from six world-renowned professors from Holland, Belgium, England and Germany stating that the information requested by me was public knowledge and was not classified. I filed an appeal against this unjust case and the High Court of Amsterdam quashed the verdict of the lower court. On 16th June, 1985, the Dutch government finally dropped all charges.

Enrichment "is the most difficult of all the technologies in the whole fuel cycle. Centrifuge technology involved top-notch expertise in metallurgy, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, process technology, electronics, automation and control, nuclear physics, vacuum technology, etc. An ultracentrifuge runs at 70,000 to 80,000rpm and one can imagine the problems arising from the demands made on materials, the tolerances, bearings, imbalance of the rotating components, etc. Naturally, the Western world was fully aware of these problems and was sure that an underdeveloped country like Pakistan could never master this technology. We proved otherwise. We not only succeeded in mastering this difficult technology, but also in putting up a plant which symbolises our national pride and competence. When we bought inverters from Emerson, England, we found them to be less efficient than we wanted them to be. We asked for improvement of some parameters and we suggested the method. As was later pointed out in the notorious BBC film "Project 706 – the Islamic Bomb," the requested modifications took the wind out of the sails of the people at Emerson.

"…Many Western companies approached us with details of equipment they had sold to Almelo, Capenhurst, etc. They literally begged us to buy their equipment. We bought what we considered suitable for our plant and very often asked them to make changes and modifications according to our requirements….

"Notwithstanding the fact that we were handicapped by not being able to hold open discussions with foreign experts or organisations, we attacked all the problems successfully. Our scientists and engineers not only designed and ran good centrifuges, but designed the cascades, worked out the header piping system, calculated the pressures, developed the control philosophy and developed software and hardware for it.

"…Once the Western propaganda reached its climax and all efforts were made to stop or block even the most harmless items, we started indigenous production of all the sophisticated electronic, electrical and vacuum equipment.

"Kahuta is an all-Pakistan effort and is a symbol of a poor and developing country's determination to refuse to submit to blackmail and bullying. It is not only a great source of personal satisfaction to me, but is also a symbol of pride for my colleagues and the whole nation.

"Usually in setting up a plant, the sequence followed is idea, decision, feasibility report, basic research, applied research, construction of a table model, construction of a pilot plant, engineering for the real plant and, finally, the construction of the facility. This is a long chain of steps and usually takes a very long time. We took a very bold step and started all the steps simultaneously.

"While preliminary work was being undertaken at Rawalpindi and procurement was being done for the most essential and sophisticated equipment and materials, we were manufacturing the first prototypes of centrifuges, were setting up a pilot plant at Sihala and were preparing blueprints for, and starting with, the construction of the main facility at Kahuta. It was a revolutionary and bold step and we never repented following this course, which virtually ensured our success in record time.

"In any large and difficult undertaking, there are rough times to go through and of course success may not come till one is dead, but these things (difficulties, embargoes, failures, etc.) do not matter if one is in earnest. My colleagues and I were in earnest and by the grace of Almighty God, and through our sustained and untiring efforts, we were lucky to see the success in our lifetime. My interview of 10th February, 1984, to Mr Tariq Warsi of the daily Nawa-e-Waqt put an end to all speculation and gave the nation the first happy tidings since the ugly debacle of East Pakistan in December 1971.

"I would like to emphasise that the success of the Kahuta Plant is due to the enormous sacrifices made by the families (parents, wives, children, etc.) of the scientists, engineers and non-technical staff working at the plant. It was only due to their understanding, love, affection and encouragement that all those working at Kahuta could concentrate fully on the enormous task entrusted to them. The engineers and scientists did a wonderful job; a task any nation could be proud of.

"Time and again it had been solemnly declared by our national leaders, including the president, the prime minister and the foreign minister, that ours is a solely peaceful nuclear programme. In late 1985, the president went so far as to make the following proposals to India on the floor of the United Nations:

a. To declare South Asia a nuclear weapon-free zone.

b. To sign the NPT simultaneously.

c. To sign a bilateral nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

d. To agree to an international inspection team to visit and inspect each and every nuclear facility in each of the two countries.

e. To renounce mutually the use of nuclear weapons.

"While both India and Pakistan are fully justified in pursuing their individual nuclear programmes and not to allow themselves to be blackmailed or bullied by other countries, it is in the larger interests of their millions of people that they remove mutual distrust and come to a clear, unambiguous and failsafe understanding regarding the manufacture or use of nuclear weapons.

"The Pakistan enrichment experience has demonstrated that if a nation is sincere and determined to achieve a certain goal, she will do it and will do so much sooner than anticipated. What we achieved in seven years at a much lower cost was considered unattainable in 50 years by others. Goal-oriented and concerted efforts by the PAEC now would definitely result in our own reactors in the coming years. It is still not too late and Pakistan can again show that it can meet any challenge when it comes down to national pride and honour.

"I would like to mention that our efforts in the enrichment field have been most challenging, most adventurous, most hazardous but most satisfying and gratifying. My colleagues and I are really proud of our contribution to the scientific and technological progress of our beloved country in this most important field. We are sure that our efforts and achievements will always be remembered by a proud and grateful nation and that they will always be a source of inspiration to our future generations. Pakistan Zindabad."

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 12 Aug 2009 09:04

ShauryaT wrote:
Under a programme to strengthen its presence in Pakistan, the US will bring here about 1,000 personnel, including a large number of Marines.
Colonization 2.0?

I was feeling great uneasyness while posting that link. This calls for a paradigm shift in our thinking and our policies. Pakistan has made an unequivocal shift in a way some elements are targetted. It has become a geostrategic imperative for us to make some shifts in the ways we see those and other similar elements.

Challenge is to carefully calibrate those shifts at the same time preventing loss of control. Devil is literally at the doorstep. All fantasies of economic growth in the region are down the drain. Time to make new friends.

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 12 Aug 2009 09:08

SSridhar wrote:AQ Khan, brazenly peddling lies

Musharraf to bhaag gaya...ab tera kya hoga kaliaya?

Niaz Naik is calling AQK.

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 12 Aug 2009 09:16

OT..but WTF?

Claims of Baitullah, Hakimullah, Wali Ur Rehman getting killed and now this. Who is eff'ing who?

Indonesia confirms militant alive

Indonesian police say DNA tests show that a militant killed in a weekend raid was not Noordin Mohammed Top, one of the region's most wanted men.

The dead man - killed at the end of a siege at a remote farmhouse in Central Java on Saturday - was named instead as a suspect in two 17 July bomb attacks.

Police sources had earlier said they had killed Mr Noordin.

The militant leader has been blamed for a series of attacks in Indonesia, including the July hotel bombs.

John Snow · Post by **John Snow** » 12 Aug 2009 09:22

Yes we were worried for a long time presence of unkil in IOR now its next door.

Complete change , gradually the meaning of War is not option is taking Ominous signs

Anujan · Post by **Anujan** » 12 Aug 2009 09:36

SSridhar-ji
Whats up with Niaz Naik ? Since you are the resident encyclopedia of various pakistani smoke and mirrors, are there any interesting aspects to this case that you can share with us ?

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 12 Aug 2009 09:56

It happens only in Paki..Paki..Pakistan.

Lawyers help murder accused escape

LAHORE: Living up to their repute, a group of lawyers attacked the police and got a murder accused freed soon after his bail was rejected by the Lahore High Court on Tuesday.

Besides thrashing a sub-inspector, the lawyers also snatched the official record.

Earlier, an ASI of Lahore police was treated in the same fashion by a group of lawyers at the Sessions Court on July 29 after the hearing of a girl’s kidnap case in which the bail of the accused was cancelled.

Annoyed at the screening of the sessions court episode, the lawyers had thrashed cameramen and reporters twice, once outside the Aiwan-i-Adl and then on the LHC premises.

Witnesses said SI Riasat Ali of Sahianwala police station, Faisalabad district, had come to the court of the LHC chief justice along with two constables in connection with a murder case. The chief justice, after listening to the arguments of both sides, cancelled the interim bail of Ghulam Hussain who was accused of murdering his sister-in-law.

The SI, after the cancellation of bail, tried to arrest Hussain outside the LHC gate on Turner Road but two lawyers, Shahid Kahlon and Tariq Bosial, who were pleading the case of the accused, along with their fellow lawyers put up resistance against the arrest of their client, manhandled the SI, tore his uniform and snatched the record of the case.

Two constables fled the scene as the lawyers attacked them. The accused escaped with the help of the black coats. Riasat later alleged that his cell phone was also snatched by the lawyers.

A police source told Dawn that after beating the SI and getting the accused escape, the lawyers went to the LHC authorities and complained that the SI and constables had released the accused and tore the case file soon after coming out of court.

A court assistant, who witnessed the incident, informed the LHC authorities about the actual happening.

The Mozang police later registered a case against Shahid Pervaiz Kahlon and Tariq Bosial and their 10 fellow lawyers on the complaint of the SI. Sections 382, 353, 186, 147, 149, 224 and 225 of the Pakistan Penal Code were mentioned in the FIR.

Civil Lines division SP Investigation Dr Haider Ashraf told Dawn that raids were conducted at the chambers of both nominated lawyers on Turner Road, but they absconded.

He said the police would arrest Shahid of Lahore and Tariq of Narowal in any case.

Punjab Bar Council office-bearers could not be reached for their comments.

Hari Seldon · Post by **Hari Seldon** » 12 Aug 2009 10:41

Musharraf Faces Criminal Case

Pakistani police have registered a criminal case against former President Musharraf for alleged abuse of authority and for keeping top judges and their families under illegal detention.

IMO, its time for Dilli to put the past aside and help Sri Musharraf in his hour of need by speaking the truth, and nothing but the truth.

Time for the phoren secy to declare that Sri Musharraf has "destroyed Pakistan's democratic institutions and polity all by himself and not at the behest of India", that he has "never been helpful to various Indian government agencies". Never. And also, mention that India "strongly denies allegations that Sri Musharraf profited handsomely from business entities indirectly linked to the GoI in return for said assistance to the GoI".

Since, in our Hon. PM's words, we have nothing to hide in the matter, whats wrong with speaking truth only, eh?

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 12 Aug 2009 11:04

Dont agree, we should not get involved, let Mushy get his due. This put parnonia in every President and Army chief is what comes after and he will do a Khmer rouge type of cleansing of anyone who could be a future threat to him.

I think that is a much better option for India.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 12 Aug 2009 12:59

More on the attacks at Pak's N-sites.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... Qaeda.html

Pakistan's nuclear bases targeted by al-Qaeda
Pakistan's nuclear weapon bases have been attacked by al-Qaeda and the Taliban at least three times in the last two years, it has emerged.

By Dean Nelson in New Delhi

A 2007 photograph taken at the scene of the al-Qaeda attacks in Wah Photo: 2008 AFP
The allegations, by a leading British expert on Pakistan's nuclear arsenal, increased fears that terrorists could acquire a nuclear device or could trigger a nuclear disaster by bombing an atomic facility.

In a paper for the respected anti-terrorism journal of America's West Point Military Academy, Professor Shaun Gregory, director of the Pakistan Security Research Unit at Bradford University, detailed three attacks since November 2007 and raised the spectre of more incidents in the future.

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He said militants had struck a nuclear storage facility at Sarghoda on Nov 1 2007; launched a suicide bomb assault on a nuclear air base at Kamra on Dec 10 2007; and set off explosions at entrance points to Wah cantonment, one of Pakistan's main nuclear assembly plants, in August 2008.

These attacks had been launched despite an extensive security cordon around the facilities and millions of dollars in American technical aid to prevent militant infiltration.

Dr Anupam Srivastava, director of the Centre for International Trade and Security at Georgia University, who has advised the US government on nuclear security issues, told The Daily Telegraph he believed there had been more than three attacks on Pakistan's nuclear facilities and the Taliban and al-Qaeda militants would intensify its assaults.

The attack on Wah was reported at the time as the deadliest terrorist strike against Pakistan's armed forces, with 63 people killed in two suicide bombings. The target was referred to as a major conventional weapons and ammunition manufacturing factory, but according to Prof Gregory and other analysts it is in fact an assembly plant for nuclear warheads. "These sites are all identified by various authorities as nuclear weapons or related sites," he told The Daily Telegraph last night.

Pakistan's nuclear weapons establishments are protected with heavily armed soldiers who patrol a wide security cordon, while inside state-of-the-art sensors guard against intruders. Employees are screened by vetting staff from its Strategic Plans Division security force and officials from its ISI intelligence service. Warheads, detonators and launch vehicles are stored separately to prevent them being seized together.

But despite this "robust" security system, Prof Gregory said the facilities remain vulnerable because they are located in areas where "Taliban and al-Qaeda are more than capable of launching terrorist attacks".

The three attacks they have already launched on nuclear sites proved their own intelligence capabilities, and highlighted the threat of three terror scenarios, he said.

"An attack to cause a fire at a nuclear weapons facility, which would create a radiological hazard; an attack to cause an explosion at a nuclear weapons facility involving a nuclear weapon or components or an attack with the objective of seizing control of nuclear weapons components or possibly a nuclear weapon," he said.

The potential for nuclear staff or soldiers with militant sympathies to collude in a Taliban or al-Qaeda attack was a cause for greater concern, he said. The army has been Islamicised in the past and has senior officers who are known to be anti-Western and anti-American. "No screening programme will ever be able to weed out all Islamist sympathisers or anti-Westerners among Pakistan's military or civilians with nuclear weapons expertise," he said.

The risk of Taliban or al-Qaeda terrorists acquiring nuclear weapons, components or expertise is "genuine", he said, and could only be countered by continuing Western pressure on and support to its government to monitor the threat.

Dr Srivastava said he believed an increase in the number of attacks on nuclear facilities was inevitable because of the growing antagonism between the Pakistan military establishment and the militants it had previously supported. "Pakistan is at war with itself. They have created a Frankenstein and the intensity of attacks on these facilities will grow," he said.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 12 Aug 2009 14:48

Anujan wrote: . . . are there any interesting aspects to this case that you can share with us ?

An interesting tidbit from an authentic source who knew Niaz Naik is that he was vell versed with the Vedas and the Upanishads and could quote them at will. It appears that Niaz Naik was killed by his avaricious servants. This was a particularly brutal murder, the complete details of which have not been revealed by GoP. Looks like there is no other angle to this.

Chinmayanand · Post by **Chinmayanand** » 12 Aug 2009 15:25

Pakistan govt carries out revamp of powerful ISI

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's powerful spy agency ISI has been restructured by the government by weeding out 32 senior officers of the rank of Brigadiers

and Colonels in a move to make it trim, a media report said on Wednesday.

The retrenchment exercise in the agency has been carried out to make it "more efficient and vibrant", The News daily claimed, saying that the process will continue for two years.

Thirty-two officers of the rank of Brigadier and Colonel have been retired from the agency and "other officers who have not proved their utility" will be shown the door in months to come, the report said.

The report said the revamp had been undertaken as the spy agency had expanded out of proportion in the recent years and that many of the top level officers were continuing to serve in the organisation despite attaining super annuation.

The report made it clear there was no pressure for effecting the revamp and the agency would continue to be under the command of the Army.

The report said the restructuring was an effort to bring into the ISI "energetic and more dedicated personnel" who can "live up to the challenges of the modern age".

The powerful spy agency had recently faced flak from the American lawmakers who alleged that ISI was still maintaining contacts with Taliban and other militant organisations, a charge sought to be strongly refuted by the Army.

Sources in the defence ministry were quoted as saying that the ISI was expanded "out of proportion" in recent years and officers who were on the verge of retirement joined the agency and subsequently secured agreements to continue with it.

"The organisation is also being trimmed in the manner the army was restructured three years ago without compromising its skill to defend the motherland," the report said.

In view of this situation, departments of the agency were asked to offer their comments about the working of officers who had attained the age of retirement but were still working with it "without putting in anything useful with regard to the assignments given to them", the report said.

Such officers were considered a "burden on the organisation" and it was decided that they should be "asked to relinquish their duties forthwith", the sources were quoted as saying.

This "retrenchment process" in the ISI will continue for at least two years though it will be carried out in "an extremely careful manner" so that the agency's working did not suffer in any way.

The sources brushed aside the impression that "pressure from any side" was the cause for the streamlining of the ISI.

"No one could think in terms of exerting pressure with the incumbent command of the armed forces," a source was quoted as saying.

The ISI, currently led by Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha, is under the control of the army and has a large cadre of officers drawn from the military. Over the years, it has been accused of meddling in the country's political affairs.

After Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani was made army chief by former President Pervez Musharraf, he took several steps to delink the military from politics.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 12 Aug 2009 16:17

durgesh wrote:Pakistan govt carries out revamp of powerful ISI

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's powerful spy agency ISI has been restructured by the government by weeding out 32 senior officers of the rank of Brigadiers and Colonels in a move to make it trim, a media report said on Wednesday. been accused of meddling in the country's political affairs.

Haven't we all heard this before ? Musharraf announced with much fanfare a similar pruning.

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 12 Aug 2009 16:34

UK diplomat starts talks to ‘protect’ Musharraf

ISLAMABAD: Senior British diplomat Mark Lyall Grant on Tuesday started talks with Pakistan’s top political leaders, triggering speculations that he might be seeking concessions for former president Gen Pervez Musharraf, who faces a possible trial for high treason.

Mr Grant, who is currently the director of political affairs at the British Foreign Office, has also served as the High Commissioner in Islamabad.

The British diplomat met President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday and is likely to call on PML-N chief Mian Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday.

Mr Grant was involved in talks between President Musharraf and PPP leader Benazir Bhutto in 2007, facilitating her return to Pakistan and the release of her husband, Mr Zardari, from jail.

UKstan now belongs to the Pakistanis and Pakistan belongs to the Queen!

Last month’s meeting between the president and the PML-N chief in Raiwind was believed to have been made possible by British Foreign Secretary David Miliband.

Imagine MMS and LKA needing David Milliband to talk to each other. Chutiye Pakistani!

Diplomats said that during his meeting with President Zardari, Mr Grant also called for expediting the trial of the accused involved in the Mumbai attacks and provide New Delhi with some face saving gesture for the resumption of peace talks.

Who wants face saving? At the minimum we want death sentences to Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, Zaki ur-Rehman Lakhvi downwards. Nothing less would do save 'our faces'.

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 12 Aug 2009 16:48

SSridhar wrote:
durgesh wrote:Pakistan govt carries out revamp of powerful ISI

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's powerful spy agency ISI has been restructured by the government by weeding out 32 senior officers of the rank of Brigadiers and Colonels in a move to make it trim, a media report said on Wednesday. been accused of meddling in the country's political affairs.
Haven't we all heard this before ? Musharraf announced with much fanfare a similar pruning.

More than that these yahoos will be given pensions and real estates and then allowed to go an work for Jihadis - Just like Hamid Gul - a General.

Unless Pakistan rewrites their entire history books - at the very least - things cannot change.

Also, SA needs to soften their Islam.

Rishi · Post by **Rishi** » 12 Aug 2009 16:56

Some articles on Gilgit-Baltistan from The National

http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll ... 69863/1041

7 Aug GILGIT, PAKISTAN // Chinese engineers have embarked upon the reconstruction of the Karakorum Highway (KKH), a 1,300-kilometre strategic road that retraces an ancient Silk Route between modern-day Pakistan and China.

...

Officials involved in the project said a hush-hush approach had been adopted because of “heightened strategic tensions” in the region, a coded reference to the presence of United States military forces in the Wakhan Corridor, an eastern slice of Afghanistan that borders the Northern Areas administrative region of Pakistan and China. The motorway runs through the Northern Areas.

Below is an amazing piece on the Rock art along the Karakorum Highway (old Silk Route), which is going to be destroyed.
http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll ... /1103/NEWS

Dam will silence ‘talking rocks’

Tom Hussain, Foreign Correspondent
* Last Updated: August 09. 2009 11:57PM UAE / August 9. 2009 7:57PM GMT

CHILAS, PAKISTAN // Thousands of relics charting the course of history of Pakistan’s mountainous north to as far back as 9000BC will be lost during the construction of a major dam, archaeologists said.

...

However, precious few of the thousands of talking rocks will survive the forthcoming construction of the Basha-Diamer dam, an estimated US$11 billion (Dh40.4bn) hydroelectric project desperately needed to plug Pakistan’s power gap, said Professor Harald Hauptmann of the Heidelberg Academy.

Rishi · Post by **Rishi** » 12 Aug 2009 16:58

Rishi wrote: Below is an amazing piece on the Rock art along the Karakorum Highway (old Silk Route), which is going to be destroyed.
http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll ... /1103/NEWS

Dam will silence ‘talking rocks’

Tom Hussain, Foreign Correspondent
* Last Updated: August 09. 2009 11:57PM UAE / August 9. 2009 7:57PM GMT

CHILAS, PAKISTAN // Thousands of relics charting the course of history of Pakistan’s mountainous north to as far back as 9000BC will be lost during the construction of a major dam, archaeologists said.

...

However, precious few of the thousands of talking rocks will survive the forthcoming construction of the Basha-Diamer dam, an estimated US$11 billion (Dh40.4bn) hydroelectric project desperately needed to plug Pakistan’s power gap, said Professor Harald Hauptmann of the Heidelberg Academy.

Any Indian journalist reading this, I believe the above article has potential to be more widely read by Indians. It effectively deals with the destruction of history in territory that is legally Indian.

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 12 Aug 2009 18:32

Baitullah Mehsud's Death Raises Questions About Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan's Stability by Ahsan Butt: Huffington Post

In the TTP's case, there have been three names bandied about: Waliur Rehman (who is said to be the favorite at this point), Hakeemullah Mehsud (think Sonny Corleone in terms of disposition and character) and Azmatullah Mehsud (the darkhorse). We don't know as yet how this will play out, but there is a chance that elements within the TTP turn on themselves. We must recall that the TTP, as it is presently constituted, is a very new entity -- it was formed no more than two years ago as an umbrella organization for the various factions and tribes that make up what we nominally refer to as the Pakistani (and Afghan) Taliban. It is widely acknowledged that Baitullah's forceful and charismatic leadership played an integral role in ensuring a fair degree of unity within the TTP's ranks; with his departure, it is unclear how strong the bonds that tie the many elements of the TTP together will be.

ShauryaT · Post by **ShauryaT** » 12 Aug 2009 18:41

John Snow wrote:Yes we were worried for a long time presence of unkil in IOR now its next door.

Complete change , gradually the meaning of War is not option is taking Ominous signs

Correction. Not next door, they are in the house.