Sunni Terrorist Fragments of Unstable Pakistan- November 7, 2016

[Falijee]

Tired of fighting Taliban at home, PM flies to Turkey to fight Islamic State

[Gagan]

UN Office on Drugs and Crime Launches $70 Million Program in Pakistan

Japan to spend over Rs 10.7b in Pakistan social sector

Why? Why this idiocy?
What is the benefit to these nations?
Pakistan has a drug & social problems because their army sponsors terrorism and is actively involved in the terrorism and opium drug trade. It suits them to have poverty, lack of education, social and drug problems for what they want to do as a nation. It is a conscious decision by the powers that be in the Pakistan Army to keep their nation that way.
They want things the way they are!
Whatsmore, their citizens want their nation to be that way!

Why should other nations pour money into this futile effort to try and change them hain?

[Atmavik]

Tired of fighting Taliban at home, PM flies to Turkey to fight Islamic State

Pukis are desperately trying to join an anti I S coalition. they think this will be a new cash cow they can milk hence all the Dhamakas are blamed on I S

[Peregrine]

Fully Posted on the Analyzing CPEC Thread

Hail to the new master

Cheers

[Prem]

http://southasiahand.com/wp-content/upl ... kistan.pdf

Assessing U.S.-Asia Relations in a Time of Transition
Are Pakistan and the United States Partners?

The strategic drivers of U.S.-Pakistan relations have had considerablestaying power over the years. The United States and Pakistan have been
security partners in one form or another since 1954. There have been threeperiods of especially intense engagement: the early Cold War from 1954 untilthe India-Pakistan war of 195, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and itsaftermath from 1979 to 1990, and the period since the attacks on the UnitedStates on September 11, 2001. During all three periods, Pakistan’s mainstrategic goal was to line up support from major powers against what it sawas an existential threat from its large neighbor, India. The U.S. objectives, onthe other hand, reflected strategic goals outside Pakistan—developing theCold War alliance system in the 1950s, responding to the Soviet invasion ofAfghanistan in the 1980s, and after 2001 conducting the war on terrorism,in which Afghanistan was a sanctuary for the terrorists who attacked NewYork and Washington, D.C.The two countries’ strategic objectives, in other words, were onlypartly aligned. They believed they needed each other but also worked atcross-purposes. In the past decade, their mismatched goals have badly frayedtheir partnership, generating mistrust and cynicism in both countries.Popular support for the United States has fallen starkly in Pakistan. In theUnited States, congressional support for Pakistan remained strong until thelate 1980s but has declined sharply in the past decade.Looking ahead, the U.S.-Pakistan strategic disconnect will continue toshape two key U.S. strategic interests: the future of Afghanistan and peacebetween the two nuclear neighbors, India and Pakistan. However, some ofthe positions advanced by the Trump campaign, the Trump administration’skey personalities, and Trump’s own style will powerfully affect theenvironment in which both countries make policy. They will particularlyaffect other highly emotive issues with which the United States and Pakistanhave wrestled, greatly heightening the volatility of the relationship.
Pakistan is a troublesome friend with whom U.S. interests are notwell-aligned. Nonetheless, advancing U.S. interests in this complex region
will require more strategic patience and creativity. There is a long historyof difficult negotiations between Pakistan and the United States in which
Pakistan has been fairly successful at manipulating the United States through“the art of the guilt trip.”4 There is ample scope for the United States to adoptmore savvy tactics, but the Trump administration would be wise to avoidtriggering outright hostility.

[Falijee]

FIA arrests NADRA DG after pre-arrest bail rejected
The Express Tribune

ISLAMABAD:
Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested the director-general of the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA), Tahir Akram, after his pre-arrest bail request was rejected on Thursday.NADRA’s top official is accused in FIR No. 09/16 in a case concerning the regulatory body’s building case in which he was accused of being involved in a huge loss of Rs31.24 million.Akram had apparently allowed renting of a building for NADRA in, what was later termed, a ‘non-transparent’ manner.

The decision was taken by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan after FIA submitted an inquiry report detailing the shady nature of the contract and the exorbitant rent paid. By Paki standards ( where a sitting PM is wheeling and dealing in billions of dollars in foreign property !) loss of "Rs 31.24 can be termed "petty corruption" . Apparently, the "gentleman" was not high enough in the "corruption food chain" , or maybe he stepped on some" big-shot" toes , or maybe could not draw enough "sifarish" to get him off the hook, so he was made an example of - to show the Aam Abduls, that "corruption would not be tolerated"

[Falijee]

Panamagate arguments end, SC reserves judgement

- The Paki "Supreme Court" is behaving as if it an independent body like other nations , free of any political pressure ( all the judges probably serve at the "pleasure" of Ganja!)

- Ganja, the "absent PM" of Pakiland (who rarely graces the halls of the National Assembly, and whose office is "full of rats" if Paki press reports are to be believed ) is presently "out of the country" on one of his "foreign tours", therefore the "Supreme Court" does not want to embarrass him with a negative judgement . The optics in such a situation would not look good for the "image" of Pakistan.

- a more plausible explanation "for the reserving of judgement" would be to await further instructions from Ganja and his associates as to how to "further" drag out the case, until exhaustion sets on the opposing parties

[Prem]

Pakistan recalibrating capabilities to fight terrorists
http://www.dawn.com/news/1316454/pakist ... terrorists

Earlier this week, Pakistan concluded a deal with an Italian aerospace and defence firm, Leonardo S.p.A. for purchasing an unspecified number of AW139 helicopters.“The AW139 is the perfect fit to Pakistan’s operational environment, delivering outstanding capabilities with hot and high performance unmatched by any other existing helicopter type in the same class,” said the firm while announcing the deal.The US media reported on Tuesday that an American aerospace manufacturer, Bell Helicopter, would deliver three Bell AH-1Z Viper twin-engine attack helicopters to Pakistan this year. This will be the first of a total shipment of 12 helicopters. The remaining nine will arrive in 2018.In April 2015, the US State Department approved the sale of 15 AH-1Z Vipers, missiles and communication equipment at an estimated cost of $952 million. Pakistan ordered the first three helicopters in August 2015 and placed an additional order for nine helicopters in April last year.A US Department of Defence notification said nine AH-1Z Viper helicopters would cost Pakistan an estimated $170.2m.Pakistan’s original request included the sale of 1,000 AGM-114 R Hellfire II missiles as well.The AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters will be equipped with H-1 technical refresh mission computers, AN/AAQ-30 target sight systems, 629F-23 ultra- and very-high frequency communication systems, H-764 embedded global positioning and inertial navigation systems, helmet-mounted display and optimised top owl, APX-117A identification friend or foe, AN/AAR-47 missile warning systems, AN/ALE-47 countermeasure dispenser sets, AN/APR-39C(V)2 radar warning receivers, joint mission planning systems and General Dynamics M197 20mm cannons.Pakistan has already announced that it will deploy the helicopters in counterinsurgency operations. The US Defence Security Cooperation Agency reported in April 2015 that the helicopters would enhance “Pakistan’s ability to conduct operations in North Waziristan, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), and other remote and mountainous areas in all-weather, day and night environment”.
Pakistan will also receive four Russian-made Mi-35M attack helicopters in 2017. The US media noted that the Mi-35M was the export version of the Mi-24 gunship and was particularly suited for operations in mountainous terrain. Pakistan Army Aviation could acquire up to 20 Mi-35Ms in the years ahead.Islamabad is also considering the Turkish Aerospace Industries T-129 attack helicopter or the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group Z-10 helicopter gunship as an alternative to the Mi-35M. The new gunships would slowly phase out Pakistan Army Aviation’s obsolete fleet of US-made AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters, the media reported.Pakistan signed another $35m deal with a US firm, Navistar Defence, for manufacturing 40 mine-resistant ambush-protected MaxxPro Dash DXM vehicles. The contract, awarded under US foreign military sales arrangement, includes manufacturing of various support items, logistics and technical support services.The manufacturing will take place in West Point, Mississippi, and will be completed by Oct 31, 2018.In a separate press release issued in Rome, Leonardo announced that Pakistan had placed orders for an undisclosed number of additional Agusta-Westland AW139 intermediate twin-engine helicopters.

[Falijee]

RaddFasaad: Pakistan Army guns down Lahore Blast masterminds on Af-Pak border

ISLAMABAD:


Pakistan Army gains a major success in operation Radd ul Fassad as it kills the master mind of the Lahore Mall Road blast in an operation on Pakistan-Afghanistan border on Thursday night.A day after the launch of Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad, Pakistan Army killed on Thursday two high-profile terrorists, including mastermind of the February 13 Lahore suicide attack.

According to security sources, Wajihullah alias Ahrar, who belonged to the banned Jamaatul Ahrar, was killed in artillery shelling on Pak-Afghan border.

The other militant, Hikmat alias Qari Zubair, was in charge of a terrorist transit camp in Afghanistan. Both the terrorists were supported by a hostile( Read Afghanistan !) intelligence agency.

At least 10 people, including Traffic DIG Ahmed Mobin, were killed and dozens injured in the attack near Punjab Assembly. Names are "pulled out of a hat", then the "names" are killed, therefore the case is closed , and therefore there is no need to pursue the matter

[RCase]

PEMRA Issues Notice to 31 TV Channels for Airing Fake News about Bomb Blast

PEMRA is right! How irresponsible to report a 'generator explosion' as a bum blast!

[Atmavik]

Found a new tit bit about PSL. the broadcasting company is from Bartania but most of the techs are India(RAA Agents) and the Agencies are not giving them security clearance for Visas.

watch @ 12:20 Hajam Sethi crying that this may impact the final in La-Whore. any way this episode is from 22 feb and after todays IED Mubarak even paki players might refuse to play the final.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrmIhPksC7E

[RCase]

radd meaning in urdu is same as it's hindi counterpart.

'maine uske sujhaav ko radd kiya' // I declined his proposal // I dismissed his proposal

fasaad is same as danga/fassaad in hindi

so radd ul fassad is dismissal of violence/turmoil.

a very funny name for what is essentially another step in war by muslim punjabistan against other ethnicities as altaf sir has mentioned in his audio.

For the Chennai, Keraalaa based Punjabi agints ...
Operation Gaand-ula-fistula in Shitistan needs a Paktologist.

[SSridhar]

Japan to spend over Rs 10.7b in Pakistan social sector

Why? Why this idiocy?
What is the benefit to these nations?
Pakistan has a drug & social problems because their army sponsors terrorism and is actively involved in the terrorism and opium drug trade. It suits them to have poverty, lack of education, social and drug problems for what they want to do as a nation. It is a conscious decision by the powers that be in the Pakistan Army to keep their nation that way.
They want things the way they are!
Whatsmore, their citizens want their nation to be that way!

Why should other nations pour money into this futile effort to try and change them hain?

We mustn't forget that Japan was one of the founding members of the 3½ Friends of Pakistan axis of evil. They were keeping a very low profile in the last decade. From last year, I am seeing Japan upping its profile slowly and the 10B USD investment would take it much beyond past scales.

Japan may proffer an excuse that they are trying to counter the Chinese influence of CPEC. The Pakistani whore is back to its usual habit of sleeping with feuding clients (US & China since the 60s, and now China & Japan too). Japan is throwing its money into a bottomless Pakistani pit because Pakistan is already a province of China. Nothing that Japan does would alter that position and it will only strengthen Pakistani terrorist hands against a Japan-friendly India. India must make Japan see the reality and understand our concern. But, before that, does GoI believe that Japanese investments in Pakistan must be countered?

[schinnas]

SSji,
Japan is not spending 10B in USD, but in paki rupees. It is little under 100M USD.

[asgkhan]

http://www.yawn.com/news/1316682/pia-pr ... ing-flight

PIA probing safety breach after seven passengers forced to stand during flight

KARACHI: As many as seven passengers aboard the Pakistan International Airlines flight PK-743 (Karachi-Madina) on Jan 20 were forced to stand throughout the over three-hour flight after the airline boarded excess passengers in a serious breach of air safety regulations.

The PIA management appears to have taken this lightly as no action has been taken against those responsible for the bizarre situation.

According to sources, PIA staffers — the pilot, senior purser and traffic staffers — have been trying to shift culpability onto each other and the aviation regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority, has not taken punitive action against the airline or its staffers for putting the passengers’ lives at risk.

The boarding passes issued to the extra passengers were hand-written and not computer-generated, sources said. The computer-generated list, provided to the aircraft crew by the ground traffic staff, did not mention the excess passengers.

-----

Bliss to read in phull

[asgkhan]

Chickens coming home to roost

http://www.yawn.com/news/1316684/situat ... takes-over

[sum]

KARACHI: As many as seven passengers aboard the Pakistan International Airlines flight PK-743 (Karachi-Madina) on Jan 20 were forced to stand throughout the over three-hour flight after the airline boarded excess passengers in a serious breach of air safety regulations.

Cant even make this up. Only in TSP-land

[Falijee]

Another Scam Unearthed !
CJP takes notice of women trafficking ring in Rawalpindi, Islamabad

Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on Friday took notice of the alleged presence of a women trafficking ring in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.The matter came to the CJP's attention through a news story published in The News on Feb 22, which narrated the ordeal of a 40-year-old married woman who was sold and taken to Afghanistan, where her abductors demanded Rs300,000 for her return.The story mentioned the presence of an organised trafficking gang that transported abducted women from Pakistan to Afghanistan using faked marriage documents. IOW, if the Chief Justice "did not read the story", no action would have been ordered to be taken

According to The News, City Police Officer Israr Ahmad Khan had said that a few cases of fraudulent marriages had been reported in various police stations of Rawalpindi; however, police had taken action and nabbed all individuals involved in such crimes. Believe that your own risk !

The story also alleged that gang members disguised themselves as matchmakers and trapped families by presenting 'marriage proposals' for their daughters and then used prayer leaders to act as nikkah registrars to solemnise fake nikkahs for a sum of Rs5,000.The gang, allegedly consisting of 150 members, operates in Khanna Pull, Fauji Colony, Chuhur, and the Koh-e-Noor Mills areas in Rawalpindi, the news story said. The whole country is full of scams , right from the PM , down to various levels !

An FIR for the 40-year old woman, who was already married and had children at the time of her abduction, was registered on January 1 at the Airport Police Station in Rawalpindi after the woman's husband received a phone-call from Afghanistan demanding Rs300,000 for the release of his wife, who would otherwise be sold to someone else.The story had also alleged that the husband had sent the woman to work in return for Rs50,000, and was told that she would be returned to him within 15 days. Is this "halaal" in Malsi

[anupmisra]

KARACHI: As many as seven passengers aboard the Pakistan International Airlines flight PK-743 (Karachi-Madina) on Jan 20 were forced to stand throughout the over three-hour flight after the airline boarded excess passengers in a serious breach of air safety regulations.

Only seven? Did they check the toilets and freight hold areas?

[anupmisra]

PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week postponed due to blasts in Lahore

The event still will take place, say our sources, hopefully soon

http://images.dawn.com/news/1177155/pfd ... -in-lahore

[Gagan]

Japan is paying ransom. Actually it is Hafta money to Pakistan.
Everyone knows, that if an airline hijacking occurs, or if an incidence of terrorism takes place, the source is likely to be in Pakistan. What if some Japanese citizens get kidnapped in Af-Pak? or even in Bangladesh or India and the strings are being pulled by some Paki?

This is in recognition of Pakistan's terrorism influence, which far outstrips the Pak Faujs' or Govt of Pak's influence.

This is bribe money being paid by Japan to have enough political and fauji influence if the eventuality arises. I'll bet not even 50 paise of that 10 billion paki rupees is going to get anyway near any poor abdul. The pakistanis know that, the japanese know that.

[SSridhar]

SSji,
Japan is not spending 10B in USD, but in paki rupees. It is little under 100M USD.

schinnas, thanks for correcting.

[ranjan.rao]

even 100 Mn USD is not a small amount for these beggars. or even 1$

[anupmisra]

Holier than thou!!

Pakistan’s counter terrorism drive has entered intense phase, Lodhi tells UN

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres unveiled a suggestion in the General Assembly to create a new, independent UN counter-terrorism office to lead the world body's efforts to combat the hydra-headed monster

"Without addressing the underlying and root causes of terrorism, we will only be fighting its symptoms," Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi told an informal meeting of the 193-member Assembly on Wednesday

...protracted unresolved conflicts, unlawful use of force, aggression, foreign occupation, denial of the right to self-determination and political and economic injustice, as well as political marginalization and alienation...

I smell islamophobia claims already from the leader of the ammah. Coming from a paki, all that was missing is the "K" word.

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/188473 ... i-tells-UN

[Peregrine]

Situationer: when fear takes over

LAHORE: Around noon on Thursday a mother received a call from her daughter’s school in Gulberg. The caller informed her that the school was letting parents collect their daughters early in view of the blast in DHA an hour ago.

‘Close to our homes’ Lahore is no stranger to terrorist attacks. Over the last decade the people of the city have seen hundreds of deaths in suicide bombings and sectarian attacks at public places and shrines like the rest of the country. Parents remember refusing to send their children to school for days or taking them to public places. Some had even made their peace with their fear of death.

“No one feels safe now. Everyone is advising everyone to avoid shopping malls, markets and restaurants. People are scared,” a trader told Dawn.

“If some media outlets are responsible for airing rumours as confirmed news, the (Punjab) government hasn’t done itself any good either by persistently trying to pass off the bomb explosion in Defence as an accident,” argued a LUMS professor. “Indeed, these government denials didn’t help.

“The media persons don’t realise how dangerous this can be for everyone, besides obstructing the effort to help the wounded. The loss of 100 lives in a Quetta hospital in August last year and in Karachi’s Jinnah Hospital should be enough to make media refrain from following the wounded to hospitals and creating chaos for militants to do their work.”

Yet TV did spread rumours and panic with the news of Gulberg blast. “It is a tough call: do we inform our viewers and readers or do we play it down along with the likes of Rana Sanaullah,” said a journalist.

Cheers

[venug]

Sanction Pakistan As State Sponsor Of Terror

[Falijee]

India, China holding talks on Masood Azhar issue: Chinese envoy

Parleys are on between India and China over the issue of a ban on Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar by the UN and such “discussions take time”, Chinese envoy to India Luo Zhaohui said on Friday. He, however, asserted that China was against terror outfits and any form of terrorism.Earlier this week, India’s Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar had held strategic dialogue with his Chinese counterpart during which issues ranging from Beijing’s opposition to designation of Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN and India’s bid to enter the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) were discussed. Remains to be seen if anything concrete comes out of this .

“Discussions are going on. (India’s) Foreign Secretary (Jaishankar) was in Beijing two days ago. The discussions were very good and covered everything,” Luo said. But he declined to comment on what were the aspects on which China was opposing a ban on Azhar. “Just wait (for the outcome of the discussions). China’s support to India and every country on matters related to terrorism will always be there. Some discussions are going on. It takes time.“China is against any form of terrorist activity and organisation. So, on this matter, China will always be in same line with the international community and take concrete measures,” Luo said after inaugurating Chinese visa application service centre in Delhi. Is China signaling a change due to a new POTUS ?

“Discussions are going on. (India’s) Foreign Secretary (Jaishankar) was in Beijing two days ago. The discussions were very good and covered everything,” Luo said. But he declined to comment on what were the aspects on which China was opposing a ban on Azhar. “Just wait (for the outcome of the discussions). China’s support to India and every country on matters related to terrorism will always be there. Some discussions are going on. It takes time.“China is against any form of terrorist activity and organisation. So, on this matter, China will always be in same line with the international community and take concrete measures,” Luo said after inaugurating Chinese visa application service centre in Delhi.

China has blocked India’s efforts to get Azhar declared as a global terrorist by the UN. Commenting on the emergence of ISIS in the Af-Pak region and the six-party talks on Afghanistan held early this month in Russia, Luo said peace in the war-torn country is paramount for stability within that nation as well as in the region. IMO, if China throws Azhar to the wolves ( diplomatically speaking ), it may want "something" in return from India .

[Falijee]

Lahore DHA blast was not an act of terrorism: Rana Sanaullah

LAHORE: A blast in the upscale Defence Housing Authority (DHA) of Lahore that claimed at least eight lives and injured 30 people was finally confirmed as an accident ruling out any chance of terrorism.Addressing a press conference on Friday, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah confirmed no traces of explosives were found from the site of the explosion, adding it was likely the result of a gas leak and not an act of terrorism. He added that until the investigation is completed a definitive cause of the explosion cannot be declared. Till late on Thursday, officials were unclear whether the explosion was the result of an attack.

Lahori Aam Abduls can now breathe a sigh of relief- straight from the horse's ( Rana's ) mouth ; "entertainment" was good , while it lasted .

The police and government officials gave conflicting reports on Thursday regarding the nature of the explosion.

While quoting Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) sources, an official from the counter-terrorism department (CTD) said explosives were used in the blast. Speaking to reporters, the CTD official said it was unclear if an IED or timed device had been used. He said the blast had taken place inside an under-construction café."An investigation will further reveal if the target was the café," the CTD official told reporters. Later in the evening, CTD Punjab Spokesperson Dr Iqbal Malik said the blast was accidentally caused by seven to eight gas cylinders which had been brought to the restaurant last night.Government officials and investigators appeared equally confused over the nature of the explosion.

It would not be a "bad idea" to bring in "foreign experts" to re-confirm the results of the investigation

[Falijee]

"Getting" Altaf Bhai Is Not Going To Be Easy .

Interpol asks Pakistan to explain treason charges against MQM founder

KARACHI: Interpol sought clarification from the Government of Pakistan on Friday regarding the issuance of a red warrant of Muttahida Quami Movement founder Altaf Hussain.According to Interior Ministry, the Interpol responded to the FIA saying that the Pakistani government should provide details of the sedition charges against the MQM founder.Interpol contended that it does not intervene in religious and political matters of a state.
The officials of the Interior Ministry said that Pakistan will respond to Interpol over the matter till March 13.On Feb 15, Interpol had received FIA’s request regarding a red warrant for the London-based founder of the MQM.According to sources, the request for a red warrant was received at Interpol headquarters located in Lyon, France. The document also included a copy of a court order declaring the MQM founder a 'fugitive'.

he FIA letter also had copy an FIR registered against the MQM supremo in Karachi for delivering a hate speech and other documents regarding subsequent investigations into it.On Feb 3, FIA requested the Interior Ministry to issue red warrants of MQM founder Altaf Hussain and bring him back to the country through Interpol in Imran Farooq murder case.On August 22, 2016, the self-exiled MQM leader, in a speech to participants of a hunger strike outside Karachi Press Club, had incited party workers to take to the streets, ransack media houses and vandalise property.At least one person died and eight others were injured in the ensuing violence.

Altaf Bhai has been a thorn in the neck for various Paki Govts due to his support for "Mujahir rights" . The Paki Govt calls him a "traitor" due to his historic speech in India in which he stated that creation of Pakistan was a blunder" . The Paki Govt have tried various tactics including asking Immy to use his "influence" with Scotland Yard to get "rid" of Altaf . Nothing seems to work so far. !

[Falijee]

Ganja Turkee Visit Successful ! Pakistan to host major international economic summit

Political leaders from member countries of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) are to meet in Islamabad, Pakistan, to review new and emerging global and regional circumstances.The two-day meeting will involve heads of state and government of seven Asian and three Eurasian nations, including Turkey; it will open in Pakistan on March 1.The summit will be preceded by the 22nd meeting of the ECO Council of Foreign Ministers in Islamabad on Feb. 28.

The ECO was founded by Turkey, Iran and Pakistan in 1985. In 1992, the organization expanded to include seven new members, namely Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

China and Russia will also send observers to the summit.

By no stretch of the imagination, can this meet be called "international"; "regional" is probably the right word . But, then, due to the prevailing internal situation in Pakiland, if this gathering - on such a short notice - goes through on time and with "full attendance" and with no untoward incident, Pakistanis can hold their head high. All credit to Ganja Sharif on his "successful" Turkee visit"

[Gagan]

Altaf bhai can quickly transform from a Qaid to a Qaid-e-azam.
He is halfway there already

Major economic summit? Another "Friends of Pakistan" begging olympiad hain ji?

[Falijee]

Forbes Magazine : Sanction Pakistan As State Sponsor Of Terror
Anders Corr , Contributor

In the past two weeks, Pakistan has closed border crossings with Afghanistan, and attacked Afghan soil with airstrikes and heavy artillery, causing 200 families to flee. Pakistan claims that these measures counter cross-border terrorists. But in so doing, Pakistan punishes Afghanistan economically and obfuscates the primary source of South and Central Asian terrorism: Pakistan itself. Pakistan is a supporter of the Taliban, Haqqani, Islamic State and Al Qaeda. To convince Pakistan to cease supporting terrorism, influential nations must label Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorism, and impose economic sanctions. Anders Corr in the "pocket" of RAA

Pakistan seeks to turn Afghanistan into its backyard and put the government under its sphere of influence. It seeks “strategic depth” in Afghanistan for Pakistan’s competition with India. It seeks to influence, through political, military, and economic measures, the government of Afghanistan in order to limit Iranian influence in the country. Pakistan is doing this with military strikes, state-sponsored terrorism, economic inducements, and economic punishments such as border closings. The Pakistan Embassy in D.C. should "investigate" this reporter for his "pro India " views !

Afghanistan is a landlocked country, but it is nobody’s backyard. It is a sovereign and exceedingly fragile democracy of 30 million people under siege by terrorists. The democratically-elected government of Afghanistan needs the support of Pakistan in its fight against terrorism. Afghanistan’s struggle to provide peace and development to its citizens deserves that support.

Pakistan must honor its commitments in the 2016 Quadrilateral road map negotiated with Afghanistan, the U.S., and China, as Afghanistan plead for on Saturday. The government of Afghanistan invited the Taliban to talks, but the Taliban refused. Now, Pakistan must take action against cross-border Taliban terrorists in Pakistan. That will be politically impossible within Pakistan until the U.S. and E.U. take very tough economic and diplomatic measures. It is time to label Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorism, and support targeted sanctions against select military- and intelligence-linked Pakistani companies. It was previously reported elsewhere that POTUS, a previous New Yorker is a "big fan" of Forbes magazine . Someone should send him a copy of this article

[venug]

wah! now TSP will have it's own "Surgical strikes"
Pakistan OKs Military Cross-border Operations Against Terrorists

Pakistan’s civilian government is pursuing a high-risk strategy in authorizing its army to conduct cross-border strikes against terrorists.

Pakistan also wants to be seen as an active ally in the U.S.-led war on terrorism at a critical time, with new President Donald Trump’s administration currently developing its foreign policy — including aid — in the region.

we should hit them from east, Afg should hit them from west...a pincher attack on terrorist inbreeds.

[Falijee]

Chini Trial Balloon? : China invites India to join CPEC with Pakistan: Global Times

[disha]

China wants India into the tent and if India joins CBEC., it has to pony up billions to shore up Bakistan. In return is China promising NSG and Azhar?

Is China trying to pawn of its Baki wh0re?

[Gagan]

Yeah India can join, once POK is back where it really belongs

[Gagan]

Hmmm
I wonder if Zaid Hamid likes the new COAS, given that both are Qadiani

[Falijee]

PIA probing safety breach after seven passengers forced to stand during flight

This has to be a first in the annals of aviation history. The International Air Safety Authority need to do a thorough investigation and consider any punitive charges as they deem fit . Financial penalties, should only be considered, if it has the ways and means to "collect" the fine from this almost-insolvent artificial entity

[Falijee]

What Ails Pakistan
Pakistan: Defeat Is an Orphan
by Alyssa Ayres


A new book from former Reuters correspondent Myra MacDonald shows how the country’s chronic struggle to somehow best India has instead led to deleterious results on all fronts. I had the chance to interview her by email on her compelling book, and our exchange appears below.

[quote] You have structured this as an account of multiple defeats in what you term “the Great South Asian War.” Some of these defeats are tactical, such as with the India-Pakistan peace talks, or the Kargil War, but it becomes clear by the end of your book that you mean this as a larger metaphor for a “Great War” that only exists in the minds of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Pakistan is “blinded,” as you say, to how the world has changed around it. How did you come to see so many episodes—of terrorism, of failed peace talks, the military standoff in 2001–02—as moments in this larger story of a profound defeat?[/quote]

There were two questions here that needed to be untangled. The first is about how well the Pakistani state serves its citizens relative to India. The second is about the domestic power struggle within Pakistan. Since the military has successfully retained its political and economic preeminence within Pakistan, how much does it matter that Pakistan’s external position relative to India has declined? I tried to find yardsticks to assess both: historically, what assumptions were made about how well the Pakistani state would serve its citizens, and what expectations did the Pakistan Army have of the policies it followed?

On the first question about the Pakistani state, you have to go back to Partition to set benchmarks about how it was expected to perform relative to India. Implicit in the creation of Pakistan was an assumption Muslims would be safer in a separate country. There was also an expectation that a country run along Islamic principles of social justice would be fairer than one dominated by the Hindu caste system. Those assumptions took a serious hit in 1971 with East Pakistan breaking away to form Bangladesh. But even after 1971, Pakistan was able to retain a sense of superiority over India – its economy continued to perform much better than the Indian state-planned economy. It is only very recently that India began to emerge as a rising economic power. In terms of Indian GDP per capita, this rose above that of Pakistan only in 2009. Such is India’s current trajectory that we can now argue its success relative to Pakistan is irreversible. Thus by the standards Pakistan set itself at Partition—that its citizens would be better off in a separate country, or at least as well off as those in India—the Pakistani state has failed. Not only is it unable to offer its citizens the same promise of economic development, it can’t even offer them security.

But when the Aam Abduls are fed the "opium of religion", all of these things are forgotten

On the second question about the fortunes of the Pakistan Army within Pakistan’s domestic power struggle, it’s certainly true that the military has come out on top both politically and economically. But I’d argue that the Pakistan Army has fallen well short of its own expectations. This is particularly striking if you look at the period since the nuclear tests in 1998. Among the army’s assumptions at the time were that it would continue to be able to influence events in Kashmir and Afghanistan while managing Islamist militants well enough to keep them from turning on Pakistan. In 1998, Pakistan could still appeal to those Kashmiris who wanted to break away from India, while it dominated Afghanistan through the Taliban. Nowadays, Pakistan is too near to becoming a failing state to act as a magnet to Kashmiris and it is hated in Afghanistan for its role in supporting the Taliban.( It has also not been able to "internationalize" the Kashmir issue and no one is "buying" it's story of it is also a victim of terrorism .) It has lost control of a sizeable number of jihadis who have turned on the Pakistani state. As such, I don’t subscribe to the argument that the Pakistan Army is a rational actor that has manipulated rivalry with India in order to maintain its own domestic dominance. In numerous episodes, from Kargil to Mumbai, it has suffered from such overreach and miscalculation that it has failed to meet the strategic aims it set for itself.

You situate Pakistan, with its sights set on India, as a supporter of jihadists that ultimately grow out of the Inter-Services Intelligence’s immediate control, and whose jihad itself globalizes to open up new fronts. (I had not known of al Qaeda in Iraq founder Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s time as a jihadi in Afghanistan, for example, or the links between North African terrorists and the assassination of Northern Alliance’s Ahmed Shah Massoud.) Why has it been so hard for Pakistan to change direction on this policy of supporting violent jihad?

The question of how far Pakistan controls jihadis is subject to an intense debate that will run and run. I disagree with those who imagine the existence of an “on-off switch” that the Pakistani state just needs to flick in order to end the problem of jihadi violence. The different jihadi groups operate along a continuum with some supported by the Pakistani state, some potentially subject to its influence, and others well beyond its purview. Too much thinking is still stuck in the era of the anti-Soviet jihad in Afghanistan, leading to an assumption that anywhere Islamist militants are active, they must have deliberate state support. But the global jihadi movement has been out of control for years, at least since the 1990s when it flourished in the cracks opened up by the end of the Cold War. Pakistan is seen as the fount of Islamic terrorism by the world . It does not want to "help" Pakistan in its battles against its neighbours !

Pakistan’s inability to change direction on jihadis stems from several factors. The first is its unwillingness to give up Islamist militants that can be used to counter India, whether in Kashmir or Afghanistan, The second comes from the factor mentioned above – that jihadis are impossible to control fully. The Pakistan Army says it fears that if it turns against all Islamist militant groups at once, they might join forces in a coalition that will threaten the Pakistani state. This fear is partly legitimate, though it also acts as a cover for ongoing support for anti-India groups. It is quite hard to tell where the line lies in Pakistan between unwillingness to disarm militants and inability to tackle them all. I fear that the army itself doesn’t know for sure. This brings me to my third point, which I find the most worrying. The multiple players who make up the Deep State in Pakistan have constructed an ideological environment in which jihadis flourish. The Pakistan Army can manipulate some of these players or deploy them for its own purposes. But I am not convinced it knows how to drain the ideological swamp since that would require a complete rethink of how it defines Pakistan as a state. In other words, even if the willingness to disarm all militants were there, the Pakistan Army doesn’t have the imaginative capacity to know how to get underneath the problem.

In a particularly poignant chapter looking at Pakistan’s relations with the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, you observe that Pakistan had “overstated an external threat while underplaying its self-created domestic problems,” leading to the alienation of so many ethnic groups within the country itself. Is it possible, in your view, for Pakistan to rebuild itself domestically if it does not abandon its external focus?

Washington comes in for some tough criticism in your book—as a “damaging foreign entanglement” for Pakistan during the Cold War, and also as a naïve power willing to believe that General Pervez Musharraf was a bulwark against Islamists all while he undermined secular politics. What would you recommend to Washington policymakers as an alternative approach?

There’s no magic bullet. If the carrots and sticks of the past 16 years or so failed to convince Pakistan to change course, nothing will. Nor is there any obvious punitive action that can bring Pakistan to its senses. Don’t forget this is a country that was cut in two in 1971 and responded by becoming more nationalist and developing nuclear weapons. In the recent period, it has been willing to countenance the deaths of thousands of its own citizens in pursuit of its “good Taliban/bad Taliban” policies. India needs to learn this lesson too – if the United States with all its economic and military muscle couldn’t force Pakistan to change, nothing Delhi does will make much difference either.

The best the United States can do is to stop expecting Pakistan to change and be realistic. It should not imagine that if it makes itself vulnerable to Pakistani influence, for example by sending more troops to Afghanistan who need to be supplied through Pakistan, that it can expect a different outcome from the one it has seen since 2001. I’m not in favour of cutting aid to Pakistan altogether. Washington needs to maintain just enough aid to retain some influence in the country. It is also going to have to work with China on Pakistan, regardless of tensions between Beijing and Washington elsewhere. Finally, the United States could be less mealy-mouthed about calling out Pakistani support for Islamist militants. The diplomatic cover Washington has given Pakistan since 2001—rarely saying in public what it says in private about Pakistani support for jihadis—has only alienated allies in Afghanistan and India and fed confusion among the Pakistani public.

So, according to this author, it will be very difficult to"mend Pakistan"!

[Falijee]

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