Bharat Rakshak

Those who wish to discount Iran, including the good Dr Gargash, do so at their own peril. And the Saudis, past masters at power-games in the Middle East, are sensible enough to know the underlying implications of an imminent rapprochement between the US and Iran. What the Iranians might barter with the Americans in terms of their nearness to a weaponised nuclear status will be regained in the American nod on Iran’s increased geopolitical influence in the larger Middle East. Consider how both the Iranians and the Americans have made space for each other against their common enemy, the IS, in a parallel war feeding in the gains to the other.Past June 30, when the deal between the two gets formalised, note how economic cooperation between the west and Iran opens up even newer avenues of a major geopolitical shift in the Middle East. The Saudis are right to fear such a shift, though to assume that the Americans will do so at the cost of the Saudis will be equally fallacious. The solution to the Saudi discomfort is surely not in attacking Yemen, but in resolving Yemen through an internal dialogue process that the Saudis will be well-advised to convene, oversee and support to keep Yemen from becoming another field of contention.
When Egypt proposed to form a 40,000 strong Arab army to support Saudi Arabia it was a typical tactic to defer immediacy of direct Egyptian involvement in the Yemen war. Na nou munn tel ho ga, na radha nache gi. Similarly, both Pakistan and Turkey have chosen diplomacy and dialogue over war to resolve the crisis in Yemen. Oman, a member of the GCC, abuts Yemen, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and most prudently has eschewed any direct role in the ongoing war. And as a final test to the Gargash postulation of consequences: ever imagined if the Pakistanis in Bahrain were to be removed in a single stroke? The entire structure of the ruling setup can come crashing down. The reality is so stark and so real, Dr Gargash. It is time to smell some strong Gahwa.Rather than explain Pakistan’s position in the media, the prime minister would be better advised to send a delegation to Riyadh, Doha and the UAE for some real diplomacy. Otherwise, minor ministers of some nations begin to acquire outsized proportions

link without improving "their" search engine position

schinnas wrote: KSA breaking off its sponsorship of TSP would be the best possible outcome. Nothing enrages an Arab than backstabbing which Pukis are indulging in now after accepting the Saudi dole outs with both hands. Pukis are doomed if they go and doomed if they don't!

LokeshC wrote:Link for the latter part? I believe there is no "entry permit upon arrival" for Indians.

NEW DELHI: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to Indian diaspora at Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto, the Canadian PM Stephen Harper on Thursday announced that Indians will be given visa on arrival in Canada. Addressing Indian community, Harper said, "India and Canada's friendship is a friendship we truly value." He said that Indian community in Canada has grown in size and so has its contribution to economic strength and culture. "His (PM Modi) first visit has been historic, he is striving to make India a vishwa-guru," Harper said. Speaking at the same event, PM Narendra Modi thanked Canada and PM Harper for the excitement with which the nation expressed its love. "I say proudly that Canada is that nation which has been the partner country of Gujarat since 2003," PM Modi said.

Recently, Dupak Developers, a group involved in real estate, shopping mall and retail development, has completed Lahore’s biggest mall yet, The Fortress Square.

The mall provides every facility that people expect, from different retail brands to cinemas and food courts under one roof. The demand is not one-sided as brands are also looking for more and more malls to showcase their high-end products.

The ideal location of the mall – in Lahore Cantonment and under Army supervision – is preferred by the shoppers as it provides a more ‘peaceful’ environment.

Anujan wrote: 2) KSA will squeeze TSP testimonials to station nukes in KSA. With KSA abduls trained in servicing and delivery of the nukes. Expect ex-SPD chiefs of TSP to go do a stint in KSA.

3) KSA will start its own nuke program.

kancha wrote:Apparently Pakis are trending #JusticeForPindiStudent
Looks like a serving army major beat up a brother - sister duo in Rawalpindi, dragging the girl by her neck. Will try to get some more details

An accident that led to a scuffle between an officer of an important government department and a man and his sister, riding a motorcycle, enraged the people who gathered there, blocked the road and raised slogans against the officer for beating the two with a belt on the Range Road here on Wednesday. In the heart of Pakjab

According to eye-witnesses a man, Ramiz Khan, and his sister suddenly came out of a street and banged into a car driven by an officer, Mohsin. The officer came out of his car and exchanged hot words with Ramiz and then beat him with his belt.

When Ramiz’s sister came to his rescue, the officer started beating her too and dragged her on the road and tore her clothes.This situation enraged the people who gathered there and tried to save the two. The officer immediately got into the car and locked the doors.

Over 200 enraged people surrounded his car and broke its windows to drag him out.Meanwhile, the officer’s colleagues also arrived there to save him. However, the people kept surrounding the car.

CPO Israr Ahmad Abbasi arrived there. The officer came out of his car with great difficulty when the mob was pushed back.According to the SHO Race Course the numbers given by Ramiz and his sister were closed and the address was also incorrect

Anujan wrote:2) KSA will squeeze TSP testimonials to station nukes in KSA. With KSA abduls trained in servicing and delivery of the nukes. Expect ex-SPD chiefs of TSP to go do a stint in KSA.

3) KSA will start its own nuke program.

There were many cultural affinities that we could play on, he said....

“What do Karachi and Los Angeles have in common? Seashore, culture, gang warfare. We are made for each other. They got twenty million people, we got South Central. This is the link to have.”

JE Menon wrote:This kind of beating, even murder, is not at all uncommon in Pakiland.

I know a Pak who has beaten an auto-rickshaw driver to death with a plastic pipe because he dared to overtake him. Other than that, he's a nice family man, and looks a bit like a young VS Naipaul. Oh, and obviously zero repercussions.

I'm not saying he's a friend, just a semi-RAPE jackass I happened to encounter a couple of times. The twat was proud of it, and his friends were saying that the flexible PVC pipe is the best for what Tejpal would call a proper lacerating because it takes the skin off almost better than anything else out there. Maybe I should put the two together. This way instead of Tejpal lacerating his soul, this fellow can lacerate his oiseaule.

rsangram wrote: No coverage in India. Also no coverage in India about the China's successful creation of an Asian Development Bank, where it successfully got 53 countries including some close US allies. No coverage in India about the Chinese initiative to resurrect the old silk road, for which most Central Asian countries, Afg and Pak have already signed up. even Iran may sign up.

Yup, let us just keep our head buried in the sand, excel at jingoism, keep deluding ourselves and "dont worry, be happy".

rsangram wrote:"China Invests Billions in Its ‘All-Weather Friendship’ With Pakistan"

https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/04/16/ch ... ian-ocean/

No coverage in India. Also no coverage in India about the China's successful creation of an Asian Development Bank, where it successfully got 53 countries including some close US allies. No coverage in India about the Chinese initiative to resurrect the old silk road, for which most Central Asian countries, Afg and Pak have already signed up. even Iran may sign up.

Yup, let us just keep our head buried in the sand, excel at jingoism, keep deluding ourselves and "dont worry, be happy".

1. Port Qasim Thermal Power Plant.
from:
http://pk.chineseembassy.org/eng/zbgx/t1155081.htm

2. Land acquisition and shifting of utilities for the Karachi-Lahore motorway.
3. Construction of the Lahore-Abdul Hakim-Khanewal motorway section.
4. Construction of the Multan-Sukkur motorway section.
5. Construction of the Raikot-Havelian-Islamabad motorway section.
from:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/840974/mini ... -corridor/

6. Upgrading railway Main Line-1 (Karachi-Lahore-Peshawar-Havelian)

from:
http://www.brecorder.com/business-a-eco ... 9/1155610/


from:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/opinion/17 ... m-the-cpec

The project embraces the construction of a cross-border optical fibre cable system between China and Pakistan, textile garment industrial park projects, numerous ventures in the energy sector yielding power from various sources comprising hydel, coal, wind power, solar and nuclear. It also entails the
development of coal mining projects, the construction of dams, the installation of nuclear reactors and creating networks of roads, railway lines and oil/gas pipelines. Agreements have been made to construct a new international airport, Eastbay expressway, fully equipped hospital, a technical and vocational training institute, water supply and distribution, infrastructure for free zone and export processing zones, port related industries, refineries and marine works. The infrastructure projects planned comprise of the Karakorum Highway Phase II (Raikot-Islamabad), Karachi-Lahore Motorway
(Multan-Sukkur section), expansion and reconstruction of existing the mail railway line from Peshawar to Karachi, the construction of a Havelian dry port, orange line project in Lahore and a cross-border optical fibre cable system project.

Some of the significant energy projects being installed will yield around 10,400 megawatts of electricity. Those ventures include the Port Qasim Electric Power Company, producing 1,320 megawatts, Engro Thar coal-fired power plant, producing 660 megawatts, Sindh Sino resources power plant of Thar Coal (Block-1), producing 1,320 megawatts, Gwadar coal power project, producing 300 megawatts, Rahimyar Khan coal power, producing 1,320 megawatts, Muzaffargarh coal power, producing 1,320 megawatts, Sahiwal power plant, producing 1,320 megawatts, Suki Kinari power project, producing 870 megawatts, Karot Hydro power station, producing 720 megawatts, UEP wind power project, producing 100 megawatts, Sunec wind power project, producing 50 megawatts, Sachal wind power project, producing 50 megawatts, Dawood wind power project, producing 50 megawatts and Quaid-e-Azam solar, producing 900 megawatts.


http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/0 ... n-projects

Documents also revealed that planning ministry has included high priority early harvest projects (HPEHP) worth $34.490billion. Some of the projects with estimated cost are mentioned in below for convenience: 2x660mw coal based power projects (IPP) at Port Qasim with estimated cost$1.800billion, Jetty plus infrastructure of Gaddani as IPP (preferably) or public sector with estimated cost of $1.000b, 10x66omw coal based power project at Gaddani $9.000b, Power Evacuation from Gaddani to National Grid (IPP) $2.000b, 3.5MT/A coal mining project Thar Block-II SECMC $0.800b, 2x660mw coal based power projects at Sahiwal (Government of Punjab) $1.8oob, 2x660mw coal based power projects at Sheikupura (IPP) $1.800b, 2x33omw Thar power coal plant SCMC $0.800b, solar power park at Bahwalpur $0.160b, 2793mw (Three) hydro power projects with estimated cost of $3.00billion, Karakoram high way (phase-II) with estimated cost of $3.500b, rehabilitation & up gradation of Karachi-Lahore plus Peshawar (ML-1) Railway track with estimated cost of $3.650b, Gawadar Package $1.060b, Orange Line (underground in Lahore) with estimated cost of $1.6oob, Jhimpar wind power 200mw with estimated cost of $0.320b etc.

It was also learnt from the document that Karakoram highway (phase-I) up gradation and reconstruction of 487km, Karachi-Lahore motorway Multan-Sukkur section (375km), up gradation/rehabilitation of ML1, construction of dry port at Havelian, Eastway Expressway (18.9km), Gawadar International Port and many other related projects are part of the overall document approved by the premier. Energy sector projects are also included in the list of projects of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor prioritized/early harvest projects that have so far been approved by the premier.

Ever since the price of oil quadrupled in 1973 and the Gulf construction and economic boom started, Dubai has been an important destination of dancers and starlets, or let’s call them artistes, associated with Lahore’s ‘pleasure district’, Heera Mandi.

Suppose Dubai were to become really angry – which, incidentally, is unlikely to happen – and a squeeze were put on this Heera Mandi traffic, wouldn’t that work to the general benefit of the situation in Lahore, and indeed other cities, by leading to a downward trend in the going rate of these timeless pursuits?

Heera Mandi artistes will continue to find a safe haven in Dubai.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will launch energy and infrastructure projects worth $46 billion on a visit to Pakistan next week as China cements links with its old ally and generates opportunities for firms hit by slack growth at home.

Also being finalised is a long-discussed plan to sell Pakistan eight Chinese submarines. The deal, worth between $4 billion and $5 billion, according to media reports, may be among those signed on the trip.

Xi will visit next Monday and Tuesday, Pakistan's foreign ministry said.

Commercial and defense ties are drawing together the two countries, which share a remote border and long-standing mistrust of their increasingly powerful neighbor, India, and many Western nations.

"China treats us as a friend, an ally, a partner and above all an equal - not how the Americans and others do," said Mushahid Hussain Sayed, chairman of the Pakistan parliament's defense committee.

BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Pakistan and attend meetings in Indonesia next week, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced on Friday morning.

The president will pay a state visit to Pakistan from Monday to Tuesday at the invitation of Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, spokesperson Lu Kang said in a statement.

At the invitation of Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Xi will attend the Asian-African Summit as well as activities commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Bandung Conference from Tuesday to Friday in Indonesia.

Xi's two-day state visit to Pakistan will be Xi's first trip to the South Asian country since he assumed the presidency in 2013.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the visit would provide a powerful impetus to build on the China-Pakistan friendship and deepen comprehensive collaboration.

Sharif said as 2015 was the Pakistan-China Year of Friendly Exchanges, Xi's visit would lift the strategic cooperative partnership to a new high.

"The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor [CPEC] will be high on the agenda," former Chinese ambassador to Pakistan Zhou Gang said.

The CPEC, a flagship project to strengthen China's connectivity with neighboring countries, was proposed during Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's visit to Pakistan in May 2013.

The planned corridor will connect Kashgar in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region with Gwadar Port in Pakistan. A project outline was signed in Beijing last November.

During Xi's visit to Islamabad, China and Pakistan will sign deals on energy, infrastructure to education and culture, Pakistan Ambassador to China Masood Khalid said.

Falijee wrote:For Whom the Bells Toll

After much hand wringing and soul searching, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has decided to abandon “neutrality” in the civil war in Yemen as originally resolved by a consensus in Parliament. The PM’s new formulation clearly says that the government of Manzur Hadi in Yemen was legitimate and the Houthis’ attempt to seize power is illegitimate.

The leader of the Islamic State group's faction in Pakistan was killed Thursday along with two other people when an explosive device he was handling detonated unexpectedly, multiple news reports said. The reports vary on the method in which Hafiz Muhammad Saeed died in the Pakistani region of Toor Dara in Tirah Valley: The bomb either exploded during the assembly process or while he was helping to plant it near the side of a road, the Express Tribune reported.

He was also the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a group of Pakistani fighters accused of playing a major role in the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, India.

Saeed hailed from the Aurakzai Agency and was among five leading Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commanders who announced their disassociation from the banned outfit last October.