Pakistan News and Discussion-8

10-13-2006, 12:08 AM

Pakistan minister caught smuggling diamonds from South Africa for Khakis. <!--emo& Big Grin

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QUOTEA boyâs best friend
FT
A high powered federal min recently narrowly avoided a stint in the clink and huge embarrassment for the government of Pakistan. The min, in charge of producing stuff for the khakisâ use, traveled to South Africa and was on his way back to the Land of the Pure from Johannesburg when the machine went beep-beep-beep as he passed through it. Alerted, the special security squad at the airport took the minister aside to frisk him good and proper.

And what did they find on his person but diamonds worth a fortune. The gems were in loose form, divided into neat packets, stored all over the minâs person. Airport security told the min that he was committing a crime in smuggling gems out of the South Africa and that they would have to report the matter to the authorities. The min, frantic, called the Pakistan mission in Joburg which tried to intercede with the airport security staff wielding lame excuses like âdiplomatic immunityâ etc.

The security staff then passed the matter on to their superiors and the South African authorities were having none of it. The mission then made contact with the highest and mightiest in Isloo who pulled some hefty strings and got the minister off the hook. Diamonds, it seems, are a boyâs best friend

10-13-2006, 12:10 AM

QUOTEMujra in Delhi
FT
A well-known and well-heeled family of Delhi are soon to celebrate the wedding of their one and only son. As is customary, the planned ceremonies are extravagant and elaborate with no expense spared. In India there is no dearth of excellent singers and musicians and some of them will be on hand to make the wedding a festive occasion. But the piece de resistance is going to be a mujra by the most famous and accomplished dancing girl of Lahore. India may be vaulting ahead of Pakistan on every front but thereâs still some things we can do better than them! PS: one of the dancing girlâs most fervent admirers is said to be none other than that famous Bombay don who is said to be holed up in Karachi.

10-13-2006, 12:20 AM

QUOTENuggets from the Urdu press 
These nuggets are culled from the Urdu press. TheyÂ Absurd or ridiculous, TFT takes no responsibility for them
Â
Break ties with the dollar!
As quoted by daily Nawa-i-Waqt, the ex-Prime Minister of Malaysia and leader of the Muslim Ummah, Dr Mahatir Mohammad, said Muslims are not terrorists while America and its allies are terrorists. He said 9/11 was the brain child of America and Jewish lobby. The World trade centre was blown up using dynamite. He suggested that the Muslim world shall create a mutual fund. The Muslim countries can humble America if they break their ties with the dollar and rely on their own currencies. He said there is no need of reform but correct interpretation of the Holy Quran is required.

Some interesting facts
In daily Jang, columnist Munnoo Bhai reported some interesting figures. Afghan women produce an average of 7.5 children, compared to Nigerian women, who give birth to an average of eight children. The UAE is first in disparity between sexes, with 214 men for 100 women. Pakistan has the largest refugee populatin in the world with 11.2 million refugees counted in 2003. Iraqis send the largest number of political asylum seekers to Europe.

Fulla vs Barbie
As reported in daily Khabrain, security forces in Tunis are raiding shops to remove a doll named âFullaâ from the market. Police said the hijab wearing doll could trigger sectarian conflict in Tunis. The doll with full clothes, hijab and prayer mat is becoming more popular than Barbie dolls among Muslims girls. The report said Tunis doesnât allow its women to wear hijab in public.

Qazi should learn jihad from Hassan Nasrullah
As reported in daily Jang, a member of Mutahida Qaumi Movement, Kanwar Khalid Younas, said in National Assembly that Qazi Hussain Ahmad should learn jihad from Hassan Nasrullah in Lebanon. The Hezbollah leader is not just sitting at home and ordering his members to wage jihad. He has practically taken part in jihad and his two sons have already been martyred. In contrast Qazi Hussain and his ilk want othersâ sons to be killed in the name of Islam and have sent their own children to America for studies.

Muslim train off to wine shop
Sarerahe stated in Nawa-i-Waqt that the German Foreign Minister said that Islam is spreading like wild fire in Germany and Islamic syllabus should be introduced in German schools. The Germans blasphemed against Islam and now want to introduce Islamic syllabus in their schools whereas in Pakistan our rulers are trying to secularize the Islamic syllabus. What is going on? The Muslim Express train is going towards maykada (wine shop) and the Catholic Express train is going towards the Kaaba.

New world order and Islam
As reported in daily Nawa-i-Waqt, the leader of Jamaat Islami Qazi Hussain Ahmad said the forces of imperialism and atheism have hijacked the world by plundering and spreading anarchy. The cowardly leaders are aligned with atheist forces to retain power. The Muslims should rise to impose Islam and peace on the whole world and to remove the cause of conflict. The uncivilized and atheist secular agenda, which is already on its death bed in Europe, is being imposed in Pakistan. Pope Benedictâs statement is supporting President Bush, who has started the bloodshed of Muslims all over the world. The amendment in the Hudood bill is part of American imperialism and the atheist secular agenda.
Â
Bias of ghost writer
Writing in daily Jang, columnist Nazir Naji opined that Pervez Musharraf wrote openly about all personalities but didnât mention the names of two journalists, which could be the work of a fellow journalist who did this out of professional jealousy. President Musharraf mentioned the famous incident of Najam Sethi, when Nawaz Sharrif wanted him court-martialed by the army. Naji said I told Nawaz Sharrif to free Najam Sethi, because he is rated very favorably by the American establishment. If Nawaz Sharrif was wise enough he would have understood my advice and the Army Chiefâs protection of Najam Sethi. That was enough to understand the ârelationshipâ between them. The second journalist was me, who was guilty of printing the point of view of Altaf Gauhar when no one was printing his opinion and I printed it in weekly âShababâ.

Missiles in Dara Adam Khel
According to Daily Pakistan the DCO Kohat raided with frontier constabulary and captured 71 foreign-made missiles in an underground hideout in a remote area of Tor Chapar in Dara Adam Khel. The missiles were smuggled for terrorism by unknown tribesmen.

Dil wale dulhania lay jain ge
As reported in daily Nawa-i-Waqt, a friendship started on the internet resulted in marriage in Khanewal. The Indian bridegroom has reached Pakistan to take his bride back to India. Hundreds of people turned up at the wedding to have a peek at the Indian. When the bridegroom went to police station to report his departure, the police refused to take his bribe and told him that Pakistani police doesnât accept bribes and returned him the money. The groom was dumbfounded at this statement.Â <!--emo& Big Grin

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Carrots for others and stick for Pakistan
As reported in daily Pakistan, Lt Gen (Retd) Hamid Gul said that America is not satisfied with Pakistanâs progress on a lot of issues. He said dancing with the wolves is dangerous as you never know when a wolf will stop dancing and attack you. He said Americaâs target is not Osama bin Laden but the nuclear capability of Pakistan. America is using the policy of carrot and stick. He said the carrot is for someone else and the stick is for Pakistan.

10-13-2006, 06:19 AM

QUOTEPak will be "no more" if extremists seize power: Musharraf Feted abroad for his promises to fight terrorism and flayed at home for failing to curb forces of extremism, President Pervez Musharraf, who completed seven years in power, today warned that Pakistan envisaged by its founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah will be "no more" if extremists wrest control over moderates like him.

"The tussle will be between the moderates and the extremists. I am a moderate and strongly believe that the moderates must win. If the extremists win, than Quaid-e-Azam's (Jinnah's) Pakistan will be no more there," he told reporters here last night at an inftar party. 

Musharraf came to power in a coup on Oct 12, 1999 posing as "reluctant coupmaker" who had to launch a "counter coup" to thwart the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's "conspiracy" to oust him as Chief of Army.

After the Sept 11, 2001 terror attacks on US, he deftly washed away the image of "Jihadi General" for staging Kargil with the help of Islamic militants and joined the war on terror bandwagon and emerged as the "front line ally" in US President George W Bush's war against AlQaeda and Taliban.

Musharraf, who had addressed the nation during previous anniversaries of his assumption of power, took even his bitterest critics by surprise by projecting the "worst case scenario" of Jinnah's Pakistan withering away if moderates loose to extremists in Pakistan.

He stressed when he says that Jinnah's Pakistan may be lost, "I mean every word of it", a remark seen as an attempt to placate mainstream moderate leaders like Sharif and another former Premier, Benazir Bhutto.

I think he is telling his gang, keep me in power otherwise big daddy will send you all to stone age.
Either he is seeing something, may be got good beating from big daddy and Vilayati Uncle.

Naresh · (This post was last modified: 10-13-2006, 01:41 PM by Naresh.)

[center]PAKISTAN : THE WORSENING CONFLICT IN BALOCHISTAN[/center]

Asia Report NÂ°119
14 September 2006

[center]EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS[/center]

President Pervez Musharraf and the military are responsible for the worsening of the conflict in Balochistan. Tensions between the government and its Baloch opposition have grown because of Islamabadâs heavy-handed armed response to Baloch militancy and its refusal to negotiate demands for political and economic autonomy. The killing of Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti in August 2006 sparked riots and will likely lead to more confrontation. The conflict could escalate if the government insists on seeking a military solution to what is a political problem and the international community, especially the U.S., fails to recognise the price that is involved for security in neighbouring Afghanistan.

Tensions with the central government are not new to Balochistan, given the uneven distribution of power, which favors the federation at the cost of the federal units. The Baloch have long demanded a restructured relationship that would transfer powers from what is seen as an exploitative central government to the provinces. But Musharrafâs authoritarian rule has deprived them of participatory, representative avenues to articulate demands and to voice grievances. Politically and economically marginalised, many Baloch see the insurgency as a defensive response to the perceived colonisation of their province by the Punjabi-dominated military.

Although regional parties still seek provincial autonomy within a federal parliamentary democratic framework, and there is, as yet, little support for secession, militant sentiments could grow if Islamabad does not reverse ill-advised policies that include:

Â· exploitation of Balochistanâs natural resources without giving the province its due share;

Â· construction of further military garrisons to strengthen an already extensive network of military bases; and

Â· centrally driven and controlled economic projects, such as the Gwadar deep sea port, that do not benefit locals but raise fears that the resulting influx of economic migrants could make the Baloch a minority in their homeland.

While Baloch alienation is widespread, crossing tribal, regional and class lines, the military government insists that a few sardars (tribal leaders) are challenging the centreâs writ, concerned that their power base would be eroded by Islamabadâs plans to develop Balochistan; the state therefore has little option but to meet the challenge head on. This failure to accept the legitimacy of grievances lies at the heart of an increasingly intractable conflict, as does Islamabadâs reliance on coercion and indiscriminate force to silence dissent.

The military government should recognise that it faces conflict not with a handful of sardars but with a broad-based movement for political, economic and social empowerment. The only one way out is to end all military action, release political prisoners and respect constitutionally guaranteed political freedoms.

As a preliminary confidence-building measure, Islamabad should implement recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee on Balochistan, which have local support. But a sustainable solution requires implementation, in spirit and substance, of constitutional provisions for political, administrative and economic autonomy. The federation would also be strengthened if the national parliament were to amend the constitution, to shift powers from an overbearing centre to the provinces. However, centralised rule is the hallmark of authoritarianism. Like its predecessors, this military government is averse to democratic engagement and powersharing, preferring to retain and consolidate power through patron-client relations and divide-and-rule strategies.

Reliance on the Pashtun religious parties to counter its Baloch opposition has strengthened Pashtun Islamist forces at the cost of the moderate Baloch. With their chief Pakistani patron, Fazlur Rehmanâs Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam running the Balochistan government in alliance with Musharrafâs Muslim League (Quaid-i-Azam), a reinvigorated Afghan and Pakistani Taliban are attacking international forces and the Kabul government across Balochistanâs border with Afghanistan.
But the international community, particularly the U.S. and its Western allies, seem to ignore the domestic and regional implications of the Balochistan conflict, instead placing their faith in a military government that is targeting the anti-Taliban Baloch and Pashtuns and rewarding pro-Taliban Pashtun parties.

With the federal government refusing to compromise with its Baloch opponents, intent on a military solution to a political problem and ignoring local stakeholders in framing political and economic policies, the directions of the conflict are clear. The military can retain control over Balochistanâs territory through sheer force, but it cannot defeat an insurgency that has local support.

Still, the conflict could be resolved easily. Free and fair elections in 2007 would restore participatory representative institutions, reducing tensions between the centre and the province, empowering moderate forces and marginalising extremists in Balochistan. In the absence of a democratic transition, however, the militancy is unlikely to subside. The longer the conflict continues, the higher the costs â political, social and economic for a fragile polity.

RECOMMENDATIONS :

To the Government of Pakistan :

1. End reliance on a military solution in Balochistan and quickly take the following steps to deescalate:

(a) cease military action, send the armed forces back to the barracks and restrict their role to guarding the provinceâs land and nautical borders;

(b) withdraw the Frontier Corps, replacing it with provincial security forces that are firmly under provincial control;

Â© dismantle all check posts manned by paramilitary and other federal security agencies; and

(d) halt construction of military bases (cantonments) and end plans to construct additional military or paramilitary facilities.

2. Respect democratic freedoms by :

(a) producing immediately all detainees before the courts and releasing political prisoners;

(b) ending the political role of intelligence agencies, military and civil, and barring them from detaining prisoners;

Â© withdrawing travel restrictions, internal and external, on Baloch opposition leaders and activists;

(d) ending intimidation, torture, arbitrary arrests, disappearances and extra-judicial killings;

(e) allowing all political parties to function freely, respecting the constitutionally guaranteed rights of speech and expression, assembly, association and movement; and

(f) respecting the constitutional obligation to preserve and promote distinct language and culture.

3. Entrust the Baloch with more responsibility for their own security by:

(a) accepting provincial jurisdiction over law and order and policing;

(b) retaining Balochistan Levies, re-establishing those that have been disbanded, reforming them into a professional force accountable to provincial authority and replacing them by the police only once police reform has been enacted countrywide;

Â© ensuring that locals are recruited to the police force and Levies in Balochistan; and

(d) meeting the quota for Baloch recruitment in the armed forces and federal security agencies.

4. Allow local and international media unhindered access to all districts in Balochistan, including the conflict zones.

5. Begin immediately a dialogue with all regional and national-level political parties on ways of solving the crisis and create a favorable environment for such a dialogue by:

(a) implementing at once recommendations of the Mushahid Hussain parliamentary subcommittee, particularly those that pertain to revised gas royalties, social sector expenditure by the federation as well as oil and gas companies, and jobs for Baloch in the federal government and its institutions;

(b) establishing and empowering the special task force proposed by the Mushahid Hussain subcommittee to monitor and implement these recommendations;

Â© revising the distribution criteria for National Finance Commission awards to account for backwardness, level of development, geographic size, and revenue levels of the provinces; and

(d) reviving the moribund Council of Common Interests, accepting parliamentary authority over the body, and accepting and implementing its decisions.

6. Ensure sustainable development with local ownership by:

(a) meeting Baloch concerns about Gwadar Port by placing the project under provincial government control; ending the practice of allocating coastal lands to security agencies; giving local fishermen unimpeded access to their fishing grounds; revising the âmaster planâ so locals are not dislocated; addressing pressing health and education needs, with an emphasis on new technical institutes and colleges; and implementing job quotas for locals at the port and related projects;

(b) ensuring in Sui and other oil and gas extraction projects that the well head value and natural gas rates are on par with other provinces; renegotiating natural gas rates and the royalty formula; encouraging oil and gas companies to hire and train Baloch workers and allocate funds for social development; and consulting with the province on privatisation of the oil and gas industry and other state-owned enterprises; and

Â© making the provincial government a party to all investment and development projects.

7. Refocus policies towards human development by:

(a) allocating an annual financial package for social sector development pursuant to district level recommendations;

(b) granting specific funds for hospitals, technical institutions, medical colleges and universities, as well as high schools in all districts; and

Â© developing irrigation schemes, including small dams, for rural Balochistan, on the recommendation of the provincial government.

To the National Assembly :

8. Enhance provincial autonomy and strengthen the federation by:

(a) eliminating the Concurrent Legislative List and devolving all its subjects to the provinces;

(b) constituting a bipartisan parliamentary committee to recommend, within a fixed timeframe, the transfer of subjects from the Federal Legislative List to the provinces, beginning with subjects in Part II of the list;

Â© enacting legislation to regulate and monitor land allotment, sales and transfers in Gwadar; and

(d) constituting a parliamentary committee, with an equal number of members from the ruling and opposition benches, to examine cases of abuse of power by security agencies.

To the Supreme Court :

9. Form a high-level judicial commission to enquire into the 26 August 2006 killing of Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti.

To the International Community :

10. Urge the Pakistan government to immediately end military action in Balochistan.

11. Press the Pakistan government to end all practices that violate international human rights standards, including torture, arbitrary arrests, detentions, and extra-judicial killings.

[right]Islamabad/Brussels, 14 September 2006[/right]

For Full Report :

WORD DOCUMENT

P D F DOCUMENT

Cheers <img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cheers.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='cheers.gif' />

Naresh · (This post was last modified: 10-13-2006, 08:45 PM by Naresh.)

[center]This is a Mountain â not a heap â Load of Male Bovine Faecal Droppings. The coup attempt was made, noticed and the Coup Leaders arrested before Mush the Tush left Pakistan on his Book Promotion Tour[/center]

South Asia
Oct 14, 2006

[center]Pakistan foils coup plot[/center]

KARACHI â A plot to stage a coup against Pakistan's President General Pervez Musharraf soon after his recent return from the US has been uncovered, resulting in the arrest of more than 40 people.

Most of those arrested are middle-ranking Pakistani Air Force officers, while civilian arrests include a son of a serving brigadier in the army. All of those arrested are Islamists, contacts in Rawalpindi, where the military is based, divulged to Asia Times Online.

The conspiracy was discovered through the naivety of an air force officer who this month used a cell phone to activate a high-tech rocket aimed at the president's residence in Rawalpindi. The rocket was recovered, and its activating mechanism revealed the officer's telephone number. His arrest led to the other arrests.

Other rockets were then recovered from various high security zones, including the headquarters of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in Islamabad.

According to Asia Times Online sources, more arrests can be expected, both military and civilian.

Several assassination attempts have been made on Musharraf since he took power in a bloodless coup in 1999, and in all attempts there was a connection with the armed forces, especially the air force. However, this time it appears that beyond the attack on the president, a coup against his administration was also planned.

This plot takes place amid major developments. While in the US, Musharraf, in a meeting with President George W Bush, once again pledged his commitment to the US-led "war on terror". He drew world attention to his belief that the real threat were the Taliban in Afghanistan, and not al-Qaeda. He subsequently agreed to terms with Washington for a massive joint operation against the Taliban.

Still in the US, Musharraf also claimed that former ISI officials were supporting the Taliban and he sent instructions to the director general of the ISI to check on top officials, including retired Lieutenant General Hamid Gul and retired Colonel Ameer Sultan (known as Colonel Imam). Gul is a former director general of the ISI and Ameer is considered as the founding father of the Taliban movement. He was Pakistan's consul-general in Herat in western Afghanistan when the Taliban emerged in the mid-1990s.

Musharraf also instructed that a list be compiled of all retired officers who had been involved in any significant intelligence operations and who were suspected of still being sympathetic towards the Taliban.

At the same time, he began to backtrack from an agreement Islamabad had made with the Pakistani Taliban in the Waziristan tribal areas for the release of al-Qaeda-linked people detained in Pakistan. Instead, more were arrested, including Shah Mehboob, a brother of former jihad veteran and member of parliament, Shah Abdul Aziz. Also arrested was a British-born suspected member of al-Qaeda, known as Abdullah.

"This is just one glimpse of upcoming events as a result of Musharraf's pro-American policies, which are in contrast to the thinking pattern of Pakistan's state institutions," said retired squadron leader Khalid Khawaja, a former ISI official who went to Afghanistan after his forced retirement and fought alongside Osama bin Laden against Soviet Russia in the 1980s. (Khawaja features on Musharraf's list mentioned above.)

"Musharraf always blamed the madrassas [Islamic seminaries] for extremism, but all plots against him or his government go back to the armed forces. But he still does not realize why this happens," Khawaja maintained.

"He says retired ISI officials are involved in supporting the Taliban. I say there is no difference between retired and serving ones. All of them have the same approach, mindset and conviction. The retired ones act freely, while the serving ones have some job constraints, but both think in the same way. The present move of a coup against Musharraf is the writing on the wall that if he continues with pro-American policies, he will continue to face problems like that," Khawaja said.

"These governments, whether it is Indian or Pakistani, compel their forces to work for their strategic requirements, and when a particular operation is over, they talk about peace and wash their hands of everything they have done in the past. For instance, the Kargil operation [the Pakistani incursion into Indian-administered Kashmir in 1999]. Pakistan initially called it an action by the 'mujahideen'. Six months later, they started awarding medals to their army officers for their performance in Kargil. What does it prove? It proves that governments are personally involved in everything, whether it is the Kargil operation or the Kashmiri resistance, and then they blame the mujahideen or whatever."

Khawaja said that whatever officials did during their service in the ISI, it was on state instructions, and if the state tried to punish these same officials, the result would be the type of events that are happening now.

It is all too apparent that Pakistan's head and tail are moving in opposite directions: while Musharraf is fully behind the "war on terror", the strategic institutions are reluctant to follow Islamabad's instructions.

This is not something new, but over the years Musharraf and hardliners within the army have been able to live with one another. Had a hardline ruler been in Musharraf's place, Western countries would have tightened the noose around Pakistan and its security institutions would not have been able to manipulate their support of the Taliban. Because of Musharraf, Western countries are not prepared to be tough on Pakistan, which allows the hardliners to continue their activities.

Musharraf is acutely aware of the undercurrents in the army, which historically draws its inspiration from Islam, and more recently from the attacks on the US of September 11, 2001, when anti-US sentiment also took root. Musharraf exploited this by convincing the West of his usefulness in keeping the army - "full of extremism" - under control, something that a democratically elected government could not do, he argued

This cozy arrangement, or uneasy truce, between Musharraf and hardline Islamists in the ranks is breaking down as the US is demanding that Musharraf do something about the resurgent Taliban. He has responded, as outlined above, by cracking down on Taliban supporters and sympathizers. These people, both in uniform and out, have in turn given their reponse: they are not prepared to throw away all the gains that have been made in Afghanistan.

Syed Saleem Shahzad is Asia Times Online's Pakistan Bureau Chief. He can be reached at saleem_shahzad2002@yahoo.com

Mush has unravelled this plot now so that he can beg for more money from Bush and other Western Nations.

Cheers:beer

10-13-2006, 09:35 PM

QUOTEPakistan foils coup plot
This is Musy's way to tell world, please don't replace me otherwise Islamist will takeover Pakistan. Sorry for Mushy, this news was not even blip on TV screen.
I think his meeting with Bush had not gone well.

Naresh · 10-13-2006, 11:47 PM

First quarter trade deficit reaches USD3.16 Billion

QUOTEISLAMABAD : Pakistan has suffered a $3.16 billion trade deficit in the first quarter (July-September) of the current fiscal year, which is 31.7 percent more than last yearâs deficit of $2.4 billion for the same period.

Cheers <img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cheers.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='cheers.gif' />

10-14-2006, 01:02 AM

This is from two week back news item
QUOTEPakistan sustains US $27.43 Billion loss in two years
LAHORE â Pakistan has sustained a huge loss of 27.43 billion dollars in last two financial years in the shape of trade deficit and fiscal deficit. Details obtained by The Nation showed that this financial loss stands at 1645.80 billion in local currency during financial years 2004-05 and 2005-06, when calculated at dollar-rupee exchange rate of 60 rupees


as of today, coversion rate of one Indian Rupee = 1.3340 paki rupee.
1 US dollar 60.615

Why it is still stronger as compare to Indian rupee, it used to be 1.36 paki rupee when one dollar was 57.4 Pkai rupee?

Something is funny going on here.

Naresh · 10-14-2006, 03:51 AM

Partners in misgoverning

QUOTEAll is not well in the State of Pakistan. Pakistan is sick. The antagonism of the people against the state and among themselves is steadily increasing. The provinces want autonomy; the people want protection of their human rights. Poverty, ignorance, disease, lack of nutrition, oppressive social order depriving the weak and the poor of the equality of opportunity, decent quality of life and honour and dignity remains their lot. They stand marginalised as never before.

The coercive power of the state is weakening with time. The business of the state is getting out of its hands. It constantly requires more and more injections of armed bands of police and military and the personnel of secret services to govern.

Cheers <img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cheers.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='cheers.gif' />

Naresh · 10-14-2006, 03:59 AM

Sherpao denies coup attempt against Musharraf

ISLAMABAD â Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao Friday contradicted a report claiming that a coup attempt was made against President General Pervez Musharraf immediately after his return from visit to the United States.

Sherpao was commenting on a report of Asia Times Online, which claimed that over 40 arrests had been made after the coup was foiled.

âIt is totally baseless (report); the Musharraf government is very strong and faces no threat,â the interior minister told TheNation.

âWhy there should be a coup, the baseless report is someoneâs personal imagination,â he added.
Asia Times, an online magazine, had claimed in its report that some 40 Islamists were arrested by security agencies after the coup against President Musharraf was foiled.

âMost of those arrested are middle-ranking Pakistani Air Force officers, while the civilians arrested include a son of a serving army brigadier,â the report had claimed.

It further stated that the foiled plan was discovered through the naivety of an air force officer who this month used a cell phone to activate a high-tech rocket aimed at the Presidentâs residence in Rawalpindi.

According to Asia Times Online sources, more arrests can be expected, both military and civilian.

Monitoring Desk adds: Asia Times Online in a report posted on its website has claimed that a plot to stage a coup against President Musharraf soon after his recent return from the US has been uncovered, resulting in the arrest of more than 40 people.

Most of those arrested are middle-ranking Pakistani Air Force officers, while civilian arrests include a son of a serving brigadier in the army. All of those arrested are Islamists, contacts in Rawalpindi, where the military is based, divulged to the online newspaper
.
The conspiracy was discovered through the naivety of an air force officer who this month used a cell phone to activate a high-tech rocket aimed at the presidentâs residence in Rawalpindi. The rocket was recovered, and its activating mechanism revealed the officerâs telephone number. His arrest led to the other arrests.

Still in the US, Musharraf also claimed that former ISI officials were supporting the Taliban and he sent instructions to the director general of the ISI to check on top officials, including retired Lieutenant General Hamid Gul and retired Colonel Ameer Sultan (known as Colonel Imam). Gul is a former director general of the ISI and Ameer is considered as the founding father of the Taliban movement. He was Pakistanâs consul-general in Herat in western Afghanistan when the Taliban emerged in the mid-1990s. Musharraf also instructed that a list be compiled of all retired officers who had been involved in any significant intelligence operations and who were suspected of still being sympathetic towards the Taliban.

As I see it all the Forty (or more) Conspirators have been Eliminated-Erased i.e. Sent to receive the rewards of 72 Virgins and 36 Boys!

Cheers <img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cheers.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='cheers.gif' />

10-14-2006, 07:14 AM

QUOTEAs I see it all the Forty (or more) Conspirators have been Eliminated-Erased i.e. Sent to receive the rewards of 72 Virgins and 36 Boys!

Do you really think coup is correct?

Naresh · 10-14-2006, 02:46 PM

QUOTE(Mudy @ Oct 14 2006, 07:14 AM)Do you really think coup is correct?
[right][snapback]59073[/snapback][/right]

Mudy Ji :

Despite the denial Mush has to prove to Bush that Mushâs Tush is on Fire!

As such the Top Echelons of the CIA â US Government will be provided evidence with the Forty or More Bodies.

Sherpao denies coup attempt against Musharraf

The denial is for â possibly â local consumption as the Killings of the Conspirators might have the Pakistanis create more trouble for Mush the Tush's so-called Anti-Islamic Terrorism Support being give to the USA and its Coalition.

Cheers <img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cheers.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='cheers.gif' />

Naresh · 10-15-2006, 04:53 AM

[center]Two wars we lost[/center]

Dr. Ijaz Ahson in The Nation of October 06 has given us the final word on the 1965 war and Kargil. "In 1965, Pakistan attacked the lifeline of Kashmir at Chhamb-Jaurian. When India attacked us, we were so short of troops (& ammo) so we forgot about Kashmir and saved Lahore and Sialkot with great difficulty.

In Kargil, we repeated a similar blunder. This time we occupied the lifeline of the northern Indian army in Kashmir. When the Indians threatened an all-out war, we asked the US to intervene". I wonder what do they teach in our defence institutions; tactics that are not backed by any strategy? Why do we make the same mistake a second time?.-KHURSHID ANWER, Lahore Cantt., via e-mail, October 9.

Cheers <img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cheers.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='cheers.gif' />

Naresh · 10-15-2006, 05:25 AM

[center]Pakistan may be facing political instability[/center]

WASHINGTON : Opposition parties may try to take advantage of the prevailing feeling of unrest about the present government, which could create political instability in Pakistan, an American news intelligence and analysis portal warned this weekend.

In a commentary on Pakistan, the Texas-based news and analysis service, Stratfor, took note of the arrest of eight militants with ties to Al Qaeda who were allegedly involved in attempted rocket attacks in the Rawalpindi-Islamabad area. The analysis pointed out that the incident had come âamid growing talk of discontent within the military with President Gen Pervez Musharraf, and amid criticism from senior military intelligence officials - signalling that Musharrafâs support within the military could be waning.â It added that although Gen Musharraf is not faced with the prospect of losing power âany time soonâ, opposition parties would try to take advantage of this situation.

Stratfor also quoted from a report in Asia Times, Hong Kong, from its Pakistan correspondent alleging that a coup plot against President Musharraf had been uncovered soon after his return from the United States. According to him, more than 40 people had been arrested, most of them mid-ranking air force officers. The conspirators were uncovered when an air force officer used a cell phone to activate a rocket aimed at the presidentâs residence in Rawalpindi. The rocket was recovered, and its activating mechanism, also a cell phone, revealed the officerâs phone number. The correspondent in question has been known in the past for his âcolourfulâ reporting.

According to Stratfor, although a coup attempt is unlikely, it is possible that some PAF personnel may have been arrested, including junior officers. The rockets found could have been more of a than anything else. Even so, these developments indicate that Gen Musharraf might be slowly losing support from his core constituency in the military establishment, the analysis ventured. Gen Musharrafâs recent statements âshow he is under a lot of strainâ. He told a gathering with journalists that if moderates do not prevail over extremists in the upcoming elections, Pakistan as envisioned by the Quaid-i-Azam would be no more. The Stratfor analysis referred to two former ISI chiefs who had made critical remarks about the presidentâs performance. Stratfor noted that former Al Qaeda military commander Abu Zubaydah had told interrogators that one of his high-ranking contacts was the late PAF chief Air Chief Marshal Mushaf Ali Mir. âStratfor also has learned that many former mid-level ISI officials with the rank of major and colonel have familial ties with Islamist militants who are veterans of the 1979-89 war against the Soviet army in Afghanistan ... Clearly, the pressure is rising on Musharraf regarding the ISI controversy, but most significant is that he is being criticised from within. This is something his civilian political opponents will be looking to exploit. Should this situation lead to political unrest, his fellow generals may not be very keen to continue supporting him,â Stratfor speculated.

Cheers <img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cheers.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='cheers.gif' />

Naresh · 10-15-2006, 02:49 PM

[center]Saudi Arabia to be offered Gwadar as energy corridor[/center]

ISLAMABAD (October 15 2006) : Pakistan, during meetings between the two countries next month, will offer to Saudi Arabia the use of the Gwadar deep-sea port as energy corridor, official sources told Business Recorder here on Saturday.

They said that the first phase of the deep-sea port has almost been completed, at a cost of Rs 15 billion, and it would become operational in about two months' time.

They said that with the functioning of Gwadar port, Pakistan would become a hub of trade in the Gulf region and would serve as an energy corridor for Central Asia, Middle East, South Asia and western parts of China.

Gwadar is located at the entrance of Persian Gulf, from where 40 percent oil containers pass. "Negotiations with various private parties are underway for handing over operational rights of the port," sources said. Besides, the geo-strategic importance, some of the evident economic benefits of the development of Gwadar port are as follows :

To grab trade opportunities with landlocked Central Asian States and Afghanistan. Promote trade and transport with Gulf States. Trans-shipment essentially of containerised cargo. Unlock the development potential of hinterland. Diversion of influx of human resources from upcountry to Gwadar instead of Karachi. Socio-economic uplift of the province of Balochistan. Establishment of shipping related industries. Oil storage, refinery and petrochemicals. Export Processing and Industrial Zones. Reduce congestion & dependency on existing Ports Complex at Karachi/PQA. Serve as an alternative port to handle Pakistan's trade in case of blockade of existing ports. Will become a regional hub of major trade and commercial activities.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2006

This is fantastic news as Saudi Arabian Oil and Gas can be transported to Energy Starved <!--emo& Confused

tupid--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/pakee.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='pakee.gif' /> Central Asian Republics as well as Chinaâs Western Province of Xinjiang.

Cheers <img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cheers.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='cheers.gif' />

10-16-2006, 12:15 PM

First Chuckter and now Drugter - what would be a good name ? Chrugter ? Any other suggestions ?

http://cricket.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2173093.cms

QUOTEAkhtar, Asif test positive for doping: Reports

ISLAMABAD, Oct 16: The Pakistan Cricket Board is reportedly considering calling back their two fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif from the ICC Champions Trophy, after they allegedly tested positive for a banned drug, Pakistan Daily 'The Nation' reported on Monday.

Akhtar and Asif have reportedly tested positive in a test conducted by the PCB before the tournament.

However, there is no confirmation from the team management in Jaipur where the side is slated to play their opening match of the tournament against Sri Lanka on Tuesday.

Sunder · (This post was last modified: 10-16-2006, 12:22 PM by Sunder.)

Musharraf Grilled at Convention Center

Some really good points raised by the student.

CNN interview with Pervez Musharraf <img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/liar.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='liar.gif' /> <img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/liar.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='liar.gif' />

Naresh · 10-16-2006, 03:24 PM

[center]Al-Qaeda scare jolts Pakistan into action[/center]

KARACHI â The level of tolerance between the government of President General Pervez Musharraf and Islamists elements, whether they are part of the establishment or outside it, has reached a point of no return, a development with vast implications for the US-led "war on terror".

Islamist elements are determined to push until one side breaks, while Musharraf, a key US ally in the "war on terror" and under intense pressure from Washington, has to take rapid steps to contain the rise of militancy in the region, which has Pakistan as its nucleus.

The recent discovery of a planned al-Qaeda-backed coup against Musharraf's regime, which included men in uniform associated with sensitive strategic institutions, underlines Musharraf's difficulties.

According to information obtained by Asia Times Online, the coup plot was hatched in the Waziristan tribal area headquarters of al-Qaeda. The conspiracy was uncovered after a mobile phone used to activate a rocket aimed at the president's residence was traced to an air force officer. More than 40 people, both inside and outside the military, were subsequently arrested.

The most alarming issue for the Pakistani establishment was not only the involvement of air force officers, but the apparent deep penetration of al-Qaeda into highly sensitive areas.

Those arrested in the conspiracy plot include air force engineers associated with the Air Weapon Complex (AWC) of Pakistan, a leading organization in the field of air-delivered weapons and systems. Its personnel are subjected to vigorous and intrusive background checks.

The personnel arrested were employed in the high-profile research and development section of the AWC. The linkage of such security-cleared people with al-Qaeda, who, according to Asia Times Online's information, were to carry out the attacks on signals received from Waziristan, sheds light on the vulnerable security situation in Pakistan. At the same time, it shows the depth of feeling in segments of society who reject Pakistan's role in the "war on terror".

Pakistani security officials have confirmed that the rocket plot to assassinate Musharraf was an al-Qaeda-linked conspiracy. At a press conference, Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao announced that eight al-Qaeda militants had been arrested.

Significantly, however, the establishment has not admitted publicly that any military officers were involved in the conspiracy, as they were in at least two previous attempts on Musharraf's life since he seized power in 1999.

When quoted an Asia Times Online article saying that air force officers were involved (Pakistan foils coup plot Oct 14), Sherpao dismissed it. But later, he did concede that those arrested included some air force officers, yet he rejected the idea of a coup.

This attitude reflects the state of denial of Pakistan's leaders, who will not admit that renegade Islamist elements have infiltrated the armed forces, so much so that they have even entered institutions like the AWC's research and development section.

Musharraf's main constituency is the Pakistani armed forces. Whether officer or soldier, the majority hail from Punjab province's rural areas or the Pashtun tribal belt, and belong to the traditionally martial races of the region. Because of their traditional background they are often over-zealous in their religious beliefs and practices.

World events after September 11, 2001, especially the overthrow of the Taliban in Afghanistan, have further radicalized this already strong religious passions among soldiers and officers. Musharraf's abandonment of the Taliban and attempts to purge society of radical religious ideas have heaped fuel on this fire.

Inevitably, then, as Musharraf pursued his plans to abandon all traces of sharia law and contain militancy in the country, he faced a serious backlash. He was therefore forced to adopt a policy of "two steps forward and one step back". Nevertheless, the pace of events in the past few months has taken Pakistan to a point where it has to play a decisive role, and of course Musharraf is in charge of this mission that requires quick and uncompromising steps.

The main task - as reinforced by Washington - is to destroy the command and control centers in Pakistan of the Taliban-led Afghan resistance. Word has filtered out that Islamabad will launch a major action in the next few days in the northwest and southwest (Balochistan).

Any northwest operation could involve the sensitive and semi-independent North and South Waziristan tribal areas on the border with Afghanistan. The Pakistani Taliban have a strong footprint here and recently negotiated an agreement with Islamabad which included the army pulling its troops out of the area. This accord could now be in jeopardy.

"I do not know whether it was a coup attempt or not, but certainly we would support any coup for the cause of Islamic sharia," retired squadron leader Khalid Khawaja, a former Inter Services Intelligence official and once a close friend of Osama bin Laden, told Asia Times Online. "Nevertheless, if the coup is without any cause and is just a grab for power, we would oppose it," Khawaja said.

At the core of the struggle in Pakistan is this contradiction between many in the strategic institutions, dominated by hardliners, and *Musharraf, who is a genuine liberal-minded person by comparison and fully committed to the "war on terror".<img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/liar.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='liar.gif' />

While these opposing forces have coexisted in the past, Afghanistan has proved a decisive trigger as the Taliban have gone from strength to strength, in large part because of their support bases in Pakistan. With just weeks before snow sends the Taliban's offensive into hibernation, Musharraf needs - and wants - to act very soon. His opponents are in no mood to back down.

Syed Saleem Shahzad is Asia Times Online's Pakistan Bureau Chief. He can be reached at saleem_shahzad2002@yahoo.com

* : This proves that there was indeed a "Coup" Attempt, which has been Nipped in the Bud. However Shahzad Ji has been made â by the ISI under Mushâs Orders - to highlight the commitment of Mush being a liberal-minded person and a supporter of the "War on Terror. Of course at heart Mush is neither of the two!

Cheers <img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cheers.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='cheers.gif' />

10-16-2006, 08:21 PM

Now the Question is 'WHEN' real thing will happen.
<!--emo& Big Grin

--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' />

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