Pakistan News And Discussion-10

[Guest]

<b>The Pakistan Taliban</b>

[Bharatvarsh]

Results of parents who act as pimps:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Indo-Pak romance blooms on Valentine's Day

Press Trust of India
Posted online: Wednesday, February 14, 2007 at 1959 hours IST
Updated: Wednesday, February 14, 2007 at 2001 hours IST

New Delhi, February 14: On Valentine's Day, this couple stood out for the sheer grit it has shown to overcome all odds, including the Indo-Pak divide, to come together on the day the Cupid rules.

They had made a history of sorts by getting married on-line in June, 2006, which was the first Internet marriage in both India and Pakistan.

And after a long wait, Asha Patil, a Mumbai-based businesswoman and Mumtaz Khalid of Lahore, finally came face-to-face here on the eve of Valentine's Day.

"I feel so happy and relieved. It is a dream come true for me. As he held my hand and hugged me, all the tension that I had been going through earlier just evaporated," said the 25-year-old Asha.

Dressed in a brown, embroidered suit given to her by Khalid as a Valentine's Day gift, she looked fondly at her beau as she spoke about their first meeting.

"When I was told that he had arrived, I just got into the car and I was so nervous that I did not have the guts to look in his direction. But then he got into the car and hugged and said, 'I love you' and I felt as if I had always known him', she said.

Khalid said he had not been able to sleep for the last 15 days.

"But now I am happy I came to India. And although we had not planned it, but it is great to have met on the eve of Valentine's Day," said the 29-year-old forex agent.

http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=81408<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Results of parents who act as pimps:<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Bharatvarsh,
Can you clarify? I read the whole article, but I found nothing about the parents.

[SSridhar]

IMHO, the Neutral Expert's decision is an unmitigated disaster for TSP cuckooland. TSP's bluffs have been called. TSP has this uncanny knack of inviting trouble for itself through bravado and that has been repeated in Baglihar as well. The verdict has profound implications, which has been lost on Pakistan.

[Bharatvarsh]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Bharatvarsh,
Can you clarify? I read the whole article, but I found nothing about the parents. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
vishwasji the parents may not specifically be mentioned in the article but I believe if the kids end up doing such things then half the blame lies with the parents who have an important role to play in teaching about our heritage and dharma, more often than not in most of these cases the family is a dysfunctional one with the parents using excuses like "freedom, free choice ...." to pimp off their daughter, they often have no clue about what their son/daughter are doing, such parents in my book don't count as parents but as pimps.

Take this case, first off the girl showed no hesitation to identify herself with her real name and age in the paper meaning that her parents most probably know about it already and they probably don't even care.

[Naresh]

<!--QuoteBegin-SSridhar+Feb 15 2007, 11:36 AM-->QUOTE(SSridhar @ Feb 15 2007, 11:36 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->IMHO, the Neutral Expert's decision is an unmitigated disaster for TSP cuckooland. TSP's bluffs have been called. TSP has this uncanny knack of inviting trouble for itself through bravado and that has been repeated in Baglihar as well. The verdict has profound implications, which has been lost on Pakistan.
[right][snapback]64454[/snapback][/right]<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

<b>SSridhar Ji :</b>

Many thanks your above statement.

What are the chances of the Neutral Expert deeming Pakistan's latest take from the following Article <b>Baglihar: Pak may go to Court of Arbitration :</b>

<b>Jatoi has said "we will not ask the neutral expert again to review its decision on spillways, but under the treaty, the Court of Arbitration is the next forum wherein the case would be listened and decided".</b>

TIA

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

[Guest]

<b>Gunmen kill local Shiite Muslim leader in northwestern Pakistan</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->No one immediately claimed responsibility for the slaying of Jawad Hussain, 45, in Dera Ismail Khan, a main town in the North West Frontier Province. Aslam Khattak, an area police chief, said they had transported Hussain's body to a hospital, and officers were still investigating.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>SUCH GUP </b>
  FY
<b>Love letters</b>
Mr L K Advani has written a most complimentary letter to the real PM, lauding him for his statesmanly decision to restore the ancient Hindu Shahiya temples of Katas Raj in Kalar Kahar. Much of the initiative on this was taken by Chory Shuj of Guj when he was prime minister for the briefest time a couple of years ago, and this has also been acknowledged by Mr Advani in a letter to the Chory. The restoration is a step in the right direction because the temples are ancient monuments dating from the era before the advent of Islam in the subcontinent, and are as much part of our history as anything that has followed the Hindu Shahiya period. This initiative has also given Pakistani archaeologists an opportunity to go and learn the craft in India, under the tutelage of more experienced colleagues in the discipline. Groups of ourarchaeologists have been working with the Archaeological Survey of India to map out a suitable conservation planfor the Katas Raj temples which has been implemented. With all these love letters flying thick and fast between Indo-Pak, the opposition too is said to be caught up in the spirit of it all. We hear Big Ben has a close and warm relationship with Mr Advani whom she calls her “favourite Sindhi” in India.
+++++


<b>Nuggets from the Urdu press</b>
<b>Audio cassettes can make Taliban invisible</b>
As reported in daily Express, after the missile attack by the Pakistan Army on the Taliban hideout in Zamozola, the town was visited by journalists on the invitation of local Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud. According to a BBC journalist, a four wheeler full of young men with flowing beards asked them to wait and then left. They came back and took them to a place where the Taliban were roaming freely. Their jeeps have blue or red emergency lights on top of the roof, with black windows and jihadi couplets on the back. Coming back from the Taliban area the driver inserted an audio cassette in the cassette player and told the journalist that it would make their jeep invisible from American spy planes roaming in the skies.

<b>Arousing sons of Islam</b>
Sarerahe wrote in daily Nawa-i-Waqt that a moving and faith-enhancing picture was published in newspapers that showed a veiled woman brandishing a danda (stick) guarding the madrassa of Lal Masjid in Islamabad. Enlightenment is not only limited to leftists and liberals; extremists can also become enlightened. The danda wielding burqa clad women have become a new symbol of resistance that enlightened lovers shall learn lessons from. It is with time that daughters of Islam (dukhtaran-e-islam) shall arouse the honour of sons of Islam (farzandan-e-Islam).

<b>Aishwarya Rai is a stain on the Bachans</b>
According to daily Express, the Pakistani film actress Meera said that Aishwarya Rai is a spot of dishonour on the Bachan family that can’t be cleaned, even with Ganga water. Innocent and simple Abhishek Bachan has been trapped by a scheming woman who wants to be the daughter-in-law of the Bachan family. Aishwarya has had illicit relations with Arab sheikhs and was also involved with Salman Khan and Vivek Oberoi. She said that the cunning and greedy Aishwarya just wants to grab the assets of the Bachan family.  <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->

<b>Tribesmen on course for destruction</b>
According to daily Jang, the governor of NWFP, <b>Ali Mohammad Jan Orakzai, accepted goats and lambs in a traditional tribal custom, ‘nanwatay,’ from the Ahmadzai tribe and forgave the Rs 50 lac fine for the rocket attack on him during his visit to Wana</b>. The governor, while addressing a jirga in Wana, had been attacked by two rockets fired by unknown assailants. He said tribesmen shall choose a right direction and if they didn’t change their thinking, they can take the course of destruction. .

<b>British injured cultural heritage</b>
Columnist Maqbool Auria Jan wrote in daily Express that when Prince Charles and Cherie Blair came to Pakistan, I showed them all the injuries their forefathers inflicted on the Lahore Fort. The British opened a hospital in the Diwan-i-Am and stored alcohol in the summer palace which is under the Sheesh Mahal. They tried to ridicule every aspect of our cultural heritage. <b>Mughal princes were made to dress like waiters and attendants. In the 1911 census, India had a 97 percent literacy rate. The British changed the informal education to formal education resulting in a 15-20 percent fall in literacy rate when they left India. The British have left a generation that can’t stand the smell of their cultural clothes, consider the local music as backward and nauseate at the thought of indigenous life.</b>

<b>Elections useless without ISI decision</b>
As reported in daily Pakistan, Air Marshal Azghar Khan (Retd) stated that the nation has been tricked for the last 50 years and political parties are making fools out of people. He said that the intelligence agencies are lobbying via the political parties. Unless the higher court decides the case of ISI, when it formed Islami Jamhori Ittehad and distributed funds there is no use of fresh elections.

<b>Taliban to form curriculum committee</b>
As reported in daily Pakistan, the Taliban has vowed to form their own education syllabus to stop the onslaught of the West in the areas controlled by them. They said that occupation forces are trying to change the thinking and religious identity of the people. Initially, the boys schools will be formed. followed by girls schools. The assistant of Mullah Omar Abdul Hai Mutmayin stated that one million dollars have been allocated for the project. He said we will revive the syllabus formed by the Afghan Mujahideen during the occupation of Russians. The new syllabus will counter the allegation that Taliban are against education.

<b>Hinduism has solutions to problems of Muslims</b>
As reported in daily Khabrain, Bal Thakery, the leader of Hindu extremist organization Shev Sena, said Hinduism has all the solutions to problems faced by Islam. The statement appeared in a party paper, Samna. in its Marathi edition. The assistant president of Qaumi Majlis-e-Shoora of India, Maulana Shoaib Koti has condemned this statement of Bal Thakery and asked the interior minister RR Patel to take action against Bal Thakery according to the Indian constitution. In the Hindi edition of the same magazine, Dr Anil Mishra has written blasphemous comments about Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), his companion Hazrat Zaid and ummat ul momineen (wives of the prophet Mohammad (pbuh)).
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Naresh]

<b>SSridhar Ji :</b>

What do you think about India relegating the IWT to the dust bin?

[center]<b><span style='font-size:21pt;line-height:100%'>Dam disputes</span></b>[/center]

Sir: In response to your editorial regarding the water dispute with India (‘Baglihar Dam and our “lower riparian alarmism”’ February 14, Daily Times), I would like to say that Pakistan has reason to fear on three counts. Keeping the example of Bangladesh (and Brahmaputra), and the three eastern rivers of Punjab in mind, one can easily imagine what the Indian perspective is on sharing water with the ‘lower riparians’. One, dam height and lake size will make a big difference in low flow years when water in the river will be less than the normal. Given the shift in climate, disruption in our water supply is a clear and present danger. A high dam will require more time to fill, therefore India can stop or drastically reduce water flowing downstream on this pretext. The increase in reservoir routing time due to low input is unfortunately governed by laws of physics and has nothing to do with politics. We should have anticipated this while signing the Indus Water Treaty, but forethoughtis not the way we do things in Pakistan.

Second, India’s growing energy demand, burgeoning population and its approach to developing water resources are also causes of concern. India may not be entitled to use main rivers but nothing can stop it from altering the watersheds or tributaries. <b><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Above all, the treaty is by no means binding upon India, which being the stronger party can relegate it to the dustbin at any time.</span></b> <!--emo&:flush--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Flush.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='Flush.gif' /><!--endemo-->

President Musharraf has taken unprecedented and bold steps in pushing peace with India, but only to be met with the same old rhetoric of atot ang and terrorism. India at best has given a cold shoulder to our peace overtures and at worst has tried to settle old the scores through Afghanistan. <b>Pakistan certainly needs to develop a coherent strategy on this issue, as with growing power and influence India is less likely to be coerced to do so.
AAMIR ILYAS
Sweden</b>

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

[Naresh]

<b>Short Circuit in Air Vacuum kills 13 inside Pakistan courtroom</b>

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

[SSridhar]

Naresh ji,
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->SSridhar Ji :

What do you think about India relegating the IWT to the dust bin?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Let's watch the same space for possibly tomorrow ? <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->

[SSridhar]

Naresh ji,
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->What are the chances of the Neutral Expert deeming Pakistan's latest take from the following Article Baglihar: Pak may go to Court of Arbitration :<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

First of all, my apologies for a rather lengthy append.

TSP has this predeliction to now and then drop names like ICA (International Court of Arbitration) or ICJ etc. All such TSP endeavours earlier have been truly disastrous for them and yet they refuse to learn the lesson. The case of Atlantique comes troublingly to memory. But, who are we, mere short, dark rice-eating small penised <i>Kaffirs</i>, before the mighty warrior, meat eating, peach-bottomed, small & tight orificed and long penised Believers from the Land of the Pure ? So, Allahspeed to them.

However, let us, the evil Hunud Kafirs contemplate a few things.

It was TSP that took the Baglihar matter to the WB and asked for the services of a Neutral Expert even as India agreed to a reduction in freeboard (coincidentally by the same amount that the NE finally awarded), offered a raising of the cill of the power intakes after listening to TSP's arguments, and pleaded for another week of discussion to consider other issues and generally give one last chance for discussions to succeed. All these happened in the last few rounds of the IWC meetings in 2005. Yet, TSP summarily rejected all these concessions,madein good faith and with the sole intent of amicably resolving the bilateral issue thorugh talks, as falling short of TSP's objections. Possibly, TSP felt that the <i>Kafirs</i> were cowards and in a true Ayub-like fashion, a few well-directed blows in the form of WB, NE and arbitration would knock them down. TSP demanded that India stopped all activities forthwith, dismantled the low-level sluice gates and reduced the pondage size to one sixth.

Now, IWT allows for two levels of contention between the two states in the interpretation of the IWT. One, a "difference" and the other, a "dispute". While a "difference" should be settled by a NE, the "dispute" needs a Court of Arbitration. The IWC has in its Annexure stated which are the "likely differences" that a NE can resolve. All of the TSP objections for Baglihar clearly fall under that NE category. In any case, the TSP Commissioner of the IWC determined that the Baglihar issue was a "difference" and demanded the WB to set up the resolution mechanism under a NE. It was, therefore, TSP who dragged a reluctant India to the WB and the NE in spite of visible progress being made in the rounds of IWC discussions. The terms of reference to the NE were set by TSP. The NE also felt, after due diligence, that the contention constituted only a "difference" and he was competent enough to settle it, which he then promptly proceded to do with great alacrity. Unfortunately for the TSPians, Allah and his Messenger (PBUH) were once again cruel to them, as they always have been, and the NE determined that the Indian design, methodology, approach and calculations were right on target barring a few minor changes. These were the same calculations that had earlier been presented to the TSP IWC by the <i>kafirs</i> at the Hydrology Institute, Roorkee along with a working model to explain the Indian design decisions. Unsurprisingly, all those were termed as "too complex" by the other side, which was natural considering their lack of general awareness of anything other than <i>djinn</i> power and its ways of working, and hence rejected !!

The acceptance by the NE of the rights of India to build such run-of-river hydroelectric projects, installation of low-level silt-control sluice gates and the size of the pondage were death-knell to the Believers. Now, they have to put up a brave face in front of the <i>Ummah</i> and therefore, ICA or similar bravado comes naturally handy.

There is a healthy competition between Fali Nariman and Soli Sorabjee on driving nails into the TSP coffin, and it will probably be the turn of the latter the next time around. Soli, that way, would be twice lucky (blessed, perhaps ?) if that happens, having tasted the Atlantique blood quite sometime back.

But, there would possibly be very little chance of that happening. There is no provision within IWT to refer the same issue first as a difference and after its comprehensive settlement by a NE, as a dispute. The verdict of the NE is final and binding within the ambit of the IWT. TSP cannot ask for the constitution of a Court of Arbitration now, to try the same "crime" a second time. It can take the matter to its favourite ICJ, though, which is quite independent. However, as the Atlantique case clearly demonstrated, the ICJ refuses to intervene in bilateral treaties. Soli may yet have his fun, who knows, with TSP leaders around ?

[Naresh]

<b>SSridhar Ji :</b>

Thank your for the detailed reply and one feels Blessed with <b>Enlightened imModeration!</b>

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

[Naresh]

<b>Tales from the Political Underworld – Dr. Ayesha Siddiqa</b>

Why is Pakistan unable to fight authoritarianism and military rule unlike the Latin American countries which managed to confront US-backed dictatorships and emerge victorious? Two books by Tariq Ali may provide the answer.

Tariq Ali is known for being a prolific writer, with both fiction and non-fiction to his credit. However, in the past six months, the author has produced works which fall into another genre of literature that he himself defines as "faction" - a combination of both fact and fiction. This is a term which he has used for his recently published work, The Leopard and the Fox on the hanging of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto by General Zia-ul-Haq's regime. This book follows his earlier work on Latin American politics, The Pirates of the Caribbean. I tend to treat both works as pieces of 'faction.' Zulfikar Ali Bhutto of Pakistan, Fidel Castro of Cuba, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Evo Morales of Bolivia are all leaders who fought, or are fighting, against authoritarian political systems in which the domestic strongmen are being supported by the United States. The locales may be different but the story is similar. Each case is about the political battle of people who want to change the way in which the world around them looks by empowering the masses and curbing the power of the national and international forces of economic and political exploitation. In Tariq Ali's tales, those that betray their political objective and their dreams fall while others like Morales, Castro and Chavez survive due to the strength of their conviction and because they remain true to the promises they made to the people

At first glance, the two books appear different. The Leopard and the Fox is a docudrama on Bhutto's hanging that was commissioned by the BBC. However, it could not be made due to the pressure exerted by the British Foreign Office, which did not want to annoy Pakistan's military dictator. The excuse proferred for not using the manuscript was that it could lead to problems like libel. The author argued that if the BBC was not concerned about dictators from Latin America, then why should they worry about Zia-ul-Haq. But the BBC remained adamant.

The book is, in a sense, a piece of fiction because the author has not disclosed the names of most characters other than the key players such as Zia, Bhutto, Nusrat and Benazir. It is for readers to guess the identity of the other characters. One is almost certain that the character 'Whiskey,' who betrayed Bhutto to the army is Maulana Kausar Niazi, and Akbar is Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi. Similarly, General Azad appears to be Lt. General Faiz Ali Chishti who had insisted upon Zia holding re-elections in three months.

Tariq Ali's The Leopard and the Fox is more than just a docudrama. It is truly a fictionalised analysis of the authoritarian nature of Pakistani politics. The feudal character of Bhutto and the manner in which he operates with his party leadership or Zia's deliberate attempts to scuttle Bhutto's efforts to negotiate with the PNA are both the stuff of which Pakistani politics is made.

The message in Tariq Ali's book is simple - the country's politics is a tragic tale of authoritarian politics in which the civilian leadership is as authoritarian as the military leadership that thwarted every move towards democracy, including electoral democracy. The military hampers the democratic process in tandem with the US, which appears to have played a key role in Bhutto's removal. In fact, one of the reasons, according to the author, that the docudrama could not be made was because the BBC wanted him to remove all references to the US. One of the characters in the play, Robert Cherry, who is sympathetic to Bhutto, tries to warn him about the fact that the US is supporting the Pakistan army's move to remove the Pakistani Prime Minister. In the end, Bhutto falls because of the cooperation between the GHQ and Washington, and because he has failed to deliver on the promises made to the people.

In Tariq Ali's play, Bhutto emerges as a victim of the military's political ambitions - and of his own arrogance. Sir Morrice James, the British high commissioner to Pakistan in the mid-1960s, described Bhutto as "a Lucifer, a flawed angel" who could not be spared because, as explained by US ambassador Hummel, "If I had been in Zia's shoes, I would not have wanted a live Bhutto in some prison from which he could escape at any time or be sprung."

Unfortunately, in his arrogance Bhutto did not notice the trap that was being laid out for him by the military, with support from Washington, resulting in the tragedy of his death, which continues to haunts Pakistan.

The inherent authoritarianism and the feudal character of the country's politics is what makes Pakistan's story so different from the tales of the three Latin American pirates, who, according to the author, have been fairly resilient in countering the pressure of the US lobby in their respective states.

While military authoritarianism has flourished in Pakistan, it is being countered in Venezuela, Bolivia and Cuba. To a large extent, the issues facing these different countries today are quite similar. Tariq Ali sees neo-liberalism as a paradigm that supports neo-colonialism and neo-imperialism. The US has been supporting authoritarian political systems and regimes which can help Washington pursue its ambitions of economic exploitation. In the introductory chapter of The Pirates of The Caribbean, Tariq Ali criticises the neo-liberal paradigm that has allowed Western powers to promote free-market economy and advocate a conflict between the free world and the other world that stands for all other cultures and political systems that contest America's domination of the world.

Contrary to the popular perception, at least in Pakistan, that the all-powerful Washington can overthrow any government in the world, Tariq Ali's book on the three Latin American leaders shows how the US has been unable to get rid of Chavez, Morales and Castro despite the many efforts which were made to destabilise their governments. Chavez, for instance, has returned to power repeatedly and countered Washington's influence and that of its Venezuelan collaborators. Similarly, Washington could not dispose of Castro despite launching a military operation during the 1960s.

The two books also provide a good comparison of the Pakistani political culture vis-a-vis the Latin American one. In fact, during my meeting with Tariq Ali in London on January 9, I asked him why Pakistani society was so de-politicised and unable to fight authoritarianism and military rule. He said the magic lay in the varied political cultures. Such a notion subscribes to the larger argument that praetorian societies are incapacitated to end military or civil authoritarianism. So, while popular leaders have continued to return to power in some of the Latin American countries, it is the military which has returned to the corridors of power in Pakistan. The comparison cannot go unnoticed

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

[Guest]

<b>'Pak secretly agrees to give Saudis N-bomb'</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Pakistan has agreed to provide Saudi Arabia nuclear weapons and missiles last month, according to an Israeli intelligence website debka.com.

The website stated that Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and Saudi King Abdullah concluded an agreement with “seven secret clauses” on January 21, during his visit to Saudi Arabia.

Pakistan agreed to provide an atomic deterrent in the event of “a nuclear emergency”. The transfer of control would also occur in case Iran threatened the Persian Gulf Emirates, Egypt or Jordan.
.............While, Indian intelligence believes a number of missiles will be designated as Saudi, but physically remain in Pakistan with Riyadh controlling the launch button, others differ...<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Its from Debka.com, but why HT publishing this now... What they are upto?

[SSridhar]

<!--QuoteBegin-SSridhar+Feb 17 2007, 06:24 PM-->QUOTE(SSridhar @ Feb 17 2007, 06:24 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Naresh ji,
<!--QuoteBegin--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->SSridhar Ji :

What do you think about India relegating the IWT to the dust bin?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Let's watch the same space for possibly tomorrow ? <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->
[right][snapback]64550[/snapback][/right]
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
See this
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->No alarmism, please

Sir: Apropos the letter by Aamir Ilyas titled ‘Dam disputes’ (February 17, Daily Times) regarding the water dispute between Pakistan and India, whatever the drawbacks perceived by both the countries in the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) it certainly has served its purpose well and has provided a framework to settle the disputes, as being witnessed now in the Baglihar Hydro Electric Project (BHEP) issue. IWT allows India to build run-of-the-river systems on the three Western rivers of the Indus system. One of the ‘differences’ between the two Indus Water Commissions (IWC) was whether BHEP was a run-of-the-river system at all and this matter has now been resolved by neutral experts within the ambit of IWT. Paragraph 18 of Annexure E of the IWT lays down clear parameters as to how and when the Dead Storage Level can be built up in such run-of-river projects. It also states that water impounded in such a project has to be let back into the downstream within seven days. The document also stipulates the minimum and maximum quantum of water to be let downstream within the window period, precisely to allay the fears of the lower riparian state regarding drying-up or flooding. It is therefore quite clear that the height of the dam is immaterial so long as the parameters are adhered to.

Mr Ilyas fears that India will alter the watersheds etc, a fear which I am unable to understand. May be he can explain how India will do this. Otherwise, this has to be taken as another example of the usual unfounded alarmism that exists between these two countries. As to the fear that India, being a more powerful nation, can discard the IWT, I can only quote Paragraph 4 of Article XII of the IWT itself which says that “The provisions of this Treaty, or the provisions of this Treaty as modified under the provisions of Paragraph (3), shall continue in force until terminated by a duly ratified treaty concluded for that purpose between the two governments”.

India can therefore consign IWT to the dustbin only at its own peril of inviting international condemnation. Only an integrated approach to the management of the Indus system of rivers and the basin would allow the two countries to exploit the true potential of these great rivers, shorn of mistrust, especially as the two countries are water-stressed. Until that time, it is better not to indulge in rumour- or fear-mongering and simply go by hard facts.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I think that either the author or the Editor forgot to mention this:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The Indian design of Baglihar was to impound apprx 15 Million Cubic Meter (MCM) in its dead storage while the annual mean flow of Chenab as measured at the rim station in Pakistan is 30.78 Billion Cubic Meter (BCM).<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Naresh]

[center]<b><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>PAKISTANI KILLER OF 12 LAHORE'S CALL GIRLS : KILLS AGAIN</span></b> <!--emo&:flush--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Flush.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='Flush.gif' /><!--endemo-->[/center]

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

[Guest]

<b>Pakistan: 10 suicide bombers held</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Pakistani police have arrested 10 suspected suicide bombers, some of whom were planning to attack Shia processions and religious scholars in the port city of Karachi.

Eight suspected suicide bombers were picked from different areas of Karachi for planning to attack Shia processions and some religious scholars in the city, while the other two beloning to terrorist outfit Harkat-ul-Mujahideen were arrested from Hyderabad in Sindh province, officials said.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Guest]

Link - Pakistan involvement in terrorism in Afghanistan<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->American intelligence and counterterrorism officials possibly disagreeing with that, telling <b>“The New York Times” that top al Qaeda officials are regaining power, having opened up a new crop of training camps in Pakistan, the administration‘s days of describing Osama bin Laden and top deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri as on the run and isolated apparently over, new evidence suggesting they remain key parts of the terror organization and its supposed resurgence.</b>

<b>Even the president‘s rhetoric has changed, painted a sober picture of al Qaeda‘s current strength inside Pakistan just last week.</b>


BUSH:  <b>Taliban, al Qaeda fighters do hide in remote regions of Pakistan.  This is, this is wild country.  This is wilder than the wild West.  And these folks hide and recruit and launch attacks</b>.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OLBERMANN:  Let‘s get the evaluation of the former head of the CIA‘s bin Laden unit, Michael Scheuer.

Thank you for some of your time tonight, sir.

MICHAEL SCHEUER, FORMER HEAD, CIA BIN LADEN UNIT:  You‘re welcome. 

Thank you, sir.

OLBERMANN:  First of all, the substance of this report, does it sound accurate to you that al Qaeda has regrouped, regained strength, building new training camps in Pakistan?

SCHEUER:  Sure.  We‘ve always overestimated the damage we did to al Qaeda in Afghanistan, sir.  We didn‘t close the borders there.  We won the cities, but the Taliban and al Qaeda escaped basically intact, and they‘ve been rebuilding and reequipping over the past five years.

OLBERMANN:  How did that happen?  I mean, did this administration just sort of declare they it had done all it needed to do about al Qaeda?  And last Halloween, the president was saying it was on the run.  And now, as of Valentine‘s Day, they‘re back?

SCHEUER:  Well, it‘s a—this is a very strange administration, sir, but we really don‘t take the transnational threat seriously, the terrorist threat.  We‘re pretty good at nation-states, but on the—on al Qaeda, we still have a government that doesn‘t, as a whole, both parties, don‘t take this threat very seriously.

The idea that we‘re going to try to do with 40,000 troops in Afghanistan what the Soviets couldn‘t do with 150,000 troops is a bit of madness.

OLBERMANN:  Mr. Scheuer, given how often the Republicans said during the debate last week in the House that insurgents in Iraq would follow us home if we left Iraq, which battleground is actually more central to the war against terrorists?  Is it al Qaeda starting to rebuild training camps that it had in Afghanistan or the Taliban rebuilding them in the neighboring nation of Pakistan?  Or is this the central place still the civil war in Iraq?

SCHEUER:  <b>No, the central place in terms of an attack inside the United States is Afghanistan and Pakistan.  <span style='color:red'>When the next attack occurs in America, it will be planned and orchestrated out of Afghanistan and Pakistan. </span> Al Qaeda values Iraq primarily for the entree it gives them into Jordan, into Syria, into the Arab peninsula, and into Turkey.</b>
We‘ve really signed—for example, we‘ve signed Jordan‘s death warrant by the—through the war in Iraq.  But actually, the people who will plan the next attack in the United States are those who are in Afghanistan and Pakistan, sir.

OLBERMANN:  So does this emergence of evidence that bin Laden and Zawahiri are regaining strength, individually and collectively, does it diminish, in fact, the justification for the administration now looking over at Iran?  I mean, should we be, should we be utterly shifting away from both of those countries and saying, No, al Qaeda, where they are, not where we want them to be, is where we need to look?

SCHEUER:  Well, this administration, sir, seems to be afraid of almost anything that moves.  And certainly Iraq was a containable country.  The Iranians are no threat to the United States unless we provoke them.  They may be a threat to the Israelis.  They‘re not a threat to the United States.

The threat to the United States, inside the United States, comes from al Qaeda.  Al Qaeda is in Afghanistan and Pakistan.  If you want to address the threat to America, that‘s where it is.

OLBERMANN:  So is this a very deadly serious version of the old joke about the guy who loses his watch on a dark street, (INAUDIBLE) and he‘s seen under a spotlight looking for it, under a streetlight, and the guy, the other guy comes up to him and says, Where did you lose the watch?  He said, Down in the dark.  And he said, Well, why are you looking here under the lamp?  Well, that‘s where the light is.  Is that what we‘re doing?

SCHEUER:  That‘s where we are, sir.  That‘s where we have been for the past 15 years.  <span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>We don‘t treat the—this Islamist enemy as seriously as we should.  We think somehow we‘re going to arrest them, one man at a time.  These people are going to detonate a nuclear device inside the United States, and we‘re going to have absolutely nothing to respond against.</span>
<b>
It‘s going to be a unique situation for a great power, and we‘re going to have no one to blame but ourselves.</b>
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[Naresh]

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