ON Jan 13, I had written in this same space about Swat : 'Visitors to Swat tell of Pakistan Army and Taliban check posts a few hundred metres apart, army vehicles passing through Taliban check posts too. Why?
'Are they cooperating to strike the fear of God into our hearts? And for telling their paymaster, Amreeka Bahadur, that the problem is far bigger than it really is, so go on coughing up those luscious dollars?
'Let me caution the powers that be in this tortured and unfortunate country: Barack Obama will soon be in the White House. Beware, sirs, for he is a highly intelligent man who will very quickly see through all of the charade and the subterfuge that seemingly is on shameful display in the citadel of Islam. He is not a duffer like your âtight buddyâ Dubya! So beware, if not for your own sakes, then for this poor countryâs and its hapless peopleâs. I beg you.'
So then, told you so, didnât I, Oâ great and all-powerful Pakistani Establishment? But did you listen; did the federal government of Asif Ali Zardari (may God bless us), listen? No sirs, you did not. You thought that no matter what your acts of omission and commission, the slick-willy Husain Haqqani, the bestest diplomat in this universe and in the worldâs beyond, would work his magic on the Americans and everything would be as hunky-dory for you as it was for the Commando when he committed his acts of omission and commission. You forgot, did you not, that he was also the COAS of the great Pakistan Army; and that an idiot sat in the White House.
Well, the verbal hellfire missiles fired at the above-mentioned Asif Zardari during the last week should have brought yâall crashing down to earth if you have even an iota of sense. But no, above-mentioned Husain Haqqani reportedly went on bended knee before Ambassador Holbrooke and beseeched him to try and âlimit the damageâ, please sir. Of course, whilst you and your paid hacks think that was a great coup, Mr Holbrookeâs attempts at so doing leave one flabbergasted: President Obama had 'very deep personal feelings for Pakistan ⦠as a young man he visited Pakistan ⦠his mother worked there, she loved Pakistan'. I ask you!
How does the fact that Barack Obama visited and had very deep personal feelings for Pakistan as a young man, or the fact that his mother loved this country, have any effect at all on how President Barack Obama will view this country when every report that goes to him speaks of the ambivalent, almost careless attitude of the powers that be towards matters of huge and critical importance to the United States?
Which doesnât mean, however, that the American administration should kick the civilian, elected government in the teeth, and at the same time praise the army leadership to the skies. I take strong exception to President Obama saying that it was 'very difficult (for the government) to gain the support and the loyalty of their people' because it didnât 'seem to have the capacity to deliver basic services: schools, healthcare, rule of law, a judicial systemâ¦.' I wish someone would remind Mr Obama that army dictators have ruled this country for longer than civilians, and that it was an army dictator who was in office immediately before this government was elected to office. Why werenât 'basic services' delivered then?
I wish someone would remind Mr Obama that it was the Commando who kicked out 62 members of the superior judiciary including the chief justice of the country: so much for 'rule of law'; and that it was the Commando who is primarily responsible for what is happening in the Frontier because of his foolish act of replacing the political administration with the army. Witness the saga of Lt. Gen. Safdar whose 'eyes saw everythingâ and whose 'ears heard everything' and Nek Mohammad!
It was completely unfair of Mr Obama too, to place the entire responsibility for what is going on in the country today on the civilian, elected government, when there is every evidence that the army simply did not do its job seriously, and well enough, in Swat. Ask the ANP.
There are several aspects to this whole rigmarole, however, and whilst I say the above, I also agree absolutely with Fatima Bhutto when she writes <b>âStop funding my failing stateâ in the Daily Beast (May 4).</b> I have myself been turning this matter over in my head for days now, have discussed it with friends, <b>and have come to the conclusion that untied aid only spoils our ruling elites even more.</b>
America, old sugar-daddy America, should have seen by now that no amount of mollycoddling has ever helped chivvy the government of Pakistan, heavily influenced by the establishment as it is, towards doing the right thing. It will have seen too that a huge proportion of aid goes towards non-developmental expenditure on a scale that is unimaginable in other, far richer, aid-giving countries.
<b>Surely Americaâs diplomatic posts have reported on the outlandish luxury and circumstance in which the government leaders of the country live; the most expensive (and very kitsch) furniture, all damask and chiffon and silk and velvet upon which they recline and eat; the seven-course meals served in official banquets in our government houses across all the provinces and in Islamabad the Beautiful.
It should know too, that government leaders are not the only ones who wallow in luxury, and that even lieutenant generals of the Pakistan Army now ride about in BMW 5-series motor-cars; that senior officers of the military live in utter splendour compared to their counterparts even in aid-giving America!
Even next door the Indians live far more simply than our brass hats. I have visited the homes of three retired Indian armed forces officers: a lieutenant general, a major general and an air marshal. The houses/flats of all three would fit into just one of the houses we see in Generalâs Colony, Lahore, with space to spare.</b>
So let me say this to our donors (shame on us!) : it is high time that our elites got some shock treatment. Set the benchmarks; donât give a red cent that is not tied to performance on the ground; and route any and all aid through the elected government. <b>And remember, we most certainly have the wherewithal to comprehensively defeat a militia that even now does not number more than 4,000, on our very own. If we want to defeat it, that is.</b>
LAHORE : The justification for suicide bombings comes from the days of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), according to Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for Mullah Omar.
<b>India to get Afghan transit trade route </b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->WASHINGTON: Pakistan and Afghanistan signed on Wednesday a memorandum of understanding to begin talks on a transit trade agreement which will ultimately allow India to use the Wagah-Khyber route for trade with Kabul.
The memorandum of understanding commits the two âcountries to achieving a trade transit agreement by the end of the year, which we believe will have great economic benefits for both peoples,â said US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who hosted the Afghan and Pakistani presidents for the first round of the second trilateral talks.
âThis is an historic event. This agreement has been under discussion for 43 years without resolution,â she said.
âAfghanistan and Pakistan have reached an important milestone in their efforts to generate foreign investment and stronger economic growth and trade opportunities.â
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Now why they want to drag India into mess. Well, let me tell you, Pakistan Army will do something to US/Afghan/NATO to show its displeasure.
Two cats are fighting and Hindoo monkey will enjoy the loot.
<!--QuoteBegin-Mudy+May 7 2009, 11:49 AM-->QUOTE(Mudy @ May 7 2009, 11:49 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Now why they want to drag India into mess. Well, let me tell you, Pakistan Army will do something to US/Afghan/NATO to show its displeasure.
Two cats are fighting and Hindoo monkey will enjoy the loot.
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<b>Mudy Ji :</b>
The India-Afghanistan, IMO, will be mainly for the Pakistanis to smuggle Indian Origin Goods into Pakistan.
A major part of the India-Afghanistan Trade will be through Chah Bahar and if it becomes successful as I opine then a lot of US-Nato Non-Weapon Goods will eventually pass through Chah Bahar.
<b>Sufi Mohammadâs son killed in Lower Dir shelling</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->LOWER DIR: <b>Sufi Mohammadâs son Kifyatullah has been killed in shelling during the security forcesâ operation in Lower Dirâs Maidan area, said family sources. Meanwhile, intense clashes between militants and security forces continued in Maidan as 15 troops went missing in the district. </b>
âI have been informed by the family of Maulana Sufi Mohammad that his son, Kifayatullah, has died and his brother-in-law is seriously injured,â said the TNSM spokesman, Ameer Izzat Khan.
The TNSM chief, Sufi Mohammad, has been calling for an end to the military operation in the area since it started, threatening to abandon the peace deal with the government and making numerous objections to the implementation of the Nizam-i-Adl.
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<!--QuoteBegin-Naresh+May 7 2009, 01:43 PM-->QUOTE(Naresh @ May 7 2009, 01:43 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Mudy Ji :</b>
The India-Afghanistan, IMO, will be mainly for the Pakistanis to smuggle Indian Origin Goods into Pakistan.
A major part of the India-Afghanistan Trade will be through Chah Bahar and if it becomes successful as I opine then a lot of US-Nato Non-Weapon Goods will eventually pass through Chah Bahar.
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<b>Nareshji</b>,
Here I have to disagree with you. Let me wear my Paki Army Gen. Kiyani hat.
This is golden oppurtunity to go back to old business, grow more poppy in Afghanistan and sell it inside India. This will fund Paki Army forever and keep Afghan happy and more dead Indians.
As you know, Indian customs is most corrupt organisation.
<b>India not granted transit through Pakistan: FO </b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->ISLAMABAD: Briefing the media at the Foreign Ministry Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Basit Pakistan has refuted US media reports that it has shared information about its nukes with US authorities saying that information about its nukes is sacrosanct and can not be shared with any country.
âPakistanâs nuclear arsenal is safe and secure and concerns about their security are invalid,â said Basit.
Responding to a question the spokesman said it is not true that India has been granted transit trade route for Afghanistan, saying that it is a mere MOU under which Pakistan and Afghanistan would holds talks on the matter.
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I hope Paki hatred keep this transit route close, first NATO should clear poppy fields and build nation, then India should consider and road trade.
Pakis are lying about nukes, whole world knows , One storage facility is watched by Italy, other by unkle and assembly area by someone else, I am not saying Indians. <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
05-08-2009, 03:21 PM (This post was last modified: 05-08-2009, 03:29 PM by Naresh.)
<!--QuoteBegin-Mudy+May 7 2009, 11:49 AM-->QUOTE(Mudy @ May 7 2009, 11:49 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>1 :</b> Now why they want to drag India into mess. Well, let me tell you, Pakistan Army will do something to US/Afghan/NATO to show its displeasure.
Two cats are fighting and Hindoo monkey will enjoy the loot.
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<b>Mudy Ji :</b>
The Terroristani Leadership in General and the Armed Forces in Particular have that fantastic ability to âshoot themselves in the footâ and also they will cut their nose on the basis that it to âspiteâ India.
IMO India should never accept Transit facilities for Trade to Afghanistan as if India gets it then it will have to allow Pakistan âTransit facilitiesâ for Trade into Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh as well as Myanmar.
Pakistan may not have the capability of âLandâ Trade to these Countries but it will still have the freedom to do so and these facilities will most definitely be used to Indiaâs detriment.
<b>2 :</b> Here I have to disagree with you. Let me wear my Paki Army Gen. Kiyani hat.
This is golden oppurtunity to go back to old business, grow more poppy in Afghanistan and sell it inside India. This will fund Paki Army forever and keep Afghan happy and more dead Indians.
As you know, Indian customs is most corrupt organisation.
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Aha. You have just proved the point.
It is the Indians â Custom & Excise, Border Control, People in General â who are the âMoronsâ.
If Indians cannot safeguard India then why should we cry about Kiyani trying to Kill Indians?
I reiterate it is the Indian People who are the âMoronsâ. It is Dr. Man Mohan Singhâs âmisfortuneâ that he has to lead a Nation, that is India, of 1.15 Billion Morons.
<!--QuoteBegin-Mudy+May 7 2009, 09:23 PM-->QUOTE(Mudy @ May 7 2009, 09:23 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>3 :</b> I hope Paki hatred keep this transit route close, first NATO should clear poppy fields and build nation, then India should consider and road trade.
Pakis are lying about nukes, whole world knows , One storage facility is watched by Italy, other by unkle and assembly area by someone else, I am not saying Indians. <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
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As stated above I most sincerely hope that India never gets the Pakistan Transit Facility for Trade to Afghanistan.
This Facility will be the âThin Edge of the Wedge!â
<b>Planning Commission deputy chairman says; $5.28bn pledges made at Tokyo donors moot are all grants
ISLAMABAD : Poverty in Pakistan has increased to 40 per cent and every second citizen is living below the poverty line, which is an alarming development, Deputy Chairman Sardar Aseff Ahmad Ali said on Thursday.</b>
He was talking to media persons after the conclusion of a one-day workshop on âResults of Social Health Protection Mapping and Health Financing.â
<b>âAlthough there exists some controversy over poverty figure, but it ranges somewhere between 38 and 40 per cent as per World Bank estimates,â he said.</b>
When asked as to when the World Bank has come up with the latest estimates about poverty incidence despite the fact that World Bank has just initiated a poverty census in certain districts of the country to ensure the distribution of the amount under Benzair Income Support Programme transparent, Ali responded and stressed that the poverty hovers even more than 40 per cent in the country.
âIâve read the document of the World Bank according to which the poverty has increased. However, the final figure would be furnished once the poverty census process that the World Bank has initiated gets completed,â he said.
He said this year 3.5 million households will get the benefit of the Benazir Income Support programme and next year the number beneficiaries will increase to seven million households.
<b>Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission unveiled that all the pledges amounting to $5.28 billion made in the donors moot in Tokyo are 100 per cent grants as per his preliminary information.</b>
Regarding social sector spending, he said the government is about to come up with the 10th 5-year plan that is to be named Peoples Five Years Development Plan.
Under the plan human resource development programme will be kicked off and to this effect the government will establish 127 training and vocational centres in every district. And after five-year time, Pakistan will have 2.5 million skilled workers every year. The expertise of the said skilled workers would not be less than international standards.
This will increase their capacity to earn more that will help erase the regional and economic disparities.
Sardar Aseff Ali appreciated Germany based NGO GTZ for completing the survey of National Heath Accounts in Pakistan saying it has dispelled the impression of some of the world organizations that Pakistanâs spending on health sector has always been very low.
He said that GTZ being an independent institution came up with the findings that Pakistan has spent much more against the reported figures of the international organizations.
Regarding 25.7 million tonnes of wheat that country would have this time as per the survey carried out by Punjab Lok Sujag and South Asia Partnership Pakistan, Aseff Ali said that as per his estimates the countryâs wheat production would hover around 24 million tonnes.
As for proposal to export the wheat, he said he will not endorse this idea instead he will advocate for increasing the wheat strategic reserves and for this purpose the government is planning to increase the storage capacity for 3.5 million tonnes of wheat.
The main storages would be established in various parts of the country under Public Private Partnership scheme, he said.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->I reiterate it is the Indian People who are the âMoronsâ. It is Dr. Man Mohan Singhâs âmisfortuneâ that he has to lead a Nation, that is India, of 1.15 Billion Morons.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Here you are wrong, It is misfortune of Indians that they get Moron appointed PM like Dr. Man Mohan Singh. This guy is not even elected and had nerve to destroy India. To save India, Indians should first get rid of Congress Party. I hope this time India will get elected Prime Minister, not another appointed puppet jackass.
Congree Party tricked Indians last time, i hope they lose this election.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->IMO India should never accept Transit facilities for Trade to Afghanistan as if India gets it then it will have to allow Pakistan âTransit facilitiesâ for Trade into Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh as well as Myanmar.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Pakistan is biggest exporter of IT (International Terrorism), Mullahs and Heroin.
05-09-2009, 12:08 AM (This post was last modified: 05-09-2009, 12:09 AM by Naresh.)
<!--QuoteBegin-Mudy+May 8 2009, 09:25 PM-->QUOTE(Mudy @ May 8 2009, 09:25 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Here you are wrong, It is misfortune of Indians that they get Moron appointed PM like Dr. Man Mohan Singh. This guy is not even elected and had nerve to destroy India. To save India, Indians should first get rid of Congress Party. I hope this time India will get elected Prime Minister, not another appointed puppet jackass.
Congree Party tricked Indians last time, i hope they lose this election.
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<b>Mudy Ji :</b>
I do hope that the BJP forms the Government at the Centre!
However, unlike Advani, Dr. Man Mohan Singh did not go dancing in Karachi proclaiming at the top of his Voice "Jinnah was Secular"!!
If the Congress forms the Government then it is "Hard Cheese"!!!
A request : Seriously which Party among the motely lot in India would you like to form the Government at the Centre and whom would you accept as Prime Minister?
I respectfully decline the Offer <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tongue.gif' /><!--endemo-->
<!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tongue.gif' /><!--endemo--> "Kiani does not pursue a full-fledged military coup, but rather the 'Bangladesh model.' The military removes President Asif Ali Zardari and his administration and establishes a caretaker government, which it tasks with the job of stabilizing the political and economic situation," the report suggested.
"The military appoints Western-educated technocrats with no independent power base or political connections to serve in the new government. These officials maintain close contacts with Kiani, who makes all strategic decisions," it said painting the coup scenario.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Taliban vows to 'eliminate' Pakistan's top leadership</b>
pioneer.com
PTI | Islamabad
Angered by Pakistan Government's decision to launch an all out war against them, the Taliban has vowed to "<b>eliminate" country's top leadership including President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and their close family members.</b>
<b>"We thought that being a member of a religious family, Gilani will support our demand of implementing Sharia in the Malakand division but instead he has announced an all-out war against us, which has angered our commanders as well as fighters," </b>an unnamed Taliban commander told The News daily.
The militant commander, who spoke to the newspaper by phone, said after Gilani declared during an address to the nation on Thursday that the Taliban would be wiped out from the Swat Valley and adjoining areas, the militants had started planning to "eliminate the top leaders of the ruling alliance, including President, Prime Minister and their close family members and aides".
<b>The commander said Gilani's hometown of Multan and tomb of former premier Benazir Bhutto might also be targeted by the militants.</b>
<b>"Besides, the personnel and installations of security forces, we have now also included civilian rulers in our hit list</b>. We will definitely need some time to plan our actions but it is not impossible for us and we have all the means to implement our plan of attack anywhere in Pakistan," he claimed.
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Should we get our popcorn tin ready. <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
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