17 may 2012 osint pakistan tracker

7/31/2019 17 may 2012 osint pakistan tracker

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TheCENTCOM This OSINT publication contains foreign mediaderived entirely from open sources in andaround the CENTCOM AOR.

OSINT Phone #: 813.827.1441 - Email: [email protected]

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17 May 201

NEWS

Turkish PM to Visit Pakistan on 20th

: Daily TimesOn a special invitation of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, Turkish premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be visitingPakistan on May 20 to further deepen the multifaceted ties between the two countries.

Pakistan to get up to $1,800 for Each NATO Truck: Daily TimesUnder a US-Pakistan deal to reopen a key NATO supply route through Pakistan, closed for nearly six months, theUS-led coalition will pay Pakistan a still-to-be-fixed fee of $1,500 to $1,800 for each truck carrying supplies, a tabthat officials familiar with negotiations estimated would run nearly $1 million a day.

Several Embassies Receive Black Powder, Threats: Daily TimesSeveral Western embassies in Islamabad received letters on Wednesday containing suspicious powder and threatsto poison supplies for NATO soldiers in Afghanistan, officials said.

Notorious Militant Held while Smuggling Explosives: Daily TimesCrime Investigation Department (CID) of the Sindh Police on Wednesday claimed to have arrested a militant ofbanned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LEJ) and recovered explosive material and weapons from his possession.

HRW Urges Zardari not to Sign Human Rights Commission Bill: Dawn NewsThe Human Rights Watch on Thursday urged the President of Pakistan not to sign a bill to authorize a newlyformed national human rights commission until it is revised to authorize investigations of the military and theintelligence agencies for human rights violations.

President Zardari to Attend Chicago Summit: Dawn NewsPresident Asif Ali Zardari announced Thursday that he will attend the upcoming Nato summit in Chicago, acceptingan invitation that was given after the country indicated it plans to end its six-month blockade of supplies meant for

coalition troops in Afghanistan.

SC Indicts Babar Awan in Contempt Case: Dawn NewsA bench of the Supreme Court has indicted former Law Minister Babar Awan on contempt of court charges.However, Awan has pleaded not guilty, refusing charges framed against him, Dawn News reported.

Bomb Threat on PIA Flight to Dubai: Officials: Dawn NewsA bomb threat on Thursday forced Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to evacuate 157 passengers and 10 crewfrom an Airbus preparing to take off for Dubai, officials said.

Four Pilots Killed in PAF Aircrafts Collision: The NationTwo Pakistan Air Force (PAF) light aircraft collided in mid-air on Thursday, killing four pilots on a routine trainingmission near Nowshera, police said.

Pakistan Takes Flight from its Drone Stance: The NationFormal deliberations on drone strikes in Pakistans north-western belt are not part of Pak-US reconciliationprocess as defense ministry finalizes three strategic agreements ahead of Nato supplies resumption vis--vis futurestrategic cooperation between the allies, it is learnt.

PM Props up Sagacity on NATO Supplies: The NationThe Federal cabinet Wednesday welcomed the invitation extended by NATO to President Asif Zardari for attendingChicago summit.


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Chishti Reunites with Family after 20 Years: The NationAiling virologist Khalil Chishti on Wednesday reunited with his family after nearly two decades amidst moving andtearful scenes at the Karachi Airport where hundreds of people gathered to welcome him.

Mehran Bank Case: Durrani says Baig was on Board since Beginning: Pak TribuneFormer ISI chief Lt Gen (r) Asad Durrani said on Wednesday that former army chief General (r) Mirza Aslam Begwas on board right from the beginning in the process of issuing instructions as well as overseeing the disbursementof funds to political parties in the 1990s.

No more Emotional Decisions in Future: Gilani: Pak TribunePrime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Wednesday said Pakistan did not and will not compromise on its principledstand but would also not take emotional decisions, which did not auger well for it in the long run.

Karachi Violence Claims Nine more Lives: Pak TribuneNine people, including three political party members, were killed in separate incidents of target killing in themetropolis on Wednesday.

ANP Kohat President Injured in Attack: Pak TribuneAwami National Party (ANP) Kohat District President Saeed Shah was critically wounded in attack on his car onWednesday, 65 kilometers south of Peshawar.

EDITORIALS

EDITORIAL: The Honor Narrative: Daily TimesAs expected by many observers, the Defense Committee of the Cabinet (DCC) has given a green light to thereopening of NATOs supply routes, with the caveat as per parliaments resolutions that only non-lethal cargo would

be allowed to traverse Pakistani soil, and that too on the basis of a tariff to be imposed on goods transiting toAfghanistan.

SECOND EDITORIAL: Wrecks, Lies and Videotape: Daily TimesIn a bid to deal with militancy in the North Waziristan Agency (NWA), the authorities have decided to launch anoperation against anti-state elements and foreign radical elements that have recently become a pain in the neck forthe security forces.

COMMENT: Kayanis Speech and National Interest Narrative: Daily TimesIt is most unfortunate that even the relatively liberal analysts would unquestioningly grant the army the status of thesole arbiter of defining Pakistans national interest.

VIEW: Peace in Tiny Pieces: Daily Times

The loss of innocent lives to feed the lust of a silent and, regrettably, violent minority is reprehensible. The rust ofages is not going to disappear in days.

VIEW: Post-2014 Afghan Economy in Peril: Daily TimesThe ability to launch mega projects and create job opportunities in post-2014 Afghanistan will be stifled by donorfatigue.

ANALYSIS: The Chicago NATO Summit much Ado About...?: Daily Times


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Without Pakistan, any solution to Afghanistan will be incomplete. Without substantive agreements, the peaceprocess will be harmed.

Supporting Documentation:

NEWS (Top)

17 May 2012Daily TimesTurkish PM to Visit Pakistan on 20

th

ISLAMABAD: On a special invitation of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, Turkish premier Recep Tayyip Erdoganwill be visiting Pakistan on May 20 to further deepen the multifaceted ties between the two countries.

The First Lady, and a high-powered delegation, will accompany Erdogan on the three-day trip, during which he willaddress the joint session of parliament and co-chair the second High-Level Cooperation Council meeting with PMGilani. It may be mentioned here that the Turkish government bestowed a unique honor upon PM Gilani during hisvisit to Turkey in December 2010, where he addressed parliament, an honor usually reserved for the heads of thestates.

17 May 2012Daily TimesPakistan to get up to $1,800 for Each NATO TruckLAHORE: Under a US-Pakistan deal to reopen a key NATO supply route through Pakistan, closed for nearly sixmonths, the US-led coalition will pay Pakistan a still-to-be-fixed fee of $1,500 to $1,800 for each truck carrying

supplies, a tab that officials familiar with negotiations estimated would run nearly $1 million a day.

According to a report in McClatchy newspaper, the agreement would raise the cost of the war effort in Afghanistanby about $365 million annually. The accord, which the Pakistani government announced late on Tuesday, wouldrevive the transport of vital supplies of food and equipment from Pakistani ports overland to land-lockedAfghanistan, in exchange for the abovementioned fee.

Pakistan closed the land route after a NATO air strike killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in November last year. One of theroutes being used since the closure is nearly 6,000 miles long. The Pakistan route is less than 500 miles.

According to the newspaper, officials in Washington said they did not know how much of the new cost the USwould bear. As the US contributes more than two-thirds of the 130,000-strong international force, it is expected thatWashington will pay most of the new fee.

In return, the US is asking Pakistan to provide security for the supplies, and much speedier clearance of customsand checkpoints. Terrorists and robbers frequently attack trucks carrying NATO goods. No effective security hadbeen provided in the past, the paper reported.

Security is the most important thing we require for swift transportation to be sustained, said Nadeem Khan, thechief executive of Raaziq International, one of the major Pakistani companies involved in carrying NATO supplies.That is the least that the (Pakistani) government can provide us as taxpayers.


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Before the Pakistan route was suspended, 30 percent of coalition supplies passed through the country, accordingto the Pentagon.

17 May 2012Daily TimesSeveral Embassies Receive Black Powder, ThreatsISLAMABAD: Several Western embassies in Islamabad received letters on Wednesday containing suspiciouspowder and threats to poison supplies for NATO soldiers in Afghanistan, officials said.

Islamabad police chief Bani Amin told AFP that at least three embassies had received small packets containingblack powder, which had been sent for laboratory analysis.

The letters said the powder was a sample of poison that would be hidden in NATO supplies if Pakistan lifts anearly six-month blockade on convoys carrying supplies for troops fighting Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan.

Senior Pakistani security officials told AFP that the French embassy and the Australian and British highcommissions had received suspicious packages for certain, and other diplomatic missions had probably also beentargeted. Embassies have received one sachet each. The problem is that it is in a meager quantity and difficulteven to test. It seems somebody has committed some mischief. We are sending it to a laboratory, Amin told AFP.

A diplomat at one of the embassies said the accompanying handwritten letter was in broken English and threatenedto avenge terrorists killed in Afghanistan by poisoning food supplies in the convoys.

We received a letter containing grayish powder in a sealed plastic sachet, which we didnt open, the diplomat toldAFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

17 May 2012Daily TimesNotorious Militant Held While Smuggling ExplosivesKARACHI: Crime Investigation Department (CID) of the Sindh Police on Wednesday claimed to have arrested amilitant of banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LEJ) and recovered explosive material and weapons from his possession.

SSP Fayyaz Khan informed a police party conducted raid at Sohrab Goth Bus Stop, Super Highway and arrestedNawaz Khan alias Shah Jee affiliated with the banned LEJ besides recovering five kilograms of explosive material,three detonators, seven meters, detonating wires and a TT pistol from his possession. SSP Khan said during theinterrogation, he confessed that the recovered explosive was being shifted to Karachi from Waziristan for attackson rival sects members. He further informed that the accused was also involved in the attacks on FC and other

forces in FATA. Officer said he was wanted to the CID while further investigation was in process.

17 May 2012Dawn NewsHRW Urges Zardari not to Sign Human Rights Commission BillKARACHI /NEW YORK: The Human Rights Watch on Thursday urged the President of Pakistan not to sign a bill toauthorize a newly formed national human rights commission until it is revised to authorize investigations of themilitary and the intelligence agencies for human rights violations.


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The National Human Rights Commission if given teeth can play a critical role in improving Pakistans dire humanrights situation. President Zardari should tell parliament he will only sign the bill when it gives the commissionauthority over abuses by the military and intelligence agencies, said Brad Adams, Asia director at the internationalhuman rights watchdog, in a press release issued today.

Pakistans National Assembly had passed a bill the National Human Rights Commission Act on May 4 for thecommissions formation, but the act requires the presidents approval before it goes into effect.

The Human Rights Watch has expressed concerns that the bill would prevent the commission from addressing orinvestigating human rights violations by members of the armed forces and intelligence agencies.

Pakistans military and its intelligence agencies have a long and well-documented history of serious andsystematic abuses, said Adams. A primary reason to create a national human rights commission should be toaddress longstanding impunity for the army and intelligence services.

The HRW has repeatedly called for more accountability of Pakistans military and intelligence agencies, which itsays, manages the countrys security policy.

Pakistani journalist Saleem Shahzad, who was mysteriously killed in May last year, had told the HRW that he hadbeen getting threats from intelligence agents. The government had formed a commission to investigate the death,but it was unable to specifically hold anyone responsible for the killing. The HRW had blamed the commission ofbeing fearful of confronting the ISI over Shahzads death.

The commissions failure to get to the bottom of the Shahzad killing illustrates the ability of the ISI to remainbeyond the reach of Pakistans criminal justice system, Adams had said earlier in January.

Thursdays press release adds that the bill creating the National Human Rights Commission contains many positiveelements to promote and protect human rights in Pakistan. A strong and independent National Human RightsCommission can be a key institution in aiding Pakistans transition to a truly rights-respecting democracy.

But a commission that cannot take on cases involving the army and intelligence agencies would perpetuate a crueljoke on Pakistanis whose rights have been violated.

17 May 2012Dawn NewsPresident Zardari to Attend Chicago SummitISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari announced Thursday that he will attend the upcoming Nato summit inChicago, accepting an invitation that was given after the country indicated it plans to end its six-month blockade of

supplies meant for coalition troops in Afghanistan.

President Zardaris office said he agreed to attend the summit after it was endorsed by the Cabinet.

Pakistan closed its Afghan border to NATO supplies in November in retaliation for American airstrikes that killed 24Pakistani soldiers. The route remains closed, but Pakistans Cabinet has authorized officials to conclude theirnegotiations with the US over reopening it.


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The government is likely to face domestic backlash once the supplies resume, partly because the Obamaadministration refused to apologize for last years attack and stop drone strikes in the country as demanded byPakistans parliament.

Religious leaders on Thursday threatened to block the supply route if it does reopen, but its unclear howsuccessful they would be.

The US and Pakistan raced Wednesday to conclude a new agreement on the supply route, but the two sidesremained at odds over how much money Islamabad should be paid to end the blockade. Pakistan has demandedhigher fees for goods shipped through the country and has also clashed with the US over how much military aid it isowed.

The US Embassy declined to comment on the status of the negotiations Thursday.

Before the November attack, the US and other NATO countries fighting in Afghanistan shipped about 30 per cent oftheir nonlethal supplies through Pakistan. Since then, supplies have taken a far more expensive route througheastern Europe and Asia.

Pakistan has insisted the invitation to the upcoming NATO summit delivered earlier this week was not conditionalon the status of the supply line. But many analysts believe the invite was forthcoming only after Pakistan indicated itwould reopen the route.

The summit will largely focus on the Afghan war, and President Zardari will deliver a speech to the countries thatmake up the fighting force there, his office said in a statement. He will be accompanied by Foreign Minister HinaRabbani Khar and Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani.

Pakistans presence at the meeting is seen as important because the country is considered vital to brokering apeace deal with the Taliban and their allies in Afghanistan that would allow foreign troops to withdraw without thecountry descending into further chaos.

Cooperation with Pakistan has been hampered over the last 18 months by steadily deteriorating relations with theUnited States. The downward slide began last January when a CIA contractor shot and killed two Pakistanis inLahore who he said were trying to rob him. This was followed by the secret US raid last May that killed Osama binLaden in Abbottabad, an operation that was seen as a gross violation of Pakistans sovereignty.

Relations hit their lowest level after the US attack on two Afghan border posts in November that killed 24 Pakistanisoldiers. The US claimed it was an accident, but the Pakistani army has said it was deliberate.

The US has expressed its regret for the incident, but has stopped short of offering the full apology demanded by

Pakistan.

The refusal to offer an apology has outraged Pakistanis.

Amirul Azeem, a senior leader of Pakistans largest religious party, Jamaat-e-Islami, said Thursday that the groupssupporters would block NATO supplies because of Washingtons refusal to honor parliaments demands.

We will soon launch a movement to occupy NATO supply routes, said Azeem.


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17 May 2012Dawn NewsSC Indicts Babar Awan in Contempt CaseISLAMABAD: A bench of the Supreme Court has indicted former Law Minister Babar Awan on contempt of courtcharges. However, Awan has pleaded not guilty, refusing charges framed against him, Dawn News reported.

A two-member bench of the court, comprising of Justice Aijaz Afzal and Justice Athar Saeed, was hearing the casehere on Thursday. The bench said that the former minister had committed contempt by uttering remarks ridiculingthe apex court and a sitting judge.

Awan is facing the contempt charge for his media jibe against the judiciary. He had severely criticized the apexcourt at a press conference on Dec 1 last year soon after it had ordered an inquiry into the memo scandal by TariqKhosa, a former director general of the Federal Investigation Agency, and attacked a sitting SC judge for being abrother of Mr. Khosa.

Pleading not guilty to the charges on Thursday, Awan raised legal and constitutional questions on the courtsproceedings.

I was not the only politician present at the press conference, said Awan, complaining that the court had onlyinitiated contempt proceedings against him.

Moreover, the former minister pressed the court to also initiate proceedings against Qamar Zaman Kaira, SyedKhursheed Shah and his brother Farooq Awan, who were also present at the press conference.

Earlier during the days proceedings, Attorney General Irfan Qadir informed the court of his view that there was nolaw present in the constitution regarding contempt of court, arguing that he could not, therefore, act as theprosecutor in the case.

The bench subsequently adjourned the hearing until May 29, ordering the Attorney General to submit alldocumentary evidence and list of witnesses against Awan by May 26.

Awan offered an unconditional apology to the SC earlier this month, requesting the court to withdraw its decision ofsuspending his license.

On April 10, he formerly tendered another apology, especially to Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, brother of Tariq Khosa,for his utterances against the judiciary. Awan said in the application that whatever he had stated at the pressconference was unintentional and inadvertent and that he was offering an unconditional apology once again.

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Dawn NewsBomb Threat on PIA Flight to Dubai: OfficialsISLAMABAD: A bomb threat on Thursday forced Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to evacuate 157 passengersand 10 crew from an Airbus preparing to take off for Dubai, officials said.

The plane was preparing for its 11:00 am scheduled departure from Lahore airport when an anonymous caller tothe airport claimed there was a bomb on board, PIA spokesman Sultan Hasan told AFP.

Airport security officials evacuated the A310 to search the aircraft, Hasan said.


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Civil Aviation Authority spokesman Pervez George said all threats had to be taken seriously although most turnedout to be hoaxes.

PIA said flight PK 203 would depart pending clearance, hopefully at 3:00 pm (1000 GMT).

Pakistans aviation industry has been in the spotlight after a Boeing 737 of private airline Bhoja Air crashed nearIslamabad on April 20, killing all 127 people on board.

Last month, a PIA jet was forced to land shortly after takeoff from Karachi after a passenger made a hijack threat.

The state carrier is on the verge of going bust, but provides the only direct services from Pakistan to Britain, Europeand North America.

17 May 2012The NationFour Pilots Killed in PAF Aircrafts Collision

Unclassified

Two Pakistan Air Force (PAF) light aircraft collided in mid-air on Thursday, killing four pilots on a routine trainingmission near Nowshera, police said.

It was the sixth Pakistan Air Force crash in seven months and the second in a week, raising concerns over thesafety of its largely Chinese and locally made fleet. The cause of the accident was not immediately clear.

One of the two-seater propeller Mushshak planes crashed on a house, injuring a girl and an elderly man, and thesecond fell in nearby fields in the Rashkai area, 160 kilometers (100 miles) northwest of the capital.

"Two Pakistan Air Force trainer aircraft collided in mid-air. Four pilots were killed, two were trainee pilots and twowere instructors," district police officer Mohammad Hussain said.

"One of the aircraft crashed over a house, injuring a girl and an elderly man, and the second plane crashed in thefields."

Another police official, Hayatullah, who uses only one name, confirmed the casualties.


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Last Friday, a fighter jet crashed near the southwestern town of Sonmiani but the pilot managed to eject safely.

The Pakistan Air Force has a fleet of Chinese aircraft including F-7PGs and A-5s, plus US-built F-16s and FrenchMirages. It recently acquired medium-tech JF-17, or Thunder jets, manufactured jointly by China and Pakistan.

17 May 2012The NationPakistan Takes Flight from its Drone StanceISLAMABAD - Formal deliberations on drone strikes in Pakistans north-western belt are not part of Pak-USreconciliation process as defense ministry finalizes three strategic agreements ahead of Nato supplies resumptionvis--vis future strategic cooperation between the allies, it is learnt.

Well-placed ministry officials said the formulation of these agreements, concerning terms of military cooperationwith the US, was being carried out at the additional secretaries level but MoD (Ministry of Defense) has done nopaperwork on Pakistans hardened stance on drones. The strategic agreements largely entail the role of Pakistanarmy and air force in the aftermath of restoration of logistical supplies to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)on certain prescribed terms.

We will take any decision on the future strategic arrangement with the US and allies considering our nationalinterests. We will make sure our vital national goals stand supreme in pursuit of mutual strategic endeavors with thesuper power, Minister of State for Defense Sardar Saleem Haider told The Nation. He confirmed the defenseministry was working out some defense-related agreements of key strategic nature, saying that part of thestrategic cooperation was being dealt with by the Ministry of Defense Production.

When asked about the absence of any mechanism to be devised by the MoD on drone strikes, the state minister

said he was not in knowledge of the modalities of the agreements but reiterated that Pakistans sovereignty wouldbe safeguarded. Drone strikes in our tribal areas have been a highly contentious issue but let me assure you, as aprime overseer of Pakistans strategic endeavors, the defense ministry is well aware of its responsibilities, Haiderclaimed without offering any elaboration.

The MoD officials said six federal ministries and the governor of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in his capacity as headof the respective political administrations in Fata (Federally Administered Tribal Areas), were involved in thepreparation of respective strategic agreements. The six ministries are of ministries of foreign affairs, defense,defense production, finance, interior and communication.

At the MoD, two additional secretaries Major General Arif Raja and Air Vice Marshal Najamul Asar are reportedlysupervising the strategic agreements preparation. The tentative details of these agreements shared with thisnewspaper suggest that the NATO ground troops would not be authorized to enter into Pakistani territory while

high-value terrorists in Pakistans borderlands would be targeted through joint coordination between Pakistan Army,PAF and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). The PAF would be solely authorized to launch aerialstrikes in Fata for targeting the militants and it would coordinate with ISAFs Air Component Coordination Element(ACCE), for information exchange.

Under the Cross Border Forces Coordination (CBFC), the NATO-led ISAFs intelligence component would beobligated to pass on any security update and intelligence report to Pakistani officials, if it concerns Pakistan.


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The defense ministry-led strategic cooperation roadmap, sources say, widely covers the border cooperation whilepart of the modalities pertaining to finances including the operational and logistical costs and related expenditureincurred on and by the Pakistani forces was being drafted by the finance ministry with necessary input from theMoD. Contrary to the perception that defense ministry stands as the authority concerned to deal with the US StateDepartment for the provisions of outstanding funds under the head of Coalition Support Fund (CSF), the officialssaid Pakistans foreign ministry, finance ministry and Economic Affairs Division (EAD) were directly dealing with theofficials in Washington in this regard.

After Salala attack on Nov 26 last year, Pakistan had suspended border coordination with the NATO. The bordercooperation was resumed earlier this year following a meeting between the military commanders from Pakistan,Afghanistan and the US-led Nato/ISAF. The military commanders have devised the terms of reference in thisregard while official modifications at the policy level were being drafted by the MoD.

The Nation Monitoring adds: The cost of the US-led war effort in Afghanistan is about to rise by $365 millionannually under an agreement that would reopen key Nato supply route through Pakistan thats been closed fornearly six months, reported Christian Science Monitor on Wednesday.

According to the paper, Pakistan in a major climb-down dropped its demand that Washington apologize for theSalala check post attack. Late Tuesday, after a meeting of Pakistans top civilian and military officials in Islamabad,the prime ministers office confirmed that the NATO supply route, known as GLOC or Ground Lines ofCommunications, would be reopened, subject to final negotiations.

The accord would revive the transport of vital supplies of food and equipment from Pakistani ports overland to land-locked Afghanistan. In return, the US-led coalition will pay Pakistan a still-to-be-fixed fee of $1,500 to $1,800 foreach truck carrying supplies, a tab that officials familiar with negotiations estimated would run nearly $1 million aday.

But in a major climb-down, Pakistan dropped its demand that Washington apologize for the deaths due to theNovember airstrike. There was also no agreement to end controversial strikes by American drone aircraft againstsuspected militants in Pakistans tribal area, as demanded by a cross-party resolution of Pakistans parliament.

Since closing of routes in Pakistan, supplies for coalition forces in Afghanistan have passed through one of tworoutes that stretch from Afghanistan through central Asia and Siberia to Georgia on the Black Sea. One of theroutes is nearly 6,000 miles long. The Pakistan route is less than 500 miles.

Officials in Washington said they didnt know how much of the new cost the US would bear. As the US contributesmore than two-thirds of the 130,000-strong international force, which operates under the command of NATO, itsexpected that Washington will pay most of the new fee.

In return, the US is asking Pakistan to provide security for the supplies, which are trucked through the country byprivate local transport companies, and much speedier clearance of customs and checkpoints. Militants and robbersfrequently attack trucks carrying NATO goods. American and Pakistani negotiators are still haggling over details ofthe new supply agreement. A definitive deal is likely by early next week. The NATO traffic in and out of Afghanistanthrough Pakistan is anticipated to be as many as 600 trucks a day between now and the end of next year.

Until now, Pakistan, which joined the US as an ally in invading Afghanistan after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, hascharged only nominal fees for shipments to US-led forces. But the new charge is considered a Pakistani effort toassert itself in its relationship with Washington, which suffered a series of serious setbacks last year, beginning with


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a CIA contractors shooting of two Pakistani civilians in January, continuing with the May raid that reportedly foundand killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, and ending with the border outpost attack.

The other major point of contention, on which no accord was announced, is the money that the United States owesPakistan under the Coalition Support Funds programme that reimburses Islamabad for the cost of guarding itswestern frontier with Afghanistan. According to Pakistani security officials, Pakistan is owed more than $2 billionand hasnt received a payment for two years.

Earlier Tuesday, NATO formally invited Pakistan to attend a meeting of the military alliance that begins Saturday inChicago. The invitation had been held up because of the closure of the supply line.

Defense Ministry skips deliberations on drones.

17 May 2012The NationPM Props up Sagacity on NATO SuppliesISLAMABAD - The Federal cabinet Wednesday welcomed the invitation extended by NATO to President AsifZardari for attending Chicago summit.

Chairing the cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said countrys relations with NATO and US werepassing through sensitive phase where we need to take critical decisions keeping in view our strategicimportance and national interests. The government, he said, would not compromise on its principled stance butwould also not be swayed by emotions. We did not and will not compromise on our principled stand but would alsonot take emotional decisions, which do not auger well for us in the long run, Gilani said.

The premiers remarks came a day after the Defense Committee of the Cabinet, the countrys highest decisionmaking body on security issues, endorsed President Zardaris participation in a crucial Nato Summit next week.

After the cabinet meeting, Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira told the media that the government has so farnot taken any decision on the restoration of Nato supply routes and though negotiation were on with thestakeholders. Asked if there was any deadline for the talks, the information minister said: There is no deadline. Alldepartments have been asked to conclude their negotiations in the quickest possible time.

He assured that all would be accomplished within the framework of national interests, and there would be nocompromise over national integrity, ever.

He assured the nation would not be kept in the dark about the issues, while government would demonstrate thesense of full responsibility in this regard. He said the invitation to President Zardari to attend NATO summit was

unconditional and the president was not going to announce restoration of NATO supply during this summit. He saidPakistan would not succumb to pressure and takes such decisions as would be in the best interest of the country.Despite pressure, we signed agreement with Iran as it was in the interest of the country, he said. Kaira alsodenied exchange of hot words between ministers during the cabinet meeting.

17 May 2012The NationChishti Reunites with Family after 20 Years


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KARACHI - Ailing virologist Khalil Chishti on Wednesday reunited with his family after nearly two decades amidstmoving and tearful scenes at the Karachi Airport where hundreds of people gathered to welcome him.

Chishti, who spent 20 long years away from home in Indian jail on charge of involvement in a murder, was broughtout of the Jinnah international airport in a wheelchair, looking frail and weak but with his spirits high. I am goingstraight to my residence where the first thing I want to do is play with my grandchildren, Chishti, who was wearinga Jinnah cap, told reporters at the airport.

It is a dream come true for me to meet with my wife, my children and relatives again and I am thankful to thePakistan and Indian governments for giving me this fresh lease of life, 82-year-old Chishti said. Wiping tears,Chishtis daughter Tariqa said her father was a tired man and would be taken straight to his residence in NorthNazimabad which had been lighted up to celebrate his return to Karachi.

It is hard to describe our feelings right now. He has come back home after 20 years. It is a moment my mother andmy sisters and brother have dreamt for years now as it has been a long fight for us, she said.

Hundreds of people gathered outside the airport to greet Chishti who was garlanded and showered with rose petalsas he was brought out of the terminal where he was received by Sindh Information Minister Shazia Marri andMuttahida Qaumi Movement senator Nasreen Jalil and MNA Babar Ghouri.

Chishti returned to Pakistan on Tuesday night on a special flight sent to bring him home by President Asif AliZardari. He landed in Islamabad.

Meanwhile, talking to a private TV channel, Chishti said that a conspiracy was hatched against him and he wasdeliberately involved in a murder case. He advised the Pakistanis visiting India to be wary of the Indians as theycould go to any extent in their hatred against Pakistanis.

17 May 2012Pak TribuneMehran Bank Case: Durrani says Baig was on Board since BeginningISLAMABAD: Former ISI chief Lt Gen (r) Asad Durrani said on Wednesday that former army chief General (r) MirzaAslam Beg was on board right from the beginning in the process of issuing instructions as well as overseeing thedisbursement of funds to political parties in the 1990s.

In his statement last week, Baig denied his involvement in disbursement of funds allegedly by the ISI amongpoliticians to topple former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's government. The former COAS stated that from the veryoutset of this case, he has maintained that he had absolutely no involvement in the disbursement of donations,ordered by former president Ghulam Ishaq Khan.

Responding to his statement, Asad Durrani, in a two-page statement submitted to the Supreme Court onWednesday, said, "I received my initial orders to organize distribution of election donations... Though thesubsequent instructions were at times conveyed by Mr. Ijlal Haider Zaidi, a member of the president's electionteam, I kept the army chief fully informed." He said that Beg was trying to absolve himself of any role in distributionof funds to various recipients.

According to Durrani, the institution of the ISI was brought under political control way back in 1975. According toGen (r) Baig's affidavit dated 23.2.97, a political cell was created in the ISI by the then PM Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. "Beas it may, ISI as an organization responds to multiple centers of power: the President, in his capacity as the


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Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces; the three service chiefs and the chairman JSHQ; and indeed the PrimeMinister." Durrani said that in practice, however, the army chief wields more power over the ISI than any of its other'bosses'; not only because of his extraordinary status in the national polity, but also because most of the ISI's seniorappointments, including its director general are serving soldiers.

"All accounts were maintained by the officers belonging to various MI detachments and funds were placed intemporary accounts (details can be provided on confidential basis). Only after the disbursements were over, thebalance was transferred to a special fund of the ISI. Since records were meticulously maintained, all transactionscan be accounted for."

Asad Durrani said, "However, as I had stated when called upon by the Hon'able Court to do so on 9.3.2012, I donot wish to merely take cover of the mandate, or of carrying out orders from the competent authority."

"I believe that as a General of the Pakistan Army, I also have to take responsibility for my action. In this case Ifollowed orders convinced that it was in the country's best interest. I seek the court's permission to explain mydecision on confidential basis; or if it pleases the court, to submit an 'eyes only' paper on the subject," he said.

The court will take up Air Marshal (r) Asghar Khan's petition against disbursement of millions of rupees by the ISIamong anti-PPP politicians to manipulate the 1990 elections today (Thursday). The amount was allegedlydisbursed by General (r) Baig, Asad Durrani and defunct Mehran Bank chief Younas Habib.

17 May 2012Pak TribuneNo more Emotional Decisions in Future: GilaniISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Wednesday said Pakistan did not and will not compromise on

its principled stand but would also not take emotional decisions, which did not auger well for it in the long run.

Chairing the federal cabinet meeting, the prime minister noted, "Our relations with NATO and US are passingthrough a delicate phase where we need to take critical decisions keeping in view our strategic importance in theregion and our national interests." The prime minister said the next budget would be a step towards macro-economic stability and provision of relief to the common man. He asked the finance minister and his team, which isin final stages of the budget preparation, to follow the policy guidelines of a people-friendly budget.

Gilani suggested strengthening of monitoring and evaluation capacity of the Planning Commission. He said the costof project management in public sector development was too high which needs to be further rationalized. Gilanialso called for creation of 100,000 jobs for young men and women through the next budget. He called foraddressing the energy crisis in the country, in line with recommendations of the Energy Conference held in Lahorein April.

In a media briefing after the meeting, Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said the Defense Committee of theCabinet and the cabinet itself has fixed no deadline for final decision on resumption of NATO supplies, however,both have welcomed and endorsed President Asif Ali Zardari's participation in Chicago summit of the alliance. Hesaid the DCC in its meeting on Tuesday had only directed the departments concerned to complete their work onNATO supply issue, and the impression created by the media that a decision has been taken on restoration ofNATO supplies was totally wrong.

"Restoration of NATO supplies was not linked to Chicago conference invitation to president of Pakistan, neither thecivil nor the security institutions have made any commitment with anybody," the minister stated. He said there was


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no difference of opinion between the civil and military leadership on the issue, and a final decision would be takenon the president's return from Chicago, keeping in view the national integrity and interest.

Kaira said the prime minister has taken the federal cabinet into confidence on the issues of national importance,like the DCC meeting, his visit to United Kingdom and the Supreme Court's decision in the contempt case. On theenergy crisis, the minister said the Cabinet's Energy Committee has been expanded and it would monitorgeneration, distribution and power load shedding situation on daily basis and would implement decisions takenduring the Energy Summit. He said stern action will be taken against those involved in power theft, and acountrywide crackdown would be launched against such elements with the help of law enforcement agencies. Adrive will be launched for the recovery of Rs 300 billion to facilitate import of fuel for power generation.

The information minister said the cabinet was also taken into confidence on the appointment of the chief electioncommissioner. Kaira informed that Coal Gasification Pilot Project initiated by Dr Samar Mubarakmand has not beenstopped and it is underway. There is only a difference of opinion on the issue between the Planning Commissionand Dr. Mubarakmand on the project, he said.

Finance Minister Dr Hafeez Shaikh assured the cabinet that his ministry would ensure that funds are released inthe next fiscal year for the import of fuel for power generation, completion of power projects, and clearance of duesof the IPPs and other important heads. In this regard, he said, provinces' help would be sought for closure of shopsby 8pm and recovery of Rs 150 billion from them on account of power dues. There would be no forced power loadshedding or un-announced power outage in the country, he vowed.

17 May 2012Pak TribuneKarachi Violence Claims Nine more Lives

KARACHI: Nine people, including three political party members, were killed in separate incidents of target killing inthe metropolis on Wednesday.

Two armed motorcyclists shot dead 45-year-old Khursheed Iqbal near Millat Garden, Malir, within the jurisdiction ofthe Saudabad Police Station. SHO Imdad Solangi said the deceased was associated with the Muttahida QaumiMovement (MQM), and a former nazim of Union Council-5, Malir.

He said Iqbal was on his motorcycle when the armed assassins targeted him, adding that they shot him at leastseven times before fleeing. Tension prevailed in various areas of Malir, including Jinnah Square, Malir-15, LiaquatMarket, Khokhrapar, Saudabad, Kala Board and Rafah-e-Aam Society, where routine and commercial activitiesremained suspended after unidentified men restored to indiscriminate gunfire. Similarly, another MQM activist wasgunned down in Saudabad police limits. Thirty-four-year-old Zubair Siddiqui, a resident of Fareed Colony, waskilled near Liaquat Market, Malir.

Police officials said he was on his motorcycle when the armed motorcyclists targeted him. Imdad Solangi said thatthe victim was an active worker of MQM's Unit-99 and a trader by profession. He was shot at least four times.

Another man, associated with the MQM, was shot dead in Durrani Goth, Sector 15-C of Orangi Town, within thejurisdiction of the Pakistan Bazaar Police Station. Police said unidentified motorcyclists targeted Hassnain Malik,35, while he was taking tea at a restaurant. He was shot four times. Deceased was associated with real estatebusiness.


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SHO Sabir Hussain said Zubair had recently joined the MQM after quitting the Pakistan People's Party. He saidZubair's son, Altaf Malik, was also killed in the same manner on April 2. Separately, two brothers were shot dead inGulshan-e-Mazdoor, Baldia, within the precincts of the Saeedabad Police Station.

Unidentified armed motorcyclists targeted Saeed Baloch and Abdul Mujeeb Baloch.

Police said the victims had relocated from Lyari to Mawacch Goth a month ago, and some personal enmity mighthave caused the incident. Separately, a youngster was shot dead at Mir Alam Road within the limits of BaldiaPolice Station. His identity is yet to be ascertained.

According to witnesses, unidentified men on two motorcycles pushed the youngster off one of their bikes beforeshooting him four times. Duty Officer SI Asghar Ali said police also found a loaded pistol lying near the victim'sbody, adding that he appeared to be of Baloch descent.

Meanwhile, tension prevailed in PECHS Society, Tariq Road, Tipu Sultan Road, Khalid Bin Waleed Road andSharah-e-Quaideen areas during the funeral procession of former UC-7 councilor of the MQM, Anwar Alam. Hewas gunned down near his house on Tuesday evening.

A member of the defunct People's Aman Committee (PAC) was shot dead at Niazi Chowk within the jurisdiction ofKalri Police Station. Thirty-eight-year-old Aslam Niazi alias Commando was sitting among friends when two armedmotorcyclists shot him dead. SHO Safdar Mashwani said that the deceased was also associated with a Lyari-basedgang, and was wanted in several cases.

Separately, 42-year-old Sardar Hussain was shot dead near Metro Cinema, Banaras, within the limits of PirabadPolice Station. He was standing at a bus stop when unidentified motorcyclists shot him four times.

In the last incident, unidentified persons killed a rickshaw driver on Burns Road in the limits of Aram Bagh PoliceStation.

Police said that incident took place near Fresco Chowk, where an unidentified rickshaw driver was injured afterbeing shot in the back. He was rushed to the Civil Hospital, where he succumbed.

17 May 2012Pak TribuneANP Kohat President Injured in AttackPESHAWAR: Awami National Party (ANP) Kohat District President Saeed Shah was critically wounded in attack onhis car on Wednesday, 65 kilometers south of Peshawar.

Police sources told that Saeed Shah had been moved to Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar. They said theleader's wife, Member of National Assembly Khurshid Begum, remained unhurt in the incident.

The ANP Kohat district president and his wife were attacked in the Sheikhan area of the district. "A party activist,Fida, was killed in the attack," a source said, adding that one of the attackers was killed in retaliatory fire. He waslater identified as Mateen, a notorious criminal of the area, sources said.

Saeed Shah is being treated for bullet wounds, and his condition is said to be critical. It was not clear whether theTaliban had carried out the attack on the ANP leader, as no group has claimed responsibility for the attack. TheTaliban regularly attack the ruling party for supporting military operations against them.


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EDITORIALS(Top)

17 May 2012Daily TimesEDITORIAL: The Honor NarrativeAs expected by many observers, the Defense Committee of the Cabinet (DCC) has given a green light to thereopening of NATOs supply routes, with the caveat as per parliaments resolutions that only non-lethal cargo wouldbe allowed to traverse Pakistani soil, and that too on the basis of a tariff to be imposed on goods transiting toAfghanistan.

Not entirely unexpectedly either, the return to realism rather than the chest thumping on display by us for months inthe name of national honor has meant that diplomacy has kicked in on both sides. The reopening of the supplyroutes has been delinked from the demand for an apology for Salala or the cessation of drone strikes (the latterhaving been flatly refused by the US). On these two issues, the DCC has said the foreign office will continue toengage with the US. On the other hand, in an ostensible reversal of NATO Secretary General Anders FoghRasmussens assertion recently that Pakistan would not find a seat at NATOs Chicago summit or indeed any otherNATO forum unless the routes were restored, the secretary general has extended an invitation to President Asif AliZardari for the Chicago moot.

Since the DCC has welcomed the development, the condition in the presidents reply to the invitation that he wouldbe guided by parliament and the governments advice has been fulfilled, smoothing the path for the presidentsattendance. The US State Department spokesperson has also delinked the invitation from what was previouslyseen as a pre-condition that the supply routes must first be reopened before an invitation would be forthcoming.What all this means is that both sides have retreated diplomatically from the brink of a total breakdown in relationsand are striving to get back to business as usual, but with new terms of engagement.

The DCC has instructed all relevant ministries to conclude their negotiations with the US on the new terms. TheCorps Commanders meeting called by COAS General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani to brief on the DCC decisions, whoseresults were not yet available at the time of writing these lines, was expected to endorse the governments changedstance. Cynics would say that this is just a formality, since it is common knowledge that the military calls the shotson foreign policy, particularly vis--vis Afghanistan.

The DCC wants the military to negotiate new rules for management of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, with bettercoordination/communication to avoid Salala-like incidents from recurring. It also endorsed parliaments call forforeign fighters on Pakistani soil, wherever found, to be expelled, a decision that would be interesting to watchsince it has been the core issue between the ostensible allies regarding the safe havens available to the AfghanTaliban on this side of the border.

The difficulties the government is facing in announcing the decisions ostensibly already taken to cooperate once

again with NATO, albeit on new terms, is a self-inflicted wound. By throwing the ball into parliament and itsParliamentary Committee on National Securitys court, the government opened the door to political forces inparliament fundamentally opposed to the alliance against terror with the US/NATO to assert difficult and evenimpossible preconditions for reopening of the routes.

Now the government, in the shape of Information Minister Kaira, is treading softly in the public space because ofapprehensions regarding the unholy alliance of parties inside and outside parliament who are committed tostopping the NATO supplies, physically if necessary. Unfortunately, in one of its least wise decisions, the PML-Nhas thrown in its lot with parties like the PTI, JI, and the retrograde Defense of Pakistan Council, which boasts


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many extremists in its ranks. This is not to say that Pakistan should not have defended its honor after the Salalaattack. Only such defense must take into account Pakistans own interests in remaining engaged if not allied withthe US/NATO in the struggle against terrorism, which afflicts us as much as it does Afghanistan.

Our duality of policy vis--vis our Afghan proxies have made the task of combating terrorism on our own soil thatmuch more difficult. Our chest thumping on national honor had painted us into a corner from which extractiondepended on professional diplomacy, not loud slogans for the gallery. Honor can only be defended when a countryis really strong and standing on its own feet. Anything less, which obviously applies in our case, must be negotiatedwith realism and pragmatism. Hopefully belated wisdom will teach us not to overreach our real strengths andweaknesses.

17 May 2012Daily TimesSECOND EDITORIAL: Wrecks, Lies and VideotapeIn a bid to deal with militancy in the North Waziristan Agency (NWA), the authorities have decided to launch anoperation against anti-state elements and foreign radical elements that have recently become a pain in the neck forthe security forces. Many incidents of firing and bomb blasts at checks posts or on military convoys have beenreported in the area.

The recent beheading of 13 soldiers at the hands of the Taliban in the main city, Miran Shah, has persuaded theauthorities to revise their policy of ignoring the activities of the insurgents. The militants went as far as to beheadtwo soldiers and hang their heads on poles at different places in Miran Shah. Yet the kid gloves do not seem tohave come off. The planned action is in the form of launching surgical strikes and carefully targeted attacks to, atleast in appearance, prevent collateral damage but in fact to save the militarys strategic assets, the so-called goodTaliban.

Regrettably, the realization is yet to dawn upon the military establishment that its strategic depth policy has neitherserved the country nor would it bring any good fortune in the foreseeable future. Although no one has claimedresponsibility for the soldiers beheading, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leader Hakimullah Mehsud hasreleased a video of the embarrassing Bannu jailbreak. Despite US pressure, the government has so far refused tolaunch an operation in NWA.

It is believed that the militants who fled from South Waziristan during the military offensive there, took refuge inNWA and have even been shifted to the eastern provinces in Afghanistan a known Haqqani network stronghold

to avert any loss in the event of a military offensive in NWA. These Pakistani Taliban, allies of the Haqqaninetwork, have been using Afghan soil to launch attacks inside Pakistan.

Recent incidents have reinforced the perception of the ineffectiveness of the Pakistan armys duplicitous policy,

which does not seem to have been abandoned even today. Targeted attacks will be launched on the bad Talibanin NWA but how they intend to identify and separate the good from the bad, on the ground, is a secret formula yetto be made public.

The Pakistani civil and military establishment seriously needs to come out of its self-created, self-subscribed utopiaand embrace reality. The militant mindset, Pakistani or Afghan, is bred from the same stock. Pakistanslongstanding support to such groups has only earned it a bad name in the international community. It is time thatour military establishment understands that it is time to quit its dual policies and eliminate all terrorist forces.


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17 May 2012Daily TimesCOMMENT: Kayanis Speech and National Interest NarrativeDr. Mohammad Taqi

It is most unfortunate that even the relatively liberal analysts would unquestioningly grant the army the status of thesole arbiter of defining Pakistans national interest.

As discussed last week, Field Marshal Ayub Khans twin attack on the free press and the politicians was part of thewell-conceived strategy that was replicated by the army usurpers who followed. According to the late Mazhar AliKhan, the Ayub Khan regime felt an urgent need for a totally subservient press and had initially planned startingone or two newspapers under the governments direct control. But the junta and its client intellectuals, likeQudratullah Shahab and Altaf Gauhar, determined that such venture might not fly. They subsequently thought ofnationalizing the whole press but decided against it, fearing adverse publicity internationally.

The clique ultimately settled on targeting, on April 18, 1959, the Progressive Papers Limited, because it includedthe countrys largest English daily, The Pakistan Times, as well as the Urdu daily Imroze. The highly pro-USgeneralissimo had done a total number on the press and now had his own versions of subservient newspapers.

Pakistans first military regime did not stop at muzzling of the press and crushing democratic political forces.Pakistan was a multi-ethnic state and the junta was in search of the cement that not just held the variousnationalities together but also legitimized and consolidated the militarys controlling position over them. ThePakistani brass needed to invent a working ideology to become the supra-ethnic gel. It chose the ideological statemodel with heavy emphasis on Islamic or even pan-Islamic identity, anti-India jingoism entrenched in themartial race delusion, and the market economy (read western and US aid). The supra-ethnic Islamic nationalidentity imposed at gunpoint thus became the grundnorm, from which Pakistan never could extricate itself.

Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy and other leading politicians of the era had seen this coming. Writing in the April1957 issue of Foreign Affairs magazine, Suhrawardy had prophetically noted, No royal or aristocratic pattern ofduty and authority based on long and universal acceptance is at hand to serve our needs (to build an effectivebasis of the state).

The goal can be achieved only through elections. Warning voices sometimes tell me that Pakistan is not ready forthe democratic process. I can only reply that then Pakistan is not ready at all; for there is no alternative way ofbringing about rapport between authority and people, no other avenue to national fulfillment...On the one side areranged the advocates of segregation of our voters into religious communities. Proponents of this plan argue thatPakistans destiny is to be an ideological state. They would keep alive within Pakistan the divisive communalemotions by which the subcontinent was riven before the achievement of independence.

On the other side are those who see Pakistan in terms of a nation state. I am unequivocally committed to this side. I

see a Pakistan great enough and strong enough to encompass all its citizens, whatever their faith, on a basis oftrue civic equality and by that fact made greater and stronger.

After the 1959 coup, Ayub Khan too laid out his vision in Foreign Affairs magazine. In the July 1960 issue of thejournal, a lengthy piece titled Pakistans Perspective appeared under the dictators byline, which gives a glimpseof the juntas mindset and Qudratullah Shahab-types who provided the theoretical basis for its experiment.

The article is replete with references to religion and relies heavily on Allama Iqbals role as creator of our ideology.Ayub Khan quotes Iqbal to postulate that in Islam the spiritual and the temporal are not two distinct domains and


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how Pakistan had been involved in the paradox of almost losing its ideology in the very act of trying to fulfill it. Hethen shamelessly trashed the politicians and democracy as a system of government totally unsuited to the temperand climate of the country before giving the outlines of his basic democracy that should be able to producereasonably strong and stable governments. Ayesha Jalal and Husain Haqqani (the latter in particular) in theirbooks have provided great analyses of this tug of war between the political forces and the junta. Like Mazhar AliKhans Pakistan Forum article, the above quoted Foreign Affairs articles remain necessary reading even today.

Ayub Khans vision obviously prevailed over Suhrawardys and the military became the custodian of the ideologicalfrontiers, in addition to defending the physical frontiers. Each successive military regime took up from where theprevious one had left and kept pouring more political Islam and jingoism into the Ayub formula. The ideology deckwas stacked against the democratic forces, which were now bound in the straightjacket of the supra-ethnicPakistani-Islamic identity.

The politicians and whatever was left of the alternative media voices found themselves under assault both from theguardians of the ideological frontiers directly, as well as from the street teeming with military-allied mullahs andtheir subsequent reincarnations and the junta-co-opted media.

Whether it was the 1988 Geneva Accords with Afghanistan/USSR or more recently the Kerry-Lugar-Berman lawissue, the national interest nutcracker of the junta and its media-mullah stooges had the politicians trapped. Fromthe mysterious death of Suhrawardy to the assassination of leaders like Benazir Bhutto and bomb attacks onAsfandyar Wali and Afrasiab Khattak, politicians have risked physical elimination whenever they tried to break thischokehold.

It is most unfortunate that even the relatively liberal analysts would unquestioningly grant the army the status of thesole arbiter of defining Pakistans national interest. Any discussion of Salala and General Kayanis recent speech isincomplete without dissecting his and his predecessors overt and covert political interventions, each one of whichended in a national disaster.

As the respected intellectual Dr. Manzur Ejaz puts it, the post-Salala shenanigans were the Kargil of Pakistansmilitary-run foreign policy. Like the Operations Search Light, Gibraltar, Jalalabad, Kargil and so on, the self-appointed custodians of the national interest and those singing their unqualified praises have egg on theirface again. The brass bit off more than it could chew and risking exclusion from the Chicago moot on Afghanistanended up vacating, quite humiliatingly, the Tiger Hill of diplomacy that it thought it had captured.

About time that those analysts who, in the words of the late Zamir Niazi, are in an incestuous relationship with thepower players, realized that one cannot run with the hare and hunt with the hounds they will be called out on it.

The writer can be reached at [email protected]. He tweets at http://twitter.com/mazdaki

17 May 2012Daily TimesVIEW: Peace in Tiny PiecesD Asghar

The loss of innocent lives to feed the lust of a silent and, regrettably, violent minority is reprehensible. The rust ofages is not going to disappear in days.

An Indian channel tried to stir a conspiracy that some Pakistani businessman from Lahore had made it to India tostage another Mumbai-style terrorist attack. Undoubtedly wrong, yet it created a frenzy almost instantaneously. The


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television age of instant news and the dangerous trend of breaking news stir up many pots for no reason. Thefundamental problem is lack of verification and vetting of sources that supposedly supply such news items tochannels be it in India or Pakistan. The gravity of this gaffe and its potential impact can be extremely serious,without a doubt.

Needless to say, there are hawks on both ends, who absolutely despise the idea of any overtures towards peace. Ican say with relative certainty that if Mr. Jinnah were around, he would have been utterly dismayed at the existingrelations between the two states. He had envisioned that we would be living amicably like the United States andCanada. It is ironic that we are more like North and South Korea, bloodthirsty and ready to engage violently tosettle unfinished scores of the past.

One of our gifted anchors decided to get even with the Indian channel by televising a live show from a businesscentre. His point was that those alleged terrorists were in fact peaceful merchants conducting their business in theheart of Lahore. Those gentlemen, of course, vented their frustration as well.

The intention of the anchor was to expose the absurdity of the Indian channel in labeling the innocent merchants asalleged terrorists. However, when a crowd gathered at that site and the anchor denounced the Aman ki Ashainitiative between the two countries, it was rather irresponsible on his part. As tiny or insignificant as the measuremay be, both countries are in dire need of such a process. One can sympathize with the Indian skepticism in light ofthe previous incidents. The leaders of both sides along with an overwhelming majority of people, on either side,have concluded that peace is the order of the day.

The respected anchors statement denouncing the initiative is sad and definitely a reactionary response. Perhapsthere are many like him on the other side hogging screen time, peddling the same narrative. But it is ratherdisheartening that we are still going round and round, inciting the same time-tested and completely failed enemysyndrome on both ends. The crowd at the venue of course chanted slogans of Takbeer and renewed their vows todefend the fortress of Islam. One gentleman made a rather amusing remark; he felt that Ajmal Kasab was an

innocent villager and somehow framed. The usual Pakistani gripe of Indian insincerity towards peace and theKashmir issue was repeated over and over. The Indian medias role in maligning Pakistan was discussed at greatlength as well.

Now this is rather ridiculous as Kasab was captured on closed circuit TV in India as one of the main culprits of theMumbai mayhem back in 2008. Yes, he was framed for sure, not by some conspiring and conniving person, but bythe eye of the camera. We can sit and argue endlessly that it is a grand conspiracy, but the facts will not alter.Indeed, there are many characters like him within us and perhaps there are many on the other side. Some of thosewere perhaps behind the Samjhota Express massacre.

The loss of innocent lives to feed the lust of a silent and, regrettably, violent minority is reprehensible. The rust ofages is not going to disappear in days. Yes, it will take some time. However, the governments on both sides haveto make a concerted and sincere effort to expedite things within their reach. The secretary and junior level talks

have been progressing at the pace of a rather sleepy snail. It is high time that the premiers sit face to face andmake some bold and historic moves.

Similarly, media on both ends has to play a responsible role in healing wounds and not reopening the old andinflicting some new ones. Children on both sides ought to live in a fair and peaceful region, where poverty iseliminated and prosperity can be embraced. Policy makers on both sides ought to revisit the opening scene of aBollywood movie of the early 1990s called Henna. Incidentally, our foreign minister shares the name of the leadinglady of the movie. The opening scene showed a flowing river, which runs through both countries, without distinction.Peace and prosperity is much like that river that needs to run through our lands to wash away all unnecessary


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blood that was shed. Peace in all its tiny bits and pieces is far better than decades of meaningless war andhostilities. I sincerely hope someone in the corridors of power can see and utilize the flow of peace.

The writer is a Pakistani-American mortgage banker. He blogs at http://dasghar.blogspot.com and can be reachedat [email protected] He tweets at http://twitter.com/dasghar

17 May 2012Daily TimesVIEW: Post-2014 Afghan Economy in PerilJan Assakzai

The ability to launch mega projects and create job opportunities in post-2014 Afghanistan will be stifled by donorfatigue.

As TV studios in Washington and London discuss whether to precipitously withdraw NATO forces fromAfghanistan or stick to the scheduled 2014 deadline, they largely ignore the predicted decline in aid toAfghanistans economy once the transition of security to Afghan forces is completed. The dire prediction comesfrom none other than the World Bank itself.

However, before the negative effects of the coming decline in financial assistance are discussed, a cursory look atwhat has been achieved over the past decade in the economy, following NATOs intervention, is warranted. Thebest gauge is perhaps the state of the reconstruction effort. On the positive side, ring roads have been constructedlinking the countrys major cities (around $ 8 billion was spent on these infrastructure projects). All the big cities nowhave electricity. A rail service has been started linking Uzbekistan with Afghanistans Mazar-e-Sharif city nosmall feat given Afghanistans poor infrastructure. Around $ 2 billion has been privately invested in Afghanistans

telecom industry an act of faith by investors given the precarious security environment.

Chinese, Canadian and Indian companies have promised billions of dollars worth of investment in the mining ofminerals, higher education, transport, food security, railway links and employment-generation projects. But muchcan go wrong between now and the honoring of these pledges. Although these efforts have begun to improvesignificantly the poor infrastructure of the country, ruined by decades of civil war, they will be insufficient to solveAfghanistans medium- and long-term problems.

The 95 percent of the development budget financed by foreign aid presents the main challenge. With the deadlinefor NATO to hand over security to Afghan forces fast approaching, and the recession-hit economies of westerndonors struggling to recover, the predicted reduction in aid could be catastrophic. No wonder then that owing tofinancial constraints, the number of Afghan security forces have already been quietly reduced from 375,000 to220,000.

As the NATO forces withdraw, the accompanying decrease in aid will hack into government and developmentbudgets. According to the World Bank, Afghanistans total budget, both for development and governmentsexpenditures, was around $ 17 billion for the years 2010 and 2011; nearly 60 percent of the total amount was spenton the Afghan security forces, including the police (Source: World Bank, Afghanistan, Beyond 2014).

For the coming decade, the World Bank grimly projects a financing gap of around 25 percent of GDP ($ 7.2 billion)a year. It forecasts a decline in the growth rate to 5.5 present by 2018 and to 3.3 percent in the longer term. Against


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this backdrop, Afghanistan not only needs a yearly commitment of $ 4-5 billion for its security forces but also atleast $ 25-30 billion over the whole next ten years in order to ensure a growth rate at modest levels, i.e. around sixpercent, as against the phenomenal 9.1 percent average rate over the last ten years (thanks to donors aid moneyand nearly $ 3.5 billion average yearly remittances from the Afghan Diaspora).

The ability to launch mega projects and create job opportunities in post-2014 Afghanistan will be stifled by donorfatigue; but it is the demographics that raise the stakes, as 60 percent of the population is under 25.Unemployment, currently a massive 40 percent if left to continue, will fuel poverty, social unrest and vulnerability especially amongst the young to the influence of violent and extremist groups. No wonder more and moreunemployed youth will likely take all sorts of travel risks ending up on the shores of Europe and the UK,exacerbating the already controversial immigration issue.

The World Banks predictions for the national economy beyond 2014 also point to the relationship betweendeclining aid money and the growing share of the opium trade; this threatens, effectively, to turn Afghanistan into anarco-state. According to a study by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes in its 2011 report, fundsearned, even now, from opium cultivation are around $ 70 billion and $ 500 million go to Afghan farmers. Themiddlemen get another $ 2.5 billion. The big barons in Asia and the west get the rest of the money. No wonderopium cultivation has a correlation with other dynamics like overall insecurity, loss of accessible areas and harmfuloutside interference in the country. The money obtained feeds the insurgency, drawing on the unemployed youth.

President Karzai knows that if a political solution to the insurgency is not found and found quickly and a regionalconsensus on post-2014 Afghanistan is not hammered out, the resulting negative security environment will furthercripple the national economy.

The World Banks warnings for post-2014 are likely to add further to the disillusionment of Afghans and suggest as the troops leave the coming of a failed state, home to abject poverty, mass unemployment and social misery.

These are the perfect conditions for breeding and recruiting al Qaeda-linked jihadists. This threatens the future notjust of Afghans but all of us here in Pakistan and the west alike.

The writer is a London-based Afghan affairs analyst with vast experience in financial reporting. He has also workedwith the BBC World Services Afghan Stream in London from 1999-2007

17 May 2012Daily TimesANALYSIS: The Chicago NATO Summit Much Ado About...?Harlan Ullman

Without Pakistan, any solution to Afghanistan will be incomplete. Without substantive agreements, the peace

process will be harmed.

NATOs 28 members and some dozen partners will convene this Sunday at a heads of government, heads of statesummit in Chicago, President Barack Obamas hometown. These summits have been held roughly every twoyears. The previous one took place in Lisbon in November 2010, where a new strategic concept was approvedredefining NATOs purposes for the 21st century with specific challenges and dangers of a post-Cold War world twodecades on.

The US last hosted a summit in 1999 commemorating NATOs 50th anniversary as an alliance. That summit metamidst NATOs first war being waged over Kosovo and the bombing campaign to force Serbian strongman


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Slobodan Milosevic to cease the killing of ethnic Kosovars and the impeachment of President Bill Clinton. Thissummit will lack that drama.

For most people, NATO is not a term used in the daily lexicon. It occasionally appeared in the press last year overthe campaign that successfully removed Muammar Qaddafi as Libyas ruler and in the persistent conflict inAfghanistan. But aside from several rooms full of experts and literati, Americans are far better acquainted withmovie stars, celebrities and television programs than the most successful military alliance in history.

None of this is necessarily bad. But public indifference does shift the balance between NATO as relevant or as arelic to the right. With the Soviet Union in its grave for more than a score of years, public opinion in the US andEurope souring over the Afghan war, and in the absence of a clear and present danger, the obvious rationale forthe alliance must be largely taken on faith, and as an insurance policy against future threats, provided the price tagdoes not yield sticker shock.

The themes of this summit are Afghanistan and the planned phase down of NATO forces to be completed by theend of 2014, maintaining defense capability, i.e. military forces, in an age (politely described as) of austerity,meaning no money, and partnerships to provide global reach. Yet, the summit takes place in the dark andthickening shadows of economic crisis in Europe extending across the Atlantic, and a perilous situation inAfghanistan.

There are ample critics of the strategy and viability of negotiations with the Taliban adversary, the inherentweakness and corruption of the Kabul government to assume full responsibility for the future security and stabilityof the country, and the US presidential elections in which Chicago almost certainly will be a showcase for pitchingMr. Obama as commander-in-chief.

The presence of the new French President, Monsieur Francois Hollande and uncertainty over Paris commitment to

stay the course in Afghanistan and the absence of the new Russian President Vladimir Putin will complicate thesummit and its expectations. At this writing, Pakistan has finally received an invitation. Without Pakistan, anysolution to Afghanistan will be incomplete.

However, there are downsides. Without substantive agreements, the peace process will be harmed. And,regardless, Pakistans unprecedented anti-Americanism will be magnified, distorted and directed even moreviciously against President Asif Zardari who will be portrayed as yielding to Washington and its despised policies.

More importantly, the alliances main business is unfinished fashioning a credible message for its politicians andpublics as to why NATO remains relevant to the security of its members and partners in the 21st century. Thecurrent argument, sadly, is circular. We need NATO or NATO matters more because we need it more or because itmatters more. That is an article of faith and a belief. That argument is not sufficient to convince largely indifferent ordisinterested publics and absent palpable threats of the need to sustain NATO for the indefinite future.

One option is for NATO to consider a name change for the long term. It is ironic and interesting that of NATOs 28members, only Canada, Norway, Iceland (with no military), and the northern tips of Britain and the US touch on theNorth Atlantic. Southwest of France, Spain and Portugal border on the South Atlantic. The remaining 20 have nodirect access to the Atlantic except through other routes. So perhaps NATO could become the TransatlanticAlliance, reflecting a broader geostrategic treaty rather than a military pact. And since Atlantic would remain part ofthe name, what about potential partners on this side of that ocean to the south?


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That Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and other partners in the Pacific have relationships with NATO,does it not make sense to reconsider expanding the nature of the partnerships programs? The answer is yes.However, that will not happen soon.

NATO, no matter the name, is crucial to security and stability of its members. If not now, sometime soon and beforethe next summit that case must be made otherwise, NATO risks becoming a relic and no longer relevant to thedemands of the 21st century.

The writer is Chairman of the Killowen Group that advises leaders of government and business and Senior Advisorat Washington DCs Atlantic Council

17 May 2012Daily TimesVIEW: Pirs in PoliticsFaheem Amir

The tragedy is that with the passage of time, many custodians, if not all, of the shrines of the saints have indulgedin worldly pursuits, pleasures and manipulations.

A real Sufi endeavors to tame animalistic instincts, passions and negative ideas; he tries his utmost to cultivate inhimself the feelings of goodness, love and sacrifice. After reaching the acme of spiritual elevation, he takes everypain for spreading teachings of love, brotherhood, self-abnegation, peace, patience and equality among the entirepeople of the world.

He sheds the light of wisdom in the abysmal darkness of ignorance, rejects the class-riddled system, flays

exploitation, criticizes cruelty, rebels against the prevailing false system, ridicules caste, color and creed, chidescruel customs and traditions, slams worldly power, slays racism, censors extremism, abhors pride and hatesprejudice. He sacrifices all his worldly possessions, including family, wealth, etc, for upholding the flag of truth andserving humanity. This sense of duty becomes his passion of love, ishq. No power on earth can deviate him fromhis path of preaching and practicing universal love.

No one can deny the sincerity and contributions of Sufis, who faced untold problems and tolerated acute sufferingsin spreading the teachings of Islam (peace and love) in the subcontinent. Saints like Hazrat Ali Hajveri, MoinuddinChishti, Qutab-ud-Din Bakhtyar Kaki, Farduddn Masd, Nizamuddin Auliya, etc, still live in the hearts of thepeople due to their all-encompassing and humanitarian teachings. To show their devotion, respect and love, manypeople, including Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims and rulers like Mughal Emperor Akbar and present day leaders likePresident Zardari wish to visit the shrines of these great saints for getting blessings.

However, the tragedy is that with the passage of time, many custodians, if not all, of the shrines of the saints haveindulged in worldly pursuits, pleasures and manipulations. They have forgotten spiritualism and learnt materialism.

Noted scholar Dr Ayesha Siddiqa writes, Sufism in the subcontinent changed when it morphed into an institutionwhich would readily partner with the state. Contrary to the basic principle of Sufism that appreciation in the eyes ofGod who is perceived as the ultimate beloved depends on the hard work of the disciple, the form whichevolved in the 19th and 20th centuries, turned the shrine into the nucleus that was dominated by a hereditarysystem. The pirs hard work of spiritualism was marketed through his family, with the son taking over from the fatherand so on.


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Genealogy became the only criterion for being a pir and the basic qualities like having noble character, honesty,love to serve humanity and hunger for getting knowledge was put aside. Bulleh Shah, a great Sufi saint, challengedand ridiculed this prevailing custom in these words: To admonish Bullah came his sisters and sisters-in-law/ whyhave you brought disgrace to the Prophet (Muhammad PBUH) and to the progeny of Ali (RA)? Listen to our advice,O Bullah, and leave the hem of the Arains skirt. /Let anyone, who calls me a Sayyad, be punished with the torturesof hell/ and let him revel in the pleasures of heaven, who labels me an Arain/ If you seek the pleasures of the springseason, become a slave of the Arain.

A new class of the pir-lords emerged along with the other ruling class of feudal lords in the subcontinent. Likefeudal lords, these materialistic and worldly pirs became interested only in getting power and pelf.

Acknowledging the importance of Sufis and their inheritors in the subcontinent, Edward Backhouse Eastwick (1814-1883), a British orientalist and di

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