PAKISTAN AND ITS POLITICS

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by ikram ul haq

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Breaking News-April 26, 2009 Apr26-2009--Things start to go sour on the swat accord...they stop a military convoy thru mingora mear Qamber angering military who say action will be taken if military convoys are blocked or militants display arms on teh roadside...militants also occupy PMLn leaders house...in bahrain Apr26-2009--eleven children killed while playing with a bomb in lower dir... Apr26-2009--military moves into maidan the home town of sufi mohammed in dir as militants also takeup positions...military could be attempting to stop taleban infiltration from various areas...helicopters flew overhead in many dir areas... Apr26-2009--situation eased in Buner as swat taleban moved out and military moved in...militant patrolling stopped and people started daily chores...taleban still in some buner areas... Apr26-2009--Dawn reports that teh charsadda suicide bomber was from swat and sufi mohammed seems to have his hands full as swat militants have again started to act up..both sides are now bristling with the army back from their chutti and swat militants also finding that giving up arms is not easy...many suggest that the pukhtuns have to realize that arms are a means and carrying them around in normal times is counter productive...one retired major general called arms a pukhtun ornament...such views are counterproductive and nobody understands when arms and jirgas are used for negative actions...rather than maintaining peace... Apr26-2009--like teh indians and americans gordon brown also probably thought that he was right when he accused pakistan of exporting terrorism and than had to eat humble pie as the group they had nabbed was told to leave the country... Apr26-2009--Robert O Blake a supposed peacenik to become US ambassador in pakistan Apr26-2009--reports of mqm targeting pukhtuns in karachi as two more are gunned down Apr26-2009--PMLn still refuses to acknowledge that musharaf types are wrong for appointment as COAS..such men should not be promoted beyond brigadier...when relatively brilliant officers such as Ali Quli are around there is no need to bring relatively dumb officers to teh fore...many suggest that the appointment might have had something todo with a sharifs inspired coup aginst zulfikar ali bhutto in which musharaf was either a snitch or a participant who was not picked up... Apr26-2009--In dera bugti five militants and an FC soldier killed in clashes and a landmine blast Apr26-2009--government still taxing petrol to the extent of Rs.27.49 a liter Apr26-2009--rockets fired at oil field in kohat Apr25-2009--Kiani again wants to start operations and says teh fight will continue untill its conclusion...upto now the army has not been completely successful as there is no trained backup civilian-police system to take over control...the moment the army stops teh militants resurface and with the populace which is relatively timid immediately gains control...he also threatens sufi mohammeds areas...many suggest taht the frontier regime should clear teh air that the agreement includes at least a non display of arms and no militant intrusion into other areas Apr25-2009--Taleban start pulling out of Buner after another intervention and sufi mohammed said that a display of arms would be stopped... Apr25-2009--while the impression was that pakistan created teh Taleban... Hilary says that the US created taleban...many have said that the US still maintains monetary and control links and has been deliberately trying to destabilize pakistan Apr26-2009--in the lawless area of kala dhaka a couple who eloped were shot dead...? Apr25-2009--nawaz sharif urges government to call a national conference on teh countrys intractable issues Apr25-2009--pukhtun student leader shot dead in karachi Apr25-2009--government says that if the situation in swat does not subside than tough actions will be taken as Baber awan says that there will be no private qazis... Apr25-2009--a multi party conference in teh nwfp urges the taleban to lay down arms and allow the government to handle governing issues... Apr25-2009--The military which has usually moved into schools and colleges for temporary residence in areas such as swat and darra adamkhel asks government for permanent residential spaces...many suggest that the military should reorient their cantonments closing those that are not needed and move closer to permanent trouble spots...The military spends billions annually in developing plots as perks for its officers and it should realize that modern armies spend on their work rather than on their retirement..The situation in teh country has shown that teh military has to reorient...change goals, methods and might be also relocate permanently to areas that have been always creating trouble...The country has dealt with religious problems-secessionist problems-area uprisings thru out its history with various regimes trying out differing solutions...from death sentences to maudoodi...zakat deductions, friday holidays, non muslim status to ahmedis, hadood ordnance,moderation and subjugation etc...however many say that teh governments refusal to accept peopels demands on important issues causes many to see the militant nature of protests as justified...governments should ensure that people specific needs in many areas will not be trampled upon by dictatorial methods..government should ensure that problems will be willingly solved without need for protests or violent upheavals... Apr24-2009--Taleban completed a semi hostile takeover of Buner while they apparently had teh support of local bigwigs..they attacked an FC convoy moving into Buner from swabi killing two policemen...while reports of taleban moving into shangla also reported...In swat demands of a delay in implementing a local supreme court by sufi mohammed xtended..while muslim khan who had earlier said that they would lay down their arms as their objective had been achieved said the taleban refuse to lay down arms and clear checposts as army was still around...will government protect mardan and swabi militarily..? Apr24-2009--PMLn calls for an ISI briefing on the emerging taleban situation although not much can be said for teh organisations analysing talents as the taleban seem to have an effective system of capturing and controlling territory literally destroying teh credibility of the usually feared FC and police systems...teh army seemingly in a wait and see position only effective in retaliatory attacks for specific situations...As John kerry said that the armies actions without coordination of police, administration,politicians and public eventually fail as teh moment they retreat the taleban regroup...the image created of a no holds barred hostile response for any opposition to them has helped the taleban literally down all opponents whether military or tribal...many suggest that the frontier government should make a deal for the taleban to administer areas peacefully in exchange for a complete end to hostilities and defined areas for taleban activities...something more defined than teh swat deal... Apr24-2009--Rehman malik says that there is no denying teh involvement of russia, afghanistan and india in coordinating terrorist activities in pakistan.. Apr24-2009--In peshawar nato terminal attack destroys five oil tankers Apr24-2009--Nawaz Sharif challenges conviction in a helicopter purhase case thru undeclared income Apr24-2009--FC says that it is only retaliating attacks on national assets in dera bugti areas and no operation is underway Apr24-2009--seven children and two women died after a mistaken helicopter raid on a house near bara Apr24-2009--In karachi wall chalkers cause a fight between christians and pathans in which one dies in taiser town...mqm blamed for instigating issues to create a hostile environment favorable to their interest... Apr24-2009--sindh chief minister says that federal and provincial sindh government only investing in sindh as teh rest of teh country embroiled in a volatile situation...many say PPP has no development plans for other provinces...it makes nonsense of sindhs NFC case as it wants teh money of the people of other provinces...Federal government developing karachi out if its resources when it does not develop any other urban area to that extent... Apr24-2009--malakand commissioner replaced Apr24-2009--deputy speaker says we are all muslims and anybody calling us kafirs does not matter...a long time ago in teh seventies the national assembly declared ahmedis kafirs so there is a distinction between those who believe in teh prophet and those who create their own ideology... Apr23-2009--top democrats hilary clinton and john kerry lose their cool over the swat situation...hilary says that pakistan abdicating to a growing taleban influence in teh border regions of pakistan and becoming a mortal threat while Kerry says that no US strategy exists in the region...Mullen says situation in afghanistan which has'nt changed much will deteriorate too...US has to realize that afghanistan, pakistan and india are seperate entities and situations...pakistan cannot fight small groups forever and has to reach agreements to attempt peace inits own countryside...US could help pakistan by stopping arms infiltration into teh country...regionalization will cause similar escalation in all three areas...sufi mohammed a cooperative individual Apr23-2009--interior advisor raises a ruckus by saying BLA behind terror in balochistan and supported by india and afghanistan...says russian trained baloch militants...PMLn frightened at naming of countries involved...Rehman says brahmdagh lives a few kilometers from Karzai and karzai refuses to reign in baloch militants...baloch members pooh pooh teh advisors views.. Apr23-2009--In Buner and shangla the old judiciary stops functioning as judges go on leave in teh face of threats....taleban almost taking over Buner as they snatch vehicles and office machinery...they seem tobe moving to teh borders of swat and mardan Apr23-2009--However swat seems tobe cooling down with taleban agreeable to leave their weapons at home in mingora while activities worsen in other areas...road blocks in main swat areas being dismantled they say...yusuf gilani says that layin down of arms imperative to solution Apr23-2009--PMLn turned turtle and asked for a review of teh nizam adl as teh opposition starts becoming nervous at taleban over running teh country..Khawaja Asif accuses taleban of perpretating mischief in the name of God..acknowledging that he did not know what the military had been doing for the last year and why they had abdicated responsibility...while maulana fazl wanted an end to participation in teh war on terror which would enable the terrorists to accept that their objective thad been achieved.. Apr23-2009--many suggest that teh acceptance of differenct sects and theologies by teh government initially in teh zakat bill is teh basic cause of teh problem of various shariats...many suggest that the opposition to sufi mohammed emerges from that concept as many say they realized too late that he was shiite in intention...others say that there must be one religion and one state...for all people...still others say that acceptance of teh than seperatist and militant mqm in karachi was part of the same theory of one country different district systems Apr23-2009--sufi mohammed says that he is loyal to country and constitution... Apr23-2009--Britain deports eleven suspiciously involved pakistani sudents mostly from nwfp.. Apr21-2009--MQM faced down as it again tried to attack its coalition on teh swat situation after sufi mohammed called democracy alien to islam and pooh poohed teh superior courts.....many argue that democracy is teh closest system to islamic dictatorship if it is allowed to function appropriately...sufi might be heading of challenges to his leadership....teh mqm embroiled in killings in karachi of its own variety and attempting to start another ethnic war backed down after the treasury said they were consulting teh nwfp government over teh situation...The PPP component of teh nwfp government feeling some safety from militants immediately said that they wanted 500 billion which is about three times the annual pakistan aid...teh government should quickly settle economic distribution matters in a rational way so that all governments have enough to cover their needs disregarding the political standpoints being taken by various provinces... Apr21-2009--while inflation has not been reduced despite lower worldwide prices the SBP cuts teh discount rates by 1%...banks take money from the SBP at lower rates and offer it too customers at a premium of one to two percent Apr21-2009--despite its own food shortages pakistan offers one million unused acres to arabs..teh corporate culture is extremely damaging to teh peopel as it is only based on an inhumane attitude or nature of yes yes raise prices..no problems...the poor can eat grass... Apr21-2009--JUI's Fazl opposes sufi mohammeds methods of sharea...many oppose teh concept of islamic dictatorship which includes murders, robberies, loot and plunder...others consider an appropriate democracy the closest to an islamic system if properly run and if it is in tune with the aspirations of the people... Apr21-2009--military raids the orakzai region killing 11..orakzai has escaped earlier raids and allowed the taleban to use it as a hideaway... Apr21-2009--mqm which apparently has no idea about the sharea system protest at being called kafirs by sufi mohammed in the senate Apr21-2009--The government has to solve teh taleban issue inits entirety and no amount of aid can help a solution...as the government should realize that its policies of reducing people to a pulp economically are teh source of teh problem...when people cannot enjoy teh basics of life that are too expensive for everyone than no amount of monetary input into policies that donot help or effect the lives of people in a positive sense...firstly teh government should solve the basic issue of availibility and affordibility of food, utilities and government services and than provide teh necessary security to life and property...if the taleban are better at it than the police, army, administration or local governments than the solutions really donot lie in increased taxation, higher prices and begging for increased aid flows...... Apr21-2009--helicopters bomb positions in khyber agency bordering mohmand and two security men killed in clashes in south waziristan...while six security men amongst nine kidnapped by taleban in khawazakhela area of swat Apr21-2009--In gilgit deputy speaker of teh NA legislature shot dead.. Apr21-2009--taleban blow up house sheltering a love marriage couple in orakzai Apr20-2009--The government makes a big deal out of installation of 6MW wind turbines..and shows a 50MW project completed when only 6MW have been installed...The government pays a hefty 12 cents for the wind energy when it is relatively free having no costly inputs Apr20-2009--Sufi mohammed raises a ruckus by calling judges, khawaneen, democratic mullahs and politicians the enemies of pakistan...he said he had implemented peace in swat and the government should setup a tough government and darul qaza in malakand and swat...he declared pakistans superior courts unislamic...he should however realize that just butchering people in teh name of islamic justice is not islam... politicians still reluctant to venture into the areas after teh mayhem perpretrated by the taleban...however the sufis followers who had earlier refused to accompany him rallied in large numbers to a meeting in mingora..reports of clashes between taleban and TNSM Apr20-2009--CJ says they will not become acting governors from now on or take positions of profit, or other mangerial positions......retired judges too should not be appointed to positions below their status and special courts etc... Apr20-2009--drone attack in south waziristan kills 3 Apr20-2009--holbrooke says pakistans situation is dangerous with even a picnic spot overrun by militants...axelrod a obama advisor says pakistan should focus on what is a threat to them and their stability and what is a threat to teh world...while Obama COS says that they have already implemented a policy in the region that will change and stabilize...? Apr20-2009--military attacks orakzai areas killing 12 Apr20-2009--riots in karachi after ANP activist killed... Apr20-2009--Yusuf Raza showed his poor expertise in economic matters as he said he would talk to tarin about policy matters that he should be clear about..while teh kalabagh dam has already been cancelled by his minister he again revived it by saying that it will be constructed by consensus... Apr19-2009--suicide car rams into military convoy near hangu killing 21 police/security men and nine civilians...another blast took place in hangu bazaar killing one... Apr19-2009--Asfandyar says malakand nizam adl implemented in 1994 by the Benazir government...sufi mohammed called mqm kafirs for opposing the deal and said appeals to teh federal superior judiciary were not allowed as it was tantamount to kufr...obviously the people of malakand cannot live in isolation and teh superior judiciary is a valid system applicable for appeals Apr19-2009--the economy and peoples feelings towards the government cannot be repaired by foreign aid...when electricity is not available and expensive , food is expensive and ordinary peopel cannot get life saving health treatments because of cost than who will support teh suited gentry who care liitle about teh needs of teh ordinary populace...many suggest the leaders should also shun the lavish life styles of teh rich and should forget about benefiting millionaires and teh fraudulent rich who have already got too much wealth compared to teh poor who can barely afford to eat under teh freakish rulers who eat free food and enjoy free electricity while making it difficult for teh poor to do anything Apr19-2009-- three bugti tribesmen found dead... Apr19-2009--The dawn reports that US think tanks have been discussing replacing asif zardari with nawaz sharif and ditching hamid karzai...while a change maybe necessary in kabul after the long karzai rule the only difference between nawaz and zardari maybe teh attitude to foreign aid and easing the unnecessary pressure being piled upon teh populace by higher prices of food and utilities... Apr19-2009--US says radio stations main cause of the problem in taleban power Apr19-2009--electricity tariff raises highest for HESCO... Apr19-2009--water inflows have risen at tarbela and mangla Apr19-2009--four bombs fail to destroy 500kV power pylon near tarbela Apr19-2009--grave of SHO killed by terrroists near kohat blownup Apr19-2009--Taleban to arrange love marriages in swat Apr19-2009--The government should realize that while terrorism hurts teh economy those that are hurt by the economy are not terrorist and teh government should ease teh economic burden on teh poor... Apr18-2009--The political nature of teh announcements at the FODP and a general lack of immediate disbursement or comprehensive increases over normal disbursements shows that the friends prefer a political show than any real change in aid patterns...Pakistan has in general been receiving 2-3 billion dollars in foreign aid which has at best been used to stem economic deterioration...most increments in aid have come from teh US while teh japanese have kept their 500 million level...teh GOP has shown no attitude change in economic matters from previous governments and has plugged teh same macro improvement after teh failure of shaukat aziz's consumer economy...This government has attempted to downplay provincial and local governments and attempts to benefit from completion of the previous regimes projects as it has no real economic program of its own...teh governments attempts to show economic improvement were downplayed by teh forum and teh pakistani team had to plug poverty alleviation when what it really wants is to benefit rich men and dole out funds to pet groups and companies...electricity privatisation was shown tobe a failure after KESC failed to generate sufficient profits for power generation and teh government again doled out billions to benefit it...consistent attempts to raise utility prices have failed to improve performance as KESC, PEPCO, IPPs and PSO ran around reeling from unpaid bills...the inefficiency of the pakistan private sector is much worse than teh original wapda performance which was ground into the dust by teh militaries refusal to fund power generation...in the eighties.. Apr18-2009--In Hangu a man and woman killed apparently after they committed adultery..while an eloping couple were not killed...mullahs need to define a process of marriage which is humane and couples should not be slaughtered like sheeps and goats... Apr18-2009--US continues to pressurize pakistan to forget about sovreignity an any sense and adopt US policies without question...pakistan questions why teh US wants to foster indians and afghans at best recent allies of teh US over its oldest ally in teh region in matters economic and related matters like terrorism which pakistan sees as teh result of US policies in teh region and elsewhere...US officials apparently forget that pakistan is an ally when in teh US and than they try to repair the damage when they visit pakistan...an almost continuous circle since teh early nineties...teh US tries to help out when it sees people in power that it wants to help but the trust deficit of propping up military dictators in history causes problems as well as trying to force pakistan to become a subjugated country in the region and the world... Apr18-2009--The indians two faceted anti pakistan strategy again surfaced as they got pakistan kicked out of arranging the 2011 matches in pakistan by the ICC...pakistans cricket board reps sat around unable to utter a word Apr18-2009--PPP's Zafar ali shah calls for a weak president and a dictatorial primeminister...many suggest that the primeminister should be asked to consult parliament and the cabinet before advising the president...The president has enough power as it is with just the signing authority on all government appointments and bills...many say the primeministers of today are not popular enough tobe given extensive powers...individually... Apr18-2009--PIA pilots slow down airline to get an increase in pay...pilots these days can be trained easily with automatic simulators and many automation devices in takeoff and landing practices...many say there are numerous pilots waiting aound for jobs working as airhostesses and cabin staff...teh world over demand for pilots has slowed but they could probably find jobs in india or some smaller countries if fired... Apr18-2009--Sunni tehreek in sindh presents mqm point of view on swat regulations...they say teh taleban desecrated shrines and islam cannot be forced on people by the power of the gun...while doubts about teh taleban attitudes persist the ANP says that sufi mohammed will ensure peace for them to rule the areas...teh army could not bring about any change in swat in almost an year of almost continuous bloodshed...the mqm which is at best a karachi based organization only wants peace in karachi and prefers to deal with everything else with force and violence... Apr18-2009--Khawaja sharif refuses to become acting governor...teh judiciary has in the past been willing to take over administration duties and even support illegal military dictatorships.. Apr17-2009--Sharifs reject joining the cabinet as they have a legitimate chance of forming teh next government whenever elections are held...many suggest that this government with its anti peopel nature has lost its mandate and is hell bent on increasing prices and loans and that could cause elections to take place by early next year...many suggest that the mandate was benazirs and this government has no right to rule...with the PPP fast losing support in teh punjab and no change expected in other provinces teh PMLq could emerge as the only likely challenger to teh PMLn...that would also save many PPP seats...the local elections would many say point towards an early election or not...having a government in power for five years with unpopular policies many say would be detrimental to democracy...the changes in teh constitution should also create a less powerful or less dictatorial primeminister...and teh primeminister should be forced to consult with his cabinet and parliament when he advises the president..that would ensure that parliament has some say in things barring just electing teh primeminister... Apr17-2009--after losing the PMLn teh PPP urges PMLq to join government whose only reason to remain afloat is a third force scenario in the next elections...many suggest sitting with the PPP is definitely a losing cause... Apr17-2009--lal masjid cleric abdul aziz who is relatively less militant than his brother but was involved in piling up arms in teh mosque leads prayer in teh renovated lal masjid with slogans for a revolution..government gambling that he can control militants and reduce bomb blasts in punjab...dawn says he has been released under an agreement that he will not allow things to get out of hand...government has not processed his cases for eighteen months showing a relative leniency... Apr17-2009--government going after funds with no real policy of development...seeking $30 billion from friends and japan releasing one billion...with no real development possible in two and half provinces governments policy is limited at best to karachi, larkana and multan..benazir in her last stint had started programs in each and every corner of teh country based on need..however teh current government is focussing on helping stock exchanges, banks and teh KESC and doling out tracters in punjab without need...kicking the people in teh butt with higher prices is their favorite tactic...apparently... Apr17-2009--Qaim ali shah says teh mqm are ittehadis..?he obviously forgets their history of joining whoever is in power..recently one of their leaders assured teh muslim leaguers that they could part ways with teh government in 48 hours...mqm ministers are turning aginst teh government and Zardari should take note of their verbal barbarity and refusal to participate in solutions...recently altaf hussain had talked about hanging people in teh streets for flogging a women...is not that terrorism too...altaf hussain had only talked about teh taleban threats in karachi which upto now has been proved false...punjab obviously cannot depend on teh weak mqm and can only depend on teh police and obviously a solution oriented system...if teh people here cannot standup to teh taleban than there will be a nizam adl here too...judges in the western judiciary and the nizam adl have to prove their competence and if a judicial change brings peace to swat and malakand than it is preferable to the mqm's murderous ways...that it has adopted in sindh and karachi...if the mqm has any principles than it should step down from teh coalition which knowing its prefernce for teh buttered side of teh toast it wont do... Apr17-2009--Bhutto family land demarcated with murtaza taking teh lions share of 720 acres...benazir relatively teh poorest at 425 acres... Apr17-2009--in mardan taleban apparently gun down to women workers Apr17-2009--Fauzia wahab comes out against teh sasti roti while punjab government increases wheat release prices to Rs900 per bag with 20 kg atta at Rs505...Why fauzia wahab wants to take away teh poors roti is not understandable...good governance is not meant to kick teh people in teh stomach fauzia...? Apr17-2009--While teh PPP aggravates over teh sasti roti it spends billions on security for a few people.. Apr16-2009--government tables bill to repeal the NAB bill Apr16-2009--In charsadda suicide car rams into police checkpost killing 16 Apr16-2009--the controversial nizam adl in swat not meant to disarm militants and they say that they will move into new areas... Apr16-2009--former SSP affiliated lawyer gunned down in karachi Apr16-2009--continuous violence in balochistan protests kill five more Apr16-2009--The SC in another of its bombshells released mullah aziz of the lal masjid on bail... Apr15-2009-In balochistan three more die in various incidents as protests continue Apr15-2009-LJ related groups starting to activate in punjab with group from DGkhan involved in lahore attacks...at least 20 punjabi militants who joined up with the taleban after teh lal masjid incident hit by drone attacks...punjabi militants involved in lahore and marriott attacks... Apr15-2009-Its not long ago that reports emerged that the ISI chief had refused to even meet american officials...now even in these difficult times he is jetting off to teh USA...to increase intelligence cooperation...? Admiral Mullen who had come out strongly against teh ISI has called teh iSI chief teh militaries best guy...Pasha has extensive experience dealing with americans on afghanistan especially in the last few years and is well thought off in handling UN operations...The US views which everyone thinks are force fed by indians and afghans seem tobe out of touch or in tune with reality as they have been dealing with teh ISI for the last thirty years just on afghanistan...senator kerry says that terrorist operations are planned in pakistan...there have been none in teh USA since 2001 and that alone shows that the americans are out of touch with what they are dealing with and seem to have no direct intelligence...Admiral Mullen seems to have a different view that teh iSI might be revealing operation details to the taleban...teh americans not known to share operation details and pakistan obviously does not have direct contact with taleban leaders otherwise they would not be terrorizing us...obviously military operations and intelligence are two completely different deptts for teh same reasons cited by teh americans...Pasha if he gets along with the americans could have a shot at the next COAS position even though two ISI chiefs making it to teh top in a row would be a remarkable coincidence... Apr15-2009- conflicts emerged as the national asembly approved teh nizam adl..teh mqm an organization that was also born out of violence and runs on teh "same country different systems" solution opposed two judicial systems and sherry rehman said that teh taleban would deprive women of literally all their rights...obviously sufi mohammed thinks differently and says they would have all rights behind teh veil and controversially that the murdering taleban would not be troubled by the nizam adl...many suggest that teh nizam adl also be introduced in karachi and obviously teh women of swat did not have any rights even before this although one must say that they never picked apples...either...The PPP seems to be dealing with the militants very softly and seem more hand in glove than having a contentious partnership...The mqm did not put their votes where their mouths are...on teh nizam adl and just refused to take part..The PPP a generally liberal party said they are not opposed to islam...and maybe helping teh taleban for helping dethrone teh military... Apr15-2009-with four more judges teh SC now has 29 judges.. Iftikhar preferrerd three retired judges to teh CJs of nwfp, sindh and balochistan...? Apr15-2009-balochistan IG and FC chief to lead investigation into elimination of baloch nationalist leaders...teh controversial FC chief Asif Nawaz warraich has been around for a long time and many think he should be replaced Apr15-2009-taking USAID is a contentious issue because first teh US wants benchmarks or no blank cheques...usually it is teh US that handles distribution and devises policy, doling out contracts to favourites of the US.. even thru its own officials and pakistan would be hardpressed to meet any committments in that case... Apr15-2009-In punjab atta bag set to rise to 530 from 460...as shabaz sharif promises sasti roti to some more of teh populace... Apr15-2009-shabaz sharif makes peace with salman taseer..! Apr13-2009--In moves which can be said tobe teh PPP's reinstatement bazaar or policy the chief justice of the lahore high court was elevated to teh SC and reinstated judge Khawaja Sharif made the LHC CJ... Apr13-2009--small scale riots, burnings and hand grenade attacks contiued on teh third day paralysing balochistan in protests on the killings of nationalist leaders...balochistan remained shutdown and university closures were extended by teh government to the 15th...nobody responsible for teh murders has been identified while Asif Zardari said that no intelligence operatives were involved...!! Apr13-2009--Asif Zardari refused to tak sole responsibility for the nwfps' nizam adl regulations and sent it to yusuf gilani to seek parliaments opinion... Apr13-2009--attack on two nato depots in peshawar leave one dead and ten vehicles were burned out... Apr13-2009--taleban start creating a troublesome situation in Buner as well...some say they are recruiting and taking over areas while teh DCO says that teh situation will normalize soon Apr13-2009--in what can only be called teh apathetic attitude of the mqm and karachi police a hunger striker dies in karachi.. Apr13-2009--.In Britain police who picked up pakistanis for terrorism have no evidence and it might be at best an undercover sting operation or an attempt to see if british police picked up suspicious behaviour...reports suggest that students identified with negative behaviour were allowed student visas...the british high commission should check whether students have affiliations with religious parties who are more likely to have terrorist ideas or behaviour... Apr13-2009--Yusuf Raza gilani departing from a dictatorial attitude brings in party stalwarts to a meeting with the PMLn to offer seats in the cabinet again...both parties are averse to be in teh others cabinets apart from those that become ministers as it literally amounts to sitting and watching... Apr13-2009--DG IB orders an enquiry into why five IB officials submitted a list of intelligence operative's to a court in 2007...many qustion why the IB a local intelligence setup needs an operative in kazakhistan...? Apr13-2009--After teh Obama administrations policy started to mirror indian policy many in pakistan reached teh conclusion that as usual a breakup with teh democrats traditionally anti pakistan might be in teh offing as the US refused to study problems on teh eastern border and literally asked pakistan to ensure indian security...combined with anti US hostility in nwfp and fata, drone raids, reluctance of teh US to quickly supply pakistans armaments requests,a trust deficit that goes to the extent of humiliation and mockery teh situation is very near breaking point... Apr13-2009--terrorism is not teh same for all countries...in india and teh USa they have teh occasional terrorist incidents asociated with known causes...in pakistan it is an almost daily affair with no organization or cause connected to all...india and teh USA benefit from blaming pakistan but pakistan has no one to blame and obviously terrorism does not threaten all countries as it does pakistan...it is not teh same for all countries...cooperation with india on terrorism a known anti pakistan state given teh attitudes of its peopel and politicians will be of no help... Apr10-2009--decomposed bodies of three nationalist baloch leaders associated with BNM and BRP found in pedarak, turbat late wednesday...apparently whisked away by security officials on April3...complete strike in most baloch areas..cars, buses, banks, police stations torched and an askari bank burnt..three other deaths reported and FC called out...could be related to the UN kidnapping or a result of pukhtun-baloch rivalry or attempts at further destablization...or intelligence agencies which have always been more active in balochistan might have taken things into their own hands...balochistan government formed a judicial commission while the BHC took suomoto notice...PPP office destroyed in panjgur...while no government statement was issued teh ISPR said it was the work of anti state elements Apr10-2009--Sufi Mohammed who single handedly brought peace to swat has wound up his peace camp as Zardari refuses to sign the nizam adl declaration...seen as a casaulty of the flogging video sufi said that teh adl declaration had not been signed for two months even though the nwfp provincial government said they expected it tobe signed...the word from the center seems tobe that there are conflicting views and some want the laying down of arms tobe assured as well...the worry is that peace in one area will cause them to create trouble in other areas... Apr10-2009--Asif Zardari urges gilani and parliament to move forward on teh charter of democracy...somebody will have tobe given charge of initiating things from teh government side in parliament as no one seems to have sufficient authority in this government...parliament has yet to form a committee and yusuf raza seems to think that his work is just to travel here and there and obviously many in the PPP dont want his powers increased as he seems to want to work individually rather than with teh association of parliament and party members...there seems to have been criticism at his favoritism for raiwind and being unable to carry teh party with him..many say he wants to have the powers of zulfikar ali bhutto/benazir but no responsibility...being weak party leaders with no real huge following PPP leaders have suffered as they are seen as wanting tobe seen but not doing... Apr10-2009--Pakistan is in deep trouble on its aid bill in the US which is being attached with unworkable conditions which will literally kill teh bill even if it is passed...pakistan cannot deliver on security in other countries what with drone attacks and attempts at internal and external destabilization... the AQ Khan condition is literally a popularity killer in pakistan as musharaf will have realized...The US should forget about it if that is what it wants to continue doing...also many say that there is not much that the army can improve and with the US refusing to hand over drone capability the handling cannot improve much...almost the entire aid bill is filled with things that pakistan cannot do whatever the aid levels... Apr10-2009--china too wants pakistan to protect its 51 billion in trade with india...it is not pakistan that refuses to talk but india and its stubborn anti pakistani attitudes...india is known to use whatever excuse becomes available to stop even meaningless talks on main issues between teh two countries...... Apr10-2009--taleban to leave Buner says the dawn... Apr10-2009--In bajaur militants ask peopel to vacate nawagai... Apr9-2009--swat taleban start setting up camp in buner as local administration and mullahs start to negotiate with them to move back Apr9-2009--government again moves time forward from april 15 and agrees to pay teh astronomic gas price that iran has been enforcing on them... Apr9-2009--US drones start to become aggressive as they fired on a vehicle that threatened them...killing four...The US has not found many viable targets with its drones and they are at best a device used to frighten..attacking ordinary people with drones is not a good idea anyway.....zardari wants his own drones so that he too can play with them as they dubiously suggest that drones are destabilizing but would be happy to use them themselves...zardari also says that no drone attacks on balochistan but they have yet to prove that pakistans sovreignity requires that our airforce attack them.. Apr9-2009--serious diference of opinions have emerged betwen pakistan and teh US over its new india policy causing literally staid officials and ministers to become visually and verbally annoyed...teh US attempts to support indian hegemony in teh region without giving them any responsibility and refusing to help on kashmir has caused teh pro american government to literally have no feet left in the US policy in the region...India and afghanistan have always opposed pakistan and its views and what holbrooke -obama can achieve with their policy is literally the same that india and afghanistan wish that is a further destablization of pakistan Apr9-2009--Tarin suggests a unified gas and power tariff...while it is a good idea and should bring prices down tarin and the ministry of finance can turn any good idea into bad...suggestions of taxing teh food chain will also only raise prices as higher prices and taxes only trickle down to the poor people Apr8-2009--The national assembly moves towards suggesting a security strategy overhaul...components include opposing or stopping of all attacks on the peopel and probably the ISI without regard to economic assistance...? meaning opposing drone attacks...one media channel reported the inclusion of dismantling all suicide training centers...etc...whether pakistan can go it alone meaning that they dare to stop drone attacks by force and refuse tobe subdued by US pressure instigated by teh afghans / indians remains tobe seen... Apr8-2009--Pakistan stubbornly resisted US military pressure dictation on matters related to teh ISI and refused joint operations in the Fata area..The US meanwhile refused to help on kashmir or stop drone attacks...relations with india are meaningless as far as pakistan is concerned without real progress on major issues...also teh US will find it difficult to break the taleban with its strategy of moderates and others tobe dealt with militarily..people who know how to fight and are loyal to a leadership cannot be dealt with that way...fight and win or make a deal to alleviate a situation...like iraq they wont be able to find taleban willing to fight other taleban...as it is not a sectarian divide only in afghanistan.......clearly red lines are becoming visible as teh indians and afghans donot seem to cooperate with pakistan and pakistanis at least find it difficult to work with them on a very limited agenda..The US has been unable to do away with its agenda of how to kill an ally which it has practiced on pakistan again and again. ...The government stance on unreasonable attacks by components of teh US government on pakistani intelligence organisations was visibly tougher and a clear policy is being envisaged which might be that pakistan also does not sign blank cheques for anyone...pakistan has been repeatedly road rollered by teh USA, india and afghanistan and everyone now thinks that a limit has been reached...The US seems to have no intelligence of its own and depends more on india and afghanistan and almost always refuses to accept pakistans viewpoint...eg. holbrooke says that all taleban, alqaeda leaders are in pakistan which is not accepted by pakistan..while teh US wants kashmir organizations tobe labelled terrorist and brought into the net it refuses to pressurize india on a kashmir solution...in the whole situation pakistan might be refusing to succumb to any more pressure if teh US exhibits a continuous irrational behaviour... Apr8-2009--16 militants killed amongst 21 in Buner clash...as lashkar and police run into taleban... Apr8-2009--one of teh midnight jackals major amir(r) might now be working for the zardari regime to head off any breakaway legislators or factions in teh PPP Apr8-2009--The government maybe moving towards setting up a huge security manpower base which could secure a specific area and is also setting up a sharpshooters group to target suicide bombers...government controlled demonstrators who can be ordered tobe violent or peaceful could also be on teh cards... Apr8-2009--Zardari/Yusuf raza seem tobe breaking many rules in personal favoritism when one of their friends acts as principal acccounts officer of teh NRB as well as an advisor on petroleum...The PAC studied what the ministry of information did with a secret unaudited fund of Rs1 billion...now one realizes how reports of Rs200 million being supposedly transfered by sherry rehman to an account in karachi could come from... Apr8-2009--alleged killer of mansehra NGO women arrested as tribes in dir threaten to attack taleban controlled area maidan Apr7-2009--As things again start to get out of hand the prime minister thinks that threat assessment is teh parliaments job despite ruling over a huge security apparatus...he suggested a de radicalisation program which is only effective after the main threats have been dealt with...the only solutions seem tobe to isolate the areas from which threats usually emerge as politics and what islam is and is not have not succeeded so far...islam has little todo with it as inside pakistan teh war is between muslims..whether teh terrorists are in league with non muslims has not been conclusively established...The government has done little to stop the inflow of arms and ammunition...nor has teh government been able to apprehend or target any ringleaders...the government seems to get embroiled in what might happen viz teh countries integrity or whether there are other means than mere fighting it out... Apr7-2009--In mansehra three NGO women and their driver shot dead and dumped in a forest near shinkiari area...the NGO functioned in educational projects Apr7-2009--the government working on a huge anti terrorism force with proper training and perks...the police have been more effective than the army and FC which are more effective in teh fighting and patrolling arena...unless the new force works to interdict terror on a totalitarian basis it will just be as ineffective as teh army, FC and police...A role model might be bangladesh's rapid action battalion which quickly and directly deals with all threats without fear...even pakistans army with all its resources reluctant to deal directly with terrorist bosses...or tribal army leaders...?for example if baitullah mehsud is creating problems or poses threats than it directly goes to teh source and apprehends him rather than waiting for some drone to accidently get him...just a force with no modern machinery like helicopters and armoured fast moving carriers might be just a waste of money... Apr7-2009--The SC moved into the monitoring area telling the interior ministry to send it fortnightly intelligence reports on troubled areas...it took the ministry to task for just writing a letter to the nwfp to send teh video girl to court...the court also heard of the possibility that the video might be a fake... Apr7-2009--The american team of holbrooke and mullen after a spate of anti pakistani intelligence statements again arrived in pakistan with teh same theories about safe heavens...after attacking dozens of supposed safe havens the activities on both sides of the border have only increased and one is obviously not going to believe more of the same ie ISI/safe havens are responsible...It is not possible for militants from pakistan to participate in attacks all over afghanistan...and obviously US monitoring of teh border has produced no results either... Apr7-2009--Gates pathetically suggests that teh ISI has contacts with the gulbeddin hekmatyar, nazir and haqqani groups...all three groups are mild and only teh nazir group has been reported tobe government controlled Apr7-2009--The PPP which has a habit of giving plum jobs to wives, children, cousins, brothers etc... suggests that such jobs are given on merit(mockery) ...while it could be true how come no one else seems tobe getting such jobs directly without applying or there being advertisements...jobs in teh foreign office obviously are not doled out without procedures and that alone is enough to suggest that teh PPP is applying some personal biased rule to teh issue... Apr7-2009--pashtuns want a pukhtun governor of balochistan Apr7-2009--Kiani says army ready to deal with emerging threats even though they have not been able to wipe out terrorists from Fata...? Apr7-2009--In an escalation of the tenants-contractors row over working/alloting punjab/military lands in Okara three killed Apr7-2009-- PPP allows oil drilling in south punjab areas where no drilling has taken place.. Apr7-2009--Police arrest qari ismael who bombed a shiite funeral in DIK and was preparing to kidnap foreign engineers from taunsa and assault dhodak oilfield...worked with SSP and TTP Apr7-2009--Islamabad HC CJ says he had nothing todo with nanu goraya and did not visit nightclubs in dubai and that gujranwala police officer was a henchman of teh sharifs and that he had given teh judgement against teh sharifs and they had forcibly gotten fiaz rasool to make teh statement... Apr7-2009--Probe into bunglings of local governments reopens gain... Apr7-2009--SHO and driver killed in an ambush near kohat... Apr7-2009--The News instigates that talal bugti asked for a huge bribe to have his royalty payments released by rehman malik aide as they state that involvement of kabul and new delhi in pakistans troubles a foregone conclusion as obviously visas not the only bussiness of indian consulates in zahedan, kandahar and jalalabad and indian road construction crews in kunar bordering bajaur as Hoti says zardari will sign swat deal despite flogging controversy......... Apr06-2009--The duality in views amongst teh Taleban, US and pakistani regime shows when teh taleban supposedly attack pakistan to stop drone attacks...teh US attacks ISI to stop help to teh taleban and pakistanis say they will talk to teh US to stop drone attacks...and teh most recent.. the US wants help to identify moderate taleban...?how can pakistan help identify the type of taleban when they should not be having relations with taleban...?and the pakistanis obviously cant stop drone attacks as they cant talk to teh US about them or teh USA refuses to listen...and teh taleban obviously they cant get drone attacks stopped by methods so violent that even pakistanis are apalled at them... Apr06-2009--Altaf Hussein wants to participate in swat politics from teh safety of england while teh mqm women want to participate from teh safety of karachi...peopel as violent as altaf hussein who wants taleban publically hanged for thrashing a women under whatever terrorist or legal viewpoint he believes in...many believe that altaf hussein runs a killing machine in karachi on the same pattern as the taleban...many think that if altaf hussein is so brave he should come and propagate his politics against taleban in swat...while in swat the taleban and the girl have ganged up and say the video is fake...probably prepared by the mqm's or ISI's drama team...many say that the taleban should practice sarzanish rather than violence to implement islam Apr06-2009--a new location came into teh sectarian war as in remote chakwal a suicide bomber blew up at a imambargah killing 26... Apr06-2009--Yusuf Raza gilani wants teh judiciary to reopen teh Bhutto case...with so many killing each other in this country the case seems mired in controversy as no other government head has been brought to court for supposedly ordering a federal agency to execute someone...although the head of the agency was not sentenced and only apparent army soldiers on deputation were sentenced...three other government heads have died indirectly thru violence...the musharaf -shaukat aziz regime has also been accused of several murders but nobody has yet had the courage to take them to court...many think that the case is based on whether teh countries leader/army chief/police chief can order a murder...even though bhutto was sentenced on the basis of a wada maaf gawaa who was the head of teh organization that carried out the murder makes teh judgement suspect as did the military regimes handling of teh judiciary...teh judiciary at least at the provincial level was politically opposed to bhutto...and at teh federal level they were manipulated and controlled by the military Apr06-2009--security forces encircle ambar valley next to peshawar as eighteen militants are killed in action in mohmand...five kidnapped soldiers freed by military action in hedd korona... Apr06-2009--SHO mandi bahauddin resigns saying he is helpless against teh countries security situation...at the moment nobody has any new ideas on how to deal with terrorism and police are the only hope of the peopel as politicians have no idea what to do or they could restart a military operation against teh supposed ringleaders of terrorism... Apr06-2009--school blownup in bannu... Apr5-2009--John Solecki released from mastung... Apr05-2009--ZA Bhuttos thirtieth death anniversary observed...a tragic family tragedy in which teh military killed him while police gunned down his elder son...teh younger son apparently committed suicide while the daughter was gunned down or accidently died during a militant suicide bombing...His PPP survived military and political suppression and is now a shadow of its original run by almost apologetic heirs in a meek donor driven economy in which the people are minused out and the elite rule and benefit... Apr05-2009--SBP says defence expenditure and debt costs absorb three fourth of the countries earnings...as teh government tries to get more loans, escalates prices and raises taxes to astronomic levels to cover shortfalls...with no real economic policy on how to spend teh governmment just coasts along on handling one crisis after another.. Apr05-2009--drone attack in north waziristan kills 13 with five being women and children...seems tobe teh home of a government school teacher with militant links Apr05-2009--The flogging of a swat girl raises many questions...even in afghanistans extremist rule burqa clad women were allowed to go out alone...according to al azhar university even when a women denies sex she can only be lightly thrashed...teh beating was harsh since teh women had not broken any limit or hadood and had aspects of personal sadistic pleasure..many questioned the public display and called it a disrespect for basic islamic values which the taleban claim to protect...in afghanistan hamid karzai teh supposed liberal face of the west issued another controversial edict by which shiite women cannot deny a husband sex or leave the house without teh husbands consent Apr05-2009--In a miranshah suicide attack on a checkpost and resultant cross firing kills seven Apr05-2009--In karachi 10 kg atta bags price hiked to Rs275 at utility stores...while in swabi 20kg bags reached Rs650...In punjab they are supposedly around teh Rs450 mark... Apr05-2009--The government which had earlier been very optimistic of a 25 million tons wheat target due to an enhanced price now starting to play down expectations as output may not be much higher than last year when agriculturists tried to smuggle wheat out of teh domestic market...a higher wheat price cannot be an incentive as it will only work an year or two and already our agriculturists produce wheat at a much higher cost than the west... Apr5-2009--a container attempting to smuggle people from afghanistan to iran found with around fifty bodies who died of a lack of oxygen... Apr5-2009--suicide blast at FC compound near jinnah super in islamabad kills eightn with one suspect arrested... Apr4-2009--a swat video aired by many Tv channels showing a girl being flogged 38 times while being forcibly held down in front of a crowd of men for going out of her home alone raised a storm of protests and indignation.. Apr4-2009--In wana militants forced a looting spree in which government buildings were looted and a radio station blownup... Apr4-2009--PMLq assembly leader to face a vote of no cofidence in punjab provincial assembly by teh forward block although what happens after that is uncertain as the PMlq says it will take the matter to court... Apr4-2009--Asif zardari literally mocks teh peopel with a reiteration of the roti, kapra and makan theme after he single handedly pushed the roti, kapra and makan out of the reach of ordinary peopel by a deliberate cost escalation that has never been seen in history... Apr4-2009--near charsadda a suicide bomber was shot dead by police at a sherpao meeting... Apr4-2009--a nato terminal near peshawar attacked and offices and vehicles set ablaze... April3-2009--According to the News-April-1..lahore police have nabbed around 12 pukhtuns including a tajik and uzbek after teh manawan attack...they also say three al qaeda controllers have been nabbed...another of their reports suggests that baitullah mehsud who cant even attack a drone and looks for unprotected targets has threatened to attack the white house or teh US capital... lahore attacks they say initiated by baitullah second in command hussain mehsud a hardline anti shiite..also the primeminister and zardari are at odds over punjab policy...yusuf raza seems to have become primeminister and national assembly speaker with teh support of teh PMLn which is odd as very few real PPP supporters are liked by teh zia descendants in the PML's... April3-2009--Manmohan singh like most indian primeministers is unrealistic in setting pre conditions for talks with pakistan showing teh small mindedness of the teh indian psyche...pakistan too should set out clear cut conditions for talks as there is no point to talks without real measures such as the indians stopping their barbarity in kashmir... April3-2009--Pakistan says its security of nuclear installations is the toughest possible.. yusuf raza says that the americans are paranoid about teh ISI almost like teh indians...the insiders that teh US wants to deflate the ISI are usually all ISI controlled... April3-2009--yusuf raza wants to join PMLn coalition in punjab while Zardari doesn't April3-2009--The Benazir built Bhutto mausoleum tobe turned into sindh's taj mahal..? April3-2009--Raisani says wellhead prices of baloch gas wells tobe raised from Rs25 to Rs167 per MCF and that 222 missing people had been located...from sindh... April3-2009--an attacker who threw a hand grenade at a policemans funeral in upper dir kills himself as grenade does not explode... April3-2009--forward block in punjab asembly to claim parliamentary group status April3-2009--headless body of kidnapped ASI found in peshawar April3-2009--taleban started to setup checposts in maidan , lower dir as paramilitary personnel visited area to check the murder of an ex nazim and policemen April3-2009--ten khasadars released in bara... April3-2009--Fc withdraws to its base in chakdara from barikot in swat Apr2-2009--sasti roti the only program popular in punjab being monitored again as teh PPP regime again made attempts to snatch roti from teh mouths of the poor by raising teh wheat/atta prices to astronomical levels...reports that shahbaz sharif now the only populist in teh country will reduce roti prices to Rs1...in non sasti roti tandoors nan selling at Rs4....in rawalpindi sasti roti tandoors not found in many areas... Apr2-2009--Shabaz sharif discusses new provincial borders security force as reports of terrorists infiltrating from nwfp mount... Apr2-2009--Drone attack in orakzai kills 12...the compound owner threatened revenge as arab named Kaka whose name surfaced in bombay attack investigations reportedly also killed... Apr2-2009--Zardari discusses expanded anti terrror campaign with karzai whose country is teh main culprit in arms smuggling to pakistan and many afghans have been found involved in the terror campaign in pakistan Apr2-2009--while the terror campaign has mostly killed most movements that threaten pakistan general Petraus thinks differently...a US anti pakistan senator correctly pointed out that they have to fight afghanistans problems in afghanistan...A defence dept analyst Flournoy pointed to the Obama regimes deep suspicion about pakistan and said that aid to pakistan would not move if pakistan failed in Fata...US on the verbal front keen to increase military and financial aid... Apr2-2009--US attitudes became very apparent as the state deptt wanted to open up to iran while teh defence deptts Petraeus turned into a hardliner suggesting that they might ask israel to bomb irans nuclear program... Apr2-2009--three troops die in roadside bomb attack in mohmand Apr2-2009--Police patrol comes under rocket attack in sheringal upper dir killing SHO and four policemen... Apr2-2009--manmohan singh issues antipakistan statement mirroring american statements...india has not reciprocated to anything pakistan has done and it is usual that india's refusal to act on kashmir causes periodic attacks..india has interfered in pakistan directly and indirectlly and a rahul gandhi statement that they will finish what they have started in pakistan points to india's deep involvement in anti pakistan activities at teh top level...india again trying to fuel ethnic tension in sindh thru altaf statements and attacks on pukhtun shops by mqm's terrorists... Apr2-2009--maleeha lodhi an analyst asociated with teh musharaf regime says that escalation in military terms and only modest increases in aid to pakistan as well as continuous negative propaganda and statements will sour US-pakistan relations and might not achieve the Obama objectives...barring supposed increases in aid to pakistan the Obama plan only differs in aspects that include other regional troublemakers in the afgan solution mix such as india, iran and russia...maleeha only advocated intelligence and technology sharing..pakistanis are usually quick to notice teh sour natured american statements... Apr2-2009--in mingora fifty taleban occupy amir muqam house with reports of its being blownup Apr2-2009--four killed in a landmine explosion near afghan border and nushki April1-2009--Yusuf Raza Gilani accuses CIA of maintaining contacts with teh afghan mujahideen...The CIA created the jihadi for its own purposes and now cant control them... April1-2009--over 50 suspects arrested from the cities afghan areas over manawan attack... April1-2009--The government provides Rs80 billion to Pepco to pay its bills from loans from various pakistani banks...that could reduce electricity shortages by around 800MW April1-2009--Baitullah mehsud claims responsibility for three recent terrorist attacks as retaliation for drone attacks...hamid gul says the US not doing enough and baitullah might be a US stooge as he has not been hit by any drone attacks... April1-2009--SC decision on Shabaz disqualification say lawyers has broken new ground as judges allowed new arguments as well as an unprecedented suspension of teh judgement...usually the judges say u cant do this and u cant do that... April1-2009--the forward block may claim the leadership of the teh PMlq if they have according to Dawn 49 members and Atta maneka might join the PMLn government...Raja Riaz told teh PMLn that they would be happy to join teh coalition but teh decision would come from teh top... April1-2009--PPP local leaders mugged near Garhi khuda bakhsh Apr1-2009--The SC in a surprisingly quick move accepted teh government request and suspended teh disqualification judgement about shabaz sharif as teh PMLn headed for teh mithai shops..this government is becoming the goverment of reinstatements......many say teh Rs2 roti attempt might have saved shabaz as he was not seen as very efficient this time...however ten year old projects such as persistent sewage overflows and non construction of a girls school in my constituency started up again... Mar31-2009--In another terrorist assault gunmen raided the police training center outside lahore setup in an old bus depot...eight policemen were killed and three gunmen before police overpowered them...a live terrorist or afghan labourer was also arrested... Mar31-2009--In other news the PMLn spokesmen continued attacking government actions in punjab as the provincial assembly was convened on April first...teh PMLn should do something about rana sanaullah...who smells smoke when there is not even a spark... Mar31-2009--on the bannu-miranshah road a security convoy ran into a roadside bomb in which five troops and two civilians were killed...mortar attacks reported from afghanistan into north waziristan... Mar31-2009--the finance ministry run ECNEC cancels gujranwala bypass improvement and approves multan bypass... Mar31-2009--indians who are perfectly happy when they are teh third hand in afghanistan refuse a third hand in kashmir where they have blocked any solution for half a century... Mar31-2009--The supreme court got off its haunches and ordered teh government to setup a commission headed by rana bhagwandas to study the oil price mechanism...while teh government has been raising prices of everything ie dollars, rice, wheat, petroleum, cooking oil, electricity, sui gas in line with world prices it forgets to reduce prices when world prices fall as they have done in cooking oil, petroleum and wheat etc....eg. if teh government wants to subsidize farming it should not do so by increasing wheat prices which causes many to go hungry...farming is already heavily subsidized with free tractors, loans and free government services...many say government has been using high electricity prices to pay for such things as dams and private sector generation... Mar31-2009--SC starts to hear sharifs petitions as shabaz sharifs at best lakadaisical or failed beurocratic team starts moving back to lahore... Mar31-2009--eight public sector bodies dont want to reinstate 6000 employees fired by teh sharif regime in 1996-98...the PPP regime is doing little to increase employment opportunities and is literally dragging along its old failures..in an advrtisement they admit that very few have shown an interest in being rehired anyway... Mar31-2009--sindhis complain about everything whether it rains or it does not...whether wheat grows or it does not...sindhs are finding out about wheat growing for the first time it seems and donot know what fertlizers to use and what to do if it rains or it does not...there is obviously more water for wheat growth which belies their complaints about water scarcity Mar31-2009--PPP punjabs orderlies study the position of opposition leader and whether tobe in government or out of it since they are going tobe blamed under teh PMLn strategy in any case Mar31-2009--Dir where teh insurrection level is low might be the next battleground says dawn as taleban move away from other trouble spots Mar30-2009--The confused supposedly new US policy in which again india is praised and pakistan literally brushed aside and literally brow beaten seems little different from previous eras...i dont think the US policy of we will help u beatup al qaeda and trust us not teh afghan taleban...will change anything...although they now realize that afghan taleban and pakistan taleban are two different species although gates seems to acknowledge carrying out bomb blasts in pakistan with indian help...?Obama quickly backed out from his suggestion that US troops will invade pakistan..from no blank cheques he moved to some accountability...why they wanted to start direct attacks on teh ISI just an hour after teh policy speech leaves many questions unanswered...with a pro US government installed in pakistan they hoped that attacks on the ISI will further confuse them and leave them at best flabbergasted...The US has moved to control pakistans internal politics as it expects pakistan to forget about its interests in afghanistan and kashmir...many see nothing new in teh policy and pakistan can at best expect further mayhem...although HIlary said there were some aspects of diplomacy in the policy although none are evident yet... Mar30-2009--Asif Zardari lifted governors rule as the PMLn started to distance itself from teh action and wanted a delay in teh assembly session until after an SC session...The PPP in a meeting with zardari decided to support a PMLn chief minister and sit in teh opposition...until an SC decision reinstated shabaz...?...They wanted teh PMln to give up its forward block which could possibly enable teh PPP-PMLq to form a government...Bilawal Bhutto played to PPP sentiments and plugged support for his father...the PPP is run by provincials in other provinces but in punjab they are being hegemonized by teh center with no powerful local boss..?...however teh PMLn said that the PMLq forward block had achieved a majority of 45 votes and could thus become a coalition partner after teh speaker approves atta maneka as teh parliamentary leader of the PMLq.. Mar30-2009--In dir an ex nazim and DPO killed as they were attacked by kidnappers of a bank manager... Mar30-2009--ten khasadars and six religious activists kidnapped in area west of bara Mar30-2009--swat mullahs allow news channels on cable and islamic channels... Mar29-2009--Zardari accused of being dictatorial attempts to show a democratic face in his state of teh union address...suggests an end to punjabs governor rule and becoming friendly with teh PMLn again...asks parliament to move towards constitutional changes...last time he said that they should revisit teh process of constitutional changes...he showed teh three people in control with naek joining fehmida and him at teh dais...earlier rehman malik had taken control and now yusuf raza gilani seems to have some strings to pull...he also suggested that they would support a PMLn chief minister...claiming that a lacklustre economy was improving and that ways and means would be found in balochistan he forgot terrorism and drones focusiing on teh challenges to democracy...the PMLn hoping for a quick restoration by teh SC refused to support a new CM idea.. Mar29-2009--US generals who were friendly to the ISI with the do nothing kayani in charge again think that pakistans supposed intelligence agency should sit and wait for american orders and have no role of its own...they accuse the ISI of having contacts with militants on both borders...pakistans intelligence agency supposedly has contacts all over teh world and would be extremely stupid if it did not think of problems on both its borders...even teh CIA has contacts in all militant organizations...nobody can work in a vacuum and pakistans interests are different in many spheres from those of teh USA..for example how will karzai or teh US start working to normalize relations with teh taleban...government speeches and newspaper articles dont solve problems...and nor do bombings and suicide blasts whoever carries them out whether they be indians, afghans, the US or teh militants of whichever color...the US must realize that personal contacts dont solve or create problems...even teh US ambassador was seen talking to hamid gul who is a US antagonist in many ways...would teh US agree to severe contacts with indian intelligence or their contacts with government opponents in pakistan...? when the US approach is solution oriented than they will solve afghanistan in a jiffy... Mar29-2009--militants torched four nato vehicles and offices at teh farhad US container terminal in peshawar Mar29-2009--presidential spokesman said that misgivings about islamabad always existed in washington given their habit to listen to india on pakistans problems..however a foreign office official said that teh government was not talking about major problems in the US policy...government leaders however seemed happy at the regional approaches suggested in the policy since it was not too different and there was something init for pakistan and Fata...however teh perception is that the US wants to continue teh policy of asking pakistan todo more even when all teh actions/operations/decisions are carried out by teh US and teh bombings by the taleban/afghans...... Mar29-2009--Qazi hussein ahmed steps down from JI leadership after 22 years... Mar29-2009--US NSA general jones says US to have nothing todo with kashmir but will work to reduce tensions...and that drone attacks are successful despite saying attacks in afghanistan are increasing and there seems increased militant activity in pakistan too... Mar29-2009--The sharif brothers formally asked the SC for punjab government restoration and ineligibility reversal Mar29-2009--security forces attacked several places in ghalanai in restive mohmand agency killing 26... Mar28-2009--Obama suggests that pakistan has been getting blank cheques from teh USA ...while grant in aid to pakistan has been small with a lot of meaningless wrangling teh US interpretation is teh same as before as if they are fighting pakistan...pakistan cannot help them much with what happens in india or afghanistan...and obviously it cannot lay down and die for the indians and USA. to be happy..Obama suggests that pakistan aid be increased to a relatively reasonable amount but wants to continue teh same old failed US policy of strings and bombings that are neither healthy for a relationship nor conducive to a solution...he should study the policy that has not changed since vietnam......many in pakistan say that what happens in afghanistan is teh result of US policy failures, afghan and taleban attitudes and not pakistan refusing to cooperate..that is precisely why pakistan refuses to blame teh indians , afghans and teh US for what happens in pakistan...even though many in pakistan openly suggest that teh taleban are attempting to apply US/indian policies on pakistan...also many in pakistan are confused by teh logic that terrorism is international...it is not...most of it happens in pakistan, afghanistan and iraq and almost nowhere else...india, afghanistan and teh US are not helpful to contain terrorism in pakistan and will never be...US policy is headed down teh same old stretch of Bush policies and obama should study issues going way back to understand why such policies remain a consistent failure...only positive aspect is teh engagement of teh taleban at the provincial level which is the pakistani policy which has only succeeded in fits and starts and teh USA many say has no perseverance since it is not their country...since they lack responsibility they donot have to care about what they say and do....! Mar28-2009--zardari woos balochistan with a 46 billion rupee program to mainly build dams for agriculture...and a committe to talk with disaffected groups...a newspaper review says that the british policy was to honour the baloch, rule teh punjabis, intimidate teh sindhis and buy teh pukhtuns in explaining the continuous migration of pukhtuns all over pakistan, india and the UAE...many say zardari might be treading teh same path and could run into trouble....at the moment we have the pukhtuns fleeing nwfp as it turns into a fireball...punjab being subjugated by sindhis and mohajirs, sindh behaving as if it is an independent state and balochistan just starting to find its voice... Mar28-2009--militant killed in swat as they seize eight military food trucks near qambar which were later released Mar28-2009--ghinwa bhuttos men clash with zardari men near larkana over ten acres belonging to bhuttos first wife and supposedly given to benazir bhutto Mar28-2009--enraged cleric fires at noisy wedding party outside mosque in gujranwala Mar28-2009--JI gets munawer hasan as its new boss after the militant tenure of qazi husein ahmed ends.. Mar28-2009--government policy of wheat price increases started again with prices rising in three provinces..teh governments strange policy of using international prices to increase local prices of gas, petroleum and wheat but not keeping them at par when they fall is at teh core of a negative perception amongst teh people...it matters little to people whether pakistan achieves self sufficiency or not when they cannot afford to buy it... Mar27-2009--50-80 killed in suicide blast at jamrud masjid during friday prayers...indians and afghan involvement suspected... Mar27-2009--The US tries to bring in the iranians and indians to fight alongside it in afghanistan as russians also join in to subjugate afghans...The policy seems designed to minimize pakistan and bring in forces who might have more influence on teh afghans than teh pakistanis...while pakistan provides teh afghans a route to teh sea they have been opposed to pakistan thru out history apart from troubled times...india, russia also not too friendly to pakistan while india has dual roles where it participates in afghan devlopment and destablizes pakistan by various mechanisms... Mar27-2009--baloch coalition in trouble as five PPP ministers resign...are than fired by teh chief minister and than the notification is taken back...Asif Zardari tries to paper over differences with the baloch whose nationalist groups are trying to ignite an ethnic strife while getting along with the zardari regime somewhat...many suggest that people only stand in elections from their area of residence...baloch, pukhtun and sea belt three areas of various ethnicities...baloch opposed even gwadar port during musharafs time as they thought that outsiders would take control of gwadar...other areas of concern are baloch resources and tribal domination in various areas...many suggest that since gas companies earn so much they could contribute to baloch development...rail and road links to north from gwadar should be built Mar27-2009--twelve killed in jandola region restaurant suicide attack claimed by taleban who attacked opponents of turkistan bhittani group.. Mar27-2009--pakistan doubts that force alone will work to help stabilize afghanistan...concentrating on attacking fata region leaves the afghan taleban free to attack at their own pace... Mar27-2009--US general says that pakistan army and ISI have an ambiguous relationship with afghan taleban...many doubt that pakistan army and ISI had any relationship with the kandahar based taleban...who emerged from the rag tag mujahideen and attempted to take control of afghanistan failing finally after they could not take mazar sharif and the indian controlled/supported northern alliance than moved in to take control as teh uS invaded from teh south... Mar27-2009--Sharifs to participate in review proceedings of the SC on disqualifications Mar27-2009--SHC moves on a treason trial against musharaf Mar27-2009--500KV power pylon blownup near peshawar Mar27-2009--three killed as gunmen fire at baitullah mesuds men in a drug store in DI Khan Mar27-2009--Tal Parachinar road blocked again by militants...blocking Kurram agnecy from the rest of teh country...the road had been recently opened after ten months.. Mar27-2009--six pukhtun owned shops set ablaze in hyderabad by motor cycle riding arsonists.. Mar26-2009--another drone attack on a vehicle and truck near makin kills seven in south waziristan just a day after teh acting president said that continued drone attacks would cause a serious retaliation Mar26-2009--Punjab PPP mpa's dubious about Zardari policy of power grab in punjab...many would prefer to stay in opposition to counter PMLn attitude... Mar26-2009--US suggests tariff cut on textiles from pakistan where pakistan has been suffering viz other textile exporters...many doubt whether ROZ in fata and afghanistan would be productive as production there would be expensive given their lack of inputs...free trade agreement between USA and pakistan could be helpful... Mar26-2009--center ready to hand over gwadar operations to balochistan...with no train links and no direct road links to the north... gwadar would only be helpful to afghanistan if they use it in a big way Mar26-2009--protestor killed as bajaur affectees protest blocking pabbi Mar26-2009--there were no police men at the sri lankan attack site in lahore and even the police detail accompanying the bus had been halved...attackers used german, russian and chinese armaments... Mar26-2009--federal government seeks suspension of nawaz sharif disqualification ruling... Mar26-2009--as Zardari moves to disenfranchise mainly punjabis in balochistan... punjab too should move to disenfranchize pukhtuns who are literally taking over punjab... Mar26-2009--The PMLn protests the appointment of 40000 educators and 16 LHC judges by teh governor who also restarted projects such as the lahore mass transit, leh expressway and lahore-sialkot kharian motorway... Mar26-2009--military lifts seige of tor chappar areas in landi kotal Click for complete news in April 2009 Click for complete news in March 2009 Click for complete news in February 2009 Click for complete news in January 2009 Click for news of the Year 2008 Click for news of 2007 Click for news from 2001 to 2005 Checkout newspages which stretch back to 1997

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