July 29, 2001--Just as the effect of the shaukat mirza murder had worn of two well known candidates for district leadership Siddik kanju and aslam joya were murdered in lodhran…This could be a political murder as both were contesting the district nazimate…However many regard it as the result of internal PML politics…ie if general naqvi has not reverted to the kill and control option…
July 29, 2001—In what is being seen as further evidence of the military meddling unnecessarily in politics the vice chief of army staff Major General Anwar Khan is being made the president of Azad Kashmir…Apparently he will retire from the army and file his nomination papers as a Muslim conference candidate…it is obvious from the report that he is being forced on the Muslim Conference as its leader Sardar Abdul Qayuum is regarded as unacceptable to the military due to his Indian links…Anwer got some bad press coverage sometimes back when he tried to interfere in internal afghan politics...
July 29, 2001—The mean natured Iranians have refused to allow a transport route to Pakistani truckers to the Central Asian Republics… Apparently after much haggling and depicting an Indian type nature they have allowed Pakistani trucks to travel upto the CAR border where they will have to shift the goods to Iranian trucks.. iran has also directed that only new trucks be allowed to enter iran…This is the second recent instance of unfriendly behaviour by the Iranians..They also refused to buy Pakistani wheat stating that it was unfit for human consumption…
July 29, 2001—The Indian govt has banned the usage of the word widow in occupied Kashmir… There are apparently over 10000 widows in occupied Kashmir whose husbands were mostly the victims of Indian army brutality…
July 28, 2001---Pakistan State Oil chief Shaukat Mirza was gunned down in Karachi alongwith his driver…A well known management expert with extensive multinational experience he was brought into the state owned PSO already known as the most profitable state owned company to meet the challenges mounted by Shell which had aggressively started setting up modern petrol stations all over the country thus challenging the PSO dominance/monoply…PSO which was already profitable saw a further surge in profits under shaukat as he started remodeling petrol stations and improving/modernizing operations…The murder could be due to organizational rivalry, terrorism or even sensationalism…Some suggest that musharrafs inability to understand public sentiment over high utility/petroleum prices could be the cause… Karachi has a huge transport lobby as well which is troubled by high petroleum prices…Just as a side effect the Karachi transport ittehad went on strike pulling all transportation of the roads…
July 26, 2001—The Indians have killed a moderate hizbul mujahideen commander who had been responsible for negotiations..Such actions soon after musharrafs visit highlight concern for the mujahideen... There are many who regard the Pakistani military and beaurocracy as responsible for handing over information on the whereabouts of underground fighters… many have even suggested that the Indians were handed over a list of mujahideen leaders by someone in the musharraf delegation…many are now doubting musharrafs integrity as well..as some of his actions in India …
July 26,2001—A report in the News suggests that musharraf was very annoyed at a Pakistani newsmans question asto the reasoning why only elected Pakistani leaders have the ability to reach agreements with…… the result the poor newsman was demoted…Musharraf is know tobe extremely annoyed when anyone refers to the achievements of pakistans political leaders…he seems to have developed an anti politician bias as a junior mohajir officer way back in the seventies… In fact some state that the army is still dealing with its anti zulfikar bias.. The politicians on the other hand have shown some admirable qualities in recent days by demonstrating the ability to make alliances with almost anyone in the district nazim elections..
July 26, 2001---There are no doves on Kashmir says Indian home minister LK Advani…
July 26, 2001—Christina Rocca’s India visit has indicated that she avoided troublesome political issues and concentrated on economic impact areas…One has always wondered why such an important area of the world is dealt by an undersecretary of the USA..while other areas are handled by the secretary of state. An US undersecretary is equivalent to a deputy secretary or area incharge in the foreign office…
July 25, 2001—After the Vajpayee statement in parliament it seems that the negotiations on Kashmir are over as far as Pakistan is concerned.. The only way left for some solution seems tobe an armed/peaceful struggle or some sort of separate independence for occupied Kashmir… So kashmir will have to wait for the removal of vajpayee/musharraf…Peace just for sake of development is meaningless…merely meeting the Indian primeminister is also of no particular significance…Kashmiris might take some hope from the George Bush statement that the USA will work for liberation of nations/people from Kosovo to Kashmir…
July 25, 2001—The fallout from the disastrous rains in rawalpindi-hazara-swat areas is much worse than expected.. In rawalpindi the death toll is much higher than expected..Total deaths have still not been enumerated and they could be as high as a 100… More than 11 katchi abadis around low lying nullah pathways in islamabad have been literally destroyed although loss of life in Islamabad has been low…In mansehra and buner/swat the death toll from mudslides and rock falls has also risen to over a hundred…
July 25, 2001—The daily dawn a pro musharraf, pro mohajir newspaper criticizes musharraf for thinking about personal safety rather than the plight of people suffering from unusual rainfalls…Apparently he had all the residents of the areas he visited forcibly removed during the visit..This is pakistan musharraf not India…Some commented that musharraf was mocking their troubles rather than attempting to share their grief and problems..
July 20, 2001--Pakistans first indigenously manufactured main battle tank was rolled out today and handed over to the army…The tank is said tobe equivalent to or better than the best varieties available throughout the world…It has taken over 15 years to build and has been manufactured at the govt owned rebuild and manufacturing facilities near taxila..These facilities were setup in the early seventies Zulfikar ali bhutto govt with Chinese assistance when the pakistanis first started to shift from dependence on US military assistance to Chinese equipment and started to plan for future indigenous manufacturing and rebuild capabilities……Initially the govt had setup a tank rebuild factory which rebuilt earlier version chinese tanks..Pakistan started building its tank with Chinese assistance and an American engine.. Over time differences developed with the Chinese and US and the tank was finally completed with ukrainian assistance..The tank certainly looks more solid than those in pakistans inventory.. However due to the change in the methods of war tanks are almost obsolete in a defensive setup…Tanks were first developed to ease the movement of attack troops thru deserts…The only use one can see for tanks these days is training in desert warfare and controlling the populace in times of public strife..
July 20, 2001—The Frontier Post reports that vajpayee might visit Pakistan before November this year..
July 20, 2001—The Indian information minister now blames musharraf for the breakup of the talks citing his aggressive press talk as the main reason…
July 20, 2001—The Indians are comparing musharaf to a deceiving backstabbing desert rattlesnake… They say that musharrafs sabre rattling found few friends in the Indian hierarchy..
July 20, 2001—The govt is to abolish the district magistrates office alongwith the offices of the district commissioner and the commissioner.. The judicial functions of the district magistrate generally exercised by the DC will be taken up by a judicial magistrate and the administrative functions will most probably revolve to the district nazim and his staff…or the police.. Eventually all the judicial functions will be shifted to the judiciary…One suggests that nazims at all levels be associated with crowd control otherwise they might start organizing movements against the govts at the center and provinces…
July 20, 2001—India is a natural ally of the US says US General Shelton.. No wonder the USA is so unfriendly towards Pakistan which also reflects and effects the indian attitude towards Pakistan..many suggest that Pakistan would be happier if the USA shifts all its attentions to India so that Pakistan can develop with some freedom from continuous US restraints..
July 19, 2001—There are no Indian POW’s in Pakistani jails..
July 19, 2001—Vajpayee hopes for an agreement on his visit to Pakistan.. vajpayee invited musharraf to India to dispel world opinion that India is stonewalling on a kashmir solution..He said that musharrafs visit had benefited India internationally and that India had not lost anything at agra..
July 19, 2001—Ashraf Jehangir the Pakistani ambassador to India has stated that there was general agreement on nine points in the draft joint statement and that there was disagreement on the issue of mentioning Kashmir, APHC, security issues and terrorism which are tobe treated separately from the other issues…He also stated that musharrafs performance though a disappointment could be likened to inzamam scoring a fifty rather than a hundred..others consider it equivalent to getting out without even scoring a ten..or getting out LBW on the first ball..
July 19, 2001—Fata to pay the same rates for electricity as other regions in Pakistan
July 19,2001—The media cites hawkish indian home minister L.K. Advani as responsible for the collapse of the talks however comments of the Indian foreign minister, external affairs spokesman and vajpayee all point to a collective Indian rejection of the musharraf positions on Kashmir, APHC and cross border terrorism.. It is also apparent that outward approval and cordiality towards musharaf was used to hide inner acrimony and hard feelings towards the Pakistani military chief…The way the summit was handled shows that the summit could have been a more relaxed affair if held outside india and Pakistan in some more neutral location…
July 19, 2001—There seems to be a mistaken impression in pro government circles that musharrafs image has improved at home..while vajpayees has suffered..The actual situation is that both sides regard the summit as a failure which was mirrored by the depressed and disappointed faces especially of the pakistani delegation as they hurried onto the plane at agra… and many now regard the fact that an experienced politician could have been able to handle the situation better.. One would suggest that the next summit be preceded by more preperation and a shuttle diplomacy between the two foreign ministers or high ranking negotiators be allowed to handle the diplomacy and negotiations…summits should generally only take place when most of the things have been decided…
July 19, 2001—The wait and watch policy is now over says the APHC..
July 19, 2001—Tauqir Zia named a relatively inexperienced and ordinary cricket selection committee ..Wasim Bari, Shafiq Papa, Mohsin Khan and Aquib Javed…The Bari selection committee has made serious mistakes in recent selections and its reinstatement alongwith two relatively inexperienced and undependable selectors such as mohsin and aquib raise serious causes for concern.The attitude of Tauqir Zia has become seriously questionable under whose management the Pakistan team has continued to fall in the rankings as a cricket playing country
July 18, 2001--The two foreign ministers in explaining the collapse of the summit have taken somewhat different stances apart from agreeing that some progress(doubtful) was achieved which could be developed in future talks..Abdul Sattar called it an inconclusive summit while Jaswant Singh said that it was not a failure and that unilateral indian CBm's would be implemented...he also joked that a musharraf press conference was not allowed for security reasons( meaning that indian journalists are reportedly terrorists?).. It seems that indian policy seems tobe an acceptance of the two kashmirs theory while not allowing any real autonomy to occupied kashmir or ending the brutal suppression..While musharrafs attitude to the collapse is not yet known if the indians are really in the mood for a solution on kashmir than they should quickly announce the dates for a vajpayee visit to pakistan ie as soon as his legs are completely healed...However a return visit without final negotiations on kashmir will lead to the re-emergence of an armed struggle for liberation as the only possible way out for the kashmiris...
July 17, 2001--The much hyped vajpayee--musharraf summit collapsed dramatically as the two leaders could not agree on teh wordings of a joint statement..The differences seemed tobe on mentioning kashmir, cross border terrorism as well as including teh APHC in future negotiations.. This is the first indo-pak summit to have failed in the past fifty years...
July 13, 2001--The NSC and corp commanders both seem to have given mild support to musharrafs india visit which many now regard as little more than a social call..The Corp Commanders whom many regard as the defacto electorate in pakistan ... seem tobe losing some of their enthusiasm for Musharraf..Musharraf seemed visbly nervous while chairing the corp commanders moot..The NSC and corp commanders who are musharrafs main advisors suggest that nothing significant is expected from the visit however they encourage the visit as pakistan has always been committed to negotiations as the only way to a solution..There are some indicators that pakistan might back away from a total solution in exchange for easing the plight and way of life of kashmiris in the occupied part... muslim kashmiris are literally treated like prisoners by the indians... The signals from india are not very encouraging as their foreign minister refuses to even discuss kashmir while vajpayee who is willing to discuss everything but concede nothing is attempting to hide behind the logo of insaniyat...meaning probably that we are all humans beings..If u are a human being vajpayee than why disregard the humanrights of the kashmiris in indian occupied kashmir.. Dont u regard them as humans...Why not start behaving like a human being and stop all hostilities against kashmiris and let them breathe the same free air that u do...Why not withdraw all indian army personnel from indian occupied kashmir as a first honest step towards a solution...
July 13, 2001--Light rains after more than four years wreaked havoc in karachi where eight people were killed..
July 13, 2001--India is likely to open three entry /visa points on the LOC at Sialkot, Uri-Chakothi and Poonch -Bagh..
July 13, 2001--There are 51 indians in a pakistani jail while the ashes of another 21 who died in custody are preserved in urns.. The indians refuse to recognize their existence.. A few of them have been found tobe involved in terrorism..
July 13, 2001--This is a strange summit..musharraf is going to discuss kashmir while the indians apparently refuse to discuss it.. The indian governing party refuses to attend the pakistani ambassadors tea party as teh APHC is invited and nobody knows whether vajpayee will attend a musharraf press conference...
July 13, 2001--PTV is to broadcast live most of musharraf's activities in india...
July 13, 2001--A gallup poll(generally a controlled opinion) states that pakistanis donot have any expectations from the vajpayee-musharraf summit. Only 31% say they expect relations to improve.Only 16% expect any progress on kashmir.Only 10% trust india.47% oppose trade relations, 54% oppose educational exchanges and 58% oppose cultural exchanges.. Despite the opposition the gallup organisation says there is considerable interest in the visit and people support removing restrictions on travel and sports...
July 13, 2001--The musharraf delegation has been reportedly cutdown from 63 to 19 and that would indicate that not much negotiation is expected even on peripheral issues and that the summit might just focus on kashmir and easing relations between the two countries....it is probably also a result of musharraf himself becoming the key negotiator... Most military, govt officials and ministers are expected to study up on all india pakistan issues...
July11, 2001--Musharraf has again referred to kashmir as an irritant and source of tension...One thinks that defining the issue in such minor and illogical terms reduces its importance.. An irritant can always be bypassed and the tensions are due to indian actions and policies not kashmir...
July 11, 2001-- It is however becoming clear that the pakistanis are belatedly realising that they have to counter indian propaganda even while going into negotiate.. The indians have been trying to create the impressions that there is no problem tobe discussed and that mere cordiality is all that it will take to subdue musharraf and company..pakistanis have finally realised that and have tried to counter it...better late than never..
July 11, 2001--The latest response has come from Rashid Qureshi who suggests that teh best confidence building measure can only be a solution of the core issue of kashmir...
July 11, 2002--Musharrafs lack of an electoral and public mandate has caused him tobe very weak publically wrt india..He has tried to counter that by hiding behind groups of peopel who themselves have no locus standii.. The two main political parties have avoided giving him even the visual support due to his negative attitude towards them...If he fails in india the military might move towards his removal much more quickly than earlier thought...
July 11, 2001--Musharraf like everybody else seems tobe attempting to get ahead of even the basics.. He now suggests that he will try to get a timeframe for the solution of kashmir... An agreement has to come first than a timeframe...A timeframe will be immaterial if india does not agree even to discuss the issue..
July 10, 2001--It seems that india is still not very clear on what it wants the summit with pakistan for.. They are behaving childishly in deciding not to attend a pakistan emabssy reception just because the APHC is invited...They have attempted to embarass pakistan with foolish attempts to send over their DG military operations without prior discussion that pakistan rejected..Now they say they will open visa booths on all border entry points including the LOC for pakistanis within the next three months...They should start stamping visas at airport entry points if they really wanted to make it easier for pakistanis to visit india..However on the main topic of kashmir india is continuing to stall and vajpayee wants to discuss only the terrorist aspects..so the whole summit is seemingly directed at frustrating pakistans views and aspirations on kashmir..India is also trying to play teh two muhajirs against each other by uselessly denying a visa to altaf hussein of the mqm and Benazir Bhutto the militaries main adversaries in exile...
July 10, 2001-- The military administration created chaos in rawalpindi by cancelling the route permits of private transporters on route 7 apparently to help out the Lt Gen Hamid Gul(retd) family run Varan Tours ...The transporters and people protested and several varan tours buses were damaged...
July 10, 2001--Kabir Marwat a minor politician from NWFP was sentenced to 7 years and a Rs 350 million fine for acquiring wealth beyond his means.. No details of corruption were provided and one can only say that the military seems jealous of the wealth acquired by ordinary individuals
July8, 2001--Musharraf who is literally running a defacto presidential form of govt has apparently stated that he will not make any major changes in the constitution--Frontier Post
July 8, 2001--Musharraf who seems somewhat anti kashmiri has again reffered to kashmir as an irritant, tension, main dispute...obviously kashmir is not an irritant or tension and cannot be blown away--Frontier Post
July 8, 2001--Just days before the July 14 vajpayee-musharraf summit meeting there seems tobe no clear agenda or even an agreed roster of events..It seems that india will insist on peripheral matters and the maintenance of teh status quo while pakistan will present some new ideas on kashmir...The issues and attitudes have remained the same since the last summit between Nawaz and vajpayee.India's continued reluctance to move towards a real solution on kashmir and pakistan almost willing to give up on kashmir seems tobe the generally derived impression
July 8, 2001--Zardari fears his judicial murder as he was produced in a hyderabad court for the 1997 murder of a federal secretary alam baloch...
July 8, 2001--Asif Saigol sentenced to 10 years in prison for wilful default
July8, 2001--union council elections move towards the important district, tehseel and town nazim elections, Chaudhry Shujaat led PML(azhar) seems to be the most organised at the moment as the PMLn and PPP are opposed by musharraf...
July 8, 2001--India might offer a ceasefire on siachen, meetings between the DG(military operations)and pakistan a no war pact and a gas pipeline as peripheral attachments to the discussion on teh kashmir issue...India continues to seem defensive on the kashmir issue and there might be no major development as india is prepared to counter aggressivly pakistans proposals if they go beyond accepting the LOC as the final border...
July 8, 2001--In Gujar khan a bread maker or nanbai alaughtered his wife and seven kids