december2005

dec31--musharaf opposes sindh/nwfp strike calls on kalabagh in punjabs backwater of mandi bahauddin...the present government is used to disregarding punjab in most matters of governance and development...
dec31--chaos in senate on balochistan and kalabagh issues as meaningless debate on kalabagh winds on as government insists that it will make the decision one way or the other...
dec31--The military action in balochistan continues as the musharaf military fired on the akber bugti residence...two kalat scouts killed in khuzdar
dec31-- in the kalabagh scenario NALC members opposed the bhasha and skardu dams while thars arbab rahim continued his duality by suggesting that musharaf empowered to announce NFC and not kalabagh..he stated that three provinces supported bhasha including punjab which wanted simultaneous construction of kalabagh as well..
dec30--after almost seven years of useless rule musharaf blames his problems on irritants of the past...
dec30--an avalanche in kohistan kills 24
dec30--the musharaf aziz government seems unable to decide on many issues facing the country..specifically where decision making should be focused and whether the military has any role in governance, law and order and whether it can take decisions such as starting military operations onits own without consulting the cabinet or the assemblies...musharaf has been running kashmir negotiations, attempting to build kalabagh dam and initiating deals with foreign countries and military operations in balochistan and north waziristan without consulting any governance systems that he has set in place...
dec30--government allies and opponents opposed the kalabagh dam in nwfp by blocking the GT road at jehangira for over seven hours.
dec30--The military is apparently trying to construct another cantonement in teh environs of fatehjang near the kalachitta forest...the area is near the most dense cantonements in the country with kamra, taxila, murree, attock, rawalpindi, risalpur and nowshera not far away...apparently it is cantonemenmt number 44 in a military desire for 64 cantonements...teh CAA has already banned construction within 15 kilometers of the new rawalpindi airport...the kalachiita hills are the sites of several small low cost housing soceities..
dec30--the nwfp government has ordered mandatory police escorts for ngo's and the UN...
Dec29--The government released various reports on new dams and below kotri river flows which generally confuse the issue of the construction of the kalabagh dam...The dam which is opposed generally by small nationalist groups on minor issues is supposed to cover for losses from reduced inflows and tarbela siltup
dec29--balochistans provincial home minister sites a bad law and order situation for the military action there as two rockets fired in mach..many consider the governments opposition to the bugti and marri sardars as teh casue of teh actions as they can obviously not be considered responsible for the situation in the entire balochistan...the government blames outlaw camps for the situation...the situation is the result of the highhandedness of the pakistan military inits ongoing campaign to literally colonize balochistan and minimize unruly sardars...
dec29--the government which has literally done nothing in the rehabilitation of earthquake areas blames a small inflow of only $300 million as the cause..most of the earthquake rehabilitation work has been coordinated by foreign ngos/govts and the private sector with the government being little more than a hanger on...the pakistan army was found to lack knowledge of real disaster relief and emergency actions such as providing helicopters for transportation of goods and servies...and opening roads and communications quickly......
dec29--A foreign funded ngo trucked in fishermen from sindh for a kalabagh conference at a local hotel but were denied permission by the ISI..the participants held a minor street protest instead...they opposed the kalabagh because it would damage the deltas which are formed by reduced water flows...without the dams sindh would have almost minimal flows in winter and floods in summer..
dec28-- teh government which is running without a finance minister has apparently decided to an NFC award with minor changes which includes a 50-50 split with the provinces, some ersponsibility transfers and some extra compensation for poverty stricken areas, tax collections, population and area were in the process of decision...sindh has been the main stumbling block on most issues as it is barely able to understand teh views of other provinces...
dec28--the indian government condemned pakistani army atrocities in balochistan and urged restraint...
dec28--the military stated that it has captured two tiny villages peekal and bakar after eliminating all the residents thru bombardments...a small portion of a gaspipeline in the sui gas filed was laso blown up..
dec28-- a strike mainly against the governments miltary actions in balochistan shutdown most cities...
dec28--after almost ten days of military operations teh interior minister blamed the action on feraris who aparently have lived in teh areas for several years...
dec27--two bombs rocked the baloch industrial area of hub as the army said it had bombed out six marri villages where apparently sindhi and baloch criminals had hideouts...which they apparently used to attack government installations...
dec27--sindh seems to have developed a seemingly illogical policy on kalabagh that it should be canal less and built after bhasha...obviously if sindh desires water share from kalabagh than so does punjab and other provinces and it seems illogical not to build canals if the area is suitable..
dec27--The supreme court stayed an apparently illegal CDA attempt to turn a 5 acre park into a commercial property in f-7, islamabad...higher ups have apparently turned over an extremely expensive 5-acre park over to some blue eyed person for a minimal amount without public or governmental approval...
dec25--a gas dicovery was announced in the balochistan area of khost-- ziarat
dec25--there were two minor bomb blasts in balochistan as army operations continued in the marri, kohlu and dera bugti areas..The FC clashed with bugti tribesmen with upto twenty casualties...the military continued to pound many marri villages without reason or objective
dec25--the kalabagh controversy continues with the government throwing out the names of more dams with no real intention or resolve on building them...the PPPP brings out a rejected expert who states that the dam will last only 15 years...while the mqm plays both sides supporting the dam on the inside and opposing on the outside..
Dec24--Punjab according to the uneducated anti punjab musharaf has steadily been deprived of development funds during his military rule...apparently punjab now gets only around 8-9%...Musharaf who is not an economist has been largely responsible for depriving punjab of its share under teh constitution...He also advocates reducing punjabs share further under a new NFC and the punjab chief minister another uneducated type should step up and advocate punjabs position...Musharaf who knows little of tight rope walking has again and again sided with anti punjab forces in the economic domain and not many in punjab support his and shauat aziz's attitudes on economic policy and resource sharing...
dec24--pakistans train link with iran blownup by saboteurs...as the baloch rebellion starts looking like an insurgency...a chinese construction camp, Fc camps in kohlu and dera bugti came under rocket attac as teh military acknowledged tha it is attacking marri villages with helicopter gnships...initially the military had stated that it was attacking ferari or outlaw camps and that they were ony a few in number...The weak opposition ie the ARD appealed to musharaf's western controllers to help them stop the carnage in balochistan...there were protests in the assemblies and many regard the opposition as cornered as it started an anti kalabagh campaign while overlooking trhe countries larger interests and becoming hostage to sindhi propaganda...musharaf meanwhile is also becoming cornered on the kalabagh, nfc, BLA and attacking the marri and dera bugti areas wih helicopter gunships while turning a blind eye to the situation for over a year...
dec24--tochi scouts camp attacked with rockets near bannu
Dec24--apparently the maddrassahs and the government have failed to agree on deporting or expelling all foreign students
Dec23--while sindhis wail that the kalabagh dam will desertify musharaf states that not building it will desertify...he said that kalabagh was ready to be started while bhasha would take a couple of years as it needed a 350 mile road tobe built...The great dam builder obviously finds a 350 mile road difficult although not the dam which is a bigger project..
Dec23-- an opposition rally in karachi opposed the kalabagh dam on the controversial grounds that it disrupts national integrity...
dec23--three big electricity supply towers were blown up affecting power supply to marri areas such as kohlu and bharkan...there were reports of an ongoing miltary operation in the marri areas with rockets fired at FC posts in several areas..marri sources say there have been over a hundred casaulties..there were bomb explosions in sibi, naushki and harnai as military helicopters continued their bombardment...
Dec23--The ANG Abbasi commission report on water storages reccommends the skardu dam and suggests gaurantees for equitable resource distribution with a sindhi slant on distribution of water shortages...It also suggests that there is not much spare water and one wonders how a 35maf dam like skardu is feasible compared to the smaller ones...it seems to have a very sindhis slant on many issues like the indus punjab links which are for the punjab indent..and have little other purpose..
Dec23--The north waziristan situation deteriorated further with a gunbattle between taliban and extortionists leaving seven people dead...The taliban who might be pakistan army sponsored have threatened to kill another 200...many suggest that the pakistan army might be using local militants to carry out their aims and objectives after the pakistan army failed miserably inits north waziristan operations...
Dec23--the government has banned a huge number of channels for various reasons...most are either indian or against teh conservative views in the information/telecommunication/pemra agencies...shutting down south african sports and series channels is not understandable...many suggest that it is a gambit to make people pay more thru purchasing decoders etc...others suggest that indian cultural domination might be the cause as women especially in the mohajir communities are totally swayed by indian channels...
dec22--The government in what can be said tobe the murder of the meaningless parliamentary system used its three members in the defence committee to overturn a decision by the committees majority to reject the govenments useless defence spending on saab planes and VVIP planes..
dec22--An embattled chaudhri shujaat who is literally a powerless majority party boss has rejected benazir bhuttos suggestion of an interim government and suggested that zulfikar ali bhutto supported the kalabagh dam even before 1965...the tarbela dam and mangla dam were built during the time in the sixties and seventies when zulfikar ali bhutto was in government...
dec22--at least twenty rockets fired at FC camps in marri area as military continues its mindless campaign aganst marri tribesmen..
Dec22--government borrowings have surged past those of the entire last year in the first five months...
dec22--a price rise of over 15% has been announced in gas prices by the pakistani government...
dec21--india has objected mildly to military aid to nepal from pakistan and china...pakistan is apparently providing guns and training to the nepalese where the king has assumed power,removed the assemblies and and is fighing of public condemnation and demonstrations...
dec21--the opposition has refused to join the powerless and toothless parliamentary committee on earthquake relief...
dec21--the army offensive in the kohlu-marri areas continues with over seventy casaulties...there are reports of intense fighting and rocket attacks on FC camps in dera bugti...the rail track between harnai and sibi was also blown up..
dec21--The government has again suggested that it will buy f-16's only if something is leftover from the earthquake relief aid..the US has obviously refused to supply the f-16's as charity...
dec21--the government seems tobe moving towards another facesaving dirty deal this time with etisalat on the PTCL sellof...etisalat had refused to pay $2.6billion..now the government having no choice and no other bidder is apparently going to offer that the payment be made over five years and the government will have only minority directors on board and any employee maybe fired by etisalat...it seems that the musharaf regime is gifting away PTCL for about $0.65 billion..
dec21--a mild anti kalabagh strike shutown most of interior sindh and some parts of karachi--
dec20--in what can be said tobe a strange untendered decision...the government has insured pakistanis for disaster risk with Beema pakistan at Rs100 per head...The insurance company will setup and train over 320 fire stations ..a $500 million 36 month project has obviously been given to some shaukat aziz crony without tendering or considering any other bids...the cost of insurance comes to a whopping Rs1.5 billion...??
dec20--seven vehicles set on fire in karachi ahead of a JSQM provincial strike on kalabagh..
dec20--The mma is in turmoil as maulana sami ul haq has joined teh government and the JUI-f has approved attending the NSC meetings...jui-s now tobe represented by abdul rahim and gul rehman...the mma shoora approved the dam as its sindh component opposed it...
dec20--Dera bugti has been sealed off by the army according to akber bugti as over 15000 troops have moved into the area..
dec20-- in what is being called a sindh less PML top level meeting the PML approved musharaf's plan to build two dams...arbab rahim continued his opposition and many say he has been reduced to a voicebox from an influential leader...
dec20--the military continued its attacks in many marri areas and the tribe says that over fifty have been killed and there have been rockets fired in retaliation at an FC camp..The military reports about outlaw camps camps in the area seem exxagerated and the army is bent on quelling the balochs mild rebellious attitude...
dec19--the shaukat aziz government which is a hodge podge of various groups seems tobe on the verge of collapse in sindh as his main coalition partners the mqm and various sindhi groups are refusing to support the kalabagh dam...many are suggesting that the two allies shaukat aziz and arbab rahim may beon the way home for good...?
dec19--In what can be called a mean and cowardly retaliatory response musharaf ordered the army to act against baloch opponents of his military rule in the kohlu areas which are a Marri domain...using helicopter gunships troops apparently attacked several villages which the army called terrorist raining camps in initial reports...the home of the nawab was also raided and there are many casaulties...This is said tobe in response to an attack on a musharaf gathering a few days ago...
Dec18--The daily dawn reports that the Frontier Constabulary is again taking control of its positions in Dera Bugti which were earlier vacated and bugti tribesmen might also be getting ready for war or another conflict situation...The situation has deteriorated due to the kalabagh dam controversy and the lack of implementation of an accord between the bughtis and the present military regime...
Dec18--The kalabagh dam controvesy is becoming almost a severe crisis...shaukat aziz seems unable to convince the sindhis on the dam in the punjab who are willing to support other dams in bhasha or sehwan...The primeminister suggested that teh mqm is supporting the dam(dual/conflicting views as altaf hussain opposes the dam) while the only sindhi in support seems tobe the pir of paggara....many suggest that shaukat aziz who is apparently a bengali karachiite is an mqm worker/supporter and is playing a dual anti pakistan role on the kalabagh dam...Sindhis have been openly threatening even mild supporters of the dam with severe consequences...
dec18--the opposition political parties have severely critisized the dictator supporting US ambassador on his conduct and remarks...the ambassador seems unable/incapable to understand the meaning of democracy...
Dec18--The army is coming under severe criticism for its opulent style and wastage of national resources on useless aspects of military warfare...eg. the useless/needless purchase of second hand $56million 155m howitzers, its conduct in the east pakistan war, its failure to hand over power to civilians,its handling of balochistan and the war in the tribal areas...many also critisize it for its conduct in the recent earthquake aftermath..its open attempts to disregard civilian institutions and bring into disrepute the government/civilians
Dec17--The musharaf aziz duo has its head in the sand on many issues including the kalabagh dam...in meetings the sindh government refused to support the dam if there was any off take for the punjab..they in turn were informed that in that case there would be no additional water for sindh from now on...sindh seems tobe opposed to the kalabagh on the basis that it will benefit the punjab and is located in the punjab...the additional water from the kalabagh would have tobe shared equally between the sindh and punjab under the present water distribution accords...sindh only understands the benefits of the dam to them but is wooried about the benefits to the punjab......
Dec17--The army has rejected all criticism against the grandiose and unnecessary 2400 acre new GHQ in islamabad...a site on which hundreds of universities or pentagons could be built is called just functional by the army...the army is apparently going to build 17000 residences including six bedroom plush villas and hide their missiles under rivers and small lakes...?apparently approved in 1972 the army has upto now been developing the GHQ in rawalpindi...suddenly this year musharaf thought it was too dangerous for him to travel to the GHQ in rawalpindi and immediately the new wasteful scheme took hold...
dec17--Musharaf and the pakistan army are unable to look beyond their noses on most issues such as the new GHQ, awacs,terrorism, al qaeda, war against the tribals, kashmir, US troops/jails in pakistan etc.........
dec16--The FC commandant maj general shujaat zamir dar and brigadier salim nawaz were injured as their helicopter was fired upon while overflying the area from which rockets were fired at a musharaf meeing in kohlu...rockets are routinely fired in the area but the FC was only told to checkup after they were fired at a musharaf gathering...many suggest musharaf is creating conditions for a military takeover in balochistan or what they call a serious operation...balochistan liberation army sources claimed the rocket firings while the FC said eight other donkey laden rockets were confiscated...
dec15--eight rockets fired at a musharaf meeting in kohlu from the doda peer mountains...
dec14--there were fiery speeches against and for the kalabagh dam...punjab is unable to find any cogent reason to oppose the dam as the sindhi view is based on paranoia...the national assembly which is not subordinate to the provincial assemblies in an sense seems to support the kalabagh dam...musharaf has feebly suggested that the punjab will topple his government if it fails on the kalabagh dam...the 1991 water accord approved the kalabagh dam in principle...provincial nationalist type leaders these days seem tobe so hurt personally that they oppose anything even marginally favoring the punjab with the balochis also opposed to all projects in balochistan eg. sui, gwadar, saindak etc...
dec14--another taliban execution reported from the tribal areas
Dec13--operational command of al qaeda is with local groups and not in the hands of top leaders says US ambassador...
Dec13--The wobbly MMA forward block has been wound up without any concessions from their ruling provincial elite...
Dec12--a person who has no respect for rules or the constitution offers sindh constitutional safeguards from the consequences of kalabagh...musharaf obviously has no sense as it is obvious that the kalabagh dam is not the cause of sindhs opposition...a dam is just a controlling mechanism and cannot cause any real problems...
Dec12--cases of dengue fever and congo fvirus on the rise thruout teh country...
Dec12--40 die in lahore as wedding bus goes p in fire explosions...
Dec11--The government as usual has failed to satisfy the opposition on the earthquake committee
dec10--an anti aircraft gun was recovered from a house near the quetta airport...
dec10--protests have taken place in muzaffarabad at teh rape in a lahore hospital of an earthquake survivor by a doctor...
dec10--in north waziristan the suspicious taleban killed two afghans in the name of being extortionists and hung thhem up on electricity poles...
dec10--two opposition MNAs Qari gul rehman and Krishan bheel scuffled in parliament
dec10--apparently a shaukat aziz backed forward group with 22 members has emerged in the PMLq which supposedly aims to divide musharaf and the chaudhries who are increasingly blamed for the dirty politics of the PMLq especially in the punjab...forward groups usually oppose the mandates that they get elected with and are generally considered tobe floor crossers...such forward blocks as those of the PMLq lack basic credibility...another forward block has emerged which opposes the MMA's Durranni in the nwfp but that too remains within the same group and has not joined the opposition which a forward block must do...
dec10--a huuriyet leader clarifies that musharaf is behind the half baked united states of kashmir idea which claims seven or five ethnicities in the disputed area...musharaf apparently unable to move the indians has been used to airing what can be called onesided funny solutions...!!
dec9--the indians have refused to allow the iranian ambassador to visit kashmir in an apparent effort at playing sunni-shiite politics...the indians are banking on the saudi king to help them out in kashmir...?
Dec9--bomb blasts a restauant near army fort in tank's jandola bazaar...earlier two FC men were found hanged and the miramshah taleban retaliation claimed 21 lives...pakistan army they say is close to a humiliating defeat at the hands of a few hundred taleban in the war torn north waziristan......
Dec08--apparently the primeminister has sent the opposition a letter on how cooperative, authoritative and participative the earthquake committee wil be...this is in response to a tor from the opposition...many suggest that shaukat aziz has suggested a consensus approach which has been missing from the military regimes governance for some years...
Dec08--In a militant-gangster fight in north waziristan fight eleven people were killed as the army and political agents withdrew their forces...the extortionists apparently killed a seminary student first...
Dec08--five balochistan liberation army terrorists arrested by punjab police...suggestions that they have links to sardar behram a bughti grandson...the JWP says that the pakistan army has deployed in more baloch areas despite agreeing not to..the govt says that there are six terrorist camps in balochistan..there have been 261 bomb blasts and 167 rocket firings over the year in balochistn..
dec08--four Fc men kidnapped in south waziristan..
Dec06--India showing its unfriendliness to pakistan advises afghanistan to consider pakistans border and government as unfriendly and terrorist supporting...pakistan has just recently communicated to india that they have no contacts with the taliban or the al qaeda fighting the government in aghanistan
Dec6--journalist kidnapped in north waziristan as complications of apparent american attack on a tribal hacienda surface...
Dec6--NGO's critisize musharaf for not trying to accumulate disaster funds locally rather than going to overseas sources which have provided unlikeable processes which has delayed reconstruction and relief as the governmenmt mulls over accepting the foreign aid inits various forms...
Dec6--The opposition critisizes the regime for not making the annual joint address to parliament which gives them a chance to ridicule musharaf...
Dec6--The musharaf--aziz regime which is based on the illegitimate foundation of a military coup has again failed in going ahead with the kalabagh dam...aziz and musharaf who are sindhis and dam supporting like other sindhis in the center such as benazir and liaqat jatoi/soomru... while teh sindhi provincials have as usual opposed...The opposition is generally based on an anti punjab sindhi attitude and the convenience of radical regional politics rather than any realistic problem...In the punjab the dam is increasingly viewed as benefiting sindh...sindh cannot gain any political benefit out of it...The military regime at the center usually adopts policies that are publically opposed apart from the dam...many suggest that the provincial sindhis have again blackened the faces of the sindhis at the center ie musharaf/aziz/soomru which is seen by the opposition as pleasurable ....