[url="http://www.hindustantimes.com/Pak-bombings-death-toll-reaches-46/H1-Article1-483835.aspx"]Pakistan bombings death toll reaches 46, over 100 injured[/url]
Quote:Twin bomb blasts tore through a busy market in Pakistan's second city of Lahore late on Monday, killing 36 people and wounding scores more as the nation struggles to quell a worsening Taliban insurgency.
Another 10 people were killed by a suicide bomber outside a court in the northwestern provincial capital of Peshawar, which has borne the brunt of Taliban attacks avenging a major offensive against the hardline militants.
Quote:No surrender, but the other Muslim countries do not have the complexity that Pakistan has. Mullaiyat diffused in ethnicity & sectarianism. One sect gives Fatwa against Suicide attack others give Fatiwa in favor. You kill one terrorist .... the propaganda starts that a shia has killed a Jihadi fighter etc. or Punjabi Army killing Pushtoons. Where is the end?
[url="http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/06-twin-blasts-take-place-in-lahore-market-rs-05"]At least 45 killed as twin bombs hit Lahore[/url]
Quote:LAHORE: Two powerful bomb blasts ripped through the busy Moon Market in Lahoreââ¬â¢s Allama Iqbal Town late in the night, claiming at least 45.
The blasts, which took place within a radius of 30 metre, also caused a massive fire in a crowded shopping mall. The blasts knocked out electricity supply.
Mondayââ¬â¢s strike was the second terrorist attack in Iqbal Town. On August 13, a suicide bomber blew himself up at the same market, killing nine people, including two children.
...
According to police, the first blast took place outside a bank and the other near a police station. People ran for their lives as the two blasts took place within a few seconds at about 8.45pm.
Michael Kugelman | 02 Dec 2009 - World Politics Review
The success or failure of President Barack Obama's new Afghanistan strategy will depend on numerous international factors, from the contributions of Washington's NATO allies to the performance of Afghanistan's beleaguered government.
However, few factors loom larger than Pakistan.
Indeed, the Obama administration has conceded that unless Islamabad intensifies its efforts against Taliban and al-Qaida forces based in Pakistan, the Afghanistan plan will likely fail. Predictably, the U.S. government has renewed pressure on Pakistan to launch a more aggressive campaign against militancy within its borders.
However, Washington has little credibility and leverage in Pakistan, and Pakistani mistrust of the United States runs high. According to one poll from earlier this year, 64 percent of Pakistanis regard America as an enemy, and only 9 percent see it as a partner. Such sentiments pose a major challenge to the development of an expanded strategic partnership with Pakistan, which Obama reportedly offered to Islamabad in recent weeks.
Given these unsavory views of the United States, Washington's appeals for stronger Pakistani action against extremism could easily fall flat -- unless they are accompanied by similar pleas from nations with more credibility in Pakistan.
Enter China. Since this spring -- and presumably during Obama's discussions with his Chinese counterpart, President Hu Jintao, last month in Beijing -- Washington has been asking China to help stabilize Pakistan. This makes good sense. Pakistan's instability jeopardizes critical [color="#FF0000"]Chinese interests[/color] (.pdf), and the time has never been more ripe for Beijing to lean on its longstanding ally.
Ten thousand Chinese workers reside in Pakistan, and a fair number of them have been kidnapped or killed in the last few years. Additionally, Pakistan's northwest frontier has provided a sanctuary for Uighur separatist militants from China's Xinjiang province, some of whom have trained in Pakistani camps before returning to China. In April, Chinese officials alleged that the Uighur East Turkestan Islamic Movement -- the likely perpetrator of a deadly attack on Chinese border police before last year's Beijing Olympics -- had established its military headquarters in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, China has provided much of the funding and labor for the construction of a port in the southern Pakistani city of Gwadar. This port, which became operational earlier this year, gives China a strategic foothold near the Persian Gulf, facilitating the transit of Chinese energy resources from the Gulf back to China. However, Gwadar lies in the combustible province of Baluchistan, home to a separatist insurgency and alleged refuge for the Afghan Taliban's leadership.
In short, Pakistan's instability threatens the security of China's citizens, its government, and its energy imports -- a trifecta of threats that Beijing can ill-afford to ignore.
Beijing's high credibility in Pakistan ensures that its concerns will be taken seriously. The two governments have enjoyed warm relations since the 1960s, and Beijing has invested billions of dollars in economic aid, dam construction, energy development, and other infrastructure projects across Pakistan. One 2009 survey reveals that 80 percent of Pakistanis view China as a partner. And in a 2009 public opinion poll assessing perceptions of world leaders, 80 percent of Pakistanis expressed confidence in Hu -- the highest level of Pakistani support for any world leader mentioned.
Unsurprisingly, whenever China has demanded something of Islamabad, the latter has often complied. Many observers believe former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf launched his 2007 offensive against radicals holed up in Islamabad's Red Mosque after Beijing, angered by the kidnapping of Chinese engineers in Pakistan, pressured him to do so.
Today, however, China has much more at stake. Beijing must quietly yet forcefully impress upon Islamabad the fact that Pakistan's problems threaten the critical interests of its chief benefactor and ally.
Ultimately, Washington's greatest concern should be neither Beijing's willingness to nudge Islamabad, nor the receptiveness of Islamabad's civilian leadership to Beijing's entreaties.
Rather, the big question is how Pakistan's undisputed powerbroker -- the military -- chooses to respond to Chinese pressure. The army has already demonstrated in Swat, and more recently in the tribal area of South Waziristan, that it is determined to crush Pakistan-based Taliban forces that target Islamabad. However, other militants based in Pakistan cross the porous border with Afghanistan to fight American troops and the government of Hamid Karzai in that country. Certain elements within Pakistan's security institutions consider these anti-Kabul forces a strategic asset, regarding them as a hedge should international forces one day withdraw from Afghanistan.
If such sentiments carry the day, the effectiveness of Chinese cajoling could be limited -- and achieving Beijing's and Washington's shared goal of a stable Pakistan will grow ever more challenging. Nonetheless, enlisting China's help will go a long way toward promoting better stability in Pakistan -- and, by extension, in Afghanistan.
Michael Kugelman is program associate with the Asia Program at the Washington-based Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, where he specializes in South Asia. He can be reached at michael.kugelman@wilsoncenter.org.
Photo: U.S. President Barack Obama talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao during the G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh, Sept. 25, 2009 (White House photo by Pete Souza).
Quote:KARACHI : The rupee fell to a year low of Rs84.14 against the US dollar at the close of inter-bank market on Monday as investors started buying the greenback heavily in anticipation of a rise in its demand from next week, dealers told The News.
[url="http://www.geo.tv/12-8-2009/54337.htm"]12 dead in Multan blasts, attackers' aide arrested[/url]
Quote:MULTAN: At least 12 people were killed and 35 others injured in a suicide attack at offices of a sensitive agency in Qasim Bela area of Multan Cantt.
According to reports, gunmen stormed at a building of a sensitive agency and opened fire on police officials. According to reports, gunmen stormed at a building of a sensitive agency and opened fire on police officials. Later, they blew up a car bomb near the building, which severely damaged the building. A rocket was also fired before the blast
Restive generals represent the backers of the Taliban and al-Qaeda ââ¬â bad news for the war next door
[center][/center]
A military coup is unfolding in Pakistan, but, this time, there is no rumbling of tanks on the streets of Islamabad. [color="#FF0000"]Instead, it seems the military is using a new strategy for regime change in Pakistan, one that will have adverse consequences for Western troops deployed in Afghanistan.[/color]
A year after rogue elements of Pakistan's intelligence services disrupted Indian-Pakistani peace talks by staging the Mumbai massacre, the democratically elected government of [color="#FF0000"]President Asif Zardari is facing a putsch from within its ranks, engineered by the men who run Pakistan's infamous military-industrial complex[/color].
The men who wish to replace Mr. Zardari represent the religious right-wing backers of the Taliban and al-Qaeda, adding a new obstacle in Barack Obama's war effort in Afghanistan. A change of guard in Pakistan will also place Canadian troops at a higher risk of attack from a Taliban that will get unimpeded access to safe havens across the international border.
In the West's war against terrorism, Mr. Zardari is probably the only politician in Pakistan who has the guts to identify the cancer of jihadi extremism and order the Pakistani army to root it out. With reluctance, the army has complied, but only half-heartedly. With him gone, it's almost a certainty that Canada and the United States, as well as Afghanistan and India, will once more face the deception and fraud that became the hallmark of Pervez Musharraf's military regime.
For years, the Pakistani army received billions of dollars in direct American aid [color="#FF0000"]while it backed the Taliban and staged faked armed encounters to deceive the Pentagon[/color].
The army views the government's efforts at peace with both Afghanistan and India not only with suspicion but also with alarm. [color="#FF0000"]Peace with India would undermine the very raison d'être of Pakistan's massive military[/color].
The army's patience with Mr. Zardari ran out in October, when the U.S. Congress passed the Kerry-Lugar bill that promised billions in aid to Pakistan, but with a crucial caveat: The money would go through the channels of the civilian administration and if the military interfered with the democratic process or bullied the politicians and the judiciary, the Americans would halt all aid to the military.
The generals were in an uproar. Having lived their entire lives with a sense of entitlement that rivalled medieval caliphs and emperors, the men in uniform started a campaign to dislodge Mr. Zardari and his ambassador in Washington, Husain Haqqani ââ¬â the authors, they said, of their misfortune.
Addicted to the billions in U.S. aid that have made them among the wealthiest in their impoverished country, [color="#FF0000"]Pakistan's generals are in a Catch-22.[/color] If they overthrow the government, they risk losing the manna from America. If they do nothing, they lose their veto over government policymaking, domestic as well as foreign.
[color="#FF0000"]Stung by this loss of power, the generals have asked the pro-Taliban media to whip up an anti-U.S. and anti-India frenzy in the country,[/color] claiming that Mr. Zardari has sold out to the Americans and the Indians.
Mr. Zardari also is being depicted as the epitome of corruption and thus unworthy of governing Pakistan. Working from within the government, military intelligence was able to coax a junior minister to release a list of thousands of supposedly corrupt politicians and public officials in the country. Leading them was Mr. Zardari himself ââ¬â notwithstanding the fact that before he was elected president, he had been imprisoned for more than a decade by the military without a single conviction.
What irks the generals is not just that they are now answerable to a civilian but that Mr. Zardari belongs to an ethnic group that is shunned by the country's ruling Punjabi elite. Mr. Zardari is a Sindhi.My Comments : [color="#FF0000"]Zardari is Baloch settled in Karachi[/color]
The hysteria among Pakistan's upper-class elites demanding a military dictatorship is best reflected in an article written by a retired military officer in the right-wing newspaper The News: ââ¬ÅMilitary rule should ââ¬Â¦ return. ââ¬Â¦ The problem with democratic governments is that they remain under pressure to go with what the majority of the citizens want, not what is best for them. ââ¬Â¦ People of several South American countries that have returned to civilian rule after a long time are now beginning to feel they were better off under dictatorships.ââ¬Â
If Mr. Obama wishes to succeed in bringing the Afghan war to an end, he had better make sure Mr. Zardari's elected civilian administration is allowed to govern until the end of its term. A coup in Islamabad will mean failure in Kabul.
Tarek Fatah is a former activist in Pakistan and founder of the Muslim Canadian Congress. He is author of Chasing a Mirage : The Tragic Illusion of an Islamic State.
ISLAMABAD : Federal Minister for Sports Pir Aftab Shah Jilani has voiced serious concerns over the security of Pakistani players in Indian Premier League (IPLââ¬â¢s) third edition, Geo news reported.
Talking to media here on Thursday, he said Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should look into its policy over [color="#FF0000"]sending of Pakistan players [size="5"]where they are not seen respectable[/size][/color].
He said I am worried at finding differences in statements from PCB and IPL administration over the security arrangements of Pakistani players.
[URL="http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\12\11\story_11-12-2009_pg7_25"]All terrorists in Pakistan are locals, says Malik[/URL]
Quote:* Interior minister says country does not have capability to strike down drones
LAHORE:[COLOR="Red"] The US security contractor, Blackwater, is not operating in Pakistan and all the terrorists in the country are locals, [/COLOR]a private TV channel quoted Interior Minister Rehman Malik as saying on Thursday.
:rofl:
Addressing a press conference,[COLOR="Red"] Malik ruled out the presence of any ââ¬Åharmful US elementsââ¬Â, saying that Blackwater was not present in the country[/COLOR]. Malik said security forces had apprehended at least 74 high-profile terrorists, adding that ulema from every school of thought supported the governmentââ¬â¢s policies in the war against terrorism.
[COLOR="Blue"]To a question, he said he had been detained at the New York International Airport for six hours just because of his name. [/COLOR]
[url="http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/cricket/health+ministry+suspends+doctors+in+huma+akram+case"]Doctors suspended over Huma Akram's death[/url]
Quote:ââ¬ËThe licences of 17 doctors have been cancelled over negligence in the treatment of Wasimââ¬â¢s wife Huma,ââ¬â¢ the ministry announced in a statement after a meeting of the National Assembly standing committee on health.
Wasim told the committee the National Hospital charged 16.8 million rupees (200,000 dollars) for treatment and other charges to airlift the patient.
[center]A minister who faced intense criticism over his expenses insisted on claiming thousands of pounds for doors and windows earlier this year, despite facing queries from the House of Commons fees office.[/center]
[center]
Mr Malik was criticised earlier this year for claiming thousands of pounds on a house in Peckham, south London.[/center]
Shahid Malik, the Communities and Local Government Minister, claimed ã850 for a new door and ã1,900 for new windows in March. When the fees office queried the cost in June in the wake of The Daily Telegraphââ¬â¢s disclosures, Mr Malik told them he was a ââ¬Åhigh-profile parliamentarianââ¬Â.
The Labour MP for Dewsbury also claimed ã1,547 in February for work that included removing moss from a wall and plastering. He claimed ã399 for a washing machine and ã234 for a ââ¬Åsolid oak bathroom vanity unitââ¬Â.
Mr Malik was criticised earlier this year for claiming thousands of pounds on a house in Peckham, south London. In three years, he claimed ã66,827, including ã2,100 for a flat-screen television and ã730 for a massage chair. However, he has now moved out
In attempting to justify his claims to the fees office, Mr Malik wrote: ââ¬ÅIn addition, being a Justice Minister, Home Office Minister at the time and being a high-profile Parliamentarian, who is outspoken on the extremism [sic], terrorism and white supremacists I hope you agree it is a reasonable [sic].ââ¬Â
Last night, Mr Malikââ¬â¢s spokesman said [color="#FF0000"]the MP was too busy to answer questions about his expenses[size="7"]*[/size][/color]
[color="#FF0000"] [size="7"]* :[/size] [/color]More like "TOO BUSY FIDDLING FURTHER CLAIMS!"
There is a news report in one of the urdu papers today, Express, which is reporting court martial proceedings against 1 in service army officer (a colonel), an ex PAF pilot and a civilian for inciting army officers and other people for acts of terrorism.
Sir : It was ordained that my country was to be the ââ¬Ëland of the pureââ¬â¢, [color="#FF0000"][size="6"]but they have made it a den of thieves[/size][/color], what with the NRO, written-off bank loans, sugar hoarding, melamine detergent in packed milk, ad infinitum.
[url="http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/provinces/04-blast-dg-khan-qs-09"]Bomber strikes at Khosaââ¬â¢s house in D.G. Khan[/url]
Quote:DERA GHAZI KHAN: At least 24 people were killed and more than 60 others injured in a suicide car bomb blast on Tuesday afternoon in front of the house of Zulfiqar Ali Khosa, Senior Adviser to the Punjab chief minister.
Police put the toll at 24, but Rescue 1122 workers said they had counted 33 bodies.
The explosion in the Khosa Market shook the entire Dera Ghazi Khan town, which has a population of 300,000, and left a 15-foot deep and 30-foot wide crater.
ISLAMABAD : Pakistanis detained by Indian authorities during the War of 1965 are still imprisoned in different jails in India, Aaj News reported on Tuesday.
Pakistan and India had two historic wars and both the countries released their respective prisoners but there are still 18 Pakistani army officers waiting to be release.
It is important to note that 18 Pakistani war prisoners of 1965 war are still held in different Indian prisons including two majors, captain, lieutenant, second lieutenant, Hawaldar, Naik, Sipahi and others.
Islamabad : A former official of Pakistan's foreign office with links to the Shia group Tehrik-e-Islami has been detained by security agencies for his alleged connections with militants who carried out a suicide attack on a mosque in Rawalpindi frequented by military personnel.
Raja Ehsan Aziz was picked up after two women members of the group were detained by security agencies, The News daily reported today.
Sarwat Wahid, another member of the group whose son's car was allegedly used by militants who targeted the mosque on December 4, and her son are reportedly missing, it said.
Aziz, a graduate of Columbia University who served in senior positions in the Foreign Office, is a retired professor of the Quaid-e-Azam University. His son is an army officer.
He was picked up from his home in Islamabad yesterday by sleuths of a counter-terrorism unit, his wife Amira Aziz said.
Phool Zeb, Aziz's driver, too was arrested as investigators found a mobile phone SIM allegedly used by terrorists who attacked the mosque in Rawalpindi and Moon Market in Lahore.
Over 100 people, including a serving Major General of the army, were killed in these two attacks.
This is the second time Aziz has been detained by security agencies though his wife denied he had links with any terror groups.
"I'm a sworn enemy of America and can pay any price for it but I strongly oppose terrorism within Pakistan," Amira said.
Sarwat Wahid reportedly fled from Islamabad to Karachi after learning that investigators were looking for her.
Authorities in Karachi have reportedly detained her sister and children to pressure Wahid to surrender to authorities.
![[Image: 23eb92373ed95d7603867a77b4be6013.jpg]](http://www.app.com.pk/photo/photo_lib/07-12-2009/23eb92373ed95d7603867a77b4be6013.jpg)
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[/center]![[Image: shahid-malik-460_1421400c.jpg]](http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01421/shahid-malik-460_1421400c.jpg)