Air-borne troops from the US-led Nato forces intruded into the North Waziristan tribal region on Monday in pursuit of militants and took into custody five suspected militants from the Haqqani network.
The Haqqani network – the deadliest of all Taliban factions – has been blamed by the United States for most of the attacks against Nato troops in Afghanistan.
Read more...Dear Jon Stewart,
I used to think of you as one of the good guys. It always seemed that you were a one-man rallying cry for peace and understanding in the US media. You had taken it upon yourself to stand up to the right-wing bigots in your midst when it came to the New York Islamic Cultural Centre, Guantanamo, the invasion of Iraq and countless other instances where US citizens and Governments have acted in a reckless and arrogant manner.
Continue reading The OBL episode: An open letter to Jon Stewart
China has acceded to Pakistan’s request to take over operations at Gwadar port, while Islamabad also requested Beijing to build a naval base at the same port. Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Mohammad Aslam Raisani, however, expressed strong resentment over the deal and said his government was neither taken on board, nor does he agree with it.
“The Chinese government has acceded to Pakistan’s request to take over operations at Gwadar port as soon as the terms of agreement with the Singapore Port Authority (SPA) expire,” Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar said after his visit to China with Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.
--“Britain's former ambassador to Afghanistan has attacked the conduct of the war by the US commander, General David Petraeus, describing the future CIA chief's tactics as counter-productive and "profoundly wrong".----He has increased the violence, trebled the number of special forces raids by British, American, Dutch and Australian special forces going out killing Taliban commanders, and there has been a lot more rather regrettable boasting from the military about the body count," said Cowper-Coles. He added that the use of statistics was reminiscent of the Vietnam war. "It is profoundly wrong and it's not conducive to a stable political settlement."--- Of course it produces tactical success in cleansing insurgents out of particular areas, but it's essentially moving water around a puddle, and I think any general who boasts of the number of Pashtun insurgents he's killed should be ashamed of himself."
NY Times
Lockheed Martin Corp, the U.S. government's top information technology provider, said on Saturday that it detected and thwarted "a significant and tenacious attack" on its information systems network one week ago.
"As a result of the swift and deliberate actions taken to protect the network and increase IT security, our systems remain secure," Jennifer Whitlow, a Lockheed spokeswoman, said in an e-mailed statement. "No customer, program or employee personal data has been compromised."
Who says we, the Pakistanis, are not consistent? We certainly are. Look at our national cricket team. It is consistently inconsistent. It never fails to surprise you.
Take Rehman Malik (no relation of Veena Malik, I hope – for her sake, of course). He consistently issues the same statement after each bomb blast: “We will not tolerate any act of terrorism”. Give the Interior Minister more than full marks, if you can, for his level of tolerance has reached dizzying heights. The awkward fact remains that he tolerates terrorism, not out of choice though.
Two-day defence secretaries level talks between Pakistan and India on the outstanding issue of Siachin will begin in New Delhi from Monday, Geo News reported.
Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Akhtar Ali will be leading the Pakistani delegation while the Indian side will be represented by Pradeep Kumar.
Read more... The programme, which began in 2006, is currently active in 126 schools, 18 each in Multan, Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Rawalpindi and Lahore districts. It will be expanded to another 143 schools in Vehari, Sargodha, Sheikhupura, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Bahawalnagar, Khanewal, Attock, Muzaffargarh, Rahim Yar Khan, Sialkot and Jhelum by next year, said an EPD official. The department is also hoping to get a boost in its budget so it can introduce advanced environmental education in government colleges, the official added. Continue reading Schools in 12 more districts to get environment education 
The Environmental Protection Department (EPD)aims to expand a programme to educate public school students about environmental issues to another 12 districts and 143 schools in the Punjab this year, officials said.
And just as on the first day, supporters once again had to wait for PTI chief Imran Khan, who spoke later in the evening. In the meantime, several important figures from the party as well as political leaders and celebrities addressed the gathering. Continue reading Say no to drones: PTI sit-in a ‘success’ on second day 
As on Saturday, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) sit-in at Native Jetty Bridge was once again passionate yet peaceful on its second and concluding day on Sunday. Thousands of people flocked to the protest site in an orderly fashion to show their support.
As on Saturday, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) sit-in at Native Jetty Bridge was once again passionate yet peaceful on its second and concluding day on Sunday. Thousands of people flocked to the protest site in an orderly fashion to show their support.
And just as on the first day, supporters once again had to wait for PTI chief Imran Khan, who spoke later in the evening.
In the meantime, several important figures from the party as well as political leaders and celebrities addressed the gathering.
Continue reading Say no to drones: PTI sit-in a ‘success’ on second day
And just as on the first day, supporters once again had to wait for PTI chief Imran Khan, who spoke later in the evening. In the meantime, several important figures from the party as well as political leaders and celebrities addressed the gathering. Continue reading Say no to drones: PTI sit-in a ‘success’ on second day As on Saturday, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) sit-in at Native Jetty Bridge was once again passionate yet peaceful on its second and concluding day on Sunday. Thousands of people flocked to the protest site in an orderly fashion to show their support.
Imran Khan knows what he opposes but does not seem to be sure what he proposes. This is a fundamental factor in determining the nature and degree of his relevance to the Pakistani politics.His is a political position that takes an extremely dim view of what is going on in the country as politics, governance, foreign policy, economic management and even development. Read more.. 
When he was alive, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke was effectively gagged, unable to comment on what he saw as missteps of the Obama administration that he served. But as we face a crisis in Pakistan after the killing of Osama bin Laden, it’s worth listening to Holbrooke’s counsel — from beyond the grave. As one of America’s finest strategic thinkers and special envoy to the Af-Pak region, Holbrooke represented the administration — but also chafed at aspects of the White House approach. In particular, he winced at the overreliance on military force, for it reminded him of Vietnam. Read more... 
The Pakistan lobby in Washington is trying to expand, even as the relationship between the U.S. and Pakistan deteriorates. The leading Pakistani advocate in D.C. is Mark Siegel, at Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP. He’s working alongside teams led by former Republican Rep. Vin Weber at Clark & Weinstock, and the PR experts at k-global, which is a subsidiary of National Strategies, a D.C.-based consulting firm. They’ve replaced a 2010 suit of lobbyists who are no longer working for Pakistani causes. Read more... 
Pakistan is in for its eventual long and difficult battle for survival, likely to be unfolding in the coming months at the hands of Obama’s America, and in no less measure, by the courtesy of Gen. Pervez Musharraf, the CIA’s hit man in his own country, and indeed, the NRO US-Britain-blessed and backed incumbent Zardari-Gilani PPP regime in Islamabad. The Pakistani nation would have liked to escape the coming conflict, but we know there is no point in it. This conflict is going to be forced on this nation – there is no escape from so the nation must prepare itself for this eventuality. Read more... 
Failure of its institutions and few expectations from the ruling elite might result in a mass uprising in the next five to ten years, or even sooner. This has been predicted in one of the two reports launched by Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) on Wednesday. In its abstract, quoting a group of political and defence analysts, who held a roundtable discussion in January this year, the report “Pakistan’s Security Challenges” said that the common man will one day “definitely explode” if the forces of status quo continued to refuse and resist change. Continue reading ‘Expect them to rise, if you keep on falling’ 
In a suspected sectarian hit, at least seven people have been shot dead on the outskirts of Quetta. Six others were injured in the incident that took place on Wednesday near Killi Kamalo in Quetta’s Saryab area. All victims belong to the Shia community and banned militant outfit Laskhar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) claimed responsibility for the attack. Continue reading Balochistan unrest: Seven killed in target shooting 
Much attention has been focused on the process of radicalisation of young men in the areas of Pakistan that border Afghanistan. Peshawar, the town near the border between the two countries, is infamous for being the centre of a vibrant industry and trade in homemade guns. For more than two decades, violence has become the dominant currency of almost every aspect of life in this area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, once known as the North West Frontier Province. Continue reading Young women fight ‘Talibanisation’ of rural Pakistan 
A factsheet released earlier this year entitled ‘The World’s Women and Girls’, produced by the Washington-basedPopulation Reference Bureau, showed that a whopping 47 percent of women in India are married off by the time they are 18 years-old. Not only is India’s average higher than the one for South Central Asia (45 percent), but the country also fares worse than several African nations, including Ghana, Sudan and Nigeria. In contrast, Pakistan’s figure was 24 percent, while even war-ravagedAfghanistan (43 percent) apparently did a better job of curbing youth marriage than the world’s largest democracy. Continue reading India’s Young Women Shame | By Ahsan Waheed Wednesday, 18 May 2011 The aftermath of the OBL debacle resulted in a blame game at almost all levels of state infrastructure in Pakistan. Neither civil government officials not members of the military establishment were spared - by each other, or by the Pakistani media and the speculation-ridden conspiracy-driven people of Pakistan. The ten hour long in-camera parliamentary session was one of a kind in the political history of this country - where both General Ashfaq Kiyani and General Pasha (DG ISI) were present. General Kiyani, throughout the session, seemed to be much of a silent observer; it was General Pasha, the Director General of the ISI, who beared the brunt of all the barrage of criticism thrown at him. At one point, when he offered his resignation, parliamentarians initiated a ruckus and shouted in the august house that the resignation should be accepted. While many argue that the military establishment of Pakistan is not subservient to the parliament or civil administration, it should also e or outside the legislature - have no respect for the military institutions of the country. This disrespect had obviously crossed all bounds after May 02, as has become obvious to everyone. |
Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has arrived in China for a three day official visit. He’s in Shanghai first before arriving in Beijing. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Pakistan. Gilani’s visit is an important part of the activities both parties will undertake to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the forging of diplomatic ties. Continue reading China is a true friend of Pakistan 
Naseema* loves being a nurse as “it is all about serving humanity”, but she gets upset sometimes when certain people treat her like a “low grade staff” or make sexual advances towards her. 
Workers of the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC), which has been providing food rations for flood victims in the Larkana relief camp, have been accused by locals of selling off the aid to shopkeepers, a charge the ICRC says it is investigating internally. 
While the Behavioural Surveillance Survey (BSS) found a vast majority of young people in Pakistan to be sexually active, another study showed that Pakistan is witnessing a rise in sexual abuse cases. Statistics released by an NGO, Sahil, in a report called “Cruel Numbers Report 2010,” reveal that victims of sexual abuse comprise 73 per cent girls and 27 per cent boys. These findings mock the belief that young people do not know, need not know, or, have nothing to do with, sexuality because they are protected by Pakistan’s culture and tradition. Continue reading Extremism in Pakistan: From sexual activity to sexual abuse | Pakistan's inept and self-serving politicians are trying to up the ante in the federal political scene, ostensibly to make the people forget and ignore what happened on May 02 On May 02, 2011, the PPP-led federal government swore in two federal ministers, four state ministers and four other members from the PML-Q, the erstwhile murderers of Benazir Bhutto, the PPP chairperson who was assassinated in a terror attack on December 27, 2009. The President of Pakistan and widower of Benazir Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari, administered the oath. |
As the weather turns pleasant, tourists flock to Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) after a harsh winter this year. The rising mercury coupled with extended hours of loadshedding compels families to break away from the humdrum of routine and breathe afresh in the hilly areas. 
Pakistan’s trade deficit narrowed to $12.1 billion in the first 10 months of the current financial year due to strong growth in exports, helping to maintain foreign currency reserves and averting rupee depreciation against the US dollar. Exports raced away and recorded a growth which was more than double the growth in imports, data shows. Read more... 
The Taliban have threatened Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry of “dire consequences” if he does not accept the appeal of their activists convicted of attacking former president General Pervez Musharraf, The Express Tribune has learnt. The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) activists were sentenced to death by the Lahore High Court in the Musharraf attack case. Read more... 
Overseas Pakistanis remitted $1.03 billion in April 2011, the second consecutive month that the figure has crossed the mark of $1 billion, data released by the State Bank of Pakistan showed. Remittances sent home by expatriate Pakistani workers have already crossed the $9 billion target set for FY11 as they have reached $9.05 billion in the first 10 months (July-April), showing an increase of $1.74 billion or 23.81 per cent compared with $7.31 billion received in the same period last year. Read more... 
Efforts by the civil society and rights’ organisations to bring justice to victims of acid crimes saw the light of day on Tuesday when a bill proposing strict punishment for perpetrators of the heinous crime was passed unanimously in the National Assembly. 
On Tuesday, the Punjab government revoked operational privileges for 35 private security agencies that failed to provide data on their board of directors, a summary of security guards, clients, sanctioned quota of weapons, security gadgets and a record of training imparted to staff. 
A furore was recently raised in the United Kingdom (UK) over the voluntary religion question in the 2011 census. Humanists and secularists attacked it for being ‘fatally flawed’ because the information, according to them, can be used to influence public policy and services. For anyone living in Pakistan the outcry might seem a smidgen over the top, given the country’s strident penchant for religiously determined identity systems. Continue reading A question of religion 
The Congressional report pointed out to strong links between the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps force and Al-Qaeda. (File photo) By ABEER TAYEL 
The electricity shortfall increased because of the oil squeeze.—AFP photo 
Osama bin Laden’s daughter confirmed her father was captured alive and shot dead by the US Special Forces during the first few minutes of the operation . (File photo) By MUSHTAQ YUSUFZAI 
Motorway police officials have lived up to the good image of their department. In a show of honesty and professional responsibility, two officials of the police returned over a million rupees they found on the body of a person. 
SUNBURY — While glad to hear Osama bin Laden was dead, Sobhi Ammar said he was a little worried to hear the United States gave the terrorist mastermind a burial at sea. “According to our religion, people are supposed to be buried in the ground,” said Ammar, the president of the Sunbury Islamic Center. “I’m hoping people don’t use that as a fuel.” Read more.. 
Osama bin Laden's killing in Pakistan appears to be having a chilling effect among the Afghan Taliban's leadership, say many Taliban observers. Many of its key figures are believed to be hiding in Pakistan and are wanted by the United States. While the US drone strikes have killed scores of militants in Pakistan (most of them Al Qaeda or Pakistani Taliban, a different organization than the Afghan Taliban), the success of the US operation against Mr. bin Laden may renew concerns among senior Afghan Taliban leaders that they are next on America’s hit list. Read more... 
"9/11 Unveiled" leads the reader to the inescapable conclusion: The 9/11 Commission Report is fatally flawed. Its conclusions regarding the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and Flight 93 are false. With the Commission's staff barely in place, a detailed outline - complete with "chapter headings, subheadings, and sub-subheadings" of The 9/11 Commission Report, had been prepared. The Executive Director of the 9/11 Commission, a Commission vigorously opposed by the White House, also drafted the Bush administration's pre-emptive war doctrine. Bin Laden, the rationale for the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, was not wanted for 9/11.--Enver Masud, "9/ 11 Unveiled," The Wisdom Fund (September 11, 2008) 
Griffin . . . examines purported messages from bin Laden since 2001 and finds little evidence that these in fact have come from bin Laden himself.--David Ray Griffin, "Osama Bin Laden: Dead or Alive?," Olive Branch Press (May 20, 2009) [Leon Panetta told ABC television . . . Intelligence on Bin Laden "almost goes back, you know, to the early 2000s... Since then, it's been very difficult to get any intelligence on his exact location".--"No intelligence on Bin Laden, US says," Independent, June 28, 2010] [Angelo M. Codevilla, who teaches international relations at Boston University, is a former U.S. intelligence officer who studied Soviet disinformation techniques during the Cold War. He says a close examination of all the alleged bin Laden tapes, including the videos, have convinced him that Elvis Presley is more alive than Osama bin Laden. . . . The last credible intercepts of bin Laden's voice were made by overhead satellites in early December 2001 as he was escaping through the Tora Bora mountain range . . . Bin Laden was suffering from a kidney ailment, and some experts say he died Dec. 13, 2001, four days after his escape from Tora Bora.--Arnaud de Borchgrave, "Man or myth argument is alive and well online," Washington Times, July 26, 2010] [The leaked documents also claim that Osama bin Laden, who was reported dead three years ago by the late Pakistan candidate Benazir Bhutto on BBC, was still alive, conveniently keeping the myth alive for the Obama Administration War on Terror at a point when most Americans had forgotten the original reason the Bush Administration allegedly invaded Afghanistan to pursue the Saudi Bin Laden for the 9/11 attacks. . . . a closer examination of the public position of Assange on one of the most controversial issues of recent decades, the forces behind the September 11, 2001, attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center shows him to be curiously establishment.--F. William Engdahl, "Something stinks about Wikileaks," vheadline.com, August 11, 2010] Maidhc O Cathail, "Bin Laden is Dead; Long Live 'Bin Laden'," maidhcocathail.wordpress.com, August 16, 2010 "Muslims Didn't Do It," The Wisdom Fund, September 11, 2010 
You thought Obama’s long-form would put this to rest? More than half of Republicans still aren’t persuaded An alarming poll from CBS News and the New York Times last week found that nearly 70 percent of Republicans either believed President Obama wasn’t born on American soil or weren’t sure. Continue reading What is Obama’s Nationality? 
President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday formally accorded degree awarding status to the Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design (PIFD) at a special ceremony held here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr. The signing ceremony was attended among others by Minister for Commerce Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan, Secretary General M. Salman Faruqui, spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar, Principal PIFD Ms. Hina Tayyaba, former principals and students, faculty, members of executive committee of the Institute of Fashion Design besides other senior officials. Continue reading PIFD given degree-awarding status by the President 
