Wednesday, September 28, 2011

U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan

New America Foundation analysis of drone strikes in Pakistan. Click each pin to see the details of a reported strike. The red border represents the extent of Pakistan’s tribal regions in the northwest of the country.

Taliban destroy police checkpost, kill 10 in Afghanistan

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A Taliban attack in southern Afghanistan killed eight officers and completely destroyed a police post, a provincial spokesman said Wednesday.

At least three more officers were injured in the Tuesday night attack near Lashkar Gah in Helmand province, according to Daud Ahmadi, the spokesman.

LeJ chief Malik Ishaq jailed for 30 days

Founder of banned outfit Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) Malik Ishaq was shifted late Tuesday night to a Rahim Yar Khan jail after being under house arrest for 10 days.

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The Admiral’s Swan Song

Admiral Mullen long thought to be a friend of Pakistan (by Pakistanis) with a special rapport with its leadership made what he said was his last appearance before the US Senate Armed Services Committee. In his testimony Admiral Mullen last Thursday blamed Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for aiding the Haqqani Network in launching attacks on US Embassy and NATO headquarters in Kabul. He called the Haqqanis a “veritable arm of the ISI”. Panetta had earlier hinted at US strikes in North Waziristan if the Haqqanis were not taken on by the Pakistan military. The White House on Friday called on Pakistan to sever ties with Haqqanis. Admiral Mullen also said –"in choosing to use violent extremism as an instrument of policy, the government of Pakistan, and most especially the Pakistani army and ISI, jeopardizes not only the prospect of our strategic partnership but Pakistan's opportunity to be a respected nation with legitimate regional influence. They may believe that by using these proxies, they are hedging their bets or redressing what they feel is an imbalance in regional power. But in reality, they have already lost that bet." 

Help in Dengue Fever: Free of Cost Platelets by Fatimid Foundation Lahore

Lahore Fatimid Foundation is providing free of cost Platelets.

Kabeer Khan:+92-308-4388042

Fatimid Foundation:+92-42-35210835-36-38

Continue reading Help in Dengue Fever:Free of Cost Platelets by Fatimid Foundation Lahore

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Should the BRICs bail out Europe?

The sovereign debt crisis in Europe is fast becoming a banking crisis which could plunge the world into Great Depression II. Europe needs to take bold actions and make a political case for the survival of the euro. But even after last week’s IMF meeting, it is split.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Pakistan reacts to US allegations on ISI

The Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Tehmina Janjua brushed aside US allegations that the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) is using the Pakistan-based militant network for a proxy war. During the Foreign Office briefing...

The Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Tehmina Janjua brushed aside US allegations that the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) is using the Pakistan-based militant network for a proxy war.

During the Foreign Office briefing in Islamabad on Thursday, Janjua said that Pakistan has no cooperation with the Haqqani network and is not fighting any war through the Haqqanis in Afghanistan.

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Thursday, September 22, 2011

India’s pivotal role in Nepal’s Crisis

The sovereign Nepal is in a crisis ridden plight. Indian conspiracy is responsible for this miserable plight of Nepal. India is working to upset the existing harmony between nationality and democracy. To gain this objective it is using the brokers here so that it can conspire to not allow nationality and democracy to walk hand-in-hand. Another cause for this crisis is, due to the traitor's in regime, the failure on part of Nepal's leadership in remaining alert. In spite of the emergence of democracy in 1950 nationality was made 'bowl of the beggars'- inferior.

India’s pivotal role in Nepal’s Crisis

The sovereign Nepal is in a crisis ridden plight. Indian conspiracy is responsible for this miserable plight of Nepal. India is working to upset the existing harmony between nationality and democracy. To gain this objective it is using the brokers here so that it can conspire to not allow nationality and democracy to walk hand-in-hand. Another cause for this crisis is, due to the traitor's in regime, the failure on part of Nepal's leadership in remaining alert. In spite of the emergence of democracy in 1950 nationality was made 'bowl of the beggars'- inferior.

Anna Hazare agrees to visit Pakistan for fighting corruption

Indian social activist Anna Hazare has accepted an invitation by a two-member Pakistani delegation to visit Pakistan soon, Hindustan Times reported Wednesday.

Hazare gave his consent at the Ralegan Siddhi village when he was visited by former Supreme Court judge Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid and eminent peace activist Karamat Ali on Wednesday.

Continue reading Anna Hazare agrees to visit Pakistan for fighting corruption

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Insecurity Rising

Pakistan’s longstanding nightmare scenario has been a two front threat - from India in the east and an externally supported incursion from the west. The two front threat is now a reality except that it is from the Pakistan Taliban (TTP - Tehrik Taliban Pakistan) aided and abetted by Al Qaeda in the west and from its own internal situation that is an amalgam of a nationalist separatist movement in Baluchistan, the lawlessness in Karachi, a rising nationalist feeling in Sind, militant extremist organizations with linkages to the threat from the west and a steady economic decline whose impact will inevitably be long term. India is now considered a silent spectator or a behind the scenes operator. Given the US presence in Afghanistan and the stable strategic US-India relationship the US-Pakistan relationship assumes great importance and significance.

CJ Pak on Karachi Violence: Time to call a spade a spade

Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry on Tuesday said that the time has come to call a spade a spade since everybody knows who is involved in violence and lawlessness in...

Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry on Tuesday said that the time has come to call a spade a spade since everybody knows who is involved in violence and lawlessness in Karachi.

Hearing the suo moto case of target killings in Karachi, the chief justice observed that no effort was seen to be made by the government to control lawlessness while political parties had not dissociated themselves from militant outfits. He said the political leadership and government did not issue even a single statement denouncing militant outfits. He directed the government to give in writing that it would not side with armed groups.

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Taliban attack rocks Kabul

Taliban fighters continue to attack Kabul today, after a series of explosions took place near the U.S. embassy and NATO headquarters, and militants stormed a half-finished high rise building and began firing guns and rockets at the embassy and other targets nearby (NYTPostAPWSJ,PajhwokBBCBloombergGuardianReutersCNNTel). Several suicide bombers have reportedly been involved in the coordinated attacks in the upscale Wazir Akbar Khan area of Kabul, and attack helicopters have been deployed over the city (GuardianReutersWSJ). At least one Afghan policeman and two insurgents have been killed in the fighting so far (AP).

Rawalpindi: Hospitals on Red Alert as signs of dengue appear

Hospitals in Rawalpindi were put on red alert as six more patients tested positive for dengue fever on Tuesday.

The managements of Rawalpindi Medical College,Holy Family Hospital,Benazir Bhutto Hospital and District Headquarter Hospital put their staff on red alert on the directives of the Punjab chief minister to cope with the epidemic.

<a href="http://www.area148.com/cms/7447/rawalpindi-hospitals-on-red-alert-as-signs-of-dengue-appear/

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Osama shows his face again

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WASHINGTON — A private intelligence monitoring service says al-Qaida is marking the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks with an hour-long video, just released on Jihadist websites.

Site Monitoring Services says the video features an audio speech by the new leader, Egyptian Ayman al-Zawahri, as well as previously unreleased footage of former leader Osama bin Laden. The 62-minute video, titled “The Dawn of Imminent Victory,” was posted on jihadist forums on Monday. Zawahri is shown in a still photo.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Hazare's Quest, Blows Away West

On April 15, 2008, India’s most televised anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare received the World Bank’s

Jit Gill memorial award for ‘outstanding public service’.

On April 12, 2006, World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz had claimed in Jakarta that corruption was “one of the biggest threats to development” in the Third World.

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KSE Breathes Again

After gaining more than 150 points in two days, the market witnessed profit-taking to close in the same range on Wednesday.

The Karachi Stock Exchange’s (KSE) benchmark 100-share index crawled up 0.09 per cent or 10.62 points to end at 11,329.77 point level.

Investors preferred to play safe as profit taking was witnessed at different levels due to the uncertain political scenario, said JS Global Capital analyst Mujtaba Barakzai.

National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) ended at its upper limit for the third consecutive day, recouping some of its recent losses. The stock declined 37% in value since late August after it announced below expected earnings on rising non-performing loans.

Trade volumes fell slightly to 86 million shares compared with Tuesday’s tally of 87 million shares. Gas supply resumption got Engro’s stock moving upwards from the recent low levels. The Corporation’s stock price rose Rs0.31 to close at Rs132.4.

Foreign institutional investors were net sellers of Rs38 million, according to data maintained by the National Clearing Company of Pakistan Limited.

Cement sector was in the limelight as investors took fresh position in Lucky Cement while some interest was also seen in DG Khan Cement on lower level after unexpected earnings.

Stocks of Attock group companies also boosted investor’s sentiments in anticipation of improved earnings in the upcoming results.

Shares of 330 companies were traded on Wednesday. At the end of the day 139 stocks closed higher, 101 declined while 90 remained unchanged. The value of shares traded during the day was Rs4.02 billion. Lotte Pakistan PTA was the volume leader with 8.36 million shares gaining Rs0.32 to finish at Rs12.04. It was followed by National Bank of Pakistan with 6.65million shares firming Rs2.03 to close at Rs42.72 and Fatima Fertiliser with 6.3 shares losing Rs0.06 to close at Rs17.1.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Do Pakistanis Need Reasons to Complain?

I live in Hong Kong but spend about half my time travelling, mostly in Asia and the Middle East. I also visit Pakistan at least twice a year. It’s a fact that most people, within Pakistan or outside it, do not have a positive outlook towards life. They complain more and compliment less. They whine about imperfections and take the good stuff for granted. They are always thinking about what they don’t have and are never grateful for what they do have. As a result, they are unhappy and miserable most of the time. Unfortunately, that’s how most people choose to live their lives.

Pakistan DG Rangers: Political Parties Backing Karachi Militants

Director General Rangers Sindh Ejaz Ahmed Chaudhry on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that militants and criminals were taking refuge in political and ethnic parties and using the flags of...

Director General Rangers Sindh Ejaz Ahmed Chaudhry on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that militants and criminals were taking refuge in political and ethnic parties and using the flags of these parties to commit illegal activities.

Ejaz Chaudhry was giving a briefing to the Supreme Court’s five-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry hearing the suo moto case on the Karachi killings.

Two PIA Planes Forced To Land Due To Bomb Threat

Two international flights of the national flag carrier PIA had to make an emergency landing at the Istanbul and Kuala Lumpur airports following bomb threats on aircrafts.

PIA’s Manchester-bound flight from Lahore had to make an emergency landing at Ataturk International Airport, in Istanbul, following a bomb threat on the aircraft. A spokesman for PIA told The News that an email received at some office of airline had alerted its authorities regarding threat of planting of bombs on two flights of the PIA ie PK-898 Lahore to Kuala Lumpur and PK-709 Lahore to Manchester. 

He said the PIA flight PK-898 had safely landed at Kuala Lumpur Airport after which the aircraft was searched for clearance. Later, the plane was declared clear from safety point of view. Airbus A-310 aircraft was used for the Kuala Lumpur-bound flight, which would later return to Lahore as PK-899.

Monday, September 5, 2011

‘The Plot Thickens’—and Unravels?

The broadsides fired by Mr Zulfiqar Mirza are still reverberating a week later—not that he rested after the main event. He followed up with emotional and teary statements that expressed...

The broadsides fired by Mr Zulfiqar Mirza are still reverberating a week later—not that he rested after the main event. He followed up with emotional and teary statements that expressed his loyalty to the Party and the President but continued to home in on his original targets—the MQM and the Federal Interior Minister. The up shot has been a push to get a chastened and muddied MQM back into the government fold knowing that their strong arm tactics on the streets of Karachi and their in and out dance with the ruling party was no longer an option after the Mirza tirade. In fact they are now in the business of warding off negative fall-out of the charges leveled against them by Mirza.  The Interior Minister could either get into a public slanging match—that he would have lost—or get on the high horse and soft pedal the allegations. The PM has opted for a judicial commission to investigate thereby sending a signal to the Judiciary and others to hold their horses.

66 new cases reported in Lahore

LAHORE: As many as 66 new dengue cases have been reported in hospitals across Lahore during the last 24 hours.

Express 24/7 reported Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s son, Abdul Qadir Gilani has also been admitted to a hospital with dengue fever symptoms.

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Lessons of the Post-9/11 Military

Earlier this week, I attended the retirement ceremony of General David Petraeus at Fort Meyer. It was a landmark moment, the closing of a chapter–the decade after 9/11. I’ve written about the transformation of the U.S. Military at length, including a column about Petraeus’ intellectual impact on the Army and a cover story about how counterinsurgency warfare has, if nothing else, produced a generation of officers with public service skills that may have a major impact on our society. Fred Kaplan, smart as always, has a very clear and concise piece about the Army’s transformation here.

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What the Taliban Want

An important message by Mullah Mohammed Omar, the leader of the Taliban movement in Afghanistan, has been released on the occasion of Eid—the end of Ramadan. It is the longest and by far the most forward-looking political message he has ever sent, offering the Taliban’s latest views on several central issues that are uppermost in the minds of US andNATO leaders, Afghans, and governments around the region as the US begins a withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.